Did we exist before we were born?

[Asphyxiater]

It just feels so surreal how we came into existence from nothing, like what I'm saying is we're magically brought into this world instantaneously, while seeing nothing but blackness. Why am I born in this period? Was I just a sperm cell of my ancestor that finally won the race?

 

[melancholyc418]

Yes but that does not disregad what life is. Every person has spawned in the same era you did with different circumstances. Do your best and give it your all, let catching the bus console you in that you may always exit when there is nothing left (typically chronic pain)

 

[Avyn]

There's a lot of different beliefs when it comes to this. I personally don't think we came from "nothing" (I'm not religious).
In the end you should believe what makes you feel better. No one knows the answer. Maybe everything will make sense when we die. All we can do is try to enjoy life as much as possible!

 

[Hollowman]

No

 

[Sparr0w]

i think of it kind of like how a computer wasn't "alive" before the parts were made and it was assembled, but it still turns on and runs the program installed on it.

that being said, we have no proof that souls aren't real, so if the thought reassures you, maybe reincarnation or some other form of spirituality is real? :)

 

[Homo erectus]

An infinite soul is also problematic. Do souls also have beginning and end? Then super soul? Are there an infinite number of infinite souls sharing an infinite realm?

Thinking life (or personal identity) as beginning at birth and ending at death is good enough and comforting.

 

[Source Energy]

I think we did exist before birth. As a child, I had strange memories of tunnels and waves of colors intermingling that I couldn't place. Like I remembered how it was without a body but couldn't put it in words. We are all energy and that is what the Universe is made of. I wish there was nothingness but unfortunately I believe there is more than just our bodies

 

[PainfulPainkillers]

It just feels so surreal how we came into existence from nothing, like what I'm saying is we're magically brought into this world instantaneously, while seeing nothing but blackness. Why am I born in this period? Was I just a sperm cell of my ancestor that finally won the race?

Yeah, nobody knows really, I mean I don't even remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. I try not to think about it too much, things are just the way they are and I try to make the best of the time that is given to me. Try to think about what it felt like 100 years ago before you existed... You can't, because you didn't exist and felt literally nothing. Death is just a state of not existing in a physical form on this world, before you were born you were in this state. After you die you will return to this state of having no physical form, so it will feel the same. This is most likely what happens, so the only thing we can be sure of is that we live today, and will probably live tomorrow. Try to make the best out of it since feeling something is better then feeling nothing, good luck. Don't take this seriously as its just my beliefs, I don't know the truth and neither does anybody else. Its up to you to create your own beliefs based on what you see and feel.

 

[Forever Sleep]

@neoyokio sent me this really interesting article a while back: https://www.newscientist.com/articl...ow-your-brain-conjures-up-your-sense-of-self/

The way I see it is- we're only able to contemplate the fact that we are alive because we have a highly developed sense of self awareness- consciousness. I think- partly because we don't understand it and partly because as a race- we have such enormous egos- we tend to think that part of us is magical- even immortal.

At the end of the day- it's personal belief because there isn't definitive proof either way. I myself do also have a spiritual bent- so- I do understand the appeal.

Still- after reading that article- it could well be that this sense of self/consciousness has merely developed as a by product to the way the brain works! Either way- I don't really see it as being separate from the brain. I'm not convinced it can exist without a living brain- either before birth or after death.

I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'Did we exist before we were born?' Exactly what part of us are you talking about? Biologically- yes- the female egg we came from was created when our mothers were. The father's sperm probably got created a little later.

I'm guessing you mean spirit though- spark/consciousness/sense of self. Does that exist beyond- before and after our mortal lives? I think we tend to have this idea of a fully formed person's character when we think like this. But babies aren't born like that surely. They're surely living mostly on instinct at that age. We don't even remember the first couple of years of life!

I think it's said that children start showing signs of self awareness aged 15 to 18 months. Doesn't that suggest that it is something that develops as the brain develops? We almost learn it perhaps? If we were born with it- surely, we'd have memories from earlier on in life?

I often hear the argument from reincarnation fans about energy- that it can't be destroyed- only transfered. But our 'energy' IS transfered when we are born and when we die. The biological bits of us- egg and sperm were created from our parents- because they ate food = energy. When we die- we rot and feed the insects or- fuel the flames in cremation. I guess thoughts/awareness/consciousness are energy- electrical impulses in the brain or whatever but again- surely the brain needs energy (food) to function? It then transfers that consumed energy- calories into thought. Without food- it will die along with the rest of us. I can't see how thoughts survive beyond the brain and surely- thought is all we're talking about when we talk about 'us'.

 

[Source Energy]

feeling something is better then feeling nothing, good luck. Don't take this seriously as its just my beliefs, I don't know the truth and neither does anybody else. Its up to you to create your own beliefs based on what you see and feel.

Feeling something is better than feeling nothing?? Respectfully - why are you on this forum then? Feeling agonizing emotional pain is better than non existence? Wow. Tell this to me and to the others here, who are in great pain inside on a daily basis, otherwise we wouldn't be on a suicide forum learning ways to make the pain stop.
It may be your belief, but phrases like this invalidate the suffering of everybody here - feeling pain is better than feeling nothing - fancy that, community.
Wow. Sometimes it's good to think before you speak...

 

[Viranamari]

Well different religions have different beliefs. Some believe in reincarnation etc. but realistically, there is no evidence that such stuff exist. So life before we are born and afterlife is really just personal belief. We don't have any recollection of life before our birth and I see no reason why we would have any after we die. Its a paradox and there is no point in thinking about it as you would end up running circles in your head.

 

[raindrinker30]

Before and after this life you lived in a dream spirit world where you are like a god and there is no pain. This world is a simulation/game

 

[Amakishiyo]

We are nothing more than ongoing chemical reactions, we only "exist" as long as the reactions are active. Never before, never after.

 

[FuneralCry]

I very much doubt it. There was nothing before and there will be nothing after. Consciousness is stored in the brain, and once we finally lose it we completely cease to exist with not even the awareness of the fact that we are dead.

 

[Darkover]

life a one time thing or multiple lives nobody has proven one or the other to be true, in my opinion you've probably existed before in some form but maybe thats just delusional who knows tho for certain, when something can come into existance from nothing it's hard to believe that life is a one time thing

 

[Dead Ghost]

Obviously yes, how do you want to be born if you don't exist... I don't quite understand the question (especially after reading the other answers, hehe).
Let's see, if we didn't exist until after 9 months there couldn't be premature children, right? There are people born at 25 weeks gestation.

Although if you ask at what point we are aware of ourselves, I don't know, because memory develops over the years and it seems that it does not go hand in hand with the development of self-awareness, so most people have no memory of when they were little and have the feeling that they suddenly appeared one fine day (when they were probably already doing their mischief before according to a personality of their own in full construction).

//

Evidentment que si, com vols néixer si no existeixes... no acabo d'entendre la pregunta (sobretot després de llegir les altres respostes, jeje).
A veure, si no existíssim fins després dels 9 mesos no podría haver-hi nens prematurs, no?. Hi ha gent que ha nascut amb 25 setmanes de gestació..

Tot i que si preguntes en quin moment sóm conscients de nosaltres mateixos, doncs no ho se pas, perquè la memória es va desenvolupant al llarg dels anys i sembla que no va aparellada al desenvolupament de la auto-consciéncia, raó per la qual la majoría de la gent no te records de quan era petit i tenen la sensació de que van aparéixer de cop un bon día (quan segurament ja feien abans les seves entremaliadures d'acord amb una personalitat própia en plena construcció).

 

[Amakishiyo]

Obviously yes, how do you want to be born if you don't exist... I don't quite understand the question (especially after reading the other answers, hehe).
Let's see, if we didn't exist until after 9 months there couldn't be premature children, right? There are people born at 25 weeks gestation.

Although if you ask at what point we are aware of ourselves, I don't know, because memory develops over the years and it seems that it does not go hand in hand with the development of self-awareness, so most people have no memory of when they were little and have the feeling that they suddenly appeared one fine day (when they were probably already doing their mischief before according to a personality of their own in full construction).

//

Evidentment que si, com vols néixer si no existeixes... no acabo d'entendre la pregunta (sobretot després de llegir les altres respostes, jeje).
A veure, si no existíssim fins després dels 9 mesos no podría haver-hi nens prematurs, no?. Hi ha gent que ha nascut amb 25 setmanes de gestació..

Tot i que si preguntes en quin moment sóm conscients de nosaltres mateixos, doncs no ho se pas, perquè la memória es va desenvolupant al llarg dels anys i sembla que no va aparellada al desenvolupament de la auto-consciéncia, raó per la qual la majoría de la gent no te records de quan era petit i tenen la sensació de que van aparéixer de cop un bon día (quan segurament ja feien abans les seves entremaliadures d'acord amb una personalitat própia en plena construcció).

I'm pretty sure the question means if our "soul" or consciousness existed somewhere before we ever physically existed, before the 9 months even began.

 

[Dead Ghost]

I'm pretty sure the question means if our "soul" or consciousness existed somewhere before we ever physically existed, before the 9 months even began.

Thank you. I don't know if this is the case, because memory develops differently in each of us. I have memories since I was two years old, but there are those who have them from the age of 6 or later. That you do not have memories does not mean that at that time you were not aware of your existence (especially because I was aware of the people around me when I was two years old and I know how people my age behaved then and how that basic behavior has not changed when they have reached adulthood).

Regarding the soul, for me it is 'software', if we approach the question as, "is this software loaded later once the human body has a biological development that allows it to store it and make use of it?" or "does this software develop parallel to the development of the body following certain instructions in the DNA?"... I don't know either, sorry.

But it would be interesting if this software was loaded from outside because it would somehow validate the existence of a biological network and make sense of reincarnation.

But I don't know.

//

Gràcies. Si és això no ho se, perquè la memòria es desenvolupa diferent en cadascún de nosaltres. Jo tinc records desde els dos anys però hi ha qui els té a partir dels 6 anys o més tard. Que no tinguis records no vol dir que en aquella época no fossis conscient de la teva existència (sobretot perquè jo si era conscient als dos anys de la gent del meu voltant i se com es comportaven llavors els de la meva edat i com aquest comportament base no ha canviat pas quan han arribat a la etapa adulta).

Respecte a l'ànima, per mi és 'software', si enfoquem la pregunta com, "aquest software es carrega posteriorment un cop el cos humà te un desenvolupament biológic que li permeti enmagatzamer-la i fer-ne ús?" o bé "aquest software es desenvolupa paralelament al desenvolupament del cos seguint unes intruccions determinades ne l'ADN?".. doncs tampoc ho se, ho sento.

Però sería interesant que aquest sofware es carregués desde fora perquè d'alguna manera validaría l'existéncia d'una xarxa biológica i donaría sentit a la reencarnació.

Pero no ho se.

 

[PainfulPainkillers]

Feeling something is better than feeling nothing?? Respectfully - why are you on this forum then? Feeling agonizing emotional pain is better than non existence? Wow. Tell this to me and to the others here, who are in great pain inside on a daily basis, otherwise we wouldn't be on a suicide forum learning ways to make the pain stop.
It may be your belief, but phrases like this invalidate the suffering of everybody here - feeling pain is better than feeling nothing - fancy that, community.
Wow. Sometimes it's good to think before you speak...

Well this wasn't directed to you, the guy seemed he wanted some answers and encouragement. Respectfully, not everybody here holds the same beliefs as you. Personally I am on the fence but you got to think about this, is it better to feel nothing then something? Death is a scary thought when you question these thoughts. What if when you die it gets way worse then before, nobody knows because nobody can tell us the answer. I appreciate your thoughts but simply put, why think about ending it all when you don't know what's next, this is what always makes me backup because it's a very scary thought. I said that feeling something is better then feeling nothing because at least I got to live and see what this worlds like. Weird to think what it would be like if I wasn't given the chance.

 

[Source Energy]

Well this wasn't directed to you, the guy seemed he wanted some answers and encouragement. Respectfully, not everybody here holds the same beliefs as you. Personally I am on the fence but you got to think about this, is it better to feel nothing then something? Death is a scary thought when you question these thoughts. What if when you die it gets way worse then before, nobody knows because nobody can tell us the answer. I appreciate your thoughts but simply put, why think about ending it all when you don't know what's next, this is what always makes me backup because it's a very scary thought. I said that feeling something is better then feeling nothing because at least I got to live and see what this worlds like. Weird to think what it would be like if I wasn't given the chance.

I know it wasn't directed at me. And you don't have to adopt my beliefs.

But I am in so much pain, and for anyone to say that agony is better than nothing, baffles me.

I don't know about you, or anyone, but in my case, why think about ending it all if I don't know what's next? because I am in so much incredible, profound pain that I am willing to take any risks. If something shitty awaits me after death, it would await me anyway if I stick around for decades. But if there is nothingness, or relief, I freed myself early. It is a gamble worth taking when suffering became too much.

You know, I envy you. It doesn't sound like you are in unbearable pain. You still have zest for life - good for you. I have moments like this too sometimes, before reality hits me in the face and reminds me that nope...nothing to wait for here.

 

[SamTam33]

Why would we have existed? Where would we have existed?

We didn't exactly come from nothing. We know how human life is created.

It's not that much of a reach to believe that sperm fertilized the egg and whatever else happens in that godforsaken process.

I would need someone to demonstrate an alternative to that process before entertaining other possibilities.

Souls floating infinitely, waiting for 2 stupid people to bump uglies, then they race each other through the ether to see who gets a body?

 

[PainfulPainkillers]

I know it wasn't directed at me. And you don't have to adopt my beliefs.

But I am in so much pain, and for anyone to say that agony is better than nothing, baffles me.

I don't know about you, or anyone, but in my case, why think about ending it all if I don't know what's next? because I am in so much incredible, profound pain that I am willing to take any risks. If something shitty awaits me after death, it would await me anyway if I stick around for decades. But if there is nothingness, or relief, I freed myself early. It is a gamble worth taking when suffering became too much.

You know, I envy you. It doesn't sound like you are in unbearable pain. You still have zest for life - good for you. I have moments like this too sometimes, before reality hits me in the face and reminds me that nope...nothing to wait for here.

That sounds rough, you should get a cat. The longer you live the more you realize that everyone is the same, everyone is going through some stuff. Some are just less tolerant to it then others, they just find better ways to cope with it and keep positive. Everyone has their own ways. If you ever want someone to talk to or hear you out feel free to reach out to me, I do care and I do hope things turn out better for you.

 

[iknowitsover666]

We did, we're eternal consciousness unfortunately

 

[cowie]

I always find it disorienting to think about the time and situation we are born into, and how we have no control over it.

 

[charlotte_]

personally I think yes. it's really strange to me to hear that we just exist and die out of absolute coincidence. there isn't any proof, no one knows where we came from, but according to the general rule of existence of which when something dies, something else is formed. perhaps we are formed from the remaining spiritual existence of the previous world we lived in. its rather fascinating but also kind of disturbing to me, how we are basically made to exist. perhaps it is something that we cannot know, or shouldn't know

 

[ScissorYoda]

My belief is that life energy is universal and consistent among all living beings on earth and elsewhere. When you inhabit a human body this energy takes on an ego and that ego views itself as separate and individual. The ego only knows itself as a finite being, however the life energy that creates the ego existed long before birth and will continue to exist long after death. I don't believe in a "soul" so to speak, I don't believe I will remember any of this after I die.

I had a DMT experience that felt like I remembered existing before being born, but not in my body, not in my soul, just an awareness of life that put my ego into perspective, my ego is one leaf on a much bigger tree of life, and that tree is bigger than any of us can imagine while here on earth.

Just some thoughts

 

[sserafim]

It just feels so surreal how we came into existence from nothing, like what I'm saying is we're magically brought into this world instantaneously, while seeing nothing but blackness. Why am I born in this period? Was I just a sperm cell of my ancestor that finally won the race?

We probably had past lives if you believe in reincarnation

Before and after this life you lived in a dream spirit world where you are like a god and there is no pain. This world is a simulation/game

Why did we have to be brought into this life though? What's the point of being a human being when we could've been like gods? I agree that the world is a game, it's a cruel, absurd game. It honestly feels like a simulation. I hate the fact that I was forced to play the game of life against my will.

 

[starlightsun]

Personally I find it very disturbing that we might exist as an eternal soul going through different experiences forever with no option to "opt out". After being introduced to the spiritual community and all the different beliefs and experiences out there I have a fear that this could be true, but who knows, I wish we could get definitive proof either way... for some it might be hope-giving to know this is not the only life you have and that you might have a better one next time, but for me I'd rather just not exist, this particular existence has been enough for me. I do feel like we're in a simulation against our will, and if we are a soul-based consciousness then why would we choose to come here to suffer? I don't understand it. Some say it's to learn lessons and work out karma but I find that very hard to take when you see the absolute nightmare that many people and animals go through in this world.

 

[Abandoned Character]

If there is something eternal, it is not in the form that "we" can comprehend and thus is not of my concern. Consciousness is an emergent property of matter, it's as simple as that. There is nothing "ethereal" about your being-ness, it would arise just as profoundly if you were cloned atom for atom, molecule for molecule. Similarly, your consciousness will cease when your material confirugation ceases.

Take it a step further, we realize that there is never a "solid" consciousness at all, as our neural circuitry and physiological vessel are constantly in flux. Just as we arise into this world, we shall fade away.

What is underneath all of that? Entropy, I suppose.

 

[Lookoutbelow]

Maybe.