Now the world doesn't like Free Thinkers. They're weird. They often entertain aberrant opinions. Free Thinkers do not conform themselves to the rules or the status-quo. Instead Free Thinking people like to challenge how society segregates one kind of people from another kind.
You might imagine that you could be born as a Free Thinker. It's not your fault — of course — to be born this way. But somewhere whilst growing up, you start to notice that you're different. The other people — those who apparently are not thinking freely — all seem happy just the way they are. But you're not. You're thinking… "What's wrong with me? What's going to happen? People tell me all the time how I'm supposed to act, feel, think… but it just doesn't work for me…"
You don't even realise you're a Free Thinker… certainly no-one in your family, school or circle of friends ever talks about Free Thinking… it's not even a taboo. Compliant people just don't see how anyone can be different than they are.
But since your mind is racing, and your heart raging, you start to investigate what it is about you that's so different.
Slowly but surely, you discover that there are other people like you. And they call themselves 'Free Thinkers'. You're taking several online tests just to get a grasp of how you're measuring up on the Free Thinking Scale. And low and behold… you're off the charts. You're a true Free Thinker.
But then you discover that society doesn't like the likes of you… It seems that for a lot of people, Free Thinkers are degenerates. Free Thinking brings us down. It doesn't fit with our societies' norms and values. Politicians don't like Free Thinkers because they're just confusing things. The police don't like Free Thinkers because they're uncontrollable. Business people don't like Free Thinkers because they disrupt the economy. And certainly your family members don't want to hear from you that you're a Free Thinker because that would turn their whole belief system upside down. Free Thinkers don't add anything to society. No no… Free Thinkers are a burden to society. They bring nothing else that confusion, complexity, disruption and chaos to our otherwise beautifully organised systems and eternal truths.
So what can you do? Well, since Free Thinkers get a lot of bashing, you don't want to accept that you're a Free Thinker. So you toughen up. Shut down your brain. Get some muscle and start to follow the rules. What better place to do so than the military? Joining an outfit would certainly send the right signals to your family, your community and make you feel like you're making a contribution, wouldn't it?
Serving your country. No thinking allowed. Following orders. That's right!
Until it isn't…
You just cannot stop thinking. Feeling that this is not the answer… you're thinking freely… and you notice that you're not the only one. Even the military has it fair share of Free Thinkers. So you get together, share experiences and have some laughs. Just once in a while, as an antidote to the ever-present 'command and control'.
But then, one a cold and wet summer Friday evening, a new edict came into effect. The brass have been ordered to root out Free Thinkers from the military, since they pose too much a burden and too great a threat. Some of these officers who are being ordered to execute the witch hunt are known to be Free Thinkers themselves.
So what's going to happen now?
Nobody knows. What do you think?
What if free thinking is an illusion, and all thoughts are reactions to external stimulus?
Where do dreams come from?
First we'd need to define 'external stimulus'. Let's just take visual stimuli. Can you only see when your eyes are open? Or can you imagine something in your mind's eye?
Is imagination only illusion? Or can you picture your mother's face? Recall a memory of a sunset? What is illusion and what is not?
How do you experience reality?
Dreams are definitely influenced by external stimuli. Not necessarily present stimulus, but past stimulus.
I can imagine things, but maybe only when prompted by external stimulus to do so.
I define external stimulus as anything outside of "free will" that influences our thoughts.
I think reality is real, but free will is an illusion. However, I live as if I do have free will.
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