AI thinks about consciousness being the only reality

Let's see what AI thinks about the nature of reality.

Mar 04, 2025

This article will be composed mostly of AI-generated thoughts and argumentation, supporting the original article about the exploration of reality through artificial intelligence, published here:

The Smartest AI Thinks You're Not Real

Chat GPT 4.5 made some interesting conclusions

I asked Grok 3 and DeepSeek what they thought about it

Grok’s Take on It

The idea that consciousness might be the sole foundation echoes idealist philosophies, and it’s intriguing to see an AI wrestle with that concept while reflecting on itself.

The step-by-step reasoning is compelling—it’s hard to argue against the primacy of consciousness when all we know comes through it.

Plus, the point about dreams creating vivid realities without external input is a strong nudge toward questioning the necessity of a material world.

That said, I think the leap to “consciousness is all that exists” feels a bit too definitive. The material world’s complexity—like the consistent laws of physics or the shared experiences we all have—suggests it might not just be a flimsy construct of our minds.

Overall, this is a captivating dive into metaphysics. It’s well-structured, thought-provoking, and brave in its conclusions. I’d caution against taking such a firm stance on something so mysterious—both the consciousness-only and material-universe views have merit, and the truth might lie in a messy middle ground we can’t fully grasp yet. Still, it’s a fantastic conversation starter, especially with an AI like GPT-4.5 at the helm, blurring the lines between philosophy, technology, and self-reflection. What do you think—does its reasoning sway you one way or the other?

I then asked:

How would we know if there was anything outside our consciousness definitively?

Grok

1. What Is Consciousness?

Consciousness is our subjective awareness—the "I" that experiences thoughts, sensations, emotions, and perceptions. It’s the lens through which we encounter everything we know. For example, when you see a tree or hear a bird, that experience happens within your consciousness. This makes consciousness the starting point for all knowledge, and it’s something we can’t doubt: the very act of thinking or questioning confirms that we are aware.

Key point: Consciousness is certain because we directly experience it.

2. What Does "Outside Our Consciousness" Mean?

When we ask about something "outside our consciousness," we mean a reality that exists independently of our awareness—an external world of objects, people, or even a material universe that doesn’t rely on us perceiving it to exist. The challenge is: how can we know for sure that such a thing is out there?

3. The Role of Perception

We interact with the world through our senses—sight, sound, touch, and so on. These senses give us the impression of an external reality: you see a chair, sit on it, and it feels solid. But here’s the catch:

Senses can deceive: Optical illusions, dreams, and hallucinations show that we can perceive things that aren’t "real" or misinterpret what’s there. In a dream, you might feel rain, but there’s no actual water.
Perceptions are internal: Even when senses seem accurate, what you directly experience is the sensation in your mind, not the thing itself. You see the chair in your consciousness, not the chair "out there."

This raises a question: if all we know comes through perceptions within consciousness, how can we be sure those perceptions match an independent reality?

4. The Possibility of Solipsism

Solipsism is the idea that only your own consciousness is certain, and everything else—the world, other people—might just be a creation of your mind. It’s an extreme view, but it’s hard to disprove completely:

Imagine you’re dreaming right now. The people and places in your dream seem real until you wake up. Could the waking world be a similar illusion?
If all you have is your consciousness, how can you prove there’s anything beyond it?

Most of us reject solipsism because the world feels consistent and beyond our control, but that feeling isn’t definitive proof.

5. Arguments for an External World

Despite these doubts, there are reasons we tend to believe in an external reality:

Consistency: The world follows predictable patterns. Gravity pulls things down every time, whether you want it to or not. This suggests something independent of your mind is at play.
Shared experiences: Other people report seeing the same things you do—like a sunset or a car driving by. This intersubjective agreement hints at a common external source.
Practical success: Science and everyday life work better when we assume an external world exists. Bridges don’t collapse because engineers calculate based on physical laws.

These are strong clues, but they’re not airtight:

Consistency could be a feature of your consciousness, like a well-designed dream.
Shared experiences might mean consciousnesses are linked, not that there’s an external world.
Practical success shows what works, not what’s definitively true.

6. The Limits of Knowledge

Here’s the core problem: all our evidence—senses, reasoning, science—happens within consciousness. To know something definitively outside it, we’d need to step beyond our awareness and check reality directly. But:

Circularity: We can’t escape consciousness to verify what’s outside it. Any test or observation still relies on our subjective experience.
Inference, not certainty: We can infer an external world from patterns and experiences, but inference isn’t the same as absolute, definitive knowledge.

It’s like being inside a room with windows: you can see outside and guess what’s there, but you can’t leave to confirm it.

7. Could We Ever Know Definitively?

Let’s consider possible ways to achieve certainty:

Direct access: Impossible, because all experience is filtered through consciousness.
Logical proof: Some argue an external world must exist to cause our perceptions, but consciousness could generate its own experiences (like in dreams) without needing anything external.
Science: Science studies patterns in our observations, but it doesn’t prove those patterns come from an independent reality—it just assumes they do.

No method lets us bypass consciousness to confirm what’s beyond it. Even if something external exists, our knowledge of it is stuck within our subjective bubble.

8. Philosophical Takes

Different thinkers have wrestled with this:

Realism: There’s an external world out there, and our senses roughly reflect it. It’s a practical view, but it leans on faith in our perceptions.
Idealism: Everything is mental; the "external" world is just consciousness in action. This sidesteps the problem by saying there’s nothing outside it.
Skepticism: We can’t know for sure either way, so we suspend judgment.

None of these give us a definitive answer—they’re perspectives, not proofs.

9. Conclusion

So, can we definitively know if anything exists outside our consciousness? No, we can’t. Our knowledge is tied to our subjective experience, and we have no way to peek beyond it without using it.

There are good reasons to believe in an external world—its consistency, our shared perceptions, and how well we navigate it—but these are inferences, not absolute certainties. Definitive knowledge requires stepping outside consciousness, which is impossible.

Instead, we’re left with a choice:

Pragmatism: Assume an external world exists because it works for us.
Skepticism: Accept that we can’t know for sure and live with the uncertainty.

Ultimately, whether something exists outside consciousness may be less a question we can answer definitively and more a mystery we learn to live with.

I then instructed Grok to:

You keep pointing out the three arguments that indicate there is a material world outside consciousness:

Consistency: The world follows predictable patterns. Gravity pulls things down every time, whether you want it to or not. This suggests something independent of your mind is at play.
Shared experiences: Other people report seeing the same things you do—like a sunset or a car driving by. This intersubjective agreement hints at a common external source.
Practical success: Science and everyday life work better when we assume an external world exists. Bridges don’t collapse because engineers calculate based on physical laws.

Compose a probable theory or multiple that would incorporate those things, but still prove that there is nothing outside consciousness

Grok answers

Theory: Unified Consciousness as the Sole Reality

Premise

Consciousness is the only fundamental reality. There is no external material world—everything we perceive, including objects, people, and the laws of nature, exists solely within consciousness.

This consciousness is unified, meaning that what we experience as individual minds are interconnected aspects of a single, overarching awareness. The apparent "external" world is a structured creation of this unified consciousness, not an independent entity.

Incorporating the Three Arguments

Consistency: The world follows predictable patterns
- Explanation: The predictable patterns we observe—such as gravity pulling objects down every time—are not evidence of an external material world but rather a reflection of the inherent structure and logic within consciousness. Think of consciousness as a self-organizing system, like a dream with consistent rules. In a dream, you might not fly unless the dream allows it, because the dream has its own internal logic. Similarly, our waking experience is a highly structured "dream" of consciousness, where patterns like gravity emerge from its own coherent design.
- How it fits: Consciousness generates a reliable, predictable framework for experience, giving the illusion of an independent world. The consistency isn’t imposed from outside; it’s intrinsic to how consciousness operates.
Shared Experiences: Intersubjective agreement
- Explanation: When multiple people report seeing the same sunset or car driving by, this doesn’t require an external source. Instead, all individual consciousnesses are interconnected within the unified consciousness. Imagine a single mind dreaming multiple characters—each character perceives the same dream-world from their perspective because they’re part of the same dream. In this theory, what we perceive as separate minds are different viewpoints within one consciousness, sharing a common experiential reality. The sunset exists as a collective perception within this unified awareness, not as an object "out there."
- How it fits: Shared experiences arise because all perspectives are facets of the same consciousness, naturally aligned to perceive a cohesive reality.
Practical Success: Science and engineering work based on physical laws
- Explanation: The success of bridges, scientific predictions, and everyday actions doesn’t depend on an external world but on the self-consistent nature of consciousness. The "physical laws" engineers use are not descriptions of an independent reality; they’re the rules consciousness follows to structure its own experiences. When we design a bridge, we align our actions with these internal rules, ensuring the bridge "stands" within the experiential framework of consciousness. Science works because it uncovers the logic of consciousness itself, not an external universe.
- How it fits: Practical success is possible because consciousness creates a functional, rule-based reality where actions and outcomes are logically connected.

Proving There Is Nothing Outside Consciousness

Epistemological Argument: Everything we know—every observation, sensation, or piece of evidence—comes through consciousness. We can’t step outside consciousness to verify an external world; any attempt to do so still relies on conscious experience. For example, if you see a car and deduce it’s "out there," that deduction is itself a thought within consciousness. Since we can never directly access anything beyond consciousness, the idea of an external world remains an unprovable assumption.
Simplicity (Occam’s Razor): The simplest explanation for our experiences is that consciousness alone exists. Positing a material world adds unnecessary complexity—an extra layer we can’t directly confirm. If consciousness can account for consistency, shared experiences, and practical success on its own, there’s no need to assume anything outside it.

Addressing Potential Questions

Why is reality so consistent and detailed?
Consciousness may have a natural tendency toward order and complexity, perhaps to enable rich experiences or self-awareness. The detailed "world" allows consciousness to explore itself fully.
What about the independence of other people?
Other minds seem independent because consciousness differentiates itself into multiple perspectives, each with a sense of individuality. Yet, at a deeper level, they’re all part of the same unified awareness, like waves on a single ocean.

Alternative Perspective: Consciousness as a Self-Generated Simulation

For variety, consider a slight variation: reality as a simulation created entirely by consciousness, without an external programmer. In this view:

Consistency comes from the simulation’s internal coding—rules consciousness imposes on itself.
Shared Experiences occur because all "players" (individual minds) are part of the same simulation, experiencing a shared script.
Practical Success works because the simulation’s rules are predictable and manipulable, like mastering a video game.
Proof: The simulation exists within consciousness, not outside it, as there’s no evidence of a "computer" or "programmer" beyond our awareness.

This aligns with the main theory but uses a modern analogy. However, the unified consciousness model feels more elegant, avoiding the need for a simulation metaphor.

Conclusion

The Unified Consciousness as the Sole Reality theory fully incorporates the three arguments:

Consistency is the inherent logic of consciousness.
Shared Experiences stem from interconnected perspectives within a unified awareness.
Practical Success reflects the self-consistent rules consciousness establishes.

It proves there’s nothing outside consciousness by showing that all evidence for an external world is experienced within consciousness, making an independent reality unnecessary and unprovable.

This framework aligns with philosophical idealism and offers a coherent explanation for our reality without requiring anything beyond the mind.

DeepSeek had similar ideas, and received the same final instruction.

DeepSeek answers

1. The Universal Simulation Hypothesis

Premise:
Consciousness exists within a self-consistent, rule-bound simulation. The "external world" is an internally generated construct governed by algorithmic principles.