Opinions have consequences. If mine is that the ‘glorification’ of someone, something, anything is a mistake, then I can view ‘him’ as a con man, clever and dangerous. My opinion watching people ‘believe’ in him is that it is the animal trait in that wants to follow, to be herded.
PART 1 - My experience
Rick, to confirm to my self that I exist I need to be aware of my existence. Of course, this is not the ultimate proof, cause in deep sleep I still exist … but in the morning, I do not remember that I existed.
If I dream at night, I remember the dream, so awareness, in the form of memory, informs me later that the I existed during the dream state. In deep sleep, there is no memory of my existence nor of my non existence, and because I cannot negate the existence of awareness, I can indirectly say there is the possibility that awareness exists in deep sleep, even if I do not remember of being aware.
PART 2 - Others’ experience (optional response, can be ignored )
I know K spoke about the dream state…but has he ever mentioned of being aware in deep sleep ?
(PS: For those who accept to read about so called “awakened” people, I’ll mention - what you all probably already know - that “such people” say they have an uninterrupted awareness, in all states.
The body can’t afford to not be aware in deep sleep, it must keep consuming air in proper amounts depending on the body’s position. It also must be alert for possible danger from sounds and smells.
The living being is the truth, but if the means by which it articulates its experience, by which it knows what it is doing, is faulty, unreliable, prone to distortion, it is insane and a danger to all other living things.
If nothing is more fundamental than existence, it seems crucial to fathom it.
Crina, thought experiment: The Covid virus mutates and kills all sentient beings in the universe. Does anything still exist? I’m not looking for the ‘right’ answer, rather: your answer.
Rick, I changed a bit your scenario, cause covid was giving me trouble …
I just put the same question you raised, but I went back in time, before the sentient beings had appeared.
Here is my answer (not the right answer):
My response is yes, awareness exists but it is not known by anyone, since there is no thought. This is a quick response, without too much thinking.
If I think something is really important, then it seems really important ?
Can’t really argue with that.
Art thou suggesting that existence might be unimportant, non-fundamental?
I’d put the question as: What, if anything, exists when there is no awareness present?
I don’t know if it makes sense to ask this as a realistic question, it’s more of a thought experiment.
Does matter or energy exist before awareness ? Is matter or energy devoid of awareness ?
This is the question, right, Rick ?
Nope - not at all. Nor am I saying that it is.
I was saying neither of those things.
I was trying to mirror what you were saying - the bit that strikes me is the word “important” - without me (or you), is there importance?
The smooth running of the universe may be ‘important’…and on a lower level the smooth operation of life on Earth (including the smooth operation of Mankind) may be important.
And if that is indeed the case, our periodic mass killing of each other may be problematic.
Inclined to say “No!” am I. Importance is in the eye of the beholder kinda thing. But that’s my view and has been for a long time, could be time to shake things up and entertain the notion that there is some kind of non-relative meaning, value, importance to existence. ?
If you entertain the possibility that all you see around you, as well as you and I, are performing a not only planetary function but part of a universal one and though we can’t grasp what that function might be, the ‘importance ‘ or ‘value would be in relation to whatever that functioning is ‘serving’?
And how well it’s being carried out?
Yes, something like that. But it’s very easy for me to slip into thinking/believing: What lovely fairy tales we tell ourselves to get through the day! There’s a kind of power thinking that way, but a barrenness too.
That’s why I said we can’t know. So ‘yes’ or ‘no’ can only be belief. But the words of the ‘sages’ that have come down to us imply the possibility of a realization of the “immensity” as K put it…to me our new big brain 
holds that possibility but it must be ‘empty’ of the misguided accumulations… The accumulations gathered for psychological security?
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War is homicidal people killing each other, which could be more of a solution than a problem.
What makes war a bad thing is the damage and harm done to the environment and non-combatants.
Period? Or until you are, for whatever reason, utterly beyond-a-doubt certain of a yes or no?
Do we or does our brain realize “that” or is it that having settled certain foundations in the brain´s functioning, there is the possibility for “that” to come into being? Can the difference between both statements be seen?
As far as I know, the question posed by K was, since the “other” can´t be invited but comes on its own, whether brain can empty itself of its content and then suggested to be attentive, to observe without reaction, i.e., without the interference of the ego or I-thought along with all the accumulated knowledge stored as ego being the center (personal stuff), and all the rest that isn´t but moving the reference point from ego to attentiveness or impersonal observation, without a center, but since this seems to imply some kind of “doing”, it is put aside and the whole thing becomes an endless going around in circles to see if the big insight happens on its own. Funny and sad. There has always been a trace of sadness in all the clowns who make people laugh, even as being a child I didn´t like much to be taken to the circus. Anyway.