# Could you imagine yourself out of existence? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 17, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067 "2000-04-17T23:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/1 "2000-04-17T23:32:00Z")
If reality could be controlled with the mind, could you imagine yourself out of existence? By this I mean, since you must hold the THOUGHT of yourself not existing, must you not then exist in order to hold the thought of yourself not existing? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/2 "2000-04-17T23:50:00Z")
I don’t think I am therefore I was? Nah, - doesn’t have quite the right ring to it. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/3 "2000-04-17T23:52:00Z")
Look, this is just silly. I’m not even going to move it to GD. MPSIMS for this one. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/4 "2000-04-18T01:27:00Z")
> [@](#): > > could you imagine yourself out of existence Ok, I can’t resist. Descartes goes into a bar and sits down. The bartender walks up to him as says “Hey bud, you want a drink?” Descartes thinks for a second, says “I think not”, and POOF! he’s gone. Ugly ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/5 "2000-04-18T01:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by manhattan: > > **Look, this is just silly. I’m not even going to move it to GD. MPSIMS for this one.** Better be careful, Manny… You don’t want this guy to imagine **YOU** out of existance, now do ya? * * * Yer pal, Satan [http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif](http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif) _TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING: One week, one day, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 32 seconds. 359 cigarettes not smoked, saving $44.90. Life saved: 1 day, 5 hours, 55 minutes._ ---
**Author:** ![dragonfly98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@dragonfly98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonfly98)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/6 "2000-04-18T01:33:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by drainthelizard: > could you imagine yourself out of existence? ## Uhhmm. Let’s see. Errrrr. I don’t think so. Gee, that’s a toughie…\ 😕 -What’s right is only half of what’s wrong- George Harrison - _Old Brown Shoe_ ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/7 "2000-04-18T04:49:00Z")
Well, of COURSE you can. Anyone who has the Planescape setting for Dungeons and Dragons knows this! For those of you who don’t, there’s a faction in Planescape called the Sign of One. They believe that thought creates reality, so they have the power to imagine things into existence. However, if they roll a “1” on their power checks, they can accidentally imagine themselves out of existence. The only things that can bring them back are a _wish_ spell and another member of the faction imagining them back. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-imagine-yourself-out-of-existence/16067/8 "2000-04-18T04:58:00Z")
I think the lizard has been reading too many books on quantum theory. DTL, you should try religion. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about the possibility of imagining yourself out of existence. Of course, there is the possibility that God could imagine you out of existence, but I don’t think He’d do that. Heck, He puts up with me… * * * Now in my second month of exile in the 21 pit