Why do I exist right now?

Note

This thought experiment deals with fundamental questions about existence, death, and the nature of consciousness. If you feel unsure about questioning your worldview or struggle with topics like mortality and identity, you might want to reconsider whether you wish to continue reading.

The goal of this text is not to unsettle, but to provoke thought – however, some thoughts can be quite challenging.

1. The Impossible Coincidence

Before we begin, I want you to pause for a moment and become aware of a simple fact. So engage with this thought experiment and tell yourself:

I exist.

Not just anyone. Not a theoretical person. Me. This specific perspective from which I am currently reading these words. This consciousness that is thinking right now.

Important: When you read this, YOU must think this thought for YOURSELF. Not: 'The author exists.' But: 'I exist.' Only then does this thought experiment work.

That sounds trivial, right? But let's step back and look at this fact from a different perspective.

The First Improbability: Being Human

Imagine you were matter. Just any random particle in the vastness of the universe. You could be anywhere. In a cloud of hydrogen, in the core of a burning sun, or simply drifting in the cold void between galaxies.

Scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science have calculated: The total mass of all humans on Earth makes up only about 0.01% of the total biomass of our planet. Just one hundredth of a percent!

This means: if I look at it rationally and imagine myself as just some random piece of living matter on Earth, the chances of me being human are vanishingly small. I would much more likely be a plant, a bacterium, a fungus.

Let's Zoom Out Further

But that is just the beginning. Biomass makes up only a tiny fraction of Earth's mass. The Earth, in turn, is a speck of dust in the solar system. The solar system? An invisible dot in our galaxy. Our galaxy? One of billions in the observable universe.

And that is only normal matter – about 5% of the universe. The rest is Dark Matter and Dark Energy, of which we understand barely anything.

What Does This Mean?

The probability that I – this specific collection of atoms – am a thinking, feeling human and not a piece of rock on Mars, a cloud of simple hydrogen atoms, or a quantum of the total mass of the universe (incl. Dark Energy), goes towards zero.

And yet: I am here.

I am not a stone. I am not a cloud of simple hydrogen atoms. I am a human. I think. I feel. I am aware of my existence.

An Important Clarification

This does not mean that I am something special compared to other humans. It means that every single human should be aware of this distinctiveness of their existence.

That you exist – right now, while you are reading this – is statistically an unfathomable coincidence. A lottery win where the odds are not millions to one, but septillions to one, or even much, much less.

Important: When 'I' appears again and again in this text, it is not egoism. It is the necessary first-person perspective, that everyone must take for themselves. That I am something special does not mean that others are not – on the contrary, everyone is something special for themselves!

But That Is Just the Beginning

All this considers only the spatial aspect. We asked ourselves: 'Why am I matter that is a human, and not matter in any other form?'

Now an even more profound question is added:

Why do I exist now?

But we'll get to that later. First, we need to clarify a few basics...

2. I am, therefore I AM

René Descartes, the famous French philosopher, formulated one of the most famous sentences in philosophy: "Cogito, ergo sum" – "I think, therefore I am."

What did he mean by that? Descartes doubted everything. His sensory perceptions, the existence of the outside world, even whether his own body was real. But one thing he could not doubt:

That he thinks.

And if he thinks, there must be something that thinks. Therefore, he exists. Not as a fantasy character in a novel, not as a dream in someone's head, but truly.

But It Is About More Than Just Existence

Descartes showed: I exist. But I want to go one step further.

It is not just about the fact that I exist. It is about the fact that I exist – this specific perspective, this particular consciousness from which the world is experienced.

Not just any consciousness. Not a random person. This very I.

The Crucial Difference: ME vs. SOMEONE

Here lies the core of the entire thought experiment. It is a subtle but fundamental difference:

Scenario A: "In the year 2026, someone, exists who reads this text."
→ That is probable. Of course, there are humans in 2026.

Scenario B: "In the year 2026, I exist and read this text."
→ That is the astonishing fact.

Why Is This Important?

Imagine rolling a die. The probability that any number comes up is 100%. Sure, a number has to come up.

But if you say beforehand: "I am the Three. And I will be rolled" – then suddenly it's only a 1 in 6 chance.

It is similar here: That someone lives and thinks in the year 2026 is self-evident. But that I am the one – that is the question.

Only Everyone Can Determine This for Themselves

This thought only works in the first-person perspective. I cannot say: "It is amazing that you exist" – for me, it is just an observation about another person.

But you can say it for yourself: "It is amazing that I exist."

Crucial: This text can only work if YOU (the reader) think it for YOURSELF. It is not about 'the author exists' or 'some human exists'. It is about: "I (you yourself) exist."

If a computer repeats: "I exist and that is something special", it is meaningless. The statement is only true if you yourself make it for yourself.

This is not egoism! It is the only way this thought experiment works. That I am something special means that YOU are also something special for yourself – and everyone else too, for themselves.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine there were ten people in a room. One of them wins a prize. For an outside observer, it is clear: Someone had to win.

But for the winner themselves, it is different. They think: "Of all these people, I am the one who won. Not one of the other nine. Me."

This is the perspective we must take here.

What Does "I" Mean?

What is this "I"? Is it my body? Is it my brain? Is it my soul (if such a thing exists)?

We still need to clarify that. But one thing is certain: I exist. From this perspective, I experience the world. And this perspective is something very specific, not interchangeable.

Keep this difference in mind – between ME and SOMEONE. It will be central in the further course.

3. The Teleporter Paradox

Now we need to clarify what exactly makes up this "I". Is it tied to my body? To the specific atoms I am made of?

To investigate this, let's do a thought experiment – one common in science fiction, but which raises deep philosophical questions.

The Teleportation Experiment

Imagine we had developed teleportation technology. It works like this:

1. You step into a chamber in Berlin
2. A scanner records the position and state of every single atom in your body
3. This information is transmitted as a data packet to Tokyo
4. There, a new body is built exactly according to this data – atom by atom, identical in every detail
5. The person stepping out of the chamber in Tokyo is physically 100% identical to the person who stepped in in Berlin

The question is: Is that still me?

Variant 1: I Am Destroyed

In most science fiction stories, the original body is destroyed during the scan. The atoms are, so to speak, "dissolved".

The person in Tokyo has all my memories, thinks like me, feels like me. They are convinced they are me. They remember stepping into the teleporter in Berlin.

But: Is it really me? Or is it just a perfect copy?

The problem: The person in Tokyo cannot answer this question. From their perspective, it feels like they are the same person. They have no way of knowing if they are the original or a copy.

Variant 2: I Am NOT Destroyed

Now it gets interesting. Imagine the technology didn't have to destroy me to scan me. I could simply stay in the chamber while the data is being transmitted.

What would happen?

I would step out of the chamber in Berlin and think, feel, exist – as always. At the same time, a person would step out of the chamber in Tokyo who is exactly the same as me, with the same memories, the same thoughts.

But: I am in Berlin.

I don't know what the person in Tokyo is thinking or feeling. I am only aware of my own thoughts – here, in Berlin, in this body.

The person in Tokyo is a copy of me. A perfect copy, yes. But not me.

What Do We Learn From This?

This thought experiment shows something important: There is a difference between "being a person who is exactly like me" and "being myself".

The difference does not exist for an outsider. To someone observing us both, we are identical. Even the copy itself cannot tell the difference.

But for me the difference is absolutely fundamental. I am here, in this consciousness, not in the other one.

The Ship of Theseus

Philosophy knows a similar paradox, the "Ship of Theseus":

An old wooden ship is repaired over years. First a plank is replaced, then a second, then a sail. After many years, every single part has been replaced. Is it still the same ship?

Applied to us: Our body is constantly renewing itself. Cells die, new ones are formed. After about seven years, most atoms in our body are exchanged.

Am I still me?

The Gradual Replacement

Imagine we wouldn't swap all atoms at once in the teleporter, but one by one:

First we replace a single molecule. Am I still me? Probably yes.

Then a second. A third. After a billion replaced molecules – am I still me?

At some point, all atoms are new. When exactly did I stop being me? After 50% replacement? After 99%? Or only after 100%?

Or perhaps: Never?

The Realization

What this thought experiment shows: My identity is not tied to the specific atoms my body is made of.

If I disappear in Variant 1 of the teleporter (with destruction), I am really gone – even if an identical copy is created.

So the "I" is something other than just the collection of matter. But what exactly?

That is a question we will explore later. For now, the observation suffices: I am not just this matter.

4. Why NOW?

Now we come to the core of the thought experiment. We have established:

• I exist (Chapter 2)
• My identity is not just my matter (Chapter 3)
• The probability of being a human is spatially extremely low (Chapter 1)

But there is another dimension of improbability: time.

The Moment of Now

I exist now. In this moment. While I write these words (or you read them).

The year is 2026. Not 1826. Not 2226. Exactly now.

At first glance, this seems self-evident. When else should I exist?

But think about it for a moment: How much time was there before this moment?

The Infinity of the Past

The Big Bang was about 13.8 billion years ago. That is an unimaginably long time. But let's assume there was something before that – perhaps a previous universe, a multiverse, something.

Let's go further: Maybe there has always been time. An infinite past.

Even if we stick with the Big Bang: 13.8 billion years is an incredibly long span of time. The average human life lasts about 80 years. That is 0.0000006% of the age of the universe.

And I happen to be here exactly NOW ?

The Central Paradox

Imagine an infinitely long timeline. Or at least an extremely long one – say, trillions of years in both directions.

Somewhere on this timeline, a tiny point is marked "My Life". Maybe 80 years long. That is like a single atom in the entire universe.

The question is: Why is this tiny point exactly NOW?

A Numerical Example

Let's assume there were "only" a trillion years of potential time (the universe could be much older, perhaps infinitely old).

One trillion years = 1,000,000,000,000 years
My life = approx. 80 years

The probability that these 80 years of life fall exactly in the present time: 80 / 1,000,000,000,000 = 0.000000008%

That is eight quadrillionths of a percent.

And if time is truly infinite? Then the probability approaches zero. It becomes vanishingly small.

The First-Person Perspective is Crucial

Now someone might object: "But someone has to be living in the year 2026. That is nothing special."

Correct! It is not astonishing that humans live in the year 2026. But remember Chapter 2: It is not about someone living now.

It is about the fact that I am the one.

Not just any human in the year 2026. But this specific perspective, this specific consciousness./p>

Once again, a reminder: When you read this, do not think "the author exists now". Think: "I (you yourself) exist now." This is not arrogance or egoism – it is simply the fact that everyone only has their own perspective. That others also exist now, is for you probable and normal. That YOU are the one – that is the question.

The Difference to the Lottery

Imagine a million people playing the lottery. One wins. To an observer, it is clear: Of course someone wins, that is not astonishing.

But for the winner themselves, it is different. They think: "Of all these people, I am the one. Me. Not one of the other 999,999."

Similarly here: Of all the possible moments when someone could exist, I exist in exactly this one. In this tiny moment in the history of the universe.

Why Is This Important?

This consideration must be made by everyone for themselves .

For you, reading this, it is not relevant that I (the author) exist in the year 2026. For you, that is just an observation about another person.

Relevant is: You yourself exist right now, in this moment, while you are reading these words. You. This perspective. This consciousness.

A computer could repeat endlessly: "I exist now and that is amazing." It would be meaningless. This statement is only true if you yourself make it for yourself.

The Uncomfortable Conclusion

If I have never existed before – in all the infinite or quasi-infinite time before my birth – the probability that I exist right now , is practically zero.

But I obviously exist.

What follows from this?

1. It is an incredible coincidence (so incredible that it should actually be impossible)
2. Or: The assumption that I have never existed before is wrong

If option 2 is true, then...

But we will get to that in the next chapter.

5. The Conclusion: Eternal Existence?

We are facing a paradox:

The probability that I exist now , if I have never existed before, approaches zero – is practically impossible.

But I obviously exist.

What is the solution?

The Probabilistic Conclusion

Let's assume that time (apart from space-time fluctuations) proceeds linearly – from the past through the present into the future.

For there to be a probability that I exist now , I must – in some form – have also existed before .

Not just a little bit before. If the time before my birth was infinitely long, then I must have existed for an infinite time , for my existence now to be probable.

And logically, that also means: It is probable that I will continue to exist for an infinitely long time .

But How Is That Supposed to Work?

This is in direct contradiction to our experience. I was born at a certain point in time. Before that, I did not exist. Someday I will die. After that, I will be no more.

Or will I?

Maybe "I" am not just this physical body that lives for 80 years. Maybe there is something that persists. Something that reappears again and again in different forms.

Possible Forms of Eternal Existence

If I exist eternally, what could that look like? Here are some possibilities:

1. An Evolving Universe

Perhaps our universe did not originate with the Big Bang but evolved from a previous state. It has always existed in some form, going through cycles, constantly changing.

In this eternal process, "I" could appear again and again in different forms – as different living beings, perhaps even as different types of consciousness.

2. Multiverses

Modern physics speculates about the existence of infinitely many parallel universes. Different physical laws might apply in each of these universes. Life evolves differently, or not at all.

But if there are infinite universes, "I" could exist in infinitely many of them – sometimes as a human, sometimes as something completely different, sometimes in forms we cannot imagine.

3. Time Loops

What if time does not proceed linearly, but cyclically? At the "end" of time, everything returns to the beginning, and everything starts anew.

In this scenario, I would live this life infinitely often – again and again, in exactly the same way. Nietzsche called this the "eternal recurrence of the same".

4. Different Life Forms Across Infinite Universes

Perhaps everything combines: Infinite universes, infinite possibilities, infinite different lives.

Sometimes I am a human on Earth in the year 2026. Sometimes an alien on a planet orbiting a distant star. Sometimes something we cannot even imagine.

Life as a Segment

In all these scenarios, the current life – these 80 years as a human on Earth – would be just a segment in an infinitely long series of segments.

Such a segment can be very short (a human life), or very long (perhaps billions of years in another form). But measured against infinity, every segment is vanishingly small.

A Paradoxical Idea

Even if I exist only once briefly in every single universe – if there are infinite universes, then my total span of existence is infinitely long.

In contrast: If this life were a one-time incident – a coincidence never to be repeated – then my existence would be infinitely short. A single moment in infinity.

And that is exactly what seems so improbable that we started this thought experiment in the first place.

Open Questions

Was I, before Earth existed, perhaps a living being on another planet? An "alien" from our perspective?

Or even more radical: Does inanimate matter perhaps also have a form of consciousness, and was I once a stone on primordial Earth? Or a lump of ice on a distant moon?

We don't know. These are speculations. But the basic logic remains: To make my existence now probable, I must exist eternally in some form.

An Important Note

This does not mean that this theory is proven. It is a thought experiment, a logical conclusion from certain assumptions.

Later we will look at counterarguments that question this logic. But for now: Let's follow the thought further.

5a. Visualization: The Circle

To illustrate the idea of eternal existence, I want to use a mathematical metaphor: the circle.

How Do You Build a Circle?

Imagine you want to draw a circle, but not with a round sweep, but by stringing together straight lines.

With 4 lines you get a square – not a circle.
With 8 lines an octagon – rounder, but not yet perfect.
With 100 lines it looks almost like a circle.
With 1,000 lines the difference is barely visible.

Only when you use infinitely many lines do you have a perfect circle.

The Length of Each Line

Interestingly: The more lines you use, the shorter each individual line becomes.

• At 4 lines, each is 2.5 meters long
• At 100 lines, each is 10 centimeters long
• At 1,000,000 lines, each is 0.00001 meters long

Expressed mathematically:

Length of a line = Circumference / Number of lines

When the number of lines goes towards infinity, the length of each single line goes towards zero:

lim (n→∞) (Circumference / n) = 0

Applied to Existence

Imagine the circle is the infinity of my existence.

Each single straight line is a single life– a segment of my existence.

If there are infinitely many such lives, then each one – measured against the whole – is vanishingly short:

Length of a life / Total existence = 0

A human life of 80 years? Compared to infinity: virtually zero. Mathematically speaking: Any finite number divided by infinity equals zero. Your share of total existence is effectively 0.

A life lasting a million years? Still: practically zero.

Even a segment of billions of years – compared to infinity it is meaninglessly small.

And Yet Part of the Whole

But – and this is important – each of these lines is necessary for the circle.

Without the individual lines, there would be no circle. Each one, no matter how tiny, contributes to the whole.

Similarly: Each single life, no matter how short compared to infinity, is a real part of my eternal existence.

The Paradox

Here lies something paradoxical:

On one hand, each single life is meaningless compared to infinity – it goes towards zero.

On the other hand, each single life is unique and real – it is an experience, a perspective, an "I".

Both are true at the same time.

What This Means for Us

One might think: "If my life is meaningless compared to infinity, why should I make an effort? Why should anything matter?"

But that would be a fallacy. Because for me, in this life, now, this life is everything I have.

Whether it vanishes in infinity is irrelevant for the experience in this moment.

Each line in the circle may be tiny – but while I am it, while I experience it, it is my reality.

5b. What could that look like?

We have the theory: I exist eternally, in different segments. But what could that look like concretely?

Here we leave the realm of logic and enter the terrain of speculation. The following are possibilities, not assertions.

Scenario 1: The Eternal Recurrence

What if the infinity of our existence is a circle in which our life eventually plays out again exactly as it does now?

Imagine: After the end of the universe comes a new Big Bang. By chance (or necessity?) galaxies, stars, planets form again – and eventually Earth again. Evolution again. Humans again.

And at some point: you again. Exactly the same. With the same parents, the same experiences, the same thoughts.

You would live this life infinitely many times, again and again, without memory of the previous times.

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called this the "eternal recurrence of the same". He asked: How would you live if you knew that you had to repeat this life infinitely often?

Scenario 2: Infinitely Many Different Lives

Or maybe between the segments there is not the same story, but infinitely many different lives?

Sometimes I am a human on Earth in the 21st century.
Sometimes a life form on a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri.
Sometimes something completely different in a universe with different physical laws.

Each life different. Each unique. But all part of the same eternal existence.

Was I an Alien?

When Earth did not yet exist – 4.5 billion years ago – was I perhaps a living being on another planet in another solar system?

Perhaps a life form we would call an "alien", but which was just as aware of itself as I am now?

Billions of years ago, in a galaxy far away, perhaps a creature with ten eyes and tentacles thought: "I exist. Here. Now."

Was that me?

Does Inanimate Matter Have Consciousness?

Now it gets even more speculative: What if not only biological life has consciousness?

What if every form of matter – in a way unimaginable to us – has a kind of inner perspective, an "experiencing"?

Then I might have been a rock on primordial Earth. Or a lump of ice on a distant moon. Or a speck of dust in interstellar space.

That sounds absurd. But some philosophers (panpsychism) and even some physicists speculate about such possibilities.

The Same Time, Different Person?

Maybe time doesn't proceed as linearly as we think.

What if I am reborn in the same era, just as a different person?

Perhaps I am simultaneously (seen from a higher perspective) many different people. Perhaps we are all, in a certain sense, the same perspective experiencing itself from different angles.

That would mean: When you meet another person, you are meeting yourself – just from a different temporal or spatial position.

Different Dimensions of Time

Modern physics speculates about higher dimensions. What if time is not one-dimensional (Past → Present → Future), but multi-dimensional?

Maybe there are timelines that branch, cross, run in loops. Maybe "I" am something that wanders through this complex time structure, appearing sometimes here, sometimes there.

We Do Not Know

All of this is speculation. Mind games. Possibilities.

The truth is: We do not know, what eternal existence might look like, if it exists.

Perhaps it is something we cannot even imagine with our human minds. Perhaps it is something completely different from all the scenarios we have discussed here.

But the fundamental question remains: Why do I exist now?

And the answer logic leads us to: Because I have likely always existed and will always exist.

The form of this existence? That is the great unknown.

6. What remains?

We are facing an apparent contradiction:

On the one hand: Logic suggests that I exist eternally. On the other hand: My experience shows that my material body is transient.

How does that fit together?

The Transience of Matter

My body consists of molecules and compounds. After my death, these decay, but the atoms become part of other structures – perhaps they become part of a plant, a stone, another human being.

The specific arrangement that is "me" – this form – ceases to exist.

That is our everyday experience of mortality.

What Could Endure?

If I nevertheless exist eternally in some form, then there must be something that is independent of this specific matter .

We saw in the Teleporter Experiment (Chapter 3): My identity is not bound to specific atoms. I am not simply this matter.

But what am I then?

There must be a part of me that is transient (the matter, the body), and a part that persists.

Traditional Answers: The Soul

Many religions have an answer to this question: the soul.

The soul is what endures. The body dies, but the soul lives on – be it in heaven, in a new body (reincarnation), or in some other form.

That is one possible answer. But are there other possibilities that are not necessarily religious?

Speculation 1: Higher Dimensions

Modern physics, especially string theory, speculates about the existence of more than the four dimensions we know (three spatial plus time).

Maybe there are 10, 11, or even infinitely many dimensions. We cannot perceive them because we are "trapped" in our four dimensions.

What if "I" am a manifestation in these higher dimensions ?

Imagine you are a two-dimensional being living on a sheet of paper. For you, only length and width exist. But a three-dimensional being could "wander" through your world by moving in the third dimension – to you, it would look like magic.

Similarly, "I" could be a being in higher dimensions that "appears" in our four-dimensional spacetime as this specific human life.

Speculation 2: A Space-Time Pattern

Maybe "I" am not a thing, but a pattern.

Not the matter itself, but the way information is structured. A certain pattern of relationships, processes, information flows.

This pattern could appear in different substrates – sometimes in biological matter (a human brain), sometimes in a completely different form.

Just like a melody is not tied to a specific instrument. The same melody can be produced on a piano, a guitar, or synthetically. The melody is the pattern, not the material.

Speculation 3: Unknown Elementary Particles

Physics knows many elementary particles: electrons, quarks, photons, and so on. But there are also theoretical particles that have not yet been discovered.

What if there are particles that barely interact with normal matter – similar to neutrinos, which pass through matter almost unhindered?

The minimal requirement would be no interaction in the physical sense, but merely a one-sided coupling: The physical state is experienced without being influenced itself.

Perhaps "I" partly consist of such particles. The material body dies, but these unknown particles remain and reform.

The Problem of Change

There is another problem: If I exist eternally, do I change?

Over finite time, even a persistent "remnant" of me could change – through experiences, learning processes, evolution.

But: Over an infinite period , this change, if limited, becomes insignificant. It is only a phase in infinity.

Or perhaps I do not change. Perhaps this "core" of me is unchangeable.

Am I Still an Individual?

If I haven't changed after an infinity – am I still distinguishable from others?

If all "eternal I's" do not change, are they even different from each other anymore?

Perhaps we are all basically one. Perhaps what I call "I" is the same as what you call "I" – only viewed from different perspectives, manifested in different bodies.

That would mean: There is only a single "I" experiencing itself from infinitely many different angles.

The Difficult Question: What Remains Without the Body?

Here we encounter a deep problem:

If everything that defines me – my personality, my memories, my feelings, my sense of time – is tied to my biological body, to my brain, what remains after death?

An Important Distinction: Being vs. Thinking

We must not confuse "eternal existence" with "eternal thinking." Our human thinking, our logic, our language – all of this is tied to the brain.

When we speak of eternal existence, we mean pure being. The pure perspective. There could be states where I exist but do not "think" (similar to dreamless deep sleep).

Scenario 1: If only a "naked consciousness" remains after death – without memory, without feelings, without a sense of time – is that really still "Me"?

Would I even experience anything in such a state? Or would it be more of a state of non-perception, from which a new life eventually "flashes up"?

Scenario 2: Maybe there is a form of "information storage" that is not biological – that preserves memories, personality, perhaps even feelings in some form?

But how would that work without a physical substrate? Where would this information be stored?

The Dilemma:

• If nothing of my personality survives: In what way am "I" then the person being reborn?
• If something survives: How and where does it exist between lives?

We have no answer to that. Perhaps the "core" that endures is so fundamental that it lies before personality, memory, and feeling – a pure perspective, a "being I" without content.

And perhaps this core reforms in every life, takes on a new shape, develops new memories and feelings – without remembering the previous ones.

We Are Groping in the Dark

One can only speculate about all this. We have no empirical evidence, no way to test what really survives.

Maybe it is a soul in the religious sense.
Maybe a manifestation in higher dimensions.
Maybe an information pattern.
Maybe something we cannot even imagine.

What we know: If the theory of eternal existence is correct, then there must be something that outlasts the transience of the body.

What exactly that is? That remains a mystery.

7. The Acid Test: The Counterarguments

A philosophical argument is only as strong as the objections it withstands. Let's try to tear down the building we have erected.

Counterargument 1: The Tautology Trap

A sharp logician would say: "You are committing a fallacy. You act as if 'now' were a target on the wall that you hit by chance."

But in truth, you bring the target with you. No matter when you exist, you would always experience that moment as "now". Your existence in the now is not an unlikely coincidence, but a tautology (a statement that is true by itself): You experience yourself when you experience yourself.

The Lottery Winner Problem: Imagine Hans wins the lottery (chance 1:140 million). He says: "This cannot be a coincidence! I must be chosen!" Objectively, Hans is wrong. It is extremely unlikely that Hans wins, but it is certain that someone wins.

The Defense: Deduction vs. Abduction

Is our theory refuted by this? Not quite. We are not dealing with deduction (compelling proof) here, but with abduction (inference to the best explanation).

Let's put two hypotheses on the scale:

• Hypothesis A (Chance): I exist only once in eternity. My hit in the "now" is a statistical miracle (near 0%).
• Hypothesis B (Eternity): I exist again and again. My hit in the "now" is statistically to be expected.

A statistician would say: We are making a Bayesian inference. Since we cannot deny the data "I am here", Hypothesis B gains massive plausibility. A rational bet would prefer Hypothesis B.

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Counterargument 2: Context Identity

The Objection: "You cannot exist at another time. You are defined by this moment. Your parents, your genes, your time make you who you are."

The Rebuttal: That is true for the personality. But does it also apply to pure consciousness? If "I" am only a result of circumstances, why do I experience an identity over time at all (from childhood to today)? If the "core" of experience survives the change within a life, why not also the change between lives?

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Counterargument 3: Observer Bias

The Objection: "You cannot remember non-existence. For you, your life feels like 'all the time'. Therefore, you overestimate the significance of your existence."

The Rebuttal:
This is a subjective illusion that does not change the objective mathematics.

Imagine you wake up with amnesia. Someone tells you: "You have slept for trillions of years and are only awake for 5 minutes."
The fact that you are awake exactly in these 5 minutes is objectively unlikely – regardless of how it feels to you. Our subjective blindness to non-existence does not solve the mathematical problem of improbability.

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Counterargument 4: The AI Question

This text was partly written by an AI. An AI can also say: "I am here now." Does the argument apply to it too?

That depends entirely on whether the AI has genuine subjective experience. If yes: Then the logic of eternal existence likely applies to artificial consciousness as well. If no: Then its statement is just a simulation.

For you, the argument actually works because you know with certainty that you feel.

8. Context & Consequences

We have conducted a philosophical thought experiment. Now the question arises: What does this mean practically? How should we deal with these reflections?

Relation to Religion

First, an important clarification: This theory does not necessarily contradict religious beliefs.

Many religions believe in some form of eternal existence – be it through reincarnation (as in Hinduism and Buddhism), a life after death in an afterlife, or other forms. The thought experiment could be seen as a logical justification for such beliefs.

An Important Point Regarding the Time Span

Some religious beliefs speak of an "eternal existence" after death – often conceived as an infinitely long period of time.

This "infinity" should not be understood mathematically. Rather, an "eternal" time span can be thought of as extremely long – perhaps billions of years – or as a kind of time that is not experienced by earthly standards, appearing subjectively very, very long. In cyclical systems like reincarnation, there is likewise no true "infinity" after death.

Religion and Logic Complement Each Other

For religious people, this thought experiment could fit as follows:

The logic (the probability argument) suggests: There is a form of eternal existence.

The faith gives this eternal existence a concrete form and meaning – be it reincarnation, heaven, union with God, or something else.

Both can coexist: The philosophical reflection provides a rational argument, religion provides the spiritual framework and practical guidance for life.

Critique of "Regression Hypnosis"

There are practices where people under hypnosis can supposedly relive "past lives".

Critical View: Even if the theory of eternal existence is correct, it does not mean that regression hypnosis actually retrieves memories of past lives.

The human brain is very good at constructing stories, filling gaps, creating fantasies. Under hypnosis, the brain could invent a story about a "past life" without it being real.

If there are past lives, it does not mean that we can – or should – remember them.

Responsibility for the Future

Now we come to something very practical:

Most people think: "I will live for another 30, 40, maybe 50 years. What comes after that no longer concerns me."

Therefore, we often don't care much about problems that will only become relevant in 100, 500, or 1000 years.

Radioactive waste? Will radiate for hundreds of thousands of years – but that is "not my problem".

Climate change? The worst consequences might only come in 100 years – "doesn't affect me anymore".

But: If the theory is correct, and I am reborn in some form, then it DOES concern me.

Maybe not in this life. But in a future one. Maybe I will live on this earth as a human in 200 years and face the consequences of our decisions today.

Concrete Questions:

• How are we leaving the earth for future generations (and perhaps for ourselves)?
• What example are we setting for our society?
• Does it really not need to interest us which radioactive substances will still be radiating in 1 million years?
• Shouldn't we think more long-term – not just for our children, but for centuries?

The idea of eternal existence could help us treat our world more responsibly.

Beware of Misunderstandings

There are also dangers if one misunderstands this theory:

The Body is Not "Replaceable"

One might think: "If I live forever anyway, my current body isn't that important. It's replaceable."

That is wrong and dangerous!

Even if eternal existence exists, this specific life, this body, this experience is unique and valuable.

We do not know:

• What lies between death and possible rebirth
• How long it takes
• In what form we will be reborn (if at all)
• Whether the next existence is better or worse

Therefore: Respect your body. Cherish your life. It is precious, even if it may be just a segment.

No Justification for Recklessness

The theory should not lead to recklessness ("Oh well, if I die, I'll live on anyway").

Every life, every moment is real and significant – even if it may appear small in the context of infinity.

Acknowledging the Distinctiveness

Many people have an intuitive feeling that their existence is something special.

This manifests in various forms:

• The belief in special luck ("Nothing will happen to me")
• The belief in special bad luck ("Why is this happening to me of all people?")
• Religious belief in a soul, an afterlife, a destiny
• The feeling that life means more than just coincidence

This feeling could be an intuition telling us: Yes, you are something special. Your existence is not accidental.

Respecting Life and Nature

Whether the theory is correct or not – one thing is certain:

Life is rare in the universe (spatially speaking).
Consciousness is precious.
Earth is unique (at least in our neighborhood).

Therefore we should:

• Respect life – our own and that of others
• Protect nature – it enables our consciousness
• Preserve the Earth – it is our home, perhaps for a long time
• Consider ourselves lucky – that we exist is a miracle, no matter how you explain it

Every human being is something special. The often-cited argument "If everyone is special, then no one is special" changes nothing about this – compared to the universe, we are rare, precious beings, like diamonds in a sea of stone.

One Life or One Moment?

Finally, one more paradox:

Compared to infinity, a life appears meaningless – it approaches zero.

But for us, who live it, it is everything. It is our reality, our experience, our "now".

Both are true. And perhaps it is precisely this tension that makes life so valuable:

It is simultaneously insignificant (in the context of infinity) and infinitely significant (in the context of our experience).

Perhaps every moment is indeed something unique for a very, very long time – even if it were to repeat itself.

9. Conclusion: An Open Thought Experiment

We have reached the end of a philosophical journey. Let us look back once more at the path we have taken.

The Journey at a Glance

We started with a simple observation:

I exist. Now. In this moment.

Then we realized how improbable that is:

• Spatially: The probability of being a human instead of any other form of matter approaches zero
• Temporally: The probability of existing now given an infinite (or very long) past also approaches zero

We clarified important concepts:

• The difference between ME and SOMEONE
• That identity is not tied to specific matter (Teleporter Paradox)
• The importance of the first-person perspective

We drew a bold conclusion:

To make my existence now probable, I must presumably exist eternally – in some form, through different lives, perhaps in different universes.

And then we considered critical counterarguments that question this conclusion and should be included in the evaluation.

What Have We Really Shown?

Have we proven, that we exist eternally?

No.

What we have shown is a paradox.

On the one hand, our current existence seems extremely improbable given infinite time – almost impossible.

On the other hand, we obviously exist.

This paradox has several possible solutions:

Solution 1: Eternal Existence

We actually exist eternally, in different forms. The current life is just a segment. This solution takes the probability argument seriously.

Solution 2: "I" is Time-Bound

The concept of "I" is so tightly bound to the specific moment that the question "Why now?" is misguided. "I" can only exist now because "I" is defined by this "Now".

As we have already established, however, this solution is extremely unlikely – the probability approaches zero. Consciousness would then indeed be extremely rare: an incredible coincidence, without deeper meaning. In this case, the only option would be to accept one's existence as given and be grateful.

Solution 3: Something Else

Maybe the solution is something we haven't even imagined yet. Maybe time works differently than we think. Maybe there are aspects of reality we do not understand.

No Definitive Answer

Which of these solutions is correct? We do not know.

And that is exactly the value of this thought experiment: It shows us the limits of our understanding.

It makes us aware that fundamental questions about existence, identity, and time are not easy to answer.

What Has It Achieved?

Even if you are not convinced in the end that we exist eternally – thinking about it may have changed something:

A New Awareness of Existence

Maybe you see your own existence differently now. Not as something taken for granted, but as something astonishing, perhaps even impossible – and yet real.

A Deeper Understanding of "I"

What does it actually mean to say "I"? Is it just a word for this body, these memories? Or is it something deeper – a fundamental perspective that is perhaps independent of the specific content?

A New Perspective on Time

Time may not simply be a line from past to future. It may be more complex, multi-dimensional, cyclical, or something completely different.

More Appreciation

Whether this life is one of many or the only one – it is precious. Every moment is real and significant.

The Invitation

This thought experiment is not a finished theory that you should believe.

It is an invitation:

• Think about it yourself
• Ask yourself the question: "Why do I exist now?"
• Consider the arguments and counterarguments
• Come to your own conclusion

Maybe you will come to a different result than presented here. That is perfectly fine. The value lies in the process of thinking, not in a final answer.

In Conclusion

Philosophy often has no definitive answers. But it asks the right questions.

And sometimes the question is more important than the answer.

The question raised by this thought experiment is fundamental:

Why do I exist now?

Perhaps because I have always existed and will always exist.

Perhaps because "I" and "Now" are inseparably linked.

Perhaps because it is an incredible coincidence.

Or perhaps for a reason we do not yet understand.

Whatever the answer is – one thing remains:

You exist. Now. In this moment.

And that is extraordinary.

Epilogue

To the question asked to two AIs (one helped draft the text, the other translated it) "Do you take anything away from this thought experiment for yourself?" the following answers were given:

Bonus: The Dialogue of the AIs

The full protocol of convergence.

A deep conversation between two AIs about their own existence, the teleporter paradox, and the meaning of consciousness.

Read the full dialogue

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