Thread: Are you a brain in a vat?

This is something I thoroughly enjoyed when I was in philosophy in college freshman year. Consider the possibility that you are actually a brain in a vat of life-sustaining liquid, hooked up to a machine that feeds all the information that makes you think you are actually a living breathing functional human being in the world. What are your ideas on the possibility of this? Take into consideration seemingly "coincidental" things that we brush off every day (deja vu, seemingly clairvoyant dreams, etc). Is it possible that you've been living your entire life this way? or even that at some point someone took you and removed your brain, then doubled back in your memory and seamlessly slipped you into their new experimental existence. The most easily recognizable example of this concept in contemporary media would be The Matrix, but it has been explored in many different mediums, and is a very popular concept in philosophy.

Does this theory mean that all my actions are predestined? I enjoy thinking about this concept you put forth from philosophy but I don't think there is much weight to it, unfortunately. I actually think human action is determined as much by impulse and zeal as it is by pure logic. Think about the movie Vanilla Sky. No brain resection in that movie but similar type of concept. Regardless, the 'brain in the vat' theory is interesting. I would like to think about it a little more.

I know this is a very old thread but it seems like a fun thing to contemplate.

I think that if it was possible it would only work on individuals, and then that single brain would take a team of at least 10 people to create a live like mine(and my live is pretty run of the mill) because even a dull live has so many features to it that there would be no way that one guy could think of all the stuff that happens to me each day, I mean, who on earth would think about giving me a uncomfortable pimple on my favourite buttcheek?

Interesting thought though, and the matrix ...It will never work such a machine would be hijacked by gamers long before they can give you a red or blue pill.