To exist is to eventually not exist, wich would have been made easier by not existing in the first place. Because we exist however, we know what non-existance is like and thusly fear it and the loss of our ego. Unless you believe in life after death, or existing after the end of your existance.

To exist is to be "fully conscious" of the Cosmos, everything. Animals exist, but they do not know it themselves, that they "are"(Cogito ergo sum)- the old axiom proves this thesis. Such privilege came with the evolution of the human species(matter, brain). Therefore, can someone under the effects of alcohol or drugs be able to understand the essence of their Being? No... People negate their "Being", state of consciousness when they inhibit the brain of its natural functions with substances. Kierkegaard writes about seeing people been automatons, not fully conscious, "dead like", not fully aware of their surroundings or the true meaning of their lives. One consequence of the Industrial Revolution, the "rat race", people living half lives, 'pseudo-existing' for the sake of living(working for salary, for buying food, having a roof over their heads), and not having time to meditate and think "about life", to really exist.

Do NOT FORGET WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOUR HEART IS! the Anwser you seek, you alread know!

I am forever searching and studying these questions. Nuclear physics and metaphysics all contribute ideas.

To exists is to have a constious ness but to live is to fufill your destiny and to live to your fullest capacity and not to fear anything the world sends to you, not even Death.

Existence is very odd thing to contemplate. Just when I think I definitely exist I look beyond myself and try to think about the existence of others and I get all confused again.

Existing is a form of being that is not even close to living. Scientifically to exist we must exhibit certain characteristics commonly found in life forms such as reproduction, communication, a method of nutrition, and a mode of survival. Existance may also be something less tangible. It is the mere presence of reality. But to me to exist is to be and to live is to make something of your existance.

Whether you exist or not... Or any other deep contemplation or meditation...

The beauty of this very "existence", our whole universe or some other word that means "it all" is a matter of the perception level of the person's consciousness.

To try to love everything, even the bad. No past, or future- just the 'now'

...ALL of it... there still is no human being here now that has all the answers. Our very consciousness is tested by the unknown of "it all"

is existence a matter of Faith and love? since this is the only true evidence of a "worthy" existence. Chaos theory or divine plan? Thoughts?

So I don't know if I exist. For matters of simplification, we can consider death and life first. Now we can't say for sure if we are dead or alive. We think we are alive because we define "alive" to be the way we are. And by definition, some other objects (furniture, rocks, etc.) are dead. But we defined it that way. So for all we know, we may be dead and not alive, if there is such a thing as absolute death or absolute life. Contemplating further on this will reveal that in all that we say and do, we call it names as we define it. But there are no absolute definitions. Everything we define is relative. And these relative definitions hold up against each other through opposites (dead and alive, moving or stationary, etc). These opposing relative defenitions give us the fabric of life. Or that which we call life in the human form. We create definitions and then name actions and objects per them. Similar with existence. We exist because we think we do. We define ourselves as existing and then think that we exist and try to find the meaning of existence. So we don't know for sure if we exist. We might not exist. There is no absolute definition of that just as there is no absolute definition of anything else. We know nothing for sure unless we define it a particular way. Some go so far as saying everything is nothingness. But a more general view would be to say that we can't think beyond our thinking capabilities and hence, define nothingness as something that we cannot think of. Our brains are limited in their thinking, and hence we define existence by our thinking as our thinking does not permit us to define ourselves as non-existent. This is because we are thinking and tend to believe that "if I am thinking, i must exist". But we may not exist and we may not think. We defined our thinking as thinking because we think that we think.

-VVN (Monday, the 13th of February, 2006)

Existence is a topic of discussion that has plagued the human race since the dawn of time. I belive that existence can be observed in two parts. First in consciousness, then in matter. Consciousness obviously exists, because you are using it to read this paragraph right here. What that consciousness is, is something much harder to put ones finger on.