Three Thought Experiments That Changed How I See Separation

I’ve been sitting with a question I can’t shake: what if the separation we feel from others – especially people we’ve hurt or loved – isn’t actually real? Not as some abstract philosophy thing. As something practical. Something that changes how you show up in conflict, in relationships, in everyday life.

So I’ve been exploring three thought experiments. They’re simple, but they shifted something in me I can’t un-shift.

The first one’s about sensory deprivation. What happens when you strip away everything – all external input, all internal content, all the stuff that makes you feel like “you”? What’s left? And if two people are in that state, is it one awareness or two?

The second is about your 5-year-old self. You’re not that kid anymore – everything’s changed. Your body, your beliefs, your memories. So why do you feel like the same person? What’s actually creating that sense of continuity? And if that answer doesn’t hold up… what does it mean for the boundary between you and everyone else?

The third is about spacetime. The only reason you’re “you” and I’m “me” is because we’re separated by space or time. But what if that’s not as fundamental as it feels?

Honestly, I still fail at living this insight. And that’s okay. I do feel less “separate” from others, though. And I do make fewer mistakes in everyday life. If you want to go through these thought experiments yourself, the video is above.