The first line of Battlestar Galactica, and I couldn't think of a more poignant question facing humanity as a whole right now. If you answer yes, then how would you describe yourself as being alive? By being concious? By having the impression of free-will? By having sentience? By the most basic biological definition, of respiration, reproduction, organisation, growth, adaptation and response?

If someone asked me this three years ago I would have probably responded with all of the above. By the most basic definition I'd say yes, I was alive, but now, the first few responses have me a little stumped when I think about humanity as a whole. The reason I say this is that while most people think that they are alive, that they are sentient and have complete free will they are restricting themselves to only what they think 'alive' is. Free will, to go and do as you please, go anywhere, do anything, but you're restricted to what your senses tell you is 'real'.

I've become aware of this reality, it's confines which are imposed on us through an incredible amount of conditioning. In essence we've restricted ourselves by believing that we are restricted. I know of this restriction and am a strong believer in creating our own reality through the sheer unimaginable power of our spirit and sub-conscious.

Once we realise what controls us, we realise what we can control.