If the mind is the place that all your sensations are perceived, how can you tell they don't simply start?

Question

there.

In terms of our sensations and perceptions what is the difference between reality and dreams or illusions? Or is there no difference? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Reality is that which exists before perception so that is not dependent on perception for its existence. Since perception is itself another form of reality, by the activity of perceiving, other "realities" come into being; so, there is the possibility of an infinite number of pseudo realities dependent upon an infinite number of perceivers. That which is not dependent on a perceiver is reality. That which is dependent upon perception for its existence, is not reality. To be known, reality must be perceived; so, the only reality that a perceiver can be certain of is the reality of perception and never of reality in and of itself. Since we can know that we doubt our ability to perceive reality, we can know of the reality of perception, but may never be ever certain of the reality we think that we perceive.

Answer 2

Ah, the question of solipsism. Does the universe actually exist, or is it just a delusion? Are we all in the Matrix? Are you a brain in a vat, and everyone else is a simulation? Are you not even a brain, and some malevolent entity is pulling the universe like wool over your metaphorical eyes?

I used to worry about that question. The first argument I saw that helped convince me of the existence of reality was Descartes's in his "Meditations on First Philosophy" - the notorious one starting with "Cogito ergo sum", "I think therefore I am". (Descartes goes on to argue that any being capable of producing an illusion of the sort required would have no reason to.) The other argument I often resort to is one of equivalency: even if the universe is a Matrix, it's still got all the complexity of ... well, the universe, so what's the problem?

The most convincing argument for the reality of reality, of course, is the Yahzi Baseball Bat Test. It's something of an argumentum ad absurdum - you execute it like this:

Step 1: Obtain a baseball bat.

Step 2: Fix your mind firmly on the notion that "There is no such thing as objective personal experience."

Step 3: Strike yourself in the head until step 2 is no longer possible.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I don't know this for a fact, but I would guess that dreams, hallucinations, etc use a different part of the brain, or the same part of the brain, but in a different way. Since when you dream you are not truly perceiving anything as far as your five senses. Since your five senses allow you to perceive actual things, wavelengths, texture, etc, your brain must be providing these things through some other means and that would certainly entail some difference in actual perception compared to dream perception.

Answer 4

Perhaps you are right, my friend, and there is no difference between perception and reality...
Bummer that Hollywood has beaten this one into the ground lately, and there's nothing left to say on the subject that isn't hackneyed and abused...
Your dreams to you are just as real as any waking reality - and to define them as 'unreal' simply because they don't linger after you awaken kinda cuts the scope of your world in half. Funny that's the only thing that makes this reality 'real', is the fact that we keep coming back to it. While harnessed by our body, our soul is in a constant state of bombardment by a flood of sensory input, and we rely on our logic and reasoning to determine which of it is true... Ever noticed how sometimes you don't necessarily have a physical form in your dreams? A spirit roaming free of the body just IS, and need not always interpret stimuli.
I don't know what I'm really trying to say, here, but....
Hard and fast rule: Every ones' perception is their reality...
Remember wondering as a kid if the "red" you see looks the same as the "red" someone else sees?
Slaves to our individual perception we all are.
Don't let this one go, dude

Answer 5

There is a great book you might like to read. It's title is "A Vision of the Brain" by Semir Zeki. It talks about how the eye and the brain work together to produce sight. You may also be interested in learning about hypnogogic episodes. Both these relate to how our mind processes information it receives from the outside world and about dreams/ illusions.

Answer 6

There must be a mechanism in the mind that differentiates between reality,dreams,and illusions.Human babies seem to have no trouble here.If the mechanism were over driven then there might be a problem.

Answer 7

We're not really sure; that is the essence of this dilemma.

How do we know that we're not just living in the Matrix? We might be, and we might not.

Answer 8

the sound of one hand clapping.

I'll give it more thought, later, ok.