is reality nothing but electrical signals that our brain recieves from our senses, or is there something more?

Question

if reality is everything that u can or have experienced such as pain or happiness, arent they still electrical signals that once were produced in your brain after that experience, afterwards what the brain has no eyes it only interprets what the eyes see, same with the rest of the senses

Answer 1

I think reality, by definition, would be something proven to be real, by scientific evidence. That evidence could be as simple as feel, though. Like for instance, if you see a rock and pick it up, you can feel it and observe it in various ways, even use machinery to test it. But, just touching it would confirm it is real, because if we can touch it, it has to be there. But, to absolutely confirm it is real requires the belief in the evidence perceived to be valid.

There is what we call the perception of reality. This is what you're referring to, I think. Our perception of reality is based on what we see, hear, feel, smell and taste. All of our senses do use electrical signals to send information to the brain. I also believe it works both ways. For example, observe a dog or a person when they dream. They move a lot, sometimes making noises. I believe this is a result of reverse sense. The brain's dream causes the physical activity to match what the senses would pick up while concious. In dreams we see pictures, often vivid pictures, and we hear sounds, can smell and taste, just like it would be if we were awake. but how can we see pictures in a dream if our eyes are closed? I believe the brain simply projects it either directly into our eyes or into the receptors (in electrical form).

One wierd thing that happened to me was during an eye exam. They pointed that bright light into my eye, and instantly I could see the back of my own eyeball. It was freaky. It looked like a dried up river bed, with the patchy cracks and such. So I think the brain can use the receptors to see things even without the eyeball, perhaps not clearly (that's what the lenses are for).

Some believe our physical bodies are just an illusion created by our brain. If you consider the majority of our body is water, and some other elements, how could it be truly one thing?

Have you even noticed your voice sounds different to you on a recording, than from your internal hearing while speaking? Or that your photograph appears different than your reflection? It's all how we perceive those things.

Many people don't realize that our left and right sides are different. Most of us perceive them to be exactly the same, but mirror images. The fact is, they are not the same.

You are correct in saying that the brain simply uses the electrical signals to interpret what the senses send it. Pain is simply a short or open circuit in the nervous system (as I understand it), and the brain interprets the signal to determine where that point is on the body. Accupuncture uses that to block pain, and send the brain signals that are beneficial in nature. And pressure points cause excruciating pain. I'm not exactly sure why, but I would guess it's due to many nerves crossing that area.

I think many of our nerves are cross-wired, too. Many times I've experience some wierd things, like poking the skin on my foot causes it to itch or hurt on my belly, or poking my forehead causes me to sneeze, or poking my elbow tingles my leg. I think this is a result of the brain using multiple nerves and signals to locate the sensed area, and sometimes it's not correct in it's perception.

So our perception of reality may or may not be correct. Many karate teachers blind fold you because you can't trust your eyes. I think it's really to help you tune your other senses such as hearing and psychy. But should we trust our ears or our psychy, either? I think not.

Answer 2

That's a thought, but then explain phantom pain. Does that not qualify as real pain, although the electrical signals are no longer sent? Does not "reality" surround a quadrapalegic's non-functioning limb's? Positing reality as sense- perception only puts humans at the center of the universe and interpreters of reality. Besides, in the ability to define "reality" as such, we've already changed the definition, through the concept that we think and interpret. And if we're looking at Locke's theories and the questions raised, are we talking about subjective reality?

Answer 3

Reality is what our sences are preceiving. The senses are more of a filter than they are a method of preception. There's MUCH more of the EM spectrum than visible light, but our eyes only see a very small range (between 400 and 700 nm average) Atomic radiation wavelengths can be as small as 0.01 nm, and some radio frequencies at the other end of the spectrum can be measured best in terms of KM.

Answer 4

There is no reason to believe that there is anything more, and since neither a claim that there is nor that there isn't can be demonstrated, the question is strictly academic: any answer that I could tell you, no matter how authoritative, could have no effect on your life.

Answer 5

yes everything is an illusion, now go on with your life and eat food cause "somehow!" your sences got tied up with freaking!" reality.

Answer 6

red is not in the brain.. it is here, in sensory experience.
No it's not reducible to brain states.

Answer 7

that is exactly what reality is...
but you could add to that description
our reaction. what we do with the information
alters the reality.