Does perception and the ability to perceive formulate our thoughts?

Question

If so, could it be concluded that it's an absolute?

One perceives through the all the senses not just seeing. What about a combination of the senses? What if you were blind?

Answer 1

In many ways this is true although not always (nothing is ever really absolute). Your eyes provide you with visual cues about the environment around you and using these cues you can make mental decisions on your future actions. The way that you perceive these images, however, may affect your judgement and the difference between seeing and perceiving cannot be stressed enough. For example, you see a black man carrying a TV around the corner. If you're an average guy and you have no racist attitudes you would assume he might be carrying the TV he just bought home. A racist might perceive that the black man is stealing the TV. Two people can see the same thing but perceive it differently. So your sensory images do not necessary formulate your thoughts, your perception affects the way that you formulate them, which is in another part of the brain.

Answer 2

No. See for yourself on this one. Close your eyes, be in a really quiet space and quieten the mind enough to see where thoughts come from and what stimulates them. You can really do this - that's what meditators are attempting every day! It's so bloody hard.

It's debatable if perception is the key here. When the head is so full of thoughts, it's blah blah blah. When you quieten the mind and watch the thoughts drop in you actually wonder if it is actually your perception or if that matters at all.

Yes you have to perceive to know you are thinking, that's cognition. But the bloody thoughts are actually wafting above your head whether you want them in your head or not - ahhh. Try it and then ask the question again.

When you want to be creative - to think of something to create - you are actually tapping into something and it is your perception that cognises it.

Answer 3

YOUR PERCEPTION INFLUENCES YOUR CONCLUSIONS, BUT YOUR PERCEPTION DOES NOT EQUAL SOMEONE ELSE'S INTENT. TO ASSUME SO (YOUR PERCEPTION BEING ABSOLUTE) WOULD BE EXTREMELY NARCISSISTIC. WE ALL HAVE SELF-PRESERVATION, SO WE ARE ALL
'RIGHT' IN OUR OWN MINDS, AND WE ALL THINK OUR PERCEPTIONS ARE RIGHT. BESICALLY, YOU ARE UNIQUE, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH THE ONES WE LOVE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BEFORE REACTING ON OUR PERCEPTIONS. WE SHOULD PAUSE FOR A MOMENT, AND LET THEM CLARIFY THEIR INTENT, BEFORE REACTING. THAT MEANS, TAKING THE HIGH ROAD, AND IT MEANS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS BE 'RIGHT'. PEOPLE WHO FORGET THIS ARE CONSTANTLY ARGUING AND TRYING TO 'CONVINCE' OTHERS THAT THEIR VIEW IS CORRECT, AND IT'S ALL IN VAIN.