What is reality?

Question

If reality is what your senses perceive, then does that mean such things like love and hate don't exist as they are not sensed, but felt?

I saw a plane fly over me this morning. But that was in the past and the past is only in our minds, therefore not real (ie I can't see, smell, taste, hear or feel it - only remember it), so does that mean the plane doesn't exist?

Answer 1

That's a big question and, some would say, unanswerable but I'll give you a few ideas to chew on anyway.I would point out for a start that there seem to be many types and also levels to reality and that these can sometimes overlap or not and that reality can be subjective or objective which is an important division because one depends on the observer - ie us - and one doesn't.The great quantum theorist, Niels Bohr, maintained that only what we can say about reality is valid.Einstein disagreed, believing that reality is something, out there independent of us - when a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, it does make a sound.In all realities it is our working assumption that basic, fundamental reality is, in fact, real.If we believe it is an illusion we must doubt everything including our own existence.Descartes, through his own existential crisis gave us one way out (for many this wouldn't be a problem) ie his idea of "I think, therfore I am".

The most obvious reality and the one you mentioned in your question is the reality we perceive through our senses.This is the quite limited but also the most common and familiar and therefore given an authority it shouldn't have.Three blind men sit around an elephant and are asked what it is.One blind man grabs its tail and says it's a rope, one grabs its trunk and declares it to be a snake and the third grabs it's leg and concludes its a tree.All totally wrong because they lacked one sense.How do we know that their aren't aliens in another galaxy with seven senses who would regard us as 'blind'.Reality is only narrowly defined by the physical senses.Ultimately, your five-sense picture of the world is information from your environment converted into electrical signals by your body which are then interpreted by your brain and that's all.

The next reality is the reality of reason - what we can work out with our minds.This is usually done in science by the scientific method ie put forward a hypothesis, test it, if it fails put forward a new hypothesis and test that, it it succeeds test it again until you have a robust theory that explains many observations and makes testable predictions.Positivists like Stephen Hawking say that we can't know what reality is only come up with impressive theories like quantum mechanics or the theory of evolution which explain a lot but can never be called true because a single observation tomorrow could disprove them.Others disagree with his view of reality as unknowable.

Concerning the nature of time that you asked about there are two views.One is that all that matters is the thin slice of time that is now as it moves along second by second.Even in this limited view the plane you mentioned exists some where in your present slice of space time - say in a hanger at the airport 40 miles away.You can't verify that but reason tells you it's a strong possibility and you trust your mind as much as your senses.This is an example of working things out to see if they're real - as good or better than perceiving them - your eyes may deceive you but logic won't.The other view of time is that it is part of a block of spacetime ie the collection of slices together that goes from the past through the present to the future.The whole block is real therefore so are the past and future.Perhaps a more convincing way to look at it is to say that an event in the past causes something in the present ie an effect and conclude that the event in the past must be real because the effect exists in the present - no cause, no effect.This would also work for the present and the future.

However, man is not just a sensing animal or a logical, rational robot - he is also artistic and spiritual.There must be a reality which accomodates love and hate as well as truth, beauty and justice and their negatives, etc.This is a philosophical or spiritual reality which, depending on your own beliefs, is either the most real or the most absurd reality.To me the above qualities don't make sense unless there's a home for them in some part of our consciousness which is spiritual and the fact that many saints and mystics down the ages had them and experienced something supernatural is an indicator of their reality.But that's just my belief.

Answer 2

There is absolutely no proof the anything exists at all without the reason that we, the observers, do. For without that nothing exists, would have existed, or would ever exist. The beauty of this standpoint is that you can put as much weight of an argument as you like, or as much as one could, it won’t give way. And for the question – what if I too do not exist, I also have a cure: ask yourself – what am I? Then if you do not know what you are in reality then you cannot say I do not exit, and everything that cannot be said that does not exist exists.

The reality we encounter is not the only reality, but may be a sense of reality that we accumulate through our senses. If for instance I see a shadow of a man close to the source of light than I an hundred percent right in understanding that there is man there. The shadow might not be actual reality but they are always effects of reality. There can be no effect without as valid cause.

Our encounter with the reality is like our knowledge of an ocean. For a boat or a seagull the ocean is the surface, and for a fish its waters, but for a stone the reality of ocean is the bottom of the ocean. What we sense may not be the reality supreme, or even the super reality of our dreams but it is what we extract through our limitative senses. The reality of our aspirations and dreams is a reality waiting to be realised into sensation, thoughts and then into actions.

Answer 3

To me reality is senses and emotions that you are feeling or have felt just because something is in the past doesn't mean it doesn't exist or didn't happen. Your mother had you in the past but it was real at that moment and your still here your the same person you were when she had you you've just grown & developed with the time. So because your mother isn't having you right now does that mean you don't exist. The plane still exists it's just out of sight for you but in the present time with another person.

Answer 4

Reality is a multi-dimensional field that we are embedded in and that responds to consciousness.

You can only perceive what you have been taught to 'believe' about yourself and the world. Your experience of reality will mirror your beliefs until you change your mind.

The plane exists as does your physical body. It is your experience of reality that is malleable. The learned ego survives by fearing the future will repeat the past hurts, cannot experience aliveness in the present - NOW. The ego is one's defensive survival system that can only back away from reality. The REAL Self holds the power of creation.

Answer 5

good one,

if you think about it, all of our senses require interpretation by the brain, which often ellaborates to give you a complete picture, for instance vision is largly based upon a small amount of actual information while the rest is filled in by the brain using "expected" or "recent" information to fill the gaps

so most of what you see is a lie.

also our brain can make us see anything, (hallucinations both visual and audiotory haptic and olfactory) so who is to say whay is real and what is immaginary.

also alot of our world is represented in colours that we cannot see, and sounds which we cannot hear,

so not only can we not sense a large portion of our environment, but the things we do see and hear might not be there at all.

it's no wonder that there are many different opinions on reality, I mean if the eye could be made so be more sensitive to wavelengths that are hitherto undetectable, A what would that person see and how would that person's brain interperet those signals

man, I scare myself sometimes

Answer 6

The real Reality is well beyond senses, emotions, feelings etc.! Practical Reality is what we can debate through our limited vision and learning and experience and memory and so on: in reality, the Real is beyond out thoughts, beyond our mind! So, if you want to know Reality, step aside and watch your mind and thoughts for a while as a third party, gradually, the thoughts will reduce in volume and speed, mind will stop engaging you, and slowly, Reality will occur! May take some time: meanwhile, live your life, enjoy yourself!

Answer 7

Things in the past are not un-real, they still exist in the data tape of time. Things in your mind are real objects on the spiritual sphere, which is a world of pure awareness. If you're serious about learning about reality, check out the Path Work Lectures. Spoken by a prophet in trance channeling the Spirit of Truth. Be blessed.

Answer 8

Our only reality is the present moment. If we feel love or hate in the now it exists. The plane you saw this morning is a memory which exists in your mind.

Answer 9

Reality is vision so what we see with our eyes is real- the present is reality and the past and future that often stays in the brains memory is nor reality but becomes a memory and nothing more. However sometimes we question our own reality- a condition known as derealisation where one becomes detached from the world, thinking they are in a dream state.

Answer 10

The plane doesn't exist anymore apart from your memory of it and in a second your memory of it will be different than the one right now, realliy is only right here and right now!
The less you look for answers the more you'll be able to enjoy it.
Life's relative to past present and future even though they've been, are here and are coming.

I learned some good advice and that's to seek out and expand on love and truth right now, and do it again, right now, and again....

Paul