Reality Is An Illusion

TruthSeeker · 9th June 2006, 02:56 PM

We often think that some things are "optical illusions". When we smoke too much weed or snore too much rock (not me!

) we often see "hallucinations". Little children can be synaestesic and we call those perceptions illusions as well. We are in the middle of a desert and we see an oasis and that is also an illusion.

Well, maybe not. What makes something an illusion? How do you know the entire world we live in is also an illusion? It is just because we don't all perceive completely different things!? How do you know? You cannot see with others' eyes. You cannot hear with others' ears. So how can you be so sure!?

Even if we would do tests, that doesn't really override the concept that something is real. If you perceive it, it is essentially real. We can barely grasp this universe and yet we classify some things as illusions?

Why would something that we would perceive be an illusion?

Take for instance this example. I'm walking down a street. The sun is shining in the horizon. A mirror is placed on the right side and I can perceive too suns. Which one is real? They both hurt my eyes, because the light is very bright. So how can you call the one reflected in the mirror an illusion? Doesn't it behave the same way as the other one? Doesn't it have the same attributes? Doesn't it "go away" with the sun, when the sun goes down, and comes back when the sun is back? How can you call it less real then the sun!?

When you start thinking about that, you might want to take a closer look around you. What are you perceiving? Atoms? Molecules? You don't see them, do you? But those things are the actual "reality". So how can you call an object real, if your perception is different from the actual Truth?

Now try to perceive it. I've been able to perceive how relative space is and how odd matter behaves- specially when I was a child. SO maybe we are capable of it. Maybe what we consider "illusions" are just a part of reality that we are usually unaware of.

What is real?

TruthSeeker · 11th June 2006, 03:29 AM

TruthSeeker · 11th June 2006, 03:30 AM

Winfried · 12th June 2006, 09:52 PM

You seem bored...

Well, I believe reality exists. Definetely. Reality is the common illusion. So if I see a cat and everyone around me sees a cat, I may assume there is a cat. There me be no cat at all, I may not be here at all, but I see and smell a cat, and i can definetely feel and smell myself, so to me, Both me and the cat exist.

Oli · 13th June 2006, 10:30 PM

Today I heard a theory about reality and existance; that reality does not exist, instead we all exist in our own existances and these all lines, that interlink and cross over. Such that my existance is now crossing into you yours as you are reading that which I am typing. I do not know the name of the theory, but I did find it interesting and it does make sense to me.

I'll give an example to make it more clear. I do not know what you did this morning when you woke up, because that did not cross my existance, so to me, it did not exist. It is in a way that we all live in our own universe and these cross over when we interact with one another. Most of the time other existances do not affect us in any way, therefore they do not exist to us.

scameter · 14th June 2006, 09:19 AM

I personally believe that reality exists, but I do not believe this with the certainty and absolutism many do. The reason I believe it exists is because I do not think everything revolves around us; I think everything we know depends on our perception and subjective experiencial capability, but I do not believe that everything is simply in our minds; but, I also do not believe that reality is as definite as scientists wish to think, in that if something can be physically proven it is real and truthful, and if it cannot be proven or found evidence for it does not exist. This is far too absolute for a being such as ourselves with such lack of real certainty and such individually relative subjectivity. We simply cannot know anything with entire certainty beyond doubt; many may believe we can, but that is quite different from how things actually are. I could believe anything; but, I do believe there are some objective truths even with our extremely subjective existence, such as that nothing is definite, and that there is more to existence than what we currently know.

TruthSeeker · 14th June 2006, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Today I heard a theory about reality and existance; that reality does not exist, instead we all exist in our own existances and these all lines, that interlink and cross over. Such that my existance is now crossing into you yours as you are reading that which I am typing. I do not know the name of the theory, but I did find it interesting and it does make sense to me.

I'll give an example to make it more clear. I do not know what you did this morning when you woke up, because that did not cross my existance, so to me, it did not exist. It is in a way that we all live in our own universe and these cross over when we interact with one another. Most of the time other existances do not affect us in any way, therefore they do not exist to us.

Yes, that's a big part of what I'm saying...

TruthSeeker · 14th June 2006, 12:17 PM

scam,

Yes. There must be an objective reality, otherwise, the universe wouldn't be as stable as it is.

scameter · 14th June 2006, 12:22 PM

Well, it could simply be the illusion of stability.

abaris · 15th June 2006, 02:25 AM

Scientifically speaking, reality is the result of irreversible processes. As such it is as solid and undisputable as it gets. Unlike the artificial reality of a computer game, objective physical reality does not have a reset button. No rewind, no playback. The current status of each atom in the universe is determined by an infinite chain of causes and constitutes itself a cause for future effects.

Sentient beings may have perceptions which are not triggered by real physical sensations but emanate from the Self. Those are called illusions.

The subject of every philosophy is the unity of perception and existence and thereby the elimination of illusions. To say reality is an illusion is to say that philosophy is an absurdity.

9th June 2006, 02:56 PM	#1
TruthSeeker Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 867	We often think that some things are "optical illusions". When we smoke too much weed or snore too much rock (not me! ) we often see "hallucinations". Little children can be synaestesic and we call those perceptions illusions as well. We are in the middle of a desert and we see an oasis and that is also an illusion. Well, maybe not. What makes something an illusion? How do you know the entire world we live in is also an illusion? It is just because we don't all perceive completely different things!? How do you know? You cannot see with others' eyes. You cannot hear with others' ears. So how can you be so sure!? Even if we would do tests, that doesn't really override the concept that something is real. If you perceive it, it is essentially real. We can barely grasp this universe and yet we classify some things as illusions? Why would something that we would perceive be an illusion? Take for instance this example. I'm walking down a street. The sun is shining in the horizon. A mirror is placed on the right side and I can perceive too suns. Which one is real? They both hurt my eyes, because the light is very bright. So how can you call the one reflected in the mirror an illusion? Doesn't it behave the same way as the other one? Doesn't it have the same attributes? Doesn't it "go away" with the sun, when the sun goes down, and comes back when the sun is back? How can you call it less real then the sun!? When you start thinking about that, you might want to take a closer look around you. What are you perceiving? Atoms? Molecules? You don't see them, do you? But those things are the actual "reality". So how can you call an object real, if your perception is different from the actual Truth? Now try to perceive it. I've been able to perceive how relative space is and how odd matter behaves- specially when I was a child. SO maybe we are capable of it. Maybe what we consider "illusions" are just a part of reality that we are usually unaware of. What is real? __________________ God has created children so that we may smile in the midst of tears..... A whole lifetime is not enough to explore the immesurable beauty that this universe has to offer. There's nothing more amusing then the high improbability of my own existance. If something is true, then that something is something quite out of the ordinary. "We make a living by what we get We make a life by what we give" -- Winston Churchill

11th June 2006, 03:29 AM	#2
TruthSeeker Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 867	__________________ God has created children so that we may smile in the midst of tears..... A whole lifetime is not enough to explore the immesurable beauty that this universe has to offer. There's nothing more amusing then the high improbability of my own existance. If something is true, then that something is something quite out of the ordinary. "We make a living by what we get We make a life by what we give" -- Winston Churchill

11th June 2006, 03:30 AM	#3
TruthSeeker Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 867	__________________ God has created children so that we may smile in the midst of tears..... A whole lifetime is not enough to explore the immesurable beauty that this universe has to offer. There's nothing more amusing then the high improbability of my own existance. If something is true, then that something is something quite out of the ordinary. "We make a living by what we get We make a life by what we give" -- Winston Churchill

12th June 2006, 09:52 PM	#4
Winfried Advanced Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oostvoorne, The Netherlands Posts: 326	You seem bored... Well, I believe reality exists. Definetely. Reality is the common illusion. So if I see a cat and everyone around me sees a cat, I may assume there is a cat. There me be no cat at all, I may not be here at all, but I see and smell a cat, and i can definetely feel and smell myself, so to me, Both me and the cat exist. __________________ I would really like that fish you have there.

14th June 2006, 12:17 PM	#8
TruthSeeker Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 867	scam, Yes. There must be an objective reality, otherwise, the universe wouldn't be as stable as it is. __________________ God has created children so that we may smile in the midst of tears..... A whole lifetime is not enough to explore the immesurable beauty that this universe has to offer. There's nothing more amusing then the high improbability of my own existance. If something is true, then that something is something quite out of the ordinary. "We make a living by what we get We make a life by what we give" -- Winston Churchill

13th June 2006, 10:30 PM	#5
Oli Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bradford, UK Posts: 36	Today I heard a theory about reality and existance; that reality does not exist, instead we all exist in our own existances and these all lines, that interlink and cross over. Such that my existance is now crossing into you yours as you are reading that which I am typing. I do not know the name of the theory, but I did find it interesting and it does make sense to me. I'll give an example to make it more clear. I do not know what you did this morning when you woke up, because that did not cross my existance, so to me, it did not exist. It is in a way that we all live in our own universe and these cross over when we interact with one another. Most of the time other existances do not affect us in any way, therefore they do not exist to us.

14th June 2006, 09:19 AM	#6
scameter Tankare Join Date: May 2005 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 6,224	I personally believe that reality exists, but I do not believe this with the certainty and absolutism many do. The reason I believe it exists is because I do not think everything revolves around us; I think everything we know depends on our perception and subjective experiencial capability, but I do not believe that everything is simply in our minds; but, I also do not believe that reality is as definite as scientists wish to think, in that if something can be physically proven it is real and truthful, and if it cannot be proven or found evidence for it does not exist. This is far too absolute for a being such as ourselves with such lack of real certainty and such individually relative subjectivity. We simply cannot know anything with entire certainty beyond doubt; many may believe we can, but that is quite different from how things actually are. I could believe anything; but, I do believe there are some objective truths even with our extremely subjective existence, such as that nothing is definite, and that there is more to existence than what we currently know.

14th June 2006, 12:22 PM	#9
scameter Tankare Join Date: May 2005 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 6,224	Well, it could simply be the illusion of stability.

15th June 2006, 02:25 AM	#10
abaris Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 731	Scientifically speaking, reality is the result of irreversible processes. As such it is as solid and undisputable as it gets. Unlike the artificial reality of a computer game, objective physical reality does not have a reset button. No rewind, no playback. The current status of each atom in the universe is determined by an infinite chain of causes and constitutes itself a cause for future effects. Sentient beings may have perceptions which are not triggered by real physical sensations but emanate from the Self. Those are called illusions. The subject of every philosophy is the unity of perception and existence and thereby the elimination of illusions. To say reality is an illusion is to say that philosophy is an absurdity.

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