The Nature of Reality: Perceptions vs. Objective Reality

Do we truly know what is real, or are our perceptions only reflections of a substrate of consciousness? This question has puzzled philosophers and thinkers for centuries. At the heart of the matter lies the fundamental issue: can we ever truly perceive objective reality, or are our senses merely serving our survival mechanism?

The Role of Logic in Staying True to Reality

To understand the nature of reality, logic provides one of the most reliable pathways. Without logical reasoning, it becomes nearly impossible to discern between reality and mere perception. We must use logic to navigate the intricate layers of perception and delve into the underlying structures of consciousness.

Perceptions and Reality: Are They Synonymous?

Our perceptions of the world around us are deeply rooted in our bodily mechanisms, designed to ensure our survival. What we perceive is, in many ways, a constructed reality based on our sensory inputs and interpretations. These inputs include our five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. Beyond these, we also have thoughts, which together form the notion of perceptions.

It is crucial to understand that our perceptions are not the same as the absolute reality that exists independently. Our bodies and brains have limited ranges and effectiveness in interpreting the world. These perceptions occur on autopilot, without deliberate effort or selection.

Understanding Our Perceptions: Limited and Interpreted

Let us focus on vision as an example. The science textbooks describe our visual perception as secondary knowledge. While this knowledge is invaluable, it is not fundamentally different from data stored in a flash drive. It helps us function in the world, but it does not provide the direct understanding of what is truly out there.

When we perceive a bright blue sky during the day, we do not feel our eyeballs adjusting to light or distance. We do not feel the retina interpreting the signals sent to the brain. The brain’s interpretation of these signals is so seamless and natural that we do not even recognize it as happening. What does it mean to say that the brain interprets signals? What actually sees?

We do not have a direct clue as to how these perceptions occur. Seeing, for instance, is undeniable yet we know that the blue sky does not exist in an absolute sense. Color is a sensation, a reaction of our body/brain to certain wavelengths of electromagnetic waves. In reality, there is no color out there! Each being perceives its own unique cosmos, a personalized interpretation of the world.

Sound, Smell, Taste, and Feel: The Cosmos in Our Heads

The same logic applies to the other senses. Sound is a reaction to vibrations in the air, not an actual sound that exists. A blinding flash of lightning followed by a loud roar of thunder are experiences in our heads. Apply this reasoning to taste and smell, and remove colors, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings from the cosmos. What remains?

Practically, nothing remains. The cosmos as we know it is entirely a product of our perceptions. Is there anything more to the cosmos beyond our perceptions?

The LIGHT of Consciousness

These perceptions are all happening within a broader consciousness or awareness. This awareness, or LIGHT, is alive, intelligent, and self-evident. Unlike our perceptions, which are limited and specific, this LIGHT does not recognize boundaries or divisions. It encompasses the entire field of perception like a hologram, including the entire creation as a seamless entity. This LIGHT is the subjective aspect of the One Supreme Original Cause of the entire creation, and our perception of the cosmos is the objective aspect.

In the absence of all perceptions, this LIGHT is simply alive in immaculate silence. This is the immense potential beyond our understanding, a state of being that defies comprehension. Just as we imagine energy "E" in the equation E mC^2, we can only imagine this potential.

Thus, the nature of reality lies not in the perceptions we consciously experience but in the unperceived potential of consciousness itself.