Is REALITY subjective?

[markings]

What reality are we talking about? What I see in front of me is different to what you may see even if you are right behind me, looking at the same same thing. But that is not reality, it is the interpretation of of what is in front of us, and often this can be changed very quickly.

Subjective reality is the result of incomplete perception, knowledge, filtered through personal interpretation. This can only be of very limited use.

The big question is what is objective, unchanging reality?

Broadly speaking, the West has one answer, the East another. If it would be a contest the East would be far ahead of the West. The reason is that the West is mired in thought which is always personal and thus limited.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by markings

The reason is that the West is mired in thought which is always personal and thus limited.

But will they hear that? Or will they just continue to argue against it because, well, they're from the west and for them it's personal...? LOL.

The answer for pretty much every question that arises in this forum: expand your horizons and read some books people! There's a whole philosophical world out there, other than just western mainstream Christian thinking and conceptualizing.

[markings]

Originally Posted by Baile

But will they hear that? Or will they just continue to argue against it because, well, they're from the west and for them it's personal...? LOL.

Of course they won't listen. After all, in their colonial and imperial mind sets West is best anyway. Why should they have to listen?

[Baile]

Originally Posted by markings

After all, in their colonial and imperial mind sets West is best anyway. Why should they have to listen?

I responded to your first comment because the point you made is a critical one that very few people seem to have any awareness of. Western thinking in general -- and not just religious teaching -- falls prey to a kind of banal, self-absorbed emotionalism. And it's via this emotionalism -- taught to young people in schools and in religious institutions -- that people in society are then able to be easily controlled and quickly manipulated by the media, by corporations, by the government, and so forth. And yes, other attitudinal manifestations include cultural imperialism, nationalism, racism, and so forth. It truly is a critically relevant question for our times.

[guthrio]

Originally Posted by Honza

Been getting this feedback from here for a while now. The premise is that reality is somehow subjective; in the sense that it is all up to us. In a sense it is just us. Of course this premise is Hindu and New Age based and is very different from what we are used to in the West.

How do you see this? Is reality objective and applicable to all; or is it subjective and unique to each one of us?

Honza,

I think you will be surprised to see that scientific breakthroughs in how we perceive the world point to a very interesting conclusion that has nothing to do with New Age or Hindu or West, or for that matter, East.

I believe you'll find the reference just as fascinating as I did....about WHO IS DOING THE SEEING?

Enjoy the video....

Reference: http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...02&postcount=6

[FallingLeaves]

Originally Posted by Seawolf

Good point, that makes me wonder is it the brain that creates reality or is it the mind? Or both?

I think it may be more like... reality exists, and then people come along with their paint cans and paint it to look the way they want it to look... obscuring what it really is.

Originally Posted by Honza

Been getting this feedback from here for a while now. The premise is that reality is somehow subjective; in the sense that it is all up to us. In a sense it is just us. Of course this premise is Hindu and New Age based and is very different from what we are used to in the West.

How do you see this? Is reality objective and applicable to all; or is it subjective and unique to each one of us?

If there is anything out there and provided we/I aren't victims of solipsism them we'll all experience different things particularly when it comes to sens experiences.

We all might believe we hear and see the same thing but how we assimilate it is a different matter. Not just Hindu, New Age, it's been the subject of philosophy for millennia. The psychologist Wilhelm Wundt was the first to try to research it formally (even though his efforts were later found to be fraudulent).

Most people never really see. They look at things but what they think they see is modified by what they think they know. Paul Foster Case.

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