The Subjective World
The truth is subjective, and forever in conflict.
From the turbulent sensation of your beating heart to the hot air escaping your dry lips, or the sounds of distant cars and voices as you balance your feet over wonky stones, and even what you see—is it real? Many would say yes, but is it real to the person next to you? Now that is a question worth contemplating.
The way you experience reality is not black and white. It is endless shades of gray. Not one pair of eyes will perceive the same horizon. In fact, the nature of reality and what you comprehend from it are completely separate things. The major components of perception are the collection of information, and the processing of said information.
It is a widely accepted belief that the human body only has five senses—typically involving sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch; however, touch alone has several somatic senses that include the perception of pressure, temperature, and pain. Some scientists list as many as twenty-one senses, many of which we have never contemplated on.
These senses help define our personal reality, but how would you react to sensory deterioration? Would you notice it? Most likely, it would shock and change you. Many astronauts and pilots undergo rigorous training meant to redefine their accepted view of reality. Some even go as far as to flip their view of the world upside down.
This training or rewiring of the brain occurs not just in them, but in all of us. Many times it is unnoticed. It happens with your tolerance of pain while playing sports, or your understanding of color when painting, and even how you distinguish sounds when practicing an instrument.
“Wayward Child, stare into the water and open your mind. See your reflection and embrace what may not be.”
–Fiddle, Lunora and the Monster King
Every day we realize a new outlook of reality—one exclusive to us withal. Must we stomach these changes, especially if we become impaired with a warped impression of the world? Would we accept this new and altered reality? Maybe, but what is classified as truth in the first place?
Let us imagine that you exist in a world where everyone lacks functional hearing. Sound does not exist because you cannot perceive it. Would you notice it? To imagine something unknown is similar to traveling an uncharted expanse that lacks anything familiar. It would be beyond interpretation. You can speculate the presence of it, or use math to confirm its legitimacy, but in the end you are ignorant of the experience it holds.
The same can be said with color. Humans have three kinds of cone cells whose job is to detect certain wavelengths of light. One cone only sees blue, the other sees only green, and the last solely sees red. We have no cone cells designed to see beyond the primary colors. Yet, somehow our mind has learned to see between the spaces of perceivable color by mixing the three primary wavelengths of light. In a sense, we imagined the gaps like missing pieces to a puzzle, and it has become a crucial part of our subjective reality.
Many colors fit in the spectrum, except for magenta, brown, and pink. Those colors like achromatic shades do not exist at all. They dwell only in our mind. Is experiencing it enough? Maybe, but does it confirm the existence of the reality in question, especially if all colors are deemed fabrications of the mind.
To further communicate the degree of our faults, what we experience as color and images is actually electromagnetic waves. The same applies to the vibrations we perceive as sound. Smell and taste revolve around this concept as well. Nearly everything including that sugary treat you had the other day are all products of the mind created to grasp the existence you assume you live in.
Our perception does not identify the world as it actually is. Strangely enough it only discerns what you are capable of recognizing. Due this problem, information is constantly misrepresented. The truth is subjective, and forever in conflict.
Art by: Tomas Honz
Other things that shape our reality are the interactions we have with people. The society you exist in as a whole molds us. Our understanding of the world starts with our parents, then our peers, and lastly the media and government. We exist with many human made rules that dictate who we are, what we do, and what our dreams entail.
We constantly reevaluate our lives with the faded print of the dead, and the fresh ink of the living in search of certainty when doubt runs high. Do these adopted perspectives contain verity? I believe to some degree it does.
The reality we perceive and the existence around us will never be one of the same. In my opinion, there are many aspects of the truth—layers that complement and contradict each other. Just because you cannot see something does not mean it does not exist.
We are all individuals capable of determining our own facet of reality. Some day we may uncover the true inner workings that move everything, but will we understand it for what it really is or will our minds alter it?
Art by: Tomas Honz
To survive it is believed that an organism has to comprehend the environment it dwells in. Their senses allows them to understand the dangers that lie around them. To perceive correctly broadens the probability of preservation; however, I no longer believe this to be the case.
Recently, a scientist named Donald Hoffman proposed the idea that an organism may get away with only knowing the pedestal of the system they inhabit. I believe he is on to something. Like in a game, you only need to know the buttons and the visuals, but not how it fundamentally works. You do not need to know the ones and zeroes that exist behind the images. The same applies to life.
According to science, the universe is composed of an immeasurable number of vibrating strings. These strings are in essence the true existence, but how do we know what these strings look like? Are they even strings or vibrating filaments at all? Is it even possible to picture it without the math? We can try, but it will rocket us back to our imagination—ideas influenced by our attempt to visualize reality.
Our imagination is a part of the existence we live in, and it warps with our imperfect perception of the world. To respect all views is a tough decision to consider, but it can be the start to a friendlier world where every dream is tangible.
Special thanks to Antonio Mangino for the great philosophical discussions that fueled this journal entry.
Quote to Inspire:
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
–Albert Einstein
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, PRODUCER, AND INSPIRING CREATOR
Drift in the Eversea
H.S. Crow has literary works appearing in all mediums of entertainment with a focus on fantasy, science fiction, and horror. He is an author traversing the theoretical and myth with novels and comics exploring the breathtaking Caligo, a vast universe containing our dreams and nightmares. Notable books include Lunora and the Monster King, Stars of Glass, and the upcoming epic Drums of Fog. However, his brilliance also transcends into poetry and music with scores that instills emotion and magic. The young author and music producer aims to challenge current issues with the imagination, and enchant the heart and mind of any who dares explore his madness.
H.S. Crow has literary works appearing in all mediums of entertainment with a focus on fantasy, science fiction, and horror. He is an author traversing the breathtaking Caligo, a vast universe containing our dreams and nightmares. Notable books include Lunora and the Monster King, Stars of Glass, & the upcoming Drums of Fog.
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