what is reality?

we're aware of things only as what we are capable of. for example, if we had infrared vision, the world would seem very different to us; think about the alien's vision in the movie, "predator."

think about colors. we think grass is green, but really, it is every color BUT green because it REFLECTS green. if you have a red car, it is every color but red, because it reflects red.

"There has been a complete changeover in human affairs. Where man has always been after things, after reality --- reality being everything you can see, touch, taste, smell and hear --- suddenly we're in a completely new kind of reality. The reality of the great electromagnetic spectrum which is part of this communications revolution. And we now know that what man can hear, smell, touch, taste and see is less than a millionth of reality." -Buckminster Fuller

 

Gordon,

Just say "no" to drugs.

 

Gordon - you're confusing perception with reality.

While some might rightly argue that at least in certain affairs perception is reality (as in public impressions), that's a different issue.

Just because you're color blind doesn't turn that red car into a gray car. Not seeing the beer truck barreling down on you doesn't mitigate the affect it will have on your body when it slams into it.

The limitations of your senses do not affect the overall reality, they only affect how you're able to perceive it.

There are psychobabble semantics which equates reality with perception while differentiating reality from actuality - but that's more of a word game than anything material.

BTW - that red car is NOT all colors except red. It is red because it reflects the red part of the spectrum of light hitting it while absorbing the remainder. That's not the same as "being" all the other colors.

 

well i meant what you're saying.

i agree our perception is not necessarily the true reality. but i'm wondering what it would be like if we had the capability to be aware of 100% of reality.

as for the red car, what i meant is that it absorbs the other colors and reflects red.

 

As Popeye used to say, "I said what you meant and I meant what you said, I'm Popeye the sailor man."

Only God is aware of 100% reality.

They say that humans only use 5% of their mental capacity. Everytime I read your thoughts, I am reminded of the truth of this concept.

 

here is a quote in aphexcoil's signature:

He said, "Oh, there won't be any money, however, when you die on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. So I've got that going for me ... which is nice."

aphex, you are going to get ZERO consciousness when you die, not total. our functioning eyeballs, ears, etc. allow us to be aware of a fraction of reality. when none of this happens, you get ZERO CONSCIOUSNESS. that is what death is. same as before birth, btw.

 

My, you are certain of your beliefs, aren't you.

 

I guess you've never seen Caddyshack. You're already making ascertains based off false assumptions. If you can do it so easily with my signature, has the thought ever occurred to you that you are doing it just as easily with god / nature of life / etc?

Yeah, when you die, your system shuts down -- the physical system. However, who are you to say that there is not some greater system from which the physical systems operate from?

You just said earlier that you understand we see so little of reality and then you suddenly assume you know enough about reality to make determined decisions about god?

Which way is the wind blowing today, Gordon?