The illusion of reality

All matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. We are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is a dream, and we're the imagination of ourselves."

~ Bill Hicks

A University of California, Science Department (UCSD) physicist used his knowledge and a little creativity to get himself out of a $400 traffic ticket. Dmirti Krioukov was issued a traffic ticket for failing to completely stop at a stop sign. Instead of paying the ticket or going to traffic school, the physicist fought the citation by writing a four-page paper explaining how the ticket he was given defies physics.

Using his knowledge of angular and linear motion, Krioukov prepared a paper for the judge in his case and was able to argue - and prove - his innocence. The paper explained how what the officer "thought" he saw, he didn't really see, according to the laws of physics. "Therefore my argument in the court went as follows: that what he saw would be easily confused by the angle of speed of this hypothetical object that failed to stop at the stop sign.

And therefore, what he saw did not properly reflect reality, which was completely different," Krioukov said. Before others try the "physics defense" before a judge, Krioukov warned that it took a perfect combination of events for his argument to, legitimately hold up. When asked if he really did stop at the stop sign, the physicist stuck to his argument.

"Of course I did," he said with a smile.

This episode which, if we are to go by what science tells us, is itself an illusion of reality; a mirage in the mind; and the creation of consciousness of the people - so says the science of relativity.

Philosophy

That which exists as contrasted with what is fictitious; that which is objective, not merely an idea; and, the fact, state, condition, or quality of being real or genuine is said to be 'reality'.

In philosophy, the absolute; that which is self-existent; the ultimate, as contrasted with phenomena or the apparent is considered as reality.

Quantum physics tells us that reality is far beyond human perception and intuition.

In other words, our rational mind and common sense are just not capable of understanding the true nature of reality. Ancient religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism tells us that this world and everything in it we perceive as real, is only "maya" - illusion of the mind.

However, if we go about with this concept as the be all and end all of everything in our daily affairs, it is needless to say that, in our mundane existence, we will be driving each other mad, while so becoming ourselves.

Relative

The truth about reality is that there is more than one reality: the relative reality - that which we see and apply in our worldly affairs; and the absolute reality where everything is the result of our imagination, or the lack of it.

In an essay "Reality Versus Imagination, and Illusion" Remez Sasson, says: "The five senses make us feel that the world is real. Seeing the solidity of the objects around us, feeling the impact of the senses, it is hard to deny the validity of what we see. Everything looks real, and therefore, we never stop to question this reality.

The mind is attached to the five senses and accepts everything as real without questioning. When we bump into a table or a wall, and we feel pain, it is difficult to say that we are imagining it.

When we see with our eyes, hear sounds, feel smells, or when we feel heat or coldness, we accept these sense impressions as real.

The world exists for us only when the senses and mind are directed towards it, and ceases to exist for us when we silence the senses and the mind.

During deep sleep, we do not experience the world because the senses are not active.

Can you prove the reality of the world while you are deeply asleep? After you wake up from sleep, other people might tell you that the world existed, but can you prove that these people existed while you were asleep? After waking up, we may invent all kinds of theories to prove the realty of the world.

However, these are only mental theories. The fact is that during sleep the world was non-existent for us. During sleep, dreams seem very real, but upon awakening, we realize that they were just dreams.

Reality

So it is with this world we call reality. It is possible to wake from it too. Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian sage, has said that the difference between a dream while sleeping and the dream we call wakefulness is only of duration, one short and the other one long.

Further to the above, each person interprets and relates to other people's behaviour, words, and attitudes in a different way, according to the contents of his subconscious mind. No one's world is like another. Again, we see the illusion at work. A world is created based on our interpretation of what we see, hear, and perceive through the five senses.

The world we experience, and the life we live, are the reflections of our thoughts.

The mind creates a world of illusion. By changing our thoughts, we change the illusion and experience a different reality. We do not create a world, only an illusion that looks real.

No unusual power is involved here. We are living in Maya and are changing the Maya. When we are able to still the mind and the senses, our consciousness seems to shift into a new dimension. Actually, it is there all the time, only that the mind makes us think otherwise.

When there are no thoughts in the mind, the world we know and believe is real, loses its reality. We become conscious of the world beyond the mind and illusions.

Metaphors

In the East, metaphors are used to demonstrate what illusion is in relation to Reality. A jewel made of gold may be called an earring or a necklace, but actually it is only gold. Before it became a jewel, and after it is melted, it is only gold. Clay is shaped into vessels such as plates, cups, or vases, but they are only clay.

Due to convenience of speech, we call these objects made of gold or clay by many names, but they are really only clay or gold. A mirage is not real, but yet we see it. Events taking place while dreaming are not real.

Hologram

However, we experience them during the dream as reality. A hologram looks like 3D, while it is actually flat. In the East, one of the metaphors of explaining reality and illusion is that of the rope and the snake.

In the dark we may see a rope and mistake it for a snake. When there is enough light we realize that it was only a rope, and the snake disappears. It is only due to some kind of illusion that we see a world. Everything is in the mind."

Well, real or illusion, I will see you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking; keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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