What do you understand by Perception and Reality
The concept of perception has deep implications for how we understand our interactions with the world. It proposes that we lack direct access to the reality that surrounds us. Instead, we are limited to experiencing only the mental representations created by our brains. This limitation plays out in two significant ways.
First, our sensory range is quite narrow. Take vision as an example. We can only detect a small section of electromagnetic radiation, which is known as visible light. Other forms of radiation, like X-rays or radio waves, have frequencies that exist outside this limited spectrum. While they share the same fundamental nature as light, we cannot perceive them.
In the animal kingdom, some species possess magnetoreception. This ability allows them to sense magnetic fields much like an internal compass would. As a result, those animals can navigate and interact with their surroundings in ways we cannot.
Humans, on the other hand, are completely unaware of these magnetic fields. Real estate listings promote scenic views or peaceful yards, but none highlight the magnetic environment of a property.
Although we understand the Earth's magnetic field, countless aspects of reality remain beyond our perception. We may not even be aware of what we are missing.
The second limitation stems from how our brains process sensory data. Our minds filter, correct, and interpret vast amounts of information that bombard us every moment. This ability is vital for us to understand our surroundings and engage with the complex world we live in.
A common example that illustrates this is the checkerboard optical illusion. In this scenario, two squares that are actually the same color appear to be different shades because of the shadow cast by a nearby object.
While our perception might not always be accurate, it serves a practical purpose. We can identify that one square, labeled 'B', belongs to the lighter areas of the checkerboard. We also recognize the dark line as a shadow and the corner object as a cylinder.
Rather than perceiving an array of colors, we see clear objects arranged in a three-dimensional space, along with their relationships to each other. This way of processing information helps us navigate and make sense of our environment, despite the limitations of our perception.