Reality is what we percieve.

@kostas2012 Reality consists of two clear distinct types. Physical Reality and Cognitive Reality. You are describing the process of perception that the brain then renders into Cognitive Reality.

@NorEaster We are talking about two different sides of the same coin here. Reality is both the physical reality that Hellen Keller was bumping into, and her existence did not create it. Hellen Keller however out of conscious dualism had to create a Cognitive Reality which is modeled after perception. Her perception of Cognitive Reality is totally different then yours and mine.

That said, Hellen Kellers reality started when she came into existed and ended when she died. What she experienced and took to the grave with her is a cognitively constructed reality that her mind rendered from limited sensory perception. Cognitive Reality is a very real branch of what true Reality exists as.


@bringthelight The problem with the term “Reality” is that it suffers from conflicting idealisms as to what reality really is. Knowing that “Reality” as a concept is more then physical reality, and extends into the Cognitive Reality that consciousness experiences and creates, we can move further into the rabbit hole to understand our relationship with all branches of reality.

Originally posted by YouAreDreaming

@NorEaster We are talking about two different sides of the same coin here. Reality is both the physical reality that Hellen Keller was bumping into, and her existence did not create it. Hellen Keller however out of conscious dualism had to create a Cognitive Reality which is modeled after perception. Her perception of Cognitive Reality is totally different then yours and mine.

That said, Hellen Kellers reality started when she came into existed and ended when she died. What she experienced and took to the grave with her is a cognitively constructed reality that her mind rendered from limited sensory perception. Cognitive Reality is a very real branch of what true Reality exists as.

I think that I prefer the term PERCEPTION to COGNITIVE REALITY to be honest. Reality suggests something that is real and sharable between unique wholes. Perception certainly fills the bill when looking for a term to describe what Hellen Keller took to her grave with her. Perception is impacted by perspective, and vice versa, so I'd probably accept perspective as well. Both suggest layers of inherent context within the whole that is generating that perception/perspective information, and this seems to be a lot more accurate when describing the kind of solitary experience you suggest with your term COGNITIVE REALITY.

Some people may believe that terminology is an ancillary concern, but when discussing issues as exact as these, terminology can mean the difference between two points of view and how well they compare and contrast with one another. Someone needs to establish a glossary of acceptable terms, and hold serious discussions to be in adherence to that glossary. It'd probably go a long way toward breaking through some of the confusion.

reply to post by NorEaster


You bring some very valid points to the table. Before we can understand certain concepts, we must also speak the language and have clarity in the meaning of the words before we can articulate a verbal model of the concept.

This is one of our enigmas that we suffer from is the literal translation of ideas such as reality. Where I am striving to grow my learning, is in the defined terms.

Reality is an idea proxy is more relevant to Physical Reality where by we simply input data and output perception. The end result of perception becomes a personification of reality to the observer.

I think we still need to link it to a form of reality rather then give it something that may lower or reduce the impact this experience has to the observer. What that observer experiences is very real to them.

You and I both cannot confirm our perception as being fully accurate to the objective data stream of physical reality, but we can both agree that while we are conscious of our existence, the experience we are deriving is building a cognitive model of what we believe reality to be.

All we can do is progressively work towards the academic definitions as you suggest. I agree fully. There may be some disagreement to the ideologies and isms along the way but that's how we learn fact from fiction.