Why do we perceive objects the way we do?

Supposedly everything we see hear smell are just electrical signals interpreted by our brain. Now after watching a certain video, I came to think, what makes us perceive matter that is solid, when fundamentally it is not solid, and it is mostly just empty space? Why do we perceive it solid? Why do we perceive qualia the way we do? Are the electrical signals encoded with information, for the brain to interpret? Or does the brain make up the interpretation for the signals? Is our brain this powerful? Any input from members of ATS is very much appreciated

reply to post by Maddogkull



Good stuff...


From Source:

Kant's most original contribution to philosophy is his "Copernican Revolution," that, as he puts it, it is the representation that makes the object possible rather than the object that makes the representation possible. This introduced the human mind as an active originator of experience rather than just a passive recipient of perception.

I Kant argue with that...

Originally posted by Maddogkull
Supposedly everything we see hear smell are just electrical signals interpreted by our brain. Now after watching a certain video, I came to think, what makes us perceive matter that is solid, when fundamentally it is not solid, and it is mostly just empty space? Why do we perceive it solid? Why do we perceive qualia the way we do? Are the electrical signals encoded with information, for the brain to interpret? Or does the brain make up the interpretation for the signals? Is our brain this powerful? Any input from members of ATS is very much appreciated

There is only one answer and it is simple and true it is the truth the ultimate defining factor for the nature of each object.

Originally posted by Maddogkull
what makes us perceive matter that is solid, when fundamentally it is not solid, and it is mostly just empty space?

Electromagnetism is what links together atoms and make them collectively appear "solid," and EM fields are what keep different solid objects from passing through one another.


The rest, I would say is biology. The way we see and hear and taste and all of that is determined by our biology. The only thing that isn't is the consciousness that actually manifests into our body.

Originally posted by Maddogkull
.... I came to think, what makes us perceive matter that is solid, when fundamentally it is not solid, and it is mostly just empty space?

What does that make us then????? Gives a new meaning to airhead.

This idea sounds like it is connected to the whole "if a tree falls in the woods..." paradox and schrodinger's cat.

Does the observer actually piece together the universe? when the observer is involved in a probability situation (like schrodinger's cat theory) the universe is forced to choose an outcome (either the cat lives or dies). But, what if our brains are the ones that decide? What would that mean? is space just an endless sea of stings being pieced together by our brains to make up a bubble of reality where uncertainty rules?

All i have are questions.

reply to post by Maddogkull


maybe we perceive the reality we want and relate to as positive living, as always the reference to our objective sense
now the fact that there are bigger livings who are of that same truth and the fact that there are also creators of positive realities lives perceptions to their positive living sense wills, make us having to ignore a lot but through a lot too

i think creator sense of living by making things appearance is dying at the same time that creature sense of living by consuming things appearent is dying too, for intelligence life of both in positive truth as objective free reality life of absolute positive true selves free moves

reply to post by Maddogkull




This is so simple it is scary but it does bring up a whole new set of questions.

Personally, I hold to this idea: the objects in reality truly exist (if they didn't, there would be no general consensus), but the concepts we have in the mind guide our interpretation of that sense-information. We apply concepts of individuality to things, and base our interpretations on those associations and patterns we glean from the individual objects.

It all begins with the Self, which is divided against the Universe. That's the only thing we know from the beginning, a priori: there's the Self and then there's the Universe. So that the information gained from the Universe is not chaos (as a conceptually empty world would be), concepts are created by applying individuality (based off the idea of the Self, as individual) to objects observed. Concepts are formed from patterns and associations observed from those individuals, whether they truly be individual or not.

What you need to understand reality will be the training of the Kogi indians given to the Mamas, or their spiritual leaders.

hubpages.com...

The Mamas felt the world to be more than what you perceived of it, and what you see of reality is a shadow of something more.

The talented ones, destined to become Mamas are identified at a very young age. They are then isolated in caves of the mountains and brought up and taught by elders in the caves for years without seeing the outside. During that time, they listen to descriptions of how the outside is like while taught meditation and visualisations.

The Mamas became twice borned. Once when they left the womb and later, when they left the cave. Their perception of reality is very different from yours.

You have to try the best you can as obviously you are too old to be a candidate for that Mama training even assuming you are talented enough.


Warmest regards


Shanlung

You really just have to take a look at those 2 videos and they pretty much answer the question, muting almost all other answers, save one.