Reality is created by the human mind

Hi

First of all I would like to state the obvious that this OP is purely my thoughts and opinion and offers not one piece of proof.

While discussing about mental illness with my partner I began to think more and more about what reality really is.

The reason for this initial conversation was due to my partner recovering from a severe psychotic episode within the last 2 years. She literally awoke one morning and it was like someone had flipped a switch. She had become totally delusional where she believed and would see things no one else could. She would experience these delusions on every sensory level. She could no longer differentiate her delusions from reality.

The only thing that I could see that made my reality "real" over her reality was that she was in the minority and that her reality could not be experienced by anyone but her.
I asked myself what would be the case if we removed everyone from the world and left her alone by herself in her "delusional" state?
There would be no other person(with there own view of the world) to claim their reality is more real than hers. What's more would her reality not be as legitimate as the other 1 person?

That brings me to my though that reality is created/projected by the human mind. But reality somewhat like a liquid in that it can survive alone but also join with other realities/types of liquids.
We as humans all contribute to the reality that exists today. We all began with our own reality which has become part of, influenced and influenced by all the other realities of every other human mind.

This structure of reality is made up of single parts which themselves have become influenced and shaped and restricted by the whole.
Therefore those human mind which break away from this structure are deemed delusional in that they do not conform to the reality created by the majority.

I understand that this may be turning into a rambling mess so il finish with a very simple analogy of what I think reality is.

Imagine 1000 flavours of juice all different.

Now take 1 flavour and begin to add to a large container. When you add the next it changes the flavour noticeably. But everytime you add one it becomes less noticeable yet it ultimately changes the flavour. By the time you have every single one of the 1000 flavours in the container you have 1 brand new flavour. No single flavour exists anymore inside that container as it is now part of the new whole.

When I set up a web cam to record things when I am not here, I record the same environment that exists for me when I am here.

So either the web cam creates a duplicate reality experienced by me and you are correct, or reality is just as it is, there as it is, and we experience it individually, and you are wrong.

perception is not reality. observation is not creation.

Some experiments have shown that on the quantum level, observation alone can influence behaviour, but that's about all scientific knowledge can say about our minds' effect on objective reality. It doesn't apply to reality on the "macro" or physical scale we experience and observe.

While there may be an element of shared quantum entanglement with the universe, it doesn't support an essentially solipsistic interpretation of reality which you seem to be proposing. As laminatedsoul points out, observation is not creation and perspective is not reality.

a reply to: liteonit6969
I have dealt with dementia patients who are in their own world. If someone does not take care of them they will not survive the delusion they are in. Their reality is not authentic and is in fact somewhat dangerous for them. They can start fires, walk in front of traffic, or otherwise harm themselves. No; reality is really not a subjective projection.

a reply to: machineintelligence

Their reality is not real because it is within the main pool of the majority built reality.

You are part of the reality which you along with the majority of people in the world have created/built.
Those who aren't part of this reality in their minds cannot harm themselves by an imaginary objects because their reality is restricted by the overall structure.

a reply to: liteonit6969

You say your partner

become totally delusional where she believed and would see things no one else could. She would experience these delusions on every sensory level. She could no longer differentiate her delusions from reality.

Would that include material objects, such as cars etc?
In her reality could she be on a bus at the same time as you observe her not being on a bus?

Its an interesting subject, I think much of our reality is created by our own mind, and you 1000 flavor analogy might not be so far off the mark!

a reply to: laminatedsoul

When you are setting up a Web cam you aren't changing anything. Because it will still be observed by you when you look back over the footage.

Someone like my partner who was ill and delusional will see something on he footage that you wouldn't see. Such as dead bodies as was in her case.

So again it is still your reality reinforced by the overall reality built by the majority that makes the minority delusional reality not real.

Answer me this.

If she was the only person on this world and experienced those same delusions on every sensory level. Is that not a legitimate reality?
Is that not equal to a reality you would experience if it was you alone?

a reply to: VoidHawk

No it would be things like there being dead bodies in the attic. Mobile phones in her stomach vibrating and ringing. A lot of stuff like that.

She could see feel hear touch all of these things. But they weren't there in what I see as the real world.

Frightening at the time but interesting thinking about it.

Forgive me for jumping in, I know this wasn't directed at me, but,

originally posted by: liteonit6969
a reply to: laminatedsoul
Answer me this.

If she was the only person on this world and experienced those same delusions on every sensory level. Is that not a legitimate reality?
Is that not equal to a reality you would experience if it was you alone?

Legitimate reality is what is objectively verifiable. Everything else is subjective interpretation and imagination.
Whether you are alone or not, if it is not detectable, measurable, and objectively reproducible outside of a person's subjective perspective, it does not fit the definition of literally "real" or being a part of physical reality.

a reply to: spygeek

Can the person experiencing this reality not measure all of these things?

If not then how can anyone measure reality given that we are all in it/ experiencing it.

When you claim to measure someone else's reality are you not really just trying to observe or measure your own reality?

Basically can reality be objectively measured?

originally posted by: liteonit6969
a reply to: spygeek

Can the person experiencing this reality not measure all of these things?

Not objectively they can't. They can measure them for themselves, but without other people to review and compare measurements it's not objective.

If not then how can anyone measure reality given that we are all in it/ experiencing it.

Through repeated double blind experiments all manner of aspects of reality can be measured and studied.

When you claim to measure someone else's reality are you not really just trying to observe or measure your own reality?

Measuring someone's subjective perspective of reality is not the same as measuring the one objective reality we all share. There is one reality that can be objectively measured, subjective interpretations of it are not part of it.

Basically can reality be objectively measured?

Yes, and this is being done constantly, everyday. It is how we know anything at all with certainty.

a reply to: spygeek

But what are all these tests and apparent observations?

Are they not just part of the majority built reality?

These numbers, tests etc are they not just part of the illusion to verify the reality you are part of, what you have contributed to creating.

When you are in a maze how can you truly understand the makeup and workings of it.

What you claim to be tests etc maybe just tests verifying the reality you have created. Nothing else.

originally posted by: spygeek
Some experiments have shown that on the quantum level, observation alone can influence behaviour,

This is a falsehood.

The method of observing changes the outcome. Quantum things are so small we cannot just observe them, we have to interact with them.

It's like having a pitch black room, with a glass on a table. Is the glass full or is the glass empty?

In order to determine this, we need to reach around and find the glass, and in doing so, we run risk of knocking the glass over.

So is it empty or full? We reach out, and knock it over.. the glass is empty...

by the act of "observing", we created the reality of the glass being empty...

originally posted by: liteonit6969
a reply to: laminatedsoul

When you are setting up a Web cam you aren't changing anything. Because it will still be observed by you when you look back over the footage.

Someone like my partner who was ill and delusional will see something on he footage that you wouldn't see. Such as dead bodies as was in her case.

So again it is still your reality reinforced by the overall reality built by the majority that makes the minority delusional reality not real.

Answer me this.

If she was the only person on this world and experienced those same delusions on every sensory level. Is that not a legitimate reality?
Is that not equal to a reality you would experience if it was you alone?

No it isn't a legitimate reality. The perception she has does not reflect the reality around her. Walking off a cliff would still result in death - many deluded people have done this, and not kept walking, despite no one else being around. We can test this using mind altering substances. We are just not that special in terms of our brains. We observe, our mind is a combination of electrical and chemical reactions, that turns it into our perception of reality - not creating it.

originally posted by: liteonit6969
a reply to: spygeek

But what are all these tests and apparent observations?

Double blind experiments are one example.

Are they not just part of the majority built reality?

There is nothing to suggest reality is built this way. Even if it was hypothetically, it would still constitute a solid objective reality.

These numbers, tests etc are they not just part of the illusion to verify the reality you are part of, what you have contributed to creating.

If this were so, experiments carried by different individuals would not create the same results. This does not happen.

When you are in a maze how can you truly understand the makeup and workings of it.

By observing, measuring, and mapping it, then comparing your data to that of others.

What you claim to be tests etc maybe just tests verifying the reality you have created. Nothing else.

Essentially what you arguing here is solipsism. This is an irrational, unfalsifiable concept reliant on circular logic. It doesn't offer anything in the way of explanatory power and it is essentially a philosophical dead end..

originally posted by: spygeek
[Essentially what you arguing here is solipsism. This is an irrational, unfalsifiable concept reliant on circular logic. It doesn't offer anything in the way of explanatory power and it is essentially a philosophical dead end..

In some ways, we are the centre of the universe...

if you consider the universe infinite, then every point within it, is the centre. Where you are right now, is the centre of the universe.. we're all self centred.

I know I know

originally posted by: laminatedsoul

originally posted by: spygeek
Some experiments have shown that on the quantum level, observation alone can influence behaviour,

This is a falsehood.

The method of observing changes the outcome. Quantum things are so small we cannot just observe them, we have to interact with them.

It's like having a pitch black room, with a glass on a table. Is the glass full or is the glass empty?

In order to determine this, we need to reach around and find the glass, and in doing so, we run risk of knocking the glass over.

So is it empty or full? We reach out, and knock it over.. the glass is empty...

by the act of "observing", we created the reality of the glass being empty...

I was referring to the "observer effect", wherein the act of measurement itself influences the behaviour of the system. (e.g. the quantum zeno effect where an unstable particle will not decay as long as it is under observation, you can effectively "freeze" the evolution of a system or decouple it completely from its environment by making rapid measurements).

You appear to be describing the uncertainty principle, wherein a there is a fundamental limit, (imposed by such as your hypothetical pitch black room) to the precision of measurement of physical properties, (such as position and fullness of your hypothetical cup) that can be known simultaneously. (i.e. you can't know precisely where the cup is until you knock it over, but if you knock it over you won't know precisely how full it was).

a reply to: spygeek

Yes, I was. Misunderstood your post I think. It's been mentioned elsewhere recently and I've seen a lot of support for that, which is a bit concerning as it implies consciousness changes the state of a reality at a quantum level.

I have not heard of this one though. I'll have to look into it, Quantum Zeno effect.

a reply to: liteonit6969

Reality is real, but each of us has a personal version of it, constructed from the impressions received by our senses. This construction probably doesn't have much to do with 'real' reality. See my thread, Are we incapable of seeing things as they really are? for an interesting discussion on the subject.

a reply to: liteonit6969

Reality is consonant with the true self, this is not the same as your physical self or your personal ego, not "what you think".
Most people do not realize they are seeking the true self, but they are. If you seek it in worldly ways, such as intellectual satisfaction, through dualistic argumentation on above top secret, you will ultimately realize disappointment. This is how you separate the true from the false and winnow the chaff to reveal the golden harvest.