Psychology concepts and applications

Psychology

Subjective Reality

What is reality? This is a question that philosophers, students, and reflective people have been asking for years. Although some argue that reality is what is in front of us, it's not always that easy. For instance, the author of "The Quantum Brain" argues that knowledge is created when a person makes an observation. In other words, the author argues that it is the questions that scientists ask that seem to call phenomena into existence. Richard Dawkins, on the other hand, argues that the universe is queerer than we can assume, suggesting that individuals are composed of atoms that are constantly in motion and make curious use of space. For this reason, it seems difficult to realize that an object such as a rock is actually solid. However, Dawkins suggests that it is a facet of evolution that allows individuals to see a rock for what it really is, solid, because this is what best benefits humans. As humans continue to evolve, according to Dawkins, it is possible that their perceptions will continue to differ.

What Dawkins and the author of "The Quantum Brain" articulate are two different views of reality. In the first view, that espoused by the author of "The Quantum Brain," reality is defined by what a person observes it to be. When a person asks an important question, then engaging in some sort of research in order to find the answer to that question, the person creates reality. Thus, it is the question, the observation that causes something to exist. On the other hand, Dawkins suggests that reality is created through biological components, such as the number of atoms that compose an object. Because of this, Dawkins asserts that we are not the same person that we were a few days or even moments ago. Further, Dawkins argues that reality is the exact opposite of what the author of "The Quantum Brain" implies. According to Dawkins, observations do not equal reality. Instead, observations are generally the opposite of reality, and Dawkins suggests that it is probable that some higher intelligence exists. Perhaps it is this intelligence that allows humans' minds to misperceive reality in a way that is useful to them, such as seeing a rock as solid rather than containing mostly empty spaces.