Beliefs and Your Reality
How you compose your reality.
This is in response to some questions on the above topic on “Threads,” the Instagram version of “X,” and I couldn’t respond adequately within the limited real estate it provides. Here is one of those questions:
“ So nothing is real? Because even gravity is a belief. I can't prove its real”
I suspected this conversation might get a bit hairy. But let's stick to what cognitive science tells us, which is quite different from what ancient religious texts have been suggesting. Cognitive science says there is no “reality” or consciousness out there offered to us on a silver platter. Instead, we break down the information from our limited senses and our expectations to create a reality that is convenient and works for us. If it’s not convenient, we reject it. Imagine you're watching a movie with a friend. You're both sitting right next to each other, but when the movie ends, you realize that you each noticed different things. Your friend caught details you missed, and you focused on parts your friend didn't even see. This happens because our brains don't just passively take in information from the world; they actively build our perception of reality.
In this essay, I will highlight how we create our own personal reality based on our beliefs, drawing from ideas in cognitive science and the works of some really insightful thinkers.
The Nature of Reality
Reality is not handed to us on a plate to engage with it as if it is absolute. This is what ancient text have debated and most modern humans regretfully have not moved on from that view. (Get my book “Your Mind at Siege”)
Modern cognitive science has shown us that there isn't a single, objective reality that everyone experiences the same way. Instead, our reality is shaped by our senses, our brain's interpretations, and our beliefs. We take in loads of information through our limited senses and filter it through our expectations and beliefs to create a version of reality that works for us.