Why reality is not what we see !!!

 The world we see around us is an incredible place. We rely on our vision to navigate through life, but have you ever stopped to consider whether what you see is real? Our brains are constantly interpreting the world around us, creating a picture of reality that is often far from what is actually there. In this blog post, we will explore why what we see is not real at all, but what our brains want us to see.

Argument 1: Perception and Illusion

Our brains are constantly interpreting the information that comes in through our eyes, creating a picture of reality that is often far from what is actually there. This is because our brains use a variety of cues and past experiences to create a coherent picture of reality, and can be easily fooled by optical illusions.

Example:

The Müller-Lyer illusion is a classic example of how our brains can be tricked by optical illusions. This illusion consists of two lines of equal length, but with arrows on the ends that make one line appear longer than the other. Despite knowing that the lines are the same length, our brains continue to perceive them as different lengths due to the arrows.

Argument 2: Sensory Deception

Sensory deception occurs when our senses provide us with misleading information, leading to a distorted perception of reality. This can happen when our visual system and vestibular system send conflicting signals to the brain, or when optical illusions create the impression of movement where there is none.

Example:

Motion sickness is an example of sensory deception. This occurs when our visual system and vestibular system send conflicting signals to the brain, such as when we are on a boat and see the horizon moving but feel no movement ourselves. This can cause us to feel nauseous and disoriented.

Argument 3: Cognitive Bias

Cognitive bias refers to the tendency for our brains to interpret information in a way that supports our existing beliefs and prejudices, leading to errors in judgment and decision-making. This can lead to confirmation bias, where we seek out information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs while ignoring evidence that contradicts them.

Example:

Confirmation bias can be seen in political discussions, where people tend to seek out news sources that align with their political beliefs and ignore those that do not. This can lead to a skewed perception of reality, where people only see one side of an issue.

Argument 4: Memory

Our memories are not perfect representations of reality, but rather are constructed from a combination of actual events and our own interpretations of those events. This can lead to errors in recall, where we remember things that did not actually happen or remember them differently from how they actually occurred.

Example:

Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable due to the fallibility of human memory. Witnesses may remember details differently or insert information that did not actually occur. This can lead to wrongful convictions in criminal cases.

Argument 5: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Advancements in technology have allowed us to create virtual and augmented realities that can be incredibly convincing. These environments can create the impression of being in a different place or interacting with objects that are not actually there. However, even in these virtual worlds, what we see is not necessarily real, but rather a product of the technology and our own perceptions.

Example:

Virtual reality is increasingly being used in training simulations, such as for pilots and military personnel. However, even in these simulations, what is seen is not necessarily real, and mistakes made in these simulations can have real-world consequences.

Argument 6: Contextual Influences

Our perception of reality is also influenced by the context in which we experience it. Our expectations, emotions, and past experiences can all influence how we interpret sensory information.

Example:

In a study, participants were given a glass of wine and were asked to rate its taste. When they were told that the wine was expensive, they rated it as tasting better than when they were told it was cheap, even though it was the same wine. This shows how our expectations can influence our perception of reality.

Argument 7: Attention and Focus

Our attention and focus also play a role in how we perceive the world around us. We may miss important details if we are not paying attention or if our focus is on something else. This can lead to a distorted perception of reality, where we miss important information that is right in front of us.

Example:

In the famous video of the basketball game, viewers are asked to count how many times the team in white passes the ball. During the video, a person in a gorilla suit walks through the scene, but many viewers miss it because they are focused on counting the passes. This shows how our attention and focus can limit our perception of reality.

Argument 8: Cultural Differences

Our perception of reality can also be influenced by the culture in which we live. Different cultures have different beliefs and values that can impact how they interpret sensory information.

Example:

In some cultures, eye contact is seen as a sign of respect and attentiveness, while in others it is seen as a sign of aggression or disrespect. This shows how cultural differences can influence our perception of reality.

Argument 9: Emotions

Our emotions can also impact our perception of reality. Emotions such as fear or anger can create a bias in how we interpret sensory information, leading us to perceive threats where there are none or to overreact to a situation.

Example:

In a study, participants were shown a series of faces that varied in their emotional expression. Participants who were asked to rate the faces as either happy or angry were more likely to interpret neutral faces as angry if they had just watched a video that elicited fear. This shows how emotions can impact our perception of reality.

Argument 10: Hallucinations

In some cases, our brains can create sensory experiences that are not based in reality at all. These hallucinations can be caused by a variety of factors, including drugs, mental illness, or sleep deprivation.

Example:

People who suffer from schizophrenia may experience auditory or visual hallucinations that are not based in reality. This shows how our brains can create experiences that are completely divorced from reality.

Argument 11: Memory

Our perception of reality can also be influenced by our memory. Our memories are not perfect and can be easily distorted, which can lead us to remember events that never actually happened or to remember events inaccurately.

Example:

In a famous study, participants were shown a video of a car accident and were then asked to estimate the speed of the cars involved. Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "smashed" into each other gave higher estimates than participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "hit" each other. This shows how the language used in a question can influence our memory and perception of reality.

Argument 12: Beliefs and Expectations

Our beliefs and expectations can also influence our perception of reality. We often interpret sensory information in a way that supports our existing beliefs and expectations, which can lead us to see what we want to see rather than what is actually there.

Example:

In a study, participants were shown a series of ambiguous images that could be interpreted as either a letter or a number. Participants who were told that the images were letters were more likely to see them as letters, while participants who were told that the images were numbers were more likely to see them as numbers. This shows how our beliefs and expectations can influence our perception of reality.

Argument 13: Social Influence

Our perception of reality can also be influenced by the people around us. We often look to others for cues about how to interpret sensory information, and their interpretations can influence our own.

Example:

In a study, participants were shown a video of a woman talking on the phone. Some participants were told that the woman was talking to a friend, while others were told that she was talking to a customer service representative. Participants who were told that the woman was talking to a customer service representative were more likely to perceive her as being less friendly and more frustrated than participants who were told that she was talking to a friend. This shows how social influence can impact our perception of reality.

Argument 14: Evolutionary Factors

Finally, our perception of reality can be influenced by evolutionary factors. Our brains have evolved to prioritize certain types of sensory information over others, which can impact how we interpret the world around us.

Example:

Humans are more sensitive to detecting movement than they are to detecting color or shape. This evolutionary bias can impact how we interpret sensory information and can lead us to prioritize certain types of information over others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our perception of reality is not a simple matter of taking in sensory information and interpreting it accurately. Our perception is influenced by a variety of factors, including our past experiences, attention, cultural differences, emotions, memory, beliefs and expectations, social influence, and evolutionary factors. By understanding these factors, we can better appreciate the complex nature of perception and the limitations of our own perception of reality.