“What we observe is not nature in itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning.”
Werner Heisenberg
“Instead of reality being passively recorded by the brain, it is actively constructed by it.”
David Eagleman
Scientists have established that about 68% of the Universe consists of dark energy, 27% of dark matter, and only 5% of ordinary matter, which we can see or measure directly with our instruments. The nature of the “dark” part of the Universe remains an enigma, sparking a myriad of intriguing hypotheses.
Of the 5% of ordinary matter available to us, only a tiny fraction is visible to the human eye – the section of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between 400 and 780 nm (a nm is one billionth of a meter).
But even this teeny-tiny glimpse of the Universe that our eyesight allows is beyond the grasp of our conscious mind in its entirety, not even close. The human brain can only process a small fraction of this already highly truncated version of it, a mere 5-10%. The remaining 90-95% of the visual spectrum input is filtered out and processed unconsciously, if at all.
How does our brain select the 5-10% that make it through? This is the fascinating part. Our brain categorizes what we actively perceive based on our past experiences and beliefs. For instance, if you’ve always believed that ghosts aren’t real, your brain might dismiss a shadowy figure in a dark room as a trick of the light. Yes, you read that right. If you encounter something that contradicts your established truths, it’s likely to be relegated to the 90-95% “junk box” of things deemed unimportant or not even real (to you).
And if all this isn’t confusing enough, consider the very real possibility of hidden spatial dimensions (beyond 3D length, width, and height + time) – ten or eleven, according to String Theory. These dimensions are like extra layers of reality that we can’t perceive directly, but they could be influencing the way “our” 3D universe behaves.
Let’s also not forget the intriguing concept, possibly supported by quantum physics, that the human mind actively participates in the construction of what we perceive as “reality.” This idea, if true, would give us a profound power over our understanding of the world.
With all of this in mind, you can see why we should always take classifications like “unreal” and “impossible” with a grain of salt, even when they seem to be supported by solid science. The possibilities are endless.
So what is real? Anything your imagination can conjure up that you can believe in. Let’s dive in, and don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
Kostadin Georgieff
Kostadin Georgieff 