SUBJECT II. REVIEW OF HOW WE KNOW WE SEE THINGS

In order to proceed with our exploration of the nature and function of the Imago, Astral, or Empyreal worlds, I must digress and review some critical knowledge I provided last year as to the several ways each of us realizes the physical and empyreal worlds. If we do not create a solid foundation, we shall be lead astray and be lost in fantasy. I ask for patience, please.

REALITIES v. ACTUALITY

Type I Reality:

Dear Friends, for the next few posts, I shall address the difference between what is called reality and that which is Actual. By Actual, I am referring to the essential, underlying structure of this universe–as it is, in and of itself. Such structure encompassing the totality of existence–both physical and aphysical.

Reality is not the same as Actuality. Actuality is the Absolute Primary, while, reality is no more than a useful secondary phenomenon generated by an animate, human mind-brain. Moreover, your personal reality is present when you are actively dreaming and during normal wakefulness.

During wakefulness, sensory data constantly impinges the surface of our bodies, such surfaces being the interface between what is within and what is without. The eyes, the ears, the tongue, the nose, and the skin are all interface organs.

From this richness of sensory information, the central nervous system filters out all data which is not immediately relevant to the matter at hand; interacts with our several memory systems, and generates a virtual image which is back-projected onto the appropriate physical objects providing the sensory data. Subsequently, during wakefulness, the sum total of each physical image generated from sensory data is merged so to form a local virtual world image filled with animate and inanimate objects. There is no ‘theater of mind.’

These mind-brain virtual worlds generated from similar physical surroundings by individuals are amazingly consistent with each other on self-report (barring hallucinations). Moreover, each responds similarly to specific optical and auditory illusions. The reliability and predictability of science is the strongest evidence for validating the overlay of a realized physical world upon a primary existing physicality.

Type I Reality is defined by the general mental overlay of the virtual physical with the actual physical during wakefulness. As we shall see tomorrow, it is not exactly accurate to say that our acting-receiving egos are present in the physical, as our bodies are; rather, our egos exist solely in the virtual physical.

Type II Reality

Today, we continue our discussion of the several types of mental realities (or realizations) found in human beings. Yesterday, we dealt with pseudo-physical or type I reality. i.e., the virtual ‘physical’ world experienced by each of us. This virtual world is created by the central nervous system via sensory data processing so to generate a virtual copy of the external physical which is accurately overlaid onto the proper physical object. Such outward projection being a suitable explanation to explain the competence of our motor skills.

Moreover, similar phylogenetic, pseudo-physical worlds are reconstructed by members of each species; though, they differ between species in one way or another.

Type II or personal realities differ significantly from type I realities. Personal realities are formulated individually from information gained primarily from socialization during the process of postnatal ontogeny or development. The building blocks supporting personal reality are: our likes and dislikes, what is and is not pleasant, our mores, our religious beliefs, our traumatic experiences, our hopes and aspirations, our temperaments, our characters, our habits, our personal myths, and almost anything nonphysical you can imagine. Personal reality is the home of our psychological ego state complexes.

The pseudo-physical reality is quite straightforward and exists for survival of the physical individual and his or her eventual procreation. Personal reality is exceeding complex and variable between persons and is the source of group identity, prejudice, violence and the demonic and the angelic.

Clearly, each one of us is not responsible for type I reality–it is provided by natural evolution. However, each is responsible (as well argued by the existentialist philosophers) for the actions arising from his or her physical vehicle in response to the motivators and drivers residing within type II reality. Such personal responsibility being absolute for each of us, regardless of any prior events (presuming normal brain function remains).

Tomorrow, we will discuss type II dream reality in relation to waking type II reality.