slowmutant wrote:
What is the relationship between reality and perception? Do I perceive a thing because it is real, or is a thing real because I have perceived it?
Specifically in relation to supernatural beliefs and spiritual realms.
as far as we know perception is not reality. perception is merely your interpretation, for example a solid brick wall isn't actually solid, its mostly empty space and electrons. the energy fields in our physical bodies cannot pass through the energy fields in the wall and light can not pass through it either which causes us to perceive the wall as a solid object.
On the other hand there is no physical evidence for the existence of our Consciousness which imo points to a strong possibility that our minds are a purely electromagnetic construct anchored to our physical bodies via the energy in our brains (sorta like a 2 way cable id imagine). I suppose that this possibility could potentially lead to a number of strange possibilities concerning reality and perception but who knows? *shrugs*