Is What We See Really Real? (Thursday Writing Essential 05/03/12)

I was awakened this morning by the sound of a thud.  It repeated itself several times.  It sounded like it was coming from outside, so I dressed myself and stepped out to investigate.

I saw my neighbor Sid walking into the concrete wall that surrounded his property.  "Hey Sid!  did you lose the key to your gate?"

"No," he replied.  He backed up and ran into the wall then fell on his bun cushions.

From my point of view, what Sid was doing seemed rather strange and painful, to say the least.  "So why are you running into the wall?"

"It's just an illusion."

"It looks pretty real to me," I said.

"It's made of atoms which are mostly composed of space, so I should be able to walk through it."

"Well that's true, Sid.  Solid objects aren't really solid, but they do have electromagnetic forces that make them seem that way."

"So what we see is an illusion but we must treat the illusion as though it is real or we end up like me: covered with bruises."

"But your bruises could be an illusion also."

"Yes, but I think I'll stop running into this wall just the same."

Sid, by the way, is a deep sort of guy, and his strange antics often have a point to them.  "So, Sid, what is the point of this exercise?"

"The point is that the true nature of things may be of less value to us than the illusions it creates.  For example, look at my iPhone screen.  What do you see?"

"I see a purple circle against a white background--and a banner ad promoting car insurance."

"But if that picture is enlarged, you will see red, green and blue pixels.  Both perceptions appear to be real, but one is more useful than the other."

"I see your point, Sid, or maybe...your point is just an illusion; albeit, a very useful one."