Reese: We live in our heads...

There is only one physical world, but unfortunately, we all live in different worlds created by our minds.

The physical world, which is separate from us, can be contacted only through our senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste – but all of these are limited. There are parts of the spectrum we can't see, sounds we can't hear. We are lucky that our olfactory nerves are limited, because I suspect that the world our dogs smell is a pretty stinky place.

Furthermore, the part of the Earth we actually occupy is for most of us quite limited. We fill in the blanks with ideas and concepts and images that may or may not conform to reality. Even though we can learn from reading and hearing, the most vivid learning always comes from experience. People who have had direct contact with racism or anti-Semitism are not likely to be convinced by arguments. Reading about, say, China is no substitute for actually being there.

Thus, the world we inhabit is shaped by our experiences. I was born in the Deep South. I would see the world differently if I had been born in New England. I've often wished we could have many lives, because I would like to experience what it's like to be a New Englander, a Midwesterner, a Westerner, a farmer, a scientist and dozens of other interesting lives. Unfortunately, in this cosmic card game we are dealt only one hand. More...

See also: Reese: Obama is Wright for the White House...
And this: Vilayanur Ramachandran: a journey to the centre of your mind...