Unreal Reality

According to popular definition, reality is the state or quality of having existence or substance. It also refers to events that have actually happened and those which are being perceived as happening at the moment. Therefore, reality is a state which can be perceived by the five fundamental senses, namely, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. It is a mental construction of the inputs provided by our senses. Anything, which cannot be perceived, is usually called imaginary or unreal.

However, reality is not as simple as it seems. The more we explore, the more baffled we are at its complexity and true nature. As humans, we have all experienced the state of dreaming. Dreams are nothing but a series of events, images, ideas, emotions and sensations that flash across our mind when we are asleep. They occur involuntarily and are usually reflections of our memories and/or aspirations. However, to the observer in a state of sleep, these dreams appear as real and believable as they would to an observer who, in his state of awakened awareness, would experience the events had they actually taken place. The visual projection created by our mind may be pleasant or unpleasant but the fact is that the observer interprets the mental projection as "real" during the period of the dream. The observer experiences interaction with animate and inanimate entities during this time-frame. He may experience speaking with someone, holding hands, having food or driving his car. In his state of sleep, the observer cannot distinguish between that which is real and that which is not.

Sometimes, the emotions and sensations experienced in a dream have repercussions in the physical world as well. For example: if the observer, in his dreams, visualizes that he is falling from a roof-top or down a flight of stairs, he may experience a feeling of fright or a sense of loss of gravity. When the sensation peaks, the subject wakes up but he may find himself sweating profusely out of fright. He may also experience temporary nervousness and elevated pulse rates in this state. The question that remains is: If the dream was unreal, why did the observer experience nervousness and elevated pulse rates in his awakened state of reality? A scientific explanation would suggest that the dream influenced his mind or, rather, the brain; and the brain triggered hormonal reactions in his physical body resulting in the knee-jerk reaction. Thus, what we perceive as reality, is essentially what our brain or mind wants us to believe. If this hypothesis is true, then is it not possible that what we perceive as reality in this universe, is actually part of an elaborate dream; a dream, which our mind wants us to believe? Is it not possible that whatever we think exists, actually does not? Is it not possible that our lives are also part of an on-going dream? Is it not possible that one day, we might wake up from this elaborate dream and discover our true nature?

Ancient wisdom and spiritual thought suggests the concept of Maya or illusion to explore this possibility. The Upanishads describe the universe, and the human experience, as an interplay of Purusha (the eternal, unchanging principles, consciousness) and Prakrti (the temporary, changing material world, nature). The former manifests itself as Atman (Soul, Self), and the latter as Maya. Maya is the divine ability to create dimensional reality out of nothing. It is referred to as a wondrous and mysterious power which can turn an idea into a physical reality. When we say illusion, it does not mean that the world is not real and simply a figment of the human imagination. Maya means that the world is not as it seems; the world that one experiences is misleading as far as its true nature is concerned. The world is both real and unreal because it exists but is not what it appears to be. It is something that is constantly being made. Maya not only deceives people about the things they think they know; more basically, it limits their knowledge.

The Nature of Matter

What is matter? According to popular definition, anything that occupies space and has mass is known as matter. It is distinct from energy (physics), mind and spirit.

For example, a stone is made of matter; so is wood, metal, plastic, rubber, water, air, etc. Even the human body, all forms of animal and plant life, the sun, the moon and the stars above us are all made of some form of matter. The chemical composition of these various forms of matter may be different, leading to difference in appearance, texture, colour, behaviour, etc, but essentially, they are all physical entities which occupy space and have mass. One can touch matter and feel it's presence.

Having understood the basic nature of matter, it is time to dig a bit deeper and understand it's chemical composition, properties and behaviour. Matter is composed of metals and non-metals, also known as elements. Metals like copper, gold, silver and iron are lustrous, malleable and conduct electricity whereas non-metals such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, boron and chlorine are non-lustrous, non-malleable and do not conduct electricity. Matter can also be segregated into organic (carbon-based) and inorganic (non-carbon based) forms. Living organisms such as humans, animals and plants are primarily made of organic matter whereas inanimate objects are primarily made of inorganic matter.

If we split any element, we get sub-particles such as molecules, and further down, atoms. It is the atom or molecule (collection of atoms) which imparts specific properties to an element (matter) and which defines its nature and appearance. Thus, an atom of oxygen is different from an atom of gold or an atom of carbon. As science has progressed, humanity has been able to look beyond molecules and atoms. Today, we are aware that atoms are made of electrons (negatively charged particles), protons (positively charged particles) and neutrons (neutral particles with mass). Every atom has an equal number of electrons and protons, with the positively charged protons counter-balancing the negatively charged electrons. The hydrogen atom has 1 electron, the carbon atom has 6 electrons and an atom of gold has 79 electrons. They are all different in properties, appearance and behaviour and the difference is attributed to the varying number of electrons (or protons) in each type of atom. However, if we analyse the behaviour of each electron, we find no difference. An electron taken from an atom of carbon is indistinguishable from an electron taken from an atom of gold or iron. In fact, an electron taken from any form of matter (living or non-living) on Earth would be identical to an electron taken from any other form of matter anywhere in the universe. If the fundamental sub-atomic particles of matter are identical, what is it that differentiates living organisms from non-living entities? If an electron taken from a human body is identical to an electron taken from a stone or pebble, what is it that makes us, humans, intelligent, aware and conscious of our surroundings? What gives us the power of speech, thought, vision and locomotion? What drives our the growth in our bodies that the stone or pebble is not capable of? What is it that makes us "living"?

Let us take another example. A horse is a living organism which is capable of running at high speeds. A car, on the other hand, is a man-made mechanical device which is capable of high-speed locomotion. Smart Cars developed in the 21st century are capable of autonomous locomotion as well. Does that mean that a car and a horse are similar in nature? Can we treat the car as a living entity although the underlying sub-atomic electrons are identical in both? Popular belief and perception would say no. According to ancient wisdom and spiritual thought, there exists a life-force, a creative energy, an intelligence and consciousness which pervades every atom in the universe. It is this spark of creative energy or life force manifesting itself as intelligence, awareness and growth, which creates the distinction between living and non-living entities. Then again, if the universal consciousness and creative energy pervades every atom in the universe, it must be present in the atoms of non-living entities as well. Does this mean that the human perception of living and non-living is not well-defined? Does this mean that what may appear to be non-living in plain sight, may actually turn out to be an intelligent and "living" entity? We must remember that trees and plants were not considered to be living organisms until a renowned Indian scientist, Jagadish Chandra Bose, proved the contrary. It may, therefore, be possible that all forms of matter in this universe have an inherent creative force and consciousness embedded in them. In some entities it is manifested as "life" while, in others, it is dormant. How we communicate with that consciousness is a matter of debate and introspection.

Plan

Everyone of us plans. Don't we ? We either plan to achieve something or we plan to be someone. But rather often, than not, our plans go haywire. But still we plan......we plan because we have to.....we plan because someone wants us to plan.....we plan because the supreme being has plans for each and everyone of us. Our plans keep us going...our plans keep us motivated, but finally, we always end up with what God has planned for us. We can, therefore, make only one plan......Plan To Be Surprised.