But a sliver ...

A terrific video describing how our brains connect to existence is both fascinating and frustrating at the same time as we see but a sliver of reality thanks, in part, to the uncertainty principle and the incompleteness theorems articulated by Heisenberg and Godel back in the day. Actual reality will forever remain separate from our interpretation but the act of measurement, driven by existence, gives all life a consistent but incomplete view of reality as described by quantum mechanics, the science of the very tiny. Read Big Think's piece in it's entirety as it's worthwhile to the max. :)

Our perception of reality is not an exact representation of the objective truth but rather a combination of sensory inputs and the brain’s interpretation of these signals. This interpretation is influenced by past experiences and is often predictive, with the brain creating categories of similar instances to anticipate future events.

The brain’s categorization process extends beyond physical characteristics to include abstract, functional features. This ability allows humans to create “social reality,” where we collectively assign functions or meanings to objects or concepts that don’t inherently possess them, such as the value of money or the concept of borders and citizenship.

The brain’s capacity for imagination, drawing from past experiences to create something entirely new, is a double-edged sword. While it allows for creativity and innovation, it can also lead to difficulties in staying present.

Love the last sentence as this explains the essence of enlightenment ...the art of not assuming.

Abstract image of quantum probability. (Image credit: agsandrew via Shutterstock)