We know something is real when we can explain it (ie all the evidence fits, and show details of its interaction with reality.

When you sleep, and are dreaming, it is a form of hallucination.


The brain is designed to form imagery that can replicate reality. However its not up to the task of compiling all of the data that would be streaming into your consciousness if you where REALLY seeing that thing, that image whatever it might be.

This means that you CAN tell, IF you check it out.

There are different forms of hallucination.

There are weak hallucinations where only a single sense is involved. You hear something, but didn't see it, you see something but didn't hear, or feel it ect. (These are relatively easy to discover)

Strong hallucinations are when you have multi sense confirmation of something that is not there. These are exceedingly rare in a functional mind.

Even strong hallucinations are not perfect the processing power of the mind in regards to replicating reality is still limited.

If you take the time within the dream state, or inside the strong hallucinatory experience you may find that shadows may not be there until you think about it, then you see a shadow, but look up to find the light source is incorrect until you think about what would be correct. You can continue to check into things, map them against how it would really look to see ________ image.

This is true of ALL hallucinations, and its becuase of a limitation of the human mind, the trouble is that most people do not check into things, they do not train there minds to explore these details.

Most people fall for confirmation bias, its what you expect to see there for you believe what you see.

The brain tends to show you what you expect to see when it has a deficiency, half of its job even in normal operations is to fill in the gaps of perception.

Well twice now I have seen on television that DNA has been gathered from sightings of "big foot" and that it showed a sequence that was in between a primate and a human. It was on the discovery channel "hunt for monsters" show, so you tell me. Maybe it was just a baldfaced lie and one DNA sample is not enough to constitute proof of Big foot, I don't know.

But there are many credible witnesses throughout our history from people who have come into contact and seen big foot and other monsters. I think he exists but that he steps into our reality from another dimension and back again. (Read a book called "The Hunt for the skin walker." about other "monsters" that were seen on a ranch in the four corners.)

I have heard first hand accounts from people who have seen strange "monsters" in some remote cabin that seemed to be reptilian with three toes, and which left tracks.

I would not be so sure that "monsters don't exist."

Also people can perceive creatures of the mind and of other dimensions who are not quite balanced in frequency to this reality. Some might just call this insanity or hallucinations or creations of the mind, but I believe that everything is a creation of the mind, even the things we call "real."

But understand that I believe that reality is a reflection of light, sound and frequency that emanates from the universal mind and other thinking centers. It is either all "real" or all "illusion." Take your pick.

But as Sky say, it is what we agree on that becomes what we call "real." What is real to me may not be real to someone else.

Bushidobillyclub designates that which is "real" by how many people agree on it and their solid testable evidence.

So what is real is dependant on 1. Its duration 2. Observation 3. Agreement.

Reality, is unique to each and every person...your reality, is not mine.

What is seen, heard, felt, is as real as you allow it to be.

This concrete evidential guff, is so much blah blah blah...

I am going to offer another example... appropriate for this weekend...the whole god thing....show me the concrete evidence of his existence...and yet for many the whole mythology, (in my reality), is real.

There are many inexplicable things in this world, and other worlds, fields, dimensions, what ever label you want to give... I feel sometimes one's antennae is more finely tuned, and the veil between, is sometimes thinner.

Monsters can be real, positive and negative energy can be real, to the individual, and nothing any concrete evidentialist says, can disprove that reality.

Speaking of concrete . . .Is concrete real?

If you jump off a large building and go splat was that just as real for you as if would be for me who watched?

I think this metaphysical stuff is a bunch of blah blah blah myself.

Do you even know what the meaning of "metaphysical" is?

Perhaps some of us have better eyes then others.
Maybe some of us don't care to believe in some things because there is already a full plate of things to believe in, and some can not believe in such things as monsters because it would contradict what they already believe in.
We know air is real, but we can't see it, unless one would search intently for it and once they find it, simply name it air.
We know Dinosaurs we're real because of fossilized bones, but how real are dinosaurs to humanity?
Is a bird or crocodile a dinosaur, or is a fifty foot reptile walking on two feet, stomping through Tokyo a dinosaur?
Is God a giant man figure sitting on clouds, or is God the very essence of life and love?
Perhaps an idea of hope to keep some from acting outside a productive way of living
Is the Government a source of protection and freedom, never flawed and always right?
Or just a large group of people making plans for the rest of us as they see fit?
Maybe if you get enough people believing in something long enough anything becomes real.
UFO's
Monsters
Gods
Government and ways to live
Who's to say what is real and what is not

Perhaps non of this crap really matters, just what makes you content with your own life, because at the end of the day we all know that we're going to die.
Love or hate
peace or war
poor or rich
Happy or sad
saved or dammed
Good or bad
or right in between everything
How crazy or sane do you want to be?

So true RawB

Probably none of it matters.

Interesting. Your description of how reality is determined aligns perfectly with mine. The key is that there must always be at least two people involved – the explainer and the explainee.

And they both have to agree on the details of the evidence and the details.

If they don’t agree – it ain’t real!

So true Skyhook. I agree. So I guess its real.

69% of people believe that UFO'S are alien space craft.

I guess that concludes that they are real.

A lot of people believe in God and Jesus.

I guess that makes them real too?

Does this mean that everything is just a mass illusion and the only thing that makes something real is agreement? Probably.

monsters not real?

tell Jessica Lunsford

Here, there be monsters.

If by "blah blah blah" you mean "not accepted by the scientific community", then you are absolutely right.

But mostly, metaphysicists don't really care whether or not the scientific community accepts their viewpoint. Just as the scientific community doesn't care whether or not the metaphysicists accept their viewpoint.

And really, the bottom line is the same for both sides: Does it work? Does the data or the process assist one in achieving one's goals/purposes?

The difference is in the goals and purposes of the two sides. One side is interested in understanding and using the physical phenomenon. The other side is interested in understanding and using the metaphysical phenomenon.

Unless you believe that there is no such thing as metaphysical phenomenon. In which case...well...you have your beliefs just as others have theirs.

Score: Tied going into round 1,000,000.

Yes I do. I was responding to this.

So your remark was more of a reaction than an argument.