The world arrives to us through our senses. The only way we have to perceive the reality is through senses. We are obliged to believe what senses show to us, we believe that we see is what it is. There is nothing further from the truth.
We see what our eyes let us see (but it is not all that it is possible to see, for example a dog has more visual acuity than us), we can listen but we can't listen all the sounds that exist (a bat has more auditory range than humans so bats can listen more things than us). The real reality can't be completely noticed through senses so we just perceive sensorial reality. Sensorial reality is incomplete and probably mistaken. We don't perceive real reality. This is for sure.
Let's watch an object. What colour is it? Is it green? What about a friend who is watching the same object? Green, also. Isn't it? How can we know that we are watching the same tone? How can we know that we are watching the same colour if your friend since he was a child he learn that this colour is green? Does that make sense?
Let me explain it,
Since your friend was a child he knows that this colour is called green (maybe he sees this colour like a bluish colour) but since he was a child, everybody tells him that this colour is called green so he has grown up calling this colour green (imagine: he sees colour blue like greenish colour, he will identify this colour as blue in spite of he see this colour green, because to him this colour is called blue although if you could use his eyes you will say: it is green!). How do you know that people see the same colour or tone as you are seeing right now?
There is another example. I think it is simpler. Snakes can't see through the glass (first of all they are mostly blind but they are able to receive infrared radiation). To snake the glass is not transparent. Does it mean that glass is not transparent? Obviously, no but for snake it is! (its sensorial reality) but in fact the glass is transparent although snake just can see opaque wall.
And now, there is a shorter example. A man with astigmatism, if that man takes off his glasses he will perceive a blurred reality. In fact, is reality blurred or unfocused? No, but this person perceive the reality in this way because his vision doesn't let him perceive reality clearly.
The philosopher called René Descartes considered the doubt about senses and dreams. In relation with senses, he indicated that senses created illusions and senses were wrong about reality and it was better don't trust them.
Unfortunately, senses are the only gate to the world, we don't have any other way so despite we know they trick us we have to take what they give to us because we don't have anything else.
There is an Indian story that is just right for this topic, it is called "The blinds and the elephant" the story is about three blinds that wanted to know how an elephant was so they touched the animal but they touched different parts of the elephant. One of them touched the ear, another one the trunk and the last one the leg. Then, all together went to the king and tried to explain what an elephant was. They started to argue because they defended their point of views and they didn't come to terms: - The elephant is soft and flat as dough (the blind who touched the ear said) - No. The elephant is flexible and long as a snake (the blind who touched the trunk said) - No, no. The elephant is strong and tough as a rock (the blind who touched the leg said). All have part of reason but they didn't reach the real reality. The complete reality. Their senses just let them reach part of the reality.
I also want to talk about "Allegory of the Cave" by Platon, it is about men who are living into a cave since they were children and they are tied so they just can see the wall that is in front of them. On this wall they can see shadows (to them this is the reality, the shadows on the wall). One of them can escape and he turn his head and see the exit and there he can see people walking (the shadows are a projection of these people). The reality changes for that prisoner. He knows that the reality of shadows is not the complete reality. When he tries to explain the renew reality to his friends they don't believe him and they laugh at him. They think he is mad because the prisoners trust their senses. For the prisoners the reality is the shadows on the wall. Until they perceive the real reality with their own eyes they will not believe anything else.
There are a lot of optic games that show us that our senses trick us (in that case sight) I put a pair as an example but you can find more on Google.
Do you still believe that you're perceiving the reality?
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