What if everything you experience, such as the colours you see, the ground beneath your feet, even your sense of self isn’t as real as it seems? Science and ancient wisdom both suggest that what we call "reality" is actually a carefully constructed illusion, shaped by our senses, our brains, and our thoughts. Understanding this can transform how we live our daily lives, helping us reduce suffering and create more happiness.
Consider something as simple as colour. When you look at grass, you see green, but is that its true colour? Not exactly. Colour doesn’t exist on its own, it’s just how our brains interpret different wavelengths of light. Human eyes have three types of colour receptors (red, green, and blue) allowing us to see a vibrant spectrum, but dogs only have two, so grass appears beige or yellowish to them. A mantis shrimp, with between twelve to sixteen colour receptors, sees tones we can’t even imagine. So what colour is grass really? The answer is that it has no absolute colour, it’s just energy until a brain interprets it. This means the world you see is unique to you, shaped by your biology.
This idea isn’t new. Over 2,600 years ago, the Buddha taught that our perception of reality is a kind of illusion, which he called maya. He explained that what we experience isn’t the ultimate truth but a filtered, interpreted version of it. Just as science tells us that sound is just vibrations until our ears and brain turn it into noise, Buddhism teaches that all sensory experiences are fleeting and dependent on conditions. Ask yourself this, "Is the sound in the drum, in the stick, or in the ear?" The answer is none, sound arises from the coming together of causes, just like everything else in our world.
The same illusion applies to touch. When you press your hand against a table, it feels solid, but science shows that both your hand and the table are made of atoms, which are mostly empty space. The sensation of solidity comes from electromagnetic forces between electrons, you’re not really "touching" anything in the way you think. Buddhism takes this further with the concept of shunyata, or emptiness, which means nothing exists independently. A table isn’t inherently a "table"—it’s just a label we give to a collection of parts like wood, nails, and human intention. Without these conditions, the table wouldn’t exist as we know it.
If our senses can’t be fully trusted, what does that say about reality itself? It means that what we experience isn’t an objective truth, but a kind of simulation created by our brains. And if that’s true, then our thoughts and beliefs play a huge role in shaping that reality. Buddhism teaches that "the mind is the forerunner of all things," meaning that how we think directly influences how we experience life. If you constantly tell yourself, "I’m unlucky," your brain will look for evidence to confirm that belief, making it feel true. But if you shift your thoughts to "I’m capable," your mind starts noticing opportunities instead of obstacles.
This isn’t just philosophy, it’s practical wisdom for daily life. Imagine two people stuck in traffic. One gets angry, thinking, "This always happens to me! My day is ruined!" Their brain responds with stress hormones, making them tense and miserable. The other takes a deep breath and thinks, "This is a chance to listen to music or reflect." Their brain stays calm, and they feel at ease. Same situation, different realities. This is why practices like gratitude journaling work, as they train the brain to focus on the good, which then makes positivity feel more natural over time.
Even our sense of self is part of this illusion. Neuroscience shows there’s no single "self" in the brain, just a constantly changing flow of thoughts, memories, and sensations. Buddhism agrees, teaching that the idea of a fixed, separate "I" is an illusion (anatta). When we cling to this false sense of self, we suffer. We take things personally, fear change, and resist impermanence. But when we realize we’re more like a flowing river than a solid thing, we can let go of attachments and live with more freedom.
So how do we use this knowledge? First, by recognizing that thoughts are not facts. Just because you think "I’m a failure" doesn’t make it true. Second, by understanding that reality is co-created, your mind shapes your experience, so choose empowering thoughts. Third, by letting go of rigid identities. If you stop insisting "This is who I am," you open yourself to growth and change. And finally, by practicing meditation. This isn’t about escaping reality but seeing it clearly, observing thoughts without getting lost in them, like watching clouds pass in the sky.
The Buddha taught that suffering comes from misunderstanding reality and clinging to illusions as if they were solid and permanent. But when we see through the dream, we gain freedom. We stop fighting against mental projections and start living with wisdom. Science and Buddhism, though born from different times and cultures, point to the same truth: reality is not fixed, and our minds play a powerful role in shaping it. The question is, what kind of reality do you want to create? As the Buddha said, "With our thoughts, we make the world." And when we see clearly, we can shape it with intention, compassion, and peace.
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Excellent explanation of our perceptions and how we each view the world. So easy to understand that I can share it with my husband and daughter. Such a wonderful way of life. I look forward to awakening more and more and articles like this one help in that process. Thank you very much.
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