Author Topic: The Individual Reality Tunnel  (Read 800 times)

figgs

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The Individual Reality Tunnel
« on: May 06, 2008, 09:37:49 AM »
From: http://www.dedroidify.com/realitytunnel

Reality tunnel (aka belief system, world view, world model, reference frame, intentionality etc) is a term coined by Timothy Leary and popularised by Robert Anton Wilson. It refers to the concept that with a subconscious set of filters formed from their beliefs and experiences, everyone interprets this same world differently, hence "Truth is in the eye of the beholder". This is not necessarily meant to imply that there is no objective truth; just that our access to it is mediated through our senses, experience, conditioning, prior beliefs, and other non-objective factors. The individual world each person occupies is said to be their reality tunnel. The term can also apply to groups of people united by beliefs: we can speak of the fundamentalist Christian reality tunnel, the scientific materialist reality tunnel, the libertarian reality tunnel, etc

The concept of reality tunnels fits in nicely with the scientific concept of confirmation bias by which we tend to notice and assign significance to observations that confirm our prior beliefs, while filtering out or rationalizing away observations that do not fit with what we believe. This helps to explain why reality tunnels are usually transparent to their inhabitants. While it seems most people take their beliefs to correspond to the "one true objective reality," Robert Anton Wilson emphasizes that each person's reality tunnel is their own artistic creation, whether they realize it or not.

Through various techniques one can break down old reality tunnels and impose new reality tunnels by removing old filters and replacing them with new ones, new perspectives on reality - at will. This is achieved through various processess of deprogramming using meditation, controlled use of hallucinogens, neuro-linguistic programming, cybernetics, hypnosis, bio-feedback devices, and forcibly acting out other Reality Tunnels. Thus, it is believed one's Reality Tunnel can be widened to take full advantage of human potential and experience reality on more positive levels! Robert Anton Wilson's Prometheus Rising is (among other things) a guidebook to the exploration of various reality tunnels, breaking through the current one and opening our minds to a whole new world.

The most ideal Reality Tunnel would be the most open one. 'Believe Nothing; Explore Everything 'is the main philosophy, so instead of travelling between Reality Tunnels you create one that encompasses everything. Beliefs are considered dogma, they filter out much of reality. Catmas are relative metabeliefs, or flexible temporary opinions of which many, even contradictory, can be held in one's consciousness. This way we have a larger map of reality and thus a wider perspective. We could achieve a lot more progress if we could evolve beyond belief systems, which are defended emotionally, not rationally. Wether religious, ideological and political, as this study of political bias shows. When you are able to open your mind to many differing and conflicting views, there will be much less or no confirmation bias on your part as you are able to make many new connections. Consider ideas, ideologies, viewpoints, etc as toys like I do. You know you can't play with one toy all the time or it gets boring, so you switch toys often. Believe nothing, it is the highest form of intelligence! (and absolutely necessary in conspiracy research or conscious evolution.)

Broaden Your Reality Tunnel

~

figgs

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Re: The Individual Reality Tunnel
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2008, 09:39:22 AM »
Why does the happy person live in a happy world?
Why does the sad person live in a sad world?
What's your world of choice?

How we experience reality is like how we look at an ink blot.
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Van_Bilderass

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Re: The Individual Reality Tunnel
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2008, 01:00:14 PM »
I didn't read that but Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson is a great book.

candidizzle

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Re: The Individual Reality Tunnel
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2008, 01:16:52 PM »
the more i learn, the more i realize how little i actually know

figgs

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Re: The Individual Reality Tunnel
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2008, 01:55:41 PM »
I didn't read that but Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson is a great book.

Then you should have a pretty good idea about reality tunnels and many other things no less interesting.

the more i learn, the more i realize how little i actually know

"All I know is that I know nothing."
-Socrates  ;)
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