Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ( 1807 - 1882 )

"THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM" :

Human perception is the process and experience of gaining sensory information about objects and events of the physical world and the universe in which man exists. The process of human perception translates sensory stimulation into organized experience. That mental impression or percept is the joint product of the stimulation and the process which involves the intuitive and rational parts of the brain. The branches of Physics concerned with electromagnetic energy, optics, and mechanics describe the apparent physical world and the universe. When physical energy such as light interacts with the perceiving individual, percepts are formed. The degree of correspondence between percepts and the physical objects or events to which they relate also depends upon certain other external factors beyond human control. There could be a difference between Real World and the 'Perceived World'. Sometimes, man perceives physical objects or events that may not exist and yet other times man fails to perceive physical objects or events that may actually exist. These perceptual problems are not attributable to the sense organs and are not due to inadequate sensory endowment. Apart from the basic Four Fundamental Forces that operate this physical world, there is another Fundamental Force that alters or transforms human perception. The Force of Gravitation gives the man the ability to experience his body weight, and like all other objects in the environment, man exists on the face of Earth according to the Laws of Motion and the influence of Gravitation. Man has the ability to perceive his own movement, and also the movement of other objects in his physical environment. Man only recognizes relative motion of objects in his visual field. But, man has no sensory perception of the reality of the movement of his Earthly Home in space.

THE PERCEPTION OF REALITY :

Indian thinkers have always asserted that 'Truth', and 'Reality' have the qualities of consistency and constancy and hence are not subject to sensory perceptions which tend to vary because of external influences. Illusions are defined as special perceptual experiences in which information arising from 'real' external stimuli leads to an incorrect perception or false impression. An illusion is not a simple error in perception. Illusions have features whose nature it is to evoke an incorrect perception. Some of these false impressions arise from factors beyond an individual's control. Indian traditions encourage individuals to avoid the products or results of an illusionary experience. Any impression that contradicts the facts of 'reality', or fails to report the 'true' character of an object or an event should be discarded. The apparent daily motion of the Sun and stars across the sky is an illusion that we experience all through our existence. This illusion is not caused by any of the Four Fundamental Forces that operate in the universe.

"MAYA" IS A FUNDAMENTAL FORCE :

The most important motion of the Earth is its rotation and spinning on its own axis. This is the motion that gives us the experience of alternating days and nights while in reality, the Sun shines brightly at all the times. As the Earth is constantly spinning at a speed of about 1,000 miles per hour; and the spin is beyond man's control; the instant known as 'present' is only a part of continuum while 'future' gets transformed into 'past'. Indian tradition claims that 'reality' could not be an experience of 'past', present', or 'future'. 'Reality' has to exist in a state that is unchanging and eternal. As long as Earth is spinning, it would cause both environmental changes as well as physical changes in our human bodies such as aging. Since we do not have the ability to stop this Force/Power/Energy that is causing the rotational spin, we are encouraged to dissociate our sense of 'IDENTITY' with our physical body which is subject to perceive illusionary changes in the environment and is also subject to physical changes such as old age and death. Man is literally trapped to exist upon Earth and live in accordance with the changes it brings while it is spinning. These are the trappings of the Fundamental Force which I would like to describe as "MAYA" which provides man with an illusionary sensory experience of Sunrise and Sunset while in "REALITY" the Sun is shining brightly.