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Do you trust your own senses?
To what extent do you trust them? Enough to cross the street after looking both ways, most likely.
What about the senses of others? Enough to be a passenger on a jet airliner, perhaps.
What about sober senses vs. senses under the influence of a drug? Does it depend on the drug? Some drugs give you the sense of being hungry when you need to eat, and can't eat sober. Some make you more awake and alert when you need to drive to work at five o'clock in the morning.
When do you doubt your senses, and why?
As to why this is in R&S, people often cite subjective experience to bolster their claims of divinity (myself included, though from a more pantheistic standpoint) and that subjective experience is based largely on sensory input and the way we process it. So it's quite relevant in R&S, and apologies if that wasn't clear enough on its own.
9 Answers
- MichaelLv 68 years agoFavorite Answer
I have no other choice since literally everything I know rests ultimately on some sort of sensory experience. Reflection is a powerful tool, but without input there would be nothing to think about. And I do understand why this is in this section.
- 8 years ago
Yes I generally trust my senses. It seems whenever I don't go with my first instinct I end up making a mistake and should have done what I initially thought. Intuition is there for I reason I believe. As for trusting your senses when you are drunk or high ... forget it, you are in a total different "reality". During those times, you most certainly should rely on the generally good advice from friends with a "clear" mind. I am hoping that this will help you out with your curiosity. Sincerely
Source(s): Source is whenever I do not trust my instincts I am more likely to be making a mistake. (In my humble opinion only.) - ?Lv 78 years ago
"When do you doubt your senses, and why?"
I've had little cause to doubt my senses before.
That isn't to say never, however. When, as you mentioned, under the influences of certain psychotropic substances, I must adjust my cognitive pattern recognition filters.
Also, when deprived of sleep for several days, I exercise caution when discerning which things I see and hear are justified in being considered real and accurately perceived.
- ?Lv 78 years ago
>>Why is this in Religion and Spirituality section?
It's of spiritual significance.
>>Do you trust your own senses?
No. Hallucinations can occur any time and can consist of images, sounds, smells or emotions. Our brain filters all kinds of things and this can be demonstrated with simple tricks. For example, if the word 'red' is written in blue, it confuses the mind.
Your senses are tools and you need to learn how to use them in the same a samurai knows how to use his katana. Only then can you trust them.
- Kazoo MLv 78 years ago
I rely on the Lord for everything, without the Lord I have no purpose - I pray the "Suscipe" each night to ask for His complete control over me.
Why on earth would anyone want to make decisions on their own when we are full of error and failure - when we ask the Lord to take over the wheel we always get a perfect answer to everything!
God bless'
- Anonymous8 years ago
Yes
- ?Lv 68 years ago
I trust them to a degree.
For example, when someone asks a stupid question on this site I often double check to make sure my eyes arent lying.
- Anonymous8 years ago
Not totally. You have to be able to measure what you see if you want to be sure you are seeing it right.
Jet pilots certainly use instruments to check what they see. If you think that's a good example, it is....but for what I said.
