When discussing how it is not yet possible to discover particles even smaller than the smallest known particle, this sentence appears in an online article in ScienceABC, 27 March 2020: "Think about it like this… you’re literally trying to rip apart the very fabric of reality." As far as we know, almost everything of which we are aware is composed of a bunch of quarks and electrons making up a bunch of neutrons and protons making up a bunch of atoms making up a bunch of molecules, making up a bunch elements which when properly arranged and combined allow us and other sentient creatures to see or imagine we see a table or whatever. How is it possible that we visualize a table rather than a bunch of elements or atoms? A table falls readily into the 'matter' category by definition. However, are 'the mind' and 'fire' matter? How about the number 7? We are clearly aware of both 'mind' and 'fire' and even the number 7 but by the strictest definition of matter, they do not appear to any of our five senses. If there are things within our awareness that are not 'matter', what are they and what are they made up of? And if there are things we are aware of that are not matter, are they real? Which leads us to ask, what is reality?
Most of us would agree that reality is simply that which we are aware of through our senses. Yet we would also most agree that the concepts of 'mind', 'fire', and the number 7 are real. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21528840-500-reality-the-definition/ We would also agree that smells and sounds, while not matter, are as well real. So concepts, smells, and sounds are real but do not constitute matter. Back to square one: What is reality? It goes beyond what we perceive to include what we can conceive. Maybe reality is what we experience. Maybe reality is only in our minds. Consequently, each sentient being has its own reality.
P.S. What is a 'mind'?
