Page 108 - Ever Thought About The Truth ?

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE TRUTH?

The same is true of odour. Just as a rose will appear as an
image in the centre of vision, so will its fragrance be sensed in the
centre of smell. Whether the source of the odour is near or far,
and whether the odour is sour, sweet, acrid, pleasant, etc. are
likewise matters for the brain to interpret.
The "external world" presented to us by our perceptions is
merely a collection of the electrical signals reaching our brain.
Throughout our lives, these signals are processed by our brain
and we proceed without recognising that we are mistaken in as-
suming that these are the "original" versions of matter existing in
the external world. We are misled because we can never directly
reach matter itself by means of our senses.
Moreover, it is again our brain that interprets and attributes
meaning to the signals about the "external world" and we assume
to be dealing with its original. For example, let us consider the
sense of hearing. It is in fact our brain that transforms the sound
waves in the "external world" into a symphony. That is to say, we
know music as interpreted by our brain, not the original music
that exists outside. In the same manner, when we see colours,
what reaches our eyes are merely electrical signals of different
wavelengths. It is again our brain that transforms these signals
into colours. The colours in the "external world" are unknown
to us. We can never have direct experience of the true red of an
apple, the true blue of the sky or the true green of trees. The ex-
ternal world depends entirely on the perceiver.
Even a slightest defect in the retina of the eye causes colour
blindness. Some people perceive blue as green, and some red as

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