Page 269 - For Men of Understanding

interestingly, this writer has written lines revealing that he can by no means
grasp this very fact which he considers such a menace.
For instance, in one article where Senel discussed this subject exclusively,
he accepts that the brain perceives the external world as an image. But then he
goes on to claim that images are divided into two categories: those having
physical correlates and those with none; and that we can indeed reach the
physical correlates of images pertaining to the external world. In support of this
assertion, he writes, "I do not know whether or not the images in my brain have
correlates in the external world, but the same thing applies when I speak on the
phone. When I speak on the telephone, I cannot see the person I am speaking to,
but I can have this conversation confirmed later, when I see him face to face." 14
By this, he actually means that if we doubt our perceptions, we can look at
their origin and check its reality. This is an evident misconception, however,
since it's impossible for us to reach matter itself. We can never get outside of
our minds to reach what is "outside." Does the voice on the phone have an
objective correlate or not? We can confirm that by meeting the person we spoke
with. However, this confirmation too is experienced in the mind!
In fact, these writers also experience the same events in their dreams. For
instance, Senel may dream that he speaks on the phone, then have this con-
versation confirmed by the person he spoke to. Or Pekunlu may, in his dream,
feel he's facing a serious threat and advise others to read century-old books by
Lenin. But no matter what they do, these materialists can never deny that the
events they've experienced and the people they talked to were nothing but
perceptions to them.
Who, then, can confirm the correlates of the images in the brain? The shad-
ow beings whom people watch in their visual centres? It is impossible for mate-
rialists to find any "outside" source that can confirm information outside of the
brain.
If someone concedes that all perceptions are formed in the brain, but still
assumes that one can step "out" of this world of perceptions and have them
confirmed by the "real" external world, this reveals this person's limited per-
ceptive capacity and distorted reasoning.
However, the facts related here can easily be grasped by anyone of normal
understanding and reasoning. In relation to everything we have said, every
unbiased person will understand that it isn't possible for one's senses to reach

the external world. Yet blind adherence to materialism apparently distorts peo-
ple's reasoning capability. Contemporary materialists display severe logical
flaws just like their mentors who tried to "prove" that they could reach the orig-
inal of matter by kicking stones or eating cake.

Matter and the External World 267