From Sensory Flashes to Depth: The Mind’s Transformation of Reality

Imagine that the world first comes into being as vivid, pure sensory flashes – colors, shades, and glows that lack any spatial depth. At this initial stage, our perception is devoid of volume, resembling a picture in which each detail exists separately, without merging into a complex, three-dimensional structure. It is here that our mind comes into play, capable of transforming these disparate elements into a coherent image of the surrounding reality. Initially, the world appears as a flat picture, where all perceived colors and the interplay of light and shadow interact on the same level; yet, it is the active work of the mind that begins to arrange these impressions into a distinct structure, imbuing them with depth and multidimensionality. This process of organization not only forms our consciousness but also fundamentally influences the shaping of our worldview, opening up space for new meanings and interpretations. Ultimately, it is the synthesis of primary sensory data with the analytical activity of the mind that becomes the foundation for our understanding of the world—from a simple, flat experience to deep, richly meaningful representations of reality.

What primary elements of psychic experience arise first, and how do they shape our consciousness?
Based on the presented quotations, the primary elements of psychic experience are the immediate sensory impressions, which initially lack a spatial structure. In other words, at the very outset, sensory experience is represented by elements that do not possess the fullness of relief or depth, but merely as separate aspects – colors, brightness, saturation, and various glows that are directly perceived.

Then the mind, through its unique capacities, organizes these non-spatial elements into a unified image of the sensory world. At first, the world is perceived as a flat picture without true volume: "Initially, all of reality appears like a picture, drawn according to all the rules of perspective on a certain surface; ... but no, there is absolutely no relief, no hint whatsoever of perspective or depth. The elements remain the same; but then entirely new activities of the mind are added to their arrangement..." (source: link ).

Thus, the primary sensory elements, which do not initially have any spatial organization, are transformed through the active work of the mind into a meaningful sensory world that shapes our consciousness. The way in which the mind connects these primary elements determines our worldview – beginning with a simple, flat image and progressing to a more complex structure of perception.

Supporting citation(s):
"If you indeed perceive the surrounding reality as you claim, rather than simply deem it necessary to perceive it that way, you create a flat world from these elements, while we construct a deep one. I will allow myself to continue the previous analogy, comparing the formation of one’s worldview with the formation of spatial representations. What initially exists in the realm of sensation is not yet something spatial. Psychological analysis has sufficiently demonstrated that these non-spatial elements are arranged by the mind in some fashion – in this case, regardless of exactly how – into a systematic spatial unity, into an image of the sensory world. But initially, this image is only flat." (source: link )

"Initially, all of reality possesses the appearance of a picture, drawn in accordance with all the rules of perspective on some surface; it is as if it were applied directly to the eye. But in this picture, there are only the colors of brightness and saturation, various glows and combinations of hues—some gleaming, some matte and dull, some light, some dark, the play of light and shadow, and contours, but no, there is absolutely no relief, no hint whatsoever of perspective or depth. The elements remain the same; but then entirely new activities of the mind are added to their arrangement, entirely new methods of the mind's operation—whatever they might be or consist of." (source: link )