Constructing Reality: The Interplay of Sensation and Consciousness
From the subjective standpoint, individual consciousness does not merely passively reflect the external world; it actively constructs it. That is, the objective reality existing independently of our sensations reaches us in the form of sensory data, which are then processed, interpreted, and structurally organized by our consciousness. As noted in one of the sources, "The perceived action of external entities through external existence, that is, through the complex, independent interrelationship of various entities, is called external experience; in this way, we distinguish the independent objective world from the subjective realm of our internal states..." (Source: link txt, page: 220-221). This emphasizes that although the objective world exists independently, it becomes accessible to us through specific interactions, whereby it acquires its properties within our experience.In turn, our organism, with its specialized receptors and sensory organs, establishes certain boundaries for perception, making it possible, first and foremost, to sense objective data and process it initially. It follows that objective reality affects us on two levels: first—through a physico-biological influence that shapes our immediate sensations, and then—through the interpretation and comprehension carried out by our consciousness. For example, it is stated: "For finite beings, there are two kinds of interactions between objective being (representation) and subjective being (will): firstly, the interaction of external empirical reality or concrete material representation with our material, physical subject... secondly, the interaction of our internal objectivity, that is, our thoughts, with our internal, subjective being..." (Source: link txt, page: 222).Thus, the interaction between subjective perception and objective reality consists of an active process in which the external world provides sensory data, and our consciousness organizes and forms a representation of reality based on these data. The objectivity of the external world remains independent; however, it gains its expression and becomes meaningful within our experience precisely through our sensory channels and thought processes.Supporting citation(s):"The perceived action of external entities through external existence, that is, through the complex, independent interrelationship of various entities, is called external experience; in this way, we distinguish the independent objective world from the subjective realm of our internal states. This distinction... for the absolute, which has no being outside itself, all reality is reduced to its own states and actions..." (source: link txt, page: 220-221)"For finite beings, there are two kinds of interactions between objective being (representation) and subjective being (will): firstly, the interaction of external empirical reality or concrete material representation with our material, physical subject... secondly, the interaction of our internal objectivity, that is, our thoughts, with our internal, subjective being..." (source: link txt, page: 222)