Unit 2: Our perceptions of reality?

 The first issue mentioned regarding a deeply puzzling concept which is even more paradoxical than the coins is the overarching idea that encompasses it. It seems to be rationalized by the idea that every man, or human being, is in two places at once. I interpreted it as an alternative universe in which the actions are opposite of one another, such as the given example of one person is asleep while the other is awake. It seems more puzzling because there is no pattern or degrees to follow in the process as the hrönir does. This section states how they’ve existed in several different places in some secret way, but are they aware of what’s happening or is this an older version of deja vu or a state of dreaming? They try to convey that there is a sense of continuity within reality. Does this mean that our actions are all connected to another being or version of ourselves who takes an opposite or reflective path?

Another idea which caught my interest was the new idea of pantheistic realism presented on page 27 of the Borges piece. It talks about how there exists one indivisible individual and that every one of the separate beings in the universe composes it. They all are apart of divinity, would this be a higher being? I wondered this because by definition pantheism is the belief that reality is identical with divinity, or that all-things compose an all-encompassing immanent god. Do they believe that working together is serving a greater purpose aligned with divinity, if so what would it look like in reality? Pantheism, at the time, had been accepted because (1) it refuted the idea that we are the only existing beings, (2) opened up the possibility of the retention of a psychological basis for the sciences, and (3) it permitted the idea of multiple gods to be widely accepted. It’s interesting to see how our perspectives of reality have changed since then, yet at the same time, there remain religions that share similar beliefs. 

On the other hand, I wondered how these concepts could be explained more rationally. May these senses of deja vu occur because many individuals are stuck in a mundane routine? They explain a sense of continuity within reality, could this be forced patterns within human nature. I mean many humans are creatures of habit. Something I studied in dance is generational trauma, and how that leaves a mark on people’s memories and mental health. Could these continuous realities be the memories of past ancestors?