"In the Dream of the Man that was Dreaming, the Dreamt Man Woke".

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Pat Gorres

“In the Dream of the Man that was Dreaming, the Dreamt Man Woke”

        By traditional definition, perception is anything that can be known through the five senses. However, this quote adds another dimension to the idea about perception.  It implies that perception is not dictated by the five senses, but by the brain.

        If a man perceives something, he has either seen it, heard it, felt it, smelt it, tasted it, or any combination of those. A man knows that a car has crashed because he saw the collision and heard the loud noise. He knows that he likes steak through enjoying its pleasant smell and satisfying taste. In addition, he knows that fire is hot because the nervous system allows him to feel its warmth. However, one usually forgets that it is impossible to use these senses without the brain, which controls each of these perceptions. The quote serves as a supporting reminder of this idea.

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        Arguably, the dreaming man is able to perceive a dreamt man waking up. Yet, he does not necessarily see the man with his own eyes, because his eyelids are shut. He does not hear the dreamt man with his ears; he does not feel the man with his hands, and he certainly doesn’t taste or smell the man. So how is he able to perceive him?  He is able to perceive him because his brain still functions, creating the image of the dreamt man waking. Now, the reason why the brain creates the image of the dreamt man is for another ...

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