Hejtmanek 1

Giuliana Hejtmanek
Mr. Williams
Honors American Literature
May 8, 2015
Reality
noun reality \r-a-l-t\
: the true situation that exists : the real situation
: something that actually exists or happens : a real event, occurrence, situation, etc.

To define reality, one would need to define real. Merriam-Webster defines real as not
fake, false and actually existing or happening; not imaginary (Real). However, what
determines actually existing, imaginary, and false, remains vague and disputed.
Our visual perception as reality, it is constantly being distorted. See for yourself: Place
this sheet of paper about a foot from your face, close your right eye and with your left eye look at
the cross in the figure below. The dot on the left should have disappeared. Now close your left
eye and with your right eye look at the dot in the figure below. The cross on the right should have
disappeared (The Blind Spot).

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This occurs because the spot where our optic nerve meets our eyeballs is devoid of
photoreceptors (sensory light receptors), referred to as the blind spot. We are actually missing a
portion of our visual perception, due to the omission of the light projected into our blind spot.
However, our capability of deciphering and distinguishing patterns has enabled our brains to
collect information from our surrounding sensory environment and bridging the missing portions
of our vision with patterns that comply with the ongoing image (Chan). This means that a portion
of our vision is actually an illusion created by the brain to fill the hole in our vision. Most people
perceive what they blatantly see as reality. However - by definition - the notion that reality is
measurable by perceptibility is incorrect because the patterns our brains form to complete our
perception are illusory. Reality is not something perceived by our vision.
The way that humans process and interpret their environment differs greatly from person
to person, because every input of sensory information systematized and processed by their brains
is formatted to accommodate their schemata, or their concept or framework that organizes and
interprets information (Glossary). Ones schema personalized, and develops as they age and
con new information (McLeod). As the information is repeatedly confirmed to be factual and
recognized by the schema, it becomes increasingly difficult to shift the perspective one develops.
For example, regarding religion, those predisposed to religion are more likely to belie the
evidence suggesting the nonexistence of god(s), while those predisposed to atheism are more
likely to disaffirm evidence supporting the existence of higher beings. Reality to a Christian
would be that there is a god, heaven, and hell; reality to an Atheist would be that neither god,
heaven, nor hell exist. Despite them contradicting one another, both concepts incorporate reality
in their own means (Lipset); reality cannot be determined by evidence because there is no
universal way to perceive evidence.

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The obstinacy of schemata has also been shown to distort events and memories to
accommodate its framework to make sense to it. It has been a recurring concern when
regarding the validity of eyewitness reports and testimonies. On top of storing evidence-based
information, ones schema will also store stereotypes, biases, and prejudices - increasing ones
chance of misperceiving a situation. For example, one is providing an eyewitness report of a
scuffle that had occurred between a well-groomed man in a suit and an unkempt man in a wifebeater. The man in the suit pulls out a weapon and both end up injured because of it. A
maladapted schema may distort the eyewitness memory to believe that the man in the wifebeater was the one to draw the weapon, because that would have been their predicted situation
(Tuckey, Brewer). This is oftentimes an issue regarding interracial crimes and, within the past
few decades, has become an issue regarding crimes concerning police brutality (normally against
minorities). Schemata would work for racism in the same way it would work for religion does
distorting shifting ones beliefs and what they believe to be real to fit their bias (Bartlett).
Signifying that reality cannot be situational, because there is no undistorted way of perceiving a
situation.
Reality is not distinguishable by perception, evidence, nor situations because all of these
are disillusioned by bias; the definition of reality has not proven itself to be genuine. My last
resort for determining what reality is to determine what it is not; reality cannot be false: not real
or genuine, based on mistaken ideas, or not true or accurate (False). This is a cyclical
statement it cannot be used to determine what is real, because to determine what real one is
must determine what is false and to determine what is false, one must determine what is real. It is
nonsensical. Reality also cannot be imaginary: existing only in your mind or imagination
(Imaginary). However, in reality there is nothing that is not existing in our minds, because our

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perceivable life is simply a mlange of different stimuli being processed by our brains.
Signifying that there either is no reality or that reality is everything that has existed, exists, or
will exist, regardless of its comprehensibility, perceptibility, and our ability to take cognizance of
it.

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Works Cited
Bartlett, F. C. Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology. Cambridge
University Press, n.d. Web.
"The Blind Spot." Neuroscience for Kids. University of Washington, n.d. Web.
Chan, Sook. "Schizophrenia: A Matter of Perception?" Schizophrenia: A Matter of
Perception? Serendip, 23 Apr. 2002. Web.
"False." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web.
"Glossary." Psyctherapy. RYAN Classes, n.d. Web.
"Imaginary." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web.
Lipset, D. (1993). Review: Culture as a hierarchy of schemas. Current Anthropology, 34.4, 497498
McLeod, Sara. "Jean Piaget." Simply Psychology. Simplypsychology.org, 17 Sept. 2009. Web.
Murray, Evan D., Miles G. Cunningham, and Bruce H. Price. "The Role of Psychotic Disorders
in Religious History Considered." : The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical
Neurosciences: Vol 24, No 4. American Psychiatric Association, 13 Sept. 2011. Web.
"Real." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web.
"Reality." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web.

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Tuckey, Michelle R., and Brewer, Neil. "The Influence of Schemas Stimulus Ambiguity and
Interviews Eyewitness Memory over Time." American Psychological Association, n.d.
Web.