It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Social constructionism. (Discuss)

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.

Consensus reality is an approach to answering the question 'What is real?', a profound philosophical question, with answers dating back to prehistory. It gives a practical answer - reality is either what exists, or what we can agree by consensus seems to exist; the process has been (perhaps loosely and a bit imprecisely) characterised as "[w]hen enough people think something is true, it... takes on a life of its own."^[1] The term is disparaged by some because by implication it may mean little more than "what a group or culture chooses to believe," and may bear little or no relationship to any "true reality", and, indeed, the term challenges the notion of "true reality". Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Social constructionism or social constructivism is a sociological theory of knowledge that considers how social phenomena develop in particular social contexts. ... Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Reality in everyday usage means the state of things as they actually exist. ... The philosopher Socrates about to take poison hemlock as ordered by the court. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Prehistoric man. ...

The difficulty with the question stems from the concern that human beings do not in fact fully understand or agree upon the nature of knowledge or knowing, and therefore (it is often argued) it is not possible to be certain beyond doubt what is real. Accordingly, this line of logic concludes, we cannot in fact be sure beyond doubt about the nature of reality. We can, however, seek to obtain some form of consensus, with others, of what is real. We can use this to practically guide us, either on the assumption it seems to approximate some kind of valid reality, or simply because it is more "practical" than perceived alternatives. Consensus reality therefore refers to the agreed-upon concepts of reality which people in the world, or a culture or group, believe are real (or treat as real), usually based upon their common experiences as they believe them to be; anyone who does not agree with these is sometimes stated to be "in effect... living in a different world."^[2] Personification of knowledge (Greek Επιστημη, Episteme) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey. ...

Throughout history this has also raised a social question: What shall we make of those who do not agree with consensus realities of others, or of the society they live in? Children have sometimes been described or viewed as "inexperience[d] with consensus reality,"^[3] although with the expectation that they will come into line with it as they mature. However, the answer is more problematic as regards such people as have been characterised as eccentrics, mentally ill, divinely inspired or enlightened, or evil or demonic in nature. Alteratively, differing viewpoints may simply be put to some kind of "objective" (though the nature of "objectivity" goes to the heart of the relevant questions) test. Reality enforcement is a term used^{[citation needed]} for the coercive enforcement of the culturally accepted reality, upon non-conforming individuals. It has varied from indifference, to incarceration, to death. In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... ķ Look up inspiration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Enlightenment (or brightening) broadly means the acquisition of new wisdom or understanding enabling clarity of perception. ... In religion and ethics, evil refers to morally or ethically objectionable thought, speech, or action; behavior or thought which is hateful, cruel, violent, or devoid of conscience. ... “Fiend” redirects here. ...

General discussion

In considering the nature of reality, two broad approaches exist: the materialist approach, in which there is a single objective overall space-time reality believed to exist irrespective of the perceptions of any given individual, and the solipsistic approach, in which it is considered that an individual can verify little except his own experience of the world, and can never directly know the truth of the world separate from that. In philosophy, materialism is that form of physicalism which holds that the only thing that can truly be said to exist is matter; that fundamentally, all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. ... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: Limited information sources, article is object for nothing but original research If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. ... The philosophy of perception concerns how mental processes and symbols depend on the world internal and external to the perceiver. ... Solipsism is the philosophical idea that My mind is the only thing that exists. Solipsism (Latin: solus, alone + ipse, self) is an epistemological or metaphysical position that knowledge of anything outside the mind is unjustified. ... Look up Experience in Wiktionary, the free dictionary This article discusses the general concept of experience. ...

Consensus reality may be understood by studying socially constructed reality, a subject within the sociology of knowledge. (Read page three of The Social Construction of Reality by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann.) Socially constructed reality forms a concept within the sociology of knowledge and the social constructionist strand of postmodernism. ... The sociology of knowledge is the study of the social origins of ideas, and of the effects prevailing ideas have on societies. ... Peter Ludwig Berger (born March 17, 1929) is an American sociologist well known for his work The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge (New York, 1966). ... Thomas Luckmann (b. ...

Consider this example: reality for people who believe in God is different from reality for those who believe that science and mathematics are sufficient for explaining life, the universe and everything. In societies where God-centered religions are dominant, that understanding would be the consensus reality, while the religious worldview would remain the nonconsensus (or alternative) reality in a predominantly secular society where the consensus reality is grounded in science alone. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... The Universe is defined as the summation of all particles and energy that exist and the space-time in which all events occur. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

In this way, different individuals and communities have fundamentally different world views.^[4] These are fundamentally different views, with fundamentally different comprehensions of the world around them, and of the constructs within which they live. Thus, in terms of consensus reality, a society that is (for example) completely secular and one which believes every eventuality is due to gods and devils will have very different consensus realities, and their entire beliefs on issues from science to slavery through to human sacrifice may differ in direct consequence because of the differences in consensus concerning the world they live in. A world view (or worldview) is a term calqued from the German word Weltanschauung (pronounced ) meaning a look onto the world. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... Slave redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Consensus reality in science and philosophy

Materialists

Materialists, however, may not accept the idea of there being different possible realities for different people, rather than different beliefs about one reality. So for them only the first usage of the term reality would make sense. To them, someone believing otherwise, where the facts have been properly established, might be considered delusional. This article primarily focuses on the general concepts of matter and existence. ... Reality in everyday usage means the state of things as they actually exist. ... A delusion is commonly defined as a fixed false belief and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception. ...

Objectivists

Objectivists, though not necessarily materialists, also reject the notion of subjective reality; they hold that while each individual may indeed have their own perception of reality, that perception has no effect on what reality actually is; in fact, if the perception of reality differs significantly from the actual reality, serious negative consequences are bound to follow. Objectivism is the philosophical system developed by Russian-American philosopher and writer Ayn Rand. ...

Idealists

Some idealists, subjective idealists hold the view that there isn't one particular way things are, but rather that each person's personal reality is unique. Such idealists have the world view which says that we each create our own reality, and while most people may be in general agreement (consensus) about what reality is like, they might live in a different (or nonconsensus) reality. This paradigm may be related to the Buddhist concept of emptiness or Shunyata. In philosophy, idealism is any theory positing the primacy of spirit, mind, or language over matter. ... Subjective idealism is a theory in the philosophy of perception. ... A world view (or worldview) is a term calqued from the German word Weltanschauung (pronounced ) meaning a look onto the world. ... Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit), Suññatā (Pāli) or stong pa nyid (Tibetan), generally translated into English as Emptiness or Voidness, is a concept of central importance in the teaching of the Buddha, intimately related to the doctrine of the three marks of existence (ti-lakkhana). ...

Social consequences of consensus reality issues

Views on the term "consensus reality"

The connotation of the term "consensus reality" is usually disparaging: it is usually employed by idealist, surrealist and other anti-realist theorists opposing or hostile to this "reality,"^[5] with the implication that this consensus reality is, to a greater or lesser extent, created by those who experience it. (The phrase "consensus reality" may be used more loosely to refer to any generally accepted set of beliefs.) However, there are those who use the term approvingly for the practical benefits of all agreeing on a common set of assumptions or experiences.^[6] For the more specialised meaning of Connotation in semiotics, see connotation (semiotics). ... In philosophy, idealism is any theory positing the primacy of spirit, mind, or language over matter. ... Surrealism is an artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious. ... In philosophy, the term anti-realism is used to describe any position involving either the denial of the objective reality of entities of a certain type or the insistence that we should be agnostic about their real existence. ... In mathematics, theory is used informally to refer to a body of knowledge about mathematics. ...

Social aspects of consensus reality

Some painters, writers and theorists and individuals employing a number of means of action have attempted to oppose or undermine consensus reality. Salvador Dalí intended by his paranoiac-critical method,^[7] for instance, to "systematize confusion thanks to a paranoia and active process of thought and so assist in discrediting completely the world of reality".^[8] Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí Domènech Marquis of Pubol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989), popularly known as Salvador Dalí, was a Spanish artist and one of the most important painters of the 20th century. ...

Reality enforcement

The theory of reality enforcement holds that belief in consensus reality (the "reality"^[9] of "reality enforcement" is used in this sense) — on which the apparent persistence of consensus reality's existence may depend — is "enforced" through various means including sanctions applied against those who challenge it;^{[citation needed]} it has also been used to apply to the promotion of consensus reality, such as in education.^[10] (The term "reality enforcement" has apparently been also used in looser senses, such as a moment in which one is suddenly "jolted back" to "reality"^[11], negative social sanctions applied to those who transgress gender norms,^[12] the correction of factual errors in print or speech^[13] or vigilance applied to the "authenticity" of a fictional world.)^[14] Reality enforcement has been characterised as a possible aspect of psychiatry or approach to or method of psychiatric practice,^[15] though its efficacy in promoting realism (in the particular case of genetic counseling) has been questioned.^[16] Social control refers to social mechanisms that regulate individual and group behavior, in terms of greater sanctions and rewards. ... A bagpiper in Scottish military clan-uniform. ... Genetic counseling is the process by which patients or relatives, at risk of an inherited disorder, are advised of the consequences and nature of the disorder, the probability of developing or transmitting it, and the options open to them in management and family planning in order to prevent, avoid or...

The theory of reality enforcement is opposed by those called "reality enforcers" by the supporters of the theory, who have been called "biased" and having a "skewed view of reality;"^[17] the term "reality enforcers" has also been used more loosely to describe those who "shore up" a "dominant paradigm" in which general belief is wavering.^[18] (Sometimes the term "reality enforcement police" is used interchangably.)^[19] The so-called "reality enforcers" occasionally use the phrase in order to ridicule those who believe in the theory, or, more loosely what they see as farfetched or conspiracy theories generally.^[20] (It should be noted Alan C. Walter uses the phrase "reality enforcers" in a highly idiosyncratic way having nothing to do with the theory of reality enforcement.) These "reality enforcers" appeal to an objectivist theory of reality, rejecting multiple subjective realities which could diverge considerably, which contradicts the theory of "reality enforcement". Look up Ridicule on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Ridicule is a 1996 French film set in the 18th-century at the decaying court of Versailles. ... A conspiracy theory is a theory that defies common historical or current understanding of events, under the claim that those events are the result of manipulations by two or more individuals or various secretive powers or conspiracies. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Believers in reality enforcement are typically sympathetic to anti-psychiatry. While mental health codes in some United States states specify that a diminished "capacity to recognize reality" (taken from some definitions of psychosis^[21]) is part of the standard for mental illness, "there is controversy over what is considered out of touch with reality."^[22] Richard Rogers and Daniel W. Shuman, in their book Conducting Insanity Evaluations have, however, said that the standard "refers to the intactness of the individual's perception of external stimulae" and equated it with "reality testing,"(p.85) a definition that goes right to the heart of the argument. The validity of this as a standard in general has also been questioned. Kevin J. Maroney^[23] has called the unwillingness of his parents to be overly harsh in breaking down the "walls" of his Asperger's Syndrome an unwillingness to engage in "reality enforcement."^[24] Some have compared "the process of forcefully instituting individuals for expressing their beliefs in society to reality enforcement,"^[25] and there have been at least isolated concerns expressed on computer forums about psychiatric medication being used for "social control" and "reality enforcement".^[26] Beginning in the 1960s, a movement called anti-psychiatry claimed that psychiatric patients are not ill but are individuals that do not share the same consensus reality as most people in society. ... Mental states redirects here. ... A state is a political association with effective dominion over a geographic area. ... Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a loss of contact with reality. Stedmans Medical Dictionary defines psychosis as a severe mental disorder, with or without organic damage, characterized by derangement of personality and loss of contact with reality and causing deterioration... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... Lucid dreaming is the conscious perception of ones state while dreaming, resulting in a much clearer (lucid from Latin, lux light) experience and sometimes enabling direct control over the content of the dream, a realistic world that is completely in the control of the dreamer. ... In logic, the form of an argument is valid precisely if it cannot lead from true premises to a false conclusion. ... Asperger described his patients as little professors. Aspergers syndrome (AS, or the more common shorthand Aspergers), is characterized as one of the five pervasive developmental disorders, and is commonly referred to as a form of high functioning autism. ...

In a more general sense, "reality enforcement" is used to mean an (often violent or forceful) ending of a "fantasy" in the person, persons or group on whom it is enacted,^[27] or the assertion, using force, of some "reality" to those who are not aware of it, or are in denial about it. Violence is a general term to describe actions, usually deliberate, that cause or intend to cause injury to people, animals, or non-living objects. ...

Consensus reality and reality enforcement in fiction and literature

• Norman O. Brown's book, Love's Body dicusses reality enforcement.
• Dr. Louis Sass' book Madness and Modernism argues for some supranormal cognitive aspects to schizophrenia, and against the view that it is a purely degenerative disorder.

Norman Oliver Brown (1913–2002) was an American scholar, born in El Oro, Mexico. ...

Novels and short fiction

• Various dystopian novels, such as Nineteen Eighty-Four, and its concept of groupthink, feature a highly controlled consensus reality.
• The works of Philip K. Dick often involve shifts in or deviations from consensus reality.
• In Terry Pratchett's Discworld Gods and such entities exist because of sufficient quantities of belief in them without which they fade away.
• Kim Newman's novel Jago focuses on the consequences of a breakdown in consensus reality.
• The works of Robert Anton Wilson usually discuss consensus reality.
• Karl Schroeder's novel Lady of Mazes posits a society with technologically-enforced separate realities; the protagonist can switch between them, and rebuilds a shared consensus reality.
• Neil Gaiman features Consensus reality in much of his work, including Sandman, Neverwhere, and American Gods.
• Nancy Kress's short story The Flowers of Aulit Prison and the related Probability Space series deal with a species in which the consensus reality is propagated and enforced biologically.
• Consensual reality is a recurring theme in the short-story book "Dreams Underfoot" by Charles De Lint.

A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος, alternatively, cacotopia[1], kakotopia or anti-utopia) is a fictional society that is the antithesis of utopia. ... This article is about the Orwell novel. ... Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. ... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction; additional to forty-four books currently in print, Dick wrote several short stories and minor works published in pulp magazines. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Cover of an early edition of The Colour of Magic; art by Josh Kirby Discworld is a comedic fantasy book series by the British author Terry Pratchett set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which are in turn standing on the back of... Kim Newman (born July 31, 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. ... Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson or RAW (January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007) was a prolific American novelist, essayist, philosopher, psychologist, futurologist, anarchist, and conspiracy theory researcher. ... Karl Schroeder (born September 4, 1962) is a Canadian author. ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960, Portchester, Hampshire) is an English author of numerous science fiction and fantasy works, including many graphic novels. ... Heavy Metal It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Nancy Kress (born Nancy Anne Koningisor in Buffalo, New York on January 20, 1948) is a science fiction writer. ...

Role-playing games

• The Planescape: Torment computer role-playing game (CRPG) takes place in a cosmology (Planescape) consisting of certain planes of existence where sufficient belief can cause something to simply pop into reality, even move territory from one dimension to another.
• The Mage: The Ascension RPG takes place in a cosmology where, in modern times, mages must work against the consensus reality which dictates that magic cannot work and must cope with the results of the reality enforcing force called paradox, which results if they "break the rules".
• In the world of d20 Modern, specifically in the Shadow Chasers and Urban Arcana settings, various creatures that are perceived to be fictional exist, but are viewed as mundane creatures due to the average persons view of reality.
• The Six-Guns and Sorcery supplement to the Castle Falkenstein RPG includes a small section on American legendary figures (e.g., Paul Bunyan) who gain supernaturally-powered physical reality as the European immigrant population increases. This is a variant on the pervasive belief-in-gods-creates-them meme mentioned in connection with the Diskworld novel above.

Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game (CRPG) that takes place in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape setting. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Planescape - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Mage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and is published by White Wolf Game Studio. ... This article is about traditional role-playing games. ... d20 Modern is a roleplaying game designed by Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, and Charles Ryan. ... Urban Arcana Campaign Setting In the world of Urban Arcana, dragons rule the boardrooms and bugbears rule the streets. ... Castle Falkenstein was an innovative steampunk-themed fantasy role-playing game designed by Mike Pondsmith and originally published by R. Talsorian Games. ... This article is about traditional role-playing games. ... The term meme (IPA: , rhyming with theme; commonly pronounced in the US as , rhyming with gem), coined/popularized in 1976[1] by the biologist Richard Dawkins, refers to a unit of cultural information which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes (i. ...

Film

• The film The Matrix shows something similar to reality enforcement;[1] Agent Smith could be called a "reality enforcer".
• Solaris (Stanislaw Lem) is also a good example of consensual reality in film and literature.
• Consensual reality is a recurring theme in the movies of David Cronenberg (Videodrome, Existenz).

The Matrix is a science fiction/action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano and Hugo Weaving. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Look up Solaris in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... David Cronenberg at Cannes 2002 David Paul Cronenberg OC, FRSC (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director and occasional actor. ... Videodrome is a 1983 film directed by David Cronenberg. ... eXistenZ is a 1999 psychological thriller/science fiction film by Canadian director David Cronenberg. ...

References

1. ^ ENERGY PACKETS AND THE CONSENSUS REALITY.
2. ^ Stork, David G., editor. Hal's Legacy: 2001's Computer as Dream and Reality. MIT Press, 201. ISBN 0262692112. 
3. ^ Rostow Kuznets, Lois (1994). When Toys Come Alive: Narratives of Animation, Metamorphosis, and Development. Yale University Press, 228, note 14. ISBN 0300056451. 
4. ^ According to philosopher Ken Wilber. See Ken Wilber's book A Brief History of Everything.
5. ^ "Fuck Consensus Reality" t-shirt on CafePress.com from "The Disinformation Store".
6. ^ Zane Crawford. ideotrope: consensus reality.
7. ^ DALI.UFFS.NET - Salvador Dali - Odjinud ....
8. ^ Bryan M. Papciak. "Thank God I'm an atheist: "The surrealistic cinema of Luis Bunuel.
9. ^ OVERCOMPENSATING: The Journal Comic with a Seething Disdain for Reality..
10. ^ Mini, John (2000). The Aztec Virgin: The Secret Mystical Tradition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Trans-Hyperborean Institute of Science. ISBN 0965782506. 
11. ^ Post Comment.
12. ^ Talia Mae Bettcher. Appearance, Reality and Gender Deception:Reflections on Transphobic Violenceand the Politics of Pretence.
13. ^ Re: Editorial: Carolyn Parrish on Afghanistan.
14. ^ Neverwinter Nights: Why are there Christian grave markers in Faerun?.
15. ^ Howells, John G. (1971). Modern Perspectives in Child Psychiatry. Brunner. 
16. ^ Ching, Chun Li, quoting Kallmann (1961). Human Genetics: Principles and Methods. Blakiston Division, McGraw-Hill. 
17. ^ Mental Illness - Page 4 - Uncicylist Community.
18. ^ Peak Oil News & Message Board Forums.
19. ^ The Official Dark and Shattered Lands Forums : sneaking invis and whatnot.
20. ^ Plastic: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This.
21. ^ Schizophrenia.com, paranoid schizophrenia.
22. ^ reality: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com.
23. ^ Maroney.org.
24. ^ Casting Aspergeons.
25. ^ http://www.answers.com/topic/reality
26. ^ psychForums : psychForums : psychology & mental health forums. Forum Index -> Schizophrenia Forum: trying to help a family member.
27. ^ David Pryce-Jones. Death of a Fantasy.

Ken Wilber Kenneth Earl Wilber Jr. ...

See also

• Common sense
• Consensus reality may be related to theories of false consciousness.
• Hyperreality
• Map-territory relation for how beliefs about reality, and reality itself, relate to each other
• Major consensus narrative
• Pragmatism
• Reality shifts
• Simulated reality
• Social construction
• Social constructionism