The immaterial can be manifested as the material, and the material (brain) gives rise to the immaterial. It really is that simple.
I realized this when I was visiting Madison once. I was on acid. A friend’s friend had a giant chalkboard instead of a wall in their kitchen, and there were many pieces of chalk lying around. So, I decided to try to draw an idea.
It was impossible, I soon realized, because an idea is immaterial. All my established materialist philosophy of mind beliefs shattered. An idea is immaterial! Of course! How could I not have considered this? Ideas are some of the realest things there are. Without ideas, we have nothing.
Is reality composed of ideas? In a way, yes. That’s idealism, and this experience helped me to better understand.

Leave a comment