Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Of Escher and the reality of illusion

I have been a fan of Escher's work since I was young.  His ability to create illusion, to portray surreal pictures, have always fascinated me.

I own this drawing.  Well, a poster of the original drawing to be exact.  I framed in a simple black and white setting, and is sitting on top of my computer.  I stare at it quite often.  It draws me in like a magnet, as I try to find a new feature, a new hidden angle on his contorted surroundings.

And I wonder, am I holding a crystal ball in my hand?  Am I looking at my surroundings as this same reflection?  Bended? Disfigured? Unreal? Are my conclusions tainted by my own prejudice?

We become as a result of our own history.  It is really difficult to detach oneself from previous experiences, and even to rationalize these past occurrences as merely that.... past events.  So, as a result, we are doomed to perceive ourselves like the distorted room on Escher's drawing.  It is our choice to remove the crystal ball, and look around with our own eyes.

We choose what we want to see.  Don't be fooled by illusion.  Illusion derives from something greater.  It always does.  Look for the source... it will reveal the reality from within the illusion.  And then you will be able to separate fact from fiction.