On the Relativity of Perception

Abstract

When thinking about reality,it is common to think that the world perceived through the senses is the same for everyone. Nevertheless, a more careful reflection reveals that this type of assertion is not always true. If we acknowledge that all human beings are essentially different, we must also recognize that the constructions processed, perceived and recreated by our senses are just as divergent. Based on Oliver Sacks’s “Speed” and various other theoretical sources, this essay discusses the relativity of perception and sensorial images as determined by our individual biological configuration.It is finallyconcluded that, regardless of the stimuli present in the medium, perception is an individual, subjective process, and “reality” is just a mental construct; an image which is potentially different for every person.