Question

Explain the concept of maya and how our brain often deceives us about reality. Give examples of
how visual and auditory illusions work.

Answer 1

'Maya' is the Sanskrit term for 'illusion'. As per Advaita school of Vedanta in Hindu philosophy, Maya is believed to be the unreality that one believes in.

The brain can create reality of its own, leading to one's perception of sounds (auditory illusion) or images (visual illusion) that are unreal.

Neuroscience highlights the fact that everything humans experience is a concoction of her imagination. The sensations (felt accurately) send signals to the brain. But these sensory inputs are interpreted by neural machinery, acting responsible for unreal experience of reality such as illusion, delusions or dreams.

The brain can deceive by constructing reality, disconnecting the reality and subjective interpretation of an individual. Illusions may be governed by what an individual sees or fails to experience (see/hear) in a situation. Illusions are momentary dissociation impacted by the way one's mind and sensory organs interact.

For example: 'D' watched a horror movie. Later that night he felt someone was sitting next to him. He turned around to find it was just a pillow. It is a visual illusion that was influenced by D's frame of mind at that moment.

For auditory illusions, example of binaural beats can be used where dichotic presentation of two pure tones leads to the individual's perception of a nonexistent third tone.