Connecting the dots Quote by David Jay Brown
““But to fully understand this concept we must actually experience it. We almost always forget that our perception of what we call the physical world is a simulation and not “reality itself.” William Blake understood the concept that we create our own reality when he stated, “That which appears without, is within.” When I had my first LSD trip at the age of 16, among other things I realized that the brain entirely creates what we experience as reality. I realized it by experiencing it. Everything that we think is the external world is actually a neurological simulation fabricated out of complex chains of sensory signals by the human brain. On that psychedelic experience it appeared to me as though all of reality was composed of points or monads, and that our perception of reality is like those connect-the-dots games that we play as children. The possible ways of connecting the dots are far more varied than I had thought, and can be done in countless different ways.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: “Psychedelic Insights” with David Jay Brown, 2015
The quote suggests that reality is a brain‑generated simulation, and direct experience (e.g., psychedelics) can reveal its constructed nature.
In simple terms: Reality is a mental construct revealed by experience.
Question your assumptions about the external world.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Meditation
- psychedelic therapy
- creative problem solving
- education on critical thinking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does altered perception change your daily decisions?
- Can we trust non‑ordinary experiences as truth?
The brain’s filters may limit insight, and drug‑induced states are not universally reliable.