Collision Quote by Edgar Mitchell
“One way of saying that is that there is an objective reality beyond our mind. A way to think of this in a philosophic sense is to look between the two great extremes: the idealist philosophy that says mind and consciousness is the only thing and that matter is simply an illusion, or a Maya, the product of mind; and the other extreme, a strict materialist determinism, which says that mind and consciousness is a secondary phenomenon of the collision of matter.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Space Exploration Forum, 1995
Reality exists independent of perception; both idealist and materialist extremes miss a nuanced view.
In simple terms: Objective reality exists beyond mind.
Key Takeaway
Recognize external reality.
Themes
philosophy
mind
reality
materialism
idealism
Mood
inquisitive
reflective
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- personal reflection
- ethical decision making
- education curricula
Key Concepts
Dualism
epistemology
ontology
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence supports an external world?
- How do we integrate mind and matter?
A Different Perspective
Pure materialism may ignore consciousness; pure idealism may deny physical evidence.
![“The Big Bang has gone away, but as far as Super String, that is suspicious for me. It all starts out with the notion of Big Bang, which if it were true, starts out with incredibly high temperatures. So they think [we] need to get these high temperatures for this broken symmetry; all this broken…” quote by Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/182/edgar-mitchell-6104_bangs_the-big-bang-has-gone-away-but-as-far-as_132330.jpg)
