General psychology was far too broad. There was an attempt to study and understand concepts that weren't fully understood. In the first place, humanity's approach toward research could be viewed as flawed. Research provides objectivity, evidence and data. Introspection, brainstorming and reflection alike, aid in the understanding of a concept in its raw form. Such a thing remained unique and special to Philosophers, who prided themselves in their ability and capability to dissect language and thought as they wished.
"I hate this place…" a figure's voice echoed as its head fell to the wooden desk that previously supported its elbows. Notes and different takes on the conscious mind and subjectivity were scattered all across the table. Lightning tore through the atmosphere, illuminating the gloomy dark room for just about a second. An ID card that read "George" revealed itself under the lightning.
His notes primarily centralised around the concept of Phenomenology, that is, there was an additional emphasis on the subjective experience of a phenomenon, rather than what the actual phenomena was.
George reached for the mug of coffee placed at one end of the table. The cup was unique, it was transparent and minimalistic. It wasn't just the vessel, architecture was weirdly specific. They followed a sense of abstractness. Or rather, they served exactly the purpose they were perceived for. No direct sense of aesthetic value.
"There simply exists no manner in which I can trace this back….." ideas, concepts, thoughts, dilemmas. They were crucial because their existence was unique. Unique not only to the individual perceiving them, but also unique in nature. To trace a society's current functionality to a philosophical foundation could be rather perplexing.
In the first place, the task called for many considerations. The acceptance that language will act as a barrier, the acknowledgement of the fact that the culture prevalent in history is vastly different to our current culture, and finally, the understanding and realisation that this cultural difference is more than capable of changing how thoughts are perceived.
"I would need to become this person to possibly understand or even began to understand our current psyche" Humanity in Percipia was unique. A society built on the tenet of one singular philosopher. The inculcation of this tenet was so deep and intertwined with daily functioning that it was basically considered a law of nature. An absolute rule of the universe that caused the cessation of an existence when not perceived. This could be an object, person or even a concept. Disappearance was imminent when unperceived.
Esse est percipi. To be is to be perceived. An unimaginable and inhumane feat achieved by mankind. The ability to "cause" the cessation of an existence purely by "it" not being perceived or noticed.
Our existence is ascertained by the collective perception of everyone involved and around us. The existence of reality and its components purely dependent on whether or not they are perceived. It was an extremist concept in many ways.
However, this gave birth to a unique functioning, society was closer to utopia than a general one, albeit there existed the flaw of non-existence due to lack of perception. Law enforcement no longer held an authoritarian position, they were replaced by the introduction of a new form of governance.
Perspectres had but one absolute duty. They governed the idea of being perceived and made sure the disapparence of a life does not occur. To keep the explanation simple, they were the primary governing body that basically dictated the flow of the society.
Ground breaking discoveries into our ablity to perceive, the entire active process, knowledge about the conscious and unconscious that could be considered priceless, all of which was a result of the existence of one governing organisation.
They allowed for, and facilitated the publics awareness of the mysterious phenomena of perception. Their influence, however, did not only stick to research and knowledge. As mentioned previously, the entire society functioned on the tenet of being perceived. This reflected on every basic aspect, including architecture, economy, individual psyche, etc.
Winding back to the previous point, there was one pressing issue that the Perspectres focused on. Their origin. It remained unknown. The dictum and testaments passed down in their society included detailed accounts of what it means to exist and think. Although, as unfortunate as it may seem, the identity of this scholar remained unknown. It was this very same scripture that urged for the acceptance of a divine entity. An unquestionable and undeniable answer for everything that fell into the realm of supernatural- God.
George's job was simple. He was a psychologist that specialised in research and analysis, in particular, phenomenology and our conscious experience was something he often interacted with. While this could be seen as intriguing, he was not alone. The majority of the psychologists in his field were in one or the other drawn to similar subjects.
The existence of God in any society was always questionable. However, at that moment, even a non-believer would find it hard to not fall to their knees. Light, sparkles of reality, swirls of particles that made up reality danced around smoothly forming a vague image of something.
Words, distorted words screeched into his mind, instantly rupturing a few nerve endings causing blood to flow out of his nose and ears. The sudden change was unfortunately not fully comprehended by George. His thoughts seemed to slow down as the swirling of particles only continued to gather pace.
'To be is to be perceived' it was almost as if those words were forced into his mind, his thoughts now seemed to have an objective, almost as if they were closing in on something crucial. If things cease to exist without a perceiver then what about things that are perceived only by select individuals. In a contemporary understanding, this could be compared to "yogis" or "ascetics", individuals capable of perceiving a higher dimension.
George was no yogi or monk. He was not exactly spiritual, matter of fact, in a vague sense, he didn't really conform to any philosophy or belief. However, one of the things putting him apart from the others was his approach. Much like the society he belonged to, he too was an extremist of some sort. He pushed himself until he could comprehend the task he needed to accomplish, aiding in the process of discovery.
Struggling to find strength in his feet, George crashed into the wall with his back slowly sliding down. His eyes bloodshot and mesmerised as to what was happening, reality in front of him was literally distorted. A void that sucked in the very fabric of life but at the same time emanating and circulating wisps of colours.
"Observe this phenomenon, as I present myself to thee. Be gleeful and prepare to comprehend the notion of my existence," a figure donning a cassock and formal Anglican attire popped into his field of vision. The figure seemed to stare intently at the fallen young man, struggling desperately to accept what lies in front of him.
"W…wh…who..?" George muttered before losing consciousness. In response, the figure smiled, his demeanour reeking confidence and accuracy.
"Why of course my friend, recall the past, and experience reality through your senses.
It is I…..Berkeley…"