1 Introduction
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In fact, that’s what the real world is: It is the set of all the restraints and obstacles
imposed on living beings striving to achieve their goals.
For the scientist, the universe consists of matter and incandescent plasma.
These, however, are images invented by the human mind. Behind these images,
and evoking them, are the constraints of nature that channel the scientist’s
thinking and determine the outcomes of experiments.
In fact, what we regard as the physical world is “physical” to us precisely
in the sense that it acts in opposition to our will and constrains our actions.
The aspect of the universe that resists our push and demands muscular effort
on our part is what we consider to be “physical”. On the other hand, since
sensation and thought don’t require overcoming any physical resistance, we
consider them to be outside of material reality. It is shown in the final chapter
that this is an illusory dichotomy, and any complete account of the universe
must allow for the existence of a nonmaterial component which accounts for
its unity and complexity.