Reality and the Mystery of Physical Boundaries
Material (physical) entities cannot exist without boundaries (borders, perimeters). Sounds simple, but a deeper look into physical boundaries is key to understanding essential elements of our reality and existence. This article presents a thought experiment that examines reality to reveal an incredible mystery science cannot explain.
Mystery of Hand on Table
Imagine a hand on a table, like the image above. The hand and the table appear to have clear boundaries. The hand’s skin is a biological organ and the material of the table’s surface is an inanimate object, both of which have distinct boundaries that separate them. We instinctively know where the top of the table and the bottom of the hand meet, not only with our eyes but also by feeling the hard surface of table through our tactile sense of touch.
From a materialist perspective, it’s just two material forms (one a living form and the other not) with the living forms’ sense organs (nerves in the skin) sending impulses to the brain where the sense of touch is perceived. This process informs a person that the hand is resting on a solid object.
