Raluca Florescu

A philosophical and introspective essay.

Reality is the space in which matter manifests within universal existence. It is in a constant state of transformation, never static. Matter continues to exist independently of our perception; a conscious observer is not a prerequisite for physical reality.

Atoms are not static — the particles within them are in constant motion, and under certain conditions (such as in nuclear reactions or within stars), these atoms can be completely transformed into others. At the fundamental level, matter is in a state of perpetual dynamism.¹

To understand the complexity of our reality, we can observe that it does not manifest in a single form, but rather in multiple layers that overlap and continuously interact around us. Each layer offers a different perspective on existence and influences how we live, think, and feel the world.

On an existential and personal level, however, reality gains meaning through perception: I create my own reality through thought.

Sometimes, a single moment of presence can reconfigure the entire inner universe.²

In what follows, we will explore the three main layers of our reality: the physical (objective), the conceptual (subjective), and the existential. These not only coexist, but also influence one another, shaping how we live our lives, form our perceptions, and understand the world around us.

1. Physical Reality
This is the layer we can experience through our body and which manifests objectively. It includes both things with chemical composition (matter) and physical phenomena (lacking chemical structure, yet measurable and detectable).

2. Conceptual Reality
This refers to what is imagined and accepted at a social, cultural, religious, media, educational, legal, economic, and moral level. Although this reality has no tangible weight, it directly influences us — mentally, physically, and spiritually.

3. Existential Reality
This concerns the individual way of perceiving and feeling the existence of one’s own being — through emotion, presence, imagination, and intuition — all deeply connected to the self-concept of individual consciousness. The self is the ability to think, feel, imagine, intuit, create, and be.

Reality is not only what we see, but also what we feel, invent, and create — both individually and socially. Reality is a split-second choice, constantly influenced by the other layers of reality.

Perhaps reality is not an absolute truth, but a fragmented experience, shaped by perception. And what we live as “real” is nothing but the echo of our inner self, projected into the world.³

Conclusion
Therefore, reality is not only what can be proven, but also what we feel in the absence of any proof. It is the subtle dance between matter and perception, between form and presence. And truth, perhaps, does not lie in what is, but in what we choose to feel as real.

Editing & translation assistance by ChatGPT