Can We Ever See Reality Clearly? | Vase or Faces? Phenomenology Explained

Is reality truly what we see… or just how we see it?

In this deep-dive episode, we explore how perception is shaped by far more than meets the eye. Using the famous vase/faces illusion as a starting point, we unpack powerful ideas from Edmund Husserl, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Martin Heidegger on the nature of perception and reality.

From optical illusions and emotional filters to cultural lenses and bodily presence, this video invites you to question how you see the world—and whether it's ever possible to strip away the filters.

💭 Discover how phenomenology offers a mindful way to examine your own perceptions—and open yourself to the perspectives of others.

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 – The Vase or Faces Illusion
0:39 – Can We Ever Truly See Reality?
1:15 – Filters that Shape Our Perception
1:45 – Instagram Filters & Optical Illusions
2:59 – Cultural Lenses and Misinterpretation
3:49 – Emotional States as Filters
5:00 – Subjective Perception vs Objective Reality
5:16 – Introducing Edmund Husserl & Phenomenology
6:00 – What is Epoche? (Bracketing Assumptions)
7:10 – Perception Without Assumptions
8:28 – The “Naive Realism” Trap
9:35 – Maurice Merleau-Ponty: "I Am My Body"
10:43 – Perception as an Embodied Experience
11:40 – The Müller-Lyer Illusion Explained
12:56 – Context and the Unity of Perception
13:48 – Introducing Martin Heidegger & Being-in-the-World
15:00 – Tools as Extensions of Ourselves
16:31 – The Tree: How Meaning Shapes Perception
17:40 – Interpretation is Embedded in Being
18:55 – Summary: Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, and Heidegger
19:59 – Can We Ever See Things As They Are?
21:01 – Intellectual Humility & Empathy
22:30 – Final Reflection: A Practice, Not a Destination