tell me the truth!

When I ask my six-year-old granddaughter to tell me the truth, it isn’t always clear if her answer is fiction or fact. Unfortunately, this kind of ambiguity has become widespread. But I’m not here to talk about fake news. I want to tackle a more mysterious and existential question: Is there such a thing as THE TRUTH? Many people like to think so.

The classical view holds that truth is what corresponds to reality. That would be a perfect answer if there weren’t so many disagreements about what “reality” actually is and what we’re comparing our ideas against. Another perspective considers coherence: something is true if it fits within a context — like saying, “This house is well-built.” If the design is top-notch, the materials are of high quality, and the builders did their job well, then it stands to reason that the result should be a solid building.

The pragmatic view of truth argues that if something works, then the ideas behind it are likely true. Aeronautics provide a good example of this. Then we step onto a slippery slope — the idea that truth is relative to social and cultural contexts. Are Western women hussies because they bare their heads, and more, in public? Is chocolate ice cream the best because it’s my favourite? Many suggest there is no objective truth, that all “facts” are coloured by our viewpoints. The sun kept on revolving around the Earth.

As for THE TRUTH, I’d argue it doesn’t exist, or that we all hold a tiny shard of it. Yet many — including psychonauts — believe in an underlying reality that can be known objectively. It’s true that many report similar experiences when it comes to encounters in the otherworld, or hyperspace. Most of us have experienced things that are not so easy to explain within the context of ordinary reality. The real problem begins when different groups start claiming ownership of the one and only – beatific – truth.

Truly yours,
Susanne G. Seiler

P.S. You’ll find us at the gaiamedia lounge, in the back yard of (behind Basel’s SBB station, tram stop Peter Merian), every Thursday afternoon from 14 – 18 h. Welcome!