Name Origin: The term “crepuscular rays” comes from the Latin word “crepusculum,” meaning twilight. These rays are often most visible during sunrise or sunset.
God Rays: Crepuscular rays are sometimes referred to as “God rays” due to their dramatic appearance, often evoking a sense of awe or divine presence.
Illusion of Convergence: Although the rays appear to converge at a point in the sky, this is an optical illusion. The rays are actually parallel, but perspective makes them seem to meet at a point.
Light Scattering: The rays are caused by the scattering of sunlight by particles in the atmosphere, such as dust, water droplets, or air molecules, which makes the beams of light visible.
Occasional Moonlight: While crepuscular rays are most commonly associated with sunlight, they can also be created by moonlight, though they are much rarer and fainter.
Best Viewing Conditions: These rays are most visible when the sun is low in the sky and partially obscured by clouds, mountains, or other objects, allowing the light to filter through in distinct beams.
Biblical and Artistic Associations: Throughout history, crepuscular rays have been depicted in religious art and literature, symbolizing divine intervention or the presence of a higher power.
Different Colors: Depending on the time of day and atmospheric conditions, crepuscular rays can appear in a range of colors, from the golden hues of sunrise to the deep reds and oranges of sunset.
Lists of the world’s most intelligent animals don’t often feature cows, but our bovine friends have more emotional depth than they tend to get credit for. A 2011 study by scientists at the University of Northampton in England revealed that not only do cows have best friends, but they also get stressed out when separated from their BFFs — a relatable quality if ever there were one. The research was conducted by comparing heart rates and cortisol levels during 30-minute sessions in which a cow was penned with a “preferred partner” it was known to have a close bond with, then a “familiar but nonpreferred individual.” When the besties shared a pen together, their heart rates were lower and other signs of stress were also reduced.
Cows aren’t the only animals that form friendships. Chimpanzees and bonobos do, too, as do several others, including dolphins, horses, certain birds, and marmots. Dolphins can identify their friends by taste, whereas most other creatures are known for simply grooming, remaining in close proximity to, and touching their besties — capuchin monkeys, for example, gently stick their fingers in one another’s eye sockets as a bonding ritual. So don’t be offended if you get Shemped.
The Subjective Reality Hypothesis asserts: Your truth is what you sincerely believe, until you believe otherwise. This concept challenges our understanding of proof, perception, and the nature of existence itself.
A drunk man believes he can fly. He leaps from a window. In his mind, he soars—until the human jelly that is his remains believe in the physics the man did not.
But here’s the head-scratcher: What was the man’s reality? Did he truly fly in those moments before impact, his consciousness creating a reality of flight, however fleeting? What can exist beyond our perception of its existence?
Now, imagine you’re invited to a party. If you genuinely believe you’re funny, engaging, and worth inviting, you become the living embodiment of that belief. Your confidence radiates, your jokes land, and your presence becomes magnetic. You’ve transformed into the person you believed yourself to be, not through deception, but through the sheer power of conviction.
This concept extends beyond individuals. When groups hold conflicting beliefs, each sees their version as absolute truth. To them, it’s as real as gravity, persisting until challenged by undeniable evidence.
But here’s where our digital age complicates matters: Social media has made “undeniable evidence” increasingly problematic, if not impossible. Echo chambers, algorithmic feeds, and the ease of finding like-minded communities online have created parallel realities. What’s undeniable to one group is easily dismissed by another. The drunk man’s fall is now up for debate, with some arguing he actually flew.
This fracturing of shared reality pushes us to consider: What if consciousness itself is fundamental to reality?
Imagine a color that no human has ever seen. Can it exist if it’s never been perceived? Or consider the countless radio waves passing through us at this moment, invisible and unfelt. Do they exist in our reality before we build a device to detect them? Perhaps our reality is not a fixed stage, but a dynamic interplay between consciousness and potential, constantly evolving as our ability to perceive and believe expands.
This line of thinking suggests that consciousness might be the bedrock of existence. Our beliefs and perceptions don’t just interpret reality—they create it. The universe might be a vast field of potential, collapsing into definite states only when observed or believed in.
If consciousness is fundamental, the Subjective Reality Hypothesis has profound implications for religion, politics, and economics:
Religion: Your spiritual beliefs don’t just guide your actions—they shape your actual reality. If you sincerely believe in a higher power, that entity becomes real in your experience. Heaven, hell, karma, or reincarnation aren’t just concepts, but tangible aspects of existence for those who truly believe. This explains why religious experiences feel so real to believers, yet remain inaccessible to skeptics.
Politics: Political ideologies aren’t just sets of ideas—they’re reality-creating forces. If you genuinely believe in a political system, you start to see evidence of its effectiveness everywhere. This is why two people can look at crime rate and see radically different realities: a utopia for one, a dystopia for another. Your political beliefs don’t just influence your vote; they shape the very world you inhabit.
Economics: Your economic beliefs don’t just affect your financial decisions—they mold your economic reality. If you believe deeply in a particular economic theory — say, Effective Altruism or Universal Basic Income — you’ll see proof of its validity in every transaction, every market shift. This is why economists can look at the same data and draw wildly different conclusions. Your economic worldview doesn’t just interpret the market; it actively participates in creating it.
This view doesn’t negate external reality, or exonerate a Trumpian leader’s delusions. Instead, it suggests a deeper, more complex interplay between belief, consciousness, and the nature of existence itself—one that’s increasingly mediated by our digital landscape.
In this light, challenging our beliefs isn’t just personal growth—it’s an act of reality creation. If our beliefs shape our reality, then we have the power to create a better one — not just metaphorically, but literally. By choosing to believe in human potential, we may actually bring these realities into existence.
The Subjective Reality Hypothesis doesn’t trap us in isolated bubbles of belief; rather, it empowers us to collectively see a better world into being.
Are we passive observers, or active creators of our existence? Particularly here, particularly now, the answer just might lie in what we choose to believe.
