[Piraeus]

I am kind of obsessed with reality and perception. Ever since I was diagnosed
with schizophrenia, I have questioned what is real and not real. My ideals have not changed, even though I am on meds. My perception is truth in my eyes. I think many of the so called delusions I had before meds, are still as real as ever. Being under surveillance, hacking my computer, and tapping my phone, just to name a few. I don't want to believe this , but my intuitions tells me it is the truth. Sometimes my delusional thinking carries it just a little bit too far.Plato and The Allegory of the Cave really speaks to me.

The Allegory of the Cave illustrates the way most people view the world around them. The reality that exist for most people is made up of their immediate surroundings and contact with others close to them. Home, work, and family basically make up the whole of their reality. To most people this is the only thing that is important in their lives. I view reality as a whole. The world is not just made up of materialistic things. There are realms of forms that most people cannot or will not perceive. If they open up their minds and try to be receptive to this realm, they may experience a new kind of perception.

Here is a link to a better interpretation of Plato.
http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/cave.htm

There is just one thing that needs to be said. When the prisoners are released and they are able to see the world as it is, they refuse to believe what they are shown as reality. It takes time for them to perceive things as they are. Even then, they may never understand what is real. I hope this makes sense.

I don't know if it was a sign of my intelligence or my impending insanity, but I've been thinking these things since I was a preteen. Perhaps my impressionable mind shouldn't have read so many psychology & philosophy books. But I know what you're trying to convey. I obviously can't give you answers to the questions you ask or attempt to make things clearer for you, because I'm still searching for answers myself.