The Black Box World (32)

The scents encountered along the journey are likewise subject to change; different locations emit distinct aromas. This demonstrates the constant transformation of external olfactory objects. These scents are transmitted through the nasal faculty into the supreme faculty, forming internal olfactory sensations that become images within the black box. Our nose consciousness and mental consciousness perceive these internal olfactory sensations, each scent arriving sequentially. As the locations traversed differ, so do the transmitted scents, and consequently, the scents (olfactory objects) we perceive also vary. Yet, because the scents we experience seem identical to those in the external world, we believe that what we smell is the external olfactory object itself, perceiving it as utterly real—whether it seems to originate from a restaurant, flowers, trees, or a specific person, as if they were tangible material scents. In truth, they are all internal olfactory sensations within the black box.

When eating, as the external taste objects of food and drink change, the internal taste sensations perceived by our tongue consciousness and mental consciousness also continuously shift. Consequently, we believe we are consuming real food, tasting genuine flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, feeling as though everything is real. In reality, these too are merely internal taste sensations within the black box—mere reflections. We perceive these reflections as real because they correspond to the external taste objects, making us unaware of their illusory nature.

The tactile sensations perceived on our bodies—the gentle breeze, the warm sunlight, and other tactile experiences encountered along the way—are also constantly changing. What we feel are likewise internal tactile sensations within the black box. This is because the external tactile objects are perpetually in flux: sunlight may grow warmer or cooler over time; a gentle breeze in one place may become slightly stronger in another, or absent altogether elsewhere. The hand might touch flowers, trees, or various objects—all these external tactile objects are continuously transforming.