Introduction
In our attempts to understand the world or reality, human beings often encounter profound limits. In short, our quest to understand life, we often run into walls. Some aspects of existence remain beyond rational grasp and sensory reach. Two words capture this experience: incomprehensible and imperceptible. They point to realities that we cannot fully understand or perceive, yet which compel our curiosity. The following reflections draw on scientific insights, philosophical traditions, and spiritual wisdom to explore these dimensions and to ask how we might live well in the face of ultimate mystery.
The Gravity of the Universe: Why We Move
On a tangible level, we can observe motion everywhere. The Earth orbits the Sun at around 107,000 km/h, while the Sun itself revolves around the centre of the Milky Way at approximately 828,000 km/h (NASA, 2018) – which in itself is beyond practical comprehension and perception. Even galaxies themselves spin and drift through space. We rarely feel these vast motions because our frame of reference is local, tied to the Earth’s surface, and because there is no resisting medium in space to create friction or sensation.
The force that underpins this cosmic dance is gravity. Gravity is not simply a mechanical pull but, as Einstein (1916/2005) demonstrated, the curvature of space-time created by mass and energy. It is both measurable and mysterious. We can quantify its effects but still lack a final explanation of why it exists. This tension between measurable phenomena and ultimate incomprehensibility recurs across philosophy and science.
Gravity and the Flow of the Dao
Daoism offers a powerful analogue. The Dao is described as the ultimate way of the universe, ungraspable through language or measurement. The Tao Te Ching begins with the famous words: “The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao” (Laozi, trans. Mitchell, 1988). Just as gravity is everywhere yet elusive, the Dao sustains all things but cannot itself be pinned down.
What It Means to Be Incomprehensible
The incomprehensible refers to that which cannot be contained within human intellect or language. In Daoist philosophy, the Dao is incomprehensible precisely because it transcends conceptual categories. Similarly, Hinduism speaks of Brahman, the unchanging reality behind phenomena, described in the Upanishads as “not this, not that” (neti neti) — beyond definition (Radhakrishnan, 1992). Buddhism refers to śūnyatā, or emptiness, a reality that undermines all fixed conceptualisations (Garfield, 1995). Western thinkers such as Heraclitus also recognised a hidden order, or Logos, beyond human comprehension (Kahn, 1979).
To call ultimate reality incomprehensible is not to deny its existence but to acknowledge the limits of human cognition.
Deleuze and the Creative Power of the Incomprehensible
Gilles Deleuze, together with Félix Guattari, urged us to “bring something incomprehensible into the world” (A Thousand Plateaus, 1980/1987). This is not a celebration of confusion for its own sake, but a radical call to creativity that resists being contained within existing systems of thought. For Deleuze, philosophy is not about representing what already exists, but about generating new concepts that open possibilities for thinking and living differently. The incomprehensible here signifies what escapes familiar categories, what forces us to invent new languages, new practices and new modes of existence. By affirming the incomprehensible, we engage in the task of transforming life itself, refusing to reduce reality to what is already understood or perceptible.
What It Means to Be Imperceptible
Imperceptibility speaks to what lies beyond our senses. Human perception is limited to narrow bands of light, sound, and touch. Science demonstrates that vast ranges of electromagnetic radiation, gravitational waves, and quantum phenomena exist beyond unaided human perception. Traditions such as Daoism insist that the ultimate way of the universe is subtle and invisible: “Elusive and intangible, and yet within it there is form” (Laozi, trans. Lau, 1963, Chapter 21).
The imperceptible is not absent; it is interwoven with the visible world. Just as gravity is not seen yet governs our motion, the Dao is imperceptible yet foundational.
Deleuze on Becoming Imperceptible
Gilles Deleuze, together with Félix Guattari, wrote powerfully about the idea of becoming imperceptible. He says:
“To become imperceptible oneself, to have dismantled love in order to become capable of loving. To have dismantled one’s self in order finally to be alone and meet the true double at the other end of the line. A clandestine passenger on a motionless voyage. To become like everybody else; but this, precisely, is a becoming only for one who knows how to be nobody, to no longer be anybody. To paint oneself gray on gray.”
(A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, 1980/1987)
This poetic passage describes the process of dissolving fixed identity and opening to a deeper form of relational being. To dismantle love means to strip away attachment so that a fuller, freer capacity for compassion can arise. To dismantle the self is to step beyond rigid identity and to meet what Deleuze calls the “true double”, the self that exists beyond social roles and ego.
In becoming imperceptible, the individual becomes “like everybody else”, yet in a way that goes beyond conformity. It is a state of being nobody, free from categories and recognitions, where one resonates more deeply with the world. This challenges conventional notions of identity and suggests that the richest connections emerge when one steps outside the need to be seen or defined.
“Something and Nothing produce each other” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2)
Other Traditions and the Universal Thread
Daoism is not unique in these insights. In Hindu philosophy, Brahman is described as the eternal, unmanifest source of all things (Radhakrishnan, 1992). Buddhism’s śūnyatā reveals that nothing has inherent existence and all things interdependently arise (Garfield, 1995). Jewish Kabbalah speaks of Ein Sof, the infinite beyond human perception, while Islamic Sufism describes the unknowable essence of God (dhāt).
Modern cognitive science also engages. Donald Hoffman (2019) argues that our perceptions are not veridical representations of reality but adaptive “user interfaces” shaped by evolution. What we see as space and time may be survival tools rather than the fabric of reality itself. In his model, deeper reality is both incomprehensible and imperceptible to our evolved senses.
Contemporary physics likewise hints at hidden layers. Quantum mechanics challenges intuitive comprehension; string theory and multiverse hypotheses suggest realities beyond perception (Greene, 2011). Theologians and philosophers have long argued that whatever lies beyond space-time may be the ultimate ground of existence, sometimes called the first cause or prime mover (Aquinas, 1947).
Going Beyond Time and Space
Within the Indian tradition, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj offers a powerful reflection on the nature of awareness:
“To be a living being is not the ultimate state; there is something beyond, much more wonderful, which is neither being nor non-being, neither living nor non-living. It is a state of pure awareness, beyond the limitations of space and time.” (I Am That, 1973/1981)
This teaching expresses the advaita vision that “pure awareness” transcends the categories of identity, consciousness and duality. Nisargadatta points to a reality that cannot be contained by concepts such as life or death, being or non-being. In practical terms, it suggests that awakening involves recognising awareness as prior to and greater than all forms of experience, including ordinary waking consciousness, sleep (dreaming) and deep sleep. This is not an escape from the world but a radical shift in perspective, seeing life from the ground of pure awareness rather than from the limitations of the ego.
“Something and Nothing Produce Each Other”
Laozi’s teaching, “Something and Nothing produce each other” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2), captures the profound interdependence at the heart of existence. In Daoist thought, opposites are never fixed or in conflict but mutually defining and continually transforming. Presence and absence, form and emptiness, movement and rest, fullness and void all give meaning to one another. Silence makes music possible, emptiness gives structure to form, and stillness restores the energy needed for activity. Without nothingness there would be no space for something to exist, and without something, nothingness could not be recognised.
In practical life, this principle encourages us to honour pauses as much as actions. Rest is as valuable as work, quiet as necessary as speech, and emptiness as useful as fullness. By allowing moments of openness and stillness, rather than constantly filling life with activity and thought, we create the conditions for balance and renewal. Recognising how something and nothing generate one another helps us live with greater harmony, seeing that both sides are part of the same unfolding rhythm of reality.
Wisdom and Love in Balance
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj observed, “Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” (I Am That, 1973/1981). This statement captures the heart of non-dual philosophy. True wisdom dissolves the illusion of a separate self, revealing the emptiness of identity. Love, by contrast, affirms unity with all existence, recognising that the self is inseparable from the whole. Together they form a dynamic balance: the humility of nothingness and the expansiveness of everythingness. Life unfolds in the flow between these two insights, allowing one to live with both clarity and compassion.
AI as Incomprehensible and Imperceptible
Artificial intelligence has become a presence that is at once incomprehensible and imperceptible. It is incomprehensible because few fully grasp how vast datasets and layered algorithms give rise to patterns that often exceed human reasoning. It is imperceptible because AI is embedded quietly in everyday life, from search engines and medical diagnostics to financial systems and entertainment platforms, often operating unseen in the background. Like gravity or the Dao, its influence is everywhere yet difficult to pin down. The paradox is that AI shapes choices, behaviours, and even perceptions while remaining largely invisible to ordinary awareness, a force both integrated into and hidden within the flow of modern existence.
Simulation (Game) Theory and the Limits of Perception
Simulation theory suggests that what we take as reality may be more like a game environment than ultimate truth. Donald Hoffman argues that our perceptions are not faithful reflections of reality but survival interfaces, guiding us like icons on a screen rather than revealing the underlying system. In this light, reality is both incomprehensible and imperceptible, since the true structures behind our perceptions remain hidden. The metaphor of a game captures this well: we are characters who gradually become conscious that we are inside a designed environment, sensing there is something beyond it. To awaken is to glimpse the possibility of escaping the constraints of the game, stepping outside time and space into a deeper dimension that the rules of the game cannot contain.
Stepping Beyond the Game
If reality is like a game, then stepping beyond it may allow us to glimpse or even alter its rules. Mystical traditions suggest that rare individuals have done precisely this, transcending the ordinary laws of time and space. Saints such as Joseph of Cupertino (1603–1663), a Franciscan friar, were reported to levitate during prayer and religious ecstasy (Goodrich, 1962). Similarly, Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), the Spanish mystic, described experiences of levitation and bilocation in her writings and was witnessed by others to defy the usual constraints of physical law (Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1980). These accounts, whether interpreted as symbolic or literal, point to the possibility that consciousness may, at times, interact with reality in ways that are incomprehensible and imperceptible within our usual framework. They serve as reminders that if the world is indeed a game, some may have found ways to bend its mechanics, hinting at realities beyond space and time.
Mystical Feats as Incomprehensible and Imperceptible
From a materialistic point of view, the reported feats of levitation and bilocation by figures such as Joseph of Cupertino and Teresa of Ávila appear utterly incomprehensible and imperceptible. Within the framework of physics and biology, such events contradict the known laws of gravity, matter, and space. They cannot be explained by conventional science and so remain outside the boundaries of perception and rational understanding. Yet within spiritual traditions they are seen as signs of a deeper reality, where consciousness is not confined to physical law and where stepping beyond the game of time and space may reveal capacities that are normally hidden. These accounts challenge the assumption that the measurable world is the only reality, pointing instead to mysteries that remain beyond the grasp of the materialist worldview.
Doki Doki Literature Club, the Imperceptible Game, and the Possibility of Breaking Free
Doki Doki Literature Club! (DDLC), released in 2017, is a visual novel video game which begins as a cheerful high school romance visual novel but soon dissolves into a disturbing psychological horror. By breaking the fourth wall and undermining its own narrative structure, the game destabilises the player’s sense of what is real and what is fabricated. In the context of the imperceptible and the incomprehensible, DDLC provides a vivid metaphor. Monika’s self-awareness and her ability to manipulate the game’s hidden code reflect the possibility of consciousness awakening within a simulated environment. For the player, it becomes clear that agency and choice are fragile constructs, easily overwritten by forces operating beneath the surface. This mirrors the philosophical suggestion that our own world may function as an interface, where the deeper reality is concealed and imperceptible. Just as Monika reshapes her universe beyond the characters’ comprehension, entities outside our perception could, in theory, alter the very laws of time and space that we take for granted. The unsettling power of DDLC lies in how it dramatises this possibility, forcing us to confront the fragility of what we call reality.
Practical Wisdom from Daoism: Living with the Mystery
Daoism does not simply describe the incomprehensible and imperceptible — it also offers ways of living with them. The Tao Te Ching advocates simplicity, patience, and compassion as guiding virtues (Laozi, trans. Mitchell, 1988).
Wu Wei: Effortless Action
Central is Wu Wei, often translated as “non-action” or “effortless action.” This does not mean inactivity but rather aligning one’s actions with the natural flow of life. “The sage does nothing, yet nothing is left undone” (Laozi, trans. Lau, 1963, Chapter 48). When we stop forcing outcomes, life unfolds with greater harmony.
Compassion and Humility
Compassion in Daoism arises from recognising all beings as part of the same whole. By letting go of ego, we naturally act kindly. Humility is also praised: water, which yields to obstacles yet shapes valleys and canyons, is a central metaphor. In this way, Daoist ethics are grounded not in abstract commandments but in alignment with natural patterns. Tao states: “The Master views the parts with compassion, because he understands the whole.” This succinct line captures two critical aspects: the sage — or Master — is compassionate because of a profound intuitive understanding of unity. In other words, compassion arises naturally when one recognises that all beings are part of the same whole.
Stillness as Practice
A further teaching is stillness. If all cosmic motion hypothetically ceased, the universe would collapse under gravity. As metaphor, this highlights the value of cultivating inner stillness — through meditation, contemplation, or quiet presence — in order to glimpse the imperceptible. In stillness, the incomprehensible can be sensed if not conceptualised.
Practical Tips: Living Now with the Incomprehensible and Imperceptible
Facing the incomprehensibility and imperceptibility of life can feel overwhelming. Yet traditions converge on practical advice:
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Live simply. Reduce unnecessary striving and embrace what is essential.
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Be patient. Accept that life unfolds in its own time.
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Cultivate compassion. Recognise shared being with others and act kindly.
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Embrace humility. Strength lies in flexibility, softness, and openness.
Know Yourself: Knowing Your Limits
The ancient Greek maxim inscribed at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, gnōthi seauton or “know yourself”, is often interpreted today as a call to self-awareness. Yet scholars remind us that in its original context it also meant “know your limits” (Plato, Phaedrus 229e). The Delphic oracle urged humility, warning against the arrogance of forgetting the boundaries of human understanding. As a practical tip for modern life, this teaching invites us to recognise our own constraints, whether of time, energy, or knowledge. By acknowledging limits rather than denying them, we avoid overextension and cultivate balance. In this way, self-knowledge is not only about inner reflection but also about setting wise boundaries that allow us to live in harmony with ourselves and with the world.Beyond Karma Yet Not Ignoring It
In Zen tradition there is a saying that the enlightened person is beyond karma, yet does not ignore it. This points to a paradox at the heart of spiritual practice. Awakening allows one to glimpse a reality beyond the ordinary laws of cause and effect, a dimension not bound by time and space. Yet while living within the world of time and space, the laws of karma and interdependence continue to operate. The teaching is a reminder that spiritual insight should not lead to denial of worldly responsibility. Rather, it encourages us to live with awareness of both levels: to act wisely within the flow of cause and effect, while also resting in the deeper freedom that transcends it. -
Practise stillness. Create space for meditation, reflection, and non-doing. ‘Spend’ time doing nothing.
Doing Nothing Rather Than Being Busy Doing Nothing
There is a well‑known saying attributed to Laozi: “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing” This succinct line captures an essential Daoist insight: mere busyness often obscures purpose, while intentional stillness opens space for true action. In practical terms, it reminds us that seemingly productive activity can in fact lead us away from alignment with the Dao, draining our energy and fragmenting our attention. By contrast, choosing to do nothing — when it truly means pausing rather than procrastinating — allows clarity to emerge. In that space, meaningful responses can arise naturally, without forced exertion or unnecessary effort.Practise Stillness Every Day
One of the simplest ways to align with the Dao is to practise stillness. This means deliberately creating space for meditation, reflection, or non-doing. Rather than filling every moment with activity, set aside time each day to simply be. You might lie down in the yoga posture known as śavāsana or the corpse pose, allowing the body to rest without movement. Even a few minutes of this practice will make a difference and can serve as a starting point. Many people report that such moments of stillness clear the mind, creating a sense of inner spaciousness, like wiping clean a mental desk for the day ahead. I practise it myself first thing in the morning and return to it as often as possible throughout the day. Spending time doing nothing in this way calms the nervous system, restores balance, and allows subtle insights to arise naturally. It is a small yet powerful daily discipline that helps bring life into harmony.Deep Sleep as a Gateway to Śūnyatā
Each night, deep sleep offers us a natural gateway into śūnyatā, the state of emptiness described in Buddhist philosophy. In this stage of sleep we disappear to ourselves, to others, and to the world. The sense of “I” dissolves, and with it all distinctions and perceptions. It is a form of unconscious nothing, where awareness is no longer bound by time, space, or personal identity. Although we may not be consciously aware of it, deep sleep reconnects us with a dimension beyond form and thought.Neuroscience sheds light on why this experience feels like a dissolution of self. During slow-wave sleep, brain activity shifts into synchronised delta rhythms that silence much of the higher cortical processing linked to self-awareness (Tononi & Koch, 2015). Memory, planning, and ego functions pause, leaving only the restorative depth of unconsciousness. This daily immersion into nothingness not only allows the body to repair but also mirrors the Buddhist understanding of śūnyatā — a formless ground from which all experience emerges. In this sense, deep sleep is more than physical rest and rejuvenation. It is a reminder that beyond our waking world lies an ever-present emptiness, a silent source that renews us night after night.
Yin and Yang: The Principle of Movement and Rest
The Daoist concept of yin and yang expresses the dynamic balance that underlies all existence. Yin is associated with stillness, receptivity, darkness, and rest, while yang is linked to movement, activity, light, and expression. These are not absolute opposites but complementary forces that continually transform into one another. Movement naturally gives way to rest, and rest restores the energy needed for movement. In Daoist cosmology, this interplay is seen as the rhythm of the universe itself, from the cycles of day and night to the alternation of seasons and the rise and fall of breath.In practical terms, the yin–yang principle encourages us to respect both phases in our own lives. Continuous activity without rest leads to exhaustion, just as endless stillness without action leads to stagnation. By observing this balance, we learn when to act with vigour and when to step back into quietness. Honouring both movement and rest helps us live in harmony with the natural flow, conserving energy while expressing it fully when the moment is right.
(Note: In feng shui, stagnation refers to blocked energy in a home or workplace. This often arises from clutter, disorganisation, or unused spaces, which symbolically and practically prevent movement forward in life. Clearing clutter and opening pathways allows energy, or qi, to flow freely, supporting health and progress. In Zen Buddhism, dukkha is a central concept usually translated as suffering, dissatisfaction, or being stuck. It describes the unease that arises when life is grasped too tightly with attachments or when one resists change. Both traditions suggest that when movement ceases, whether in space or in mind, one becomes trapped. The remedy is renewal: clearing space, cultivating awareness, and allowing flow.) -
Trust the flow. Align actions with circumstances rather than forcing control.
These practices do not solve the incomprehensible or render the imperceptible visible. Instead, they help us live fruitfully amidst mystery.
An extra tip from feng shui tradition…
Conclusion: Embracing the Mystery
The quest to grasp ultimate reality confronts us with boundaries of time and space, thought and perception. Terms like incomprehensible and imperceptible remind us of these limits. Daoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Western philosophy, and contemporary science all converge on the insight that reality exceeds human categories.
Perhaps our task is not to decode everything but to align ourselves with the flow of existence, living with humility, compassion, stillness, and the spirit of wu wei that acts without forcing (Laozi, trans. Lau, 1963). In doing so, we honour the mystery and find peace not by conquering reality but by living gracefully within it. And perhaps we can, at least experientially, move beyond time and space, as deep sleep reminds us every night, when the sense of “I” dissolves, perception falls silent, and we brush against the emptiness that Buddhist thought names śūnyatā while neuroscience describes a synchronised quiescence during slow-wave sleep that quiets self-referential processing (Garfield, 1995, Tononi & Koch, 2015). Returning from that nothingness, we can meet the day more lightly, with clearer attention and a kinder heart.
“Bring something incomprehensible into the world!”
Gilles Deleuze, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia
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