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This is all really interesting and I was particularly struck by Zoe's comment: what is the difference between what is there and what is not there? I've often considered the difference between reality and what is actually just a construction of the imagination. For example, there are times when one is asleep and dreaming, but a stimulus from "reality" (such as a telephone ringing, a doorbell or a person calling one's name) can easily become incorporated into the dream, leaving the person unable to distinguish between reality and the dream. So then when there is an overlapping area between reality and the imagination where each can interchangeably enter the realm of the other, how do we truly recognize the difference between the two? Personally, I am most comfortable thinking of it in terms of the I-function. There seems to be a range of "alertness" or degree of I-function among people. Some are more aware than others even they are in the same state of consciousness. Consider the differences among people who are quickly awakened from sleep when a slight auditory stimulus enters their ear, whereas some people take this stimulus and incorporate it into their dream. Although both groups considered are in the same state of sleep, their I-functions operate at a varying levels; individuals with more "alert" I-functions are easily awakened whereas individuals with a less "alert" I-function are more likely to observe the stimulus as a part of their dream. Although the discussion is about "seeing" things, and this example only considers auditory stimuli, I think it is quite relevant to our investigation on the line between reality and constructs of our imagination.