Severance: Nature of Reality

I meditated on the nature of reality through one of the scents I designed, and this question keeps resurfacing in many books I am reading at the moment on spirituality, as well as in popular TV shows. When Severance returns after a long break, my mind feels both empty and full at the same time. I have so many questions: we can’t comprehend the nature of our reality, whether through spirituality or science. Now, with new, imagined concepts, we are given even more questions. The sparseness of the scenes, the minimalism, both contradict and add to the complexity of the concept. Still, the question has been lingering in the background of my mind—could that be a reflection of our world?

Journaling Prompt: Is reality defined by what you know or by what you experience?

This journaling prompt challenges the framework of reality itself. If knowing is intellectual and experience is sensory, Severance raises the possibility of existing in a reality with one but not the other. Without memory, does knowledge hold weight? Without continuity, do experiences form meaning? Meditating on this question points to the fragility of what we call reality—how easily it can fracture when stripped of the elements we assume are fundamental. The stark, minimalist world of Severance invites us to confront how delicate our understanding of reality truly is, leaving us to wonder: what truly defines our existence?

When we meditate on this, we realize that reality may not be absolute—it’s a tapestry woven from knowledge, experience, and external influence. And within that, there is a fluidity. Our understanding of what is real can shift, depending on which of these factors dominate at any given moment. How does reality change when we step outside the narratives we’ve been told? Can we redefine it on our own, or are we always shaped by these external forces?