Because Buddhist psychology operates under the belief that the individual's consciousness of experience is constantly changing, the way the individual thinks of reality, and even the self, is flawed. Often, we think of reality and ourselves as a stable, controllable entity. However, under the Buddhist understanding of how we perceive experience, reality and the self are fluid.

Implications of the Buddhist Understanding of Experience for Reality and the Self

In Buddhism, consciousness is becoming aware of an object through one of the six senses. It is a continuously unfolding process, rather than something that permanently exists in and of itself. Consciousness is constantly changing.

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In Buddhism, the five aggregates of clinging, or skandha, are five factors that influence human desire and constitute the human being. The five factors are:

- Material form
- Feelings
- Perceptions
- Formations
- Consciousness

The Five Aggregates of Clinging (Skandha)

In Buddhism, there are six senses. These include:

- Sight
- Taste
- Touch
- Smell
- Hearing
- Mind

The Six Senses in Buddhism

Fabrizio, D. (ed.). (2009). Clinical handbook of mindfulness. Springer. 

Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness

Material form is the category of processing experience that acknowledges that individual's mind and body have biological processes that allow the individual to perceive experiences.

The Five Aggregates of Clinging: Material Form

The Five Aggregates of Clinging: Consciousness

In Buddhism, perception is the process of identifying what the individual experiences by associating historically learned patterns with what is happening.

The Five Aggregates of Clinging: Perception

In Buddhism, feeling involves assessing the value of an object to the individual.

The Five Aggregates of Clinging: Feeling

In Buddhism, formations are the intentional stances the individual takes towards an experience. In other words, formations include what the individual plans to do about the experience.

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