Remember first, that nothing actually exists in our perception, …, it is only a perception. All that exists in our sphere is Consciousness broken down into souls who further shoot off into egos … that have the ability to perceive through apparent bodies and their attendant senses. There are no trees, no desks, no autos. They are perceptions. My body does not exist in matter or energy. I perceive its contours with my sight; I perceive my heartbeat; I perceive the taste of food; I perceive the feeling of my footsteps; I perceive the smell of a flower. These are all perceptions. A body is not required for these perceptions to occur. My body is a perception of my soul/ego.
So how are we able to have a common perception of reality? This occurs because our little pieces of Consciousness, i.e, our souls, are all connected. The “programming” that creates our common perception arises from that Consciousness, which is the sole occupant of our sphere. This “programming,” arising from the oneness of Consciousness, allows we individual souls and egos to each perceive and experience the same panorama of reality. So we have a common storyline that underlies the existence that we perceive. But while consciousness controls most of our common perception, there is some leeway given souls, and significantly less leeway given egos, to individualize our perception to ourselves. My soul may determine that I need to experience a particular challenge that others do not need to be aware of. So my soul may create a perceived reality that is an offshoot, not on the commonly perceived timeline, and then seamlessly reconnect that offshoot into the commonly perceived timeline. My ego may do lesser escapades off the common timeline, such as the appearance of a warning sign on a road that fellow passengers do not see, causing me to slow down for a potential danger.
But the question could be “What is actually being perceived by human souls?” I am sitting at my desk, and I perceive my desk, computer and chair. Because I perceive them, I believe they are perceived within the common perception of human souls, although not strongly. Few of us will ever perceive my desk/computer/chair in our day-to-day perception, mostly just me, by my lonesome, sitting here.
But what about the Eiffel Tower? That is a perception that is so common, that it exists in the common perception of human souls very strongly.
What about a landscape in Antarctica? That is a perception that is roughly known for human souls, but only exists concretely in the perceptions of those visiting that landscape on the continent.
What about the third world circling a particular star in another galaxy? Since we don’t even have the astronomical ability to see that world, it may only exist in the perception of our human souls as an imagined place, but not specific to any world. So a star seen in the night sky may only exist in our common perception as that bright little light, or it may take on some additional form as the result of some imagining by a human being.
Do you see where this is heading? This perception of all existence in this sphere of ours is an evolving and growing thing. As new entities are discovered (microbes, archaeological sites, star systems) those entities enter the common perception to the extent they are “known.” More concrete perceptions take the place of imaginings as discoveries occur.
And the act of exploration does result in the creation of the finding of the exploration. The search for the next smaller particle by physics will result in the creation of that particle when it is found. It will then enter the common perception.
The universe does not just exist out there for us to discover, it exists because we “discover” it.