Psychorealism

An epistemological position according to which the mind (in a broad sense: cognition, affects, intentionality) determines how we perceive and access reality. It differs from cognitive realism by including not only cognitive processes but also emotions, desires, and unconscious structures. Weak version (Psychorelativism): different minds generate different, equally valid realities. Strong version (Psychodeterminism): the mind absolutely constrains what we can know. It is a common position in certain strands of depth psychology and phenomenology. Psychorealism highlights that psychological states are not merely filters but constitutive of the world as experienced.

Example: “Psychorealism reminds us that a depressed person and a manic person live in the same world but in opposite psychological realities. The central question: is this difference relative (weak) or determining (strong)?”

Psychorealism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026