Reality Domination

The imposition of a particular version of reality as the only legitimate one, often backed by scientific or institutional authority. Reality domination silences alternative perspectives by declaring them “unreal,” “imaginary,” or “delusional.” It is the power to define the real, and through that definition, to exclude, pathologise, or punish those who live in different realities. This domination is most visible in colonial contexts, where indigenous worldviews were erased in favour of Western reality, but it operates anywhere that dominant institutions control the narrative of what is real.

Example: “The court refused to acknowledge the tribe’s spiritual connection to the land, declaring it ‘not real property.’ Reality domination: one reality legally annihilating another.”

Evidence Domination

The power to determine what counts as evidence, how evidence must be presented, and who is considered a credible evidential source. Evidence domination operates through hierarchies: randomised trials trump qualitative reports, written documents trump oral testimony, expert testimony trumps lay experience. Those who cannot produce evidence in the required form are dismissed, regardless of the truth of their claims. This domination is a central mechanism of epistemic injustice, silencing marginalized groups who do not have access to dominant evidentiary channels.

Example: “The asylum seeker’s story was dismissed as ‘uncorroborated’ because she had no written documents from a war zone. Evidence domination: demanding impossible proof to deny refuge.”

Reality Domination by Abzugal May 22, 2026