Our senses tell us that every person we meet is a different self, but is this truly a fact?

Our sight, hearing, touch, and smell reinforce this perception, shaping our beliefs about others. Without senses, there is no experience and because our senses dominate our experience, we often act as though they are infallible, rarely questioning their accuracy. As a result, it seems natural to prioritize ourselves over family, friends, fellow countrymen, and finally, at the bottom of the list, immigrants. But can we trust that immigrants are truly separate from us, solely based on our senses? Have we stopped to consider how reliable these perceptions are?

History has shown us that our senses can be deceptive. For example, before Copernicus’s discovery in 1543, people believed the Sun revolved around the Earth because that’s how it appeared to their senses. Yet, with science and logic, Copernicus proved that reality wasn’t as it seemed. This revelation, while revolutionary, pales in comparison to the deeper truth: our senses mislead us in far more significant ways—especially in how we perceive immigrants and ourselves.

Our senses tell us that immigrants are separate from us, that they have a self different from ours. We assume this is how all of us exist, but is this true? 

Discovering the True Nature of Self.

If immigrants truly possess a different self from us, then each of us would have to possess our own self. But what does it mean to have your own self? It requires three things: 

1. You must be a singular, independent entity. 

2. You must have the ability to generate yourself without being a product of external factors. 

3. You must exist as “you” and “them” without relying on the conceptual labels of the mind. 

Let’s analyze whether an immigrant—or anyone—truly possesses these characteristics.

1.Singularity: 

An immigrant is not a singular, independent entity. Upon closer inspection, every person, including immigrants, is made up of countless smaller parts: head, torso, limbs, down to atoms and even smaller particles. No single part can exist on its own; they are products of something else, and they all depend on other components. Similarly, the mind is composed of a constant flow of consciousness, with each moment made up of even shorter moments. No person is a singular, unchanging self. This is a crucial, yet often overlooked fact. Just as Copernicus revealed that the Earth is not the center of the universe, we now see that no one is a singular, separate self.

2.Self-Generation: 

Can an immigrant produce themselves, or are they the result of external forces? To generate oneself, one would need toexist independently of the Earth’s ecosystem, gravity, minerals, water, and the vast network of life that sustains us. But no person, immigrant or otherwise, can exist without these factors. From the food we eat to the air we breathe, everything is interconnected. Immigrants, like everyone else, are products of the same universal processes and essence. Thus, no one possesses their own independent nature that is capable of self-generating, thus everyone is without their own unique essence. Everyone is a reflection of the same universal nature with countless physical and nonphysical elements constantly recycling themselves through countless forms.

3.Labels and Conceptualization: 

Lebel “immigrant” is merely a concept generated by our minds and only imposed onto the perceived body and mind. The body and mind are valid and exist, but the concept of “person” or “immigrant” is created by the mind and only exists there, labels don't come from the side of the perceived bodes, yet 99% of people believe they do. These labels don’t reflect any inherent truth about someone’s existence; they are inventions of our mind and exist only there and not outside. Yet, we act as if they define the person’s reality.

The Illusion of Separation. 

So, what does this mean? The facts of existence tell us that there is no essential difference between us and immigrants. We are all products of the same universal nature, lacking any independent, self-generating essence. Our perception of immigrants as different is a distortion of reality, a trick played by our senses.

In truth, humanity exists as a seamless, interconnected organism. Our bodies and minds are created by and are part of the whole, not separate from it. The only differences between people are the labels we create, like “immigrant” or “us.” These labels are social constructs, not grounded in any physical reality.

Why Do Our Senses Mislead Us?

We are unaware of how everyone exists and hold tightly to the belief that each person has their own distinct self. But as we’ve seen, this belief is baseless and pure fiction. Just as Copernicus shattered the illusion that the Earth was the center of the universe, it’s time for us to recognize that the duality between “me” and “them” is a falsehood created by our senses. The truth is that everyone, including immigrants, shares the same essence as us.

The Only Difference Is in Labels. 

The only distinction between people lies in the labels we use—“immigrant,” “us,” “them.” These labels were created for convenience, not to represent the truth of how people exist. They exist only in our minds, yet we wrongly believe they come from the individuals themselves. This belief is a profound misunderstanding of reality, and the exclusive reason for all our unhappiness, suffering, and conflict.

Immigrants Are Us. 

It has been over 500 years since Copernicus revealed the inaccuracy of our perceptions, so isn't it time we take another leap forward? Isn't it time we recognize that duality—the experience of "me" and "them" as separate—is a falsehood created by our deceiving senses? The only real difference between people lies in the labels we create, such as "immigrants" and "us." These labels were invented for convenience, as mere social conventions, and nothing more. They were never intended to reflect the truth of a person's existence. Labels do not originate from the physical bodies we perceive; instead, they exist solely in our minds. Yet, despite this, 99% of people mistakenly believe these labels are inherent to the people and things.

To see an immigrant as a separate self is to fall victim to a grand illusion created by our senses and the mind that's unaware of how everyone exists. The next time we encounter someone labeled as an immigrant—whether on the southern border or in the Mediterranean Sea—we must remember that our senses are deceiving us. These individuals share the same self as we do; they are us.

By embracing the facts of existence, we can begin to see beyond the illusion. We will come to perceive immigrants, and indeed all people, as they truly are: one and the same to us. When we shed the illusion of separation, we’ll recognize that every immigrant is more than a brother or sister—they are us.

Editor Alexandra Sullivan