perception
"Perception is like relative velocity. We tend to compare something or someone relative to our own perception. And thus, what we infer is relative to our belief structure, and not absolute in judgement."
"That is why perception is like induction: it is ampliative and goes beyond what is sensibly present to what is not sensibly present."
"Form is like a lump of foam,
Feeling is like a water bubble;
Perception is like a mirage,
Volitions like a plantain trunk,
And consciousness like an illusion"
"Perception is like adding another sense; a sixth sense if you will. Perception creates a mental impression from which observations can be understood and interpreted. It is this conception or notion of reality that facilitates making sense of the information we receive. Perception can interpret external and internal information simultaneously and provides meaning to the observations."
"If so, then perception is like sculpting from a block of marble, exposing the statue within it by removing extraneous bits."
"We've all gone through our share of dramatic -- and often TRAUMATIC -- personal "paradigm shifts." Early in life, one's perception is like a slab of silly putty -- it is easily twisted and shaped by the influences of culture, education, religion, and family. Sometimes, the end result is a distorted mass of contradictions and falsehoods. To "shift" one's "paradigm" in the direction of clarity requires conscientiousness, honesty, and unbending courage. Without this diligence, one is doomed to walk through life without the ability to discern the truth."
"The saying attributed to Zeno by Cicero{6} that Perception is like the fingers extended, that Assent is like the half-closed hand, that Apprehension is like the hand fully closed, and that Knowledge (Scientia) is like the closed hand firmly grasped by the other hand, would seem to attribute to knowledge a superiority over sense-perception. On closer examination, however, it is seen that the difference is only a difference of degree."

METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.