The paper deals with the issue of reality and especially with the conditions under which a sense of deviation from reality is likely to occur. Following a presentation of the major involved issues, two studies are described. Both are based on the Kreitler system of meaning which serves as the theoretical and methodological framework for the two empirical studies. Study 1 describes the dimensional questionnaire of reality which enables assessing the meaning assigned to reality and its

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... Study 2 examines the impact of stimuli characterized by different combinations of contents on the sense of deviation from reality. The hypothesis about the matching of content distances and the evoked sense of deviation from reality was supported as well as the expected impact of the observer's conception of reality. It was found that the broader it is the higher is one's tolerance of deviations from reality and readiness to accept them as real.