Profound . . . “a thing in itself is nothing” is perfectly valid. It is certainly not something that can be understood as-it-is except on grounds of our relation to it. Therefore, all is perception. “Only in relation to something else does it become” — do you see this as our thoughts/consciousness manifesting our reality? Perhaps this is how we are co-creators of this universe. To do this, we have divided ourselves into “two great forces” — male and female, the yin and yang — so that “a force greater than its own”, that which is creative, may give birth to matter.

Just rambling . . . Kant’s idea of “thing-in-itself” has always fascinated me.

Thank you for your post. It does make sense to me :)