Real

[Reach]

If the people of Middle-earth

I don't quite see how this can logically hold. There are no 'people' of middle earth. They have no physical representation as they are a figment of Tolkiens mind.

To say that they are real is why this sort of perpetual, protracted seige on what is real and what is not continues. To say that invisible faries could exist simply opens a door that should not be opened; it's a logical fallacy. It's always a more logical argument to assume that something you can provide no evidence for is not true, and this case is a good example.

unadulterated universe detached from ours

He certainly hasn't created any universes here. We give words definitions for a reason. You cannot logically put forth the idea that somehow middle earth is some fabricated universe. You just can't. You can say that it is some altered perception of reality, because it is, as what we picture middle earth to be is only our brains putting information together.



So really, the only connection between middle earth and your perception of reality is inside of your mind. They are connected in that both are fabrications of your mind. What you perceive around you and what you picture in your mind are both simply your brain putting information together around you. However, a critical difference between these two 'realities' is that on has physical representation and the other does not; only a mental representation. I wouldn't consider it real, just a mental fabrication.