Perception, Representation, and Reference.

Now-a-days, I reserve the word 'thing' for "reference" to the event level, but I usually include the qualifier "putative", to indicate projection. Similarly, I reserve the word 'object' for representation of the object level non-verbal brain experiences, principally when using the third person perspective, or for perception of the object level non-verbal experience, principally when using the first person perspective. That way "objects" are objects of the verb 'perceive' and putative things are referenced by representation objects that I experience as perceptions. I sometimes object when others thingify their objects and objectify their perceptions. It's all a matter of semantic reactions. The objectification of formulations generally produces Heracleitian differences, but the semantic reactions may be, sometimes forcibly, perceived as abstractly similar enough to be abstracted to and represented equally by the word 'same'. "I dunno... I think not.", said Descartes, and promptly disappeared.