Melusine, my apologies for not being clearer. The difference between our points of view on this is actually small, if I understand you correctly.
I agree with you that we can certainly know that our conciousness, feelings, thoughts, etc. are real. However, in my opinion, this is all that we can truly be certain of. I am content with the world of subjective appearances -- I suspend judgement on whether there is some objective truth, some "real" world out there separate from and perhaps different from the world of appearances. Perhaps there is, perhaps there isn't. As it stands, I have no way of getting behind the world of appearances to find out for sure.
That does not mean that the world of appearances itself isn't "real". On the contrary, it is the only reality we know for sure. All else, the possiblity of being a brain in a vat, etc., are simply irrelevant and unknowable possibities as compared to the very real world of appearances.
I hope that made sense
