How does metaphysical idealism describe the nature of reality?

Metaphysical idealism is a philosophical position that asserts the ideality of reality, maintaining that the world exists essentially as spirit or consciousness. In contrast to materialism, which posits that matter is the fundamental substance of the world, metaphysical idealism argues that reality is either constituted by mind or is best understood through mental qualities.12

The description of reality varies among different idealist thinkers:

• Subjective Idealism: As exemplified by George Berkeley, this view holds that there is no material world; objects are merely experiences or ideas within minds, ultimately sustained by the mind of God.23
• Absolute Idealism: G.W.F. Hegel proposed that the universe is penetrated and constituted by "Spirit." In this view, material things are not illusions but must be understood by their relationship to this fundamental spiritual reality.2
• Transcendental Idealism: Developed by Immanuel Kant, this theory suggests that the human self constructs knowledge by imposing universal concepts, or categories, upon sense impressions.3

Ultimately, metaphysical idealism maintains that reality reveals its nature more faithfully through mental dimensions than through material ones.1