The Nature of ‘Reality’
As always, this purpose of this post is to empower you, as I have empowered myself. Considering the bigger questions about life and the nature of reality allow me to expand my perspective, broadening my mind, and my perception of ‘reality’.
‘Reality’, as we tend to think of it, is intricately intertwined with our perception of it. In other words, there is not much difference between our perception and what we consider to be ‘real’. “Reality’ is also collectively believed to be an unchangeable thing ‘out there’ that is beyond our scope of influence.
Well, we all certainly have the power to change our perception of reality. The practical purpose of sussing out the very subtle distinction between my perception of ‘reality’ and the happenings I observe with my senses, is to locate that which I do have the power to change. I can change my perception. I can change my interpretation. I am locating my point of power.
The stories that I tell myself about who I am, where I am, the people and the world around me and the nature of existence - are narrated by me. They form my worldview and my beliefs about ‘reality’. Changing these stories, changing my beliefs and thoughts, changes the way that I perceive ‘reality’.
I can choose an interpretation that feels good to me, that feels acceptable to me. I can choose an interpretation that I do not fight or resist. When I interpret ‘reality’ in a way that feels unacceptable to me, I create tension in my body, in my heart and in my mind. The experience of this tension feels bad. It feels especially like a lack of peace or inner turbulence. This is happening inside my body, mind and heart, so I can absolutely, 100% change it - because I can change my mind. I can change my interpretation.
This can take time. In my experience, I often have to mull it over. I ask myself, “Is my understanding the only way to understand? Is there another way to look at it?” I ask, “How can I change or broaden this story, so it feels acceptable to me?” Lately I ask, “Am I sure my interpretation, my perception, is correct and relevant to the other people involved?” Humility goes a long way in this type of query.
Here is a simple example from a previous post: A husband asks his wife & the mother of his children to please hang the wet towels instead of leaving them in pile on the floor. The next day he comes home to find a heap of wet towels on the floor. He could interpret: “She doesn’t respect me at all! I have asked her time and time again, and still, she leaves the towels on the floor!” OR he could interpret: “We just spoke about this yesterday & there are towels on the floor. She must have had a very challenging day. I’ll hang up the towels, and see if there is anything I can do to support her.”
In this example, it is easy to see how each interpretation will have a very different outcome.
Changing my interpretation changes ‘reality’ because it changes what I believe ‘reality’ to be. This changes how I think, feel and act in relationship to others and the world. This, of course, then changes my relationships, which alter the happenings between me and others, as well as the outcomes (those things out there that seem distinct from me). Is that the ‘reality’ that I cannot change? Because it looks like my interpretation of ‘reality’ might travel and also affect the ‘out there reality’, much like ripples in a pond.
The deeper understanding is that there is no such thing as a ‘passive observer’. The famous scientific experiment that illustrated this is known as ‘The Double Slit Experiment.” In this experiment, unobserved light moves through slits in wave form. When the light is observed, the wave form collapses into particles that then move through the slits.
This suggests that ‘reality’ exists as waves of energetic potentials until it is consciously observed. An individual observer has various beliefs, ideas and feelings about who they are, where they are, and what the meaning of this experience of life is. The wave form potential is then actualized, or collapsed into physical particles based upon the beliefs, ideas and feelings of that individual. In this way, vision - or observation - is actually a very active, creative capacity. (If you want to chew on this some more, refer back to these posts: “Vision is an Active Faculty” & "The Art of Creation”).
How far can we take this one, simple idea to manifest a world of peace, abundance & cooperation?
This brings up another, deeper question for me. If the unobserved ‘reality’ exists in vibrational wave form potentials, then my body is actually energy vibrating at different frequencies. Your body is also energy vibrating at different frequencies. And the space, things and people between you ‘over there’ and me ‘over here’, is just energy vibrating at different frequencies.
The question I have is: Who, or what, is doing the observing?
And where is the distinction between us? What consciousness peers out of your eyes? What awareness peers from mine? Are they not the same?
In review:
Distinguishing between the happenings around you (wife left wet towels on the floor) and your interpretation (‘She doesn’t respect me’ versus ‘she’s had a very challenging day’) is empowering because you can choose your interpretation.
Changing your interpretation from a story that feels bad (usually a disempowering one) to a story that feels good or acceptable to you, will create a sense of relaxation in your body and a sense of peace in your mind and heart.
This relaxed and peaceful state of being will change the way you relate to others and to the world around you.
This will affect your relationships, which will bring about different happenings and outcomes.
Thus, by changing your own mind, you change ‘reality’. Your own mind is your access point to affecting the whole. If you want the world to change, you do so most efficiently and powerfully by changing yourself.
This is the real secret. This is the real alchemy, the practice of which brings about something infinitely more valuable than gold! Consciousness comes before physical manifestation! Consciousness is not a byproduct of physical happenings! Physical happenings are a byproduct of your consciousness! Think of it! Changing just this one belief in your own mind would create immeasurable differences in your experience of ‘reality’!