Perception

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

It has been said that perception is not reality. Perception is that which goes on in the mind, between the world and our consciousness. Consciousness is what we are, but many times we experience ourselves to be the culmination of the content of mind. This content is like the lens through which we view the world. If we see a fearful world, it’s because we hold onto fearful content in the mind. If the world makes us angry, it’s because the mind contains the energies of anger. Beyond emotions, if we hold a belief about something, we also project that onto the world. For example, if we hold the belief that “there’s not enough,” we will look at the circumstances of our lives (finances, house, car, relationship, etc.) and believe that we don’t have enough. If we believe that there is no purpose to life, we will see a meaningless world.

The way to understand this is to simply become aware of it. The next time you feel unsettled about something, try to see that what’s happening in the world are objective events. The way we feel about those events and what we think about those events comes from within. As you bring awareness to this mechanism, you can consciously choose to set the intention to let go of the feelings towards and beliefs about external events. What is happening “out there” begins to lose its power over you—a power that you gave it.