The Perceiver and the Perception
Your personal reality is oriented through your perception. That’s not really a news flash to some people. To most people though, that’s putting the onus way too much on them and I don’t think those folks want that kind of accountability. That being said, no one is forcing a reality on you. You’re creating it yourself through your perception, whether you’re analyzing your own subjective perception or the collective perception. Let’s dig in!!!
You know what we do here. Let’s get a starting point for the word “perception” from Dictionary.com:
- the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
Physical Senses
I think it’s important for me to separate the senses I’m speaking of that should be creating your reality. I’m speaking of the five human physical senses; touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. I’m not going to cover your inner/internal senses, even though they are equally orienting your reality. That topic could easily be its own standalone article.
The physical senses help you navigate your present experience. I use the word “present” because that places you in the here-and-now. Whatever is going on in your current environment is what your physical senses are collecting data on. Are you in a room where the air conditioner is turned down too low and now you are cold? What may be too cold for you could be just right for someone else.
Your physical senses are aiding you in determining what you should do in this environment; leave, complain, or put on another layer of clothing. It’s totally up to you, but whatever choice you make is because of your own physical senses and not the person sitting next to you in that same room. After all, you are the perceiver. These are your perceptions.
Have you ever seen two people in the same environment arguing or debating about — what amounts to — their own perceptions? As if they need someone outside of them to co-sign their own perception? As I said, these perceptions are the foundation of your own reality so I can understand if you want someone to help make your present reality valid but what may be happening is you are arguing about the perception of your belief and not what’s presently taking place.
Believing It’s Real
I’ve written about the power of your belief, extensively. I’ve even created a formula to help you activate it. Lol. I’ve noticed an odd happening with most people, in regards to their belief though. They are choosing their belief (from a past experience or hoped for future experience) over the information their present, physical senses are providing. Therefore, they are perceiving a reality and attempting to retrofit into their PRESENT reality. Physical senses be damned!
“You are a third grade math teacher and you have a male student, Tom, that the second grade math teacher told you was a major headache and interrupted the class often last year. After a solid month of class, you haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary from Tom. His grades are good and he’s attentive. One day, a separate student comes to you and tells you someone stole his calculator out of his desk and he doesn’t know who. You immediately pull Tom aside and question him, even though he’s done nothing in your class to receive that treatment.”
In your reality, Tom was never a good person but your physical senses told you he was. Why didn’t you question someone else first?
“Your girlfriend of three years, Monique, is a nurse and works insane work hours weekly. She usually comes home tired and drained but calls you when she gets home to let you know she’s safe, like clockwork. The last few days she hasn’t called you till much later than her norm and once didn’t even call you till she actually was about to go to sleep for the night. You think something is going on and you’re going to ask her is “something up” because your last girlfriend cheated on you and you don’t want to relive that experience.”
What did your own physical senses say about the situation? She never stopped calling everyday.
Indoctrination
Yeah, indoctrination is a big word but I think most understand the terminology; the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Again, we’re tackling beliefs used to perceive instead of allowing your physical senses to do their job. Some have been indoctrinated into religions, political views and societal standards. Can these views/beliefs betray your very own physical senses and create a separate reality?
“You’ve spent your elementary, middle, and high school years reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with your classmates every morning. You’re almost on auto-pilot now when an announcer at some event tells you to “Please rise and honor America by saying the Pledge of Allegiance.” Currently, you’re at your son’s high school varsity basketball game and the announcer requests everyone to stand and recite the pledge. Everyone stands but you notice an older man about five feet away from you sitting with his hat on. You wave at him and motion him to stand up but he ignores you. This angers you.”
You have no idea what’s going on with this guy or who he is. How can he make you emote in this way? He’s a stranger to you.
The Perceiver and Perception Are One
In all the examples above, the reality is made by the perceiver. It doesn’t matter what the fuel deposited into the perceiver is. The reality created only knows the perception. Knowing this can help you change your reality or the reality of others. How are you perceiving others and how are they perceiving you? Better yet, how do you perceiver yourself?
In my earlier example, Tom matured as a young boy and became more stable. Did that result in an immediate change in the perceptions about him? Maybe, maybe not. But, eventually, even the realities around him will have to bend to his reality.
Monique started going to the gym after work because she couldn’t figure out any other time to do it. Did she pass on that information and the boyfriend just forgot? Maybe. Did she just not tell him yet? Maybe. Regardless, the boyfriend will get over it. Again, his reality will shift to her new reality.
The older man who didn’t stand up for the anthem was a disabled vet and couldn’t stand. The irritated man will soon find that out and calm down. His reality will shift to that of the older man’s reality.
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