Perception: It's All In Your Head... But Should It Be?

When we think of perception, we probably come up with an explanation something like ‘it’s what I see in front of me, my views of a certain situation.’ We’d probably also agree that perception is personal.

But how is that so?

Why do I ‘perceive’ something in vast difference to the next person?

Am I under an illusion or perhaps I live in another reality?

We're going to go a little deep here and stretch the mind into philosophical thought. This one might take a few reads and some time to ponder but hopefully it will get your perception peaking!

What is Perception, Reality and Illusion?

We’ll kick off with a dictionary definition to level the field.

Perception is a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem; Reality is the state of things as they are, rather than as they are imagined to be; and Illusion is an idea or belief that is not true.

And now…

I ask you to put aside your illusory perception of reality and journey with me down a road less travelled.

A New Framework for Awareness

A picture paints a thousand words so I’ll start with one. Hold this thought as you go.

Perception is the Mothership

Perception is beyond our thinking mind and guides us home into the chalice of our own heart. It is the powerful and, if not persistent quantum exchange of pleasure-seeking momentum. It’s what we feel, not what we think.

As humans, we seek out that which brings us joy, clarity and patience. When we perceive amongst these things a disruption, that is when our human instinctual behaviour sets in.

And so, enters the thinking mind.

Limited Reality

We move away from our heart’s truth and allow our thoughts to battle out what we have deemed to be the reality of a situation. They are of course, just the concepts of an overthinking and overbearing mind, limited by our own experience and environment.

When internal chatter, noise and struggle prevents thought forms from creating in their own unlimited playground, then the perception of anything – truth, love, anger, resentment – falls apart. The heart’s truth can no longer feel, and the proxy state of balance can no longer be held. The scales tip and the grip on reality is loosened, falling down as the rigor of the overthinking mind comes into full force to make rational statements of vague or questionable argument.