Perception is life, isn't it? It is through perception that we feel, see, and experience. When we consider a life experience, we tend to see from our own perspective. Seeing is believing... So they say. But are things always what they seem? Or appear? Chances are, no. Perception is not reality, period.
Perception is one variation or one part of the whole truth. Perception is usually based on what a person sees or experiences first hand, typically informed or influenced by experiences of the past and often based on impression for the future. Let me explain.
When we experience something, an event, an argument, whatever, our version of what happened is typically driven by how we feel, what we see, smell and hear at that moment in time. We are guided through that process by our interpretation of what happened. It feels true, because it is our belief of what happened. But it is only one version of the truth.
Now, how does the past fit into this? As we grow, we develop a belief system either through being taught by our parents for example, who teach us certain beliefs, or by life experiences where you might develop certain judgements based on how you felt at that moment when you experienced it. The way we live our life, the choices we make, and our reactions to experiences are always an expansion of the past and the beliefs we adopted along the way. We perceive through the lens of our beliefs.
Our perceptions are also based on our impressions of the future. Our perceptions can be guided by our aspirations for the future as well. When we have hopes and dreams, we can influence the way in which we perceive our experiences. For example, someone who is hopeful and optimistic about the future might see failure as an opportunity for growth and development.
Perceiving Through Mindfulness
When we understand the concept of perception, its one-sidedness, we can then open our minds to accept other versions of the truth, even when these versions are different than those of our own. Becoming more mindful means becoming more open to "seeing" with more than just our eyes.
Seeing with our eyes is an inherent skill we adopt from the very moment we are born. It is through the eyes (the five senses, actually) that we learn and adapt to our surroundings. We learn by seeing, doing and experiencing. It is through the eyes we learn to survive.
"Thea" is a Greek term for unconsidered observation. When we "see" with our eyes, and only our eyes, we are using a mindless approach to life. We look at our experiences through visual observation and we take that at face value and claim it to be the truth. Simply put, we make assumptions based on what we see with our eyes.
Seeing through reasoning, is a skill we develop throughout childhood and into adulthood, typically in a school or academic setting where we are taught to draw conclusions from facts and observations. The essence of reasoning is the search for truth, yet this can be challenging to achieve in practice and on its own.
When we "see" through reasoning, we are taking an intellectual approach to life. While seeing with reason is not a bad approach, it is limiting to our own understanding of the world based on our own experiences and beliefs. As we experience life, we observe and through those observations we can explain, but we can only explain what we perceive and often these assumptions leaves out clues for the perspectives or views of others. The truth from this perspective is very subjective to our own deductions.
Finally, there is seeing with the heart. Antoine de Saint-Expeury once said "it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, for what is essential is invisible to the eye". Seeing with the heart is perceiving without prejudice. When we "see" with the heart, we seek to understand; seek to understand our relevant truths and the relevant truths of others without judgement. When we can accept imperfections found within ourselves and others, it is then, we can learn unconditional acceptance. When we see from the heart, all is revealed as it is and when we can give the gift of seeing with the heart to others, intimately or through friendship, we often find truth. The ways in which we see will always be determined by the motives for seeing.
When we become more mindful of the way we "see", we become more open to experiences and begin accept the perspectives of others in an effort to better understand their position. We become more aware of our presence and our impact on others around us and we begin to change how we see ourselves, others and our experiences in life.
Our problems are not always as big as we may seem to think they are. Perspective changes everything.
Perfectly Imperfect,
Stephanie
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