Dimensions of Reality

 

The years of conversations, disagreements and meetings of the mind have taught me a lot about human interactions. The greatest lesson is to pay attention to what frame each person seems to be speaking from. By this I mean what are the words being used, how are they used and how much energy of what kind is coming across to me. I have no problem at all cutting short an exchange if the indicators start telling me it's getting unreasonable or heated.

It happened the other night when a group was sitting around in a social situation when a man started to mock a nurse for having a scientific view of germs. He called it indoctrination when I pointed out that she was a trained nurse in the medical profession. As he escalated his rant, I said, "I'm not willing to listen to your version of reality," and went to another small group.

What we see and hear so often in America these days is a conflict in our visions of reality. The world as you see it right here, right now, is reality regardless of what scientists say about it. And the world revealed by scientific discovery is also reality, no matter how it may appear. People tend to have a favored dimension of reality and are upset when others intrude on it and challenge their lifestyle.*

There can be two mutually inconsistent realities, one of immediate appearance, ruled by function and feel, and one of underlying scientific explanation, ruled by analytics and research. Of course they don't fit and don't have much of anything to do with one another. Now that's quite a situation!

Now the metaphor of dimensions, seeing ones point of view and even realities are all related to sight. I just had cataract surgery where my right eye lens was replaced giving me 20/15 vision. Pretty darn good I'd say. Well the left eye is 20/30'ish but has the advantage of being able to see small print. Two different ways of seeing things. 

I remember using contact lenses decades ago and came across the strategy of mono vision. Monovision is a vision correction strategy that adjusts one eye for distance and the other for near, reducing reliance on glasses though it may take time for the brain to learn to "balance" between the two images. So far my brain is adapting pretty well and I can see far away and close up. By closing one eye I can really see great in either dimension. Enough of that for now.

Time for another metaphor. One of my favorites is, "The one with the shovel gets to dig the ditch." I used to feel put upon sometimes that I was the one that always got things done at home, at work or just about anywhere. This phrase has helped keep my ego right sized on many occasions and has a place at the center of this situation of mutually exclusive dimensionality. If you can see the difference, that's your shovel. Perfecting the dimension correcting strategy similar to that of Monovision allows the opportunity to interpret what has been irreconcilable differences and at least allow the possibility of reconciling the situation a bit or at least de-escalating it. The brain has to adapt to speak from  and about both worlds coherently.

The ability to see differing dimensions of reality is a strategy and one that requires effort and lots of practice. For me it has been worth it. 

There is, however, a cautionary note for serious consideration. Anyone willing to take up this strategy, practice seeing both dimensions, must exercise extreme care. You may be considered eccentric, then possibly crazy and shunned or possibly institutionalized by court-ordered removal from society. Exercising discretion is key as in the following riddle:

What's the difference between a mystic and a psychotic?

The difference is that the mystic knows who not to talk to! 

 

*Apologies to Robert M. Pirsig

Why?

 

I've been asked, "Why do you meditate?"

When you have experienced Meditation you will know. When dull thought is removed. When the moment flashes through you vividly as living truth. When you perceive directly, almost without thought process. 

At these times I am something real, the only real thing about my present state and all the conscious activity connected with my body is centered on that I. From that moment onwards the 'I' or Self focuses attention on itself with a powerful fascination. 

It is that fascination that draws me to the Source.

 

If you direct your attention outside you may attain much, but that much will not count much in the end. If you are a stranger to yourself, even the whole world will not fulfill you.

Most of us are raised only to focus our attention outward. Even in spiritual and/or religious rituals we are devoting ourselves to an external something. It's no wonder that when we are approached with a challenge to look inwards we are skeptical. If you are anything like me there is a swirl of thoughts, emotions, and desires that exist when attempting to know who we are.

For a very few there is an instantaneous awareness of who they really are. The rest of us come to a vague understanding that there is a possibility that something might exist outside the material world of change, disappointment and pain. But how do we find our way? For me there were a series of people, books and practices. It was time consuming and a process of trial and error until I began to see the benefits of looking inward.

Each of us will find our way if we persevere. Every human being is seeking the source and must one day come to it. We come from Within; we have gone outward and now must return inward to rid ourselves of the feeling “Is that all there is.”

We have covered our true selves over with thoughts and passions. To throw them off we must concentrate. Who is it that goes in and out? Who is it that has thoughts and passions? It is the I that I think I am. Who am I?
This is Self-enquiry; cooperating with the force that attracts us.
The Self is like a powerful magnet hidden within us. It draws us gradually to Itself. When we are near enough, It puts an end to our other activities, makes us still and then swallows up our individual current thus ending our personality. It overwhelms the intellect and floods the whole being. We are like iron filings and It is the Self-magnet that is pulling us inwards. The process of finding Self is a form of divine magnetism. A powerful attraction.