Tag Archives: Reality

Illucidations, Perspectives

It’s Just Too Easy To Think You’re Right

“I could be totally wrong, but I’m a… dancin’ fool”.
-Frank Zappa

Last night, a friend and I were texting on the subject of differing viewpoints.  I suggested that it’s just too easy to think you’re right. This morning, cogitating on “It’s just too easy to think you’re right”, I concluded that a corollary is “It’s too easy to be fooled.”, whether you’re interpreting reality yourself, or someone is intentionally fooling you or they actually believe something contrary to reality, and you take their word for it.  Now this, of course, depends on the belief that there is a non-relative definition of reality, which, due to human nature, and the constancy of change in the universe, seems not to be in the cards.  As soon as it’s clear that something is true, either science or someone who tells a good story, presents an interpretation of “what is” that seems to make sense to a large number of people; and “making sense” can depend on who will give you food or shelter or something that you think will make you feel better than you feel now.  Also, science is dependent on the availability of current statistics, for the most part, and their interpretation, i.e. another story, and the acceptance of an authority.  What a twisted web!

Some factions of “Christians” believe that The Bible is that port in the storm, something you can depend on for a reference to the truth or viability. There are both literal interpretations and looser guidebook interpretations. I guess you could call them “conservative” and “liberal.”

Then again, other religions have their own book with it’s own literal and guidebook interpretations, and The Books when compared may have some agreement but also fundamental differences due to what was evident to the writers at the time of the writing.

So everyone has a detailed definition of what they think reality is, based upon their pain vs. pleasure choices since birth and their interpretation of their experience up to the current moment. I call it their “personal dictionary”. 

For the same reason that, per science, no two people have the same fingerprint (creation’s constant production of variety), no two people have the same interpretation of an experience, because interpretation is based upon one’s continuously morphing personal dictionary, which determines viable choices based upon categories (labels) self-assigned to experiences.

“Can’t we all just get along?” -Rodney King

So let’s see if it’s possible that the universe and all people in it can agree on a small set of principles.
If such a set of principles could exist, it would have to have an accepted morphing component allowing it to be in harmony with the morphing functionality inherent in the universe on all levels, a “Morphable Good Book”, so-to-speak.  Here we go again…

Good luck with that.  It’s not a solution. It doesn’t remove the interpretation relativity factor whereby two people sitting next to each other in the same room can have very different experiences if a third person walks through the room — the total of physical and mental reaction experiences.

What if there were some experience/happening that made all the illusions disappear, for everyone simultaneously?  Consider this scenario:
Suppose that all of a sudden, by natural progression of the cosmos, a fundamental frequency shifts and a level of awareness of a broader spectrum is reached, a “veil is lifted” and everyone “tunes into the same channel”, and a consistent reality and value system is evident to all.  In such an environment, there would be no deception.   No one could lie because the truth is obvious to all.  The change would be more dramatic than from black and white to color photography. Not that there wouldn’t be creativity, but the primary interpretation for all things would be clear. In short, it’s what is called the “Age of Aquarius”.  I’m rooting for that.  It could be that the transition is gradual — maybe a critical mass thing, but we may be closer to that than we think. How definite is that!

Some people think that in order for this condition to be experienced that one needs to have left their relative earth body. Not necessarily. One does need to move one’s focus from earth 3D time-space relativity to actual unbounded possibility in the now. One’s mind is unlimited. A body need not slow you down. Mentally, you make choices in a multidimensional creative environment, an on-the-fly “Holo-deck”. Purposeful “dreaming” if you will. This dreaming is on-the-fly creation of the next moment by defining direction and choosing to go in that direction.
Ah, there’s the rub. Choosing to morph for the better vs. choosing to not change.

Let’s all choose to morph for the better individually. I guess you have to think about what “better” means for you, long-term and short-term, allowing unexpected possibilities to present themselves.

Let others know you appreciate them, and act accordingly. Feel appreciative of your chance to better your life and the lives of others.
I appreciate you because we’re the same, choosing moment to moment, relying on what we’ve experienced to make our choice.
But if we’re going to agree on something, perhaps we can prioritize appreciation, and expressing appreciation.

Am I right? 🙂

Illucidations, Perspectives

Point B

The general connotation of the phrase “getting from Point A to Point B” makes an assumption, that A and B are separate, with some “distance” in between, which one must navigate in some way, and experience the travel in some way. Realize, of course, that this perspective is a dual perspective promoted and accepted in a society that accepts duality as its modus operandi.

Our modern society, as a whole, doesn’t know much about a non-dual perspective named Advaita in Sanskrit, and part of Hindu tradition. Literally, A-dvaita, it means “not two”, i.e. a non-dual or monistic interpretation that can co-exist with the dual perspective – two ways to see and deal with the same thing.  Advaita advises that the most efficient way to get from Point A to Point B is to put your consciousness on Point B as a reality. Imagine what it’s like to be at Point B, the feelings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, and all that Point B presents. In that process of putting your focus on these experiences and feelings, you have given them substance.  You have created the components of Point B as you know they are.  Even if your eyes currently show you a “real” Point A, Point B’s blueprint has, in reality, been established with you in it.

The important thing is to accept it as a reality now and be thankful for it and not imagine any particular process for getting from Point A to Point B, because as soon as you think about having to do a particular sequence of things to get there, you’re ruling out other possibilities and means of Real-izing your presence at Point B, and you’re adding unnecessary time and experience to the process. If you think you have to swim the river, you may not see the speed boat offering you a ride.

In non-physical realms, such as what is called The Astral Realm, the world experienced in dreams, creation’s manifestation is immediate reality in one’s consciousness. If you think about Hawaii, your conscious is immediately there. You have switched to the Hawaii channel at will. Not controlling one’s thoughts results in tossing oneself around the universe, willy-nilly.

Now take this concept into the physical realm. If you fully accept the reality of the blueprint, and a conscious life not limited by time, and you do what the Point B version of you would do, Point A will fade and you’ll find yourself at Point B, with little or no effort expended.  It’s always good to cultivate and fertilize the soil and appropriately water where you plant a seed. Then the conditions will be right for the plant to flourish. If you want an audience with the Queen, get the clothes to be dressed appropriately.

So that’s the Point, Be.

Seymour Lovejoy

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Illucidations, Perspectives, The Real Deal

THE REAL DEAL – A Series of Commentaries

Perhaps it should be “A Real Deal”, since “The Real Deal” sometimes connotes singularity, as if there isn’t another deal that’s real. So first of all, what’s “Real” and what’s a “Deal”?

“Real”-ness comes in many flavors. You have your “physically” real, and “mentally” real and, some would say, “spiritually” real. Then there’s “relatively” real.  But those definitions are time consuming.

But what’s the point of a “Real Deal”?  If something is said to be “real”, why is it categorized as such? To whose benefit is it for something to be real?  (Now we’re getting somewhere!) Supposedly if someone says something is real, they are telling you about a phenomenon they have recognized, whether they know what to name it or not, and the information is given to you to use and respond to, as guidance, perhaps, and possibly to help them in some way.

But bottom line: “reality” comes down to significance, and what’s real and significant to you need not be real and significant to someone else. And then what’s a “deal”?  It’s a benefit to you. So a “Real Deal” is something someone says will definitely benefit you significantly. And they expect you to believe them.

So you have to determine if you trust them. If they are someone you have known or known of for a long time, you may fully trust them and respond in a manner that meets their expectation. On the other hand, if you don’t know them, you may ignore the information and consider it insignificant, or you may at least give it the “sniff test”, i.e. see if it’s plausible enough to investigate further.

So in my case, if I say something is a “Real Deal”, I would hope that you would give it a “sniff test” at least. Explore further. Try things. Do they make sense? Do they benefit you in any way? I would hope so.

-Seymour Lovejoy

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Illucidations

What is Reality?

A common question, but the Teachers would give an uncommon answer.

First of all, ALL THAT IS includes things that are manifest, things that are not manifest, and the Absolute which transcends all concept and form and is only experienced (if you can even use that word, since it implies duality in our culture) as Self.

Secondly, of the manifest things, i.e. things having some sort of recognizable qualities, there are multiple universes and multiple realms in those universes where activities occur according to the laws which are in effect and define those realms. And within each realm there are different densities or valences, such as we have solid, liquid and gas. The Teachers say there are other “humans” in other realms and on other “earths”, though they may not look or function the same as we do or live under the same laws. Not to mention non-humans and non-earths.

Thirdly, all things have perceptibility and varying degrees of capacity to act upon or respond to what is perceived. Think of perceptibility as if you were a television set receiving multiple channels simultaneously. Not everyone (or every thing) receives the same channels and has the same sources of information to work with. With different inputs and different capacities, “reality” appears different to everyone and every thing.

Fortunately we earth humans share common mental and emotional resources so we can observe things in common, can converse and negotiate definitions of things, and decide upon what is significant. But it IS a process of negotiation since we live under the Law of Dominance, which via evolution approaches self-dominance vs. the dominance of others.

Now if all this detail interests you as it does me, you can read the transcripts directly, but, bottom line, it comes down to building an internal focus capacity: dedicating some time to read, wrestle with the concepts, take a step back, look at life, question everything and begin to explore the methodologies given by the Teachers.

But also bottom line, you don’t need to fully understand the details of the working of the cosmos to be watchful, appreciative, giving and joyful. Start there, stay there. The attitude will take you where you want to go.

–Seymour Lovejoy

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Tools for Evolution

On Belief and Disbelief

I find it interesting that people frequently express disbelief in the possibility of something, while sitting right in front of them, pervading all experience is existence itself, and they have no problem accepting that! That is, if existence is possible, why couldn’t anything else be, imaginable or not?

Of course existence itself, and its cousins, awareness and experience, are unfathomable in scope, so the easy way to deal with them is to ignore them in our day-to-day lives and relegate them to philosophy class.

From the moment we begin accumulating experiences and associating them with pleasure and pain, we accumulate a value system which guides our choices. We tend to trust those people and experiences that bring us pleasure and distrust those that bring us pain. But because experiences are additive, when those that gave us pleasure or comfort in the past all of a sudden bring us pain, it can be confusing and can result in perverted perspectives, such as can result in children of abusive parents, where what is thought of as “love” can be twisted. Similarly, if someone attends a party and accidentally spills something on his clothes and is embarrassed, he may avoid future parties to avoid the pain he now associates with parties, when, in reality, fear of embarrassment, and not parties, is the issue.

For this reason, the Teachers urge each of us to question everything and examine the sources of our beliefs. Parents can be in error, tradition can be in error, schools can be in error, society can be in error. The earth turned out not to be flat!

So who and what do you believe? I love what my Tai Chi teacher, David Cheng, a Taoist master humorously said, “Don’t trust your mind too much. It’s barely good enough to earn a living!”

Perhaps some of the best advice comes from Jesus: “By their fruits ye shall know them”. Is there love (joyful acceptance and joyful giving) and its fruit, kindness, or is there fear and its fruits, anger and cruelty?

So how do you feel about what you’re reading? Does it resonate with you?

–Seymour Lovejoy

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