Our understanding of events as they happen, and thus by natural extension our understanding of our life experiences, is subject to a form of distortion.

Do we change our perceptions? We change the object of our perception, even the pattern of our perception, but not the process itself. That remains consistent which means we project our own body image out into the world, our own life processes. The malfunction of a computer registers much the same as pain in one of our limbs. We interpret events personally, and thus we hit a wall in our comprehension.

There is a difference between actual experience and perceived experience, likewise there is a difference between actual self and perceived self. We all form a perceived self in the process of growing up. We impress on our parents and other significant figures, or rather they impress on us, and we come to identify with them. This happens instinctively. It is not a conscious philosophical choice. Our brains are hard wired to network socially first and foremost.

Is that animal instinct? Basically, but animal instinct infected with a great deal of cognitive noise. We assess threat through a filter of our extended or projected self-image which is often mistaken for self-awareness. Some people insist that this is actually self-awareness. So because of how the perceived self is formed, we project not only our own flaws and shortcomings out into the world, but those of our parents or significant care givers as well. We interpret these insights as “facts of life.”

Like when someone proclaims they can’t bear something to happen? They think that is self-awareness when it’s really a filter? Exactly. So it’s like we are all born with a caul, a bag of skin over our heads, and left to our own devices we keep it. We insist that it’s a vital part of our bodies, rather than an artefact of the birthing process meant to be left behind.

We are meant to “move” in the world. We are meant to take risks. But how can we effectively avoid harm if we don’t have a clear awareness of what it is being harmed or what actual harm will be done?

We are born. Being born is risky but I think nature does not give us more than we can handle. Nature doesn’t give us more than we can handle, humans do.

Evolution is what makes us handle risks? Evolution does no such thing. For myself, I do not subscribe to the commonly held theory of Darwinian evolution. We seek events like we seek our mothers. Our minds can’t even effectively distinguish between events and people. We personalize things and take our experiences personally. This is instinct. It’s the way our brain can make any real sense of things, but nothing is faulty.

Is that experiencing our lives? It’s how we normally experience our lives, like walking around under the influence of a powerful anaesthetic.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~