The Net of Perception

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself.

~Alan Watts

For most of my adult life, I wondered how sitting and doing nothing could bestow any benefits whatsoever. It seemed like a waste of time, when there were productive things I could be doing.

After several years of practicing meditation, I realize it’s the most transformational activity that I choose to spend my precious time on.

Beyond the usual laundry list of benefits of a meditation practice, one stands out as an unexpected gift: it enables me to cast a wider net of awareness.

Perhaps for some people this is a natural ability, but I find there’s a direct correlation between training my mind and widening the aperture of my consciousness.

To boil this concept down to its essence, it involves paying less attention to thought and more attention to being here, now. When identification with thought falls away, we are more able to focus on our experience of the moment.

Meditation teaches us to more easily let thoughts go. We understand they are just functions of the mind, similar to how the body produces sweat or flatulence - not always worthy of our time and attention. Prior to beginning a meditative practice, my thoughts demanded and garnered my attention, even when (especially when) they were destructive to my well-being. With practice, I’ve learned that I can let them pass by without grasping at or analyzing them.

When we can just let thoughts be, and lean into a deeper sense of appreciation, a renewed wonder at life emerges. Peace and joy naturally bubble to the surface; we revel in each day and see it as a gift.

The goal of a mindfulness and meditation practice is to learn how to stay present, instead of living in our heads. This results in an expanded sense of awareness that helps us enjoy life more fully.

We all have access to the so-called sixth sense, or ability to know something without using our five usual senses. This ability has just been dampened by identification with thought, and detachment from the body and environment. This is a skill that can be regained with practice.

Photo by Philipp Deus on Unsplash

Like any muscle, it requires repetition and consistency in order to grow. Here are a few ways to practice.

• Pay close attention to the inner workings of your body

Most of us go through our days ignoring or actively pushing away what our bodies are telling us. Pause every so often, and mentally scan your body. Does anything hurt? Are you thirsty, hungry, tired? Is there something you can in this moment to improve your body’s experience? You would not ignore the signals your child or pet gives to show they need something, and your own body is worthy of the same level of care.

• Notice the surface of your body - where you meet the world

Feel the temperature of the air on your skin, pay attention to how your clothing feels. Notice the cool air passing in through your nostrils, and the warm air exiting. You may suddenly feel a stray hair touching your skin or an itch that needs scratching. Be aware of the solid floor or earth beneath your feet.

• Become aware of your environment

This is a useful practice during walking meditation. Your senses bring in so much input that largely goes unnoticed. Listen to the birds singing, dogs barking, horns honking. Feel the wind on your cheeks, the sun on your skin. You may detect the scent of a lilac bush or roses blooming. A wealth of information comes through the sense of sight - notice the colours, textures, movement, all of it. Soak in the realization that you are alive and aware, here, now.

• Observe without judging

Practice taking in information without pronouncing it good or bad - that’s the mind kicking in, and it’s simply not needed. Things can just be, without you passing judgment.

• Absorb the vibes

What do you notice about people’s demeanor and attitude? You can take in much more information by reading between the lines. This doesn’t mean snapping to conclusions, but being curious about the experience of others. Ask questions when it’s appropriate - you may find that you were more perceptive than you could have imagined possible. This helps to sharpen your intuition.

Philosophers much smarter than I theorize about non-local awareness and generic subjective continuity. Instead of thinking of the soul as something located within the body, the body is thought to be located within the soul (or awareness). Awareness, consciousness, perception - it’s what unites every living organism - we are all interconnected, we are all one. Until humanity is able to embrace and embody this concept, we as a species seem to be on a collision course with self-annihilation.

We are a temporary arrangement of a particular collection of atoms. And yet…we have access to a rich sensory, and extrasensory experience, if we can be present enough to take in and appreciate it.

When we see how much of our lives have been spent caught up in our thoughts, creating our own problems, and stewing in our misery, then we have a choice. We can beat ourselves up and thus perpetuate the problem. Or we can let it all go, knowing that every moment is a new opportunity for present moment awareness.

We aren’t doomed to walk through life lost in our thoughts. When we let them go, the world comes alive, and our place in the scheme of things seems ever more miraculous. We are living, breathing organisms, just like that bird, that tree, that child.

I am awareness. As are you. We are the same, and it’s this realization that makes all the difference.

If this work enriched your life even a smidge, would you considering giving a modest tip?