The Self-Mainfested Doors of Perception

[Soylent Brice]

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern." (Blake, 1793)

The nature of logic is a drive in humanity to understand its’ reality. Not the interpreted reality handed down from generation to generation, tainted by dogma and the stigma of ignorance. Logic, in simple form, determines how we evolve by allowing us to judge not only ourselves, but to understand our existence. Logic allows us to manipulate our environment and our relationship with our environment. Through logic we develop the reasoning to understand the most minuscule puzzle pieces of reality, on up to the larger picture of the universe. Critical thinking has a major role in this process as it gives humanity the ability to remove itself from the puzzle. It allows us to think objectively about everything. These two powerful concepts are what separate humankind from all other known species on the planet.

Perception is the stigma. Perception is the ailment causing the symptom of dogma. Humanity’s perception, more often than not, is the crutch that has caused the systematic delays towards our evolutionary singularity. The Greeks, for all intents and purposes were far superior for their time. What happened to the great Athenian Democracy? Where has the mighty Sparta dissolved to? Perception. Perception played the role of the downfall of almost every great civilization in history. Whether it was an unsuccessful military tact perception, resulting in the loss of a pivotal battle, or the religious clergy of some zealous faction preventing lawmakers from instituting the necessary policies to overcome a particular famine or foreign invader, it was the perception of those in power.

It was the loss of logic and critical thinking that has always lead to the collapse of a civilization. Humanity does not best operate as a hive mind. The irony of our existence is that perception is a double-edged sword. Our perception has allowed us to utilize critical thinking in an exponential capacity as well. With our own perception of events humanity has overcome great odds to rebuild civilizations, re-shaping them in the ghostly images of those fallen long ago.

Once in my life I thought I had an empire of sorts. I had a self-perception that everything in my life was under some sort of control. I imagined that things were manageable. This was during my “Dark Ages” (as I now refer to them) also known as my teenage years. Love found, love lost. Hormonally driven, maniacal lust, rebellion, and regret provided the nitrous-like fuel for these years. The rage of waking up to the world to find out that there was no control, just organized chaos. I rub my eyes to see “the game”, the rat race, the total and complete utter loss of belief that I will one day conquer all in my omniscient path, only to find a wasteland of lost dreams and hopes. Hormones.

Hormones played a part in my perception. Medications such as Ritalin, Desipramine, Dexedrine, and Lithium probably had something to do with it too. My gambling addicted mother suffering from Munchausen by Proxy, I’m only assuming at this point in my life, had at least a finger in this mess as well. My apparent lack of the true nature of reality clouded my scathing logic. A great wall was erected to block out the hordes from any sort of reasoning. One day, like a passing rain storm, the fog lifted. I took myself off my medication at the age of 19.

The wall crumbled shortly there after. I could see wind blowing through fields of tall grass. I could hear the scurry of ants gathering at my feet on the way to their hill. I could feel the warmth causing goosebumps on my arms tingling, raising the hairs from my wrists to my elbows. I could feel that tingling rise up my spine and into the base of my skull, and my eyes opened. My perception had altered. I could see the world for what it truly was. I could see humanity. I understood that humanity and life itself is the epitome of double-edged euphemisms. Humanity is great and evil in both extremes, and all between. Where would I fall in the scheme of things? Thinking back to this moment made me realize that at that moment I realized I had regained the capacity for logic. Perception clarity granted me access to logic. It was like taking a breath of air for the first time in my life.

How you perceive your own reality will always greatly influence your ability to harness logic, as well as to wield it with its full potential. When perception is muddled, your logic will follow suit. With perception and logic obtained one can begin to think more non-linear and fourth dimensionally in respect to the scenarios one finds themselves in. This is the point of critical mass.

[omega minimo]

1. pure perception

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5061451

[sam sarrha]

2. here is an interesting link...>>Link>>

http://www.buddhanet.net it is a Theravada site, another is

http://www.FPMT.org check out the audio section of each, i play them while on the computer..

in Buddhism, a view based on a logical statement, the 4 Noble Truths, lists of definitions for single Sanscrit words.. becomes "reasonably" ethereal. things such as Emptiness..

Buddhism, particularly Mahayana, is a comfort to intellectual westerners. the fundamental basis if Buddhism is that suffering=..disatisfaction, wanting things to be other than they are, and the resulting emotional responces,..grasping, desire, anger, aversion, jealousy..
.. are a given here in Samsara, only training the mind and living the Middle Path is the way out.. and that journey usually takes many lifetimes.. the basis is that
'Nothing" Inherently Exists. the change you described is fundamental.. understanding how that works is only realized in Meditation. all aggregates are transitory, the normal mind can only deal in aggregates.. an aggregate is like a table, it has pieces.. is the leg by its self the table.? or the top, the side..

the concept of self is the chains that bind us in Samsara/cyclical rebirth into suffering, old age, death.. then a redo plus all the bad Karma you picked up last time not knowing how it really works.

you are the self/person you were at 6 years old, or at 16, or at 18.. or 35, so the self really doesn't exist, it isn't anything "Inherent".

what Buddhism is all about is training the mind to be able to see 'Subject" and 'Object" as the same. it is something that you acquire during Meditation, without you knowing it's happening.

[Soylent Brice]

3. thank you for the links

i've always been drawn to buddhism, but not surprisingly remain atheist.

the appeal to me is the observation powers that seem to go hand in hand with buddhism, and of course the peace aspect.

again, thank you for the input. :)