Build Your Own Reality

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I was always taught to respect my elders and I've now reached the age when I don't have anybody to respect. ~ George Burns

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[Francis]

The Holy Grail turns out to be the same filthy cup that you’ve been drinking from all along; you’ve just been dipping it in the wrong well


The physical world is composed of a seamless, chaotic and formless field of energy. Forms do not exist in the physical world. Yet we perceive a myriad of forms as part of our subjective experience. These forms are entirely the result of artificial projections of the human mind. Thus reality is the resultant cocktail of sensations derived from the formless energy field combined with the projected forms that reside in the mind. If we were to perceive the formless field alone, stripped of its metaphysical embellishments, we would experience an ‘objective reality’ that is the goal and inspiration of many mystics and yogis.

Thus, our subjective reality is produced by mentally superimposing an arbitrary structure onto a formless field of physical energy. Subjective reality is composed of objects, patterns and relationships – all of which are distinguished from a ‘background’ with the aid of metaphysical forms. The metaphysical forms – our ideals, beliefs, associations and definitions – completely determine our subjective experience. The formless energy of the physical world is like the light from a film projector that passes through the film (mind) and creates an image on the screen (subjective reality).

This leads to a potent alchemy of reality manipulation. By changing the ideals, beliefs, associations and definitions that make up our personal metaphysical landscape, we can radically reform our experience of reality. As it turns out, many of these elements of our personal metaphysical landscape were laid down in our minds by others, without our expressed or explicit permission, during our formative years of socialization. Evicting all or any of these elements is not usually easy, and can even be dangerous in some cases. Such are the challenges and risks of self transformation.

Man is born into an indifferent universe which means a universe without supernatural order. This means a world without otherworldly purpose, order, meaning, or value.

Man is a cognitive creature (not necessarily rational) whose brain both amplifies and ameliorates his fears. The amplification is both a curse-as seen in his religions and beliefs-and a blessing-as seen in his science and self-discipline. Life is indifferent to man-sometimes dangerous, sometimes helpful- but this is not something nature intends as nature intends nothing.

The helpfulness or hostility of life is simply an interpretation from man's point of view, a result of his unique cognitive ability. Man inherently, automatically, involuntarily and continually creates meaning-he is genetically programmed to do so. But man also has the capacity to recognize that such meaning IS his own invention and not reality. Unfortunately, most men can not and will not reconstruct their primal constructions.
This indifferent universe gives man ultimate freedom within the limita- tion of his own biologic nature. With this freedom comes anxiety and there is no one, or no thing, to live life for him in his place.

Man can be his own salvation-not his labels, mother, father, god, presi- dent, doctor, etc. Man's uncanny and successful ability to create other- worldly powers and then forget he has created them has saved him from extinction-as well imprisoning him in a self-created penitentiary.

To cope with his condition, man invents an otherworldly purpose (ideal categories) or, in rare cases, he can stand naked and face the chances and accidents of life using his own nature as his primary tool. He can choose to set aside the "meaning" he has created, and act based on pure (direct), uninterpreted reality (that is, respond by bypassing his categories); yet, whatever reality he responds to, it is a function of the structure of his brain, nothing more nothing less. He can develop himself into a piece of art-a standard for himself which he can admire or he can remain an advanced "ape." Most men are nothing more than an advanced, talking ape.

A universe without a moral teleology has no purpose or order and has no
moral values that man can use to interpret and order his life. All religious, and most philosophical, interpretations of the universe and choice mechanisms are based on these constructions and are nothing but survival devices invented and policed by men and their social institutions to satisfy man's questioning brain. Hence the brain amplifies the primal issues of survival providing both an exaggerated and a calming effect.
The potentially free man must reject as pollution all sanctioned explanations of life and the moral systems based upon them. He may use them as a device when necessary but, in essence, he has trashed them.

He must accept the realities of nothing, of chance, accident, death, decay, disease and dementia and, having accomplished this through his own efforts, he has the option to attempt to discover through trial and error and by critical and often painful evaluation of his knowledge, what is valuable and useful to him.
Most men find the effort to do, this too painful, too frightening, too much work, etc.-and, because they never attempt the process, they never discover the freedom it can bring, the exhilaration, the joy, the freedom afforded by knowing oneself. Those that do the necessary work of self- discovery live on a different level and speak a different language; they are often rejected by society and stand alone.
What is of value for man is what makes him happy-from eating, to sex, to adventure, to inventing, to making himself into a piece of art--and this includes discipline-for discipline gives man a greater happiness-he can be in control of himself-he is not the simple victim of chance and circumstances or sanctioned metaphysics. Feeling in control of himself through discipline and scientific discovery replaces and dissolves man's need for his preceding creations: metaphysics and re1,igion. It requires that he continually THINK and QUESTION, and simply live with the fear generated by the realization that answers may or may not come.. . He no 'longer needs the answers so conveniently provided by meta-physics and religion.

Thus man develops a sense of dignity and integrity by controlling the circumstances of his existence by his own active efforts-which yield him the results he desires. his I call living with style. This is what brings one the exhilarating freedom and joy possible in life.

"Normals" (est. 90% of the population) who are blind to the reality of "nothing," who live according to illusions, false values, and/or random impulses; such characters are generally either stupid and messy, idealistic and deluded, dysfunctionally self-centered and destructive. There is nothing more ugly than dysfunctional self-interest. On the other hand, functional self-interest (which necessitates continual self-examination, fearless acceptance of reality and willingness to act on both), not only immensely improves the quality of life of the person who practices it diligently, but also the raises the quality of the lives of those he values and who value him.
The rare individual who has recognized the reality of "nothing" and who, depending on the stage of their ability and powers, are either struggling with the fear, anxiety, and loss of control which the recognition of "nothing" brings; or who are in the process of learning the nature of dignity and integrity which are the result of discipline, using the brain, joy in living and discovery. This is man's derived and earned value- system based on authentic effort to take control of himself and his world.

BECOME WHO YOU ARE THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES
THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO BE EITHER FALSE OR NOTHING… ~ Chris Hyatt

[Jana]

Nondual mystics and yogis revere an “objective reality” of the formless field prior to the subjective lens. They are reaching into the primordial consciousness beyond the layers of personality and conditioned adaptation to perceived reality. In this way they expand consciousness around the myopia of limiting self-concern.

I appreciate the danger of being unconscious to the nature of conditioning and pre-assumption...but I also think it disingenuous to dismiss the exquisite forms and formulation processes that go into making up our Universe and nature. One could make a case that FORM is everything and that human consciousness is secondary, for it relies on the perfection of the formation of atoms in making up our neurological hardware.

Also now with Nassim's Spin-Gut we have to rethink our metaphysics...for it appears that the vacuum...the socalled chaotic plenum...may be the MOST ordered and densest aspect of the Universe...comprising as it does 99.99999999% of everything. It is just that at the Planck scale we don't have the computational power nor the senses to pick up this minute degree of order, so to us it seems like chaos. Whereas the Unified Field is a vast sentience beyond human comprehension that produces everything and holds everything in unison.

Furthermore...the ancients fear of typhonic forces, (the modern version being chaos) was simply a lack of grokking the true nature of the formative processes in the universe. In past eras they didn't yet have the science necessary to understand God more completely. The more you understand how Universe puts herself together...the more reverential and at-one-with  her you become. Spirituality in a sense is the same thing as AWE.

“The universe is turning out to be so complicated, in fact, that -- according to David Bohm's theories -- it requires the existence of a superior or implicate order of organization that defines the physical principles of our universe and governs all known physical processes, including ourselves.” http://realitysandwich.com/quantum_realm  —Into the Quantum Realm, by James Oroc

• Intergenerational Trauma—We brain damage the world to the degree that we are brain damaged. We heart damage the world to the degree that we are heart damaged. The punatively conditioned bodymind is a pervasive and insidious learned inhibition of Spirit. Spirit is the force of that which furthers life’s healthy expression in accord with the syntropic life principle that encompasses the fabric of Universe. While growing up, we develop defense systems to prevent us from being overwhelmed by difficult experiences and that which is harmful to “life.”  Inhibition of the release of this tension promotes armoring, constriction, dis-ease and an inharmonious worldview leading to a "fall" into soul-consuming hopelessness. We then tend to perceive our reality through the fractured lens of a traumatized primate. Once Spirit is inhibited in this way we have to engage in healing, that is reuniting with the cosmos and recovering sovereignty. We have to regain full vitality and sentience in order to liberate ourselves from dangerous and dysfunctional paradigms and re-member our potential for greater depth experience of hu-man reality.

[Francis]

I was inspired by Hyatt's essay, but also found it left me uneasy. I decided to re-frame it into what you see above. It's just another model, a trump card for when the forms are uncooperative.

"It's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there, believe it if you need it and if you don't just pass it on."

[Francis]

Here are some practical applications:



Reframing

A frame, or 'frame of reference' is a complex schema of unquestioned beliefs, values and so on that we use when inferring meaning. If any part of that frame is changed (hence 'reframing'), then the meaning that is inferred may change.
To reframe, step back from what is being said and done and consider the frame, or 'lens' through which this reality is being created. Understand the unspoken assumptions, including beliefs and schema that are being used.
Then consider alternative lenses, effectively saying 'Let's look at it another way.' Challenge the beliefs or other aspects of the frame. Stand in another frame and describe what you see. Change attributes of the frame to reverse meaning. Select and ignore aspects of words, actions and frame to emphasise and downplay various elements.
Thus, for example, you can reframe:
•   A problem as an opportunity
•   A weakness as a strength
•   An impossibility as a distant possibility
•   A distant possibility as a near possibility
•   Oppression ('against me') as neutral ('doesn't care about me')
•   Unkindness as lack of understanding
•   etc.
You can often change a person's frame simply by changing their emotional state, making them happier, more aggressive, etc. When they are happier, for example, they will be more positive and optimistic (and vice versa).
Example
You say it can't be done in time. But what if we staged delivery or got in extra help? I'm sure we can produce an acceptable product in the timeframe.
It does seem stupid, but it's also stupid not to look again and see what else can be done.
It's not so much doing away with old ways as building a new and exciting future.
We have shown we can argue well. Maybe this means we can also agree well.
Discussion
Watzlawick, Weakland and Fisch (1974) describe the 'gentle art of reframing' thus:
To reframe, then, means to change the conceptual and/or emotional setting or viewpoint in relation to which a situation is experienced and to place it in another frame which fits the 'facts' of the same concrete situation equally well or even better, and thereby changing its entire meaning.
We make meaning from the world around us by taking a limited number of facts and inferring or assuming other detail to be able to make sense of things. Reframing leaves the facts alone but may well challenge the assumptions. With care, you can change the other person's reality without causing conflict.
Within the inference filters we use, we classify things into groups and types which have defining attributes. Reframing may deliberately challenge these. Watzlawick, Weakland and Fisch describe this thus:
In it's most abstract terms, reframing means changing the emphasis from one class membership of an object to another, equally valid class membership, or, especially, introducing such as new class membership into the conceptualization of all concerned.
Reframing may also challenge superficial desires, appeal to more fundamental needs and interests. For example a request for a pay rise may be reframed as an imperative to keep talented people.
Reframing may even be done physically and symbolically, for example where a social leader goes for dinner with someone who has hereto been ignored, reframing the person as a friend.
Hale (1998) describes how reframing can be used in dramatic games, for example where people play roles of victim and hero.
Philips (1999) describes three ways reframing happens in active listening:
•   Reflecting some words and ignoring others.
•   Inviting or discouraging collaborative meaning-making on selected topics.
•   Reformulating what people say (i.e. common usage of reframing).
The term 'frame' also appears in the common usage of a 'frame of mind', typically used to describe a cognitive position or mood. Whilst our current emotional state is not the whole of a perceptual frame, it is an important element of it and changing emotions will change the frame and hence created meaning.
Beyond personal perception, All ideologies from political systems to religions are frames for creating meaning. Cultures, likewise, embody methods of interpreting and shared ways of making sense of the world, as are the models by which we perceive ourselves and others. When we share frames with others, we share meaning. When we have different frames we can easily fall into conflict if we consider the frames of others to be non-legitimate.
Reframing is a particularly useful method when two or more people are stuck in opposing and seemingly-intractable positions. Reframing here effectively changes the ground from under their feet. It is thus a common method in conflict resolution. A typical approach is to:
•   First get each parties to understand their own frame, and that it is a frame.
•   Then each must appreciate that other people have different frames that are, for them, valid.
•   Then each accepts that no one person has the 'right' frame
•   And hence accept that the other person's frame is valid.
•   Then to equitably explore similarities and differences.


~ http://changingminds.org/techniques/general/reframing.htm

[Jana]

Sovereignty involves “beneficent” leadership of activated integrated prefrontal lobes serving to shepherd emotional, physical and cognitive forces toward the higher good and the mystical omega point. It is the “mindfulness” factor which allows a advantaged perspective in order to manipulate meaning, action and circumstance toward the greatest awakening and well-being. We victimize ourselves and others by failing to change our operating system toward that which furthers life and expanding potentials in each moment. The more we remember to generate the soma frequency of compassion (8Hz) and engage in sovereignty practices the more control we feel we have over our creative destiny, and so the less negative coping mechanisms we employ. In this way we get out of the paranoias, addictions, dependencies, illusions, double binds and impossibilities associated with a fractionated self riddled with conflicting drives. Sovereignty is getting out of your own way.

Phase shift from ones dominant reality allows core truths to emerge that are only made apparent by lens-collapsing comparative view points, to expand one's focus on a greater reality. All possibility resides in the primordial human imagination where archetypal imagery describes universal symbols and themes within our own mythological context. Theta wave is said to be most effective in the production of trance states…the labile consciousness by which we may walk through worlds. By bringing the mind and heart into a harmonic balance we have the courage to face the truths we have been resisting and consequently receive transformative solutions.

http://realitysandwich.com/shamanic_world_mirroring_artists_inner_journey

In order to paint a painting of any worth, that will stand the test of time and learned critique, you have to stand back from the canvas.

http://photizo.gaia.com/blog/2007/3/the_omega_point

[Jana]

Conversely if there is one thing I have learnt in my 50 years experience on this planet, it is that one only voluntarily socializes with members of ones own philosophical family...to enhance the wellbeing of all concerned. Life is hard enough as it is, no use looking for trouble.

[henry]

Jnana part of the fabulous 50 heartmind contingent!?! . henry to move into the rarefied elite venerable level in a few months ?