Winter 2001 (adapted from Comewander.com)
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Our reality is merely perception. It is a representation of our surroundings that we construct based on our sensory input. This reality that we have created, indeed which has evolved, allows us to successfully adapt and survive on this world. However, we often forget that our senses reveal only fragmented glimpses of the universe. They create for us a small, neat, circumscribed world, complete with its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures, which appears to exist independent of ourselves. Its richness and diversity help perpetuate this delusion. It is easy to ignore the fact that we are denied the grand view of the complexity that exists around us. Our perception reveals but one limited interpretation of infinite reality.
As illuminating as awareness of our limitations can be, the most important realization is not the limitations of our senses, but rather our restricted use of our senses. We have become too comfortable and successful at muffling our sensory input. Our impressive ability to focus our attention has converted our natural world into “white noise”. As we have evolved to become less reliant on our senses for survival, and ever more concerned with our inner worlds, we face the danger of further constricting our already limited view of our natural surroundings. Our reality, though clearly bounded, could truly be spectacular. If we can rediscover the power of our senses through practice and patience, an appreciation for the inspiring beauty of nature will follow. We will expand our reality.