Moving From a World of Concepts to Reality

Alan Watts many years ago said something along the lines of, “We live in a world of concepts.” When I first heard that on YouTube, I didn't really know what he meant. Now I do … well I know more now; I'll put it that way. I'm learning what I think I know is only temporary.?

When we were very little children we heard our mother, our father, other loved ones say things such as, “I love you Billy.” “Yes, this is our little Billy.” “Billy is getting stronger and sitting up now.” At some point it clicks for us, “Oh I'm Billy,” and we identify with a concept of a separate self.?

Prior to that we experience ourselves as one with all that is, pure Awareness/Consciousness. We experience no separation. But once that thought emerges and it is embraced, we identify with our name – a label. Then other labels become attached to us: son, age, athlete, student, lawyer, bookkeeper, tech geek, leader, CEO, entrepreneur, married, single, our accomplishments.?

We have concepts which are images or illusions and those are not the actual thing, but an idea or mental image of it. Then we apply labels to those concepts.

As we cull this out some more, let’s explore our relationship with trees. Once we have discerned early on what a tree is, we form a concept of it, being a sort of “dead” energy. “That’s a tree.” A thought, an image. The actual perceiving of the tree with our senses (seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting, touching) would be the?experience?of the tree and that is?reality.?

We live in our?thoughts?about the world, not the?actual reality?of it. The dead concept is not the same as the lived actuality.?

As I begin to move more deeply into a lived experience of life rather than relating to labels and concepts, I experience trees differently. I walk almost every morning and in the past usually didn't pay much attention to trees. Now as I see one, I experience a desire to honor the tree with the seeing of it. Then I open my senses to experience the tree. I see the cut off limbs. Did that hurt the tree? Was it asked if it was ready for us to cut them off? Peter Wohlleben, author of?The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World?says trees feel pain:

“When you know that trees experience pain and have memories and that tree parents live together with their children, then you can no longer just chop them down and disrupt their lives with larger machines.”?

I notice the texture of the bark and it intrigues me. Each one has a unique shape. I was in awe of one that was standing so incredibly straight. The branches on others and how they intertwine. Things I’ve never noticed before yet walked by them almost daily for years. Another one with a trunk of different colors, splotchy, white and brown. I experience awe, wonder, a sense of relationship.?

I realize how detached I have been. Not fully experiencing living in and with my body. I’ve been hanging out in my thinking mind.?

Over time we relate to ourselves and others as these labels and concepts. “Sally is an excellent manager,” “Sally can be demanding,” and so on. When we see Sally, we usually see the concepts with labels – excellent manager, demanding – and talk to the concepts and labels. Most of us aren't aware of our lived experience of Sally in this now time. We might experience the feelings that arise when we are around Sally, but not the lived experience of being with Sally as we’re being with her apart from our feelings. The feelings we experience are likely based on our concepts and memories of Sally. We're a bit distant from our?actual experience?of?being with?Sally.?

“Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body.”

-???????James Joyce,?Dubliners

What if the next time we are with Sally we could see her anew in this now. She – and you – are actually not the same people you were even ten minutes ago. Why? You’ve experienced another ten minutes, been influenced by whatever activities, thoughts, feelings, conversations you each have had. We could greet her as if we have never met her before, because we actually haven’t met this Sally before. We could give her the opportunity to appear as she is now, not our concepts and labels of her, with openness and curiosity.

We live in a world of concepts rather than a world of experience.

Yes, we experience emotions and pain. But what I’m referencing is the?rest of?experience. For example, if you were to notice your elbow, do you have a concept of it or do you actually experience the sensations that we call “elbow”?

Maybe that’s why so many don’t experience a sense of meaning in their lives. What do you think or experience??

Maybe one reason we do things that hurt one another is because we don't remember that we have attached labels to concepts of them. We speak to the labels rather than the felt sense of being with another divine being made of the same stuff – Consciousness/Awareness/Source/Spirit/Infinite Intelligence – that we are. We could experience that with all of our senses as we share this time together. Time that is gone in the next moment. What might arise in that conversation with this knowing being the foundation??

What difference might it make in your life to experience the richness of an experience of reality rather than thoughts about reality??Some have found that they experience more meaning in their life and work.

Where to Take This

Here are some things you can do to develop more of a felt sense of reality and focus less on living in your thoughts about it.

1.?????The next time you are with a coworker, or it could be easier to start with a loved one, remind yourself to allow them to appear to you anew in this moment. Keep reminding yourself as old patterns creep in.?

2.?????Take a walk outside and look at the world with new eyes, much like a child experiencing the world he or she has never seen before.?

3.?????Remind yourself two or three times a day to notice your experience of a person or an animal or a plant rather than your concepts or labels. You can start with that elbow. Pause now and allow yourself to experience whatever sensations arise.?

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We are being invited?

·??????to be the wise beings we inherently are and?

·??????to live aligned with great wisdom teachings and current scientific discoveries and?

·??????to create the world that in our hearts we know is possible.?

The paradigm shift we are in the midst of is fundamentally changing our knowing of and relationship with reality. We can honor who we truly are and express that knowing in our relationships, activities, conversations and being. It is time for millions of us to live aligned with our essential nature, beginning now. As we do so, others will feel the call to do the same.

Coming Up:

The Wild Ones – Out in the Field?is an integrative, immersive experience based on the foundation of the knowing of your essential nature and the practicality of living as that. You won’t have to go to a weekend retreat to experience more purpose, peace and meaning and another one to become a better leader or to make more money in your business or to have more loving relationships.??

Just as one who wants to learn a new language is encouraged to live in the country whose native language it is that they want to learn, this praxis is designed for you to experience and integrate as fully as possible for twelve weeks who you are and begin to express your life in alignment with your heart-felt desires, without having to go anywhere physically.?

WILD?stands for?wisdom, integration, liberation, and knowing and living as the divine being you truly are.?

The praxis (beyond theory to practice) is designed so that you can enroll for twelve weeks at a time. The next deadline to register is Sunday, September 4. Please message me if you'd like to explore whether this praxis is right for you.

With love,

Peggy