Reality And Whose Living There

A Ticket To La La Land

For decades I thought I knew what reality was, and in a way I did. Imagine my surprise when, years later after going on a long journey of developing my awareness, I discovered that I was not only clueless but a long time resident of La La Land and didn't even know who had been living there all those years. I thought it was me, but was it? This is not a landscape you should explore unless you have built up some strength and courage, because this one can turn your world upside down, strip you of your comfortable security and leave you standing naked before the unforgiving light of truth.

The reason I don't worry too much about any damage that might result from the articles I write is that I know just how good we all have become at self deception and denial. We, or that which we think is us, can easily dismiss any reality by simply manipulating the facts in our mind so that they are more pleasant and comfortable. Probably the quickest way to do this is to label the author as a complete delusional hon-yock and leave it at that. Isn't it neat how we can do that? Our ability to manipulate reality like this is actually one of the great ironies of life today. The irony is that the very power that allows us to deceive ourselves, is the same power that can set us free from the delusions of La La Land.

What Is Reality?

However, if it is true that we, or whoever we think is we, can simply change things at will, then what is reality? Is there a reality? And maybe more importantly, where is reality and whose reality is it? I know it sounds like I've gone off the rails, but hang in there. When I first became aware of this it was like a riot broke out in my mind. Everyone of my multiple personality disorder identities was screaming 'aw hell no!', which was a sure indication that what I had discovered was true simply because it was obviously not in the best interests of my multiple identities. Oh, you don't have any of those? How nice for you. Are you reading this?

I began to see the boundaries between realities as a result of my doggedly practicing meditation. I'm sure I was warned early on about the possibility of encountering unpleasant realizations, but like a true resident of La La Land I just drove right over it, blissfully wrapped in my comfortable blanket of self imposed ignorance. It all seemed to happen when I began to see the relationship between actual experience and the reality that my ego identity was experiencing.

Who Is The Delusional One?

Because meditation seeks to make us aware of the actual world of experience in the present moment, any other experiences slowly become noticeable to the unattached mindful observer who can only exist in the present moment. What we begin to notice is that there are phenomenon constantly arising and disappearing each and every second that simply are what they are and have no power over us and no effect upon us, they are just part of the ever changing tapestry of the processes of life. But that is the real and actual world where life is an intense and vivid physical and emotional experience and sadly, is a reality we rarely visit and constitutes the greatest tragedy of our species.

Instead, we have an intermediary who is translating reality for us through the use or misuse of our own mind. Yes! Step right up, the one and only Ego. Now, for those of you whose ego likes to translate everything in absolute terms, I don't advocate the total destruction of the ego state. The ego we are focusing on here has developed way beyond the basic and necessary self identity. No, the one we are looking at here is the master of delusions, the weaver of trances and spells, the one who throws dust over our eyes and whispers the words of fear to our primitive instincts, the great illusion of reality that we spend our lives believing is the real world.

The Greed And Hatred Show

How much of our reality springs from the concepts of greed and hatred? You will discover that it all does and just who is it that is concerned and even obsessed with these two concepts? Yes! The ego that is the creation of civilization not the ego created by our survival instincts. This is a superficial and unnecessary ego concept which has somehow acquired supreme power over virtually every one of us. It has become a deity to whom we sacrifice our entire lives by dictating what we perceive as reality. It delivers the technicolor cartoon show that it knows we love so well. But who is this 'we' that it knows so well?

Now we are back to the meditation session and the state of mindfulness that is able to see reality as it truly is. And it notices the us that has allowed the creation and dominance of this ego state, the us that surrenders to greed, hatred and fear. Endlessly greedy for pleasure and satisfaction, endlessly trying to avoid and escape from anything unpleasant, painful or even difficult and always afraid we might stumble upon the truth of how we have robbed ourselves of the true actual experiences of life and how we have betrayed our promise and potential as the greatest adaptation of life ever to appear on this and possibly any world. Naaa! I don't believe a word of it!

There is a great e-book that explores personal creative power.