The Universe Is. What we believe about it is our business.
Whatever may be the reasons for the unquestioned assumptions each of us holds with regard to the nature of the world around us, we must admit that none of these assumptions add up to more than a reflection of a small part of reality.
The unconscious beliefs that direct our personal reactions to our environment are analogous to looking at the night sky, not through a telescope or even looking directly, but gazing down at a dusty, dented and tarnished old brass mirror and judging the heavens by the dim and distorted specks reflected there.
The observations of such a viewer reveal more about the imperfections of the mirror than about the nature of the universe. If the viewer were to look up at the same patch of sky through a good telescope, the exact nature of the imperfections would be clearly seen.
Likewise, our intuitive perceptual filter – that is, our “default settings” that determine how we react to any given perception – is a clue to the ways in which our perceptions have been distorted. If we are able to dig deeply enough to get at the roots of our unconscious assumptions, then it becomes possible to “straighten and polish the mirror”, so to speak – to correct our interpretation of events around us by bringing our understanding into closer alignment with reality.
Examining ourselves, we might find that we worry about what our colleagues think of us. Typical defensive reactions to this awareness include:
-Denial (“I don’t care what anyone thinks”) – this statement flatly contradicts reality: if I worry about what others think, it obviously matters to me
-Projection (“They probably think/say such-and-such about me”) – unless there are actually people saying those things, the only place they are being said is in my own mind.
Defensive reactions come from a place of fear. When we detect a defensive reaction in ourselves, it is a sure sign that we am afraid at some level. If we can stop the reaction and simply think about what we feel, we can turn the feeling into a statement we can work with: “I am afraid that my colleagues might think poorly of me.” This may not seem like a big deal, but what we have done is to move from a place of fear and uncertainty to a statement of fact. Instead of focusing on how we feel about what other people might be thinking (which is beyond our control), we are now focused on the fact that we feel that way (which we can work with).
Having acknowledged and named a specific fear, we can begin the uncomfortable work of exposing the root of the fear. Why are we afraid of being poorly regarded? Now, it may be true that my colleagues despise me. It may be that they are a bad lot, or it may be that I am a scoundrel. The point is that either way, if my fear is true, it will be pretty obvious. If I have no evidence, but am just worried about it, this should lead me to understand that my fear is an intuitive reaction, a program running in the background as it were.
If we worry about the degree of others’ esteem for us, it is because at some level we feel ourselves to be unworthy. This may be hard to accept, but it clears the way for another uncomfortable question: why might we have an unconscious belief in our own unworthiness? Do we have an unconscious assumption that others will not treat us fairly? If the facts do not bear this out, then where does the belief come from? This may be something best explored with a professional in mental health.
If we follow this line of reasoning long enough, we eventually arrive at our most basic assumptions about the world.
Are people essentially good, or bad? How about the ones who disagree about good and bad? Is it possible for two good people to believe each other to be bad? Do bad people believe themselves to be good? Since we can never really know for certain the innermost thoughts and motives of another, our own answers to these questions reveal to us nothing of the world, but a good deal about ourselves.
We all hold assumptions, no matter what words we use to name the Ground of Being. What do we believe about it? What is the nature of the Universe, or God, the Tao, or however we conceive of the ultimate reality? Is there meaning to our existence? Is there a universal or divine justice? How about love? Answers will vary. The important thing is to remember that our answers tell us little, if anything, about the way things are. They are just statements of what we believe to be true.
Our beliefs about the ultimate nature of reality are no more than distorted reflections. The reason most people disagree about basic things is because none of us can see clearly. What we hold to be fundamental truths are a record of our own imperfect understanding.
But if we cannot ever fully comprehend reality, if we are essentially unable to see the truth with perfect clarity, how will we know when we are on the right track? If I say that truth is unknowable, isn’t it like not being able to compare the view in the mirror with a clear view of the sky?
Well, yes. We can’t have a clear view of the sky. The ultimate nature of reality cannot be expressed in a language made for communication between finite human minds. We can not comprehend the totality of all that is, how it all works, and what it all means – the very idea is absurd. That’s not the point.
When we examine our weathered shard of mirror and discover imperfections that we can straighten and polish, we can be sure that afterwards it will be a better mirror. It will still be flawed, but we will see more clearly than before. And that’s the point: you don’t need to know the ultimate truth. No one can expect or require you to look upon the face of God, and anyone who claims to have done so is having you on. All you need to do is keep polishing your mirror, and take the time to enjoy the improvements in the view.