The Power of Perception

Do our beliefs create our reality? Can you transform your life by changing your perception? To find the answers to these questions we need to look at how the workings of the brain interact with our power of intention. When you were born your mind was a blank slate with no prejudice, no bias and no beliefs, but some time around the age of seven you developed what is called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). This is the part of your brain that determines what information your conscious mind will experience. It has a vital function because our senses are exposed to about four hundred billion (400,000,000,000) bits of information every second, but our conscious mind can only process about 2,000 bits per second. The RAS selects what will come into our awareness and all of the other information is filtered out so that our limited consciousness is not overwhelmed. The only problem is that this RAS filter chooses what you will experience based on the values of a belief system that you absorbed during the first six or seven years of your life. This accumulation of input from our parents, family, religion and media determines what comes to your attention in the world. No wonder so many people keep having the same problems over and over again with regard to relationships, money, health and happiness. You did not choose your belief system….. yet it controls your perception of reality…… unless you decide to change it.

Each of us has the power to adjust our mental filters so that they allow into our experience all of the good that life has to offer. An example of how this works is what happens when we start to become interested in something new. It can be a song, an idea, a new car or just about anything that you are intensely thinking about. Suddenly this new thing starts to show up in your life…. in magazines, on TV, over the internet, in conversations.... it’s everywhere. By giving this item so much attention you have sent a message to your brain that it is important to you, and the RAS is then instructed to let it come into your awareness. This shows that by concentrating our thoughts we can change our perception of reality, so the next step is to learn how to intentionally use this power to consciously choose the content of our experience.

Most of us want our lives to be filled with peace, love and joy, so if we learn how to focus our attention on these qualities we can bring them into our reality. There are two powerful practices that when used in conjunction with meditation can help you to accomplish this transformation. Affirmations are positive messages about ourselves and the world around us that reprogram our inner guidance through repetition. Visualization is a creative way to see in your mind’s eye the way that you wish your life to be.
“As a single footstep will not make a path on the Earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the Mind. To make a deep physical path we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path we must think over and over the kinds of thoughts we wish to dominate our minds.” (Henry David Thoreau)
These words were written over 150 years ago, yet they perfectly describe the workings of what science calls neural pathways - the “highways” that carry information in your brain. When we use affirmations and visualizations to focus our attention on positive thoughts and feelings we create new neural pathways, and the more that we repeat them the stronger and deeper they become. At the same time the old inherited pathways wither away and weaken from lack of use. Over time this changes your RAS/filter so that what you experience in life becomes a beautiful reflection of what you choose it to be.

Another excellent way to use the power of intention to transform your perception is by speaking positively. Everything that you say sends a message to your subconscious mind and when you voice negative thoughts you are reinforcing old negative belief patterns. Pay attention to what you say and you may hear things like: “I never have any luck”; “life is hard”; “you can’t have everything”; etc.. Once you start becoming conscious of your words you will be amazed at how often you are affirming negativity. By consciously choosing to speak positively you will reinforce a new core of beneficial beliefs, and this will be mirrored in the world around you. So whenever negative phrases pop into your head… or out of your mouth… just press your mental DELETE button and replace them with words that reflect the reality you wish to see.

People are fond of saying: “ I will believe it when I see it.”, but that is merely an illusion because in truth: “You will see it when you believe it.”. Instead of allowing inherited values to dictate the content of our existence, we have the power to create a new template of perception that will literally change our reality. It all starts with the intention to be consciously mindful of our thoughts, words, and actions so that they reflect the beautiful person whom we choose to be. There is a timeless wisdom within our hearts that is always ready to emerge, and when our consciousness is filled with this inner light our lives become a celebration of all things good. Each of us has the power to create a life filled with health, happiness and harmony……. and when you believe it you will see it.

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