[Crisis & Awakening - XVII]
Perception is the process of interpreting information.
This process includes selecting information or stimuli, organizing it into our preexisting structures of understanding, and then interpreting it based on previously gather information and past experiences.
The massive amount of information we take in every minute can be perceived as favorable or unfavorable, safe or threatening, healthy or unhealthy. While this process is mostly psychological, it affects our physical, emotional, and social realities. It influences our relationships, our sense of self, and our understanding of the world.
And we draw conclusions from these perceptions. And they’re often wrong.
Perception is not something that can be turned on or off. But uncritically drawing conclusions from our perceptions can (with practice). An awakening in the deepest sense is marked by a lack of interest in interpreting the actions of others. In other words, as we experience renewal in ourselves, we are less inclined to allow our perceptions and subsequent conclusions of others to affect our interactions.
That’s because our awareness of the inaccuracy of our assumptions increases.
And our tendency to perceive unfavorably decreases.
