Can You Trust Your Senses?

Can you trust your senses? What does it mean to have a “sense” of something? What is sense? A few variations in the dictionary describe “sense” as “a perception or feeling produced by a stimulus;” “an intuitive or acquired perception or ability to estimate”; “to become aware of; perceive.”

We can only understand things based our own interpretation or awareness.

“You see persons and things not as they are, but as you are.” — Anthony De Mello

Sense of Time – In an effort to facilitate structure and order, man has created measurements of limits on time. So, our sense of time tends to fit into compartments and measurements. Many times we don’t feel like we have enough time—usually when we are experiencing something pleasurable. Other times we can’t wait for time to move so we can be doing something else—as if actual “time” was a thing. It’s our sense of time that puts the restrictions or barriers on our thinking, followed by our actions, either by being rushed and stressed to get somewhere or by being annoyed and tired when we’d rather be doing something else and the clock is moving too slow. When you shift your thought you will see it’s simply your “sense” of time that either frees you or restricts you.

Sense of Body – All too often our sense of body suggests self-judgment that fluctuates between acceptable or desirable and their opposites. Mind is overly preoccupied with being accepted for our form (body). These thoughts range from being too fat or thin, ugly, beautiful, vain, healthy, sick, capable or incapable, and so on. High regard is placed on athletes who work to be in peak shape for their sport or on models who are often revered for their appearance, but largely because they are being popularized by media as the “in” way to be. I am an advocate of taking care of your body in order to feel good and be able to have peak life performance. Additionally, it’s also important to let go of other labels that can be limiting or draining. Shifting thought will create change, or at least the perception of what we believe to be true about ourselves.

Sense of Justice – When we have been “wronged” or feel betrayed we often have a knee-jerk reaction to get justice or to “be heard” and let someone else know how hurt, angry or offended we are. Our “sense of justice” becomes a payback, as though someone else could ever actually feel what we feel. This kind of response often leads to another negative action that perpetuates the turmoil already created. Actual justice comes from the way we feel about how a situation has been handled—not the handling itself. When our feelings have been recognized, we are more able to have a sense of justice and can move on.

Sense of Responsibility – We all have things that we are in charge of in our individual lives and it’s important to be responsible for our choices. There are times, however, when people have a false sense of responsibility for helping, performing or protecting others. The helper in each of us instinctively reasons “I should take care of this,” “No one else knows how to do this like I do,” “I should step up or step in.” We take on more than we need to many times in the name of making it easier on someone else or to boost our own ego. We forget this may be the perfect opportunity for another to experience helping or problem solving, or being a support to another. When you drop the false sense of ownership or responsibility and question what you truly need to be doing in a situation, you open the way for others to learn, grow, support and do things for themselves. This decision may actually lead to you being responsible for making a difference in someone else’s life.

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” — William Blake

Sense of Being – “Being” can’t be touched, handled, manipulated or contained. Being is eternal. It’s our sense of being that brings about our contentment or unrest. What you think you are, or should be, comes from your thought. Infinite Being exists without you attaching anything to it. When we get pulled in different directions we forget that our being is already complete, whole. We don’t have to do or be anything more than what we already are. Again, it’s our sense of being that tempts us to think we need something more to be fulfilled.

Sense of Space – Space is limitless, infinite, unconfined. When we think there isn’t enough room to fit it all in or we feel closed in, we have forgotten we have endless space: space to breathe, expand, grow, reach and go beyond.

Life is based on perception. Perception is based on opinion. Opinion is based on thought. Thought comes from the mind. Change your mind, change your life.

So, the next time you find yourself questioning or bothered by something, ask yourself “is it really the thing?” Or is it your perception and interpretation—your sense of it? Then, continue to question and examine your thoughts until you see the truth.