Perception
Perception is a construct, and it helps us relate to the world in a more genuinely humble way to realize it.
Perception is influenced by...
- The habitual patterns of this Universe
- The history of the whole of Universe
- The history of this planet, this one aspect of the Universe
- The history of life as a whole, and all the human ancestors
- The history of the human species
- The size and life-length of humans
- The biology of humans - the characteristics of our physical organism as a whole (sensory organs, whole-body nervous system, and how these connect with all the other biological systems)
- The culture we grow up in, and the history of this culture as it is reflected in the current culture
- The particular subculture we grow up in - family, social group, neighborhood, etc.
- Our personal experiences
- The current social/ecological system we live in
- Our current inner/outer situation (alertness, emotions, cognitive filters etc)
If we lived on the size- and timescale of the solar system, wouldn't we then naturally perceive the Earth as one seamless whole, one living organism?
If we had any other physical body, wouldn't we perceive colors, sounds, smells, touch, movement - in radically different ways?
If we lived in another culture, wouldn't we perceive Existence in a very different way?
Reminding ourselves of this naturally brings up humility. It helps soften our attachment to how we perceive and relate to the world, to Existence.