Distorted Appearances

Outward appearances, preconceptions and expectations of people are all part of the human of being, its innate ... something that has been ingrained into our subconscious. We judge one another on outward appearances and how we expect people to act.

Whilst exploring this further I discovered that we as a race, feel most comfort when people are put into boxes, or subcategories. When someone steps out of their 'box', we feel uncomfortable, like they have upset the balance of our universe and we find it hard to cope! This is simply by someone disrupting the 'Status quo' and not living up to a preconceived image that we have set for them ... See what I'm getting at here!

Ok, to put this random topic cohoice into perspective for you all, I need to explain how I came about thinking about it. Recently I was reading  the Buddhist philosophy on the "six major types of consciousness". I now need to explain these quickly (promise that I wont go too far off topic) so that it is easier to understand what I mean by distortion of appearances etc.
So out of these 6, 5 of them are sensory consciousness ...


1.Auditory Consciousness (Sounds)
2. Gustatory Consciousness ( Taste)
3. Olfactory Consciousness (Smell)
4. Tactile Consciousness  (Sense)
5. Visual Consciousness (Sight)


However the sixth type does not directly rely on your physical senses, it is  Mental Consciousness, and it can be aware of all the previous and more!
Now, consider what happens when you have a cold... you lose your sense of smell which therefore interferes with your olfactory consciousness. Or try pressing your finger against the side of your eye socket, causing double vision. These examples prove to us that you cannot always trust the way things (and people) appear in your mind. Also, as mentioned above, throw in the various distortions we have created by preconceptions and expectations, the end product becomes a distorted muddle. Make more sense now?

Its obvious that seeing a clear, undistorted perception is not very common and difficult to achieve ... but now think of the extreme complexity of our brain and minds! We can train ourselves to do anything, so why can't we train ourselves to surpass the distortions of our consciousnesses and emerge to view the world with a brand new outlook, not judging people on appearance and expectations but simply getting to know them for who they are on the inside .... Its definitely not going to be easy, but its a challenge for you today, and is definitely a challenge that comes with great benefits, such as getting to know people that you never imagined yourself talking to, and pushing yourself and your mind to be more accepting, something that can bring great wisdom.
So get rid of the boxes! Let your mind become a muddle of people who aren't divided into categories and subcategories.... and have fun!
Good Luck
Vicky x