(https://www.ramdass.

org)

Open Heart Extra - Perceptions of the Mind

Share this article

(http://twitter.com/home?status=Perceptions+of+the+Mindhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.ramdass.org%2Fperceptions-of-the-mind%2F)
(http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ramdass.org%2Fperceptionsof-the-mind%2F&t=Perceptions+of+the+Mind)

(https://plus.google.com/share?

url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ramdass.org%2Fperceptions-of-themind%2F&title=Perceptions+of+the+Mind)

(http://tumblr.com/share?

s=&t=Perceptions+of+the+Mind&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ramdass.org%2Fperceptions-of-

the-mind%2F&v=3)

(http://reddit.com/submit?

url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ramdass.org%2Fperceptions-of-themind%2F&title=Perceptions+of+the+Mind)

Perceptions of the Mind

Posted April 24, 2013
To facilitate the exploration of the mind it is helpful to understand the various levels of reality, to
examine the perceptual fields that dierent beings have, to see what dierent realities look like.
It is well known that motivation aects our perceptions. We dont necessarily see things as they are
we see them as we are. If a pickpocket meets a Saint, all he sees are his pockets. Thaddeus Golas,
in The Lazy Mans Guide to Enlightenment (http://www.ramdass.org/rds/a-lazy-mans-guide-toenlightenment-by-thaddeus-golas/) said, You never have to change what you see, only the way you
see it.
Gurdjie, the Russian philosopher, noted, If you think youre free and you dont know you are in
prison you cant escape. Gurdjie sees us as being in prison a prison of the mind.
To begin, you must first recognize that there is a journey. Many people are totally involved in their
lives. The spiritual element is irrelevant to them. They have no sense that behind their apparent
reality there is another equally true reality. When you begin to awaken to your predicament that
you are trapped in illusion there is a sense of something being absolutely real; but it is only
relatively real. That awakening is confusing. You are beginning to see through the dreamlike quality
of the veils of illusion. The condition necessary for you to see through the veil for the, Wow, it
isnt how I thought it was at all is despair. The realization that everything you think you can do to
create perfection isnt going to be enough.
In 1906, William James wrote, Our normal waking consciousness is but one form of
consciousness which all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens there lie other types of
consciousness that are entirely dierent. We may pass through our entire lives without suspecting
their existence. But apply the requisite stimulus and, at a touch, they are there in all their
completeness, all their mentalities, each having their field of application. No view of the universe in
its totality can be complete which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded.
But how to regard them is the question. They determine attitudes and so they fail to furnish a
formula. They open regions but they do not give a map. They forbid our premature closing of our
account with reality.
In this culture, we are rewarded for knowing we know. Its only when we come to the despair of
seeing that the rational mind just isnt going to be enough its only when you see the assumptions
youve been working with are not valid that there is the possibility of change. Albert Einstein said,
A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move towards higher levels. And
again, Man must be able to develop a higher form of thought if hes ever going to be able to use
his energy with wisdom.
Conceptually, there are three ways in which you know things:

1. Through direct experience.

2. Somebody you know knows them and tells you.
3. You study them with your logical mind, which extrapolates outward.
What about other ways of knowing or experiencing life, other ways that resonate with an inner
validity that make you say, Yeah, right on!? Its like Einstein saying, I didnt arrive at my
understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe through my rational mind. He implied the
concept of intuition. Intuition is something we really dont understand, but we use it. We say,
Well, he intuitively knew. Intuitively. In fact, there are other ways of knowing things than through
the senses and through the thinking mind.
People awaken through a wider variety of paths than anticipated. Part of the process of awakening
is the recognition that the realities we thought were absolute are only relative. All you have to do is
shift in one reality once and your attachment to what you thought was real starts to collapse. Once
the seed of awakening is in you, theres no choice theres no turning back.
We all know that reality is relative; we have known it since childhood.
-Ram Dass

Related Content

Limitations of
Knowing

Navigating the
Mind Fields

Einstein Rational
Mind

In Search of
Being by G.I.
(https://www.ramdass.org/einsteinGurdjie

(https://www.ramdass.org/limitations(https://www.ramdass.org/navigatingrational-mind/)
knowing/)
the-mind-fields/)

(https://www.ramdass.org/searchg-gurdjie/)

Help Support These Teachings

If you enjoyed Perceptions of the Mind, please support our eorts to continue making teachings
from Ram Dass and friends accessible to all. As Ram Dass says, "When you see the beloved all
around you, everyone is family and everywhere is love." Learn more >
(https://www.ramdass.org/donations)

LSRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law.

I would like to make a contribution of:

Donation
$9.00
$27.00
$36.00
$54.00
$108.00
$1,008.00
Other
Total

$9.00
How would you like to pay
One Time via PayPal
Monthly via PayPal
One Time via Credit Card
Monthly via Credit Card

Submit

(https://www.ramdass.org/cultivating-film-series/)

Support the Love Serve Remember Foundation

(/donations/)

Subscribe to the LSRF Mailing List

First Name:

Your first name

Last Name:
Your last name

Email address:
Your email address

Sign up

(https://www.ramdass.org/ebooks/)

New Releases

(/now-available-polishing-mirror-audiobook-

paperback/)

Featured Teacher: Anne Lamott

(https://www.ramdass.org/anne-lamott/)

Terms of service (http://ramdass.org/rds/terms-of-service/)

Privacy Policy (http://ramdass.org/rds/privacy-policy/)
Contact Us (http://ramdass.org/rds/contact-us/)
2014 LSRF Love Serve Remember Foundation 2355 Westwood Blvd #130, Los Angeles, CA 90064