Do we believe that only the things which our senses can perceive exist? I imagine the answer is ‘no’ for many people, and yet the emphasis on science based, proven, repeatable, evidence-based information is deeply rooted in our modern culture in the west. This has so many problems - it limits our range of vision enormously, many things cannot be tested, and testable things have to be broken down into components that don’t reflect the whole from which they are part of.
There is a bundle of nerves in our brains, ‘the reticular activating system’, which is responsible for sensation, consciousness, attention, and the sleep-wake cycle. It sifts through the wealth of information to allow only some to come to our attention, a gatekeeper of information. Why am I interested in this? It explains to me why as individuals we perceive the same event differently, have different responses, and links to how we limit ourselves. This isn’t always straight forwards, as this can be through unconscious or sub-conscious messaging. However, we are aware of what is in our conscious mind, and we can shape this at least.
My own life has changed a lot over the past 10 or so years, and I think a great contributor to this is the way I have corrected my thoughts sometimes. For instance, I had a deep phobia of spiders growing up and through a big portion of my adulthood. If there was a spider close by I went into freeze mode, and couldn’t sleep if there was a spider (I knew of in my bedroom). This was quite disabling and I decided to target this. Starting with positive sentences such as ‘how clever spiders are to spin such beautiful webs’, little by little my aversion reduced, soon I could expose myself to small spiders in close proximity - still making sure I used positive thoughts when responding to seeing them. I can sleep now with spiders around and this particular issue doesn’t bother me.
This is why I believe affirmations and positive thinking are so popular - they get results, because they utilise the natural function of the reticular activating system.
We all have negative thoughts or responses, but if we notice them we can respond with a higher number of positive ones, which helps the reticular activating system know which pieces of information in our environment to let through its gates. For instance, we are in a busy place, feeling optimistic about life and people in general, and it is likely we will notice happy connections, kindness, humour, etc. However, if we are feeling suspicious, angry, irritated towards people, we are likely to notice friction, arguments, deception, etc. The reticular activating system filters the huge amount of information around us to fit our requirements!
Opening to Dream has many layers, but one of them is holding thoughts that aren’t limited. “Anything can happen”, “life is good to me”, “I know I will find the right….”, “I am excited about what today has in store for me”, “I love life”, etc. You get the idea. These positive thoughts allow your reticular activating system to filter into your senses all that line up with these positive thoughts.
The open-ended nature of such thoughts, allows you to be more in the flow state. When we begin to reduce the control we have on the directions we take and be guided more by positive emotional cues, what Esther Hicks calls the Emotional Guidance System, then we can notice what lifts us and can do more of those things. An upward spiral, that allows us to be open to dream.
In my early adulthood, I always had an ‘attitude of gratitude’, noticing all the things I was grateful for, and without knowing I was opening the way for more pleasing things to enter my attention. There is now an explanation for why positive attitude, seems to get the best out of life.
Having just explored two days of family constellation work, I am even more convinced, how connected everything is. We do not need to consciously know everything to trust our body’s intelligence, our intuition, our emotional guidance system, our instinctive selves. Dance Connection calls this the ‘Sensing System’ - where we notice physical indicators (such as feeling hot, lacking energy), alongside emotional indicators (such as feeling anxious, or happy) to enable us partner our bodies - listening to what it is telling us and following the cues. Partnering is about bringing attention to our sensing system and seeing this as supportive to our wellbeing and direction in life.
We have a choice to move towards events, people, places, and actions that feel good in our physical and emotional senses, and to follow our intuition and trust our instincts. As we increase the time we spend on things that make us feel good, alive, fulfilled, happy, connected, etc. we increase our resilience. Our energy tanks get refuelled and we have more energy to embrace the abundance that is all around us in the natural world, as well as within us.
As much as we may feel technology can be a great benefit to us, we need to be mindful in how much we use it. My work is Dance Connection and my interests all practical, and yet I too find my body drained, tense & cold, my eyes tired and strained, from the overuse of my mobile phone and computer. I am mindfully trying to learn how much technology usage doesn’t drain me. Alongside noticing the increase in time to do other things that allows me to be open to dream. When we have time to dream, to allow the flow state, it is surprising what can come into our frame.
Taking time to slowly walk last week, mindfully placing my foot carefully and slowly on the path through a piece of woodland. My eyes came upon two fawns resting on a higher ridge between trees. As the first fawn’s deep, dark eyes made contact with mine, I felt a thrill and deep reverence for this new life. Humans are predators, and quite rightly it rose and fled. The second fawn, unaware of danger rested longer, I managed to photograph it to share with my partner, who was absent, but here it is for you to see. Seeing the two fawns resting, is the highlight of this week, and only came about because I had time to slow down.
When I slow down, I feel the connection to nature, that I am part of it without which I would not be able to survive. I feel humbled. I want to show my love and reverence. To walk more lightly (metaphorically and literally) on the Earth. I feel the magic that is all around us. The beauty that can bring me to my knees, with tears streaming with awe and wonder. My senses are filled to overflowing.
There is more to our potential experience than we can imagine. Will you allow yourself to hold open the possibility for miracle and magic? What thoughts and affirmations invite this more into your life? Can you come back to your senses?