Putting on Rose Colored Glasses

[Keryo Koffa]

I am currently shifting between various lenses dynamically. One is to see the world perfectly, all past events through rose colored glasses, complete compassion for every person and every circumstance and a desire to relive and revitalize it. And the other lens is this weird awareness of non-self-awareness that permeates most our lives where shitty things happen and everything feels rough or like cardboard. And to shift between both simultaneously really gives you perspective.

Imagine this: You're at a laundromat, everything is grey, you're bored, annoyed, waiting for time to pass, strong sense of everything being heavy and physical and annoying, you're doing chores, you're sweaty, you feel a sense of hopelessness with the routine repeating itself indefinitely going nowhere, you're an ordinary person living a meaningless life, constantly stressed and on edge, just getting by, repeating and taking care of basic necessities, everything is set in stone, rigid, bland, boring, plastic, you got back pain, you're fatigued, unfocused, bothered, everything is mechanic and the air is suffocating, hopeless, you avoid the stains and grease as you walk.

Now imagine: You walk out, you see a flower growing out from between the pavement, the sun is setting and orange rays are permeating the atmosphere, the ground feels weirdly solid, flat, you feel its physicality in contrast to your own body, through the dynamic you feel bouncy, people walk by, you notice how the wind sways their clothes, time slows down as you pay attention, they walk past looking at their phones going about their lives, you walk, the walls of the buildings next to you have an interesting texture, the way they reflect light, you notice the graffiti, you visualize the teenagers who created it, you wonder how far in the past it has been, you keep walking, you hear the sounds of crickets, see cars drive by with music passing you, the sunset at the edge of the skyline looks so beautiful, you start smiling, the way you walk changes, you feel relaxed, attuned, you pay so much more attention, you see how the wind sways everyone's hair, you feel the breeze of fresh air, you feel in love, everything feels perfect, you want to express it somehow but don't know in what way, it seems everyone is already happy, maybe you were the only one that wasn't. Was life always like this? Why didn't I see it before?

So, now this polarity is an intense one, the difference comes through focus, engagement, energy. It seems that to engage with and to wonder about any one thing in relation to any other with a sense of playfulness, one can bring oneself into a state of happiness. But I've only really awakened to it being a thing in itself now. If you can consistently access and make reality feel magical, then that's an absolutely amazing state to be in. This also perfectly describes the magic of psychedelics, though reality comes in many more forms and shapes.