Am I imagining only my perceptions?

[ZenSwift]

Am I imagining only my perceptions? The being-ness that I'm currently experiencing? Like is THAT all that exists? and everything else doesn't?

When I look at the front of my hand, the back of my hand doesn't exist, when I flip my hand, the back of my hand exists, but not the front. Correct?

 

Am I imagining all the universe at once? Like universe as all the stars and planets, etc. 

I intuitively believe that I don't need things like gravity, the earth, physics, biology, etc. to exist in order for my hand to manifest in front of me.

No cause and effect. Just effect grounded in itself, effect with no cause.

 

When I'm looking at my room with no reflective surfaces, do my eyeballs even exist? I don't see my eyeballs. 

 

Is the Universe with a capital U just my present experience? Sights, sounds, feelings, smells, tastes, thoughts.

 

I'm even struggling to find a question that pinpoints what I'm really trying to ask.

 

How the hell do I figure out these questions? Any pointers to contemplate/trip about?

[WokeBloke]

When you use the word imagine what exactly do you mean? 

Are you consciously creating my post? 

[Ananta]

@ZenSwift

Hello, essentially anything that is impermanent and changes, comes and goes, is only "apparently" real (aka illusion)

It seems to be real to the person that is also a changing, experiencing entity....but who is the permanent, changeless knower of all of the changing objects, both subtle (thoughts, feeling, etc) and gross (material)?

That is your true Self.

 

[Ry4n]

Consciousness is "imagining" all perceptions and anything that could ever be. In order to experience itself it must by definition split itself into a dualistic POV. Time, space and location are all required for a POV, and because of this consciousness's infinite nature it must put limitations on itself to embody said POV for the purpose of experiencing itself. This is in essence what Spira would call our "finite mind". So thus it is exactly that; finite. You can't have some crazy total omniscience of what's happening in the universe from the lens of the finite mind. 

As one goes more into the infinite the limitations fade away but so too does time and space and all forms; the perspective must fade away because it can never be infinite. All the smaller details fade away when going into the bigger picture. 

Omniscience is a state of being but it is not a POV.

A pointer I like to use when in the sober state is this "you are not inside your head, your head is inside you" (you being the open space). 

All other finite minds including one's own are happening inside that single space, but like I said all the minds happening in that space must be limited to experience a seperate lens. 

Finding one's true nature can be empowering but knowing the deep limitations it places on itself can simultaneously be humbling. 

3 hours ago, ZenSwift said:

When I look at the front of my hand, the back of my hand doesn't exist, when I flip my hand, the back of my hand exists, but not the front. Correct?

For the finite mind it does not due to its limitations. 

 

3 hours ago, ZenSwift said:

Is the Universe with a capital U just my present experience? Sights, sounds, feelings, smells, tastes, thoughts.

If you think those are the only contents of universal consciousness then I would disagree, even though they are the only contents of your finite mind. 

Paradoxically the statement "the present moment is all there is" is still true, in the sense that all those appearances are just consciousness, and all any appearance could be at its very essence is consciousness. "Light is one, but colours a thousandfold." 

[Inliytened1]

@ZenSwift your perceptions are Absolute Truth.  Or more specifically what is actual right now in your direct experience is Absolute Truth.  

[Terell Kirby]

On 1/13/2022 at 9:11 PM, ZenSwift said:

Am I imagining only my perceptions?

Deconstruct the idea of “my”. There is no “you” that possesses what you call perception.

Reality IS perception..that perception belonging to no human. Humans are just an appearance in perception.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Terell Kirby

[Terell Kirby]

6 minutes ago, Judy2 said:

I'll be a little bold here and say there aren't even perceptions. But call it whatever you want:)

Yes .. but only when one realizes that all of language is constructed/imagined. In any case, most newbies get ahead of themselves by tossing out helpful pointers too soon .

We have to exhaust language in our efforts to get to Truth before we can do away with it altogether.

[Zeroguy]

you are imagining everything.Everything.Life is a dream.

[ZenSwift]

This thread is telling me that I just have to become conscious enough such that I don't need to ask such questions. 

 

@Ry4n your post helps a lot. 

 

I found another good post that answers my questions pretty well, throwing it down here. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by ZenSwift