How to change your perspective?

Shifting your perspective is really just shifting who you are.
The facts on the ground don't change.

Think about it like going to a movie theater. You sit right in the front row of the orchestra section and watch the big climax unfold right in front of you.
You go back the next day to see the exact same movie, but this time you grab a seat up in the balcony. That climax is still the same scene.
Even if you head back for a third viewing and sit all the way in the very last row, the climax remains unchanged.

Sam Hayes said:It’s almost as if people act like there are only two camps—the pessimists and the optimists—but life isn't really that black and white, is it? I mean, I find myself being both at different times; sometimes I'm leaning toward the dark side, sometimes I'm feeling pretty hopeful... and plenty of times, I suppose I just land somewhere right in the middle. Besides, how do you even begin to strip away your own perception? To me, that feels a bit like trying to deny your own lived experience, which doesn't seem particularly possible, I guess.

The distinction between a pessimist and an optimist was merely an illustration.
To renounce perception is by no means to renounce the act of experiencing, and certainly not to renounce the ecstasy of living. That assertion itself is just another layer of perception—one that imposes conditions and restricts the freedom to feel and act.
You mentioned your love for nature. It seems you observe it without any urge to alter it; that is pure ecstasy. I wonder if you view yourself with that same detachment, or if you are constantly searching for ways to change yourself, attempting to do so in a manner that remains uniquely yours.
Do you truly expect that by repeating the familiar, you will stumble upon some unknown revelation that leaves you breathless?

Lisa Morales4 said:Shifting your perspective is really just shifting who you are.
The facts on the ground don't change.

Think about it like going to a movie theater. You sit right in the front row of the orchestra section and watch the big climax unfold right in front of you.
You go back the next day to see the exact same movie, but this time you grab a seat up in the balcony. That climax is still the same scene.
Even if you head back for a third viewing and sit all the way in the very last row, the climax remains unchanged.

I actually quite like this analogy, 👍but I suppose
in the case of the cinema, you're really just changing your vantage point rather than actually changing yourself... we stay the same, the theater stays the same, it’s just a different seat... maybe even a slightly different perspective if you've seen it three times already... but what happens when everything looks pitch black because you're feeling down, yet when you're happy, everything seems rosy—even though, in both scenarios, you still feel this underlying sense of emptiness? Like, in the first instance, it feels more intense and depressing, whereas in the second, it's more of a lingering melancholy... just this constant, pervasive void and sadness... does anyone else ever experience that?

dustyraven26 said:The distinction between a pessimist and an optimist was merely an illustration.
To renounce perception is by no means to renounce the act of experiencing, and certainly not to renounce the ecstasy of living. That assertion itself is just another layer of perception—one that imposes conditions and restricts the freedom to feel and act.
You mentioned your love for nature. It seems you observe it without any urge to alter it; that is pure ecstasy. I wonder if you view yourself with that same detachment, or if you are constantly searching for ways to change yourself, attempting to do so in a manner that remains uniquely yours.
Do you truly expect that by repeating the familiar, you will stumble upon some unknown revelation that leaves you breathless?

That makes sense, and I actually quite like that idea, 👍but does that mean I have to view myself through that same lens? I guess if I did look at myself that way, I might stop growing—and if I stop growing, I'm basically stuck in the same place I am now, just spinning my wheels...

Sam Hayes said:I actually quite like this analogy, 👍but I suppose
in the case of the cinema, you're really just changing your vantage point rather than actually changing yourself... we stay the same, the theater stays the same, it’s just a different seat... maybe even a slightly different perspective if you've seen it three times already... but what happens when everything looks pitch black because you're feeling down, yet when you're happy, everything seems rosy—even though, in both scenarios, you still feel this underlying sense of emptiness? Like, in the first instance, it feels more intense and depressing, whereas in the second, it's more of a lingering melancholy... just this constant, pervasive void and sadness... does anyone else ever experience that?

Exactly, we've just shifted our perspective (our vantage point)
even if the climax remains the same—we're seeing it through "different eyes" (from a different angle), so the experience feels different.

.. but what if everything looks pitch black when you're sad, and rose-colored when you're happy, yet in both scenarios, there's this underlying emptiness inside—deeper and more depressing in the first case, but in the second... just an omnipresent sense of void and sorrow... does anyone else feel this?

Change your angle: move to a different part of the room. Sit in a different chair.
Step away. Go outside.
Things will take on a whole new meaning.

does anyone else feel this?

Try picking up a guitar. Or maybe a harmonica. Or just put on some music and do some aerobics. Move on!
Focus on new sensations.

Lean against the wall: start arching your back downward. Listen to your spine.

Do some squats. You don't want things sagging in a few years. Think about staying fit and looking good well into your old age.

I think I mentioned before that I've been training 🙂

Lisa Morales4 said:Shifting your perspective is really just shifting who you are.
The facts on the ground don't change.

Think about it like going to a movie theater. You sit right in the front row of the orchestra section and watch the big climax unfold right in front of you.
You go back the next day to see the exact same movie, but this time you grab a seat up in the balcony. That climax is still the same scene.
Even if you head back for a third viewing and sit all the way in the very last row, the climax remains unchanged.

Well, I suppose in that scenario you’re just shifting your physical position, but I feel like your perception actually does change just by the act of watching it again. Because when you see a movie a second time, you already have these preconceived notions in your head, so you start noticing things you might have missed before. And by the third time, it's all about the tiny details... or maybe you realize the movie is actually kind of stupid because certain things start to irritate you. But, I don't know, does that really mean that you have changed, or is it just your perception of the film and your judgment of it that shifted?

Sam Hayes said:That makes sense, and I actually quite like that idea, 👍but does that mean I have to view myself through that same lens? I guess if I did look at myself that way, I might stop growing—and if I stop growing, I'm basically stuck in the same place I am now, just spinning my wheels...

It is both the question and the rather blunt answer in one. You aren't actually interested in reality; you just care about whether things align with how you feel about yourself. You're entitled to that perspective, I suppose. Good luck! ☕

Tripping on LSD versus going old school with some homemade Bunika🤣

Sam Hayes said:I actually quite like this analogy, 👍but I suppose
in the case of the cinema, you're really just changing your vantage point rather than actually changing yourself... we stay the same, the theater stays the same, it’s just a different seat... maybe even a slightly different perspective if you've seen it three times already... but what happens when everything looks pitch black because you're feeling down, yet when you're happy, everything seems rosy—even though, in both scenarios, you still feel this underlying sense of emptiness? Like, in the first instance, it feels more intense and depressing, whereas in the second, it's more of a lingering melancholy... just this constant, pervasive void and sadness... does anyone else ever experience that?

Yeah, I suppose I see it that way too... though, I guess it seems to me like your internal mental states might be coloring your perception of reality a bit too much... and do you ever find yourself reaching for some kind of medication just to tint the world "rosy"? I don't think that's quite right, because then you aren't really perceiving the world at all, you're just testing how much you can manipulate your own perception... there isn't really any way to verify the "truth" of how you see things. Personally, I think the world could be "black," but you could be happy, or the world could be objectively "pink," and you could still feel empty... it's just that, maybe, you spend too much time looking inward, so your internal state ends up reflecting onto everything outside. And yet, those internal feelings probably stem from external events anyway—if someone insults you, it throws you into a funk, or someone could cheer you up. So, I guess one should probably pay less attention to what others do to them, and try to focus more on objective reality to reach an objective conclusion... otherwise, you might always be like a "puppet on a string," just a plaything for fate or for people who have thicker skin and are a bit rougher than you are.

dustyskipper3 said:Well, I suppose in that scenario you’re just shifting your physical position, but I feel like your perception actually does change just by the act of watching it again. Because when you see a movie a second time, you already have these preconceived notions in your head, so you start noticing things you might have missed before. And by the third time, it's all about the tiny details... or maybe you realize the movie is actually kind of stupid because certain things start to irritate you. But, I don't know, does that really mean that you have changed, or is it just your perception of the film and your judgment of it that shifted?

well I am constantly evolving.

dustyraven26 said:It is both the question and the rather blunt answer in one. You aren't actually interested in reality; you just care about whether things align with how you feel about yourself. You're entitled to that perspective, I suppose. Good luck! ☕

hollowsailor48 said:Tripping on LSD versus going old school with some homemade Bunika🤣

Well, there you go. That's probably the fastest way to shift how you see things, though... maybe it's also a quick way to wreck your psyche so badly that you can never quite find the thread of your own distorted perception again. You might find yourself thinking, "I need this now," or "just a little more of that," but... well, even the real experts know they have to be careful not to let it ruin them.
So, I guess if you actually want to change how you perceive reality, you first have to understand what reality actually is. A lot of addicts, I think, get stuck starting in their teenage years, and it's hard to help them because their entire sense of reality was built on drugs; they don't really know what 'normal' life is like, they only know that... that parallel version. 😬 ☕

Lisa Morales4 said:Exactly, we've just shifted our perspective (our vantage point)
even if the climax remains the same—we're seeing it through "different eyes" (from a different angle), so the experience feels different.

.. but what if everything looks pitch black when you're sad, and rose-colored when you're happy, yet in both scenarios, there's this underlying emptiness inside—deeper and more depressing in the first case, but in the second... just an omnipresent sense of void and sorrow... does anyone else feel this?

Change your angle: move to a different part of the room. Sit in a different chair.
Step away. Go outside.
Things will take on a whole new meaning.

does anyone else feel this?

Try picking up a guitar. Or maybe a harmonica. Or just put on some music and do some aerobics. Move on!
Focus on new sensations.

Lean against the wall: start arching your back downward. Listen to your spine.

Do some squats. You don't want things sagging in a few years. Think about staying fit and looking good well into your old age.

I appreciate you trying to help Sam Hayes out, really, but suggesting she move to the balcony or down to the floor is pretty much pointless because the actual experience doesn't change. A movie theater is just a dark room where the only thing you’re supposed to focus on is that silver screen.

Why didn't you suggest, say, going to a Broadway play where the audience watches some tragedy filled with death and suffering? Everyone in the crowd gets that knot in their stomach—just like Sam Hayes did—and then you’d have to tell her to go sneak behind the curtain to see how the actors are actually behaving. You know, while someone is supposedly dying on stage, the actors might be having a blast or bragging about finally hooking up with that little ballerina. 😉 Meanwhile, two rivals from the play are just whispering in the dark, waiting for their cue. Sam wouldn't have felt any of that if she had just stayed put in her seat...

Isn't that basically what we're talking about here? Shifting the position, expanding the view, and changing the perception?

Lisa Morales4 said:well I am constantly evolving.

Right, but... I suppose it isn't really clear how much watching a movie actually changes you, or how much it impacts you, versus how much your own deep-seated biases just end up coloring your perception of the film until they basically swallow it whole. It makes me wonder... I mean, to what extent are we actually experiencing something new that shifts our perspective, and to what extent are we just twisting everything new to fit into our pre-existing views? There are different types of personalities out there—some people might be more 'perceptive,' while others lean more toward being 'judging'—so maybe it depends on that sort of thing.

Sam Hayes said:I think I mentioned before that I've been training 🙂

Fair enough then. Why let it bother you if you occasionally hit those melancholy or pink-tinted moods? It sounds like you're just a soul prone to bouts of sadness. Honestly, just let that feeling wash over you and find some joy in it. 🙂

dustyskipper3 said:I suppose we could look at all these various states as being tied to specific energies. Most people assume it’s strictly a matter of chemistry, so they turn to alcohol, prescription pills, or even harder substances, thinking they can just force themselves to be happy or upbeat through willpower. But I think that’s a mistake. You end up numbing your brain's receptors, which means you eventually need larger and larger doses of whatever substance is boosting your serotonin or dopamine levels. Plus, by doing that, you’re essentially destroying the chemical foundation required for motivation—which really ought to trigger a natural cycle of producing those substances on its own. In fact, forcing this kind of chemical "positive energy" might actually lead to an accumulation of constant, static "negative energy," which is basically what that state of "blackness" you mentioned feels like. After that, you just feel completely spent and exhausted. I guess that isn't such a huge issue when you're young because you can recharge your batteries quite easily, but once you pass 40, things get pretty difficult, and some of the most persistent users don't even make it to fifty. If you focus on generating positive energy naturally, your serotonin and dopamine will adjust themselves through homeostasis, so there isn't any excessive depletion or receptor overstimulation, and your thoughts tend to stay clearer and more fluid. This seems particularly important because people can get high off drugs, or even just too much caffeine, for instance, but then they lose their mental clarity; their thought process becomes jumbled or totally clouded, and they can even become aggressive. Then, inevitably, there is that crash into numbness and fatigue.

So, how does one actually produce positive energy? I suppose it requires becoming aware of the different energies surrounding us and trying to repel the negative ones while attracting the positive ones. These energies are perceived on an abstract level, perhaps through a "spiritual eye." Also, first and foremost, one has to overcome their own spiritual laziness. I mean, the initial human impulse is usually "I don't feel like doing this," or wondering why one should bother when they could just go out for a beer or something like that. But, I think, it is worth it. On the other hand, you could visit someone who is already very energetically strong so they can "charge" you with positive energy—maybe see a bioenergy healer, for example—or you could carry a crystal that holds the energetic imprint of such a person, allowing you to constantly absorb that positivity. There was a time when so-called "Bach flowers" were popular, which is somewhat similar to a spiritual "holy water." That also has some short-term effect. Of course, there are plenty of charlatans out there selling "energized water" for exorbitant prices. In my opinion, the value of the effect is inversely proportional to the price. The more expensive it is, the worse it tends to be. Ideally, these kinds of services shouldn't cost more than $17. Truly, the best way is to bring yourself into a sufficiently positive state so that you produce your own positive energy, but to achieve that, you probably need to clear out all forms of chemicals, maintain a proper vegetarian diet, maybe practice some form of asceticism... But if I had to say, the key is really changing your perception and developing the ability to sense the various types of energy around us. That allows you to focus on the specific energy you want to invite in and pull yourself out of the "blackness"; otherwise, you're just wandering aimlessly, sinking deeper into the thick mire of that darkness.

Changing one's perception is quite difficult without support.😳

dustyskipper3 said:Right, but... I suppose it isn't really clear how much watching a movie actually changes you, or how much it impacts you, versus how much your own deep-seated biases just end up coloring your perception of the film until they basically swallow it whole. It makes me wonder... I mean, to what extent are we actually experiencing something new that shifts our perspective, and to what extent are we just twisting everything new to fit into our pre-existing views? There are different types of personalities out there—some people might be more 'perceptive,' while others lean more toward being 'judging'—so maybe it depends on that sort of thing.

Well, if the movie doesn't consume me, I'll consume it. Or maybe we just meet somewhere in the middle.
It's a lot like reading scripture: you can read the exact same verse a dozen times and come away with a different message every single time. It all depends on the Spirit, or whatever you want to call that inner spark.
Nothing is ever really set in stone. The only thing that stays fixed is that heavy chain on a little baby elephant, even though Dumbo is a big boy now—that old chain still holds him back more than his own strength does.

dustyskipper3 said:Well, there you go. That's probably the fastest way to shift how you see things, though... maybe it's also a quick way to wreck your psyche so badly that you can never quite find the thread of your own distorted perception again. You might find yourself thinking, "I need this now," or "just a little more of that," but... well, even the real experts know they have to be careful not to let it ruin them.
So, I guess if you actually want to change how you perceive reality, you first have to understand what reality actually is. A lot of addicts, I think, get stuck starting in their teenage years, and it's hard to help them because their entire sense of reality was built on drugs; they don't really know what 'normal' life is like, they only know that... that parallel version. 😬 ☕

🙏

Exactly. I just wonder if the user suggesting LSD got flagged or something, because that suggestion was pretty pathetic and honestly dangerous.

Ned, looking back at your previous post about consciousness and intentional shifts, it gave me an idea. If someone is trying to work on themselves—or rather, adjust themselves to the world they live in—they really ought to have a grounded, patient person by their side. Someone they can talk to about everything that eats at them, everything that makes them happy, all those messy emotions. They need a pillar, maybe even a mentor, or just a shoulder to cry on... but also someone who will give them the honest truth about which direction they're actually heading.

That kind of person definitely wouldn't be handing out LSD or anything like that...

What do you think?

Tyler Diaz4 said:Changing one's perception is quite difficult without support.😳

👍 Exactly.

Lisa Morales4 said:Well, if the movie doesn't consume me, I'll consume it. Or maybe we just meet somewhere in the middle.
It's a lot like reading scripture: you can read the exact same verse a dozen times and come away with a different message every single time. It all depends on the Spirit, or whatever you want to call that inner spark.
Nothing is ever really set in stone. The only thing that stays fixed is that heavy chain on a little baby elephant, even though Dumbo is a big boy now—that old chain still holds him back more than his own strength does.

And that's exactly where the issue lies—people either refuse to read the Bible as it was actually intended, or the whole thing is just so poorly structured that everyone ends up cherry-picking their own personal version, which, honestly, is pretty terrible. What kind of divine law is so vague that it changes depending on who's looking at it? One minute "an eye for an eye" means you take a life because someone took yours, and the next person interprets it to mean they owe you a life to settle the score—like you're literally being handed a replacement person. It's a mess.

Like I mentioned earlier, I don't think comparing this to sitting in a dark theater and shifting your seat slightly to get a better view of a two-dimensional screen is really hitting the mark here.