People
The Concept
Because we interact with other people regularly, it's a perfect opportunity to practice shifting our perceptions. As we shift our perception, we should notice the following different states
- The Self - You are the center of the universe
- The Other - Other people exist and experience themselves as The Self
- The Self as The Other - a form of empathy, experiencing to some degree what it is to be The Other
- The Self and The Other - perceiving no difference between subject and object
- Neither Self nor Other - Nonduality
General exercises
- When with one or more other people, shift your attention to one other person, and notice that from your own visual perspective, the other person is infinitely more real than you are. Try to be fully present and you will notice that although you do not manifest in any meaningful way, the other person is manifesting in many ways.
- They are expressing emotions on their face and body language - From your perspective, none of that is present about yourself; you can't see your face or interpret the position of your arms.
- They are making sounds from their mouths and as their body shifts, or objects they are holding are making soft sounds - If you are resting in the moment, none of that is true about you.
- Pick out as many details about this person as you can - especially notice features that are not available about yourself from your own perspective.
- What do they look like - hair, skin, ears, face, hands, clothes.
- What do they sound like - each minor sound from their body as they move, inflections and timbre in their voice.
- Without any judgement, note the quality of their emotional energy - are they at peace, are they amused, are they joyful? Turn attention back to your own emotional state and allow that to evaporate into nothingness.
- When in a group of people, observe each person in turn, recognizing that from their perspective they are the center of the universe. Shift to the next person and note how different the world is from their perspective. This can range from the very simple to the profound.
- What can one person see that the other person can't? Most obviously their own faces, but whatever is behind them at the time isn't visible to them, but it is to everyone else.
- How might different emotions affect the way each person is experiencing the moment?
- Note when two people are talking to each other and shift your attention from what one person is experiencing and then to what the other person is experiencing from their perspective. Note again that from your own perspective, each of these people is more real than you are.
- Remind yourself of The Headless Way and note that everyone you see except yourself has a head, and a body, and a clear set of attributes that are not perceptible in yourself from your perspective.
- Select one person to pay attention to, and it may be helpful to select someone that is experiencing something you find different or unique in a way that you don't immediately relate to. Allow your own judgement and your entire self to evaporate and discover that person is the new center of the universe. Feel that recentering, feel the real knowledge that they are experiencing emotions and thoughts, and urges and needs. Note that they can feel their own body, and they can focus their attention on sounds and sights from their own perspective and driven by their own needs. Finally, allow yourself to become them for even one blink of an eye.