In 2015, an online viral phenomenon divided the digital community and inspired much discussion about human perception. A simple photo of a dress posted on social media sparked a heated debate: was the dress blue and black or white and gold? Only 60% of the people surveyed saw the dress as blue and black (the actual colors, as confirmed by the retailer), while some people reported their perception of the colors changed over time. How could so many people see the same photo so differently?
We tend to believe that whatever we see is based on what’s right in front of us. We think we see reality, untainted by anything. The truth is there are a number of factors that influence the way we perceive the world. Understanding these influences and how we can change the way we think has the powerful ability to alter the way we experience life.
Here are 3 ways to change your perception:
1. Understand that your view of reality is influenced by your experiences and biases.
How often have you heard someone say, “I saw it with my own two eyes”? In truth, only 10% of what we see is based on input from our eyes. The rest is filled in by our experiences, knowledge, and assumptions. Two people can experience the same situation, and one of them will think it’s the worst thing that has ever happened while the other believes it is the most amazing thing they’ve ever seen. What we see is what the brain tells us we are seeing. The mind takes what our senses perceive and then interprets them and gives them meaning. We are tainted by our belief system, our past experiences, our trauma, our pain, and even things we find pleasurable.
It’s up to each of us to take the blindfolds off. The first step to seeing the world differently is to realize that you are not seeing reality, only the way you have trained your mind to translate what is happening in front of you.
2. Challenge your thoughts and assumptions, especially when it comes to negative experiences.
If our perception of our reality is largely filtered through the lens of our experiences and beliefs, then the way to change the negativity we experience in our lives is not by changing the world around us but by changing the way we think. We are capable of retraining our brains to look at things through a completely different lens.
Someone who has a negative attitude will naturally see negative things, not because these things are actually negative, but because that is their preconceived consciousness. If you are experiencing anything negative in life right now, chances are that it isn’t reality but rather your perception of reality based on preconceived notions of negativity. One of the ways to change the way your mind thinks is to try being a radical optimist. Strive to see the silver lining in every situation. That will ensure that you start seeing a more positive reality. You aren’t going to completely avoid challenges or pain, but when you change your mindset, your experience of them won’t feel like challenge and pain, and you may even realize that some of those hardships are not based in reality at all.
3. Pause and invite the Creator to guide you.
When we go through difficult times, it’s easy to feel like we are completely alone in our pain. But in truth, there is a powerful force guiding us, sending us endless love and blessings. The more we open ourselves up to this, the more we allow those gifts to enter our lives.
When life throws disappointments and challenges at you, there is an opportunity to realize the great blessings and Light that exist within the hardships. Pause and ask the Creator to show you the truth. This opens you up to experience a different way of seeing and to experience all the riches the Creator bestows upon you.
We each experience a different version of reality. Our perception is a complicated mix of signals from our senses and our brain’s interpretation of them based on unique filters that have been shaped over the course of our lives: expectations, assumptions, experiences, and feelings, to name a few. When we challenge what we see, think, believe, and feel, we open our minds to new ways of experiencing the world. With the Creator’s help, we can recognize the goodness, love, and support all around us at every moment. This is the ultimate way to change how we view the world and how we experience life.
