What is not present?
As an experiment within my own body, I think first of what is not present:
- my attention moving quickly from one thing to the next
- seeing things as if my eyes were 3 feet in front of me
- not even seeing what is around me
- holding my breath or breathing up high in my chest
- not hearing the words of people speaking to me
- not tasting my meal as I eat
What is present?
So would presence be the opposite of these things?
- my attention moving slowly, lingering on the things that catch it
- seeing things as if I was looking right out from my eyeballs
- noticing the details of what is around me—shapes, sizes, colors
- my breath moving slower and filling in more of my torso
- feeling the vibration and understanding the meaning of the words people are speaking
- smelling my food and tasting the variations of flavor with each bite
Activating sensation
Right now, the one that activates my familiar sense of being present is looking around this room I’m in. I looking and seeing from within my body. I’m not reaching out around me quickly, but seeing the space between me and the things I share space with.
What is that familiar sense of presence for me? It is like a release and a hug at the same time. My cells open up and all of them breathe. At the same time I am filled with a sense of warmth. It is like someone who deeply cares and makes me feel safe just walked in and sat by me.
And using my vision to create that presence, what is that? This experience has been described in different ways to me in different contexts.
In one, it’s an invitation to allow the room to come to your eyes. You aren’t searching. You allow color and shape to arrive at your sense organs of sight.
Can you try that? Does that change things for you?
In another, it’s resetting your visual awareness so that you notice the structures that are closet to your face or are your face. One way is to find the outline of your nose or your glasses, and then take in the rest of the space around you from that framing.
If you try that, what do you notice?
In another, it’s noticing the space between you and the object you are viewing. You visually test the distance between it and you.
What happens if you try that?
Did any of those create a shift?
There are many other ways of experiencing being present and ways to get there.
Will you tell me about yours?
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