What do you see?

That is the strange thing about common experience, people have come to see everything as ordinary, as mundane. For most, it takes a dramatic change of seasons for them to notice anything, for them to appreciate and enjoy anything. It is common place on my excursions in the woods to meet people who try to see what I am seeing by looking in the same direction, peering, narrowing, and squinting, only to finally ask, “What do you see?” If I told them, they’d not believe me.

Ottawa Deadly Train Crash: Driver may not have seen it coming

Psychologists: “…it’s possible to see an object clearly without realizing it’s there.” On September 18th the driver of an Ottawa double-decker bus ran into a train, killing six people and injuring thirty. The safety barricade and systems were fully operating, and the train was driving relatively slowly. Investigators have found no cause for the collision so far. The driver was only seen trying to brake in the last few seconds before impact. One news article the Ottawa Citizen says, Psychologists say it’s possible for drivers to see an object clearly without realizing it’s there.” I found that to be a stunning expert statement for our society at this time, and very close to my experience of not seeing a man’s face …

Dealing with Being Dumped in a Relationship

Alchemy Session Audio Recording [24:02 min] [audio:https://alchemylovejoy.com/Wants_Relationship_32.mp3] Listen in on the conversation as Cindy walks a participant through the practice of Alchemy. Notice that Cindy asks the questions in the now, and the participant tends to answer in the past until she has shifted state. Here are some transcribed excerpts: [Cindy] “We don’t want things, people, or events, we want the feeling we mistake them for. If you have the relationship and you didn’t have a good feeling, would you want the relationship?” [Participant] “No.” [Cindy] “How does being in relationship feel? How does being full, appreciated, honoured, loved, validated, and unconditionally accepted feel? [Participant] “It feels foreign.” Bonus Recording The After Effects of Alchemy [12:55 min] [audio:https://alchemylovejoy.com/After_Effects_Alchemy_32.mp3] Listen to …

Mind the Gap – You are Before Thinking

The water splashed over the edge of the bucket and pooled out on the bathroom floor, running under the door.

I looked down at the puddle and a moment later heard the thought “water spilled on the floor.”

The obvious time delay in that thought arising was almost shocking, and I chuckled at the redundant comment from the “peanut gallery.” Years ago I never even noticed the delay. Today, in this moment, it was never so obvious that thought comes after experience—and quite some time after!

The awake bird gets the worm

This morning I was sitting by my sister’s pool, sipping hot chocolate, when my attention delved so deeply into thoughts and images of an event of the recent past that I did not immediately notice the robin land in the shady grass and begin to chirp. When her chirping got close enough and loud enough, the spell was broken, the dream ended, and my attention went fully on her for a moment. Upon noticing that I had been lost in thought, I do what I always do, which is to come to my senses; to feel into the body and breath, feel the heat of the sun, my seat on the steps, hear the call of the bird, notice the taste of …