The world of narratives and the reality of direct experience are like two different dimensions

The world of narratives and the reality of direct experience are like two different dimensions

The world of narratives and the reality of direct experience can feel like two different dimensions. This distinction reflects two fundamentally different ways of perceiving and engaging with life:

The World of Narratives

  • Nature:
    • This is the conceptual realm created by the mind, where thoughts, stories, interpretations, and meanings dominate.
    • Narratives are constructed from past experiences, projections about the future, and interpretations of the present.
  • Function:
    • Narratives help us navigate the world practically, communicate, and make sense of complex situations.
    • They create identities, roles, and goals, which can be useful but also limiting.
  • Characteristics:
    • Relies on time: past, future, and the unfolding story of “me.”
    • Is dualistic: separating subject (the thinker) and object (the thought or world). o Often involves judgment: labeling experiences as good, bad, right, or wrong.
  • Drawback:
    • When over-identified with, narratives become the source of suffering, creating attachment, resistance, and a false sense of self.

Example:


You experience rain, and the narrative mind says:

  • “This is ruining my day.”
  • “I should have brought an umbrella.”
  • “I hate this weather.”

The rain itself is neutral, but the story transforms it into a problem.

The Reality of Direct Experience

  • Nature:
    • This is the raw, immediate experience of life without mental overlays.
    • It is what is happening now, before the mind interprets it.
  • Function:
    • Direct experience connects us to the truth of the moment, free from judgment, past associations, or future anxieties.
    • It is the dimension of presence, stillness, and awareness.
  • Characteristics:
    • Exists only in the present moment—the eternal now.
    • Is non-dual: no separation between observer and observed.
    • Is free from judgment: sensations, sounds, and perceptions simply arise without labels.
  • Advantage:
    • By resting in direct experience, we access freedom, clarity, and peace, unhindered by the mind’s constructs.

Example:

You experience rain, and direct experience notices.

  • The coolness of droplets on your skin.
  • The sound of rain hitting leaves and pavement.
  • The freshness of the air.

There is no story attached—just the pure sensory reality of the rain.

Two Dimensions: Contradictory or Complementary?

While the world of narratives and the reality of direct experience seem like separate dimensions, they are not inherently contradictory. Instead, they can be seen as complementary aspects of human existence:

  • Narratives: Serve practical purposes—planning, reflecting, and navigating the complexities of life.
  • Direct Experience: Grounds us in the truth of the moment, offering freedom from the suffering created by narratives. The challenge arises when the world of narratives takes over, obscuring direct experience and causing us to lose touch with the present moment.

Bridging the Dimensions

  1. Recognize Narratives as Narratives:
    • See narratives as mental constructs, not reality itself.
    • Use them mindfully for practical purposes but avoid over-identifying with them.
  2. Return to Direct Experience:
    • Regularly pause and tune into your sensory, emotional, and perceptual reality.
    • Ask: “What is happening right now, beyond the mind’s story?”
  3. Let Presence Guide Narratives:
    • When narratives arise, allow them to flow from the stillness of direct experience, rather than from fear, attachment, or resistance.

Example:

If you face a challenging situation:

  • First, return to direct experience (e.g., observe your breath, notice bodily sensations).
  • Then, let a narrative emerge naturally, guided by clarity rather than reactivity.

A Metaphor: The Sky and the Clouds

  • The reality of direct experience is like the sky—vast, open, and unchanging.
  • Narratives are like clouds—constantly shifting and passing through the sky.
  • When we mistake the clouds for the sky, we get caught in their drama. By recognizing the sky as our true nature, we can let clouds come and go without being disturbed.

Conclusion

The world of narratives and the reality of direct experience are like two dimensions of existence:

  • Narratives provide structure and meaning but can also limit and distort.
  • Direct experience offers truth, peace, and liberation.

Freedom lies in loosening our grip on narratives and regularly returning to the dimension of direct experience, where life unfolds in its purest form. From this place of presence, narratives can be engaged with lightly and used constructively, without losing touch with the calm and still awareness that is our true nature.