Changing a Perception

In order to be able to change the beliefs that I hold, I first must perceive them differently.

Examples:

I believe the carpet is clean. Upon getting down on my hands and knees, I clearly see the carpet is loaded with dirt.

I have always felt cold in the ocean in the winter. I just got a new wetsuit which is thicker and higher quality than any that I have had before. I now find the ocean to be pleasant even if the temperature is 55 degrees.

I have always thought of dogs as dominant over cats. I currently have a cat that who is not afraid of my dogs; in fact, they run and cower from him.

I have always been afraid to speak up and disagree with people who I perceive as smarter than I. Recently, I spoke up about an issue that had been bothering me for a long time. My friend acknowledged the issue, has changed his behavior and it feels more comfortable to be around him.

My wife has always been frustrated by my defensiveness. I was never able to control this behavior. Recently, I was newly able to hear her criticisms or opinions and for the first time, did not take them personally or become reactive. My wife has been much more pleasant to me since I reacted more openly.

I always heard about the sunset "green flash" over the ocean but never could see it myself. Once I did perceive it, I see it routinely as the sun sets over the ocean.

I always believed the gospel about Multiple Sclerosis being an "auto-immune" illness as this was the way the world saw it. When the new vascular theory was discovered by Paolo Zamboni, it seemed truer to me and made much more sense. I thus came to change my belief and my level of hope for improvement and healing sky-rocketed. I also came to realize that the way I lived each day (my food, my thoughts, my exercise, my peace of mind) all matter for my managing my medical condition.

When I started work on the Dean Ornish heart disease program, I thought that the arteries were like pipes. I thought that blockages were "fixed" obstructions. It wasn't until later that I came to realize how dynamic and alive the inside of the artery truly is. With this new perception, I came to realize how much can effect blockage. I came to see that our daily actions (what we eat, our attitudes, thoughts, moods and spirits, and if we exercise) have tremendous impact on the dynamic state of these very alive "organs". A whole world of healing options evolved out of this change in perception.

When I worked in a cancer center, I could never quite understand how 2 people with the same condition could have such opposite outcomes. One could become ravaged by her disease while another woman in the exact same circumstance would glide through her treatment course and slip into a cured state. Now I understand. Two different people; two very different perceptions of their situations.


All these are examples of long held beliefs that change when a new perception is found can make profound differences in peoples' lives. The change is not difficult in the least; it only requires seeing something a different way. It is just learning. Life can truly open up and completely transform when perceptions change. Nothing in objective reality has to be different; only how we see it. With this shift, mountains move and miracles become reality.

I believe that this approach can be applied to behavior change (quitting cigarettes or drinking, losing weight, starting to exercise, or stopping verbally abusive behavior). The key is not will, social support or helpful pharmaceuticals. The true key is finding a newer, truer perception. I'll explore this next entry.