Whatever I experience, I can be certain that it’s shared with innumerable humans. Innumerable humans now, in the past, and in the future will share this experience in a very similar way.
It may also be that innumerable beings of many different species have experienced something very similar, are experiencing it, and will experience it.
We are in it together.
SINGLED OUT VS FELLOWSHIP
If I tell myself this is only happening to me, it’s easy to go into “poor me” and “why me” thoughts. I feel isolated and alone. I feel singled out. I feel especially unlucky. I feel that others have it better than me, and I can find any number of examples. (Based on comparing imaginations of me and them.)
If I remind myself of the universality of my experience, I realize that this experience is shared by a vast number of beings. Perhaps most experience something like that at some point in their life if they are lucky to live long enough. We are in it together.
It gives me a sense of fellowship. It gives me a sense of connection. It removes the feeling of being singled out, whether my personality sees that as good or bad.
Reminding me of this naturally deepens my empathy with myself and others. They are like me. And this empathy especially deepens when this noticing becomes a habit, a part of daily life.
EXPERIENCES MY PERSONALITY LIKES AND DOESN’T LIKE
This applies to the experiences my personality doesn’t like – physical or emotional pain, overwhelm, struggle, confusion, illness, discomfort, and so on.
It also applies to the experiences my personality does like – pleasure, joy, excitement, calm, comfort, contentment, peace, and so on. This too is experienced by innumerable humans and likely innumerable beings of many different species.
This too ties us together. This too is a reminder of our fellowship. This too deepens my empathy when I notice.
WHAT IS AN EXPERIENCE?
It’s important to clarify for ourselves what we mean by “an experience”.
Our initial response may be that we know. And when we look a little closer, we may surprise ourselves.
When I explore this for myself, I find that my experience is whatever is happening in my sense fields – sight, sound, smell, taste, movement, physical sensations, and an overlay of mental representations making sense of it all. (Sometimes in painful ways.)
It’s especially the combination of physical sensations and mental representations that creates my experience.
And in this context, it’s mainly the physical sensations with most of the conscious stories stripped away.
These are what my personality responds to with likes and dislikes. (And, of course, the likes and dislikes have stories behind them, many not conscious and learned early in life.)
For me, the focus is mainly on my physical sensations and how my system responds to these. How is it to remind myself that this experience – these physical sensations and the way my system responds to them – is universal? Is shared by innumerable humans and beings?
This is the essence of this exploration, and honing in on the physical sensations simplifies and gives a more clear focus.
A SIMPLE EXPLORATION
This can be a simple exploration in daily life.
What happens when I remind myself of the universality of what I am experiencing now?
What happens when this becomes a new habit? When I do it whenever I remember through the day?
What happens if I use difficult experiences as a reminder of this? And enjoyable experiences? And more neutral experiences?
How does my relationship with myself and others shift?
INITIAL OUTLINE
The universality of my experience
- Whatever I experience
- Can be certain that innumerable humans have experienced something very similar
- And many innumerable beings of many different species
- We are in it together
Whatever I experience, I can be certain that it’s shared with innumerable humans. Innumerable humans now, in the past, and in the future will share this experience in a very similar way.
INITIAL DRAFT
Whatever I experience, I can be certain that it’s shared with innumerable humans. Innumerable humans now, in the past, and in the future will share this experience in a very similar way.
It may also be that innumerable beings of many different species have experienced something very similar, are experiencing it, and will experience it.
We are in it together.
SINGLED OUT VS FELLOWSHIP
If I tell myself this is only happening to me, it’s easy to go into “poor me” and “why me” thoughts. I feel isolated and alone. I feel singled out. I feel especially unlucky. I feel that others have it better than me, and I can find any number of examples. (Based on comparing imaginations of me and them.)
If I remind myself of the universality of my experience, I realize that this experience is shared by a vast number of beings. Perhaps most experience something like that at some point in their life if they are lucky to live long enough. We are in it together.
It gives me a sense of fellowship. It gives me a sense of connection. It removes the feeling of being singled out.
Reminding me of this naturally deepens my empathy with myself and others. They are like me. And this empathy especially deepens when this noticing becomes a habit, a part of daily life.
EXPERIENCES MY PERSONALITY LIKES AND DOESN’T LIKE
This applies to the experiences my personality doesn’t like – physical or emotional pain, overwhelm, struggle, confusion, illness, discomfort, and so on.
It also applies to the experiences my personality does like – pleasure, joy, excitement, calm, comfort, contentment, peace, and so on. This too is experienced by innumerable humans and likely innumerable beings of many different species.
This too ties us together. This too is a reminder of our fellowship. This too deepens my empathy when I notice.
A SIMPLE EXPLORATION
This can be a simple exploration in daily life.
What happens when I remind myself of the universality of what I am experiencing now?
What happens when this becomes a new habit? When I do it whenever I remember through the day?
What happens if I use difficult experiences as a reminder of this? And enjoyable experiences? And more neutral experiences?
How does my relationship with myself and others shift?