(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)

 

Reality and truth are not the same. Reality means the existence of any phenomena that we perceive or create in either our outer or inner world. Truth means what IS – what is fact, what is valid in a given context.

EXAMPLE #1. Anxiety is real and is even true for you at the moment you feel it. But it’s context is not true. Why? Because all anxiety is about the future, and the future does not exist! It is only potential and has not happened. It is by it’s nature false, and any discussion of, or emotion connected with the future is not true! So, though anxiety is real, it’s context is not true. (The same may be said for the past. It is illusory, gone, finished, dead, out of existence.)

EXAMPLE #2. The experience of a Schizophrenic who claims he is Jesus Christ is quite real, but it isn’t true.

Never question the reality of a person’s experience. Question their truth. It seems we all have a built in desire to be in truth, but if you try to tell me what’s real, the fight is on! — either tooth and nail, or with me bowing down before your “authority”, neither of which is healthy for you or me.

Also we may fight over truth, but ultimately we can experiment and reach some accord. We don’t submit to outside authority, we experiment with what we discover, to find out if its true. When we do this, we achieve remarkable results in short order. People become able to progress constructively with their lives.

Validate the experienced reality, but illuminate the truth of the circumstances and perception shifts. Ultimately this brings you into the state of being (present), instead of the state of expectation (future/past).

 

Copyright 1996 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.