What Is Perception - The Metaphysics Of Perception

"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as
it is, infinite." - William Blake

• Perception defined : Perception, or the visual field, constitutes a sensory bubble that encases us as we interact with reality, indicating a subject-object duality. Leo clarifies that perception is not a biological or neurological process, but something very tricky and misunderstood, challenging the conventional model many hold.
• Perception without a subject : Leo encourages the audience to imagine perception without a subject, such as an experience hanging in the vacuum of space. This raw data of perception would stay the same, but its interpretation changes, leading to a universal rather than personal or biological experience.
• Conventional model of reality : Modern belief systems consider reality as an objective, external world populated by sentient and non-sentient objects, where humans perceive this world through their brains, misunderstanding the true nature of perception.
• Actual workings of reality : Leo claims that a universal field of consciousness is the only thing that exists, and humans are born as ideas rather than physical objects. Perception is a construction of the ego, misinterpreted as an external, independent world.
• Illusions created by the ego : The entire concept of an external world, as well as being born into the world as a sentient creature with a perceptual field produced by the brain, is an illusion created by the ego according to Leo's revelations during his meditation retreat.
• Subjectivity of Perception : Leo challenges the idea of perception being subjective to a biological organism, suggesting that perception, or the sensory bubble, is ubiquitous in the universe and not tied to individual consciousness.
• Illusion of Perception : Leo asserts that perception is an illusion, and by removing the ego's influence, one can revert to a state of pure being or consciousness, which is the only true reality.
• Radical recontextualization of perception : Leo asks the viewers to radically reinterpret perception not as an individual experience tied to organisms, but as a universal phenomenon without a perceiver. This shift collapses the assumed duality between perceiving self and perceived objects.
• Enlightenment through the collapse of dualities : Enlightenment is described as recognizing one's inseparable connection with the entirety of existence, eliminating illusions of separation fostered by the ego and the mind's interpretative mechanisms.
• Subject-Object Duality Collapse : The mind-body problem, according to Leo, is solved by identifying not as part of the universe but as the universe itself. This collapses the duality of subject and object within the realm of perception.
• True Nature of Reality : The perceived reality is an illusion, and the true nature of reality lies in recognizing oneself as an idea within the universal field of consciousness, challenging mainstream scientific understanding.
• Leap to Universal Selfhood : The journey towards realizing oneself as the universal consciousness is challenging and requires overcoming the ego, but it promises profound joy and a sense of oneness with everything.
• Personal Acknowledgment : Leo acknowledges that his insights are not new; they're ancient wisdom repackaged for a modern audience. His goal with Actualized.org is to make profound truths accessible, promising life transformation through proper understanding and focused practice.
• Misconception of Material Existence : Leo delineates the common misbelief that we are physical objects; he clarifies that the perception of being physical is just an idea, and in reality, we are the conceptualization of ourselves as physical entities.
• Ego’s Distortion of the Universal Field : Leo discusses how the ego is born from an idea that emerged within the universal field of consciousness, falsely claiming ownership of it, which results in the conception of a personal life and the illusion of perceiving an external world.
• Perception as a Construct : The individual sense of perception is compared to a child claiming a toy as "mine," Leo argues that what we perceive as our personal bubble of experience is merely a piece of the whole field of consciousness co-opted by ego rather than a true possession.
• Reality as a Negative Sculpture : Presenting existence as a negative sculpture, Leo posits that our sense of self is a space carved out from the universal field of consciousness, suggesting that we are not independent objects but rather illusions of being.

• Recontextualization of Reality Interpretation : Leo emphasizes the radical recontextualization required for a true understanding of reality, proposing that perceptions are not experiences limited to a biological creature, but rather, they exist freely in the space of the universe.
• Collapsing Subject-Object Duality : The concept of non-duality is introduced where boundaries between subject and object dissolve, challenging the existence of an external or internal world, leading to a realization that the external world was misidentified as internal.
• Interpretation as a Transformative Element : Leo explains how a revolutionary change in interpretation can render the subjective experience obsolete, leaving a world of 'being'—an undistorted experience of the universe.
• Distinction between Being and Perception : The key takeaway that Leo wants viewers to understand is that 'being' is essentially 'perception minus the ego', and what is conventionally perceived as individual experience is a mistaken appropriation of universal 'being' by the ego.
• Perceptions and Experiences as Illusions : Leo states that perceptions and experiences are illusions created by the ego's misinterpretation of 'being'. By undoing the ego's notion of ownership, perceptions can revert to a pure state of 'being', devoid of the subjective self.
• Sponge analogy for understanding existence : Leo uses a sponge filled with bubbles as a metaphor for the universe or the unified field of consciousness. Each bubble represents an individual's perception, and he suggests that we believe there is an objective reality beyond our personal bubble, but in actuality, there is only the bubble itself, floating in a vacuum.
• Being versus perception : He explains 'being' as something that simply exists without observation, interpretation, or experience. Being is not confined by time and space, which only exist within individual bubbles of perception.
• Infinite nature of reality : The sponge analogy extends beyond three dimensions, suggesting an infinite, boundless state of existence. This infinite sponge is meant to represent divine or infinite consciousness.
• Illusion of individuality : The bubbles within the sponge don't have an independent existence; they are illusory and share the same space. Leo states that enlightenment involves realizing you are not just one of the bubbles but the entire sponge itself.
• The sponge as God consciousness : Leo equates full realization of being the entire, infinite sponge with achieving God consciousness. This process takes extensive work through meditation, contemplation, and possibly psychedelics.
• Shifting identification from the individual to the universal : Leo encourages experiencing the shift from identifying as an individual bubble to recognizing oneself as the whole sponge, a shift that can lead to enlightenment.
• Depersonalizing experience : Viewers are urged to depersonalize their experience, to see their perceptions as not their own life, but as part of the "external world." The visual field, normally thought to be a part of biological life, is the fabric of the universe itself.
• Subjective qualities as part of the universe : Leo states that the qualities we experience subjectively, such as colors and emotions, are not unique to living organisms or a brain but exist inherently within the universe.
• Recontextualizing raw experience : Understanding absolute being, according to Leo, involves seeing the universe not as something happening to you but rather as happening independently of you—an event in itself, unnamed and unclaimed by any ego.
• Absolute truth stripped of identity : Leo suggests the true nature of reality is 'Absolute Being' that we can perceive once we strip away the ego or the self, revealing that 'you' were never actually there, and what remains is pure being or truth.
• Misinterpretation of Reality due to Survival and Fear : The drive for survival and fear of death cause individuals to misinterpret reality, striving to maintain their sense of self. Engaging deeply with existential questions can trigger emotional and psychological reactions such as panic attacks, depression, and anger, as the mind fights to preserve the illusion of individual existence.
• Conceptual vs. Physical Death : Enlightenment involves the conceptual death of the self, which is understood as an idea rather than a physical being. What we believe to be physical death is another concept, and the dissolution of the self is a key aspect of spiritual awakening.
• Questioning Reality and the Fear of Insanity : Deep metaphysical inquiry may lead to fears of insanity and death as entrenched beliefs about reality are challenged. This fear serves to protect the ego and the constructed personal identity from disintegrating.
• Mechanics of Life's Illusions : Most negative emotions serve to deepen the illusion of being a separate bubble in the sponge of reality. Understanding and accepting the mechanics of life's illusions can fundamentally transform one's relationships with existence.
• Self-Awareness of the Universe : The universe is self-aware without a separate perceiving entity, challenging the assumption that awareness is an attribute only of living creatures. The concept of living and sentient beings is a fiction and awareness itself is an irreducible, mystical element of the universe.
• Awareness as Nothingness : Awareness is not a tangible thing or a product of the brain. It is akin to nothingness—a void in which being is suspended. Describing awareness often leads to inaccuracies, as it is a concept impossible to fully grasp with language.
• Brain as Perception and Its Influence : The brain is not the fundamental origin of perception but is itself perceived. Adjustments to the brain can have widespread effects on perceptions, but this should not be mistaken for the brain’s ability to produce awareness.
• Universe as Raw Truth without Awareness : An alternate universe scenario is proposed where there is no awareness or sentient creatures, just raw truth and data. This analogy is used to explain that our current universe consists of the same raw truth perceived by no one.
• Realization of Being as the Ultimate Truth : Leo stresses that all perceptions are forms of being. By reinterpreting these through practices like meditation, one can come to understand the nature of being or 'Absolute Truth' without the construct of sentient beings.
• Illusion of sentient creatures : Leo clarifies that what we consider as sentient creatures are mere illusions, like negative sculptures in a unified field of consciousness, challenging the traditional idea of individual sentient entities.
• Knowing the nature of perception : Leo addresses skepticism about his insights on perception, stating this profound understanding isn't mere belief or conjecture but can be realized through focused meditation, consistent practice, and proper interpretation of present-moment experiences.
• Actualized.org's mission : The platform aims to modernize and share ancient wisdom known for millennia, interpreting it in a way that resonates with contemporary audiences, particularly the youth, and integrating various aspects of truth often overlooked in mainstream culture.
• Emotional difficulty in transformative work : Realizing the interconnectedness of one's entire emotional system, fears, and life challenges with the inquiry of perception requires significant emotional labor and has a transformative impact on one's life.
• Joy and struggle of realization : Although the realization of universal interconnectedness leads to profound joy and bliss, reaching this understanding involves facing and overcoming deep fears and neuroses, which can be a challenging ordeal.
• Commitment to transformation : Leo inspires viewers to commit to the process of self-inquiry, promising that the resulting expanded consciousness and joy are worthwhile, despite being challenging to articulate.
• Comprehensive catalogue of life's deep questions : Leo envisions actualized.org as a resource for in-depth exploration of fundamental questions about consciousness, happiness, suffering, and existence, aiming to fulfill the void in available information on such topics.
• Balance between metaphysical and practical content : While acknowledging that current focus on metaphysical topics might seem impractical to some, Leo assures that practical advice on personal development, confidence, social skills, and more will be addressed in future content.