“What happened to reality?” I've heard that question asked several times in recent months.
The answer is that nothing has happened to reality, but a great deal has happened to our cultural norms, which we mistakenly call “reality.” Perhaps at no time in human history have there been so many deep cultural changes occurring so quickly: gender fluidity, artificial intelligence, social media, globalism, nanotechnology, global pandemics, robotics, changing proprietary norms and much more. Our sense of unreality has been intensified by the global Covid pandemic.
We may be experiencing what author Alfred Toffler termed “Future Shock” in his 1970 book with that title. Toffler hypothesized a condition where change occurs so quickly that humans cannot cope and thus a state of collective psychosis ensues.
Culture has been called “second nature”. With humans it’s often difficult to discern instinct from cultural conditioning. Our culture tells us what is true, what is real, what is of value, and what is proper. Culture gives us our worldview. Language is intrinsic in any culture, and language deeply shapes our view of reality.
By whatever name we give it, we are clearly at a crisis point. A crisis is an opportunity for radical change in the form of a breakdown or a breakthrough (or both). The Chinese define crisis as “a dangerous opportunity.” This can be clearly seen in our world today.
Uncertainty fosters stress: continuous and radical change is stressful for virtually everyone. At times of great uncertainty there is a tendency to regress into archaic and outmoded behavior patterns. This regression is an attempt by the ego to feel secure.
And yet, it’s possible for us to take advantage of this condition of radical change to become more than we have been before. Radical change is an opportunity to birth a new sense of reality. This is true for individuals, organizations and cultures.
Culture defines what is normal; it does not define what is real. Culture obscures reality: that which we call “normal” may be the greatest enemy of reality.
What the ego is to the individual, culture he is to the collective. Ego refers to the sense of “me”; Culture refers to the sense of “we.” As air is to the bird, and water is to the fish, culture is to the ego!
The more you identify with ego the more you are at the mercy of external change. As you practice identification with true nature you are less influenced by culture and by changes in the world.
Spiritual practice shifts your identification from ego to true nature. You don’t lose the ego, you simply drop the belief that it is the totality of who you are; you can then be in the world, but not of this world.
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great [person] is one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” [i]
Practicing mindfulness meditation is one way to become disidentified from the ego. This is the practice of continuous awareness during your everyday life. Pay attention to whatever you're doing. Sense your body. Be aware of your thoughts and emotions.
Take time daily to sit for a brief period and simply be aware of your present moment experience. As you do this on a regular basis you will be more consistently aware in your everyday life.
Our culture keeps us in a trance. The ego keeps us in a trance. As you practice mindfulness and presence each moment you will become free from the trance created by our culture.
[i] Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance,” Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson (New York: Harper & Row, 1926), 38.
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