Perception and Experience
In the novel, I wanted to look at the problems that occur when one’s individual perceptions don’t sync up with those of the outside collective. The next book is going to be a study of how our impressions of people are shaped by the opinions of the group. In preparing for both books, I’ve been reading psychology and philosophy books that discuss individual and collective perceptions. So far, the best has been a Buddhist psychology book by Thich Naht Hahn called “Understanding Our Mind”
Our perception of the world is based on our past experiences and the collective perceptions we share with society, our family and our friends. When we add more personal experiences to our lives, we can calibrate our perceptions against those we have learned from others.
When I play back the moments in my life that define the perceptions of the moment I’m in, it’s always like a movie: The action takes place in the present, even though I’m aware it is actually in the past. I am all the experiences leading to this moment, but the person from 5, 10 or 20 years ago is not the same. I’ve changed.
In Austin, I’ve been constantly aware of the perceptions and experiences I had in college. It’s been a process of rediscovery and reconciliation. It offers the chance to look at my past ideas, compare them with my current ideas, and then decide which make sense. It’s kinda like recalibration of my perceptions–rebuilding myself based on who I was then with the experiences I’ve had up to now. It’s an interesting process that is difficult at times. Do people who’ve lived in one place all their lives ever experience this?
