Reference: Course on Subject Clearing
Perception of the Universe
The universe enters the mind through the sense channels of touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. These sensations are then used to make a copy of the universe in the mind. If this copy is sketchy then our perception of the universe is also sketchy.
As sensations enter continually, they keep adding to the copy of the universe. As the copy of the universe improves, so does the perception of the universe. This mechanism of copy in the mind keeps the universe visible to us. There is no direct perception of the universe; because, If it were so, the universe will always appear perfectly clear to us with no details missing.
The unknown universe outside comes to be known only through its copy constructed in the mind.
What is this copy? And, how is it constructed?
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Copy of the Universe
We know that the process starts with sensations entering the mind and ends with sensations turning into a copy of the universe. This can happen only if the sensations can reorganize themselves. For sensations to reorganize, they must separate themselves into elements, which then form a network of associations. Perception then comes about as associations in this network are activated.
We shall call these elements of sensation “mental pixels” or PERCEPTUAL ELEMENTS. We shall call their network of associations the MENTAL MATRIX. The mental matrix, therefore, is the copy of the universe, which consists of perceptual elements as its nodes.
The mental matrix created from incoming sensations is the copy of the universe.
As new sensations come in, they separate into perceptual elements, and get assimilated in the mental matrix. ASSIMILATION means that there is continuity, consistency and harmony among all associations within the matrix.
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Perception
Sensations are not perceived when they enter the body or the mind. They are perceived only after they are separated into perceptual elements and assimilated into the mental matrix.
Sensations are perceived only upon their assimilation into the mental matrix.
A person remains unaware of the sensations received during a trauma, because a traumatic sensation is difficult to separate into its perceptual elements. Therefore, traumas do not get assimilated into the mental matrix, and get lodged in it as “unassimilated nodes.”
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