This simple neuroscience exercise proves that your reality is a filter, not the truth. A neuroscientist explains why you’re not actually ‘stuck,’ but rather ‘stabilized’ in one way of seeing your world. More importantly, this reveals how you can begin to change your reality by consciously shifting your perception and what your brain chooses to see.
Prefer to watch? I’ve put my video below or if you’re a reader simply continue reading the post.
A Quick Test of Your Perception
Let’s test something in real time. Don’t think about it too much, just follow these simple steps.
- Look around the space you’re in and find everything that is blue. Take a second and actually do it.
- Notice the objects, the different shades, and the little details you normally wouldn’t pay attention to.
- Now, close your eyes for just a second.
- While your eyes are closed, try to remember everything that is red in the same space.
You probably can’t, or at least not easily. This happens not because the red objects aren’t there, but because your brain wasn’t looking for them. You can go ahead and open your eyes now. This simple exercise demonstrates exactly how your perception works.
How Your Reality Is A Filter, Not The Truth
Your brain is constantly filtering information through a part of the brainstem called the reticular activating system (RAS). This system literally decides what information matters enough to reach your conscious awareness and what gets ignored. Critically, it does this not based on objective truth, but based on what it expects to see and what it deems important.
Psychology shows us the same thing. Your mind actively looks for patterns that confirm what you already believe. So, if your internal system is tuned to thoughts like, “things are hard,” “I’m stuck,” or “it isn’t working,” you will literally see more evidence of that in your life. This isn’t because it’s the only reality available, but because it’s the one your brain is filtering for.
Shifting Your Perception to Change Your Reality
Now, let’s try something different. Keep your eyes open this time. Look for something you’ve never noticed before in the room or wherever you are. It could be something small, like the leg of a chair or a scuff on the wall. Find something that’s always been there, but you’ve never truly paid attention to it before.
When you find it, just notice what happened. Nothing in your external environment changed, but your perception did. The moment your perception shifts, your reality starts to feel different. This isn’t just “mindset,” it’s neuroscience. Your brain is actively updating the model of reality it allows you to see and notice.
You’re never trapped in reality. You’re just stabilized in a way of seeing it.
This is the same mechanism behind every “stuck” pattern you experience. The moment your perception shifts, new options that were always there can suddenly appear. You are never truly trapped, you are just stabilized in one particular way of seeing things.
How to Train Your Brain to See New Possibilities
If you felt that shift, even slightly, this is a skill you can train. By understanding how high perception, the nervous system, and your internal patterns shape your reality, you can begin to make conscious changes. We go deep into these topics and how they relate to your 13 chakra system in our weekly events. If you’d like to explore this further and train your perception, you can check the schedule for the next event and grab your seat. We hope to see you there.
