Subjective and Objective Perception
© 2002
Dear Friends,
Several posts [to the FranzBardonMagi discussion board] lately have, in one way or another, concerned the topic of subjective versus objective. I see one very important factor missing in these discussions; namely, the faculties of perception developed through the
work of IIH.
From the Hermetic perspective, we do indeed exist in relation to an objective reality. *Normal* human perception however, is a subjectifying process and it is only in this sense that we "create our own reality" or live in a subjective universe of our own making.
There are several levels of this subjective human universe existing between the poles of the human collective and the human individual. It has mental, astral and physical density. As a whole, it is a feature of the objective reality but it is a VERY small, finite part of this objective whole.
The human brain-bound mind is not capable of perceiving the infinite objective reality all at once. Therefore our mechanisms of perception interpret this infinite wholeness into finite increments that are processed sequentially, and related *to* and *through* the filter of the small human self. In other words, normal human perception is a subjectifying process of interpretation, not one of direct objective perception.
Normal human perception places us slightly out of temporal sync with the objective reality. The amount of this discrepancy is the time required for us to take a finite snapshot of the objective infinity, interpret that snapshot, and then integrate it into the sequence of past snapshots. During the phase of interpretation, we subjectify our perception and it is here that perception becomes more about the perceiver than the object of perception. This is where emotional reaction comes into play.
The result is that we treat our subjective perception as an objective thing, hence our confusion as to what is really real.
With IIH however, we are taught a different form of perception that is not "normal" in human terms. This is objective perception of the objective reality.
Objective perception has two basic phases. The first is when we learn to identify the subjectifying mechanisms of normal human perception, within our own selves, and then look for the underlying objective bits that initiate our subjectification. In IIH this is achieved with the early work of the soul mirrors, the mental discipline and the work with the senses. This work slowly teaches us how to identify those factors of normal perception
responsible for subjectification (i.e., responsible for reducing the infinite into sequential finitisms). Once we are able to identify these aspects of ourselves we can then filter them out and begin to perceive the objective cues upon which our subjectification is initially based. In essence, it's a matter of becoming so familiar with our own internal processes that we can then see what underlies them.
For example, if you know that you are looking through a red filter, you can eventually figure out that a green object looks black when viewed through a red filter. Obviously then, what *appears* black may in fact be green when you remove the filter and look at the thing itself.
By knowing the ins and outs of our own subjectifying filter, we bring ourselves *closer* to directly perceiving the objective reality. But this is like looking through a dark glass since many other things can, to use my analogy, create the appearance of black through a red filter. The only way to directly perceive the objective universe is to remove our filter of subjectification entirely. However, this requires more than just the normal brain-bound human mind.
In order to achieve objective perception we must entirely set aside our subjectifying filter. This is the point of the Center of Stillness Meditation and of the middle work of IIH (such as the transference of consciousness) -- teaching one how to set aside the sensory input, and the input of the emotions and the mind's chatter, since these are at the root of
our mechanisms of subjective perception. This reveals the raw mental body itself which is the only part of (human) self capable of perceiving an infinity directly.
When the filter is removed, an entirely different universe is revealed -- this is the objective universe. To perceive objectively, you must *become* the object of perception, which is to say, you must come into absolute sync with the objective reality.
This is extremely rare for the modern human, but not at all rare for the non-human beings that surround us. My favorite example of a being that perceives objectively is a blade of grass. Its body turns in perfect sync with the sun's rays. It doesn't need time to realize that the sun is actually striking it, nor does it need time to decide whether or not to
turn. It exists in perfect sync with the objective universe and has no bubble of subjectivity that separates it from its objective surroundings.
This is the degree of perception that the work of IIH eventually builds into the magician.
It's important to consider this in relation to interpreting the meaning of the later Steps of IIH and to interpreting the life of someone like Franz Bardon. In fact, it's an important factor in the interpretation of many things written by those who have gained the faculty of objective perception.
The early work of IIH is designed to inform you, *through direct experience*, of your own mechanisms of perception. These are primarily emotionally driven reactions to objective events that we encounter. The most important part of this process of self-discovery is the Step One soul mirror work where you pick apart and define your own emotionally rooted personality. This is the first step in identifying your own subjectifying
filter through which you normally perceive EVERY thing.
The Step Two work of character transformation forces you to learn that you can set aside your emotionally driven, habitual reactions and look at things more objectively. This is the second step toward objective perception in that it teaches you how your subjectifying filter alters the appearance of things and that you do have some control over it.
The Step Two work with the senses informs you of the nature of the sensory input and of its control. The Step Three work with the senses then teaches you their creative use. And so on. Throughout the course of the Steps, the faculty of objective perception is built piece by piece.
By the time you reach Step Eight and begin the work of mental wandering, this faculty is well established. It is even more so when you begin the Step Nine work of astral wandering. To my mind, this is THE major distinction between the popular "Astral Projection" and Bardon's astral wandering. It is also an important distinction between what popularly
passes for evocation and Bardonian evocation per PME, and between popular kabbalah and Bardonian kabbalah per KTQ.
In Bardon's system all of these experiences (astral wandering, evocation and kabbalistic speech) occur entirely within the context of fully conscious, objective perception.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
08 Mar 2002