Trick of the Light

 

Seeing Mirages

“What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears.”

Alice Walker

          Back in the day, I had cats for pets. My very favorite cat was named Ralphie, and he was solid white with yellow eyes. One of the funniest things Ralphie did was, when something unusual was tossed on the floor, he would approach it sideways, on tiptoes, and with extreme caution. He crouched as if to pounce and then stood and arched his back. Sometimes, he jumped up and hopped on all fours toward the object, as though to intimidate it. When he finally realized it was only a toy or a paper bag, he leapt upon it and pinned it to the floor, confident in his ability to conquer.

          We all fear that which we do not understand. We have a way of seeing threats that don’t exist, of misinterpreting what we see and hear, thinking it means something that it doesn’t. Sometimes, we catch something out the corner of our eye, and sense that it is a bear, or a person, or perhaps a bird of prey, but when we take a closer look, we see it is only a fire hydrant, or a fallen tree limb, or a squirrel’s nest. That can be explained by the fact that we humans retain the “lizard brain,” including the amygdala, which sits right next to the optic nerve and signals when a threat is present. It takes a little while for the information to travel to our frontal lobes for an accurate interpretation, and until it does our body registers a threat.

          Psychologically, we are threatened when we see change—when one power source bows out, and another one takes over, or when we know we may lose our job due to cutbacks. We feel paranoid and hyper-vigilant, always looking over our shoulder, expecting the other shoe to drop, or the worst case scenario to unfold. Most of the time, it doesn’t materialize.

Right now, between changing administrations, and climate change that demands economic change, some people are feeling as though their way of life is threatened. What has always been, what they depended upon, is fading away, and may be coming to an end. What will come next is not yet in view. This time of limbo is unsettling. We must hold the container for our future—a future we don’t have a clear picture of yet. That involves trust—in each other and in the universe. I believe it was Einstein who said, “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly universe or a hostile universe.” What say you?

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane