Ep 117: Reflection, Assumptions & the Quest for a Deeper Understanding

Catherine Llewellyn 0:02

Truth and Transcendence brought to you by being Space with Catherine Llewellyn. Truth and Transcendence, episode 117, following on from last week's really interesting episode with Anthony Samaroff about big farmer myths. This put me in mind of two themes which I think relate. So one of them is that one of our superpowers as humans is the ability to reflect, and by reflection I mean well. One use of the word reflection is that you reflect in a mirror or you reflect in a pool of water. There's an image that comes back that's the same or similar as the image that is being projected. And when we reflect within our mind, what we do is we stand back and we look at something afresh. We consider it in another way or in another moment or in another circumstance. Reflection allows us to reconsider something that we've possibly already experienced or that we're thinking about experiencing or that we've thought about. It's another layer of thinking and it's very powerful because it allows us to draw another whole new set of data from a situation or from an experience, and it allows us to find meaning and it allows us to question. And reflection is very much part of the creative process. It's very much part of our method of processing our experience, coming to terms with things, making sense of things. It's important and it's one of our superpowers. And why I say it relates back to another theme that struck me from last week's episode.

Catherine Llewellyn 2:08

This other theme is the theme of assumptions, and why do I mention that in relation to reflection? Because one of the things we sometimes discover when we reflect is assumptions that we have been believing in. So we consider something that's happened, we decide that what happened was a bad thing, and then we realise that we've called it bad because of an assumption that we have about what is good and what is bad. Or, in the case of the big pharma myths that Antony was talking about, we consider something about what's happening in our body, let's say, and we decide that it's good or it's bad, but we do that based on assumptions that we've previously made, and one of the assumptions that I think is very strong at the moment in our culture is the assumption that illness is bad and wrong, that pain is bad, that discomfort is bad, that inconvenience is bad. Now, I'm saying that in a very absolute sense, and you might say, catherine, it's much more nuanced than that. Of course it is, but if we grow up in a situation where we assume that if we fall sick, that's a bad thing, that's a wrong thing, or if we're uncomfortable, that's a bad thing or that's a wrong thing, then that's going to lead us to make all sorts of choices and decisions, for example, in the case of last week's conversation, deciding that the best thing to do is to take a pill to make us feel better.

Catherine Llewellyn 3:47

Now, if we're coming from that base assumption that sickness or pain or discomfort or inconvenience are wrong, then of course, the correct thing to do is to get rid of them as quickly as possible. There's no question, there's no arguing it, there's no discussing it, because if that assumption is true and we've decided it's true, that's the only way to respond. If, instead, we have an assumption which says the human body is designed to heal itself, then instead of coming up with a solution which says you know, feel better as quickly as possible, take a pill. The next question will be okay, how is the body going to try to do that? How can I assist that? How can I not get in the way?

Catherine Llewellyn 4:36

Equally, if we have an assumption which says pain or discomfort or inconvenience is not necessarily a bad thing, it could actually be a useful source of data. Again, instead of trying to get rid of it, what we will do is go into a state of inquiry and ask ourselves what does it mean? What could it possibly be telling me? Now, that second assumption, if you like, is a more uncomfortable and perhaps difficult path to follow. And if we look at all sorts of spiritual practices and religious practices as well philosophical practices, we will find that this notion of, I think, what the Chinese call endurance, this notion of being with the experience, allowing the experience to be as it is and seeking to learn from that and find meaning from it. That is, you'll find that idea all over the place and you'll find people practicing it all over the place, and you've probably practiced it in one situation or another and you've probably found that it's led to a different level of reflection.

Catherine Llewellyn 5:54

Coming back to reflection, so if, coming back to reflection, we think about, we consider, in situations we've experienced, we're considering what's going on and how we feel and how our life is, if we turn away the minute, we find something that's uncomfortable, what that's going to do? It's going to reduce our capacity for reflection. It's going to reduce our capacity to do a deep dive, as some people describe, or a deep delve, as some people call it, and really reduce the extent of wisdom that is accessible to us. So the invitation really in this little conversation is to consider what are the assumptions that we have chosen and that we are believing in without necessarily even being aware we're doing that, and do we ever question those? Do we ever pause and say which of my assumptions could I be questioning right now, especially the assumptions that seem to be really really, really good and rock solid? Could I question some of those and could that create some freedom for me? Could that open up my capacities to new ways of looking at things and considering things?

Catherine Llewellyn 7:14

I mentioned the thing about the body and about using pharmaceuticals and so on, really, because that's quite an immediate area for looking in. Do I actually what assumptions do I make about my own body, about my own physicality, about my own spirit, about my soul, let's say about my heart, about my relationships, about my work, about my contribution, about the nature of existence, about the nature of truth for me? And do I question those assumptions and I'll say quite openly on a fairly regular basis question my own assumptions. Even though I've been doing that for years, I know in my heart that there is always more to be questioned. And of course I have an ego, just like everybody else, and sometimes it's more comfortable for me to simply follow the assumptions I've already made. And sometimes I'll choose to do that and say, yes, I'm going to do that for a while, I'm going to hold off for questioning just for a bit, while I get something done, and then I'll come back and question my assumptions again and really open my capacity for a depth of reflection, because that is a powerful superpower for which I'm deeply grateful.

Catherine Llewellyn 8:36

So I wish you a fascinating week of considering your assumptions and deepening your reflections. Have a wonderful week and I'll see you next time. Thank you for listening to Truth and Transcendence and thank you for supporting the show by rating, reviewing, subscribing, buying me a coffee and telling a friend If you'd like to know more about my work. You can find out about mentoring, workshops and energy treatments on BeingSpaceworld. Have a wonderful week and I'll see you next time.