Objective and Subjective

There are two principle perspectives which are required to gain understanding on most subjects, particularly subjects of a psychical nature. These are the objective and subjective perspectives.

The objective perspective is an external view of the subject; it is when we view a subject from its outside.

The subjective perspective is an internal view of the subject; it is when we view a subject from its inside.

In other words, studying a subject from its outside is studying it objectively; studying a subject from its inside is studying it subjectively.

And to repeat, being outside of a subject and looking at it is being objective, and being inside of a subject and experiencing it from the inside and looking out through it is being subjective.

Two Examples: 

1.  Looking at a house from its outside is viewing it objectively. Going inside the house and viewing its interior is viewing it subjectively.

 2.  Viewing a motorcar from the outside is viewing it objectively. Sitting inside the motorcar and viewing its interior, its dashboard and controls, and operating the motor car is viewing and experiencing it subjectively.

Studying the personality mechanism theoretically from the outside (as we have done so far on this blogsite) is objective study. Centering our observant self within our core consciousness and observing and studying our surrounding thoughts, feeling our emotions and our bodily sensations from the inside is studying our personality mechanism subjectively.

Objective study of the personality mechanism provides us with a descriptive map, with landmarks defined and directions indicated.

Subjective study of the personality mechanism provides us with experiential knowledge and operative knowhow.

To subjectively view the personality mechanism:

Retract your observing self, your consciousness, back within, into the head. Closing your eyes will make it easier to do while you are learning, but as you progress be sure to practice with your eyes open too.

Before your mind’s eye, observe the screen of imagination upon which occur visual thoughts. The screen may have images flitting across it, or it may be black and void. Regardless, quietly observe it, for it is the distinction between the screen of mind and yourself the observer that is important to acquire.

Retract yourself further back from the screen of mind. Increase the distance between you the observer and the screen upon which occur visual thoughts. Get to know the screen upon which visual thoughts occur. And get to know yourself the core consciousness, the observer of the screen and creator of the thoughts. But mostly, for now, develop the ability of being the observer of the thoughts. Practice pure observation.

Also, imagine and listen to a tune of a song in your head, or a poem, mentally speak some words in your head, or a sentence, or imagine a familiar noise. Distinguish between the sound in your head and you the creator and the listener. The song or sound is one thing, it is a thought in audio format; and you are another thing, you are the conscious listener to that thought.

Practice distinguishing between yourself the conscious directing observer of thought and the thoughts you direct and observe. Learn to differentiate between your thoughts and you the thinker.

So we can see that thought comes in visual and audio format. And the consciousness can observe it visually and audibly.

Practice distinguishing between yourself the observer of thought, and the thought itself, whether the thought be in visual or audio format or both.

Practice creating a distance, a gap, between the image of the thought and you the observer of the thought. Push the screen of imagination well out in front off you, and retract yourself the observer well back from it. It does not matter if the screen is black or blank, just create a sense of distance between it and you the observer. Practice pure observation.

Likewise distinguish as markedly as you can between any audible thought and yourself the internal listener who hears that thought.

Thought comes in other formats as well as visual and verbal/audible. It comes in formats which replicate the physical senses. But most people think mostly in words and pictures so practice mostly with those. Practice distinguishing your thoughts from yourself the observer of your thoughts.

Likewise practice recognising the difference between your emotions/feelings and you the consciousness who is aware of those emotions/feelings.

You are the consciousness; you are not the thoughts or the feelings. Your thoughts and feelings are surrounding layers around you.

Thoughts are formations within your mental body/layer.

Emotions are ripples, currents and vibrations within your emotional body/layer.

Mostly work on distinguishing your self from your visual and audible thoughts.

Become conscious of the faculties of your awareness, the faculty of imaginative sight is commonly termed the mind’s eye, and we might term the faculty to hear imagined words and sounds the mind’s ear. These are that part of your consciousness that sees thought and hears thought. Develop consciousness of these.

Consciousness has corresponding senses to what the body has. These are the faculties of consciousness. Consciousness has an eye, called the mind’s eye, with which it sees the thoughts upon the screen of imagination. And consciousness can speak words in thought and has an ear to hear them too.

Exercise the senses of your consciousness upon the substance of your thoughts.

Keep yourself, you the consciousness, tight and retracted within the centre of yourself.

Practice distinguishing between yourself the consciousness and the thoughts which surround you.

When you the consciousness slips forth and overflows into the entire mental-emotional-physical body and you again identify yourself with those surrounding layers of thought and feelings, then practice retracting yourself back again and centre yourself as the conscious observer tight within the head and notice that you are not your thoughts or feelings, you are the observer of them.

With practice your consciousness will get stronger and be able to hold itself in place in its rightful seat of observation and control. And soon I will reveal tricks to make it easier to do that.

Continue to study the personality mechanism; learn the layers and the direction of drive, from both perspectives, that is, from the objective/external/theoretical perspective, and from the subjective/internal/experiential perspective.

In other wards, objectively study the definitions, then practice putting yourself inside them, experiencing them and studying them from the inside too. So as to acquire both theoretical understanding and operative knowledge.

As with any subject, to acquire knowledge of our self, we must become proficient at both theory and practice.