Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Grounded and ungrounded in reality

People, who are grounded in reality, often feel secure in life. They can have a big house and a lot of friends. They can appreciate good food. They can also have difficulty making changes in their lives, as they are prone to feeling "stuck". Here I am following the description of the Kapha dosha in ayurveda, though others suggested parallel definitions in e.g. psychoanalysis.

People, who are ungrounded in reality, may be prone to anxiety and, generally, not feeling at home anywhere. They insecure, think quickly - sometimes confusingly - but also faster to make changes in their lives. Here I am following the description of the Kapha dosha in ayurveda, in a very compressed format.

It has just occurred to me, by contrasting these notions with what I've learned from Vision Therapy, that those of the Kapha type are "just" more sensitive to the signals from the outside world than to their own internal experiences, and both are perceived as very real and solid. That is, when they see or touch or smell something, it feels much more real than their own thoughts. So money, food, sex also feel more real to them, hence greater desire to attain all of those, and greater attachment. At the same time, difficulty to change can be explained as follows: perhaps even internal assumptions seem to such people more real.

People of the Vata type, than, are rather distrustful of the general sensory experienced, and partially also of their own internal experiences. What they see, tough, or taste is perceived as more relative. This fruit tastes sweet, but - who knows - it might actually be bitter. This grass is green, but perhaps it is actually red. This is more or less how my mind works, hence the extrapolation. But then, we can see how change becomes much easier with this kind of mindset. Say, I believe that I am stupid, or unattractive. But then, - the mind says, - perhaps it is actually not the case, or it will be different tomorrow. That is, lack of security, lack of confidence, also opens a road to progress.

Through this framework we can see how some people believe more strongly in the reality of everything they perceive, and others less so. Similarly, years spent in the same routine move your nervous system closer to the Kapha end of the spectrum, whereas moving from place to place, or especially living in a war zone or in a location with constant earthquakes, move your nervous system closer to the Vata end of the spectrum. 

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