April 2025 Newsletter
Seeing Through the Veil:
The Filters and Lenses That Shape Our Perception
Seeing Through the Veil:
The Filters and Lenses That Shape Our Perception
"We need to free our perception from the conditioning of the past
to see the world with naked eyes."
Thomas Hübl
Dear Ones,
This month, I invite you to explore the invisible filters that shape our world and keep us separate. Perception is not passive. We don’t just see the world—we shape it through our experiences, conditioning, and inherited patterns. Our nervous system encodes these filters, influencing how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world. Recognizing these filters opens the door to deeper, more authentic connections, freeing us from unconscious biases that distort reality.
This month, I invite you to explore the invisible filters that shape our world and keep us separate. Perception is not passive. We don’t just see the world—we shape it through our experiences, conditioning, and inherited patterns. Our nervous system encodes these filters, influencing how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world. Recognizing these filters opens the door to deeper, more authentic connections, freeing us from unconscious biases that distort reality.
Subject, Object, Transcendence
Our perception is shaped by the interplay between subject (ourselves) and object (what we observe). We often mistake our filtered perspective for truth, unaware that our conditioning colors what we see. But when we soften this divide, we experience moments of unity—where perception expands beyond rigid mental constructs and cognitive boundaries.
Transcendence is the ability to move beyond the limits of subject-object dualism and perceive reality from a place of wholeness rather than separation. Thich Nhat Hanh describes this as interbeing—a concept rooted in the Buddhist philosophy of interdependent co-arising. It teaches that all things are interconnected, arising in relation to one another, and that nothing exists in isolation.
Our perception is shaped by the interplay between subject (ourselves) and object (what we observe). We often mistake our filtered perspective for truth, unaware that our conditioning colors what we see. But when we soften this divide, we experience moments of unity—where perception expands beyond rigid mental constructs and cognitive boundaries.
Transcendence is the ability to move beyond the limits of subject-object dualism and perceive reality from a place of wholeness rather than separation. Thich Nhat Hanh describes this as interbeing—a concept rooted in the Buddhist philosophy of interdependent co-arising. It teaches that all things are interconnected, arising in relation to one another, and that nothing exists in isolation.
I remember a time when my perception of my father shifted dramatically. I had always seen him as critical, cold, absent, intolerant, and indifferent. But when I explored his childhood—the fear, loss, and hardship he endured—my old perception shattered. He hadn’t been withholding love; he had never learned how to express it, because he hadn’t experienced it in his own family. At that moment, my resentment dissolved into compassion. That was transcendence—a glimpse beyond my conditioned filter into the deeper truth of his humanity.
Attunement: Feeling the Flow of Connection
Attunement is the art of tuning into another’s experience—sensing their words, feelings, emotions, and unspoken truths. Dropping into this deeper state of connection requires slowing down, softening, and becoming fully present in the moment.
I remember sitting with a friend in deep grief over the loss of her partner. My instinct was to offer advice, to try to fix it, and to take away the pain. Instead, I simply listened. I let her feel me, feel her by sitting in silence and giving her my full attention. Something shifted—her breathing slowed, her shoulders relaxed. We were no longer two separate beings but resonated in a shared deep intraconnected field. That is attunement—the bridge between separation and deep presence.
Attunement is the art of tuning into another’s experience—sensing their words, feelings, emotions, and unspoken truths. Dropping into this deeper state of connection requires slowing down, softening, and becoming fully present in the moment.
I remember sitting with a friend in deep grief over the loss of her partner. My instinct was to offer advice, to try to fix it, and to take away the pain. Instead, I simply listened. I let her feel me, feel her by sitting in silence and giving her my full attention. Something shifted—her breathing slowed, her shoulders relaxed. We were no longer two separate beings but resonated in a shared deep intraconnected field. That is attunement—the bridge between separation and deep presence.
Inherited Filters: The Weight of Ancestral and Cultural Conditioning
We don’t enter life as a blank slate, a tabla rasa. Our bodies carry the echoes of ancestral experiences. Trauma, beliefs, and emotional conditioning pass down, shaping how we interpret reality. Cultural conditioning further reinforces these patterns, influencing how we see ourselves, others, and the natural world.
Growing up, I believed that showing vulnerability was a weakness. Through my healing journey, I realized this belief wasn’t mine alone—it was an inherited survival strategy. My ancestors had to toughen up to survive. Once I recognized this, I saw my armor for what it was: a protective mechanism, not a reflection of my true self. With this awareness, I gained the power to respond consciously rather than react to old conditioning.
We don’t enter life as a blank slate, a tabla rasa. Our bodies carry the echoes of ancestral experiences. Trauma, beliefs, and emotional conditioning pass down, shaping how we interpret reality. Cultural conditioning further reinforces these patterns, influencing how we see ourselves, others, and the natural world.
Growing up, I believed that showing vulnerability was a weakness. Through my healing journey, I realized this belief wasn’t mine alone—it was an inherited survival strategy. My ancestors had to toughen up to survive. Once I recognized this, I saw my armor for what it was: a protective mechanism, not a reflection of my true self. With this awareness, I gained the power to respond consciously rather than react to old conditioning.
What Are the Filters Shaping Your Perception?
Perception is not truth; it’s a filtered data stream. Contemplate these questions:
Do I…
Perception is not truth; it’s a filtered data stream. Contemplate these questions:
Do I…
- Hear criticism even when none is intended?
- Feel the need to defend myself?
- Look at life through a lens of lack or scarcity?
- Wonder, “Do they like me?” Will they hurt me?
- Judge others for things I haven’t accepted in myself?
The Role of Trauma in Distorting Perception
Trauma is not just an event—it is an imprint etched into the nervous system, holding awareness captive in the past. It is an ancient intelligence, honed over millennia, designed to shield us from overwhelming experiences. When we are triggered, we don’t see the world as it is; we see it through the lens of the moment we were wounded.
I often find myself reacting with intense fear to situations that pose no real threat. Only through reflection do I recognize these reactions as echoes of unintegrated trauma—stored imprints of past wounds that distort my perception with fear. Yet, with awareness, I can loosen trauma’s grip, allowing clarity to return and presence to take its place.
Trauma is not just an event—it is an imprint etched into the nervous system, holding awareness captive in the past. It is an ancient intelligence, honed over millennia, designed to shield us from overwhelming experiences. When we are triggered, we don’t see the world as it is; we see it through the lens of the moment we were wounded.
I often find myself reacting with intense fear to situations that pose no real threat. Only through reflection do I recognize these reactions as echoes of unintegrated trauma—stored imprints of past wounds that distort my perception with fear. Yet, with awareness, I can loosen trauma’s grip, allowing clarity to return and presence to take its place.
Beyond Right and Wrong: Expanding Our View
The world is often framed in binaries: right or wrong, good or bad, us versus them. But these are not absolute truths—they are constructs shaped by inherited filters. Moving beyond them means sensing reality beyond the mind’s rigid categories.
When we see relationships as fluid rather than fixed, we realize divisions are not permanent. Misalignment can be restored through presence, listening, and attunement. The deeper we look, the more we recognize that our differences are often distortions created by fear, conditioning, and unresolved wounds.
The world is often framed in binaries: right or wrong, good or bad, us versus them. But these are not absolute truths—they are constructs shaped by inherited filters. Moving beyond them means sensing reality beyond the mind’s rigid categories.
When we see relationships as fluid rather than fixed, we realize divisions are not permanent. Misalignment can be restored through presence, listening, and attunement. The deeper we look, the more we recognize that our differences are often distortions created by fear, conditioning, and unresolved wounds.
Stepping Into Interconnected Awareness
To shift from reacting to responding, we must ask:
To shift from reacting to responding, we must ask:
- What lens am I looking through?
- What am I not seeing?
- What have I trained myself not to feel?
- What ancestral and cultural beliefs shape my reality?
- What is the other mirroring in me when I am triggered?
The Invitation: Attune, Expand, Integrate
As we refine our perception, we cultivate a life of clarity, love, compassion, and presence. The more we attune, the more we expand our capacity to love. By integrating our personal and ancestral history, we step into the fullness of what is possible.
The world transforms when we change the way we see it. Let’s slow down, listen deeply, and become available to the profound reality beyond our conditioned filters. In doing so, we don’t just shift perception--we create a world beyond hatred, blame, and division.
As we refine our perception, we cultivate a life of clarity, love, compassion, and presence. The more we attune, the more we expand our capacity to love. By integrating our personal and ancestral history, we step into the fullness of what is possible.
The world transforms when we change the way we see it. Let’s slow down, listen deeply, and become available to the profound reality beyond our conditioned filters. In doing so, we don’t just shift perception--we create a world beyond hatred, blame, and division.
Take a moment. Breathe. Feel. What lens are you looking through right now?
Ah, that’s better! In a world of divisiveness, fake news, and righteous indignation, we can bring peace by recognizing our profound interconnection with all of life. Thank you for joining me on this inner path to peace in the world. The stakes have never been higher.
Ah, that’s better! In a world of divisiveness, fake news, and righteous indignation, we can bring peace by recognizing our profound interconnection with all of life. Thank you for joining me on this inner path to peace in the world. The stakes have never been higher.
Our separation from each other is an optical illusion.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
With love and blessings,
Michael
Michael
