What is the Nature of Reality?

“Are you really sure that a floor can’t also be a ceiling?”
– M.C. Escher

The nature of reality is something that I think about all the time. For example, when I fall asleep at night I find myself in dreams that feel very real… until I wake up. But the weird thing is that the dreams that I experience while asleep and my perception of my external reality are both occurring in the same way: as electrical impulses in my brain. So how can I know for sure that my external world IS more real than my dream world?

If I ceased to exist in my current physical form, would my external reality still exist? What if “reality” only exists because I am perceiving it? There is no way to prove that my external reality, including the city I live in, my job, my family, friends, and so on would still exist if I didn’t. What if the physical world exists just for me, kind of like a giant virtual reality simulator with the intention of furthering my evolution in consciousness?

Genuine reality is not found in the physical realm, just as the reality of you is not found in your physical body. The true nature of reality is found in the intelligence that observes and expresses itself through the physical world. The nature of reality is pure consciousness. This pure consciousness is what lives on after physical forms die away.

How would the nature of your reality change if you decided that evolving on an inner level is more important than advancing on an external level? Our society tells us that success equals the accumulation of material possessions, the prestige of our professions, and the appearance of our physical body. But 100 years from now our belongings, our job, and our body will all have faded back into nothingness. However the invisible essence that is our true Self, our consciousness, will still exist. Doesn’t it make more sense to spend our precious time on the planet evolving in consciousness rather than accumulating more “stuff”, more recognition, and fewer wrinkles??

To evolve in consciousness, you first must realize that you are the creator of your external reality via the dominant thoughts and beliefs that you hold in your mind. You have attracted everyone and everything into your experience, whether you perceive it as good or bad. There are no victims in this synchronistic, multidimensional Universe. Think of your external reality as a gigantic mirror, reflecting back to you your point of attraction (your vibrational frequency; based on your habitual thought patterns). If something in your external reality isn’t working, whether it’s a bad relationship, unfulfilling job, or poor financial situation, it’s just an indicator of where to make changes on an inner level. Evolving in consciousness consists of inner work such as facing fear, dissolving resentment, forgiving others, and re-programming your thought patterns to be harmonic with the nature of the Universe.

As you begin to transform this inner world, the added benefit is that your external reality will shift to reflect the changes you’ve made. In the end, you’ll get the money, the job, and the youthful body. The ironic thing is, you’ll discover you no longer need it. ☺