Knowledge, Experience & Time

As I drove to work this morning, the sun not yet cresting the rows of building, apartments and office blocks along the highway, I contemplated. Driving, especially alone, is one of my favorite times to contemplate matters (& energies) of all magnitudes. It is so easy to sit in the slow lane, behind a predictable driver, and allow myself to disappear into the glow of those red tail lights inching along, and to experience God there. Calming, even just to think of.

Today I will write on knowledge and experience many have yet to consider, and perhaps it will seem obtuse. The biggest factor in this potential confusion is that time, knowledge and experience are not sequential, although they can be and they are not necessarily related, unless you decide that they are. More on this later.

Firstly, knowledge and experience. It is a simple relationship, we either “know of” something (knowledge) or we know something experientially, which implies an experience took place, we were involved and grew from that, and thereby gained experiential knowledge. Great!

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As a side note, upon recently re-listening to my Conversations With God audio books, another phrase jumped at me – essentially suggesting that we replace the word ‘learn’ with ‘grow’, since we have nothing to learn, based on where we come from etc etc. Not meant for this article, but explaining a little on my favored choice of the word ‘grow’
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So for example, let’s take something really materialistic, like being rich. I might have knowledge of what being rich is, from the media, magazines, internet sites and from observing the lifestyles of those around me that are assumedly “rich”, at least in a money sense. Fair enough, I have this knowledge, but until I experience that knowledge, it is only that…

If we are to take what so many spiritual and motivational teachers tell us then it possible to experience something, without actually undergoing the ‘doing’ part. Many in fact say that it is essential to simulate as near as possible the experience you desire to have, in order to attract that, which is part of the Law of Attraction. Here I’m introducing the element of time, only to show that time plays no role who you are being.

Taking a spiritual angle then, we might say that ‘being rich’ is really about experiencing ‘abundance’ in material form, and in order to attract this experience, this matter; we should go from knowledge, to acting out the experience as far as possible through our senses, and then if still have not attracted that, to then act out that which we desire, whether it be abundance, love, happiness or any other state of being.

In this way, to move from knowing a thing, to experiencing a thing, we have tools and insight available to help and guide us in experiencing something before we actually have it, and in fact the richer and more detailed your ‘faked’ experience, the more real you actual experience will be.

There are many paths to the truth and this is just one, but it is popular in the western mindset, so I have focused on it.

Back to time though, it actually plays no role. If you accept that you can manufacture experiences, then you can also change your mind on anything, or change your stated perception, instantly. What do I mean? Simply put, if you are currently angry, you can stop this, and choose a new experience, perhaps happiness, even in the middle of stressful situation. Just like that, in less time than it takes to snap your fingers.

This is an exciting realization, and I will expand on it over the next few days… In the meantime I would love to hear your comments.

Until then,

Peace,
-Mikel