The Power of Perception

It’s an observation that has long existed - The Eightfold Path in Buddhism begins with Right Understanding and Right Thought - and as we move further into the 21st century, we continue to compile evidence of the power of perception.

We live in an experience beyond our comprehension - if you know the individual who can explain reality, what comes before, and what comes after, kindly send ‘em my way! - and lacking that certainty, one could argue that there is nothing more important than the stories that we tell ourselves.

Dr. Ellen Langer and Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi have interesting perspectives to share on the topic; I hope you get as much from their wisdom as I did!

What if I told you that wounds don’t heal according to time, but according to your perception of time.

According to Dr. Ellen Langer, that is indeed the case, and she’s got all sorts of experimental data to back it up. Langer, who earned her Ph.D. in Social and Clinical Psychology at Yale before joining the staff at Harvard in 1977, has devoted her life to studying this phenomenon, and during that time, she has designed and conducted a variety of experiments to study of the power of human perception.

In her appearance on The Model Health Show #760 with Shawn Stevenson, Langer discussed this ability - which she terms mindfulness - and all of the ways that it can impact how we navigate the world around us.

Langer has also authored several books, including Mindfulness, The Art of Noticing, and The Mindful Body, which you may want to jump into if you find her work as fascinating as I do!

Dr. Ellen Langer

Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi has been studying the art of Kung Fu since the age of four, and while I can’t speak to his prowess as a martial artist, I can say that I found his perspective on navigating life to be calm, reasoned, and sound.

In his discussion with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee on Feel Better, Live More #426: A guide to Self-Mastery, How Restrictions Lead To Freedom & Discovering Happiness, Master Shi Heng Yi shares his perspective on how we can cultivate the internal discipline necessary to navigate our world with some degree of grace.

Whatever your circumstances, this discussion does a beautiful job of making an argument to have gratitude for the very experience of life and why it is so useful to adopt this perspective, regardless of whether it is “true”.

Shi Heng Yi


Featured Perception Resources

The Model Health Show #760 - Dr. Ellen Langer

Mindfulness - Dr. Ellen Langer

The Art of Noticing - Dr. Ellen Langer

The Mindful Body - Dr. Ellen Langer

Feel Better, Live More #426: A guide to Self-Mastery, How Restrictions Lead To Freedom & Discovering Happiness - Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi

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