SLIVER THEORY ~ Chap. 6 ~ Unlocking Our Superpowers
SLIVER THEORY
“ If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. ”
~ William Blake
EVERYTHING in the universe is made of vibrating energy. This energy vibrates at different frequencies and takes on billions of different forms. Our nervous system, (which I refer to as the BodyMind System) filters and organizes information and sensory data inside our brains, and this turns into what we perceive as “reality.” Ultimately, we each co-create and live in our own “reality hologram”, or version of reality.
Even two people standing right beside each other who witness a car accident, will report two very different stories to the police investigators. We all filter the millions of bits of information coming at us every second in a unique way, based upon our childhood programming, our cultural biases, biology, and psychological makeup. Each of our individual realities exists inside and is completely connected to the “Big Hologram” (our collective, shared reality.)
This quote from the “Joe Rogan Experience Podcast” puts some of these truths into perspective :
“ You can see less than 1% of the Electromagnetic Spectrum and hear less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum. As you read this, you are traveling at 220 kilometers per second across the galaxy. 90% of the cells in your body carry their own microbial DNA and are not “you.” The atoms in your body are 99.9999% empty space and none of them are the ones you were born with, but they all originated in the belly of a star. Human beings have 46 chromosomes, 2 less than the common potato. The existence of the rainbow depends on the conical photoreceptors in your eyes; to animals without cones, the rainbow does not exist. So you don’t just look at a rainbow, you create it. This is pretty amazing, considering that all the beautiful colors you see represent less than 1% of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. ”
This information gives rise to what I call “Sliver Theory,” which states that our perception in every situation is always limited. We are usually only aware of one tiny sliver of all the possible options, possibilities, and perspectives that are potentially available. Sliver Theory can be applied to everything from architecture styles, to ancient languages, to hip-hop artists and everything in between.
I particularly like to apply Sliver Theory to Human Culture.
The Mainstream culture that most of us have grown up on is only ONE option of the many different cultures existing on this planet.
There are around 100 unique tribes still in existence who are classified as “Uncontacted.” These tribes have virtually zero contact with civilization. They still hunt with bows and arrows, drink from streams, and build their homes out of natural materials they harvest themselves. Who are we to say that these people are wrong or “living backwards?” “Survival International” is an amazing organization who works to protect Tribal Peoples who choose to remain in their Indigenous lifestyle, rather than the “Main-stream Strange-Dream.”
I find it very valuable to see that the “Cultural Norms” we hold in America and many modernized nations are essentially arbitrary. The only reason we think it’s the “one right way to live,” is because we’ve been conditioned from day 1 to believe this. Whether it’s the style of our clothes or the foods we eat, if you were to fly to a different culture on the other side of the globe, they’d probably look at you like you’re crazy. They’d probably drop their jaw if you told them you drink the milk of a cow, while you’d be in shock that they eat gigantic live insects with every meal. Different strokes for different folks! Cultural norms are each a sliver on the gigantic pie of possibilities for human society.
I also apply Sliver Theory to this book “Unlocking Our Superpowers.” The maps, keys, and models that I share are useful to the degree they are useful, though they are not necessarily going to capture the fullness of the human experience. These tools are just a tiny sliver in the big pizza of transformational tools that exist.
When you go to a restaurant, the “menu is not the meal”, but it gives a helpful description of the delicious food you will soon enjoy. Also, “the map is not the territory,” meaning that it will help guide and point the way, though in the end, LIFE IS BEYOND ALL MAPS! It’s key to remember that there are always variables. After all, that is why mystics throughout the ages have referred to life as the “Great Mystery.”
Whether it’s maps, keys, or somewhere in between, I consider myself a “jack of all trades.” I know a little bit about a lot of topics. Some areas I have studied and cultivated far more than others. Please, take what I share with a grain of salt, and don’t blindly follow what I recommend. Mostly, I hope to catalyze your imagination and curiosity to explore. My goal is to share what has worked for me, and potentially inspire you to explore new topics, tools, and techniques!
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