Perception, interpretation, context, meaning

Let an ant crawl on your arm for a while-at least five minutes.

Then for hours later observe as an occasional little stimulus from clothing will excite thoughts that you have an ant-or worse-on your body.

Ask yourself,What does this teach me about the processing of perception in general? How does my past filter, color or tweak my interpretations of perceptions?

How do I “set myself up” like this in my ordinary life? What experiences do I commonly have that affect how I feel or react to the stimuli that the thoughts and actions of others are for me?

Do I have permanent automatic reactions that I should consciously take steps towards making them voluntary, considered reactions?

Just how much are my perceptions “clouded” in this manner? Do I see anything truly, clearly, purely?

When I look into a mirror, how distorted is my image by the negative “ant thoughts” that I’ve “allowed” to crawl “on me” in the past?

If I read a lot of positive thoughts about myself and let them “crawl” how much would that affect my tendency to feel good about myself?

How many “good” thoughts would I have to have on purpose to balance all the “bad” thoughts I have ever had?

Just what is a good thought about me? If I don’t believe it, does it work anyway-or at least a little?

If I practiced having simple, easy to believe, good thoughts, how long would it take me to built myself up to think really fabulous thoughts about myself?

How much time passed before I had my first thought about “me?” Was I an infant, a toddler, older?

What kind of thoughts did I have before I thought about me? Could any of those thoughts have been negative, sinful, non-life-supporting?

Who told me I was a “me,” and what “kind” of “me” did they say I was? If I had raised myself, what would I have told myself about “me” and my potential?

Am I filled to the brim with the opinions of others about myself? Am I crawling with them?

Could I ever regain my early childhood innocence and still function as a responsible adult?

How would that feel?