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Colors range far beyond our rainbow.
Many people take for granted the five basic human senses, believing our abilities of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch are all survival mechanisms; these folks don’t realize our senses are also evolutionary gifts: tools to help each of us on our personal evolution.
The senses aren’t static fixed abilities that naturally degrade over time and over which we have no control (without reliance on limited technological aids.) We, in fact, have the ability to strengthen and develop these senses into superpowers that help us live happier, more fulfilled and enlightened lives.
Communing with a Flower
As an example, let’s examine the sense of sight and, in particular, the ability to perceive and experience color. We often mistakenly assume there are the eight colors of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, blue, green, blue, indigo and violet—but there are actually 18 decillion colors of which the human eye can distinguish 10 million.
Development, improvement and expansion of the range of colors you’re able to perceive gives you a greater direct experience of the world and a fuller, richer and more authentic experience of living in it. There are many ways to do this; here’s one:
- Find a vivid flower, ideally in person (as opposed to a photo or digital image.)
- Unfocus your eyes and allow yourself to simply observe the color and “drink it in.”
- Notice the color’s properties. Is it heavy or light? Intense or mild? Weak or strong? Old or new?
- Notice how your body feels as the color frequency penetrates and permeates you. Where does it settle and what are its effects on you?
- Do any words come to mind associated with the color as you look at it?
- Do any memories or associations with the color come forth?
Reactivating Your Abilities
By applying this direct, focused awareness on a particular color, you deepen your relationship with it and bring to the fore of your consciousness its effects on you. You also strengthen your ability to perceive that color in particular and color in general, further amplifying and extending those effects.
You can, now, take this same concept and process and apply it to any of the other senses. Apply direct, intentional, focused awareness to a particular sound or piece of music to develop your sense of hearing. Apply it to the smell of a particular food or setting to develop your sense of hearing, and so on.
Author: Sage Kalmus