Vishnu's Dream

The Hindus believe that the world we see and hear around is all an illusion. That in fact all we think we perceive is really merely one of Vishnu’s Dreams. While it is of course ridiculous to assert any literal interpretation of such a mythological belief the point should be well taken that we create much more of our own reality than we give ourselves credit for.

Humans live for stimulus. We are literally built around and dedicated to the process of taking outside information and turning it into actions we can use to ensure our survival. Whether this means eluding the fierce predator on the plains of the Serengeti or beating out our co-workers for promotion, the basic principle is the same. We accept inputs from our environment and in response we do stuff. At least that’s how one might expect it to work.

Along with each stimulus we also depend on knowledge of the context for that stimulus. The sound of a roaring tiger is much different when heard in the midst of a jungle safari than when heard on the radio while driving down the street. Luckily for our collective sanity our brains are smart enough to differentiate between those situations and act accordingly. So along with the actual information our senses receive we also have a lot of background information that tints the way information is processed.

This background is often more powerful than the stimulus itself. To demonstrate this effect, try watching a horror movie with the sound turned down and replace the music with the ‘Green Acres’ theme song. We still SEE the horror, our context is the same but without the additional backdrop of the music what was horrific before becomes merely silly.

In day to day life, though, there is no incidental music. We each go through each day without the aid of Hollywood soundtracks. Instead we have something equally as powerful, our attitude. Whether it’s the violin concerto of the upbeat optimist or the slow dirge of the pessimist we each have an internal symphony that impacts how we see our world. If you think the world hates you then to you it will. Passive looks of indifference will become sneers of disgust. Conversations between neighbors will instantly seem to point the finger of guilt at you. Even a smile from a stranger will grow into a tangled web of deception.

Like any scientist who thinks he knows the answer before he begins his investigation, every scrap of input from your world will simply add to your case and deepen your belief that everyone is out to get you. Happily, the reverse is equally and delightfully true. To those with a truly upbeat outlook on life, every stranger is three words from being a lifelong friend. I recall my grandmother driving down the street one day when a boy in a school bus made an obscene gesture at her. She just happily waved back and said, “My, what a friendly young man.” I explained later to her that what the boy did was in fact obscene and she merely replied, “Oh, you must be mistaken. He looked so friendly.” In my grandmother’s eyes, there was no evil and everyone was a friend.

So while the Hindu’s say we all live in Vishnu’s dream, I would disagree. We all live in our own dreams.