Living With Mastery_Where Life Actually Happens

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1720884Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1720884Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1720884

Comments welcome 1 31 May 2011

Copyright 2010-2011. Werner Erhard, Michael C. Jensen. All rights reserved

Harvard Business School Negotiation, Organizations and Markets Research Papers

HARVARD NOM UNIT RESEARCH PAPER NO. 11-067

BARBADOS GROUP WORKING PAPER NO. 11-01

Living With Mastery: Where Life Actually Happens

(PDF file of PowerPoint Slides)

Originally posted 16 January 2011, Updated 31 May 2011

WERNER ERHARD Independent

[email protected]

MICHAEL C. JENSEN Jessie Isidor Strauss Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

[email protected]

JOSEPH J. DIMAGGIO, MD Director of Research and Development, Landmark Education, LLC

[email protected]

Versions of the material in this presentation are part of a leadership course (“Being a Leader, and the Effective

Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological Model”) authored by Werner Erhard, Michael C. Jensen, Steve Zaffron, and

Kari Granger.

FAIR USE: You may redistribute the URL for this document freely, but please do not post the electronic file on the

web. We welcome web links to this document at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1720884 We revise our papers regularly, and providing a link to the original ensures that readers will receive the most recent

version. Thank you, W. Erhard, M. Jensen, J. DiMaggio.

Some of the material presented in this paper is based on or derived from the consulting and program material of the

Vanto Group, and from material presented in the Landmark Forum and other programs offered by Landmark

Education LLC, as well as from an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars, consultants and practitioners

working under the name of The Barbados Group. The ideas and the methodology created by Werner Erhard underlie

much of the material.


Comments welcome 2 31 May 2011

Copyright 2010-2011. Werner Erhard, Michael C. Jensen. All rights reserved

Abstract

Note that this paper is a copy of the slides presented in a talk for the general public. It presents a

way of accessing one’s life and who one is for oneself based on studying masters (e.g., master

athletes, master physicists, master physicians, and master musicians).

Like masters of these specialized areas of life, while masters of life are innately ordinary people,

they see (experience) life – the world, others, and themselves – differently than most of us do.

As a consequence, they comprehend and interact with the world, others, and themselves

differently than most of us do. And, it is the way they interact with life and with themselves that

makes them extraordinarily effective in dealing with life while enjoying an exceptionally high

quality of life. This presentation spells out the way in which masters access life and themselves,

and does so in words that make mastery available to the rest of us ordinary people.


© Copyright 2010 – 2011 W. Erhard, Landmark Education LLC. All rights reserved. 30-May-2011

Living With Mastery

Where Life Actually Happens

Public Presentations By Werner Erhard

In Tokyo, New Delhi, Mumbai, and BangkokMay, November, December 2010

Authors: Werner Erhard, Michael C. Jensen, Joseph J. DiMaggio MD

Originated 16 April 2010, Updated 30 May 2011

The more scholarly paper from which much of this presentation is drawn is available on the Social Science Research Network at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1437027

Versions of the material in this presentation are part of a leadership course (“Being a Leader, and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: AnOntological/Phenomenological Model”) authored by Werner Erhard, Michael C. Jensen, Steve Zaffron, and Kari Granger.

Some of the material in this presentation is based on or derived from the consulting and program material of the Vanto Group, and from materialpresented in the Landmark Forum and other programs offered by Landmark Education LLC, as well as from an international, interdisciplinary groupof scholars, consultants and practitioners working under the name of The Barbados Group. The ideas and the methodology created by WernerErhard underlie much of the material.

FAIR USE: You may redistribute the URL for this document freely, but please do not post the electronic file on the web. We welcome web links tothis document at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1720884


The Way You And I Will Work

Together Tonight


3

What You Hear Tonight

Will Be Mostly All New For YouBecause what you hear tonight will be mostly all new

for you, a good deal of what is presented will be

counter-intuitive – that is, in conflict with what you

have come to believe. (When what we have come to

believe is shared with most others, it is sometimes

referred to as “common-sense” – e.g., three centuries

ago the belief that the sun goes around the earth.)

Because what we do tonight will be new and quite

challenging, I request that you work along with me.

In other words, please don’t just listen. Look for

yourself at what is being said, and think for yourself

about what is said. Please ask questions and make

comments when you have them.

THE WAY WE WILL WORK TOGETHER


4

What One Believes Is Not Necessarily True

It is one of our human foibles that we sometimes

believe things that are inconsistent with our actual

experience. That is hard for most people to accept.

Nevertheless, while we are generally unaware of it,

we often take what we strongly believe to be an

actual experience when in fact it is only a strong

belief.

Were we to give ourselves an opportunity to get in

touch with our actual experience (without letting what

we believe color our experience), we would see that

there are cases where what we believe is

inconsistent with our experience – inconsistent with

life as life is actually lived.



5

What One Believes Is Not Necessarily True

Later tonight we will provide you with an opportunity

to discover something that you believe so strongly

that you confuse what you believe with your

experience – which experience you will see is

actually contrary to what you believe. And when we

do, it will shock you into a new relationship with life,

and with yourself.

What is presented tonight is not based on belief or

theory, rather it is drawn from life as life is actually

lived, and it is also informed by and consistent with

neuroscience and cognitive science research.



6

How To Deal With What Is In Conflict With

What You Currently Believe

Because what is being presented tonight will be

challenging, I will read out-loud each of the

sentences on the slides, and I request that as I read

what is said on a slide, you read along with me

silently to yourself.

When you hear something that is counter to what you

believe, rather than dismissing it as nonsense and

simply persisting in what you believe, check it out in

life as life is actually lived to confirm in your own

experience whether it is valid or not. See if what is

presented is consistent with life as you actually live it,

even if it is in conflict with what you currently believe.



7

Do Not Believe Anything Presented Tonight

When the evening is over, if you cannot personally

confirm in your own life – as you actually live life –

anything that has been presented, leave it behind.

By contrast, what you have confirmed in your own

experience now belongs to you – it is yours. It is not

something you learned from someone else (received

knowledge), rather it is something you have

discovered for yourself.



Glossary Of Terms

On the next few slides

I will explain what is meant

by three of the specialized terms

you will hear tonight.

1. Conversational Domain

2. Way of Being

3. Way of Acting


What Is Meant By The Term

“Conversational Domain”

And Its Relation To Being A Master


10

What Makes Certain People Extraordinary

There are certain people who seem to be

extraordinarily effective in dealing with the stuff of life

and who enjoy an exceptionally high quality of life.

Most of us believe that there is something extra

special about such people. The truth is that people

who master life are ordinary people just like you and

me.

GLOSSARY – “CONVERSATIONAL DOMAIN”


11

What Makes Certain People Extraordinary

While people who master life are innately ordinary,

they do see (experience) life and comprehend

(make sense of) life differently than most of us do.

As a consequence, they interact with life – the

world, others, and themselves – differently than most

of us do.

And, it is the way they interact with life – the way

they interact with the world, others, and themselves –

that makes them extraordinarily effective in dealing

with life while enjoying an exceptionally high quality

of life.



12

What Is The Source Of Being Extraordinary

For Such People

What allows such people to experience life (the

world, others, and themselves) differently than most

of us do is that they experience life through a unique

conversational domain.

The world of mastery is constituted by a unique

conversational domain (linguistic domain), from

which a master experiences life, comprehends life,

and interacts with life.


© Copyright 2010 – 2011 W. Erhard, Landmark Education LLC. All rights reserved. 21-April-2011

13

What Is Meant By “Conversational Domain”

By “conversational domain”, we mean for example in

the case of a physician,

the kind of specialized terms that are networked

together in a specific way

to form the specialized linguistic domain through

which a physician perceives, comprehends, and

interacts with the human body.

It is the perspective generated by this conversational

domain that is the source of mastery for a physician,

and is required for the expert practice of medicine.

As is obvious from this example, such conversational

domains (linguistic domains) once mastered have

enormous power.



14

What Is Meant By “Conversational Domain”

While it might not at first be obvious for you, a

plumber also becomes a master plumber by

perceiving, comprehending, and interacting with the

world of plumbing through a set of specialized terms

(for example, the names of different kinds of pipes,

joining materials, plumbing fixtures, plumbing codes,

and practices) that are networked together in a

specific way to form the conversational domain of the

world of plumbing for a master plumber.

Mastery is a product of having mastered a

specialized conversational domain (linguistic domain)

from which to perceive, comprehend, and as a result

interact with whatever one is a master of.



15

Being Knowledgeable Versus Being A Master

You and I may understand what we read inmagazines like “Scientific American” or “NewScientist” about physics or cosmology, but to be aphysicist or a cosmologist, we would have to master1) the set of specialized terms, that are 2) networkedtogether in a specific way, to form 3) the specializedconversational domain of physics or cosmology.

In fact, while you or I might be able to follow a givenfield, to be a master of anything – a master teacher, amaster welder, a master economist, a master automechanic, a master historian, a master musician, infact a master of anything – you or I would have tomaster the conversational domain that constituteswhatever we are committed to be a master of.



16

Being Knowledgeable Versus Being A Master

Please do not go past this slide until you are clear

about the example of what makes a person a

physician (or a master of anything); that is, until you

are clear about the following:

What makes a person a physician is the way that

person perceives and comprehends, and as a result

interacts with the human body – which way of

perceiving, comprehending, and interacting is the

product of that person having mastered 1) a set of

specialized terms, that are 2) networked together in a

specific way, to form 3) a specialized conversational

domain. This is true not only for a physician, but for a

person who is a master of anything.



17

The Conversational Domain for

Mastery In Life

As is the case with a master physician or masterplumber, the conversational domain for mastery inlife is also made up of specialized terms that arenetworked together in a specific way to form thelinguistic domain through which a master sees,comprehends, and interacts with life – that is, with theworld, others, and himself or herself. That is whattonight is about.

Tonight is about you creating for yourself theconversational domain for being a master in life –that conversational domain that allows you toexperience, comprehend, and interact with the world,others, and yourself, as a master.



18

Finding What Is Said In Your Own Experience

Tonight I will support you in creating this

conversational domain of mastery for yourself. We

will work together so that you are left actually

dwelling in this new conversational domain in a way

that opens up the possibility of your perceiving,

comprehending, and interacting with life as a master.

In order to accomplish this, it is important that each of

you be able to actually find what we are speaking

about in your own experience. That is to say, don’t

just follow and understand what is being said, rather

find what is being said in your own experience so that

what is being said actually belongs to you –

otherwise, it is just another theory.



19

Summary: What Is Meant By

Conversational Domain

The conversational domain for mastery in life is made

up of

specialized terms that are

networked together in a specific way to form the

linguistic domain through which a master

perceives, comprehends, and interacts with

life –

that is, with the world, others, and himself

or herself.




“Way of Being”


21

What Is Meant by Way of Being

In this conversation, what is meant by “Way of Being”is what is going on with a person internally. It ismade up of some combination of that person’s:

1. Mental State (their attitude or state of mind)

2. Emotional State (their feelings or emotions)

3. Bodily State (their body sensations, and internalbodily functions)

4. Thoughts and Thought Processes (and thatincludes memories that might be present)

In other words, a person’s Way of Being iswhat is going on with them internally in a givenmoment or in a given situation.

GLOSSARY – “WAY OF BEING”


22


In any moment, or in any situation, you may not benoticing (paying attention to) your attitude or mentalstate, or your feelings or emotions, or your bodysensations, or your thoughts.

However, if you do take the time to notice (payattention to) what is going on with you internally, youwill see that in each moment or in each situation, youdo in fact have some combination of 1) an attitude ormental state, and 2) feelings or emotions (thecombination of mental and emotional state wesometimes call our mood), and 3) body sensations,and 4) thoughts. One of these aspects of what isgoing on with you internally may be more present foryou than the others, nevertheless they are all there.



23

Your Way of Being Is

What Is Going On With You Internally

It is important to remember that in this conversationwhat is meant by Way of Being is what is going onwith you internally. Your Way of Being does notinclude what is going on for you externally outsideyou, out there in the world.

Although you certainly perceive what is going onoutside you, what you perceive is out there in theworld, external to you. For example, when you seesomeone, you don’t experience them as inside you.

In short, in this conversation your perceptions are notpart of your Way of Being. Your Way of Being iswhat is going on with you internally, not what is goingon for you outside you, out there in the world.



24


It is also important to remember that your Way ofBeing is what is going on with you internally momentto moment, or situation to situation.

While you may have a “typical Way of Being”, the factis that your Way of Being (your mental and emotionalstate, your bodily state, and your thoughts) changesfrom moment to moment, or situation to situation.

Even though you may have a typical Way of BeingYou, no one is always being their typical Way ofBeing. If you look into your own experience, you willsee that there have been times you have had a Wayof Being that was not like your typical Way of Being.And, when that happened, you were probably evensurprised by you being that way.



You Are Not

Who You Know Yourself To Be


26

Who You Know Yourself To Be

Is Just A Way of Being

About what we might call “your typical way of being”,that is “who you take yourself to be”, or “who youknow yourself to be”, that is just a way of being.

While we all think that we are a certain way (the waywe wound up being), that way of being is just the wayof being that we have resigned ourselves to. That is,we think that we are like this or like that, but the waywe typically are is nothing more than a way of being.

In summary: You are not “who you know yourself tobe”, that is, you are not “who you think you are”.“Who you know yourself to be”, “who you think youare”, is nothing more than a way of being.

WHO YOU KNOW YOURSELF TO BE IS JUST A WAY OF BEING


27

The First Critical Point About

Being A Master In Life

One critical point about being a master in life is

getting yourself clear that “who you have known

yourself to be” is not who you are. “Who you know

yourself to be” is simply one way of being that is

available to you, and you are not stuck with that way

of being.

In order for tonight to be powerful for you, you must

be willing to question that who you have known

yourself to be, might not be who you actually are.

You must be open to the possibility that you might not

be who you think you are, and be wondering what

you might discover tonight about who you really are.



28

An Example About Master Leaders From

Leadership Guru Warren Bennis

“In interviewing more than 40 top leaders in business and

the public sector over the past three years, we were

surprised to find that all of them – young and old – were

able to point to L experiences that had transformed them

and had become the sources of their distinctive leadership

abilities. L

“For the leaders we interviewed, the crucible experience

was a trial and a test, a point of deep self-reflection that

forced them to question who they were L It required

them to examine their values, question their assumptions,

hone their judgment. And, invariably, they emerged from

the crucible stronger and more sure of themselves and their

purpose – changed in some fundamental way.” (Bennis and

Thomas, 2002, Crucibles of Leadership p.3 - emphasis added)



29

Summary: What Is Meant by Way of Being

Your “Way of Being” is made up of some combination

of your:

1. Mental State (attitude, state of mind)

2. Emotional State (feelings, emotions)

3. Bodily State (body sensations, and internal

bodily functions)

4. Thoughts and Thought Processes (including

memories)

In other words, your Way of Being is

what is going on with you internally from moment to

moment, or situation to situation.



30

Confirm In Your Own Experience

What We Have Said About Way Of Being

Even if you already understand what we have said

about Way of Being, please don’t go on to the next

blue colored slide until you have confirmed in your

own experience that at each moment, whether you

are paying attention to it or not, you have a Way of

Being (something going on with you internally).

Confirm that your Way of Being is composed of 1) a

mental state, 2) an emotional state (the combination

of these two states is sometimes referred to as our

“mood”), 3) a bodily state, and 4) thoughts (includes

memories).

A suggestion for doing this is on the next two slides.



31

Try It Out For Yourself

Begin this exercise by sitting comfortably and quietly,

and with your eyes closed. Try to stay that way until

you complete this exercise.

When you are comfortable and quiet, give yourself a

chance to get in touch with your body. If you “look”

through your body location by location, you will notice

certain sensations in certain locations in your body

that you were not noticing before but were

nevertheless there as a part of your Way of Being

(what is going on with you internally). Do this now.

When you have done this, you have confirmed for

yourself that your Way of Being includes body

sensations. (this exercise is continued on the next slide)



32

Try It Out For Yourself

Next, notice what thoughts you are having (mayinclude memories). You will notice that there is anuninterrupted flow of thoughts, one thought after theother. Do this now.

You have now confirmed for yourself that your Way ofBeing includes thoughts, paid attention to or not.

Next, notice your mood (a combination of your mentaland emotional states, or notice each of theseseparately). For some people this takes a bit morework. If you have any difficulty, ask yourself, “What ismy mood, attitude, or outlook on life right now?”

You have now confirmed for yourself that your Way ofBeing includes mood, or mental and emotional states.



What Is Meant By The Terms

“Action” or “Way of Acting”


34

What Is Meant by Actions or Acting

A person’s “Actions” or “The Way A Person Is Acting”

is meant in its everyday meaning. That is, “Actions”

or “Way of Acting” means the way a person is

behaving or what they are doing.

We could say that the way a person is acting

(includes speaking) is the way they are dealing with

life (the world, others, or themselves). In fact, your

only way of impacting the world, others, or yourself is

by acting.

Remember that acting includes speaking (this

includes speaking to yourself about yourself), and

speaking also includes what is said by your actions

(as in the saying “actions speak louder than words”).

GLOSSARY – “WAY OF ACTING”


35

Action Is Our Only Access To Impacting Life

As we said earlier about the importance of action:

“L it is the way they [masters] interact with life – the

way they interact with the world, others, and

themselves – that makes them extraordinarily

effective in dealing with life while enjoying an

exceptionally high quality of life.”

It is important that you get clear for yourself that your

only access to impacting life is action. The world

does not care what you intend, how committed you

are, how you feel, or what you think, and certainly it

has no interest in what you want and don’t want.

Take a look at life as it is lived and see for yourself

that the world only moves for you when you act.



Summary Of The Four

Specialized Terms We Have

Covered So Far

Please note that we will keep summarizing as

we add new terms to the conversational domain

of mastery. Reviewing what has already been

summarized and then adding the new terms is

required to get the new terms fully incorporated

into the conversational domain.


37

1. What Is Meant By

Conversational Domain

The conversational domain for mastery in life is made

up of




perceives, comprehends, and interacts with

life –

that is, with the world, others, and himself

or herself.

So far we have explicated the following specialized

terms: “Conversational Domain”, “Way of Being”,

“You Are Not Who You Think You Are”, “Way of Acting”



38

2. What Is Meant by Way of Being

Your “Way of Being” is made up of some combination

of your:

1. Mental State (attitude, state of mind)

2. Emotional State (feelings, emotions)

3. Bodily State (body sensations, and internal

bodily functions)

4. Thoughts and Thought Processes (including

memories)

Your Way of Being is what is going on with you

internally from moment to moment, or situation to

situation. (This does not include what you perceive

out there in the world, external to you.)



39

3. The First Critical Point About

Being A Master In Life

One critical point about being a master in life is

getting yourself clear that “who you have known

yourself to be” is not who you are. “Who you know

yourself to be” is simply one way of being that is

available to you, and you are not stuck with that way

of being.

In order for tonight to be powerful for you, you must

be willing to question that who you have known

yourself to be, might not be who you actually are.

You must be open to the possibility that you might not

be who you think you are, and be wondering what

you might discover tonight about who you really are.



40

4. What Is Meant by Actions or Acting

A person’s “Actions” or “The Way A Person Is Acting”

is meant in its everyday meaning. That is, “Actions”

or “Way of Acting” means the way a person is

behaving or what they are doing.

We could say that the way a person is acting

(includes speaking) is the way they are dealing with

life (the world, others, or themselves). In fact, your

only way of impacting the world, others, or yourself is

by acting.

Remember that acting includes speaking (and that

includes speaking to yourself about yourself), and

speaking also includes what is said by your actions

(as in the saying “actions speak louder than words”).



What Is The Relation Between The Way

You Act and Your Way of Being?

On the next series of slides

we will discuss

the way in which your Way of Acting

and your Way of Being

are related to each other.


42

Your Way of Acting And Your Way of Being

From moment to moment, your way of acting and

your way of being are consistent with each other.

Said more fully, your actions are consistent with

(are appropriate to) some combination of your

attitude or state of mind, your feelings or emotions,

your body sensations, and your thoughts.

That is, your actions and what is going on with you

internally are consistent with each other. For

example, when you are acting confidently, you are

also likely to be feeling confident. And, when you are

acting with hesitation, you are likely to be feeling

unsure.

WAY OF BEING AND ACTING


43

Your Way of Being and Acting

As we said, from moment to moment, your actions

and way of being are consistent with each other.

For example, if you are feeling annoyed with your

boss, but you have the thought that it would be unwise

to express your annoyance, your actions (not saying

that you are annoyed) are likely to be consistent with

your thoughts. But, the muscles in your face and gut

are likely to be consistent with your feelings.

As we have said, there will be a consistency between

1) some combination of your mental state, emotional

state, bodily state, and your thoughts, and 2) your

actions.



44

Confirm For Yourself That Your Way of Being And

Acting Are Consistent With Each Other

While we may notice our way of being before we act

(at least our mood or thoughts), when we act we are

most of the time either so focused on what we are

doing, or on automatic when doing it, that we don’t

pay attention to what is going on with us internally

(our Way of Being).

To confirm or not that your Actions and your Way of

Being are consistent with each other, check it out in

your own experience.

Do this by getting in touch with your memory of a

situation in which you acted in some way.



45

Confirm In Your Memory That Your Way of Being

And Acting Are Consistent With Each Other

If you work at it, you will locate in a memory of acting

some aspects of your internal state that were present

while you were acting in that way. And, you will

notice that some combination of the aspects of your

internal state were consistent with your actions.

An easy example is remembering a time when you

spoke harshly to someone. You should be able to

notice in that memory that while you were speaking

harshly you also felt angry or frustrated.

As we said, your way of acting and your way of being

are consistent with each other.



While Your Way of Being and the Way

You Act Are Consistent with Each Other,

Your Way of Being

Does Not Cause Your Actions


47

Neuroscience Research: Your Way of Being


That our Actions are consistent with our Way of

Being has allowed most of us to believe that our

Actions are caused by our Way of Being.

That is, most of us believe that some combination of

our attitude or state of mind, and/or our emotions or

the way we feel, and/or our body sensations, and/or

our thoughts (what we decide to do) cause us to act

in the way we do.

However, neuroscience research has shown that our

Way of Being does not cause our Actions.

WAY OF BEING DOES NOT CAUSE ACTION


48

Neuroscience Research: Your Way of Being


Neuroscience research has shown that the neural

patterns in our brain that give rise to our Way of

Being and the neural patterns in our brain that give

rise to our Actions are always networked together.

(Clancey, 1993, p.5, and Hawkins, 2004, p.157)

That is, our Way of Being and our Way of Acting

come together as though one thing.

If you clasp your two hands together by interlacing

the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other

hand, you have a metaphor for networked together.

Notice that one hand does not cause the other hand,

and yet they both move together as though one thing.



49

Decisions to Act Are Not the Cause of Action

We all believe that we act because we decide or

choose to act. That is, we think that we decide

(make up our minds) to act in a particular way, and

that decision causes us to act in that way.

Neuroscience research makes it clear that this simply

cannot be true. (Libet 1993)

For example, in experiment after experiment

neuroscience research has shown that the specific

neural pattern in our brain that gives rise to a

particular action is already activated as a readiness-

potential tenths of a second before we make the

conscious decision to act in that way.



50

Decisions to Act Are Not the Cause of Action

In other words, the physical action is networked

together with the thought or decision to act that way.

The decision does not cause the action, in your

brain the neural pattern that causes the action and

the neural pattern that causes the conscious decision

to act are networked together – that is, they arise

together as though one thing.

Just like the belief that the sun goes around the earth

because it appears that way to us is wrong, the belief

that our Way of Being causes Our Way of Acting

because it appears that way to us is also wrong.



51

A Fallacy: Your Way of Being

Causes Your Actions

The belief that our attitude or state of mind influences

or causes the way we act is a fallacy.

The belief that our feelings or emotions influence or

cause the way we act is also a fallacy.

The belief that our body sensations influence or

cause the way we act is another fallacy. (The pain

you feel when you put your finger on a hot stove

happens after your nervous system has already

caused you to pull your finger away.)

And finally, the belief that our decisions influence the

way we act is also a fallacy.



52

What Appears To Be Going On Consciously

Contrasted With What Is Going On In Our Brains

It looks to us like our Way of Being causes our Wayof Acting because when we are in a situation thatcalls for action, at a conscious level we have thethought (decide) to act in some way, and then we act.

This makes it look to us like the decision comesbefore the action. That is what leads us to believethat our Way of Being causes our Way of Acting, andthat belief is so strong it makes it difficult for manypeople to consider anything contrary to that belief.

However, what is going on in our brain that generatesour conscious thought to act and generates ourphysical action happens in a very different way thanthe way it appears to us at a conscious level.



53

What Is Going On In Our Brain

When we are (our brain is) confronted by a situation

that calls for action, our brain activates at an

unconscious level a readiness-potential neural

pattern for action that is the neural pattern that will

cause the action we will wind up taking, and our brain

activates this readiness-potential neural pattern for

action tenths of a second before activating the

neural pattern that causes our thought or decision

(way of being) about acting in that way. This has

been confirmed and reconfirmed many times in

neuroscience research starting with Benjamin Libet in

1993.



54

What Is Going On In Our Brain

But, because our brain fires the pattern of neurons

that causes our conscious awareness of a decision to

act before it fires the already existing readiness-

potential pattern of neurons that causes our action, it

appears to us as though the decision has come

before the action. This leaves us with the illusion that

we act because we decide to act.

In other words, the neural pattern that will cause you

to act in the way you wind up acting has already

been formed as a readiness-potential neural pattern

tenths of a second before you make any decision to

act, and it is that already existing pattern of neurons

that causes your action – not your decision to act.



55

The Front Of Your Hand And The Back Of

Your Hand Come Together As One Thing

Your Way of Being and your Way of Acting are like

the front of your hand and the back of your hand.

While you can distinguish the front of your hand from

the back of your hand, you cannot separate the front

of your hand from the back of your hand – the front of

your hand and the back of your hand come together

in one package.

Likewise with your way of being and acting. While

you can distinguish your way of being from your

actions, it is as though a person’s way of being and

acting are one thing – they come together as one

package, that is they arise together.



56

Confirm For Yourself That What You Decide

Does Not Cause You To Act

Because it appears that your Actions are caused by

your Way of Being, confirming that what you decide

does not cause your actions is a bit difficult, but try

out the following:

Do you always do what you intended to do? If not,

intending does not cause you to act. Do you always

do what you decided you would do? If not, deciding

does not cause you to act.

Decide to jump up in the air and see if having made

that decision causes you to jump up in the air.



57

Remember The Water Bottle Demonstration

You will remember during the talk the demonstration

of an empty plastic water bottle suddenly being

tossed without warning at one person and then

another. You will remember that the people a bottle

was tossed to said that what they did to deal with the

bottle coming at them was not preceded by any

decision, or even thought about what to do – they

simply acted. Afterward they told us the following: If

the bottle moving through the air occurred for them

as catchable, they found themselves putting their

hands out to catch it, but if it occurred as uncatchable

and coming at their face they found themselves

putting their hands up to block it. No figuring out or

deciding preceding the action was involved.



Summary Of What We Have

Covered So Far


59

Summary So Far

So far we have explicated the following specialized

terms:

• Conversational Domain

• Way of Being

• You Are Not Who You Think You Are

• Way of Acting

• While Your Way of Being and Your Actions Are

Consistent With Each Other, Your Way of Being


SUMMARY


60

Summary So Far

1. The world of mastery is constituted by a unique

“conversational domain” (linguistic domain), from

which a master lives and interacts with life.

As is the case with a master physician or master

plumber, the conversational domain for mastery in

life is also made up of specialized terms that are


linguistic domain through which a master perceives,

comprehends, and interacts with life – that is, with the

world, others, and himself or herself.

SUMMARY


61

Summary So Far

2. While you may have a typical way of being, and

may even be resigned to that way of being, that is

just a Way of Being, it is not who you are really.

You are not “who you know yourself to be”, that is,

you are not “who you think you are”. “Who you know

yourself to be”, “who you think you are”, is nothing

more than a Way of Being.

This is the first critical point about the way a master

experiences life.

SUMMARY


62

Summary So Far

3. While your Actions from moment to moment are

consistent with some combination of the aspects of

your Way of Being in those moments, your Actions

are not caused by your Way of Being (what is going

on with you internally) – your Actions and your Way

of Being come together as one package, that is they

arise together.

Your Way of Being (what is going on with you

internally) and your Way of Acting are networked

together and arise as though one thing.

SUMMARY


63

The Second Critical Point

For Being A Master In Life

First, there are two things to remember that were

pointed out earlier in the talk.

1) Our only access to life is action. The only way we

have of impacting life is by acting. It is action, and

only action, with which we interact with life (with the

world, with others, and with ourselves).

2) What makes a master a master is simply the way

he or she interacts with life. It is the way that a

master interacts with the world, with others, and with

themselves that makes them extraordinarily effective

in dealing with life while enjoying an exceptionally

high quality of life.

SUMMARY


64



When most people want to improve or want a

breakthrough in their effectiveness in life or in their

quality of life, they work on what they believe causes

their actions – namely, their way of being (they work

on their mental state, emotional state, bodily state, or

their thoughts or thought processes).

For example, they attempt to improve their attitude,

or they work on their emotional intelligence, or go on

a diet to change their body, or they try to think

positively, or commit themselves (tried by most

people at least every New Year with New Year’s

resolutions).

SUMMARY


65



While most people think that the way they interact

with life is caused by their way of being (what is going

on with them internally), a master is clear that his or

her way of being and acting come together as one

package, that is they arise together – one does not

cause the other.

That your Actions are not caused by your Way of

Being (your mental state, emotional state, bodily

state, thoughts and thought processes) is the second

critical point required to be a master in life.

SUMMARY


66



When you are clear about this, the question naturally

becomes:

Given that my way of being does not cause my

actions, rather my way of being and acting arise

together as though one thing, what is the source of

my way of being and acting?

Before answering this question we need to get clear

about three more specialized terms we will use in the

answer.

SUMMARY


Glossary Of Terms

On the next few slides

I will explain what is meant

by three more of the terms you will

hear tonight.

1. What You Are Dealing With

2. Occur

3. Correlated



“What You Are Dealing With”


69

What Is Meant By

“What You Are Dealing With”

“What You Are Dealing With” includes:

1. The circumstances on which you are acting.

2. The circumstances in which you are acting.

3. The way in which you occur for yourself

in acting on whatever you are acting on

in the circumstances in which you are acting.

Before we leave this section, get clear for yourself

that when you are engaged with life there is nothing

else to be dealt with. Those three things are all that

there is.

GLOSSARY – “WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH”


70

1. Circumstances On Which You Are Acting

The circumstances on which you are acting are the

circumstances that you are intending to impact with

your actions.

For example, if you intend to impact someone’s

performance (produce a breakthrough in that

person’s performance), the circumstances on which

you are acting are the actions of the person whose

performance you intend to impact.

Of course, when you are acting on something, there

are also circumstances in which you are acting on

that something.



71

2. Circumstances In Which You Are Acting

The circumstances in which you are acting on

something are the circumstances that make up the

environment or surroundings in which you are acting

on whatever you are acting on.

In the example of acting to impact someone’s

performance, the circumstances in which you are

acting are for example, the nature of your relationship

with the person whose performance you intend to

impact, and might also include your boss watching

what you do to produce a breakthrough in that

person’s performance.



72

3. The Way In Which You Occur For Yourself

The way in which you occur for yourself is the wayyou (your way of being) shows up for you as a partof the situation in which you are acting.(Remember that the situation in which you are actingincludes whatever you are acting on and thecircumstances in which you are acting, as well as theway in which you occur for yourself.)

In the example of acting to impact someone’sperformance, the way in which you occur for yourselfcould be that your mental state is one of uncertainty,and your emotional state is one of feeling a bit angry,and your bodily state is one of tension, and yourthoughts are ones of “he is not committed toincreasing his performance” and “he doesn’t listen”.



73


It is important to be clear that here we are speakingabout your internal state (your way of being), but inthis case specifically as the way in which yourinternal state (your way of being) occurs for you aspart of (integral to) the situation you are dealingwith.

Saying the same thing in another way: We aretalking about some combination of your mental state,emotional state, bodily state, and your thoughts andthought processes as part of the situation you aredealing with. This is different from the way wetalked about your internal state (your way of being)earlier tonight when we talked about it independent of(not as part of) a situation you are dealing with.



74


It is important for you to be clear about the difference

between these two perspectives on your Way of

Being.

Earlier tonight we spoke about your way of being as

nothing more than your internal state that you might

or might not be noticing, and here we are speaking

about your way of being (internal state) as a part of

what you are dealing with.



75

Summary Of

What Is Meant By “What You Are Dealing With”

“What You Are Dealing With” includes each of the

following:

1. The circumstances on which you are acting.

2. The circumstances in which you are acting

on whatever you are acting on.

3. The way in which you occur for yourself

when acting on whatever you are acting on

in the circumstances in which you are acting.



76

Summary Of

What Is Meant By “What You Are Dealing With”

On the following slides we will always put the term

“the circumstances you are dealing with”

in quotes to help you remember that

what you are dealing with always includes

1) the circumstances on which you are acting,

2) the circumstances in which you are acting on

whatever you are acting on, and

3) the way in which you occur for yourself when

acting on whatever you are acting on in the

circumstances in which you are acting.




Occur


78

What Is Meant By “Occur”

What we mean by “occur” is:

The way in which “the circumstances you are dealing

with” register (exist) in some way for you – whether

you take note of it (are conscious of it) or not.

More rigorously, what occurs for you is what is going

on out in life. That is, what occurs for you is 1)

objects and situations out in the world, and 2) other

people and yourself out in the world – all these

occurring as a whole (a holistic unity).

Note that when you are engaged with life, you occur

as an interactive part of the whole, not as something

separated from (distinct from) the whole.

GLOSSARY – “OCCUR”


79


Earlier we spoke about your “Way of Being” (what isgoing on with you internally) as something separatefrom the whole, but here we are speaking about theway you occur for yourself out in life as part of thewhole, and that is a different perspective on you –different than what was meant by your Way of Being.

Also, please don’t think of occur as being anotherword for perception. “Perception” is a neuroscienceterm and “occur” speaks about what shows up foryou as-life-is-lived by you.



80


When we speak about “The way in which the

circumstances you are dealing with occur for you”

we mean the way in which each of the following

registers or shows up for you (either consciously or

unconsciously):

1. the circumstances on which you are acting

2. the circumstances in which you are acting on

whatever you are acting on (your environment or

surroundings)

3. the way in which you show up for yourself in

those circumstances



81


To repeat: The way in which “the circumstances you

are dealing with” occur for you includes not only

1. the way in which the circumstances you are acting

on occur for you, but also includes

2. the way in which the circumstances in which you

are acting on whatever you are acting on (your

environment or surroundings) occur for you, and

3. also includes the way in which you occur for

yourself in those circumstances – the way you

occur for yourself is another part of the

circumstances that you are dealing with.




Correlated


83

What Is Meant By “Correlated”

At the most basic level, “correlated” means

connected in some way. That is, if one thing is

correlated with another thing, these two things are

connected in some way.

However, what we mean by “correlated” is a very

specific kind of connection.

GLOSSARY – “CORRELATED”


84

What Is Not Meant By “Correlated”

First, if you have studied statistics, please note that

by “correlated” we do not mean a mere statistical

correlation. (If you haven’t studied statistics and

don’t know what this means, don’t worry about it.)

Second, the special kind of correlation (connection)

that we will be speaking about is not one of cause

and effect. In short, the connection between the two

things we will be speaking about that are correlated

is something other than cause and effect.



85

What Is Meant By “Correlated”

By “correlated” we mean a specific kind of connection

between two things. It is like two things that are “in-

a-dance-with” each other. Or said more rigorously,

two things that are interrelated by being naturally,

necessarily closely connected – mutually arising.

In summary:

What is meant by “correlated” as we will be using the

term is: two things that are interrelated by being

naturally, necessarily closely connected. Or in

everyday language, two things that are always a

match for each other. Or more visually, two things

that are “in-a-dance-with” each other.



Now we are ready to answer

the question:

Given that your way of being and acting

arise together as though one thing,

what is the source of your way of being

and acting?


87

Gaining Access To The Source Of

Mastery In Life

The answer to the question “What is the source ofmy way of being and acting in life?” opens up thepossibility of being a master of life.

We always have an explanation for the way we actand the way we are, but those explanations rarelygive us any access to the source of our way of beingand our way of acting. As a result, we go on prettymuch the same as we have always been and havealways acted – especially if we are arrogant about it.

That you discover for yourself the answer to thequestion – “What is the source of my way of beingand acting in life?” – is absolutely critical to yourbeing a master in life.

THE SOURCE OF YOUR WAY OF BEING AND ACTING


88

Gaining Access To The Source Of

Mastery In Life

Listening to the question or reading the question sothat you understand the question will not give youaccess to discovering the answer to the question in away that makes any difference to your way of beingand acting. The answer you get from merelyunderstanding the question will not provide you withaccess to the source of your way of being and acting.

As the Zen Master said to the man whose head heheld under the water in the small lake in the Zendoafter the man asked to be enlightened, “When youwant enlightenment as much as you wanted breath,come back”.

The point is, you have to be asking the question.



89

The Beginning Of The Source

Of Mastery In Life

Can you see that if you have access to the source of

your way of being and acting, that allows you to

create ways of being and acting that are effective and

at the same time nurturing for you.

Discovering the answer to the question “What is the

source of my way of being and acting?” gives you

access to living a created life.

So, I request that right now you silently actually ask

the question “What is the source of my way of being

and acting?”, and ask the question the way you

would if you were profoundly interested in the answer

and ready to work for the answer.



What is the source of

my way of being and acting in life?


91

The Source Of Your Way of Being And Acting

The source of a person’s way of being and acting is

that their way of being and acting is correlated with

the way in which “the circumstances they are dealing

with” occur for them.

Using the meaning of correlation that we went over

earlier: The kind of connection between your way of

being and acting and the way in which “the

circumstances you are dealing with” occur for you is:

Your way of being and acting is naturally,

necessarily closely connected with (interrelated)

with the way in which “the circumstances you are

dealing with” occur for you.



92


Or saying the same thing but in different words: Your

way of being and acting is always a match for (in-a-

dance-with) the way in which “the circumstances you

are dealing with” occur for you.

To repeat: Your way of being and acting is naturally,

necessarily closely connected with (interrelated, in-a-

dance-with) the way in which “the circumstances you

are dealing with” occur for you.



93

An Experienced Professional’s Perspective

Professor Daniel Wolpert of the University of

Cambridge Computational and Biological Learning

Lab puts it this way:

“We have a brain for one reason and one reason only

– that’s to produce adaptable and complex

movements. L I believe that to understand

movement is to understand the whole brain. And

therefore it’s important to remember when you are

studying L cognition, sensory processing [the

way “the circumstances you are dealing with” occur

for you], they’re there for a reason, and that reason is

action.” (Wolpert, 2009 - emphasis added)



94

More Neuroscience Research: Way of Being

And Acting Is Correlated With The Occurring

If you would like more research evidence that action

is naturally, necessarily closely connected with

(interrelated with, in-a-dance-with) the way in

which “the circumstances you are dealing with”

occur for you, in Appendix A there are quotes of

research findings from each of ten referenced

sources.

As an indication of what those sources have to say,

on the next two slides there are five short quotes

from those references.



95

The Quotations From The Research

“Perceiving [the occurring], thinking [what is going on

with you internally], and moving [action] always occur

together as coherent coordinations of activity

(Dewey, 1896/1981a).” (Clancey 1993, p.91)

“His [man's] perception [the occurring] is dynamic

because it is related to action ...” (Hall 1966, p.115 -

emphasis added)

“It is in fact essential to recognize that the

possibilities of action subtend the perceptual

process [that is, the way the world, others, and you

yourself occur for you] ...” (Delevoye-Turrell et al. 2010, p.236 -

emphasis added)



96

The Quotations From The Research

“conscious visual experience [the way the world

occurs for you] presents the world to the subject in a

richly textured way ... [which is] especially apt for L

real world activity [action].” (Clark 2001, p.496)

“In sum, neurophysiological evidence at both the

single-cell and cell population levels suggest shared

coding for perception and action: L neural processes

that blend sensory and motor features.” (Hurley 1998,

p.415 - emphasis added)



97


For example, if the way a situation you are dealing

with occurs for you as threatening, both your way of

being and your way of acting will be correlated with

(responsive to) the situation occurring for you in that

way (as threatening). On the other hand, if the way a

situation you are dealing with occurs for you as an

opportunity to excel, your way of being and acting will

be correlated with the situation occurring for you in

that way (as an opportunity to excel).

As we said, your way of being and your actions are a

natural correlate of (responsive to, in-a-dance-with)

the way in which “the circumstances you are dealing

with” occur for you.



98

Putting It All Together – Short Version

Your way of being and your actions (both arising

together as though one thing)

are naturally, necessarily closely connected with

(in-a-dance-with, interrelated with)

the way in which “the circumstances you are

dealing with”

occur or show up for you.



99

Putting It All Together – Fuller Version

Your way of being and your actions (both arising

together as though one thing)

are naturally, necessarily closely connected with

(interrelated, always a match for, in-a-dance-with)

1) the way in which the circumstances you are

acting on, and 2) the way in which the

circumstances in which you are acting (your

environment or surroundings), plus 3) the way

in which you occur for yourself in those

circumstances

all occur or show up (register in some way)

for you.



100

The Shortest Version

The source of your way of being and acting is that

they are a correlate of


dealing with”

occur for you.

Even Shorter and Even More Pointed:

The source of your way of being and acting is


dealing with”

occur for you.



Access

To The Source Of

Your Way of Being And Acting


102

Access To Your Way of Being And Acting

As we have said (shortest version),

the source of your way of being and acting is

the way “the circumstances you are dealing with”

occur for you.

And, language gives you access to the way in which

“the circumstances you are dealing with” occur for you!

Specifically, the way in which “the circumstances you

are dealing with” occur for you

is sometimes constituted in language,

and when it is not, it is at least colored and

shaped by language,

and is in any case always accessible through

language.

ACCESS TO THE SOURCE OF YOUR WAY OF BEING AND ACTING


103

Confirm For Yourself That Language

Influences The OccurringTake the time now to look around you at the things

and people in what is currently occurring for you.

While you don’t normally attend to it, if you think

about it you will notice that there is a story or an

interpretation (something said by you or another)

related to this or that thing or person that shapes or

colors the way in which those things and people

occur for you.

And, the same thing is true about the way you occur

for yourself – that is, there is a story or an

interpretation (something said by you or another) that

shapes or colors the way you occur for yourself.



104

Putting What We Said On The First Slide

Of This Section All TogetherYou have something powerful to say about your way

of being and acting in life because

your way of being (what is going on with you

internally) and your way of acting

is naturally correlated with the way in which

“the circumstances you are dealing with” occur

for you, and

that occurring is either constituted in language

or is at least shaped and colored by language,

and is in any case always accessible

through language.



105

Language Is Your Access To

Your Way of Being and Acting

Your choice of language (what you say) about

“the circumstances you are dealing with”

provides you with actionable access to your

way of being and acting in life.



106

An Experienced Professional’s Perspective

“It is not things in themselves that trouble us, but ouropinions of things.” – The Greek philosopher Epictetus

Dorothy Rowe, psychologist and emeritus associate

of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, speaking about

the above quote: “In other words, it is not what

happens to us that determines our behavior but how

we interpret what happens to us [the way it occurs for

us]. Thus, when facing a disaster, one person might

interpret it as a challenge to be mastered, another as

a certain defeat, while a third might see it as the

punishment he or she deserves. Crucially, the

decisions about what to do follow from the

interpretation each person has made.”(Rowe, 2010 - emphasis added)



107

In Other Words, What Dr. Rowe Is Telling Us

The way life occurs for you is a result of whatyou

have to say about life.

And, your way of being and acting in life is a result

of the way life occurs for you.

Saying the same thing more fully:

The way the world, others, and you yourself occur

for you is a result of what you have to say about the

world, others, and yourself.

And, your way of being and acting is a result of the

way the world, others, and you yourself occur

for you.



108

Substituting The Phrase “The Circumstances

You Are Dealing With” for “Life”

The way you choose to speak to yourself and others

about “the circumstances you are dealing with”

determines the way in which “the circumstances you

are dealing with” occur for you. And, your way of

being and acting is naturally correlated with (in-a-

dance-with) that occurring.



109

Substituting The Phrase “The Circumstances

You Are Dealing With” for “Life”

Saying the same thing more fully:

The way you choose to speak to yourself and others

about 1) the circumstances on which you are acting,

and 2) the circumstances in which you are acting, plus

3) the way in which you occur for yourself in those

circumstances, determines the way in which each of

those occurs for you. And, your way of being and

acting is correlated with that occurring.



110

The Impact Of Language On The Way In Which

The Circumstances Occur For You

As an object, the wall in the room you are in exists

independent of language. All you can do with

language is to get your words to match the object out

there – “hard”, “impenetrable”, “unmoving”.

However, about a situation you are dealing with,

“difficult” for example, exists only in language. There

is no difficult out there. Difficult is an interpretation in

language. The facts of the situation you are dealing

with are as they are. By contrast, “difficult” is an

interpretation or a story that becomes your context for

dealing with the facts of the situation. Of course,

situations can occur for you as difficult, but do so only

because you say so.



111

What Is Difficult?

When someone says that what they are dealing with

is difficult, I sometimes take a page out of the Zen

Master’s handbook and say, “I’ve never seen that.

Bring me some difficult so I can see it.”

Of course difficult does not exist in the circumstances

themselves – difficult exists only as an interpretation

constituted in language. The circumstances are

whatever they are – what we might call “what’s so”.

When you add the interpretation “difficult” that

becomes the context through which you attempt to

deal with what’s so.

Whales exist in a challenging environment, but I

doubt that for whales life ever occurs as “difficult”.



112

A Quote From Stanford University

Cognitive Scientist Lera Boroditsky

“It turns out that if you change how people talk, that

changes how they think. If people learn another

language, they inadvertently also learn a new way of

looking at the world. When bilingual people switch

from one language to another, they start thinking

differently, too.

“And if [in an experimental setting] you take away

[interrupt] people's ability to use language in what

should be a simple nonlinguistic task, their

performance can change dramatically, sometimes

making them look no smarter than rats or infants.(quote continues on next slide - emphasis added)



113

A Quote From Stanford University

Cognitive Scientist Lera Boroditsky

“All this new research shows us that the languageswe speak not only reflect or express our thoughts, butalso shape the very thoughts we wish to express.The structures that exist in our languages profoundlyshape how we construct reality [the way in whichwhat we are dealing with occurs for us]L

“Language is a uniquely human gift. When we studylanguage, we are uncovering in part what makes ushuman, getting a peek at the very nature of humannature. As we uncover how languages and theirspeakers differ from one another, we discover humannatures too can differ dramatically, depending on thelanguages we speak.” (Boroditsky, 2010 - emphasis added)



114

In Other Words, What Dr. Boroditsky Is Telling

Us Is Consistent With What We Have Said

Language has power!

Language (what you say and what you listen to)

impacts the way in which “the circumstances you are

dealing with” occur for you. And, your way of being

and acting is naturally correlated with the way “the

circumstances you are dealing with” occur for you.

This means that language (what you say and what

you listen to) gives you the power to shape and direct

your way of being and acting in life.

In short, what you say about life powerfully

determines your way of being and acting in life.



The Difference Between

The Facts And

Your Interpretations And Story

About The Facts


116

The Difference Between Facts And Story

You have no dominion over what is going on with you

internally, it just happens to you. On the other hand,

the one thing you have complete dominion over is

what you say and what you listen to. And, we just got

clear that what you choose to say and listen to

impacts what is going on with you internally and your

actions.

However, in what you choose to say and what you

choose to listen to, it is critical to be able to

distinguish between the facts of “the circumstances

you are dealing with” and any story about or

interpretation added to the facts of “the

circumstances you are dealing with”.

FACTS CONTRASTED WITH INTERPRETATIONS AND STORY


117

The Difference Between The Facts And

Your Interpretations And Story About The Facts

About the facts of “the circumstances you are dealingwith”, you have no choice. But most people confusetheir story about and interpretations added to thosefacts as facts themselves, which they most definitelyare not. When you treat your story about andinterpretations added to the facts of “thecircumstances you are dealing with” as though theywere a fact, you make of that story and thoseinterpretations something you have to deal with likethey were facts about which you have no choice.

In other words, you are no longer dealing with thefacts; you are now attempting to deal with those factsall tangled up with your interpretations and your story.



118

The Difference Between Facts And Story

While you do not have a choice about the facts of“the circumstances you are dealing with”, you dohave the power to distinguish between 1) the facts(what is actually so independent of language) and 2)any story or interpretation about those facts.

Such stories or interpretations are especiallypernicious when for you they occur as part of thefacts, and as a result have become a part of what youthink you have to deal with. If you are going to be amaster in life, it is critical to start distinguishingbetween the facts of “the circumstances you aredealing with” (what is actually so independent oflanguage) and any story or interpretation about thosefacts.



119



You must look honestly and critically at “the

circumstances you are dealing with” so that you are

able to separate for yourself what the facts actually

are regarding “the circumstances you are dealing

with” and what stories or interpretations have been

tangled up with those facts.

When you have done this, you can release yourself

from the disempowering grip of the story and

interpretations when treated as facts you have to

deal with by simply recognizing them as nothing

more than story or interpretation.



120



If any aspect of the story or interpretation empowersor enables you in dealing with the facts, as long asyou don’t confuse them as a fact, you can keep thatstory or interpretation present for yourself along withthe facts.

More importantly, when you have distinguished thefacts of “the circumstances you are dealing with” fromany story or interpretation about those facts, youhave the opportunity to use language to create acontext from which to view the facts in a way thatleaves you with power, freedom, full self-expression,and peace of mind in engaging with and taking on“the circumstances you are dealing with”.



The Way A Master Uses

The Power Of Language


122

The Way A Master Uses The Power Of Language

The access provided by language to one’s way of

being and acting is the third critical aspect of the

power of those who are masters in life.

First, masters distinguish between the facts of “the

circumstances they are dealing with” (what is so

independent of language) and any story or

interpretation added to those facts.

Then, they use language to create a context for “the

circumstances they are dealing with” so that “the

circumstances they are dealing with” occur for them

such that their naturally correlated way of being and

acting is one of power, freedom, full self-expression,

and peace of mind.

THE WAY A MASTER USES THE POWER OF LANGUAGE


123

Masters Use “Honest Thinking”

If this sounds anything like “positive thinking”, that is

not what we are speaking about. What a master

does is “honest thinking”, where without any story or

interpretation the facts of what is being dealt with

(what exists independent of language) are

confronted, thought about, and spoken of, as they

actually are.

However, for a master this is coupled with the use of

language to create a context (what exists only in

language) for those facts that allows the master to

see possibilities that empower and enable the master

in effectively dealing with those facts while

maintaining a high quality of life.

THE WAY A MASTER USES THE POWER OF LANGUAGE


Summary Of What We Have

Covered So Far


125

1. Mastery: A Unique “Conversational Domain”

The world of mastery is constituted by a unique

“conversational domain”.

This “conversational domain” is made up of


networked together in a specific way to form a


experiences (perceives), comprehends,

and interacts with life –

that is, with the world, others, and

himself or herself.

SUMMARY


126


That is what we have been doing tonight –

introducing specialized terms that we have been

networking together to form a unique conversational

domain – a conversational domain for being a master

in life.

Mastering a conversational domain opens up a world

for the person who masters that conversational

domain. For example, people who master the

specific conversational domain that constitutes

medicine, or plumbing, or physics, or management,

open up the world of medicine, or plumbing, or

physics, or management for themselves.

SUMMARY


127


The world that we opened up for you in this program

is the world of mastery in life.

Your mastering the Conversational Domain that we

presented tonight

makes it possible for you to be out in life,

“out here” where life actually happens,

and where you need to be

to be a master in life –

instead of having your attention on

and living your life like what is

important in life is what is going on

with you internally.

SUMMARY


128

4. The Source Of Your Way of Being And Acting

The source of your way of being and acting is that

your way of being and acting is naturally correlated

with the way in which “the circumstances you are

dealing with” occur for you.

And, the way in which “the circumstances you are

dealing with” occur for you is sometimes constituted

in language, and when it is not, it is at least colored

and shaped by language, and is in any case always

accessible through language.

In summary, the way “the circumstances you are

dealing with” occur for you is accessible through

language. Thus, language provides actionable

access to your way of being and acting.

SUMMARY


129

5. Masters Use Language

Through the use of language, a master shapes and

colors the way life occurs for (is experienced by) that

master.

Like all of us, a master’s way of being and acting is

naturally correlated with (is in-a-dance-with) the way

life occurs for (is experienced by) that master.

What makes a master a master is that a master uses

language to shape and color the way life occurs for

(is experienced by) the master so that his or her

naturally correlated way of being and acting results in

an extraordinary effectiveness in life, and a high

quality of life.

SUMMARY


130

You Can Be A Master Of LifeFortunately, language, with its power to shape andcolor the way we experience life (the way weexperience the world, others, and ourselves), isavailable to every one of us.

Of course, once one is dwelling in the conversationaldomain that opens up the possibility of mastery (thepossibility we have created together tonight), one hasto experiment with and practice using language toshape and color the way life occurs such that one’snaturally correlated way of being and acting results inbeing effective in life, and with a high quality of life.

If one lives from this possibility, and does experimentand practice, that is available to any of us. This iscalled achieving mastery through “live and learn”.

SUMMARY


131

A Caution

As we said, what we have discussed tonight is not

about “positive thinking” (what we might call “woo-woo”

thinking). That is, what we have discussed tonight is

not about glossing over, or attempting to see what you

are confronted with in life more positively than it

actually is (and by the way, equally “woo-woo”, not

more negatively than it actually is).

A master sees what he or she is confronted with as it

is, without embellishment one way or the other. What

makes a master a master is what we earlier termed

“honest thinking” coupled with a context the master

creates through language that allows the master to see

possibilities in whatever he or she is confronted with.

SUMMARY


132

A Caution

The other thing to watch out for is “fantasy thinking”

(more “woo-woo” thinking). Specifically “fantasy

thinking” is wanting (wishing for) something that has

no possible reality when looked at from the

perspective of being-in-the-world.

You don’t need to know how to get there, but “there”

has to be in the realm of the possible when looked at

from the perspective of being-in-the-world.

“Fantasy thinking” is illustrated by an old joke which

appears on the next slide.

SUMMARY


133

A Caution

Two brothers are confronted by a room full of horse

shit.

One brother walks away from the room to seek

something with more possibility for achievement.

The other brother gets into the room with a shovel

saying “with all this horse shit there must be a pony in

here someplace”.

Every once in a while, there is a pony buried in a

room full of horse shit, and if you like the odds, go for

it. But honest thinking about what you are confronted

with is likely to leave you with more possibility and

power.

SUMMARY


A Personal Experiment

To Reveal A Master’s

Source Of PowerA Note To Our Readers: In the public talks this

experiment was done as a real-time back and

forth interaction. What is on the coming slides

is designed to give readers an opportunity to

conduct this experiment on their own with no

such interaction. To be able to do the

experiment by reading it, you actually have to

be doing it to get anything out of it – not just

reading it and thinking about what you read.


135

A Personal Experiment – “Here” and “There”

If with my back to you I ask, “Where are you?”, you

are likely to say, “Here”. If you check this out in your

own experience, you will find that no matter where

you might be located in the world, where you are for

yourself is here.

Alternatively, if I am looking around for something,

say a book that is laying around someplace in the

room you and I are in, and I say, “Where is the

book?”, you are likely to point to where the book is

and say, “There”. In fact, if you check this out in your

own experience, you will find that no matter where

anything in the world other than you (including other

people) is located, where it will be for you is there.

A PERSONAL EXPERIMENT


136

No Beliefs Or Theories – Rather Confirm In Your

Own Experience Whatever Is Proposed

This whole experiment must be done rigorously, or as

is the case with any experiment it will lead to a false

conclusion.

That is, as we go along don’t believe anything said,

rather verify in your own experience anything

proposed or investigated before it is established for

you as being so.

When we say “verify in your own experience” we

mean as you experience life as life is lived, not some

thought or belief you have about the world, others, or

yourself. You don’t verify the way life is by looking in

your head, life doesn’t happen in your head.



137

No Beliefs Or Theories – Rather Confirm In Your

Own Experience Whatever Is Proposed

Next we will give you an opportunity to check out in

your own experience where you (what you are

referring to when you say “I” or “me”) are located for

you, and where everything else in the universe

(including other people) is located for you.



138

Confirm In Your Own Experience That Where You

Are Is “Here”, And Everything Else Is “There”

While that you are located “here” and everything elseis located “there” may at first seem trivial, I proposethat later in this experiment you will see that thisfundamental assumption about “here” and “there”shapes and colors the way in which you experienceyou and everything-not-you.

Right now, take the time to check out in your ownexperience if it is a fact for you that where you (whatyou refer to when you say “I” or “me”) exist is “here”,and where everything else exists is “there”.Remember that what we mean by check out in yourown experience is not what you think or believe, butthe way in which you experience life as life is lived.



139



The one thing you have to watch out for in

conducting this experiment is when you treat yourself

as though you were two people – namely, a “you” in

the present that is referring to a “you” that existed in

the past or will exist in the future.

On the next slide, we will give you an example.



140



For example, in response to someone’s question you

might reply “I’ve been there” or “I will be there”

(referring to a location where you were in the past or

will be in the future). In either case, the “you” who is

speaking in the present is for you here and the “you”

that you are imagining in the past or the future,

because this is not “you” but a recalled or imagined

“you”, was or will be there.

When you were there in the past it was here for you,

and when you get there in the future it will be here for

you. The real you is always here.

Before going on, confirm this for yourself.



141



The other thing you have to watch out for in

conducting this experiment is when you treat

something not you (let’s call it “X”) as being “here” –

that is, located where you are.

In such a case, you might point to something that is

close to you (“X”), and say, “X is over here.”

However, if that something (“X”) is not for you “here”

where you are, you are likely to point to that

something and say, “X is there.”

The point is, that we sometimes treat things that are

close to us as being “here” where we are, that is here

with us.



142



After seeing that the apparent anomalies that we just

explained ultimately wind up with you “here” and

everything not you “there”,

if you check it out in your own experience,

you will find that for you

what you are referring to when you say “I” or

“me” is always located “here”,

and everything not you is for you always

located “there”.



143

The Second Step In This Personal Experiment

Now that we have established and you have

confirmed in your own experience that you (what you

refer to when you say “I” or “me”) exist here, and

everything else exists there, we can go on to the next

step in this experiment.

Please pick an object that you can see right now, or

even better a person. (For the balance of this

experiment we will refer to the object or person you

are seeing as “X”.)

I know that it seems obvious that if you see X you

experience seeing X; but humor me, and now please

do confirm for yourself that you do experience

seeing X, and that X is not here for you, it is there.



144

The Third Step In This Personal Experiment

O.K., so far we have established that you (what you

refer to when you say “I” or “me”) are here, and that X

is there, and that you do experience seeing X.

The third step in this experiment is to establish where

your seeing X is happening. Please answer the

question, “Where is seeing X happening?”, and

respond by pointing to where your experience of

seeing X is happening.

You verified that you do see X, but where is seeing X

happening for you? Like many people, you might

point to your eyes. And, if I asked you if you mean

that your experience of seeing X was happening for

you in your eyes, you would say, “Yes”.



145


But if you seeing X were happening in your eyes, Xwould be about 2.5 centimeters high and wide (thesize of your retina), and X would be upside down(because the lenses of your eyes invert the light rayscoming into your eyes), and X would appear curvedwith no depth (because your retinas are two-dimensional curved surfaces). In any case, if we couldexamine the pattern of activated rods and cones onyour retinas, it would look nothing like what you areseeing. There is no little X located in your eyes.

Moreover, if seeing X were happening in your eyes,since you have two eyes, you would see two X’s about7 centimeters apart. Do you experience a little X inyour eyes? No doubt the answer is “No”.



146


Considering this, and after you have had the

opportunity to confirm for yourself that your

experience of seeing X is not located for you in your

eyes, I now ask you the same question again.

Please answer the question, “Where is seeing X

happening?”, and respond by pointing to where your

experience of seeing X is happening for you.

Like many people do, you might now point to your

head. And, if I asked you if you mean that your

experience of seeing X is happening for you in your

brain, you would say, “Yes”.



147


But if your experience of seeing X were happening inyour brain, X would appear to you bounded by thesize of the average human brain: 10 by 14 by 7centimeters. Moreover, the network of activatedpatterns of neurons in your brain (as seen in fMRIstudies) that gives rise to your experience of seeingX looks nothing like X. (In fact, if there was a hole inyour skull, and a pencil was pushed through yourbrain, you would have no experience of that.)

More pointedly, if you actually look at yourexperience of seeing X, it will be absolutely clear foryou that you have no experience up in your head ofa smaller version of the real X that is located outthere. You don’t experience seeing X in your brain.



148

There Is A Difference Between

An Explanation And What It Explains

This is not an argument against the fact that yourexperience of seeing X is caused by a network ofactivated patterns of neurons in your brain promptedby photons of light activating rods and cones on theretinas of your eyes. Of course it is. By the sametoken, your experience of seeing X is not happeningfor you in your eyes or in your brain. In thisexperiment we are not looking for some mechanistic(naturalistic) explanation of your experience of seeingX, no matter how valid.

What we are asking about is the way you actuallyexperience life. In short, we are examining life aslife is actually lived.



149

The First Critical Point

To Be Gained From This Experiment

What we have opened up so far in this experiment isan opportunity to get clear that most of us are notclear where our experience of the world, of others,and of ourselves in the world is actually happening.

In other words, we often encounter life through sometheory or belief, rather than encountering life as it isactually lived. As a result, we attempt tocomprehend (make sense of) life as it isencountered through these theories or beliefs, ratherthan comprehending life as it is actually lived. And asa consequence, we interact with life (the world,others, and ourselves) from these theories or beliefs,rather than interacting with life itself.



150

The First Critical Point

To Be Gained From This Experiment

A master encounters life as it is lived, and as a

consequence deals with life as it is lived, rather than

dealing with life through the filter of some theory or

belief.

It is not that a master has no theories or beliefs,

rather a master holds his or her theories, beliefs,

knowledge, and memories, above himself or herself

so to speak, so that they don’t act as a filter, but

illuminate what is encountered. (Philosophers call

this “bracketing”.)

As we go on through this experiment, you will see for

yourself the power of encountering life as it is lived.



151

Completing The Third Step

In This Personal Experiment

This time when I ask you to point to where your

experience of seeing X is actually happening, don’t

go “into your head” to figure out the answer. Rather,

do no more than just experience seeing X, and

before you have the chance to get stuck in what you

believe, point to the location where your experience

of seeing X is actually happening. Try this out right

now!

I suggest that if you put aside what you think you

already know about seeing, and just be with your

experience of seeing X, you will point to what you

called “there” – where X is!



152

Completing The Third Step

Of course, until you get in touch with the actualexperience for yourself, this is just another theory –but it is no theory when you get in touch with theactual experience for yourself.

In actual practice, with some people it takes a fewmore trials, but so far with more than 3,500 people inlive interactions, given enough trials, each ultimatelyresponds, often with a look of incredulity, by pointingout-there, where their experience of seeing X isactually happening for them.

Surprisingly, as life is actually lived, where seeing theworld and others actually happens for us is wherewhat you call “out-there”, and not where what you call“in-here” (where you have said that you are located).



153

What We Have Discovered

In This Experiment So Far

1. There is a difference between life encountered

through some theory or belief as contrasted with life

encountered as life is actually lived.

While we often encounter and comprehend life

through some theory or belief, it is possible for us to

encounter and comprehend life as it is actually lived.

And as a consequence, it is possible for us to interact

with life (the world, others, and ourselves) as life is

actually lived, rather than as life is interacted with

when encountered through some theory or belief.



154

What We Have Discovered

In This Experiment So Far2. Our experience of seeing the world and othersactually happens for us what you have called “outthere”, not as you might have believed “in here”.

In fact, as lived, no matter with which of our senseswe perceive the world or others, our experience ofwhat we perceive happens out there. For example, ifyou touch something, while you will feel your fingertipbeing pressed on, you will notice that yourexperience of what you touched is out there, not in-here inside your finger. Right now, try this out foryourself.

As you have now verified for yourself, you seeing X,and you feeling what you touch, happens out there.



155

But We Have A Problem!At the beginning of this experiment you said thatwhere you are located is what you called “here”. And,you said that X is located what you called “there”.

Yet, later in the experiment, you verified for yourselfthat where you seeing X actually happens is what youcalled “there”, not “here” where you said you were.

But if you are in “here” and not out “there”,and yet where you seeing X happens is out “there”

(where you have said you are not),you have a big problem.

In short, this would mean that your experiencehappens somewhere other than where you are.Obviously, that just cannot be true.



156

But We Have A Problem!If you were actually located here, how is it possible foryou to be there – where you seeing X actuallyhappens for you?

Or asked in another way, if you are located what youcall “here” and not “there”, how is it possible for you tobe out there where you seeing X is happening?

Clearly, there is something puzzling going on here.



157

Are You The Thing You Take Yourself To Be?

When life is examined as life is actually lived, the

interpretation (belief or theory) that “you are here and

not there where X is” (and by the way where life

actually happens) shows up as a problem.

You will remember that earlier tonight we asked you

to consider that you may not be who you take yourself

to be. Maybe, you are not some object (albeit with

special properties) that like all other objects has a

location, either here or there.

While there is certainly something located here,

maybe it is not “you”. Maybe the only thing “here” for

you is that thing you are referring to when you say “I”

or “me”, and maybe that is not who you are, really.



158

Who Is It That Has Your Experience Of You?

Who is it that experiences what you are referring towhen you say “I” or “me”?

Perhaps the “who” that experiences what you arereferring to when you say “I” or “me” is who you are,really.

In fact, the you that you refer to when you say “I” or“me” is nothing more than one of the things that showsup for you in the “who” you are really.

Maybe who you really are is not some object located“here”.

By the way, the object or person you were looking at inthe beginning of this experiment (X) was also one ofthe things that showed up in the “who” you are really.



159

The Resolution To The Puzzle!

Maybe who you are really is the “clearing” (the

space) in which X, and by the way all of the rest of

life, shows up – including that thing you call “I” or

“me”.

You do show up for yourself, don’t you?

You will undoubtedly confirm in your own experience

that you – the you that you are referring to when you

say “I” or “me” – does show up for you. This is

commonly called “self awareness”.

In any case, what you are referring to when you say

“I” or “me” does show up for you, with all the rest of

life, in the clearing for life that you are.



160

Out-Here

Maybe who you are is not located “in here” with lifelocated “out there”. Rather, as life is actually lived,who you are is located where what a master calls“out-here” – out where life (the world, others, andwho you are referring to when you say “I” or “me”)actually happens for you.

This is where a master lives: out-here, living wherelife actually happens.

As lived, you are the clearing in which the world,others, and the you that you refer to when you say “I”or “me”, show up for you. And to bring us back towhere we started in this presentation, your actions inthat clearing are correlated with the way in whichwhat is in the clearing occurs for you.



161

Your Brain And You

This is consistent with the way our brain functions. At

the highest level of functionality the brain generates a

world (past, present, and future), and functions in that

world to survive and adapt in that world. Or more

precisely, at the highest level of functionality the brain

generates a world constituted as networks of

activated neural patterns of perception and functions

in that world as networks of activated neural patterns

of action.

But you are not your brain. Life as lived is not

networks of activated patterns of neurons. Life as

lived happens out-here. And that is where masters of

life live – out-here.



162

You Have A Choice

You can, as most people do, automatically (that is,

without examination) take yourself to be and live as

though you are located in-here, with all else in life

located out there. However, maybe Socrates was

right when he said, “The un-examined life is not

worth living.”

Alternatively, with your experience of realizing

(examining) that you actually perceive the world,

others, and what you refer to as “I” or “me”, not in-

here, but out-there (as you first called it), you are

not stuck in here – you have a choice.



163

The Choice

You can go on choosing to take yourself to be and

experience living “in-here”, with life out-there.

Or, based on your experience (examination) of where

life actually shows up for you, you can take yourself

to be and experience living out-here where life

actually happens.



164

Taking A Stand On Who You Are: A Clearing

You – the one for whom life shows up “out-here” –

are not located either “here” or “there”.

You, the one for whom life shows up out-here, are a

clearing – the clearing in which life shows up. That

is, you are the clearing in which the world, others,

and what you refer to when you say “I” or “me” show

up. As Martin Heidegger, arguably one of the two

greatest philosophers of the twentieth century, put it:

being for a human being is being-in-the-world.(Heidegger, 1927)

By taking a stand on yourself as out-here, you will

actually experience yourself being out-here, and

interacting with life where life actually happens.



165

Taking A Stand On Who You Are: A Clearing

That is the stand that a master takes on himself or

herself, and that is what allows an ordinary person to

function as a master.

It is from this stand that a master encounters life. It is

from this stand that a master experiences,

comprehends, and understands life. It is from this

stand that a master interacts with life. And that is

what makes a master a master.



166

The Truth

Which is true, I am in-here or I am out-here? Neitheris true as a matter of fact.

It is a fact that most people live the unexaminedassumption that where they are located is in-herewith everything else located out-there. However, it isalso a fact that given a chance to get beyond theirassumption and get in touch with their actualexperience, they will find that their perception of theworld, others, and what they refer to when they say“I” or “me” is actually happening for them out-there –where they said they are not. That is, as lived, lifeshows up in the clearing that one is – out-here.

But to say that either “in-here” or “out-here” is thetruth is not true. Neither is to be believed.



167

A Declaration:

The Stand You Take On Yourself

That you are located in-here with life out there, or

that you are located out-here where life actually

happens, is not something one gets right.

While for most people “I am in-here” is at first nothing

more than an unexamined assumption, in the face of

the facts, one must choose. And, what one chooses

is nothing more than, but also nothing less than, a

declaration – a stand one takes on oneself.

Whichever choice – declaration, the stand you take

on yourself – it will determine the way you encounter

and comprehend (make sense of) life, and as a

consequence the way you interact with life.



168

In Summary

We are not arguing that one of these (being in-here

or out-here) is right and the other wrong. Rather we

are saying that you have a choice.

People who practice being aware of where their

experience of objects and situations in the world, and

of other people in the world, is actually happening,

report a breakthrough in their effectiveness in dealing

with the world and with others.

In addition, the access one has to “I” or “me” is

greater when your relation to “I” and “me” is that “I”

and “me” show up in the clearing you are. This

allows you a certain detachment from your automatic

way of being that leaves you free to be.



169

Try It Out And See What Happens

Is this just an attempt at some clever arcane

philosophical argument, or does it actually result in

raising your level of effectiveness and your quality of

life to that of a master in life?

You won’t know until you experiment with it and see

what happens for you.

We are all on automatic in our belief that we are in-

here, so for a while you must stop from time to time

throughout the day and actually get yourself in touch

with your experience that what you are encountering

in that moment is experienced by you out-here. It is

especially important to do this when what you are

encountering is another person.



170


If for the next few months a few times each day

you actually practice noticing where your

experience of perceiving life really happens,

you will train yourself to be out here.

You will notice that your experience of seeing does

not happen in your eyes or brain, and that what you

hear doesn’t happen in your ears, and that what you

feel doesn’t happen in your fingers.

Your experience of what you see, and what you hear,

and what you feel, will all be out here. So you (the

one seeing, hearing, and feeling) must be out here.

SUMMARY


171


With practice you will find yourself actually starting to

live out here where life actually happens.

When you are practicing being out here, what is

going on with you internally will stop being who you

are for yourself. As a result you will have much less

attention on, and be much less bothered by, what is

going on with you internally. And, you (the you that

you refer to when you say “I” or “me”) will simply be

one of the things that shows up for you in the

clearing for life that you actually are.

SUMMARY


172


This will assist you in getting clear that you are not

what is going on with you internally (your Way of

Being), and support you in not treating what is going

on with you internally (your Way of Being) like it is

more important than life. Your Way of Being will just

be what is going on with you internally. So What!

As a result of practicing being out here, you will start

being more effective in life, and start experiencing a

higher quality of life. You will discover that you have

more power than the person you have known

yourself to be.

Who you actually are is: Out Here!

SUMMARY


173


As you do this practice, it will become evident thatwho you are is the clearing in which life shows up.

And, if you do this practice from time to timethroughout the day, after a while – for some within aweek and for others within a month or two – you willfind yourself naturally being out-here in life.

You will find yourself with the world, others, and whatyou call “I” or “me” occurring for you as they are,without your knowledge or previous experiencefiltering what you encounter. Instead, you will findthat your knowledge and previous experience so tospeak illuminate what you encounter.

This is mastery.



174

Appendix A

“Action representations can be viewed as a

component of a predictive system that includes a

neural process, which simulates through motor

imagery the dynamic behavior of the body in relation

to the environment (Grush, 2004; Jordan, 1995;

Wolpert et al., 1995). This view suggests that the

presentation of a visual stimulus [the occurring] may

evoke automatically a potential motor action L

(Jeannerod, 2003)” (Delevoye-Turrell et al. 2010, p.224)

RESEARCH ON THE SOURCE OF YOUR WAY OF BEING AND ACTING


175

“The data presented in this chapter underline the importance ofprocessing visual information [the occurring] in relation to one'saction possibilities L It is in fact essential to recognize that thepossibilities of action subtend the perceptual process of thebasic organization of the external world. This is similar to thesense of spatiality developed in phenomenological philosophyby authors like Heidegger, Husserl, or even Merleau-Ponty whosuggested that 'locations within space are not to be defined asobjective positions in relation to the objective position of ourbody; rather, they inscribe around us the variable reach of ourintentions or of our movements' (Merleau-Ponty, 1945). L Inline with this perspective, we have provided in the presentchapter arguments suggesting that motor representations maybe viewed as a component of a predictive system that includesa neural process which simulates through motor imagery thedynamic behaviour of the body in relation to its environment.”(Delevoye-Turrell et al. 2010, p.236)


Appendix A (Cont’d)


176

“Since Berkeley's famous essay on vision, theorists of perceptionhave defended the idea that the experience of spatiality proceeds

from an interpretation of sensory information through reference tothe possibilities of action (Berkeley, 1709[1985]). ... Accordingto [Merleau-Ponty (1945)], locations within space are not to be

defined as objective positions in relation to the objective positionof our body; rather they inscribe around us the variety of reaches

that our limbs can produce. Space is thus not uniform butdepends on our past experiences about opportunities, effects

and costs of acting in a given environment, with our own bodyparts (Previc, 1998; Proffitt 2006b). L It is also necessary toconsider that possibilities of action may subtend the process of

constitution of the perceived external environment. Indeed, in asocial context, it seems necessary to define those spatial areas

that surround our body according to the specific possibilities offunctional interactions with objects and/or individuals within theseareas.” (Delevoye-Turrell et al. 2010, p.218)




177

“To help bring the claims of the actionist [one who holds theposition that “L perceptual consciousness depends constitutivelyon perceivers’ practical grasp of the significance of movementand action for perceptual experience” (Noë 2010, p.245)],sensorimotor view, into focus, and to get a feel for its significanceand reach, let’s consider a well-known but poorly understoodphenomenon: the effects of inverting or reversing goggles. LIndividuals who wear the lenses for lengthy periods of time, andwho are made to engage dynamically with the environmentaround them as they do so, eventually recover normal perceptualexperience (Kohler, 1951; Taylor, 1962). Such individualsexperience the position and layout of things as they are, eventhough they continue to wear the reversing goggles, and Lcontinue to receive inverted patterns of stimulation. Once again,how things look depends less on the discrete, individual, intrinsiccharacter of stimulation, than it does on the way that stimulationis governed by patterns of sensorimotor contingency.” (Noë 2010,

p.246 - emphasis added)




178

“According to the sensorimotor or, as I shall call it,

actionist approach, perceiving is an activity of

exploring the environment making use of this kind of

knowledge of the sensory effects of movement.”(Noë 2010, p.245)

“L seeing is an exploratory activity mediated by the

mastery of the sensorimotor contingencies.” (Noë and

O’Regan 2002, p.567)

“conscious visual experience presents the world to

the subject in a richly textured way ... [which is]

especially apt for, and typically utilized in, the control

and guidance of fine-tuned, real world activity

[action].” (Clark 2001, p.496 )




179

“L having a perspective means that what you

experience and perceive depends systematically on

what you do, as well as vice versa.” (Hurley 1998, p.86)

“His [man's] perception is dynamic because it is

related to action - what can be done in a given space

...” (Hall 1966, p.115)

“Integration of Perceiving and Moving and Higher

Order Serial Organizations Is Dialectic – Coherent

Subprocesses Arise Together – Not Via Linear

Causality or Parallelism: Perceiving, thinking, and

moving always occur together, as coherent

coordinations of activity (Dewey, 1896/1981a).”(Clancey 1993, p.91)




180

“These global patterns of neural activity ‘are at alltimes locked into both sensory and motor patterns ofinput and output.’ These findings are interpreted tocut against computational accounts of olfaction asrequiring decompositional structure and context-independent symbols (Skarda and Freeman 1987,pp. 172-73, 184, etc.; Freeman 1991, pp. 36-37, 41,etc.).

“In sum, neurophysiological evidence at both thesingle-cell and cell population levels suggest sharedcoding for perception and action: that the contents ofboth perceptions and intentions can depend onneural processes that blend sensory and motorfeatures.” (Hurley 1998, p.415)




181

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REFERENCESHurley, Susan. 1998. Consciousness in Action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press.

Libet, Benjamin. 1993. Neurophysiology of Consciousness: Selected Papers and New Essays. Boston MA: Birkhauser

Noë, Alva. 2010. Vision Without Representation. In Perception, Action, and Consciousness: Sensorimotor Dynamics and Two Visual Systems, eds. Gangopadhyay, Nivedita, Michael Madary, and Finn Spicer, 245-256. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Noë, Alva, and J.K O’Regan. 2002. On the Brain Basis of Perceptual Consciousness. In Vision and Mind: Selective Readings in the Philosophy of Perception, eds. Noë, Alva, and E. Thompson, 567-98. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

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Wolpert, Daniel M. 2009. Fred Kavli Distinguished International Scientist Lecture at the Society for Neuroscience meeting: Neuroscience 2009, as quoted in the Kavli Foundation Newsletter, http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/smart-moves-daniel-wolpert-motor-control-and-brain, accessed on 28 December 2010.

REFERENCES

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