The Primary World

Our perception of reality or our Primary World is the sum of our physiological and psychological filters developed consciously and unconsciously since the moment of our existence.

Because we live in this Primary World, making our decisions and categorising our experience, it is safe to assume that the richer or more developed our Primary World is, the more effective we can be in managing and interacting with the actuality of the real world. If our Primary World is a dark and unsafe place, then the real world will reflect this. Ultimately then our ability to operate, through our actions and reactions in the real world is entirely based on the internal representation of our Primary World.

The boundaries of what we are aware of in the real world are constrained by the attention filters, set up in our Primary World. It is only when we expand our awareness outside of our current scope that we become aware of what is outside. I am sure you have all heard comments like:

• “Looking back now, it was so obvious!”
• “If only I’d seen that then.”
• “It was like I was wearing blinkers.”
• “It was always there in his voice, I just never heard it until now.”

;#; Figure 1 ;#;

This experience is akin to having tunnel vision, where we become so focussed on particular aspects of a situation, we negate / do not even acknowledge other options and choices.

We are held within this Primary World, as a direct observer on the Primary and real worlds, this is who we are and what we know in the here and now.