The View From Above Exercise~
Anyone who reads the Stoics will notice a recurring theme that involves contemplating the vastness of the universe, of space and time, the multitude of stars, and also the smallness of life on Earth when viewed from above. This exercise consists in looking at things with detachment, distance, and objectivity, as if you were seeing the earth from space, or from the moon.
Marcus Aurelius wrote:
~ Seneca.
My Personal Story
I remember this one time about 2 years ago, It was when I first moved to Victoria for the second time and i was living in a "frat house". It was a beautiful sunny summer day in our backyard there were about 8 to 10 people mid afternoon. It was quite a large yard, we had a slack-line, a BBQ and a full keg. Everyone was doing there own thing. Three guys were slack-lining trying to balance and hop around on upping one each other. A couple of guys sitting around the keg having a drink and shooting the breeze. A pair of girl off in the corner of the yard in a patch of daisy's smoking some grass. Someone tending the BBQ. I was alone sitting in the grass with a guitar just observing, watching all of this life happen around me. I was detached from myself in such a way that I was equally a part of everyone and their immediate happenings. I was overhead watching from above and simultaneously experiencing every human aspect of this moment. I have always referred to this as my personal "golden moment". Everything seemed to glow at this light that harmonized with everything. I could see the substance connecting all of us together. There have been a few times where I have reflected back to this moment and I have almost had a few similar experiences, but never anything quite on the same level and clarity. It was the most blissful and integrated moment of my life. Nothing was revealed to me and no "enlightenment" occurred. It was a detachment from my own self that allowed me to be more present with myself and all the people around me. From this above perspective there was no judgement desire, or need to belong or do any certain thing. I was just bathed in sunlight and could view everything it illuminated in that backyard. Not entirely sure if this is what the stoics were getting at, but I have always tried to see the world from this holistic view and sometime come close to have the same eye.
Thanks For Reading, More Philosophy and Stoicism to come!