Snapshots

Pictured; What do you see?

For the past 20 years, I’ve been laboring on a project that few would spend time doing. I’ve been learning how to turn down the area of my brain that controls discernment. Yes, working at not seeing more than I have to see. Please hang in there. I’m not kidding.

Why would anyone do such a thing? Why do I find it important to filter out and cancel out some information; information not intended for me anyway? Because, that s**t gets old. And, like I said. It’s not for me. Odds are it’s not for you either.

Some people invest their time and energy simply to send a message. Not a text or email message, but a message of symbolism. Who would invest their valuable time doing such a thing? Well, possibly a creative individual or someone of great importance. Or, more often than naught, just a random member of a fruity little club.

There are stipulations to dialing down discernment. I can’t shut it all off. My triggers don’t go away completely. No matter how much I’d like to be able to ignore . . . well . . . a lot goofy, unnecessary horses**t. There are some people and some things I will always see. Feelings I will always feel.

Years ago, I spent some time looking for answers to my condition. A better explanation than what my late mother told me. Why do I see what I see? Possibilities such as Pareidolia: a psychological phenomenon that causes individuals to see patterns in a random stimulus. You’ve probably heard of the faces in tortillas. After ruling out some minor mental issues, I moved on to the scary s**t like schizophrenia. Fortunately, I don’t have any of the symptoms. At the end of the day, I’m highly grounded and rooted in reality. So much so that I certainly frustrate others at times. I’m usually the first to demand the debunking of anything and everything. That’s right, please don’t point a finger and label something as paranormal, demonic, alien, or government cover-up unless prepared to support such a claim with some form of evidence. This seems fair to me, especially since these things do happen from time to time.

Throughout the course of my life, my senses have saved my life more times than I can remember. It’s not a stretch to say I’ve lost track of how many times I may have died if not for my senses. Why would anyone be in such situations? I’ve asked myself the same question. These days, I’m working to avoid such dangers.

Joseph Shanklin

May 13, 2022