Meditation: A Way To Be Present In Reality

Teairrah Green, Contributing Writer

Sometimes in class, the professor’s words seem to be background noise to my internal thoughts. When this happens, I tend to zone in and out of conversations. I pay more attention to small details and my unconscious thoughts.   

Daydreaming, zoning out or dissociation are all words to describe feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you. When I fail to take time to re-adjust my mind to focus on myself and my surroundings, I am more likely to dissociate from my reality. 

As our mind is overworked with processing thoughts, our body is overwhelmed with physical labor. This creates a disconnect between the mind and body. 

Meditation and mindfulness are necessary to recalibrate the mind to focus on ourselves and the world around us. These practices allow us to be intentionally present in our bodies. We spend a lot of time unaware of how we feel emotionally and physically. 

It gives us the necessary time to check on ourselves and be aware of the world outside our bodies; we can go outside of singular thoughts and be more connected to reality.

I find the concept of reality intriguing. Reality is what we perceive to be occurring in the world. If I dissociate from myself, what I believe to be reality is transformed and altered. The altered reality consists of new perceptions of the world and unconscious thoughts.  

Altered reality is an altercation of the way we would normally perceive the world. 

Altered reality is not fake, but instead a transformation of reality currently present. 

For example, if I am very sleep deprived, the way I navigate and see the world transforms. In history class, I am normally listening to the professor and viewing the powerpoint slides. When I am sleep deprived, I zone in and out of the lecture and focus on unconscious thoughts. 

Sometimes, I will be hyper aware of loud noises and movements. In both scenarios, I am completing the same task. However, due to my state of mind, my perception of the lecture is altered.  

When a person is daydreaming in class, they are physically present in the class. However, their mind wanders to a daydream, like making dinner — they are physically present, but mentally in the kitchen cooking hamburger patties. Their altered reality presented is a history lecture where they are thinking of hamburgers.  

Meditation is about learning how to be present and intentional in actions. It creates a way for us to guide our mind back to our body. 

Feeling connected to my body and mind is a surreal experience that constantly occurs in my daily life. Taking the time to redirect the way I perceive the world alters my outlook on reality. 

Even if meditation does not work for you, I would suggest taking time to evaluate your body and mind in a quiet space. 

Our mind can change how we live and perceive reality. Being mindful sharpens our attention while keeping us grounded. It can improve our mood, well being and increase positive emotions. Meditation grounds me to my current state of reality, so I am less likely to feel dissociated. 

It encourages me to be present in the world.