Observing Without Judgement Level 4

Now let’s try to sharpen our powers of observation by using our noses. Find a group of friends, and form a circle, and if you are able use blindfolds and earplugs to minimize input from your senses.  This way we can focus on one input source to your brain.  You can select several different things to use for odor. You can use different cheeses, garlic, salsa, hot sauce, or anything with a strong odor.  You can also use essential oils or perfumes. If you will use perfume, spray a little on a toothpick so that it can be easily passed around, and not overwhelm anyone.  Check to make sure that no one has allergies to specific things. If they do, you need to ensure they do not use them for this exercise.  You can always use incense. It is best to use three or four different odors.  If you are an expert at this, you may want to use odors that are repugnant to you.  Only do this if you are a Zen Master.  

Take each odor and pass it around the circle.  Do your best to not make any judgements or decisions of this odor.  This is very difficult as there is no other input as to what this odor is, so the Lizard Brain will panic, and try to make a decision. Merely observe the odor, and you can record in your memory the sensation that you felt, but no judgment or emotions should be applied to this odor.   Do this for five or ten minutes.  

Once you have done this the group can take off their blindfolds and earplugs, and visit and gossip about anything but the odors. The odors should not be discussed.  

Now after about fifteen minutes each person should pull out a small notebook or journal, and write down any understanding of these odors.  Once you have written several paragraphs, if you wish you can share these with the group.  There should be no judgment, funny, or stupid, that’s insane when each person is sharing.  Once each person has shared their understanding that they came to about with these odors, take a break for about fifteen or twenty minutes, and do some yoga poses.  

Now you can take your journal and write down any judgments that need to be made about these odors.  You may find that there is very little to judge.  The majority of the time, no judgments need to be made. It is just what is.  This will help you to eliminate the need for constant judgment throughout the day. Every day we have a multitude of judgements from a variety of different things that we feel that we have to make.  We don’t need to be making these judgments.  

Everything around us rocks, dirt, water, insects, plants, and buildings are sending information to our brains every second of our lives. All of these things need to be observed and you need or need not be bothered by them.  Even distant stars and planets and solar systems are sending information to us, telling us about things about them, how far they are, what they are made of, what they are, and what they are turning into.  This is why scientists can use a spectrum analyzer to identify elements in stars that are billions of light years away. Even a rock next to you that is sending out these same photons and magnetic fields that are giving you a clue to what this object is.  Even in a dense metal, all of the atoms are communicating to each other, reminding themselves what they are.  They have found that they can get gold smaller than four atoms thick, it forgets what it is and starts to act like hydrogen acting lighter than air. All of this information coming into us from different sources will tend to define who we are.  We are influenced by those around us. 

Observation will help us to filter this influence coming in from our world and our tribe.  By learning to Observe Without Judgement, it will allow us to contemplate and understand what this information means.  It will also allow us to finally make a correct judgment on what information we would like to have influenced us and which information we would like to reject.  You may find the same thing happening on a social media site.  If you quickly jump on the bandwagon or reject a thought or idea, this can lessen your power.  Let's keep on increasing our powers of observation without judgment so that we can become more wise and compassionate.  

You are great and wonderful.