Power and Perception
An Inquiry
Power feeds on perception. Our collective perception co-creates our present
experience – we hand the power over to what we keep saying is true. As long as we
perceive ourselves as powerless victims of the forces around us, we will continue to
give our power away. I believe this era of uncertainty and change is part of a
greater shift in human consciousness that is influencing my perception of what I
am in relation to others. I believe that we are intimately connected, interdependent,
living parts of a living, thriving whole. The critical shift we are facing today will
ultimately come from a shift in our perception, when we consciously choose to
interact with each other out of a vision of our unity with all that is.
Blog Post, Laura Esculcas, November 15, 2011
I’m surprised at how these words, written nearly 14 years ago, are perhaps more meaningful now than then. Re-reading this, I notice how much I didn’t say. There’s a lot packed into each sentence!
So, I decided to try a little AI experiment. I fed these words into ChatGPT, asking: What is your analysis of this? Can you break it into key points and what each key point means. Below is the response. I’ll leave it to you to ponder and I invite your reflections:
Which Key Point most resonates with you?
Which one misses the mark?
Which one is most relevant to where you are right now in your life?
I look forward to your reflections!
In ChatGPT’s words: This passage is rich and layered — it explores how perception shapes reality, power, and human consciousness. Here’s a breakdown of its key points and what each one means:
1. Power feeds on perception.
Meaning:
Power doesn’t exist in isolation — it’s sustained by what people collectively believe and perceive to be true. In other words, systems of power (political, social, spiritual, etc.) draw strength from our shared agreement about their legitimacy or inevitability.
In essence: Power = belief + perception.
2. Our collective perception co-creates our present experience.
Meaning:
Reality isn’t only an external condition; it’s also shaped by shared consciousness. What we, as a collective, believe, focus on, and reinforce through our thoughts, language, and media becomes the dominant reality we live in.
In essence: What we agree to perceive becomes what we live.
3. We hand power over to what we keep saying is true.
Meaning:
Repetition and language reinforce reality. When we continually affirm certain narratives — especially limiting or fear-based ones — we strengthen them. For example, saying “the world is falling apart” gives that idea more energy and influence over how we experience life.
In essence: Words and beliefs act as energy investments; where we focus attention, we empower.
4. As long as we perceive ourselves as powerless victims, we will continue to give our power away.
Meaning:
Victim consciousness sustains the systems or situations that disempower us. Seeing ourselves as powerless stops us from acting, creating, or transforming. It’s a feedback loop: the more we feel powerless, the more powerless we become.
In essence: Empowerment begins with perception, not circumstance.
5. This era of uncertainty and change is part of a greater shift in human consciousness.
Meaning:
The instability of our times isn’t random; it’s part of a collective awakening or evolution. Humanity is moving from an old paradigm (separation, control, fear) toward a new one (connection, collaboration, awareness).
In essence: Crisis is a catalyst for transformation.
6. This shift is influencing how I perceive my relationship to others.
Meaning:
The author recognizes that personal awareness mirrors collective transformation. As consciousness evolves, individuals begin to see themselves as interconnected rather than isolated.
In essence: Inner change and outer change reflect one another.
7. We are interdependent living parts of a thriving whole.
Meaning:
This expresses a worldview of unity consciousness — the idea that all beings are part of one living system (the Earth, the cosmos, or consciousness itself). Recognizing this interdependence changes how we relate, act, and make decisions.
In essence: Wholeness over separateness; cooperation over competition.
8. The critical shift comes when we consciously choose to interact from our awareness of unity.
Meaning:
True transformation happens not just through belief, but through embodied action — relating, speaking, and living from the understanding that we are all one. This is where perception becomes power again — but a shared, co-creative kind.
In essence: Awareness of unity → new behavior → new reality.
Overall Message
The passage is a call to awaken collective responsibility:
Power isn’t something others hold over us — it’s something we continually generate through perception.
Reality is participatory; we co-create it through our beliefs and relationships.
Transformation begins within — when we shift from separation to unity, we realign the world around us.
I try to think simply. With less words. And words matter. Thoughts matter. What we say, how we say it and what we give our power to - is what we perpetuate. I also think we are interdependent. I heard recently about Palm Trees and how they not only bend (but don’t break) in hurricanes. They also are intricately intertwined with other Palm trees underneath- and that’s what allows them to stand and withstand storms. I’d like to think of people in the same way. The more interconnected and entwined we are, the greater the collective “we” can withstand the winds, shifts and storms.
Thanks for inviting me to share 🌴🌀💨🍃
Wow. There is a lot to unpack here.