A Moment of Infinite Possibilities

Yesterday I saw the Celestial Mountain.

Today, my friend saw dragon tracks on the beach.

Were they real?

At the exact moment of seeing these things, yes, they were completely real. That was how we interpreted what was in front of us before our logical intellects kicked in. The mountain was physically a cloud on the horizon that happened to have a conical shape. The dragon tracks were actually where a dog had skidded in the sand.

But, at the moment when we first saw these things, there was not enough sensory information to accurately identify them.

And it is in the initial moment that the magic and the fun can begin.

There is a time before dawn, when there is just enough light to see where you are going. But, at this time you must beware of the shadows. They may not be what they seem. It is still too dark for colours to be recognised, nor can you perceive any depth. The shadows are simply dark patches. A black line could be a piece of fine ribbon lying flat on the ground or a brick tall enough to trip you.

As a very visual species, we humans try very hard to understand what our eyes are telling us. So, if you simply are unable to make sense of what’s out there, why not let your imagination run wild?

The trick is to encourage the more outlandish ideas rather than tell yourself you are stupid or dumb for being silly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing dragon tracks or mythical sea creatures or mountains in other realms. Obviously, you have to be careful who you tell about your visions but please don’t deny them.

Let your odd interpretations become a game. One of the most entertaining sights came to me when I was out on my pre-dawn run. I looked into an uncurtained window. No lights were on. There was just a bit of ambient light from a distant street lamp.

Now, I am certain it was a very pretty bouquet of flowers resting on the table there but, without any colours to alert me otherwise I decided it was the breastplate of a warrior woman who was featuring on television at the time. The idea was so silly that it kept me entertained for a couple of weeks, imagining why she would be living in a suburban neighbourhood. Sadly, one morning, the curtains had been pulled.

So, basically, this is a game that gets your creativity going.  Your task is to make nebulous shadows into all sorts of amazing things. And you can have all the fun you want. One friend decided he could see a dog tied to a tree. It turned out to be nothing more than a branch hanging down. We laughed every time we went past that spot.