Many different thinkers have urged humans to try to see accurately instead of being tricked. When you see a clown with a big red nose and giant feet, you can tell that you are looking at a normal human being if you look closely. The weird colors and appendages distract the eye but it is still possible to see past them, into them and through them.
Many thinkers have also emphasized that there are worlds all around us that we cannot perceive but which are there, nevertheless. The several layers of the very small, the very large inter-planetary and the out-of-our-conscious range such as processes in my body that urge me to find something to drink and even to write to my mother are examples. Even though we can't feel very light earth vibrations or see ultraviolet light, we can convince ourselves that such things exist and sometimes affect us.
When I think of what a pain Uncle Jack is or how eager I am for my parcel to arrive, I realize that the irritation and the anticipation are in me, are mine, even when I don't have much control of them. One of the helpful results of habitual visits to the now, to focusing on my body sensations, my breath, to my ability to raise my hand and look at it, is that I get a stronger grip on thinking vs. sensing. When I think of Uncle Jack or I imagine how wonderful the parcel's contents will make my life, I am dealing with thoughts, concepts, imaginings. They are fun, they are mine but they are mental. Realizing their mental nature, I can put them aside if I want. I can modify them (reimagining Uncle Jack 20 years ago, picturing the package getting lost enroute). I find that more I practice looking at my thoughts, the easier it is for me to rearrange them. I can even picture Uncle Jack as the loveable baby his mommy adored. I can transport myself a few weeks into the future when the thrill of what is in the parcel has worn off.
I can't really get beyond my brain and body but I can get close to doing so sometimes.
