There are moments when the veil of our everyday distractions is swept away, and, with an awesome clarity, we remember who we truly are, and what is truly important to us.

Many different circumstances might lead to such an epiphany: a talk with an old friend, when we step back and look at our lives on a scale of years or decades, rather than hours or days; the fascination of cradling a new-born infant, when we are reminded of the boundless potential of human life, and of the staggering but sacred responsibilities of parenthood; the wonder of gazing into a starlit night sky, when we sense the vastness of the universe; or even the shock of being given a diagnosis of cancer (with the realization that the our time may be very limited, and must not be squandered) or having one's house destroyed by a hurricane.

People often say that such experiences "really put things in perspective." And indeed, in such moments our perspective expands to encompass the Whole – the whole of our selves, our lives, the universe, and our place in it.

It is perhaps not uncommon, in such moments – when we are able to consider our everyday lives from this all-embracing perspective – to feel that we have been wasting much of our time on trivialities, neglecting the things that really matter to us, and, in short, sleepwalking through our lives rather than really living them. We may feel that if we could only retain this clarity and breadth of vision, it would give us the conviction and courage to fulfill the promise of our lives. But often – perhaps, more often than not – the glimpse is only a fleeting one, and soon the veil descends once more.

[Therefore, the question of how to acheive and maintain a metaphysical perspective is really important. Conveniently enough, that's what this is about.]

To have a "metaphysical perspective" means to regard every particular in the light of the universal. It means to be informed and motivated, in one's everyday thoughts and actions, by the entire sum of one's experience and knowledge - ultimately, by those abstractions which embrace the whole of reality: metaphysical abstractions.

Although today the term "metaphysical" is popularly associated with new-age mysticism, its origins lie in the philosophy of Artistotle. "Metaphysics" is the branch of philosophy which studies the fundamental nature of reality.

[But even though metaphysics is philosophy, a metaphysical perspective is a psychological thing - it's not about WHAT you see or believe, it's not a 'world view' or 'sense of life,' it's the VANTAGE from which you see it.]

©2005 Steve Clarian
All rights reserved.