The objects of the present remind me of objects in the past. As such, they take on a depth unseen by other people. Every object has two natures. An object is simultaneously itself and a symbol of something else, an association made by the person perceiving the object.
If I expand the concept to include events as well as objects in this discussion, then it explains why I often experience the world on multiple levels. I experience the past and present simultaneously. The past intrudes verbally as an echo or visually as ghost image. These shadows of the past provide dimension, give a greater depth to experience than when I perceive it on the singular plane of the present.
Does my layered worldview create multiplicity and fragmentation? No. What it does is provide a connection with the past so that I am more whole. The scope of my experience is not just the present moment but a larger moment, where the past, present, and future are interwoven.
If you are sensual, then you might experience this echo on many different levels. The moisture in the air, the smell of the cedar smoke, the dampness of the fog against your cheek, the texture of a lover’s hair, all recall certain memories and allow them to mingle with the present.
In modern life, sadly, we are out of touch with our natural cycles. We keep clock time and live in artificial environments. I think this is why we feel cut off from things, although we don’t know exactly what we are cut off from. We search for a tradition that will restore our sense of connectedness. We cultivate habits to create our comfort zone. We look inside ourselves and develop our own lexicon of symbols.
Perception is a strange word because it means both observation and the translation of observation into useful conclusion. In the first sense I am perceptive. I notice things, everything.