Ep 17 - Challenge Accepted
Flambeau River State Forest, Wisconsin, October 27, 2014
<During Kai and Naran’s first class, Kai explained that he can feel what Naran feels. Need to catch up? Find the previous chapters here: Table of Contents >
Kai smiles. “It works both ways, you know. You can equally experience my emotions. But you, as most humans, do not distinguish between your own feelings and those you sense in others.”
I wiggle my feet around, stand straighter, pull my shoulders back, and look straight at Kai. I want to show him that I can be comfortable with myself. But I can’t keep my gaze on his for longer than a few seconds, and then I look away. He’s right. I don’t always feel comfortable with myself, especially not when around others.
“Since you are so eager to get away from my gaze, look around you and tell me what you see.”
Happy to get my eyes away from his, I stare into the space around me.
“It looks so different… As if the show was a dream. It felt different, smelled different. Even the outside of the Arena feels changed.”
“Yes,” Kai nods slowly. “That night you had a different perception, you were connected to Base Level. Please close your eyes, I would like to show you something.”
We sit in silence for a moment. Kai places his hand on my winter coat where my heart is. Abruptly, warmth floods my body and rushes from my chest up to my head, and down the front of my body, into my legs. My feet start to glow, and my entire body feels like a burning ember. It’s incredibly comforting. Even the air in the Arena now feels warm. The feeling reminds me of how I felt during the show. I look at Kai quizzically.
“Are you doing this?”
“For now, yes,” Kai says, “And in the future you will be able to do this yourself.”
The breeze whisking around us is no longer affecting me. I feel warm and great.
“Incredible…” I gasp.
As soon as Kai releases his hand, the feeling fades.
“Controlling the temperature of your body will be one of the first things we will teach you; it’s a powerful tool that will lead you to a lot of awareness, since all you are is energy and perception. Did you like the performance?” Kai suddenly changes the subject, looks at me and squints his eyes.
“Oh yes! It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It was incredible…”
“I’m glad,” Kai smiles. “I know in your world there is a lot of confusion around the shows.”
“Yes...quite. There are many discussions. There are even documentaries and television programs about your performances.”
“That’s what I’ve heard.”
“There is this show called Unraveling Didelis. I think everybody in the country has seen it. They bring in people who have seen past shows and they try to describe their experiences. Then they reconstruct parts of the shows with animation and CGI, or at least they try to. They even make you in 3D, tattoo included. They use several different people from the audience per episode since it’s so hard to describe the scenes. It’s quite well done. I watched the program as I didn’t expect to ever see a real show. The real thing is so much better though. I could never have imagined any performance to be so… astonishing. It’s really magical, full of illusions.”
“I’ve seen it,” Kai says. “They try to find explanations for everything. ‘Illusion’ is what they use when they can’t figure it out. I think it was better when the audience was allowed to have their own explanation for things. Now, the TV tells them what to think and they make it very sensation based. They create danger and drama when there isn’t any. ‘It almost went wrong,’” Kai comically imitates the voice of the show presenter and does an exaggerated American accent. “‘The main performer could’ve easily lost his hand if the wolf hadn’t been distracted by his partner.’ It is not the worst thing, though. The show has spread the fame of the Didelian spectacle more than we ever could have done. And I think that people who actually get to attend a show realize that Discovery is not always convincing; many things remain unexplained.”
“Oh yes, the real show is so different. I don’t think anyone can accurately describe what one feels while in the Arena. A TV show could never recreate what you do.”
“Exactly. And do you know who our easiest audience is?”
“Teenage girls who drool all over you.” I am surprised at my quick retort. Kai laughs.
“Well, yes, those. And children. Children do not think the way grown-ups do. The shock is less intense for the children who visit the show. To them, things never really seem ‘impossible.’ You see, children don’t know the rules of your reality yet. While growing up, they get told what is possible and what isn’t, and that gradually changes them from a free-minded child into a more close-minded adult. Before they grow up, young humans are a great audience. Children even see more things than you do. It’s like they see the extended edition of the show.”
“Their reality is not my reality?”
“Indeed. And if we want to be more precise, nobody’s reality is anybody else’s reality. We all have a slightly different universe that we live in because of different perceptions. Everybody has a unique way of thinking. The way you, Naran Stalwart, see life, no one else does. But human thinking is not as unique as it could be. Through education and intense indoctrination, the human mind is being channeled into desired directions. Powers such as governments, schools, churches, and media are able to sketch an existence for their people to believe and live in. Endless possibilities become limited, hard rules become harder. Fast globalization basically means growing toward one unified belief system that is almost impossible to deny because so many people believe in the same boundaries. The unification of the entire world is happening rapidly during this moment in history.”
Kai stops and looks down at the floor. It looks as if he is caught in a deep thought. “Everything can be explained,” he continues. “Including our show. But whether you are willing to understand things, depends on your belief system and your willingness and ability to go beyond what you know. Your society calls it ‘thinking outside the box.’ We call it ‘thinking beyond the visible.’ The same rules apply to everything, but these rules are not acknowledged by humans since they can’t be deduced from the material world.”
I think about what Kai is saying for a brief moment and then I take a guess.
“Is your show showing humans we can live like you?”
Kai smiles. “You don’t have to live like us. But we do want to show you that you can live differently than you do now. And that there are other types of realities out there. More is possible than you humans allow yourselves to believe. When you believe you can go beyond the credible, incredible things start to happen. With the shows, we are ‘opening minds,’ as we call it here.”
“So what we see in the shows is, in fact, really possible?”
“Only when you believe it is.”
“Well, to be honest…I don’t. I am a scientist. Many of the things I saw in the show are absolutely unbelievable in the most literal sense of the word. I don’t know how to rationalize the majority.”
“So, you decide not to believe it.”
“Yes. And you just said people can only see beyond what is possible when they believe. I don’t believe, so how did I see it then?”
“Good question, Miss Stalwart. That is where Deeri comes in.”
“Deeri? How?”
“She will explain this to you later. One of my first requests for you now is to drop your absolutes. Otherwise, your time here will be a waste.”
I am confused. How do I drop my absolutes? I have always lived with science; my existence evolves around absolutes that I accept until I am able to prove them wrong. That is the whole idea behind science. I need to be able to prove what I assume. I suddenly feel discouraged. How can I believe in a Didelian worldview when I can’t prove any of it? I live by scientific research, laws of nature and truth, numbers! Kai can’t just discard science and visible reality. I don’t care what he is able to do in his Arena. There must be explanations.
Kai laughs. He feels my inner struggle.
“Don’t stress too much right now. Deeri will guide you. You can train yourself to see different realities. But it takes practice, a lot of practice. Your way of thinking now, Naran, is still quite black and white. That is perfectly fine, don’t get me wrong. You choose a truth, and you don’t allow yourself to explore beyond it, since you already dismissed all other options. Therefore, when you are confronted with something that doesn’t fit your idea, an internal struggle is created. This will limit you; it will block you from absorbing the classes we will give you. You have to be open to the idea that sometimes you might be wrong.”
“But I don’t know how to dismiss what I believe in since it’s all I have ever known. Everything around me proves that my reality works.”
“Everything around me proves that my reality works too. Look, frustration is natural at this point. I’m trying to toy with your truths. It is a strange sensation, and it might even hurt. However, it is necessary. In your time with us, we are going to change your perspective of things. The only advice I can give you right now is to have patience and to be aware of the absolutes you are setting in life. When you learn more about Deeri’s role in the show, you will start to understand more.”
“Okay,” I say.
Kai looks at me, smiles, and nods his head.
“Good,” he says. “You’ve accepted the challenge.”
< Ch 16 | Table of Contents | Ch 18 >
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❅ This episode delves into deep themes of perception, belief systems, and the tension between scientific absolutes and more mystical or expansive ways of thinking. Below are prompts, guided questions, and reflections designed to engage you with these concepts.
⤞ Guided Reading Questions:
Kai talks about 'dropping absolutes' and being open to different realities. How do you interpret this idea? Have you ever had an experience where you needed to let go of a deeply held belief or perspective? How did it change your understanding of the world?
Naran struggles with reconciling her scientific mindset with the experiences she's having with the Didelians. How do you balance logic and intuition in your own life? Are there situations where you rely more on one than the other? Do you think they exclude each other?
Kai mentions that society’s belief systems are shaped by education, government, and media. Do you agree with his perspective? How do you think these influences shape our understanding of what is possible or real?
Reflect on a time when something you believed to be impossible became possible. How did this shift in your perception affect your view of reality?
Share your experience in the comments below.
⤞ Interactive Exercise:
Challenge yourself to identify an 'absolute' belief you hold—something you consider to be unquestionably true. Over the next few days, explore information or perspectives that challenge this belief. Reflect on how this exploration affects your understanding of the belief. Share your experience in the comments below.