Mirror or Prism - Project World Peace

Mirror or Prism

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Photo Credits:-

Heart Crystal
(revcodes, Pixabay)

'Mirror or Prism' water
(geralt, Pixabay)

Mirror
(pixundfertig, Pixabay)

Cosmic Prism
(tombud, Pixabay)

Israeli mirror
(unknown source; fair use, educational)

'Mirror or Prism?' crystal gem
(stux, Pixabay)

Forest Mirror
(prinzesskathrin, Pixabay)

Prism
(BlenderTimer, Pixabay)

Grand Prismatic Spring
(MikeGoad, Pixabay)

Heart-shaped crystal pendant, reflecting and being a prism

Mirror or Prism

Sometimes people say that everything is a mirror of yourself.
In my experience, this is not really true.
It is true in some mystical sense - that all is God and thus all that we see must also be God.

However, this does not really translate well to life on Earth.
Surely, there are so many possibilities on Earth that all we see cannot be me?
When you see an act of anger or hatred, does it have to mean that you are angry or hateful? It may be a mirror, but it could also be showing the diversity of life (prism).
So, I do think there is some truth to circumstance being mirror as in:-

The event may be a denial or projection (see below).
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." (Anonymous/Anaïs Nin)
When we seek out something, and hold it dear to our heart, we tend to see it far more.

But, in my experience, I see so many things that are not really me.

In any event, I try to be joyful when they are joyful, and sad if they are suffering.
And I love them or the situation.

Additionally, in an attempt to disprove mirror-only philosophy, do you really believe that the child abuser is mirroring something to the child being abused??
No!
On show is a personal issue of another and/or a collective issue. This is a prism.

Mirror is a reflection of you. Prism is another's personal issue and/or a collective or systemic concern (like systemic racism, gender inequality).
That is why I like to see everything as mirror or prism.

Incidents can be mirrors, as with certain psychological defence mechanisms:-

Denial, where external events are denied. The mirror event may then be saying that the event does exist, your unconscious is trying to surface it.
Projection, where one's unacceptable desires or thoughts are attributed to another. The mirror analogy is then very apt.

A prism splits light into its many colours.
Symbolically, it shows us Unity (the Light) unpacked into the diversity of life (the many colours). These colours show us all sorts of lives and all kinds of conditions, from the darkest to the brightest.
So when we view things, it may not be a mirror of ourselves that we see, but rather different ways that life manifests.
We are seeing the rainbow of life.

When people tell us that people or things are mirroring ourselves, it can be a type of spiritual superiority. They are positioning themselves as the wise ones with insight into all things. We are the ones that are messed up, in need of their 'wisdom'. You don't need such people in your life!

If people want to explore things like this with you, it would be better for them to ask you, "Do you think this person/event is mirroring something in you or do you feel that this person/event is showing you the diversity of life (another's stuff) or a systemic issue?"
Or more simply, "Is that mirror or prism?"

A cartoon of an Israeli soldier terrorising a fallen Palestinian woman at gunpoint; he looks sideways an in a mirror sees a Nazi doing the same to a Jew

"The irony of becoming what you once hated the most".
This refers to the Israel's 2021 atrocities - even genocide - of Palestinians.
Israel acts with fascist impunity. See here, here.
Inhuman brutality was once a torturous 'Prism' for Jews - but is now a 'Mirror'.
The Rich World looks on and does little, even supports it. See here, here, here, here.
This is both 'prism' and 'mirror' for so many of us, e.g. "In truth, Israel is a state, like many others,
founded on the displacement of others." (Jeremy Slevin, 15 May 2021 tweet)

Sometimes personal growth is too over-emphasised and collective or systemic issues are buried. Everything is considered karmic.
But there is group karma too. In that case, we need to prioritise political or community work: "Don't just look in the mirror. Look at the system."

A mirror and prism are both important in that they show us human potential.
The darkest deeds that we are all capable of are visible.
We can also perceive great acts of goodness, within and without.
I suggest it is this good mirror or prismatic angle that we must crystallise!

Related Quotes

All you have to do is take a close look at yourself and you will understand everyone else. (Isaac Asimov)

Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you.
(Wally 'Famous' Amos)

Looking Into a Mirror (Cheryl Stoll, 2004)

Being present,
Love gazes at me
Every time I look in the mirror.

A young woman in a forest gazes at a round mirror on a tree. Her reflection doesn't look back at her; it looks off to the side, pensively stroking her hair.

When you see yourself in others, whom can you hurt? What harm can you do? (Buddha)

On a black background, a prism splits white light into a rainbow of colours

Resources

The Most Dangerous Animal in the World (Wikipedia) [Zoo exhibit. Look in the mirror?].

A photo of the multi-coloured Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park in the USA. It is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. The centre and most of it is bluish; the edges have green, yellow, orange, red.

Also see:-

Bubble Life

Maps of Consciousness articles

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