The same scene—a beautiful sunset melting into the horizon—looks slightly different when photographed through the glass window of a van. Instead of one radiant sun, you can see four of them.
 A small optical illusion; a big question:

Which one is reality?

In this case, the answer is simple. We all know the sun is one. Yet this moment offers an interesting metaphor: a reminder that a filter between us and the world distorts what we see, transforming a single truth into multiple interpretations of the same object.

I love this analogy because it mirrors the way we experience life.

In fact, we don’t ever quite see reality as it is. Everything we perceive is filtered through our own “glass,” which is our human architecture—our mind and body: our subconscious beliefs, emotional patterns, and the programming we’ve accumulated over the years.

The Gift of Speed and Synthesis

One of the powerful gifts the subconscious mind offers us—being wired for protection from the external world—is band width. The subconscious mind processes 40 million bits of data per second vs the conscious mind 40 bits per second.

When we look at an object for the first time, we might take our time to appreciate all its details, without necessarily naming what it is. As children, we look at the world with curiosity and fresh eyes, exploring and perceiving everything with openness.

But once we’ve seen enough butterflies, for example, or once we’ve learned the label associated with what we’re observing, the subconscious mind stores that information. From then on, anything that resembles a butterfly will immediately be identified as one. We no longer need to observe that object closely. As soon as we see a butterfly, we think we already know what it is.

The Lens of Confirmation Bias

As we grow and experience the world, the subconscious mind helps us draw conclusions based on previous patterns. One way it does this is through confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is the mind’s tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information that confirms what we already believe—about ourselves, others, and the world. Not necessarily what is true, but what we know to be true in our personal experience or belief system.

Confirmation bias works like an internal magnet: What aligns with our beliefs is pulled in and amplified. What contradicts them is pushed away, dismissed, or simply overlooked.

If someone believes they’re unworthy, they’ll notice every rejection and ignore every sign of appreciation.
 If someone believes life is abundant, they’ll spot opportunities where others only see problems.

Two people can live through the exact same moment and walk away with completely different experiences—not because the world changed, but because their internal filters shaped their perception.

The subconscious is not concerned with truth—it is concerned with consistency. It wants our outer world to match the patterns it already knows. So it constantly scans for evidence that reinforces its existing beliefs, even if those beliefs are outdated or limiting.

When We Finally See the Lens

When we understand that what we see is not the unfiltered truth, but one interpretation shaped by our inner world, we open the door to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the people around us.

First of all, we can validate our perception—because it is our perception. It is real for us, just as someone else’s perception is real for them. There is no “right” or “wrong” perception. Perception is simply what we see: I may see four suns through the van window, while another person may see two.

"Objective reality" is no longer so relevant because... it doesn't quite exist. What matters is how we learn to navigate our personal perception and which direction we choose to move from there.

Some people may live their whole lives inside their own perception and feel perfectly content. Others might begin to question it:

• Is this really what’s happening, or is this just my lens?


• Is this belief supporting the life I want to live?


• What else might be true?

With awareness, we gain the power to consciously adjust our inner filters. We can update old subconscious patterns, challenge limiting beliefs, and gradually shift the lens through which we experience life.

Just like opening the van window to view the sunset directly, becoming aware of our mental filters gives us access to a clearer, more authentic version of reality.

What we see is always shaped by the lens we look through—and the more consciously we choose that lens, the more accurately we can perceive ourselves, others, and the world.