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January 2009 
Everything Changes! Fundamental Principles of Change No. 4
Posted on Jul 21st, 2008
by 
dannyboy
dannyboy
What's the relationship between cause and effect and change? Is each one of us responsible for creating change? Or are we creating change as groups? Think you know the answers? Read on because those are some of the subjects discussed in this installment of Everything Changes!
Cause and Effect and Change
Q: Does cause and effect create change?
Q: If we look at the effect of a cause, is there another way to describe it? (As a change?)
Q: Ok, are we saying then that an effect and change are the same thing? (Yes or No?)
S: Let's test our theory with a demonstration. If I drop this pen, what happens? (it hits the table) What's the cause? (releasing the pen) What's the effect? (hits the table)
Q: Ok, if the effect is the pen hitting the table is this also the change? (Yes or No?)
Q: In this demonstration what actually changes?
A: The location of the pen changes from my hand to the table. Right?
Q: So aren't we perceiving change relative to the pen? (Yes)
Isn't the change the movement of the pen between my hand and the table? (Yes)
Does this make the effect the same as the change?
A: We're making a very subtle distinction, but isn't it true that the effect only represents change when we know the pen was previously in my hand? So change reflects the movement or difference between cause and effect.
Q: Does that mean that change is an object? Is change like this pen--something we can touch?
A: Change is a perception. We perceive a movement or difference between the way something was, and the way it is now.
Q: And how do we perceive this movement or difference?
A: Through our awareness or direct experience.
S: We don't have any trouble identifying change when it happens--right? But what we wanted to bring out here are the objective elements that produce the perception of change. We wanted to provide a clear picture of what's happening when we perceive change.
Key Concept: Change is our perception of the relationship between cause and effect--from what was, to what is.
S: Ok, we've been talking about the perception of change and how that relates to cause and effect. If we were to substitute another word for cause, what might it be?
A: The word we're looking for is action.
Q: If you think of a cause, could it also be an action?
Example: [Drop the pen on the table.] We said this was a cause, is it also an action?
Cause reflects Action
S: If action is another word for cause, than perhaps we should take a closer look at it.
Exercise: In this exercise, I want you to make a list of everything you do that is not an action. So take out a piece of paper and write down as many things as you can think of that you do that aren't actions.
Group Discussion
Q: So what kinds of things did you come up with that aren't actions? Is anybody willing to share what they wrote down? (below are some common examples)
Examples:
Q: Sleeping; is sleeping an action? What do we say to describe going to sleep? (I fell asleep) When you're tired what do you say? (I got to get some sleep!) How about when we're sleeping… ever talk in your sleep? Snore? I know you dream… and turnover. So in addition to the act of sleeping there are other actions that take place even while we're sleeping.
Q: What state are you in if you're not sleeping? (Awake) Is being awake an action? Well, in addition to being awake this is our most active mode. Ever have trouble staying awake?
S: Remember a few minutes ago, I said anytime we intentionally, or even unintentionally, do anything we're demonstrating our immersion in the laws of cause and effect.
Q: Breathing; is breathing something you do intentionally?
(Yes and No, it's part of our autonomic response system)
Q: So is breathing an action? (Yes or No?)
A: What happens if you stop breathing? (We all know the answer to that!)
Q: If breathing is an action, what effect does it produce? Is there a perceived change involved in breathing?
Demonstration: I want you to take a deep breath, exhale slowly and completely, then hold your breath--don't inhale. Hold it for as long as you can.
Q: What changes did you perceive from not breathing?
Q: Thoughts; are thoughts actions? Is thinking an action?
(Sure, in fact, thoughts drive both our inner and outer actions)
Q: Ever hear the saying: all things are created twice, once in thought and again in physical form? Do we have to act on our thoughts for them to be actions?
A: No. Again, thinking all by itself is an action--Anytime we're thinking about something we're acting, even if it's only an inner rumination.
S: Ok, so perhaps the closest we can come to something we do that's not an action is resting, or perhaps sitting in meditation. But even in these states we continue to have thoughts, we breathe, our heart continues to beat, the cells in our bodies continue to function, and the atoms comprising our material form remain in motion.
Key Concept: Everything we do can be seen as an action. Proof that the laws of cause and effect are operating at the root of our existence.
S: We got into this discussion because we said that action was another word for cause. From this exercise we can observe that our actions reflect continuous movement, further by definition every action creates an effect. Which means our actions create effects that can be perceived as change.
Q: Through actions then, would you agree that we are creators of change? (Yes or No?)
Note to reader: Thanks for reading! The discussion continues in the next blog Everything Changes! No. 5. Please feel free to share your comments or questions.
Copyright 2008. The information here is reproduced from Everything Changes! Understanding and Dealing with the Change in our Lives. It is provided for your personal use. The material may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way without written permission from the author, Dan Richardson.
Cause and Effect and Change
Q: Does cause and effect create change?
Q: If we look at the effect of a cause, is there another way to describe it? (As a change?)
Q: Ok, are we saying then that an effect and change are the same thing? (Yes or No?)
S: Let's test our theory with a demonstration. If I drop this pen, what happens? (it hits the table) What's the cause? (releasing the pen) What's the effect? (hits the table)
Q: Ok, if the effect is the pen hitting the table is this also the change? (Yes or No?)
Q: In this demonstration what actually changes?
A: The location of the pen changes from my hand to the table. Right?
Q: So aren't we perceiving change relative to the pen? (Yes)
Isn't the change the movement of the pen between my hand and the table? (Yes)
Does this make the effect the same as the change?
A: We're making a very subtle distinction, but isn't it true that the effect only represents change when we know the pen was previously in my hand? So change reflects the movement or difference between cause and effect.
Q: Does that mean that change is an object? Is change like this pen--something we can touch?
A: Change is a perception. We perceive a movement or difference between the way something was, and the way it is now.
Q: And how do we perceive this movement or difference?
A: Through our awareness or direct experience.
S: We don't have any trouble identifying change when it happens--right? But what we wanted to bring out here are the objective elements that produce the perception of change. We wanted to provide a clear picture of what's happening when we perceive change.
Key Concept: Change is our perception of the relationship between cause and effect--from what was, to what is.
S: Ok, we've been talking about the perception of change and how that relates to cause and effect. If we were to substitute another word for cause, what might it be?
A: The word we're looking for is action.
Q: If you think of a cause, could it also be an action?
Example: [Drop the pen on the table.] We said this was a cause, is it also an action?
Cause reflects Action
S: If action is another word for cause, than perhaps we should take a closer look at it.
Exercise: In this exercise, I want you to make a list of everything you do that is not an action. So take out a piece of paper and write down as many things as you can think of that you do that aren't actions.
Group Discussion
Q: So what kinds of things did you come up with that aren't actions? Is anybody willing to share what they wrote down? (below are some common examples)
Examples:
Q: Sleeping; is sleeping an action? What do we say to describe going to sleep? (I fell asleep) When you're tired what do you say? (I got to get some sleep!) How about when we're sleeping… ever talk in your sleep? Snore? I know you dream… and turnover. So in addition to the act of sleeping there are other actions that take place even while we're sleeping.
Q: What state are you in if you're not sleeping? (Awake) Is being awake an action? Well, in addition to being awake this is our most active mode. Ever have trouble staying awake?
S: Remember a few minutes ago, I said anytime we intentionally, or even unintentionally, do anything we're demonstrating our immersion in the laws of cause and effect.
Q: Breathing; is breathing something you do intentionally?
(Yes and No, it's part of our autonomic response system)
Q: So is breathing an action? (Yes or No?)
A: What happens if you stop breathing? (We all know the answer to that!)
Q: If breathing is an action, what effect does it produce? Is there a perceived change involved in breathing?
Demonstration: I want you to take a deep breath, exhale slowly and completely, then hold your breath--don't inhale. Hold it for as long as you can.
Q: What changes did you perceive from not breathing?
Q: Thoughts; are thoughts actions? Is thinking an action?
(Sure, in fact, thoughts drive both our inner and outer actions)
Q: Ever hear the saying: all things are created twice, once in thought and again in physical form? Do we have to act on our thoughts for them to be actions?
A: No. Again, thinking all by itself is an action--Anytime we're thinking about something we're acting, even if it's only an inner rumination.
S: Ok, so perhaps the closest we can come to something we do that's not an action is resting, or perhaps sitting in meditation. But even in these states we continue to have thoughts, we breathe, our heart continues to beat, the cells in our bodies continue to function, and the atoms comprising our material form remain in motion.
Key Concept: Everything we do can be seen as an action. Proof that the laws of cause and effect are operating at the root of our existence.
S: We got into this discussion because we said that action was another word for cause. From this exercise we can observe that our actions reflect continuous movement, further by definition every action creates an effect. Which means our actions create effects that can be perceived as change.
Q: Through actions then, would you agree that we are creators of change? (Yes or No?)
Note to reader: Thanks for reading! The discussion continues in the next blog Everything Changes! No. 5. Please feel free to share your comments or questions.
Copyright 2008. The information here is reproduced from Everything Changes! Understanding and Dealing with the Change in our Lives. It is provided for your personal use. The material may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way without written permission from the author, Dan Richardson.
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