What is prior to?

Most of us have the experience of being born into an already existing world. The feeling/understanding/experience is that the world existed before we did. What if we look at it from the other way around? We exist – then the World appears?

When we wake up in the morning, the World appears the same moment we open our eyes. Our experience indicates that the world as we know it is a constant. It does not dissolve every evening only to materialize again the next morning. It takes time to build a house. It takes time for 7,8 billion people to appear on this planet. In that perspective the World existed before we did. Now imagine waking up one morning without opening our eyes. Would we then be able to confirm with absolute certainty that the World as we know it still existed except as an idea? When we sleep at night we have no direct proof that the World is there. The only way to know is to activate our senses.

We all live in our own unique world. My world appears slightly different than yours. In my world olives taste good, while in yours they are too salty. In my world she is someone I do not know. In yours she is a friend. Whatever we are addressing – do we know with absolute certainty that it is something existing separate from our own experience? This is where I sometimes get lost. By assuming that whatever I experience is the objective truth, friction appears between me and everyone experiencing it differently. However insignificant the differences might be – we are all unique. That means 7.8 billion unique worlds. We experience the World. What comes first? We or the World?

If we create everything existing outside of ourselves, that would also include the challenges we face. Whatever appears in front of our senses are different expressions of ourselves. If we want to find answers, we should turn our attention towards the creator instead of the creation, the creator being ourselves.  

Whatever is real exist. The only thing that can cease to exist is that which is not real. Why not use this formula to conduct a proper investigation into our own being? What stops us? Perhaps a large investment in the definition of ourselves? Go deeper. Return to where it all begun. To that which is prior to That. I am sad/happy/angry/depressed/content. Period. Not because of this or that, but simply because. What is there to be found? Before we get trapped in the story of why?