I used to think I understood the basic insight that our strongest reactions to others mirror our own unresolved terrain—those raw spots, insecurities, the hidden fears we carry. I watched my own patterns shift over the years, grasping this very Jungian concept intellectually. But I never truly knew it in my bones—in that life-changing, no-turning-back way—until meditation cracked me open.

Because then you clearly see it's not just that others trigger "your" tender places; it's that you're witnessing your own mind's reflection everywhere. The places, the people, the objects, the whole magnificent show—all of it mirrors the nature of mind itself. Your mind, no one else's.

It's like when someone wounds you in a fucked up way in a dream. Upon waking, the anger dissolves because you understand they're just a mirror-like appearance in the dreaming mind, woven from the same energetic fabric of consciousness. And by the way, this isn't just about personal relationships—it applies to everything: politics, social media rage, culture wars, all of it. Your entire world is your mind's display, inviting you to look more closely and precisely.

For seasoned dharmanauts, this is familiar ground, even obvious. But I can't overstate how liberating it is to approach life from this angle: every person in your experience is literally YOU—there could be no other way. I know that sounds like another spiritual cliché you've heard before. But it's actually the case phenomenologically, as direct experience reveals.

Even if this sounds strange or impossible now, try experimenting with it like you would in a lucid dream. Just play with the possibility that each person is your own mind's insanely intelligent display, and I can pretty much guarantee your relationships will transform. Each interaction becomes a fresh invitation to see reality anew, to know yourself more deeply, and witness this extraordinary display where the infinite plays at being finite, moment after singular moment.