A Quote
In discussing the practice of ancestor worship, Confucius said
We sacrifice to them as if they are there.1
A Thought
It’s the fantasy that matters. That is what transports us and expands reality, because it provides a realm in which we get to explore unfamiliar mental territory. And it works because we act as if the fantasy was real.
An example: this week I went to Japan. I had walked into a breakout space, and the kids there had, with the help of some environmental invitations, made the space into an airline experience.
“Hello. Where are you flying to today?” I was asked.
I said Japan.
“Great, we have a flight leaving soon. Here is your ticket.”
I accepted it and made my way to the gate.
“Boarding now. Flight to Japan.”
On I got, taking seat number 2, as the ticket said.
“Oh, you can move. We have upgraded you to the window seat.”
I saw the pilot moving his finger over the map on the wall. The flight attendant was busy arranging the food.
…
And on it went. You get the idea. But the point is, everyone was inhabiting roles and acting as if the scenario was real. The rituals of the experience were heightened, and formalised in a playful way - often through the script the kids had in their heads about that context. Most importantly, our relationships were transformed - we were not ourselves but the role we had in the fantasy. It only worked because we honoured it, which means we all tried as hard as possible to get the fantasy close to the real thing.
The point Confucius was making in his discussion of ancestor worship was that participation in the fantasy, not whether it was actually true and worked, was what mattered because of the power it had to transform those who participated.
He’s right.
For the rest of the day, those of us who were involved in the airline fantasy related to each other on a different plane to the rest of the kids in the syndicate. The fantasy, acting as if, had changed the way we saw each other.
An Action
Play allows kids to enter as if realms. So, next time you are observing, ask yourself
What is being explored here?
What are they trying to honour?
If it was real, what would be happening?
And base your response on your answers to those questions, especially the last one. Get as real as you can.
As quoted in The Path: a new way to think about everything