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A man hiking alone in the wilderness of Alaska became lost. He was overcome with despair at the alarming possibility that he might never find his way out. He took a deep breath and from the depths of his being prayed the simple and sincere prayer, “Help!”

Calmed by the breath and the prayer, he looked for signs that might lead him back to a trail. He noticed a raven circling back and forth overhead. It disappeared, then returned momentarily, only to fly off again in the same direction. The hiker followed the raven’s direction until he found his lost trail. Although he briefly encountered a grizzly bear on his journey, he was able to hike to safety.

The hiker was grateful for the raven. He believed that a spiritual connection had been established between him and the bird. He appreciated that the raven had given him the direction and encouragement he needed. He felt a bond with the raven and was certain that it had saved his life.

The raven might have had a different perspective.

The raven is a remarkably intelligent and resourceful bird capable of innovative foraging behavior. It has been called a raptor without the tool kit. Although it will hunt small rodents and snakes, it does not possess the sharp beak or the vicious talons necessary to kill and rip apart larger animals. Thus it relies on other predators to prepare its meals. Ravens have been known to follow wolves to take advantage of the pack’s ability to kill and open prey. It is common to see a raven waiting its turn as wolves, grizzly bears or eagles feast on carrion.

When ravens come upon an unopened carcass, they circle overhead, giving out shrill calls that attract wolves. Studies have shown that ravens are drawn to gunshots because they relate hunters to gut piles. Ravens have been observed dragging the intact carcass of a road-killed animal onto a lane of traffic, presumably to be smashed by an automobile. Native hunters in Alaska use ravens to locate caribou herds. The ravens circle overhead and then fly in the direction of the herds.

Given the resourceful nature of ravens, is the lost hiker’s perspective of the savior raven the true interpretation of events that day? Perhaps the raven was instead trying to lure the man toward the bear, hoping for a feast.

The man and the raven had differing perceptions. Which perception is true?

The true perception is the one that empowers us.

The hiker was free to interpret the raven’s actions. That’s all he could do. And his interpretation of the situation determined his experience. Because he chose to see possibility, he freed himself from his fear and was able to use the information the raven provided him for his own purpose: to find his way out of the wilderness. His power was never in the raven’s perception or dependent on the raven’s intention. The hiker empowered himself through an interpretation which served him.

We often get caught up in arguments about what is true. Yet as perceptual creatures we interpret every experience through our senses and create our own meaning. There is no objective reality.

Everything in our world has only the meaning we give it. Therefore, how we choose to perceive anything has to do more with us than it does with any person, event or circumstance outside of us.

It’s a participatory world. Not only are we involved in any observation, we actually bring about what we observe. We see what we choose to see. And whatever qualities we choose to see we call forth, effectively creating our experience of the world.

Our thoughts are powerful. They hold both our problems and our solutions. If we think our destiny is outside ourselves, we deny our own power to transform our lives.

What is true is powerful. True perception rests on love. We know what is true when we choose to see all of life as spiritual and holy.

When we align ourselves with truth, we open to realms of mystery and imagination, possibility and miracles. We experience grace.

Jan Waterman is a writer, teacher and learner who is passionate about life and discovering what is true. She hopes that what she writes will open people to considering new thoughts and ideas about their spiritual selves. waterman@frii.com