The brain as a reducer

A common argument in metaphysical circles is that the human brain is not so much an observer of physical reality, as it is a screener; our brain filters out the bulk of reality--including "paranormal" events--so that consciousness is left with a tidy set of data, neatly packaged, to be accepted as "reality."  Turns out, there is mainstream scientific evidence of this process, in another mainstream publication.  Or, as Time cites Aldous Huxley:

In order to keep us focused on survival, Huxley claimed, the brain must act as a “reducing valve” on the flood of potentially overwhelming sights, sounds and sensations. What remains, Huxley wrote, is a “measly trickle of the kind of consciousness” necessary to “help us to stay alive.”

I have always believed that this process "explains" the paranormal more than any of the esoteric theories of some of the New Agers.  It's all a matter of perspective.  We don' t really expand our perception during those rare mystical experiences so much as severely restrict it 99 percent of the rest of the time.  And psychoactive chemicals do not cause us to hallucinate, but rather briefly take our blinders off to see what else is out there.

Seth argues that the human ego became highly specialized in recent centuries as an experiment; the focus became a highly restricted, narrow set of data, which we regard as Reality.  This focus, however, has caused the human "ego" to become isolated from the "greater reality" that is its source.  The greater human personality is the co- creator of this reality, but we have forgotten this.  And we further restrict our perception of reality to only those data sets that conform to our expectations, instead of co-creating this reality in cooperation with the consciousnesses of nature (hence, the meaning behind the much- mocked "you create your own reality").

The reducing and filtering feature of the brain may also explain why many people become "psychic," or display mediumistic or clairvoyant talent, following severe physical trauma or a near- death experience; or, as Joe McMoneagle has noticed, many "psychics" suffered abuse or neglect as children .  Something in the trauma causes the brain to "forget" its current role as reality- filterer, and perceptions of a larger reality are allowed to filter in . Should such a trauma be inflicted on the population on a global scale, the human race may be given a blessing in disguise, and a foot bridge to its next stage of evolution.