The business of simply noticing what one's current reality really consists of -- including the alternatives that occupy awareness as thoughts, dreams, guesses and conclusions about reality is often under done.
Observation continues as long as one feels it is necessary. A normal, dozy, middle class human will spring into intense observation when he feels threatened. As soon as he can conclude that he doesn't need to continue the effort (because he now "knows" or has it taped) he discontinues the observation and puts his attention on other things.
Many people when presented with completely contradictory comments or other contrary facts will gloss over with "oh, that's nice", and assume something never observed in order to remedy the discomfort of a discrepancy. The assumption of such a false picture enables observation to stop at that point. Deciding that the government is "democracy in action" makes it easy not to perceive what is actually occurring there, and one no longer needs to observe the effect the I.R.S. has on the economy.
Others stop or arrest the process of perception when they "know what they need to know". This is conclusive ignorance elected because one has a concept to manipulate about reality X, and thus one need not feel or perceive reality X any further. We are educated into this by a system of labeling and then judging by labels. "If six hopeless derelicts with an average GPA of 3.5 apply to eleven heartless money hungry bankers for ten times their net worth in irresponsible credit practices, what will their share of the GNP be before their houses are re zoned R6 in a democratic economy?" Label and judge, label and judge, the faster you do it the bigger the smudge.
Labels and judgments arrest perception from expanding. This includes the judgment one does not know any further, in various forms.
Arrested perception is also behind the "Inertial Boost", promoting what is because it was.
If one were to perceive with any restraint (resistance to what is perceived), reality X would be seen as continuously re created. Un leashing all resistance would guide one to the authorship of the reality. But that would be bad because one would have to notice where the creation of it comes from, which would be tantamount to being Source and God knows where that would lead! Aggh!