When we project conditioning from our past onto the present, we turn a benign moment into something else. The Five Conditions model is a “user-friendly” version of the traditional 5 Aggregates/5 Skandhas system. It’s an extremely helpful tool in clarifying the distinction between our direct experience of reality and the mental projections we add to the mix — and when put into practice, it’s immediately effective in clarifying our practice and reducing suffering for ourselves and those around us.