Thursday, March 24, 2011
I'm thinking about something I can't understand because I can't understand that I'm thinking about it.
I can't understand that I'm thinking about things that I can't understand that I'm thinking about.
These statements came from a friend of mine after watching that video. After I watched it I was pretty much silent for several minutes. The general consensus after the video was how problematic it is that the only way to describe the dimensions "above" our own is to bring them down to terms we in this dimension can perceive. Sure it's the only way for us to understand these dimensions, how can we perceive something that doesn't exist in the only three dimensions we've ever known. That aspect of the video was incredibly successful. However, we can't truly grasp the concept for a tenth dimension, nor can we prove that dimension, while still existing in, or rather perceiving this realm that we currently know (for if these upper dimensions to indeed exist we surely exist in them).
A problem that I personally had with the video was the fact that all of the dimensions described were assumed to be all there was. Again, I remind you of my previous posts where I explored the idea of the self/soul existing in a real beyond the one our physical bodies reside and our minds perceive. This video doesn't even take this into account. Could that be considered an eleventh dimension? If so, this dimension would be completely different from the other ten. Ugh. This whole entry is hypothetical babble with no answers and no end in sight.
I'm not sleeping tonight. I probably have time to, but there's something interesting about being completely exhausted. Call it a sick experiment, but the feeling of true exhaustion is so organic and so raw that it excites me. I realize this is completely unrelated to the previous paragraphs and the video posted, I just feel it needed to be said.
It's mind blowing. I think of it in these terms: I exist, here I exist now, but in this hypothetical tenth dimension I exist all at once in every different way possible. Is the possibility that I never existed at all found in this dimension? Surely. But what really is the point in all of this? These dimensions don't really seem to be realms of any kind that we can understand. It's more of a what if game; The ultimate what if game.
It seems in watching the video I got sucked in and found it thought provoking and mind blowing. Now that I've sat down and chewed on it a while I realize it's all very trivial. I don't care about what ifs. Why? Because all I know for sure is that I exist. I exist here, I exist now. There's no sense in wondering all of the possible outcomes. It doesn't actually make them true. All this model really showed was all the possible outcomes of possible starting points, and in my eyes, sure it seems amazing that we could seem so small in the grand scheme of things, but all I know is my self as the way I am.
Happiness is a warm gun...
I have read works from many philosophers but I should let everyone know that I've really only touched the surface of these works. I'm currently reading Plato's Republic, Kant's critique of Pure Reason, Aristotle's Metaphysics, and a number of thought provoking novels such as Ishmael; however I pick them up every once in a while. These works tend to be so potent that my mind has to be ready for them and can only digest so much at a time. It's kind of sad really...I can only get through about a page of Kant at a time, but I seem to be getting better.
Here's something interesting though: John Stuart Mill, as well as numerous other philosophers, see happiness as the intrinsic good. I find that incredibly problematic...most of the time it seems like their arguments simply state "Search for happiness but don't this, don't that..." and so on. I realize I'm asking a lot of these guys, but I expect the best. An intrinsic good should go without clarification and guidelines; it is pure. To say otherwise is to say that our very nature is filled with holes, this could be the case, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I firmly believe that the very nature of our self is perfect and goes without rules. But what is it?
It must be something simpler than happiness...but that seems to complicate things and muddy the water. Happiness seems to be rooted in this physical realm (most of the time), and if what we're searching for is the true intrinsic good, the very nature of our self, and based on my previous arguments of duality, our nature is of something else entirely; our true nature is rooted in the self. Happiness can come from something as simple as a hug or a new bike (I got a bike today, happiness is an understatement). This is not to say that happiness can't come from something much greater however. In racking my brain (which is problematic in itself, for my mind is molded by the physical realm, but it's really my only tool here) for the true "good" I'm coming to find that discovering our true nature may very well yield happiness. This is great. I still haven't decided what this omnipresent good is, but I'll get there...hopefully.
What if...and stay with me now, I am just now beginning to ponder this myself...what if our intrinsic good has no rules? What if our mere nature is free? To realize true joy one would discover the true self, and in turn free the nature of that self. It seems we put too many constraints on ourselves. To even try and define our nature shackles it to our realm, our words. The true nature of ourselves could simply be to free our true nature from the constraints of the worry, the anxiety, and even the pleasure brought to us through the mind and body. If this is the case then this blog entry is over. I have found the answer: stop searching and be. Unfortunately for me I can't just quit here, although I do love being stumped by this.
It seems the mind, body, and soul are in harmony in these sorts of exercises. The mind is at work, but not distracting. It is used as a tool for finding the true essence of the soul. The body acts as a vessel to relay the findings of the mind to the world. The soul is this ever-present source of wonder and freedom. It's so raw. It's so raw in fact, that it might be the only thing that isn't synthetic. The nature is what I'm after. I have not found the answer. I don't think I will for some time. It could be that the nature of the self is to remain unscathed by our rudimentary language or our rigid constraints. If the soul itself resides in a realm that can only be described as beyond the one we currently perceive, how then can we begin to try and understand the nature of it.
Here's something interesting though: John Stuart Mill, as well as numerous other philosophers, see happiness as the intrinsic good. I find that incredibly problematic...most of the time it seems like their arguments simply state "Search for happiness but don't this, don't that..." and so on. I realize I'm asking a lot of these guys, but I expect the best. An intrinsic good should go without clarification and guidelines; it is pure. To say otherwise is to say that our very nature is filled with holes, this could be the case, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I firmly believe that the very nature of our self is perfect and goes without rules. But what is it?
It must be something simpler than happiness...but that seems to complicate things and muddy the water. Happiness seems to be rooted in this physical realm (most of the time), and if what we're searching for is the true intrinsic good, the very nature of our self, and based on my previous arguments of duality, our nature is of something else entirely; our true nature is rooted in the self. Happiness can come from something as simple as a hug or a new bike (I got a bike today, happiness is an understatement). This is not to say that happiness can't come from something much greater however. In racking my brain (which is problematic in itself, for my mind is molded by the physical realm, but it's really my only tool here) for the true "good" I'm coming to find that discovering our true nature may very well yield happiness. This is great. I still haven't decided what this omnipresent good is, but I'll get there...hopefully.
What if...and stay with me now, I am just now beginning to ponder this myself...what if our intrinsic good has no rules? What if our mere nature is free? To realize true joy one would discover the true self, and in turn free the nature of that self. It seems we put too many constraints on ourselves. To even try and define our nature shackles it to our realm, our words. The true nature of ourselves could simply be to free our true nature from the constraints of the worry, the anxiety, and even the pleasure brought to us through the mind and body. If this is the case then this blog entry is over. I have found the answer: stop searching and be. Unfortunately for me I can't just quit here, although I do love being stumped by this.
It seems the mind, body, and soul are in harmony in these sorts of exercises. The mind is at work, but not distracting. It is used as a tool for finding the true essence of the soul. The body acts as a vessel to relay the findings of the mind to the world. The soul is this ever-present source of wonder and freedom. It's so raw. It's so raw in fact, that it might be the only thing that isn't synthetic. The nature is what I'm after. I have not found the answer. I don't think I will for some time. It could be that the nature of the self is to remain unscathed by our rudimentary language or our rigid constraints. If the soul itself resides in a realm that can only be described as beyond the one we currently perceive, how then can we begin to try and understand the nature of it.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Duality
I realize I have been neglecting my blog for the past weeks, but hopefully the next couple of entries will do this page some justice. For some reason I can't actually sit down and write unless the sun has been down for several hours, I have caffeine coursing through my veins, and music blaring in my headphones (tonight's tunes happen to be Mumford and Sons).
I'm going off my previous entries, so you may want to read them before this one if you haven't already. One more thing before diving into this: I'm pretty skeptical of lots of things, I'm not attempting set anything in stone. None of this is concrete. I'm constantly exploring. These entries serve to organize my musings and reflect on the readings and teachings I encounter.
A couple of weeks ago I stayed up till around 4am talking about a number of things with a friend of mine, it's a bummer I didn't record the conversation because at the time it was eye opening but now its foggy, I'm going to attempt to dust off the cob webs.
In my previous entry I explored Descartes' idea that there is a separation between the body and the mind/soul. Assuming my exploration was sound one thing we can be certain of in this world is that we exist, not necessarily physically, for this could merely be an illusion, dream, or a shadow, but beyond this realm. To Descartes the true essence seemed to be the mind, but that's problematic.
The mind is our friend in exploration of ourselves, but in the end it is also a crutch for it is rooted in the physical realm. Anxiety, whether agitated by external agencies originates in the mind. When we start to question our actions, just as I question every sentence typed into this entry, anxiety grows. I sit alone. Only the pressure of time is present at the moment, and yet I feel anxious. My thoughts are loud and disorganized. Why? Unfortunately it seems my mind takes a purely subjective stance at the moment. In fact the mind is purely subjective in its rawest state. We learn from our experiences, and surroundings, perceived by our senses. Descartes stated that our senses distract us from the truth and can be deceptive. How then can we trust the mind? It's so easily molded by what we come across in our lives. The only thing truly proved by Descartes' arguments is not that the mind exists, but that the self exists. There is a separation from the body and the self. This body is a shell. It's an object. I am more than my body.
In an effort to quiet the mind as thoughts arise we can ask our mind a question: To whom has this thought arisen? Naturally we answer to me. However, a follow up question is necessary: Who am I? One of the most powerful questions a philosopher can ask if you think about it.
I stray from this initial point of duality (the separation between body and self) to talk about how society and the world we live in has shaped our perceptions.
Who am I? Well...I'm Taylor Lee Wallace. But this isn't true, not purely at least. My name means nothing at all. It does not define me, it's merely something my parents decided to call me. However in the world we live in it defines us to the people we meet. My driver's license says Taylor Lee Wallace, Male, 5' 8", Brown Hair. That doesn't describe me. It's merely a simple way for the cop that just pulled me over for speeding identifies me. It doesn't come close to defining me.
Who am I? I'm a guitar player, I'm a poet, I'm an artist. Nope...that doesn't cut it, and I'll tell you why. The things I do in my life don't truly define me. Don't agree with me? Well was I any less myself when I was born than I am now? Of course not. But I wasn't a guitar player, a poet, or an artist then. These are fairly recent decisions I have made. Who knows, in a few months, years, decades I may decide that I find happiness not in my art, but in spelunking. The mind is fickle. Does that mean I'm less of myself than I was before? More? No. I'm myself from the minute I'm born to the minute I die, whether I'm an artist, business man, bank robber, or a mental patient. These merely answer what I do, not who I am.
I could keep finding faulty answers to this question, but its pointless. I'm not ready for the answer. I can't seem to fathom it. I don't quit, but I accept that I am myself, whatever that is. I know that it's more than my body, more than my name, more than my talents. These are merely vessels through which the self is expressed and explores.
"Existence or Consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real, the pictures are mere shadows on it."
-Ramana Maharshi
When staying up pondering with my pal we attempted to explore the teachings of Ramana. I was new to his teachings, as I am now...however echoes of Plato's allegory of The Cave bounce around my head after reading this. The reason I ask myself who I am in an effort to silence my troubling thoughts is to remind myself that I am myself. I exist. That's pretty much it. Where can I go from there? The answer is here.
I'm going off my previous entries, so you may want to read them before this one if you haven't already. One more thing before diving into this: I'm pretty skeptical of lots of things, I'm not attempting set anything in stone. None of this is concrete. I'm constantly exploring. These entries serve to organize my musings and reflect on the readings and teachings I encounter.
A couple of weeks ago I stayed up till around 4am talking about a number of things with a friend of mine, it's a bummer I didn't record the conversation because at the time it was eye opening but now its foggy, I'm going to attempt to dust off the cob webs.
In my previous entry I explored Descartes' idea that there is a separation between the body and the mind/soul. Assuming my exploration was sound one thing we can be certain of in this world is that we exist, not necessarily physically, for this could merely be an illusion, dream, or a shadow, but beyond this realm. To Descartes the true essence seemed to be the mind, but that's problematic.
The mind is our friend in exploration of ourselves, but in the end it is also a crutch for it is rooted in the physical realm. Anxiety, whether agitated by external agencies originates in the mind. When we start to question our actions, just as I question every sentence typed into this entry, anxiety grows. I sit alone. Only the pressure of time is present at the moment, and yet I feel anxious. My thoughts are loud and disorganized. Why? Unfortunately it seems my mind takes a purely subjective stance at the moment. In fact the mind is purely subjective in its rawest state. We learn from our experiences, and surroundings, perceived by our senses. Descartes stated that our senses distract us from the truth and can be deceptive. How then can we trust the mind? It's so easily molded by what we come across in our lives. The only thing truly proved by Descartes' arguments is not that the mind exists, but that the self exists. There is a separation from the body and the self. This body is a shell. It's an object. I am more than my body.
In an effort to quiet the mind as thoughts arise we can ask our mind a question: To whom has this thought arisen? Naturally we answer to me. However, a follow up question is necessary: Who am I? One of the most powerful questions a philosopher can ask if you think about it.
I stray from this initial point of duality (the separation between body and self) to talk about how society and the world we live in has shaped our perceptions.
Who am I? Well...I'm Taylor Lee Wallace. But this isn't true, not purely at least. My name means nothing at all. It does not define me, it's merely something my parents decided to call me. However in the world we live in it defines us to the people we meet. My driver's license says Taylor Lee Wallace, Male, 5' 8", Brown Hair. That doesn't describe me. It's merely a simple way for the cop that just pulled me over for speeding identifies me. It doesn't come close to defining me.
Who am I? I'm a guitar player, I'm a poet, I'm an artist. Nope...that doesn't cut it, and I'll tell you why. The things I do in my life don't truly define me. Don't agree with me? Well was I any less myself when I was born than I am now? Of course not. But I wasn't a guitar player, a poet, or an artist then. These are fairly recent decisions I have made. Who knows, in a few months, years, decades I may decide that I find happiness not in my art, but in spelunking. The mind is fickle. Does that mean I'm less of myself than I was before? More? No. I'm myself from the minute I'm born to the minute I die, whether I'm an artist, business man, bank robber, or a mental patient. These merely answer what I do, not who I am.
I could keep finding faulty answers to this question, but its pointless. I'm not ready for the answer. I can't seem to fathom it. I don't quit, but I accept that I am myself, whatever that is. I know that it's more than my body, more than my name, more than my talents. These are merely vessels through which the self is expressed and explores.
"Existence or Consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real, the pictures are mere shadows on it."
-Ramana Maharshi
When staying up pondering with my pal we attempted to explore the teachings of Ramana. I was new to his teachings, as I am now...however echoes of Plato's allegory of The Cave bounce around my head after reading this. The reason I ask myself who I am in an effort to silence my troubling thoughts is to remind myself that I am myself. I exist. That's pretty much it. Where can I go from there? The answer is here.
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