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.:Philosophy :Small
Monkey Brain
by PhilosoPossum
Wading
in the Stream of Consciousness
because it feels good on my feet
Hmm. So many ideas, such a small monkey brain...
There are moments when I successfully manage to calm my neurotic monkey-mind, and the world coalesces into a state of clarity. It is from these moments that I scoop the ideas that form my metaphysical worldview. Since human consciousness is very contextual in it's nature, I understand that these concepts are sometimes very fleeting and thus I make no excuse for not being a model citizen who embodies the ideals that I often promote. However I will maintain that these moments of philosophical clarity are essential in serving as a compass to direct one's being, as we collectively rush towards the future.
A favourite premise of mine is that Life should be viewed as a story. And since the best stories are typically the exciting, epic kind, I feel it should be my goal to direct my own life such that I tap into some of this excitement. When I say that I wish for a Good Life, I do not refer to a life of luxury & recreation, since I feel there is hardly much excitement nor originality there. I mean, as much as the next guy, I want a nice place to live, a good meal and perhaps some sex if I'm lucky. However, the heart of Reality does not lie in the acquisition of goods nor in the simple delights of the physical senses; It revolves around the manifestation of dreams and the expression of Truth, Love & Creativity... and all that good stuff. I'm sure you know what I mean. ;) That being the case, I am more interested in the Future of Mankind and helping direct it in a positive direction. I keep reminding myself that every effort expended towards this goal is indeed worthwhile. Perhaps this may sound like a megalomania fantasy when one tries to apply such idealism to their actual life, but it's all a matter of perspective. I am also starting to suspect that I wasn't fated to lead a "normal" life anyway (whatever that means), so hey, why fight the system? =)
Of course I understand that paving the way to the future is the role of any artist. One purpose of Art is to reflect the realm of what is possible and to pull ideas from the Unconscious landscape, allowing them to manifest in consensus Reality. Whether or not an individual artist is conscious of their role is likely a moot point. I have decided (as a result of personal circumstance) to remain explicitly aware of this purpose and tailor my creations to this end. In my opinion, much of what is considered "good art" is art that has transcended the cultural noise that surrounds us, and thus remains timeless in it's appeal. Not to say that what I create is not heavily culture-bound, because it certainly is. However, I am choosing (attempting?) not to cloak my work in overly obscure, inaccessibly intellectualized metaphor, and thus "get to the point" as it were-- and have some fun while I'm at it. I try my best to not take myself too seriously; I'm not sure how so many monkeys have slipped into the mix, but I'm a slave to my imagination sometimes. Everything is better with a few monkeys and elves.
I'm starting to understand how I am in a position to influence peoples' attitudes. Granted, all people are in a similar position, yet very few awaken to this fact and choose to exercise this basic human faculty. I have found that creating a "positive meme" (aka ElfTrance) and placing it on the Internet (the global, public communication network) has measurable effects, both in my personal life and the environment around me. These things act as a point of inertia that drive society and culture forward. Our current society seems to be in desperate need of some fresh ideas and intelligent guidance, and even the small influences contribute to the health of the whole.
And besides, such lofty goals can be rather fun. :) As Robert Wilson suggests, I am striving to adopt a "Winner Script" for my own life. For those not familiar with this concept, the basic idea is to assume that YOU and your circle of friends are pivotal in the unfoldment of the future of society. The alternative is to assume that you're nothing but a loser who is pushed around by the world (i.e. not very inspiring). And from a metaphysical perspective, Winner Scripts such as that make perfect sense. It is your mind which coaxes the world into existence. The world is what you make of it. The quality and character of your Reality is in part due to what you choose to focus on. I could go on a long rant regarding the quantum mechanical nature of perception and the Zen paradigm of "living in the Eternal Now"...
To summarize, perspective is the key. However I would dare to suggest that not all perspectives are created equal. My question to you is, what is your perspective? And more importantly, WHY? Why do you think the way you do, and do you suspect there exist "better", more conscious, more life-affirming modes of conceiving?
I think Wilson would also agree that the world is innately funny, in a very profound way. This I can relate to. :) For instance, when I stop and think about what a crazy website I have built, I am stunned by how surreal it all is. It is a very funny situation to find oneself, I can assure you.
Of course this positive vision is in constant conflict with my personal/social life and Ego. I suppose I wouldn't be human if it were otherwise. My Ego barriers are quite strong and my anxieties run deep (just like virtually every other struggling monkey out there, such is life)... but I'm working on it. When I achieve Buddha-Consciousness I'll let you know (next Tuesday, perhaps?). Personally, I don't trust people who don't admit some degree of insecurity. :)
Finally, I like to remember that every thing that manifests in the human world must first be born in the imagination of a person. Culture represents the "downloading" of the human imagination into the physical world. It is this process that now drives the evolution of our species. Given that this is the case, it seems almost "natural" that I would be seized with the urge to spread positive cultural influence-- in my own special way. =) Ideological Darwinism for the 21st Century. And as to whether or not certain ideas are "feasible" or not is not my concern. All in good time-- I'll leave that to the engineers and shamans. Everything is possible.
But I sometimes can't believe I write this stuff. =)
Yes,
I live in my own little world.
But it's OK... they know me there.
Since it has recently evolved into a major ElfTrance theme, I've been thinking a lot about Paradigm Shifts, as I clearly plan to save the world by sitting behind my computer. However I think that Terence McKenna says it best when he argues for an optimistic (paradigm shifting) worldview. If you wish to understand my basic metaphysical foundation (at the moment of writing this), I would highly recommend listening to the following lecture by McKenna, titled Vertigo at History's Edge. Although I have no intent to start buying antique furniture, the rest of his lecture is very inspiring. :) Download it by right-clicking here. (this is a 12 MB download).
If you would like some more good ideas that are properly articulated, read the following by David Abram on Gaia. This is an excellent essay on the perceptual implications of accepting the Gaian paradigm.
Bad paradigms cause lots of problems. It is not an accident that the modern world is experiencing so many problems. The fundamental paradigm underlying most peoples' minds is ill-equipped to handle the challenges of our current age. Maladaptive paradigms at the personal level are eventually, inevitably, compounded to resolve themselves within the scope of society as a whole. Humans will never solve their current batch of problems without first shifting their perspective on the world. This gradual process starts at the personal level, then propagates outwards as more and more people make their own inner transitions.
"I think that many of the problems we have come from a too narrow scientific paradigm or model of reality which creates a split between the mind of educated people and their feelings and experience. This creates a split in our entire culture which is at the root of our ecological crisis and the sense of alienation and loss of meaning. I think a more holistic and inclusive scientific approach will help heal this split and improve our relations with the natural world around us and each other"
-- Rupert Sheldrake
I agree with Mr. Sheldrake. For the most part, our models of Reality are quite outdated and are in desperate need of modification. Of course these things are always easier to implement on paper (or computer screen, as the case may be), but I am still hopeful though. CIA conspiracy theories aside, the battle hasn't been lost yet.
But in the meantime, I also wonder about the implications of things like Time Travel. In addition, I often wonder what will happen when I die? The classical monotheistic worldview is obviously too simple... But then again, atheism also really annoys me. With regard to theories of the universe, I'm more keen on observing the self-similarity and fractal nature of Reality. I also feel there is much to be gained by investigating the metaphysical implications of astrophysics.
I also sometimes wonder about the Gaia Hypothesis. I've encountered a glimpse of what I would consider the Gaian Mind before... but in case you haven't, I won't discuss it for fear of what you will think of me. :) It is sad how much of our expression is limited by fear of social consequence. Speaking of expression, here is a candid reflection of my mindset and "mission" during the month of March. Can you sense that I had a rough month? ;) Naive as I sometimes feel, I know I'm on the right track...
[cartoon from "Sinfest"]
"Contemplation of the divine meaning
underlying the workings of the universe
gives to the man
who is called upon to influence others
the means of producing like effects."
I suspect there's a puzzle here. All of these rambling words are clearly insignificant in the face of the ineffable Mystery that is the World, but I still feel I should try (invoking my Philosopher's Bill of Rights that came with my membership). However I do not claim to have extreme proficiency in written expression. Alas, I feel writing is somewhat awkward, since it is remarkably difficult to effectively communicate my intent using merely the alphabet. Forms of visual language (such as Flash perhaps?) are better adapted for this task.
But it's still more productive than working on my golf swing, wouldn't you agree? I don't play golf. Golf as fun, occasional recreation is fine. Golf as a personal obsession (to the exclusion of all else, as is fashionable in our addictive culture) is more pathetic than I care to speak of. The very idea of a human being devoting his existence to methodically knocking a ball into a hole makes me squirt milk out my nose in laughter... (although it is hard to blame Tiger Woods for making the $420 thousand billion that is his salary... ahhh.... rich people... ) ... but I digress.
Science, Religion, the future and history of Mankind, aliens, elves, DMT, Salvinorin-A, psilocybin, alchemical illumination, immortal souls, the nature of Time, self-organized evolution of matter & mind, frontal lobes, neural implants, nanotechnology, black holes, critical mass, pineal glands, spiral galaxies, dark matter, cosmogenesis, timewave zero, visual language, transpersonal consciousness, the capacity for creativity within the human mind, and Natural Intelligence...
"You can change and mutate and keep improving. The idea is to keep "trading up" to a "better" philosophy-theology."
I constantly wonder how it is that people don't find all this as amazing as I do. Quite frankly, I'm amazed to merely exist at all... but I guess I'm weird that way. I enjoy the assertion of Alan Watts that every person is actually a philosopher, on account of just being alive in this world. The question is: Are you a good one? Or do you rather take the world for granted?
When you really think hard about what it means to exist, the conclusions seem to demand a certain degree of attention if one is honest with oneself.
Of course I likely don't know what the hell I'm talking about. Words always fail when I try to express these things coherently. I'm learning that it is a fine art to outwardly express and effectively communicate what you intuitively feel/understand. As Robert Wilson observed in his book Prometheus Rising:
"The miracle of Beethoven is not that he felt the universe that way-- but that he mastered the art of music with such skill that he could communicate such experiences, which is precisely what the ordinary "mystic" cannot do."
Well I'll do my best, but no promises. :)
