mon, dec14, 2015

Sartre
Since a person can choose to be good or cruel, he is neither of those things essentially. To claim
that existence precedes essence is to assert that there is no such predetermined essence to be found in
humans, and that an individual’s essence is defined by him or her through how he or she creates and
lives his or her life. As Sartre puts it in his Existentialism is a Humanism: “man first of all exists,
encounters himself, surges up in the world – and defines himself afterwards.”

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Personal Note
The world as a neutral gauntlet where equal opportunity for good and evil are present at all
times, and one chooses one or the other in building character. It is a place where we are free to choose
our own paths apart from interference with the Hyper-Real. We can choose to connect with the Hyper-
Real for guidance but at peril of judgment from others. It’s therefore at this point in history a solitary
act. Not enough research or even discussion exists within social context to synthesize an appropriate
and accepted language to discuss it. Creating religious frameworks around those connections is
dangerous, because of biases that redirect or appropriate or define such experiences in a way that limits them. However it is the absence of frameworks that makes it so hard to understand them. Modern science will only accept what can be measured, so things like experience, dreams, imagination, etc., are dismissed of relevance apart from those physiological aspects that occur during such happenings which can be measured. These are things like changes in heart rate, increased brain activity, and chemicals released in the body. Because meaningful personal experience cannot be quantified, it cannot be deemed “real.” It is a limit of science, but an acceptable one, because what is is more important to record and pass on and build on than what might be. A hypothesis that cannot be put through the scientific method remains a speculation. People have always tried to make claims about the validity of mystical experience, but because such experiences cannot be measured tested or synthesized, the scientific community dismisses them as pseudo-etc.
This is where the idea of an Artifact becomes important. If an artifact could be brought back, it
could be offered as a measurable object, which would give credence to these experiences. It would
bridge metaphysics with science. However, it may be that substances from the other place cannot exist in this realm, which seems to be the case so far. One type of Artifact that could travel back and forth is
an idea. It would have to be something novel. Many inventors claimed to have come up with new
devices in dreams. So it would have to be something more than a new advancement or something that
can be attributed to a putting together of existent concepts in a novel way. An idea would have to be
something completely different. Another possibility is to come back altered somehow, in a way that
allows a person to be loosened from the constraints of the physical realm, who can train others to be
likewise altered. None of these approaches to finding an Artifact should be ordered as less possible or
more desirable than another, because dismissed notions are left behind which may hold the answer.
This train of thought has gotten way off track from what Sartre was talking about, but it is the
main idea that all others swirl around lately.

Camus
A central theme is that since the world “in-itself” is absurd, that is, not “fair”, then a meaningful
life can at any point suddenly lose all its meaning. The reasons why this happens are many, ranging from
a tragedy that “tears a person’s world apart,” to the results of an honest inquiry into one’s own
existence. Such an encounter can make a person mentally unstable, and avoiding such instability by
making people aware of their condition and ready to handle it is one of the central themes of
existentialism. Aside from these “psychological” issues, it is also claimed that these encounters with the
absurd are where we are most in touch with our condition as humans. Such an encounter cannot be
without philosophical significance, and existentialist philosophers derive many metaphysical theories
from these encounters.

Personal Experience
An early belief of some philosophers of Ancient Greece was that the mind was like a recording
device and simply kept somehow-objective records of what the senses experienced. This was believed in
the Western world into the 20th century until cognitive psychology experiments decisively proved that it
was not true, and that many events were simply filled in by the mind, based on what “should be”. This,
among other things, explained why eyewitness accounts of events often were so widely varied.

In Ancient Rome it was believed that personal experience was part of some divine or species-wide
collective experience. This gave rise to notions of racial memory, national mission, and such notions as
racism and patriotism. It was likely easier to create political movements and military morale with such
notions, than a strictly personal idea of experience. Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell were notable
investigators of these ideas of collective experience in the 20th century.

During the Enlightenment, there was rigorous investigation of these ideas. Immanuel Kant noted that it
was only possible to explain “experience and its objects” as a consequence of each other: either
experience makes those objects possible, or those objects make experience possible. This is seen today
as dualism, and denying the possibility of a third thing making both experience and whatever reality its
objects have, both possible. That thing could be a more universal cognition, as proposed in some
versions of Christianity or Gaia philosophy.

Gaia Philosophy
Living organisms on a planet will affect the nature of their environment in order to make the
environment more suitable for life. This set of theories holds that all organisms on a life-giving planet
regulate the biosphere in such a way as to promote its habitability. Gaia concept draws a connection
between the survivability of a species (hence its evolutionary course) and its usefulness to the survival of
other species. While there were a number of precursors to Gaia theory, the first scientific form of this
idea was proposed as the Gaia hypothesis by James Lovelock, a UK chemist, in 1970. The Gaia hypothesis deals with the concept of Biological homeostasis, and claims the resident life forms of a host
planet coupled with their environment have acted and act like a single, self-regulating system. This
system includes the near-surface rocks, the soil, and the atmosphere. Today many scientists consider
such ideas to be unsupported by, or at odds with, the available evidence (see recent criticism). These
theories are however significant in green politics.

Consciousness
Max Velmans and Susan Schneider wrote in The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness:
“Anything that we are aware of at a given moment forms part of our consciousness, making conscious
experience at once the most familiar and most mysterious aspect of our lives.” At one time
consciousness was viewed with skepticism by many scientists, but in recent years it has become a
significant topic of research in psychology, neuropsychology and neuroscience. The primary focus is on
understanding what it means biologically and psychologically for information to be present in
consciousness—that is, on determining the neural and psychological correlates of consciousness. The
majority of experimental studies assess consciousness by asking human subjects for a verbal report of
their experiences (e.g., “tell me if you notice anything when I do this”). Issues of interest include
phenomena such as subliminal perception, blindsight, denial of impairment, and altered states of
consciousness produced by alcohol and other drugs, or spiritual or meditative techniques. In medicine,
consciousness is assessed by observing a patient’s arousal and responsiveness, and can be seen as a
continuum of states ranging from full alertness and comprehension, through disorientation, delirium,
loss of meaningful communication, and finally loss of movement in response to painful stimuli.
There are some brain states in which consciousness seems to be absent, including dreamless
sleep, coma, and death. There are also a variety of circumstances that can change the relationship
between the mind and the world in less drastic ways, producing what are known as altered states of
consciousness. Altered states can be accompanied by changes in thinking, disturbances in the sense of
time, feelings of loss of control, changes in emotional expression, alternations in body image and
changes in meaning or significance. During ordinary non-dream sleep, people who are awakened report
only vague and sketchy thoughts, and their experiences do not cohere into a continuous narrative.
During dream sleep, in contrast, people who are awakened report rich and detailed experiences in
which events form a continuous progression, which may however be interrupted by bizarre or fantastic
intrusions. Thought processes during the dream state frequently show a high level of irrationality. Both
dream and non-dream states are associated with severe disruption of memory: it usually disappears in
seconds during the non-dream state, and in minutes after awakening from a dream unless actively
refreshed. The most extensive study of the characteristics of altered states of consciousness was made by
psychologist Charles Tart in the 1960s and 1970s. Tart analyzed a state of consciousness as made up of a
number of component processes, including exteroception (sensing the external world); interoception
(sensing the body); input-processing (seeing meaning); emotions; memory; time sense; sense of
identity; evaluation and cognitive processing; motor output; and interaction with the environment. Each
of these, in his view, could be altered in multiple ways by drugs or other manipulations. The components that Tart identified have not, however, been validated by empirical studies. Research in this area has not
yet reached firm conclusions, but a recent questionnaire-based study identified eleven significant
factors contributing to drug-induced states of consciousness: experience of unity; spiritual experience;
blissful state; insightfulness; disembodiment; impaired control and cognition; anxiety; complex imagery;
elementary imagery; audio-visual synesthesia; and changed meaning of precepts.

Phenomenology
In neuroscience, a great deal of effort has gone into investigating how the perceived world of
conscious awareness is constructed inside the brain. The process is generally thought to involve two
primary mechanisms: (1) hierarchical processing of sensory inputs, and (2) memory. Signals arising from
sensory organs are transmitted to the brain and then processed in a series of stages, which extract
multiple types of information from the raw input. In the visual system, for example, sensory signals from
the eyes are transmitted to the thalamus and then to the primary visual cortex; inside the cerebral
cortex they are sent to areas that extract features such as three-dimensional structure, shape, color, and
motion.[133] Memory comes into play in at least two ways. First, it allows sensory information to be
evaluated in the context of previous experience. Second, and even more importantly, working memory
allows information to be integrated over time so that it can generate a stable representation of the
world—Gerald Edelman expressed this point vividly by titling one of his books about consciousness The
Remembered Present.[134] In computational neuroscience, Bayesian approaches to brain function have
been used to understand both the evaluation of sensory information in light of previous experience, and
the integration of information over time. Bayesian models of the brain are probabilistic inference
models, in which the brain takes advantage of prior knowledge to interpret uncertain sensory inputs in
order to formulate a conscious precept; Bayesian models have successfully predicted many perceptual
phenomena in vision and the non-visual senses.

PN
Our experiences shape the way we interpret sensory input. Our way of understanding what
we’re hearing seeing smelling may change depending on significant experiences that attach themselves
to our fundamental way of thinking, or cognitive processes.

Platonism
The primary concept is the Theory of Forms. The only true being is founded upon the forms, the eternal,
unchangeable, perfect types, of which particular objects of moral and responsible sense are imperfect
copies. The multitude of objects of sense, being involved in perpetual change, are thereby deprived of
all genuine existence. In the third century, Plotinus recast Plato’s system, establishing Neoplatonism, in which Middle Platonism was fused with mysticism. At the summit of existence stands the One or the Good, as the
source of all things. It generates from itself, as if from the reflection of its own being, reason, the nous, –
wherein is contained the infinite store of ideas. The world-soul, the copy of the nous, is generated by
and contained in it, as the nous is in the One, and, by informing matter in itself nonexistent, constitutes bodies whose existence is contained in the world-soul. Nature therefore is a whole, endowed with life
and soul. Soul, being chained to matter, longs to escape from the bondage of the body and return to its
original source. In virtue and philosophical thought it has the power to elevate itself above the reason
into a state of ecstasy, where it can behold, or ascend to, that one good primary Being whom reason
cannot know. To attain this union with the Good, or God, is the true function of human beings.

PN
It would be wonderful to be able to pick Plato’s brain, and Socrates, too. The truth is we can,
because we have their minds, their same brains, in our heads today. They were picking the same brains
we pick when we wonder at ourselves. They left us their thoughts, and we have that to go on, but if they
were alive today their teachings might be very different, or they may have found their developed ideas
to still be true.

Project
Fish in a fish bowl, discovering the boundaries of its environment.
Using a six sided die as a randomizer, each side corresponding to a Lego block.
Legos as representations of a combining system based on a set three dimensional grid.
Reflect on possible implications in a separate segment, separate science from philosophy.
Script. Observing wave-collapse does not create new particles, it simply causes the wave to go through
dimensional transmutation which exhibits a static measurable state. This occurs at the last step of the
randomization parameter of the simulation. The same amount of matter exists before and after
measurement.

PN
It’s important to look at different religious and cultural mythologies, and gather those with
historical records and motivations for constructed myths, and determine whether a certain myth is
viable as a sole origin story, or if all of these are part of something much bigger.

Ontological Security
Ontological security is a stable mental state derived from a sense of continuity in regard to the
events in one’s life. Giddens (1991) refers to ontological security as a sense of order and continuity in
regard to an individual’s experiences. He argues that this is reliant on people’s ability to give meaning to
their lives. Meaning is found in experiencing positive and stable emotions, and by avoiding chaos and
anxiety (ibid; Elias, 1985). If an event occurs that is not consistent with the meaning of an individual’s life, this will threaten that individual’s ontological security. Ontological security also involves having a
positive view of self, the world and the future.

PN (Dreams): Descriptive/Classification/Meaning
One closes one’s eyes and sees a warm light running the length of the horizon. One is moving
toward it, and as it gets closer one sees the source of the light is coming from patterns scribed into the
surface of a long wall or gate without an opening. Closer, one sees the patterns are grooves cut through
the wall, and the light is coming from the other side. There is no gate or door, but one passes through an
opening like a letter or a symbol. On the other side, the light is vibrant and alive. All things there are
alive and moving and growing and changing. There are creatures dancing, they look like
Aztec/Mayan/Aboriginal American figures. There are plants and landscape. There are building type
structures. All is made of living light. They are celebrating, or welcoming, or simply doing what it is they
always do. One calls this place the temple or holy city. It might be okay to call it that. One moves above
and beyond this scene, carried on. One then passes through a hole in the sky, then another, then many
more, like passing through holes cut in the pages of a book. The worlds in-between each are different
(and solid unlike the temple which is made of living light), but only observed for a moment in rapid
succession. It is a beautiful thing to see. One is a small orb of white light, like a star, suspended in a vast darkness. There are other orbs also suspended in that place, separated by small dark solid blocks like cubes but maybe not entirely square. The cubes are evenly spaced, and seem to have the function of holding the orbs in even spacing. The structure of these two types of objects is like a three dimensional grid. There is no feeling of desire, no apparent will is present, only perfect contentedness and patience apparently existent in
lack of any knowledge. There is a brightness to the left and down, some distance away, like a galactic
cluster of mostly white light though other colors may be present, however a lack of knowledge may
make the significance of color null. For instance, one does not compare oneself to any other state of
being. There is one, and one is different from the others present in that place, but there is no
significance or value assumed.

One returns
One is stopped in one’s tracks by a column of red and black light. The column is rectangular. The
top is visible but the bottom stretches on and below out of sight. The column is covered in squares of
changing images. Light comes from the images, but it is controlled. The column demands an answer to a
question of one’s intentions; are you here for good or not good? There is an ellipse that appears, on one
side is a + sign and a – on the other. One lowers one’s gaze and states that one’s intentions are only for
the good. One is allowed to pass without further question.

One returns
Shiva is here, dancing as Nataraja, with the head of a dragon or tiger carved in stone. One
receives it perplexed, because one has never had any thought of or had acknowledged Shiva before.

One returns
One is in a room of blue light. Moving through a space like a large room made of glass. There is a
staircase leading upward to a platform. The staircase is long with at least two winds connected by a brief
landing, or opening to a lower platform. The structures are all clear and pure like glass, and the light
seems to shine through it all or emanate from it. There is yellow light, too, but this light seems separate
or accents the blue. One moves upward, apart from the staircase, toward the platform or upper floor.
The staircase may extend farther up, but it doesn’t seem important. There is a simply designed yet
substantial chair positioned to overlook the room. There is a figure seated on the chair, and the figure
watches the one pass by. There is no perceivable judgment from the figure, only what seems to be a
simple acknowledgement of the presence. The one feels safe in that place, and some kind of positive
emotion at the figure’s acknowledgement, and one moves on someplace else.

One stays
One for a moment sees the eye of Kali, Parvati, Adi Shakti, perhaps, looking into one, and one
looks back at her in wonder and joy, for a moment.

One stays
One is in a vast open dark space. There is one or are two entities with one. These are teaching
one about the nature of one’s being. One sees for a moment the sky becoming clear, like wiping a hand across a fogged window, and through the clarity there is a being. The being is in featureless bronze like a bodysuit, and has a single red horizontal visor like an eye. There is writing in a strange language on the glass separating the two worlds. The being looks to the right, moves, and the fog of the sky returns to normal.

One returns
One sees everything in ultraviolet light. The light is beautiful and preferred to the light of the sun
or the light of men. There is a growing, connecting building up in front of one like a wall of blocks. The
blocks are made of light, orange, red, yellow, but they are solid, like one is being walled in. It is scary.
Before, when there was movement, objects carried with them instances of memory of previous
positions that faded with progress. These objects are different, they stack and mount up and out but
they do not fade at all, and one feels that one is being trapped. It is the first time fear is felt. Fear is born
in one as freedom is blocked.

One stays
The Ganglio is here, present with one, in this realm. It is life and knowledge and a presence of all
good things which leaves no room for the bad. The confuse is dissolved for a time. It becomes too much,
and one has to ask to be allowed to live, because the presence of so much of the happy and the alive
make it hard to want to stay and complete the goal of the confuse, whatever that may be. But one comes to the understanding of what that may be. It is in this place at this time that one comes to
understand the Meaning without doubt or confusion. It is like a gift.