The actual quote from Dostoevsky’s “Notes From The Underground,” goes as follows: “And yet I think man will never renounce real suffering, that is, destruction and chaos. Why, suffering is the sole origin of consciousness. Though I did lay it down at the beginning that consciousness is the greatest misfortune for man, yet I know … Continue reading Origins of Consciousness
The only means of strengthening one's intelligence is to make up one's mind about nothing-- to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. - John Keats (1795 - 1821) No matter what aspect of conscious experience we wish to consider, whether it involves a clearly temporal action or event like wrestling an alligator, … Continue reading The Dynamics of Consciousness
Life moves forward always. It swirls and slides and strikes at the very heart of me. At this point in my life, having accumulated more than sixty years of living memory, looking back, for me, is long. For at least that long, I have held on to some specific recollections of my early days. Of … Continue reading Memories and Humble Beginnings
There have been a number of indications in my daily experience recently which seem to point toward an opening to a new direction in my ongoing pursuit to begin to unravel some of the mystery presented by our struggle to understand the nature and character of our subjective experience of human consciousness, and to present … Continue reading Just A Coincidence?
Daffodils announce the Season For those of us on the East Coast of the USA, it finally is beginning to feel like Spring! The recent rise in daily temperatures to the more seasonable level found me searching for a Spring theme to share with my readers here and in the process, I came upon a … Continue reading Finally…Spring!
The subjective experience of consciousness, as all functionally cognitive people know it, is in a constant state of flux. The person you were yesterday when you experienced your first ride on a roller coaster or jumped out of a perfectly good airplane for the first time is not the same person you are today, having … Continue reading Spiritual Resonance
Being an individual on our planet, in our solar system, in our galaxy, in this universe, is only one component of our reality, not the whole story. There is a comprehensive wholeness to the universe—to reality—to existence—within that universe, which consists of physical matter, governed by physical laws, as well as a variety of unknowns … Continue reading Beyond the Material World: A Non-Physical Reality?
The debate has raged for centuries. Ancient religions have wrestled with the notion of the existence of a separate “individual self or soul,” which might actually be a mental illusion (Maya) blocking our efforts to eventually attain true enlightenment. According to the Eastern philosophical view, release from the relentless cycles of Samsara (Moksha) requires abandonment … Continue reading Taking Care of Your “Self?”
Mist and Shadows “Home is behind the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread, Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are all alight.” “Mist and shadows, cloud and shade— All shall fade, all shall fade.” Follow the link below to hear the song: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1307202833541080/ Lyrics and Music from Lord … Continue reading Mist and Shadows
I came across this quote a while ago, and at first felt as though Epicurus was simply trying to encourage people of all ages to be open to acquiring wisdom, regardless of their age. Thinking about it at length, though, I wondered if his phrasing was sufficiently clear. The idea of “seeking wisdom,” while noble … Continue reading The Wisdom of Seeking
John's Consciousness 