During this time of social isolation, as we join in the efforts to support each other and to slow the progress of the recent proliferation of the virus spreading across the globe, it is important to keep in mind that even as we must sacrifice our routines and leave our normal social activities unattended for … Continue reading Isolation Intuition
"It has certainly been true in the past that what we call intelligence and scientific discovery has conveyed a survival advantage...provided the universe has evolved in a regular way, we might expect the reasoning abilities that natural selection has given us would be valid also in our search...and so would not lead us to … Continue reading Reason and Intuition
Chateau de Beloiel Library in Hainaut, Belgium, founded in the 17th century has over 20,000 volumes Visiting the library was one of the most anticipated activities in my young life as a boy, beginning with many memorable trips to the local library in my hometown. My parents were eager to encourage our love of reading … Continue reading Library Love and Publication Passion
Way back in 1976, a film appeared on the scene called, “Logan’s Run,” starring Michael York as a law enforcement “sandman,” tracking down people trying to escape from being “renewed,” at the age of thirty, in a futuristic dystopian world where no one grows old. He is assigned to go undercover and expose a place … Continue reading The Allure of Sanctuary
Reflecting back over the years of my life now has taken on a wholly different character and sense of urgency. Each time I sit down to write these days, I am reminded by all of the objects surrounding me that the accumulation of years has also resulted in an enormous accumulation of memories and souvenirs … Continue reading Forging Ahead
When I began this blog in earnest back in January of 2011, my general goals were to share my decades-long journey of personal development, to express what I had learned while researching the nature of the events which occurred in my youth, and to invite my readers to join me in considering some of the … Continue reading Looking Back and Looking Forward
A recent conversation with a psychologist friend of mine brought up the importance of our very human version of neurobiology, and how little we still understand about the complex neurobiological processes that are responsible for behavior and our ability to interact with our fellow cognitive creatures. While much has been discovered about the mechanisms of … Continue reading Mind Matters
Winter has finally begun to lose its grasp on the world around me, and as it wanes, I find myself in a fairly predictable state of mind for this time of year. It generally feels like a sort of aching melancholy or some leftover winter suppression or vagueness in my personal emotional experience of life, … Continue reading Knowledge and Emotion
January has flown by at the speed of light it seems, and I have only today been able to find an opportunity to sit quietly at my desk and contemplate this posting--the first of the new year. It has been a tumultuous time for us all here in America over the past several months, and … Continue reading Writer’s Are Often At A Loss For Words
Contemplating David Gelernter's new book, "The Tides of Mind," for weeks now hasn't helped me much with my own "struggles of mind," but it has opened new avenues of thought, which is always a welcome development. In particular, his imagery of a "spectrum of consciousness," with descending and ascending layers from being wide awake and … Continue reading Tides of Mind
John's Consciousness 