One of the greatest musicians of our time, and featured on one of my all-time favorite recordings, Van Cliburn demonstrated some of the finest qualities to which a person can aspire. Some of my earliest memories include listening to recordings of Van Cliburn performing as he did all over the world, and it seems I … Continue reading Van Cliburn 1934-2013
The extraordinary complexity of the human brain, which developed over millions of years of evolution, has finally produced creatures who can acknowledge their existence in a way that complex artificial physical systems may never do. The correlation between the processing of information in the brain, and that which takes place in our most sophisticated computers, … Continue reading A Summary of Quotes from My Blog on Consciousness
As human beings, we are, in large part, unremarkably different from many other species on our planet in our physical core components and basic constituent parts and systems. In our most fundamental nature, we exist physically as they do, we are made up of the same essential molecular structures, we rely on very similar biological … Continue reading A Fundamental Theory of Consciousness
If you've been working with a personal computer for any length of time in your home or office, (and I think it's safe to say most everyone has at least some experience in this regard) or even if you've just heard other people talking about them, you may have heard them use the term "meltdown" … Continue reading Computer Meltdown
Recent reading brought my attention back to a book of Celtic wisdom that I read years ago called, "Anam Cara," written by John O'Donahue. In that wonderful collection of words, O'Donahue explains the meaning of the phrase like this: "The anam cara was a person to whom you could reveal the hidden intimacies of your … Continue reading Sunrise to Sunset: A metaphor for life
The title of this posting is a bit overreaching, I admit, but if you will be patient and have been following along here, I think I can point the conversation in that direction, even if it takes a few additional postings to get through it. My friend and fellow blogger, Marc Schuster, passed along a … Continue reading Existence is Consciousness
Recently in email I received a link to a video that presented a poem by Kate Nowak called, "May You Be Blessed." It's a very nice sentiment expressed in the poem, and her efforts have been re-posted quite often. I couldn't help admiring her idea, but I really felt like it needed a response. Here … Continue reading The Abundance of Life and Love
It was early morning on the last day of summer vacation in the mountains, and I rose early to take in the sunrise on the river. Having spent the last few days constructing a raft, as I had learned to do from one older and wiser, I felt confident that I could navigate the lazy … Continue reading Why I Felt I Must Do It Again
Relief sculpture of battle scene in the Vatican Museum, Rome, Italy. “In these confused and restless zones, in which present blends with future in a world of upheaval, we stand face-to-face with all the grandeur—the unprecedented grandeur—of the phenomenon of man. What has made us so different from our forbearers, so ambitious too, and so … Continue reading The Phenomenon of Consciousness
A Spirit Born To Be Yours A long time ago, In centuries past, You and I existed On a plane that can No longer be reached. It is in the past, But it is also now, And it is also tomorrow. We were lovers. We breathed the same air. Our lips pressed together; Our hearts … Continue reading A Spirit Born To Be Yours
John's Consciousness 