Many philosophers believe that Mind and Body are separated. Descartes, is often believed to be the father of dualism. However, I find that his famous statement of mind and body is imbued with great irony. When Descartes famously said:

I think therefore I am

he basically described the continuum that exists between the Mind (what I call Consciousness) and the physical body.

Think of Consciousness as being the most ethereal (lightest) of all substances – e.g. fundamental. Think of the physical body as a condensation of Consciousness (ethereal) into something more dense (physical matter).  All substances, even Qi (the Chinese word for energy in the body), can be described as condensed Consciousness.  Everything is either more solid or less solid depending upon the density of Consciousness.

It is as if Consciousness is playing with spiraling string, and it is winding it tighter or looser to make things. When people weave with material, they do the same thing. Consciousness creates the physical body by spiraling itself in like a string being wound around and around itself, such as you would if you wanted to make a ball out of string (the metaphor of modern physic’s string theory comes into play here).

Alex Gray’s paintings captures the idea of the continuum of Consciousness and the Physical Body.

So when Descartes exclaimed I think therefore I am he actually was describing something very, very different from dualism. Instead of being separated, Consciousness and Physical Body are a continuum of the same. All intertwined and connected like waves in an ocean.

I wonder if he realized it and was just afraid to articulate it because of the religious times. Maybe he was misinterpreted? Maybe he didn’t even realize it himself. Who knows? But the irony always strikes me as being very amusing and exciting.

I also found this very nice web page that explains with graphics in simple terms the wave-particle duality of light.

[/caption]” target=”_blank”>Einstein Explained – Explore – The Lab – Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Gateway to Science

Zajonc asks the question:

What is the nature of this invisible thing called light whose presence calls everything into view – excepting itself?

It is something interesting to ponder. Please comment if you please.

Please vote.Thanks.

1) energy (the Chinese call this Qi), to move the blood and fluids. This is like the energy provided by the generator.
2) blood and fluids to nourish the body and remove toxins. This is similar to the function of oil in a car.

So to create these two necessary functions, it would be best to:

1) Clean water.
2) Clean air and good breathing.
3) Lots of nice clean vegetables.
4) A reasonable amount of clean fruits (not juices – too concentrated).
5) A good amount of whole grains.
6) Some small amounts of fish and poultry to taste.
7) Occasional meats if you like.
Nothing cold and very little raw (obstructs digestive process)
9) Very small amounts of non-water liquids.
10) Avoid processed foods especially sugars and dairy.

All this provides the raw material for creating healthy energy in the body. However, the body has to be well oiled so that it can digest and assimilate. That means getting plenty of movement in life (including sunlight) and avoid obstructions in the body, e.g. fat, stagnation caused by sitting around, stress related stagnation (clench your fist to understand what I mean), constrictions within the body caused by muscle building exercises, such as weight lifting.

A well functioning body can live quite a long time without any outside assistance. I do yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong daily as well as eat well, self-massage by body, and get plenty of sun and energy from walking around.

The Moving Antenna Transmitter

Since the brain and spine are so essential to our existence, many health systems such as yoga and Chinese Qigong and Tai Chi, place emphasis on a health, flexible spine and brain, and achieve this health through a variety of breathing, moving, meditation and dietary lifestyle practices.

I borrow from Chinese metaphysics an additional idea which places the human organs as the seat of human existence:

1. human spirit: the initial spark which is seated in the heart
2. soul: transcendental part that lives through many lives and holds what is learned (what we might call inherited characteristics) and is seated in the liver
3. physical body: which exists for this life and is seated in the lungs
4. the creative mind: which imagines and is seated in the spleen
5. the will: which drives us to survive and continue to explore and is seated in the kidneys

The brain/spine connect to the organs and form the essential human existence.

1) There is one large Consciousness.

Listening not to me but to the LOGOS it is wise to agree that all things are one. [Heraclitus]

The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth. [Dao De Jing - I]

2) There are many individual Consciousness that manifest in many ways, including human forms. The Universe can be thought of as an ocean with many waves. The Large Consciousness and the Individual  Consciousness are all part of the same fabric, and cannot be distinguished from each other. However, each wave, and each Individual Consciousness is distinct, while at the same time, are seamless tied together as one Large Ocean of Consciousness.

The named was the mother of the myriad creatures. [Dao De Jing - I]

3) Everything is in constant motion.

The Dao  is to to the world as the River and the Sea are to revulets and streams. [Dao De Jing -XXXII]

Everything flows and nothing stays. [Heraclitus]

4) The motion is a result of Consciousness (Large and Invidual] creating new things, exploring new ideas, and playing with other Individual Consciousness.

5) Each Individual Consciousness is exploring in the way it so wishes using its Will. As it develops new understanding, it gains skills. These skills are retained from one physical life to the next. It is sometimes called inherited characteristics. Every Individual has different skills that it has learned, and is learning to learn new skills.

6) Every Individual Consciousness is on its own creative journey. They are all distinct and following their own path.

7) Conflicts between Individual Consciousness bring about change. This embodies the concept of Yin and Yang and the flow between them in Eastern Daoism  philosophy.

Conflict is the father of all. [Heraclitus]

The Yin Yang symbol, often identified with Daoism, exemplifies the conflict between opposites, the motion that is created by the flow between opposites, all that is created from this motion from one pole to the next. An electric circuit diagram does the same.

Yin Yang symbolizes motion, conflict and creation

We are all playing with these motions. Within ourselves and with each other. That is why is called a Play.

]]> http://meaningoflifephilosophy.com/essentials/essentials-meaning-of-life/feed/ 0 http://meaningoflifephilosophy.com/essentials/essentials-meaning-of-life/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MyMeaningOfLifeAndPhilosophy/~3/xOT2k62mVxY/ http://meaningoflifephilosophy.com/consciousness/evolving-universe-consciousness-soul/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:39:13 +0000 richrf http://meaningoflifephilosophy.com/?p=23 My most favorite clip about life and the evolution of consciousness was left to us for our amusement by the late Itzhak Bentov, in this video interview about the Evolution of the Soul and the Nervous System.

It is marvelous that this interview can be found on the YouTube. It is a part of the whole interview that can be found on on the DVD From Atom to Cosmos.

It is somewhat interesting that both Heraclitus and Laozi (Lao Tzu) both observed that the world is in a constant flux and always changing and evolving. For them, there was no one Truth, but rather a constant changing world that can go this way or that.

Heraclitus famously said:

You cannot step in the same river twice.

Laozi’s Dao De Jing makes many analogies to life and flowing water. Water is forever changing and overcomes all. Interestingly, Laozi and Heraclitus lived at about the same time, 500 B.C. and one can only conjecture whether their thoughts evolved independently as part of the greater human consciousness, or whether their thoughts were shared by traders and travelers.

As life forms of all types explore, learn, and evolve, that which was True one instant nor longer is True. All has changed, because we are always changing.

During the interview, Bentov presents his views, that we are all always evolving as part of human conssciousness, that there is are transcendent souls that continues to evolve as part of the greater human consciousness, and that we are evolving no matter what. In other words, there is no rush.

No matter what, we will change and evolve, and it is all a matter of which direction we wish to go.

The earliest game we play as babies is Peek-a-Boo. The baby in the crib will often look for itself in the mirror. The baby is amused by the game.

As we grow older we add complexity to the game, as we join groups of children to play a more advanced game of Hide and Seek. As adults the game takes on many forms. We are all seeking that which is hiding from us.

I have found that the macro manifests from the micro. Macro patterns exist everywhere that reveal the micro, and vice-versa. Observe a baby. The baby plays Peek-a-Boo for amusement. It is delighted and entertained in the discovery of Itself.

On the vast canvas of the Self

the picture of the manifold worlds

is painted by the Self itself.

And that Supreme Self,

seeing but itself,

enjoys great delight.

Itzhak Bentov

A Brief Tour of Higher Conciousness

I have studied many philosophers and those I owe most to are Itzhak Bentov, Heraclitus, and the writers of the Dao De Jing/Tao Te Ching usually credited to the figure Lau Tzu. I have also studied life, by observing and by doing. I have studied many things in my life. My favorite hobbies are table tennis, chess, dancing, tennis, and observing people do things. I read a lot. An awful lot. I use to read sections of the library at a time.

I use to read lots of magazines and newspapers but I learned that if I didn’t read the newspaper and magazine for a week, the news became outdated, so there was no reason to read them. I try to read only current news, but it always seems outdated by the time I read it, so I gave up trying.

I use to read about philosophy all the time. Now I write about it. Is this progress?

Sometimes I find myself playing roles in the Play of  Life (or more accurately the Game of Life). We all play our roles. Each one of us assumes different roles depending upon what we are doing. Some of us are better at the roles than others. I am particularly good at finding error.

But sometimes, I find myself in the audience, observing the Play and observing myself observing the Play. I enjoy observing people. As an observer, I seek to find patterns and make sense of the patterns. While each pattern is as unique as a snowflake, they each also share common attributes, as a snowflake.

And when I am ready, I jump back into the Play and again find myself, very seriously, and with great skill, playing the Game of Life – always with a sense of humor as did Itzhak Bentov.