romansh wrote:Andreas wrote:Agreed Carmela but something tells me Romansh disagrees with you. lol
There is a thread on spirituality here somewhere. It means different things to different people apparently.
As for metaphysics, I am not sure I believe in that.
Myth is not science. Though the study of it involves a good bit of science, it is a window to ideas that cannot be measured or observed in the usual ways. Instead, myth uses art, and metaphysics is only one of a number of artful lenses people peer through to find insight, enlightenment and a path through the labyrinth that is life. There are so many artistic views and fervent belief systems and religions, and they all have their myths or dreams.
Campbell studied them all without believing in any of them. Surely, you can appreciate their value for understanding the world around us and the life within.
As for my POV, it's not that serious. If you ever need perspective on the Bear, just ask Cindy. She takes me with more than a grain of salt, and that's the best thing. I'm just a bit gabby. Blah-blah-blah...nothing comes of this. The world keeps spinning, and we're still listening to our own echoes.
How does science measure infinity? How does the rational brain understand eternity or timelessness or reality without space? How does awareness live in our brains? How are we our own selves? How are you your own self? Is location real?
At some point, to solve puzzles we have to identify our assumptions and question them. I try to assume that I am competent and trustworthy, but I don't trust myself any more. I have not worked toward any goal that makes sense. I dutifully studied in school. I lived in a family and believed what I was told to believe until it became too absurd for words. I functioned in the office and the courtroom and worked to assist a disabled person. I wrote a boring book of life stories that listed trivia and bragged about good luck and bitterly complained of unpleasant events and people. On the last part of the journey, I don't have much to show for my efforts, and I find myself to be as inadequate and flawed and failed as ever. Some days I care, and some days, I just don't care at all...not one whit.
I'm bored and disappointed when I do not use my imagination. But when I look at whatever is before me with the eyes of a child, anything is possible, there are no problems and joy is everywhere. My adult self wants to take control and stop the drones from firing on innocent people. My child self knows she is small and insignificant and alone.
There are men who want drones and death. I cannot stop them. I can only look away and protect myself from the grief with stories and ivory tower classes and internet wanderings and pretending that any of this goes beyond these little taps on letters.
Myth is happy in a miserable old life that shrinks before the sight of anything we can call real. The thought of life contains the inevitability of death. The thought of death breeds a craving for the possibility that our experience of reality can expand to find joy and love. We may dare to hope that quantum mechanics will somehow rescue us from the sense that our consciousness is only a biological computer timepiece that makes odd noises before it just stops. While the computer clock operates, it is famished. It hungers for more. We hear the creaking of the door and we know it is going to slam shut.
We are the imagination that dreams of new life. We create the birth that brings death to the world...and before the death arrives, we fill the universe with music and songs and stories and guacamole with salsa. Then, we become the destroyer of worlds; the worlds of music and song and salsa. We become death.
We were spared having to decide whether or not to be born, and we cannot escape death, but experience has potential. Myth helps, and it gets us past the crimes, the Jugjuggerjucks of the world and the row upon row of graves and tombs. Myth helps me feel less empowered, and for me, that is a good thing. I don't trust myself enough to want to control what is going on. It is enough that I do not live burdened with sadness and grief. After all, I am always a small and insignificant offspring. I have not done enough to say I failed. Only those who try can fail, and I never tried. I just did what I had to do to get from birth to here. Here is a place where everything is awesome, myth is my guide and life feels like a worthy challenge when it is not absolutely perfect.
~
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene