A quote from the Man, himself – Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize Winner, developer of the theory of quantum electrodynamics, QED, which lies at the heart of chemistry, which lies at the heart of every physical action but gravity and nuclear forces. This man is a pinnacle of hard science - The King, if not then at least the modern king. This is what he writes in his book QED:
“While I am describing to you how Nature works, you won’t understand why Nature works that way. But, you see, nobody understands that. I can’t explain why Nature behaves in this peculiar way.” (Page 10, QED.)
In a similar way, we can’t tell you where or why the Self is, but it does exist, by definition of the continuity of an organism, extending, as it does, past the life times of it’s individual members. We also couldn’t say where the Self exists. But we can safely say that it doesn’t exist in any physical place - else it would perish with the cell that it was contained in. It is apparent that the Self, the continuity of the organism, emerges from an interaction of cells organizing and reorganizing on multiple levels.
Aside: Also as a reminder to myself, just as with scientists, it’s always more the whats than the whys. Don’t try to tackle the impossible - name the unnamable - describe the indescribable. Instead try to convey an experience of Life, through an isomorphism with other happenings, which will assist in the Transformation.
The point is that the Self or Soul of a Body is not the Body. Further we will suggest that differentiating the Self from the Body is one of the most important tasks for every Human Being. We haven’t yet established this yet, but we will. Just wanted to give you a hint where we’ll be going.
Despite the nearly universal instinctual mis-identification of the Mind/Body Complex, i.e. the Person, with the Self or Soul, which is the continuance of the Organism, all the internal evidence indicates otherwise. While most of us spend most of our time outside, the four dimensional space time continuum, talking, listening to music, reading, computer work, sports, entertainment, interaction, artistic expression, sex, loving, emotions. Despite the fact that each of these events is experienced somewhere in the ozone, wherever the Self or Being is, we have the illusion that it all happens either inside our Head or in the outside world.
Let us offer an explanation for this illusion. When the question is posed, internally or externally, ‘Where is the experience felt?’ the Person’s Conscious Awareness immediately snaps back into the Brain ‘to analyze the situation’, as it were. As soon as we’re back in our Brain, so to speak, we, of course, think we were there all the time, when instead we were in the midst of an experience. Indeed getting out of your Brain to experience Life is the whole point.
Let’s take some specific examples; they abound.
Watching a movie, the Viewer identifies completely with the image he sees on the screen - to the extent he becomes excited, mad, afraid, cries, laughs, and loves, despite the fact that the Viewer knows these emotions are based upon 2 dimensional images projected on a screen. Ideally, the Viewer becomes ‘Lost in the Experience’ and only returns when the movie is over. If someone jostles the Viewer on the way to the concession stand, or talking people disturb his concentration, the Experience is interrupted. The Viewer goes into a state of Fantasy, which is nowhere, or only resides where the Self is. Indeed if this fantasyland, no matter how unpleasant or scary is interrupted, this is incredibly irritating to the Viewer: “Down in front!” “Shut up!” are normally not spoken dispassionately.
Anyway the interrupted Person is mad because he has been thrown back inside his Brain, when he would rather be outside his Brain, residing in the Experience. However because the Brain is the center of analysis, he is always called in to analyze any situation - and so always finds himself there although he was nowhere to be found when the experience was happening. Brain’s there to take the credit - but doing none of the actual work, and in fact gets in the way.
Indeed when the Experience is happening we want the analytical brain out of the way so that we can enjoy ourselves. The Left Brain is constantly picking things apart - the perpetual critic - the censor - the worry wart. Indeed this is why so many use such a variety of drugs - including legal, illegal, pharmaceuticals, alcohol and pot. This allows us to neutralize our over active Left Brain so that we can relax and enjoy the Moment.
Despite the overwhelming amount of experiential Data, the Brain is always there when asked to analyze - by definition. And although he wasn’t there a micro second before he was called into action - now he’s there to analyze the situation. And guess what, when called upon to examine the situation - he always found himself to be there, even though he has to be there by definition - Because he is the Chief Investigator. It is like accusing the Police of being involved in criminal activities because they were always there when the arrests were taking place.
Even the simple act of touching two fingertips together shows that where your consciousness is, is where you are. If you examine the horizon and pick out a small tree in the distance to focus on - all else fades in insignificance as you focus on the minuscule details that you can perceive. Of course when called upon to report where this occurred - the Brain shows up to say that it all occurred in your Head.
Anyway this is a longwinded way of pointing out that Experience occurs outside the Head in the nether World called The Self or Being - The analytical Left Brain is just there to help facilitate the transformation. He is not the MAIN Attraction - Contrary to popular thinking.
What’s the significance of all the Brain bashing?
‘To get him out of the way’ - ‘to humble him’ - ‘to neutralize his power’ - ‘to reduce him from Master to Servant, where he is supposed to be.’ We are not attempting to kill the Brain only to reduce his status.
This section is supposed to lay a logical, analytical foundation for one of the underlying assumptions of our System, namely that the Person and the Self (Being), while intimately connected, like Mother and Child, are not the same - anymore than Mother and Child are the same.
We can point to logical reasons and provide examples and common experiences - but if the indoctrination has been too deep and you remain unconvinced - read on to find some practical conclusions that can be drawn that enable a deeper experience of Life.
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