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Posted on August 8th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics.
What is it about people wanting what they know damn well they can’t have? Yes, this post was inspired by our friend Johnny Edwards getting called out for his extra-marital antics, but that’s just the tip of the tentacle. Having an affair is just about par for the course if you’re a politician, but considering the consequences of getting caught - and they almost always do - it staggers the imagination that so many still can’t keep their hands out of the cookie jar.
Something about human nature leads many people to covet that which they do not have, whether they really want it or not. It’s hard to come across someone that is truly happy with exactly what they have, and doesn’t want anything more. Bijan hit the nail on the head with his posting on happiness. We have access to more technology, more luxury, more of everything material thing than ever before in history - yet people still want more than they ever have before, and are less happy than they used to be. We focus to much on the negative, and need to embrace the positive.
What does it take to be happy? It is about having less and wanting less? Should we all become monks? Probably not. At the end of the day, I don’t know the answer, so the search continues…. For now I’ll just try to be mindful of the difference between needs and desires, be thankful for what I have, and maintain a balanced perspective. I’ll let you know how it goes 
Posted on August 1st, 2008 by Bijan.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics, Arts & Literature.
What is with the world these days? It is no question that death and violence will always sell like sex. We have an masochistic craving for morbidity and, whether we pretend to ignore it or not, we always take a peek. But what is most shocking, perhaps, is that we are constantly fed such slop not so much from entertainment media, but our own news outlets. Instead of really focusing on the issues that are affecting the state of our nation and world as a whole, we are continuously driving ourselves into a world of depression.
I like The Christian Science Monitor because it displays extremely relevant news. Don’t be frightened by its name - the website strictly states that it is not religious. From their website:
Everything in the Monitor is international and US news and features, except for one religious article that has appeared each day in The Home Forum section since 1908, at the request of the paper’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy.
It is important that we all keep a positive outlook on ourselves and our lives at all times. There are so many scenarios in which the famous FDR “only thing to fear is fear itself” quote is relevant. We will not be able to find our way out of a war, economic crisis and environmental disaster if we simply keep thinking about how sad we are and what a ‘terrible’ world we live in. Failures must be educational and successes must be celebrated.
Posted on July 23rd, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics, Business & Finance.
Inspired by a dinner conversation I had this week, I’ve decided to provide all of you with some not very often discussed facts about the nature of religion in the good old US of A. This information is well researched, very disturbing, and merits a moment of consideration.
Let us begin with a simple recap of how religion came to the country… by boat, running for its life and seeking refuge. The US was forged by people fleeing persecution in their home countries, most often because their sects were considered too fringe to be accepted by the mainstream faiths. Considering the general religious attitude in 18th Century Europe, being too “out there” for the mainstream is a scary thought. English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Presbyterians packed up and headed west. Jews, Huguenots, Calvinists, Mennonites, Anabaptists, Dunkers, Salzburgers, and the Amish grabbed their goods and hit the road. A kaleidoscope of sects, nearly all of which were considered too extreme in their view to be accepted at home fled the scene and crossed the Atlantic.
As a result, though the predominant belief structure was and still is still rooted in Christianity, the US has never had one unified national faith. Because of this, a great degree of freedom was allowed to nearly all faiths, and it became a giant round-robin battle to see which ones would predominate and which would wither. The result has been a myriad of faiths, each deeply rooted in their own belief structure, and each very tightly knit and constantly looking to expand their numbers and increase their power.
The examples are too many to summarize, so I offer one here. The Mormons. All hail Salt Lake City! This faith was founded by Joseph Smith, who claimed that the angel Moroni had come to him in a vision, and told him that America was the new chosen land, and the Mormons the new chosen people. Smith claimed that the angel had told him that the New Jerusalem would be in the US, and that it would specifically be in the area near Independence, Missouri. So they set up shop and settled in. Shortly thereafter, Smith was imprisoned and ultimately killed in jail, thwarting his true goal - to run for President of the United States. Needless to say, the remaining believers had to leave their “new Jerusalem”; and led by their new messiah, Brigham Young, they headed west. Young eventually claimed that he too had been visited by an angel, had a vision, and that in fact the new Jerusalem was not in Missouri but rather in Utah. Salt Lake City became their new home. His reasoning was that the geography of the three key feature of the area, the Great Salt Lake, the River Jordan, and Utah Lake, resembled an upside down map of the biblical land of Gaililee, with its River Jordan, and the Dead Sea. I guess that was good enough for the people at the time. The Mormons are now the leading power in Utah and a significant force in about five surrounding states. They still believe that when the world ends, those in their numbers will be the only ones saved by God and taken to heaven. They keep the names of all of the true believers on scrolls, hidden in the Utah mountain surrounding Salt Lake. They also ask all members of the faith to pay to the church 10% of their annual income.
The story of the Mormons is pretty common and fairly middle of the road one compared to many faiths. A good number are founded on belief systems much less plausible, by even more suspect leaders, and are rather transparent in their goals for power and money. Fundamentalist religion is big business. Always has been, and sadly, probably always will be. People living in big cities don’t see and don’t hear about the massive revival meetings going on in the “red states”, where tens of thousands congregate to shake, quake, speak in tongues, and give money to the faith. Remember the scene in Borat where he attends one of these tent sessions. That was small potatoes compared to the real big ones. Books on “End Times”, or Armageddon are selling like hot cakes, pulling in countless millions for their promoters. Not hard to believe when 60% of Christians in the US believe that the Book of Revelations will play out sometime soon, and 45% truly believe that the world will end in an Armageddon battle between Jesus Christ and the Antichrist. We’ve all seen televangelists, but do you realize how much cash they make? Even disgraced evangelical leaders like Ted Haggard, who admitted to gay sex with a male prostitute he was buying crystal meth from, are still walking away with mountains of cash.
This is not the few and far between – this is the mainstream in much of America. It is also not a declining trend, it is on the rise.
A few facts for you - all directly from polls taken by Newsweek, Gallup, Time, CNN, and Fox News.
Percentage of Americans who believe:
In the devil: 75%
In hell: 77%
In God’s creation of the earth in six days: 61%
That the bible literally accurate: 55%
That the story of Noah’s Ark is literally accurate: 60%
I don’t know about you, but that scares the shit out of me. It’s 2008, and a solid portion of the nation is strongly backing Armageddon prophecy and literal biblical interpretation. People who believe that America is God’s chosen country, and that we are his chosen people. People that elected George W. Bush into power. Our buddy “W” may be a former alcoholic, cocaine abuser, and life-long underachiever, but he’s also a born-again fundamentalist Christian. Apparently God showed him the wickedness of his ways, and its all good now. Well at least he hasn’t been the leader of an administration rooted in a radical religion, wrapping a vehemently militant, sexist and homophobic vision in patriotic and religious rhetoric. Wait a second…
Don’t be afraid to talk about these things with people. The fact that people are afraid to openly discuss issues of religion in modern society is a detriment to us all. If we are to avoid falling into a deep dark hole of bigotry and fear, we need to voice our opinions.
We also need to do our research. I’ve done mine. If you think I’m wrong, let’s talk about it.
Posted on July 2nd, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Definitions.
Forget Obama and his audacity of hope….we don’t do politix here. I want to talk about audacity as it relates to Mr. Dieckmann’s oft-quoted famous phrase “More is more.”
The definition:
Other permutations: audacious audacities, audaciousness, audaciouliscious…great f*ing word, huh?
I’m in the mood for some stream-of-consciousness thoughts on the word, cause it’s that goood. First and foremost, it’s BIG. An audacious (blatant) lie an audacious (go-for-broke) bet an audacious (indecent) proposal an audacious (life-changing) decision…actions at this level are those that make up legend. Audacity has power–because it is unexpected, as David proved when he faced Goliath. Audacity, unburdened of the basest and most limiting human emotion, fear, is liberating (like Nike just do it yo!). Audacity is compelling–everyone loves the underdog and wants to read about it in the paper. Audacity is contagious–people are always drawn to something bigger more exciting. Audacity is inherently hopeful (sorry Barak-buddy you mixed that one up)–because it makes no promise about the future…it reflects the style of the chase. I mean, it’s audacious because it’ll NEVER work!!! (but it WILL work says the gambler/physicist/lover/entreprenuer)
Here’s a toast to Audacity and acting “heedless of restraints.” It works it works I swear it does! I conclude with one of my favorite quotes, ”Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.” Yep, that’s right.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Science & Technology.
In this day and age, feelings of true accomplishment and satisfaction are not as easy to come by as they might have been in the past. No matter what you’re doing, someone else is most often already out there, doing it better. Great ideas are born only to find that they are the bastard clone of an idea already living and breathing elsewhere. Regardless of age or gender, finding that deep sense of pride can be elusive.
I imagine that having a child is the ultimate means to that end, but popping out munchkins left and right isn’t terribly practical. My humble advice is to build something. It doesn’t need to be much. A birdhouse, a birthday card, a mixed CD, a framed photo montage… Anything your heart desires.
It may not hold up to Michelangelo’s David, but that’s not what matters. The simple act of creating something new and unique, something that you didn’t buy or have made for you, is of endless value. Go ahead, see for yourself.
Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics, Definitions.
No one ever learns as much from their successes as from their failures. It is failure, not success, that makes us who we are. Failure builds character, failure fosters appreciation and respect, failure is the pathway to greatness.
Most billionaires have at one point gone bankrupt, most great athletes have lost more often than they have won, most businesses major businesses have struggled before they have prospered, most artists have been shunned before being sought after. Failure is a teacher.
Some of failures previous students:
• Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard’s early failed products included a lettuce-picking machine and an electric weight-loss machine
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team
• Ray Krok failed as a real estate salesperson before discovering the McDonald’s idea.
• Walt Disney was fired by the editor of a newspaper because he had “no good ideas”
• When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything
• R.H. Macy failed 7 times before his store in New York caught on
• Albert Einstein was four-years-old before he spoke and was advised many times to drop out of high school and university
• Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school in his sophomore year and when he was persuaded to come back, he was placed in a learning disabled class. He lasted one month.
• Henry Ford’s first two automobile businesses failed
• F. W. Woolworth got a job in a dry good store when he was 21, but his employer would not let him wait on customers because he “didn’t have enough business sense.”
• Winston Churchill had a reputation as a dunce, failed the entrance examination at prep school, failed the entrance test to Sandhurst Military College twice.
• Charles Darwin was voted the “dullest boy of the year”, and his poor performance in school forced him to give up plans of a medical career.
• Lord Keynes failed so many times in his economics class that the Principal had to send for his parents.
The list could go on indefinitely. The one common thing that makes these failures famous, however, is that the people involved dusted themselves off, learned from their mistakes, and found their success. Failure can be a brutal friend, but it must be embraced and valued. It is the flip side of the coin, and one cannot exist without the other.
I can tell you without hesitation that I would not be who I am today without the massive failures that I have encountered. I am thankful for all of them. To quote the late, great Dicky Fox – “To be honest, in life I have failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my life, I love my wife, and I wish you my kind of success.”
Posted on June 7th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature, Sports & Health, Humor & Pop Culture, Coming Events, Storytelling.
On August 25th, 2008, Burning Man will open its gates. The week that follows will mark the peak of the year for many people, as Black Rock City one again rises like a phoenix from the ashes. For the week that it exists, the Black Rock City (the remote city that is Burning Man) is Nevada’s fourth largest city. Nearly 50,000 inhabitants gather in the middle of a dry lakebed to create something truly unique - a shining jewel on America’s tarnished soul. Once the event is over, the entire city vanishes without a trace, leaving only the memories, friendships, and the promise of things to come.
To some of you reading this, just the mention of the words “Burning Man” is enough to send a happy and mischievous tingle down your spine. To others, he subject is not too clear. If you asked 100 people what they thought Burning Man was all about, I’m sure you’d get a 101 different answers. Some would speak of freedom, personal expression, and universal acceptance. Others would rave about the art, music, and amazing characters they encountered. Many would tell stories of friends made, relationships formed or strengthened, and personal breakthroughs achieved. These are all threads of the same fabric, one that envelopes everyone who sets foot on the playa.
The intention of Burning Man is to generate a society that connects each individual to his or her creative powers, to participation in community, to the larger realm of civic life, and to the even greater world of nature that exists beyond society. BM is radically inclusive, so its meaning is accessible to anyone willing to make the journey. The touchstone of value in its culture will always be immediacy: experience before theory, moral relationships before politics, survival before services, roles before jobs, embodied ritual before symbolism, work before vested interest, participant support before sponsorship.
One way to begin to understand Burning Man is to look at the website: burningman.com, another is to look at its guiding principles:
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
Participation
Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
If that sounds like something that interests you, you should learn more - but the clock is ticking. Planning for Burning Man is a year round commitment for many, and jumping into the fray at the last minute is nearly impossible. More so, the preparation and anticipation is a huge part of the experience.
So give it some thought, and if you’re ready to get involved, meet me out in the desert this August, and see for yourself. Dive in, the water is warm and welcoming.
Posted on June 4th, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality.
Those of you who know me know that I believe we create our realities. As happy or as miserable as you are today, you are responsible for it. Another way of saying it in a non-new-agey way is ”We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” I leave you with a passage my mom sent me a while back:
Thought that is projected, now thinks. So it’s not possible to separate the thinker from the thought, because the thinker thinks a thought, and then the thought thinks and becomes a thinker, and then the thought, that was a thought that is now a thinker, thinks another thought, which becomes a thinker, also. And so, there is a constant summoning of Life Force. Now, a thought that is thought longer becomes Thought Form. A thought that is thought upon by many, becomes Thought Form. A thought that is thought upon by many, in a very clear undiluted fashion, as from Nonphysical Perspective where there is no resistance, becomes physical matter. That’s why the physical universe is a by-product of the Nonphysical attention or focus. So, the Nonphysical Energy that created this physical mass from the Energy of the Universe, the mass itself, now becomes a thought that is thinking, that is attracting the Energy.
Excerpted from a workshop in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, August 2nd, 1998 All Is Well
Read that again and see if it makes sense…if it doesn’t, read it again. If you consider it long enough, and superimpose it upon your life, it will.
Posted on May 30th, 2008 by Bijan.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics, Science & Technology.
One Man, One Earth?
Needless to say, man is no longer confined to the planet Earth. Just last Sunday , the US completed its 6th successful landing on the surface of Mars. So the “one Earth” part is now obsolete.
But what about the “one Man” part? Just today, CNN released photos taken by The National Indian Foundation, part of the Brazilian government, of a tribe in the Amazon that is one of many small civilizations classified as “uncontacted tribes.” Such tribes have had very little or no contact with the outside world, which is immediately evident in the mere 6 photos that were released. The tribesmen are painted head to toe – some in an orange paste and a few completely black. It’s not surprising that the images conjure up thoughts of pre-human Neanderthals, covered in fur and more reminiscent of a “Planet of the Apes” character than a human being. Perhaps the most moving part of the photos is the fact that the tribesmen are aiming their weapons (most likely bows and arrows) at the low-flying aircraft and are shying back in utter confusion and fear. Its remarkable that while on one side of the planet, we sit casually at computers sporting some of the world’s most sophisticated technology, with cellular phones in our pockets running on microchips the size of a fingernail, while there are civilizations that are still living in virtually the same ways that pre-human beings did. Yet we are all still “one Man.” Or are we…?
By all means, it is fascinating to zoom out and trace back the ancestry of Homo Sapiens, watching the evolution of monkey to man. Under five broad classifications beginning with Early Australopithecus, Mid Australopithecus, and ending in Early, Mid and Late Homo, there are seventeen distinct, identifiable genus’ of so called “early human.” But a few scientists are getting bored with that. They want to go forward in time, and see where man is yet to go.
A six-page article by msnbc titled Human Evolution at the Crossroads questions whether or not evolutionary theory includes the possibility of such “spin-off” human species to develop in the future. The natural argument against this theory is the fact that, as illustrated by Darwin’s Finches , evolution dictates that change is the result of divergence of traits – a reaction to variety. In today’s day and age, we’re seeing more and more convergence of human characteristics as the daily life of an average human being becomes more and more homogenized. But Evolution never ends. From images of humans with mildly different genetic capabilities or traits to the idea of completely alien beings capable of wandering freely through space, the possibilities are endless. Sure, it may sound like a bad Spielberg flick, but who knows? These guys think they have an idea…
Scientists, evolutionary biologists and anthropologists alike have formulated a few predictions about the future of the human race. In particular, there are 5 distinct categories that they have created:
Unihuman (~ 1m yrs) – The Unihuman is the result of the eventual “assimilation of the world,” resulting from the breakdown of racial divides and prejudices, and the creation of a single, homogenous race.
Survivalistian (~1.9m yrs) - Survivalistian is the result of a global catastrophe. Be it nuclear war or an asteroid colliding with the earth, the uniform Unihuman race will be once again dispersed and forced to adapt to their new, hostile environment.
Numan (~2.6m yrs) – Spawned from small, germ-like genetic modifications, the Numans are a small “mini-species” with advanced capabilities and features. Numan hybrids and natural humans differ in genetic alteration beliefs and most likely encounter more conflict than harmony.
Cyborg (~3m yrs) – As the name suggests, the cyborgs are born from the eventual acceptance of physical robotic enhancements. Though not physically inheretable themselves, the robotic enhancements reduce the body’s natural immune system leading to ever more dependency on robotics and even the spawn of AI (artificial intelligence) races that compete with their human creators.
Astrian (~4.1m yrs) – This is the Alien. A result of millions of years of genetic and robotic enhancements, the Astrian can literally pause its vital systems and endure millennia-long journeys to other galaxies, only to re-awaken once they arrive.
Click here for an interactive chart of our past and our future.
Again, a Spielberg flick. But hey, who’s to say we can’t imagine? The ancestors of humans such as Homo Heidelberger who lived only 400,000 years in the past could never even fathom what the future of their race would eventually be (although they could fathom that a rock at the end of a stick could make a pretty effective hammer; lucky for us.) Either way, I think it is important for us to note that not only is the universe very, very, very young, but we are merely a glimmer in the vast scope of time. Man is just the beginning of what is to come and as soon as we begin to forget this, we’re only preparing ourselves for a more intense rude awakening.
Posted on May 26th, 2008 by Bijan.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature.
You don’t have to look hard to find people who will tell you that humans only use 10% of their brains. You also don’t have to look hard to find a physician or scientist who would laugh at such a claim. Yet even though this claim is far from factual, there is a hint of truth to its meaning. Savant syndrome, defined by savantism expert Darold A. Treffert, is “the presence of unusual intellectual and/or artistic abilities in otherwise impaired individuals.” Usually suffering from Autism, savants (previously known in the medical profession as “idiot savants”) have mildly to severely impaired social or behavioral traits. Despite their impairment, however, savants have abilities called “splinter skills” – incredible mental capabilities that are far beyond the capabilities of a normally functioning brain.
Take, for instance, George Widener. Born with a condition called Asperger’s Syndrome, George has perhaps one of the most powerful memories in the world. Not only able to recall almost any piece of information after processing it only once, George can tell you the day of the week on any date you can name, both in the past or thousands of years in the future. If you ask him to list numbers to the power of 2, he can go on and on – to numbers over 20 digits long.
Derek Paravicini was born 15 weeks premature. Because of the oxygen treatment he received after birth, he became blind and developed a learning disorder along with autism. Derek has a splinter skill called “absolute pitch.” Put quite simply, he can hear any piece of music and play it back exactly – having never even heard it before.
So why is it, then, that some people have such extraordinary abilities yet are impaired in some of the most basic areas of human functionality? And further, do these remarkable abilities that savants exhibit mean that all humans have such capacities? Allan W. Snyder, a PhD and scientist has, along with an interest in very funky hats, a theory: Our brain can be most generally divided into two hemispheres: the right and the left. The left hemisphere controls all of our daily functions such as reasoning, speech monitoring and logic, to name a few. The right side is the more creative, intuitive and imaginative side of the brain, used for artistic or musical expression. Developmental disorders such as autism, Asperger’s Syndrome or even brain damage at any point in one’s life, can interrupt pathways in the left side of the brain, inhibiting its normal function. Snyder’s theory is that the right side compensates for the interrupted pathways in the left side of the brain, causing a savant to pay much closer attention to the particular details of an object or situation, as opposed to translating the individual parts into a whole, cohesive perception.
Dr. Treffert made a reference to this theory in an interview:
“Some savants, because of prenatal, perinatal or postnatal central nervous system damage, from a variety of genetic, injury or disease processes have substituted right brain capacity in a compensatory manner for left brain dysfunction and limitation. Simultaneously, because of those same injurious factors, these savants have come to rely on more primitive cortico-striatal (procedural or habit) memory rather than higher level cortico-limbic (semantic or declarative) memory. This combination of right brain skills coupled with procedural memory produces the constellation of abilities and traits that is savant syndrome.”
So now its clear: maybe we don’t use 100% of our brains. Maybe there is the potential in all of us to have the gift of conditions like hyperlexia without the burden of a mental impairment. Dr. Snyder wants to know for sure.
In an ongoing study of brain usage activity, Snyder uses a process called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to temporarily inhibit the small electric charges released within the synapses of a person’s brain during the firing of axons. His theory, quite simply, is that the right hemisphere of the brain will compensate for the temporary disablement of the left. And his results? Amazing. Forty percent of all of Snyder’s test subjects have exhibited newfound talents or skills after only 10 minutes of TMS. “You could call this a creativity-amplifying machine,” says Snyder. “It’s a way of altering our states of mind without taking drugs like mescaline. You can make people see the raw data of the world as it is. As it is actually represented in the unconscious mind of all of us.” In particular, subjects have seen tremendous increases in drawing and artistic ability. One subject, a New York Times writer, found that his graphical depiction of a cat went from a stick figure to a cat so detailed it had facial expressions. The article describes his whole experience.
And now we arrive at the whole reason for this post: There is clearly a wealth of compelling evidence that there are certain dimensions to the human brain that not every person can experience or explore. In all of us, there lies a hidden arsenal of extraordinary capabilities that we simply can’t access. Our brain, in an effort to synthesize and categorize every bit of sensory input that we absorb, in essence, dumbs us down. We lose sight of the simplest, most finite details, to the point where a cat becomes just a stick figure. And if these talents exist in all of us, who’s to say that there aren’t more? Just where exactly does the true capability of the human brain end?
I’ll leave you with an interesting observation by Dr. Treffert:
We know from centuries of medical history, including the emergence of various medical oddities over the years, that certain components in every brain are equipped with incredible technical capabilities — capabilities normally suppressed by other components so that the brain can do its main job, which is to balance out function and help a person lead a normal life. For example, in my book The Forgetting, I discuss the famous Russian patient “S” who literally remembered every detail he came across in his entire life. He could recite verbatim conversations or random number lists decades after the fact. Sounds cool, but this was actually a huge liability — remembering every detail makes it impossible to form intelligent summaries of details, which is the basis of all intelligent thought and communication. The ability to forget — get rid of sensory detail — turns out to be just as important in the brain as the ability to form new memories.
So maybe we need to limit ourselves in some ways just to function in others. Maybe ridding our memories of mundane sensory details to view the larger picture is actually more efficient. But maybe, just maybe, we have a whole different set of incredible skills that we don’t even know about, and those that we do know about only use…say…10% of our brains.
