Of cleaning and dragons...

So I completed the office cleanup project... all of the books are neatly stored and organized and the room looks much better.  I also went back to Amazon and added 5 books to my shopping cart but I haven't yet clicked the one click shopping button.

I finished The Dragons of Eden today.  Quite a stimulating read and overall a great book for folks that are not afraid to think.  Probably a bit technically heavy for many and definitely heresy for some.  The author warns that Chapter two, "Genes and Brains" (which is about the anatomy and function of the brain) would be tough and that it would be downhill crusing from there.  I actually found chapter two to be rather understandable, but that probaly has something to do with my biology background.  I found chapter seven, "Lovers and Madmen" (about the differences in left and right brain function) to be the most difficult to read and at the same time to offer the most amazing insights.

There is no way to tell whether the patterns extracted by the right hemisphere are real or imagined without subjecting them to left hemisphere scrutiny.  On the other hand, mere critical thinking, without creative and intuitive insights, without the search for new patterns, is sterile and doomed.  To solve complex problems in changing circumstances requires the activity of both cerebral hemispheres: the path to the future lies through the corpus callosum.

(The corpus callosum is the physical connection between the brain hemispheres)  I find this a refreshing insight because typically people create a polarity about such issues as intuition versus critical thought (or liberal versus conservative, black versus white...) and all discussion pits one concept against the other.  Just perhaps the human brain is designed to operate with opposites (are they really opposites?) in cooperation.  Christian author Leonard Sweet fondly refers to this as "both/and" thinking.  Now on a sterile level this may seem to be a "duh" suggestion but in reality most debators disreguard that opposites can be connected.  We feel we must pick sides in order for some of us to win instead of looking for an option where we all win.  Of course I have used this example semimetaphorically to represent moral debates.

Another thing that I think is significant is that author Carl Sagan has chosen the Garden of Eden as his metaphor for the evolution of human intelligence.  Now why would an agnostic scientist go do such a thing?  Because it fit.

"It is interesting that it is not the getting of any sort of knowledge that God has forbidden, but, specifically, the knowledge of the difference between good and evil - that is abstract and moral judgements, which if they reside anywhere, reside in the neocortex."

So the connection is made between the expansion of the neocortex and the birthing pains of humans.  Another point is that the serpent was cursed to go forth on its belly.  Presumptively this means that prior to this event the serpent had another means of mobility.  This is consistent with the idea that snakes are derived from quadripeds and also supported by the observation that some snakes have vestigial legs.  (Note that I have avoided certain terminology such as "evolved" because it would perhaps distract some from the intended points.)

One more thought provoking section is a discussion of the morality of abortion.  Sagan seems to take his own advice by not being vehemently (and blindly) polarized on the issue but in examining it carefully using both brain hemispheres.  This is a rare find.

On to the next book, Community of Kindness.

Currently Reading Community of Kindness By Steve Sjogren, Rob Lewin see related

Things are always different and always the same

Where do I go from Here???

Silence screams from the abyss... yes I have a goal... that goal would be to write something hear without incessat paralytic analysis and editing... yes something that doesn't sound like a magazine article and that I don't anguish over the details of every word... the metaphors can be mixed and the words missspellled.

Basically things have a way of coming back around to a place they have been before and for me it is the "Where do I go from here?" place.  I don't mind change... but it takes more effort than sleeping... I don't mind having wild hairy ideas... but I loath rejection.... I never have been good enough or whatever enough to do anything that I have ever done and I don't expect that to change anytime soon... but if I had ever waited until I was good enough or trained enough or holy enough etc... I never would have accomplished anything.  So stick that in your ear and stand aside or get run over.

There are a few things that I have learned, the first is that I don't have everything all figured out... and it's ok.  Really, it's ok that I don't have to force myself into thinking that I believe certain things under the guise of "faith".  There is a concept called grace that I am rather dependent upon.  I don't want to have to smile and give some cheesy condescending certainty to every concept just to make myself feel good.  I have a peace that I don't have to be right, certain or absolute.

Some going forward from here will not be a perfect journey... I am sure that I will make some mistakes.  I will choose to risk moving forward and screwing up instead of risking sitting still in perfect paralysis.  (According to my goal, I have been moving forward writing this... and I don't even care if it makes sense.)

I really would like to have some travel companions... no I don't mean acquaintances or even friends... I mean people that will journey with me... that will bleed with me... that will ponder dangerous thoughts and live The Way in a reincarnational way. <- If you get that I hope it shakes you up a bit... If it just seems like spittle, then to you I'm sure that is exactly what it is.   As I have realized for quite a while, relationships are dangerous.  Maybe it's again time to stare down rejection.

That's probably enough for now... it was progress...       

Currently Listening Singularity By Mae see related

In case you hadn't noticed...

Currently Reading The End of Science (Helix Books) By John Horgan see related

Metapurpose

I have a new theory:

The Unified Theory of Life, Behavior and Spirituality

I also made up a new word to convey the core of this theory: Metapurpose.

I want to tell you all about it... but in the chaos of obsession, my brain won't slow down enough to pick out which words to use... or in the chaos of perfectionism, I haven't figured out the right way to describe it... or in the chaos of fear, I am afraid that no one will notice or in the chaos of insecurity, I'm scared that no one will care...

This theory explains all of that...and everything else that I have thought about so far... well it doesn't explain cosmology, but that's ok because it is not a theory of cosmology.... but it does explain life, behavior and spirituality... it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, I now know why. <-- that is a big period

It's so simple that it's complex and so complex that it's simple.... a lot of people haved toyed with this idea before but I haven't seen where anyone has ever put the pieces together.... they are afraid to... because it looks them in the eye and reveals everything.

It doesn't matter what kind of religion you think you believe or not.  Of course you probably think that I am weaving some riddle that you are bored with by now because you may have to think in order to figure it out or you have reached the limit of blog post words that you read..... just scan to the end now and click on "back".

But I wish that there was someone that wasn't afraid to talk about things like this.... (my theory explains that too by the way)... but I understand, you are just trying to survive...and the way you have been surviving has been working well... so well that you are never lonely, insecure, apprehensive, anxious... gee I wish you would share some of that with me.

Currently Reading The Three Hardest Words: In the World to Get Right By Leonard Sweet see related