Would I support the development of a "bionic" person?:
As I may have mentioned on another of my blog entries, (or it might have been in Chemistry, not sure) - my only sister is disabled, and has been wheelchair bound her entire life (she is older than me by 18 months). In addition to her disability (cerebral palsy), I have been around many different people with many different kinds of disabilities, and I do think that this field of study has some promising applications possible. On the other hand, it does seem to me that people who have disabilities often have developed amazing compensatory abilities that they would not otherwise have been compelled to explore and discover. Additionally, I believe that adversity creates in us as human beings a unique opportunity to examine ourselves and our lives, and can lead to a deeper and richer experience of life; I have known many disabled people in my life who have been utterly inspiring in their strength and compassion and capacity for acceptance and joy of living. Who's to say that it is a good thing to attempt to change that by mechanical or technological means? I sometimes think that humanity has lost its way in that we sometimes seem so obsessed with "perfection" and somehow apply that to "health" and quality of life.
How would I rate "the control of artificial limbs by thought alone"?:
It seems to me that there is still a long way to go with this technology, but that what they have developed so far seems amazing and really promising. Once again, though, I have to refer to my comments above - in that I am not sure that altering the circumstances in an artificial and technological manner, which have been handed us in this life, is necessarily a good thing. Also, even though the article about the "Darwin Machine" was compelling evidence about the brain's ability to regenerate itself - I have to still wonder if this would still be true with an application of a technology which is by definition outside of the realm of the normal "wear and tear" that is exerted on the brain in the course of a natural lifetime?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Aura Photography - a review
First of all, I am really glad to have been able to discover the store, Psychic Reality - its a very cool place, IMO, full of a lot of beautiful stuff and it is all pretty reasonably priced. Its a must see for anyone into metaphysical stuff - they have a pretty comprehensive collection of tarot cards, for example - I found a deck there that I had been looking for pretty much everywhere, including the manufacturer (USA games) and had been unable to find completely - or was able to find at a super inflated price (Amazon wants $75 for it as of today, and the deck I bought at the store was $22.50). Anyway, that's my plug for the store.
As for the aura photography - I just wanted to share a bit about my experience, which was not really anything I expected - and I am not exactly a stranger to this kind of thing....in fact I would generally describe myself as pretty self-aware, as I have devoted a substantial amount of time over the years to my personal "work" as it were, and in particular my spiritual process. That being said, I was really blown away by what came through for me - and I am very grateful to have had the experience.
I have had a number of experienced readers over the years (myself included), using a variety of methods (tarot, palm, runes, etc., or just plain 'ole clairvoyance) - and I found Michael's approach to be really simple and direct and refreshing. He was also right on target with me - and although he really didn't have a whole lot to say to me ('cuz my aura pretty much says it all...) what he did say was profound and very helpful. There was one thing in particular that he said that related to something I have struggled with for a very long time, and that one piece of information was worth the $20 alone, and then some.
Anyway, I am again really grateful to have had this opportunity, and I highly recommend the whole thing to anyone else even slightly interested. You will have fun at the very least.
As for the aura photography - I just wanted to share a bit about my experience, which was not really anything I expected - and I am not exactly a stranger to this kind of thing....in fact I would generally describe myself as pretty self-aware, as I have devoted a substantial amount of time over the years to my personal "work" as it were, and in particular my spiritual process. That being said, I was really blown away by what came through for me - and I am very grateful to have had the experience.
I have had a number of experienced readers over the years (myself included), using a variety of methods (tarot, palm, runes, etc., or just plain 'ole clairvoyance) - and I found Michael's approach to be really simple and direct and refreshing. He was also right on target with me - and although he really didn't have a whole lot to say to me ('cuz my aura pretty much says it all...) what he did say was profound and very helpful. There was one thing in particular that he said that related to something I have struggled with for a very long time, and that one piece of information was worth the $20 alone, and then some.
Anyway, I am again really grateful to have had this opportunity, and I highly recommend the whole thing to anyone else even slightly interested. You will have fun at the very least.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Week 11 Assignments - Energy Medicine and Energy Fields
Acupuncture as effective energy medicine:
In the most simplistic of terms, Qi can be described as energy. While this is not in any way a complete understanding of Qi - it is often the easiest concept for a western thinking person to get their head around. Likewise, this is often the easiest way for people to understand acupuncture and how it works; again, simply speaking, acupuncture taps into energy lines which run throughout the body, and then the treatment changes the course of that energy.
As for acupuncture being considered an affective energy medicine, I imagine that many of us as students have come to study TCM because of our experiences with acupuncture treatment. I suspect many of us have similar stories in the respect that we have sought treatment through conventional means and ultimately tried acupuncture - often as a last resort or with the attitude that there was nothing left to lose. In my own case, I definitely sought treatment out of a sense of desperation - in that western medicine had nothing much to offer me other than a dire diagnosis and even direr (is that a word???) prognosis. While I am probably a more open minded patient than most, I am also definitely a skeptic and for me often seeing is believing. While I have not found that acupuncture was a miracle cure for me, I have found that treatment makes me feel better than anything else has, and that over time I have regained some of the health that I thought was gone permanently. And so, in my own personally limited opinion, I would say that acupuncture has been proven to me to be an effective energy medicine.
On Kirlian photography:
I don't really know what I would draw in the way of conclusions about Kirlian photography. I think it is really interesting, and as I mentioned in class, I think that it isn't really all that far fetched to think that the energy field surrounding living beings is tangible enough to be photographed. What is fascinating to me is the variety of colors, and the correlation of those colors to certain spiritual systems and their beliefs about different colors relating to emotions or states of emotional being - and that upon interview, people who have those colors show up in these photos will often confirm the presence of those emotional factors. So, this does seem to suggest some sort of efficacy for this information being recorded on film....
Human Intent as it affects health:
This is probably something I have the least to say anything about - I have worked in both cancer and aids research and I have seen first hand how people are directly affected by their intent in the face of catastrophic and mortal health conditions. I have watched people who were simply unable to get past the anger over the injustice of their disease, and subsequently die rapidly and often badly. Conversely, I have watched people struggle to accept their mortality with grace and courage, and watched those people survive months and even years longer than anyone ever expected. Simply put, one's intent is the key to everything when it comes to health - both positively and negatively.
In the most simplistic of terms, Qi can be described as energy. While this is not in any way a complete understanding of Qi - it is often the easiest concept for a western thinking person to get their head around. Likewise, this is often the easiest way for people to understand acupuncture and how it works; again, simply speaking, acupuncture taps into energy lines which run throughout the body, and then the treatment changes the course of that energy.
As for acupuncture being considered an affective energy medicine, I imagine that many of us as students have come to study TCM because of our experiences with acupuncture treatment. I suspect many of us have similar stories in the respect that we have sought treatment through conventional means and ultimately tried acupuncture - often as a last resort or with the attitude that there was nothing left to lose. In my own case, I definitely sought treatment out of a sense of desperation - in that western medicine had nothing much to offer me other than a dire diagnosis and even direr (is that a word???) prognosis. While I am probably a more open minded patient than most, I am also definitely a skeptic and for me often seeing is believing. While I have not found that acupuncture was a miracle cure for me, I have found that treatment makes me feel better than anything else has, and that over time I have regained some of the health that I thought was gone permanently. And so, in my own personally limited opinion, I would say that acupuncture has been proven to me to be an effective energy medicine.
On Kirlian photography:
I don't really know what I would draw in the way of conclusions about Kirlian photography. I think it is really interesting, and as I mentioned in class, I think that it isn't really all that far fetched to think that the energy field surrounding living beings is tangible enough to be photographed. What is fascinating to me is the variety of colors, and the correlation of those colors to certain spiritual systems and their beliefs about different colors relating to emotions or states of emotional being - and that upon interview, people who have those colors show up in these photos will often confirm the presence of those emotional factors. So, this does seem to suggest some sort of efficacy for this information being recorded on film....
Human Intent as it affects health:
This is probably something I have the least to say anything about - I have worked in both cancer and aids research and I have seen first hand how people are directly affected by their intent in the face of catastrophic and mortal health conditions. I have watched people who were simply unable to get past the anger over the injustice of their disease, and subsequently die rapidly and often badly. Conversely, I have watched people struggle to accept their mortality with grace and courage, and watched those people survive months and even years longer than anyone ever expected. Simply put, one's intent is the key to everything when it comes to health - both positively and negatively.
Week 10 Assignments - Life and Living Systems
I know I'm a living system because....:
Strictly speaking, and based on my existing amount of education, a living system exhibits certain biological functions and so do I; a living system grows and changes and evolves, it uses oxygen to sustain life, it reproduces, and it ultimately degrades and then dies.
I have heard another definition yet, that a thing is considered living when it exhibits consciousness - or when it appears to be capable of independent thought and then is able to make cognitive connections between thought and action....I am reading Robert Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", and this concept is addressed in this novel when the computer system begins to exhibit these qualities and the main character realizes that the computer has come to life. While this has been a popular notion in sci fi for quite a long time, when one looks at the rate of technological advance which exists now and which is projected into the future (see url below for an interesting youtube video on this), then this concept really doesn't seem so far fetched after all...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY&feature=email
Biophysics and Oriental Medicine:
Someone in class brought up the concept of 5 element theory when we were talking about autopoiesis, and it occurs to me that this concept also applies to biophysics - taken quite literally, the 5 elements encompass those natural elements that are essentially the building blocks of that which we consider to be living. Furthermore, these elements act upon each other and are affected by each other, and balance is critical for a healthy system. Biophysics is one aspect of the biosphere, but involves an understanding of how systems interact and affect one another - and imbalances are studied for cause and effect, while a state of balance is understood to be the ultimate goal for a system.
This just seems to be a very small example of the similarity and synthesis of western science and eastern medicine.
Strictly speaking, and based on my existing amount of education, a living system exhibits certain biological functions and so do I; a living system grows and changes and evolves, it uses oxygen to sustain life, it reproduces, and it ultimately degrades and then dies.
I have heard another definition yet, that a thing is considered living when it exhibits consciousness - or when it appears to be capable of independent thought and then is able to make cognitive connections between thought and action....I am reading Robert Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", and this concept is addressed in this novel when the computer system begins to exhibit these qualities and the main character realizes that the computer has come to life. While this has been a popular notion in sci fi for quite a long time, when one looks at the rate of technological advance which exists now and which is projected into the future (see url below for an interesting youtube video on this), then this concept really doesn't seem so far fetched after all...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY&feature=email
Biophysics and Oriental Medicine:
Someone in class brought up the concept of 5 element theory when we were talking about autopoiesis, and it occurs to me that this concept also applies to biophysics - taken quite literally, the 5 elements encompass those natural elements that are essentially the building blocks of that which we consider to be living. Furthermore, these elements act upon each other and are affected by each other, and balance is critical for a healthy system. Biophysics is one aspect of the biosphere, but involves an understanding of how systems interact and affect one another - and imbalances are studied for cause and effect, while a state of balance is understood to be the ultimate goal for a system.
This just seems to be a very small example of the similarity and synthesis of western science and eastern medicine.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Week 9 Assignments - Towards a New Synthesis
Can I synthesize East and West:
I am going to follow suit here, and start with the easier of two writing assignments (!!!). Strictly speaking and only in my own experienc, I personally do find that it seems to be my work to find a way to synthesize these two approaches to life and consciousness - and so yes, it is my hope that I will be able to eventually find some middle ground between these two philosophies.
I actually have a background in Western medicine, having been a medical assistant from 1994 - 2007. I still find myself thinking with a Western medical mind when it comes to disease/pathology, and in particular in the area of diagnosis. To be perfectly honest, even though I am learning TCM philosophy and treatment, I don't really ever see myself losing completely my Western mind when it comes to these things...but where I do find that I am most comfortable with Eastern philosophy is when I consider the underlying causes for disease/pathology. I have long been comfortable with the ideology that we are complete and holistic beings, and that our physical well-being is directly tied to not only physiological processes, but to our emotional and conscious processes as well. A holistic approach has always made more sense to me, and in that regard I have long been at odds with the Western medical approach to health and well-being.
The upshot here is that yes, I think I am well on my way to synthesizing East and West.
My E-Prime Day:
I awoke today to what appeared to be a sunny and slightly breezy day. I went to a place where food is cooked and served for a fee with my partner and we requested food be cooked for us and then brought to our table, which we ate - in my present mixed state of culinary education, the food seemed to taste good and I subsequently felt full.
I then got into my personal mode of transportation that is sometimes called a car with my partner and we went to a place full of electronic equipment which can be taken home for a fee, where my partner bought a machine which purports to play music, and we transported it back to his apartment.
I am now sitting in a place where coffee and tea and snack foods can be purchased for a fee, tapping away at my laptop attempting to fulfill an assignment.
I am going to follow suit here, and start with the easier of two writing assignments (!!!). Strictly speaking and only in my own experienc, I personally do find that it seems to be my work to find a way to synthesize these two approaches to life and consciousness - and so yes, it is my hope that I will be able to eventually find some middle ground between these two philosophies.
I actually have a background in Western medicine, having been a medical assistant from 1994 - 2007. I still find myself thinking with a Western medical mind when it comes to disease/pathology, and in particular in the area of diagnosis. To be perfectly honest, even though I am learning TCM philosophy and treatment, I don't really ever see myself losing completely my Western mind when it comes to these things...but where I do find that I am most comfortable with Eastern philosophy is when I consider the underlying causes for disease/pathology. I have long been comfortable with the ideology that we are complete and holistic beings, and that our physical well-being is directly tied to not only physiological processes, but to our emotional and conscious processes as well. A holistic approach has always made more sense to me, and in that regard I have long been at odds with the Western medical approach to health and well-being.
The upshot here is that yes, I think I am well on my way to synthesizing East and West.
My E-Prime Day:
I awoke today to what appeared to be a sunny and slightly breezy day. I went to a place where food is cooked and served for a fee with my partner and we requested food be cooked for us and then brought to our table, which we ate - in my present mixed state of culinary education, the food seemed to taste good and I subsequently felt full.
I then got into my personal mode of transportation that is sometimes called a car with my partner and we went to a place full of electronic equipment which can be taken home for a fee, where my partner bought a machine which purports to play music, and we transported it back to his apartment.
I am now sitting in a place where coffee and tea and snack foods can be purchased for a fee, tapping away at my laptop attempting to fulfill an assignment.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Week 8 Assignments - Classical Physics
Newton's Three Laws and Me:
So, finally we get into some of the concepts in physics that are more difficult for me to get my head around...nevertheless, I will take a stab at it here. The law of inertia is probably one that I am most familiar with, as I am definitely a body at rest if at all humanly possible, and if there is no measurable motivation I can remain at rest indefinitely (LOL). But I get it, the baseline, if you will, is that you start with an object that just "is" - without any additional stimulus or interaction, that object will remain where it is, without change or growth - without getting either better or worse.
I have a lot more trouble with the second law - 'cause this is where the math comes in. Again, in essence I understand the concept, that my ass is more likely to get up off the couch and go for a walk if the sun is shining and there is nothing good on tv or there is nothing interesting in front of me to eat (ok, just kidding here, but I suppose to get a body out of the state of inertia there needs to be an outside force acting upon it - say motivation, in the example above?) - but I guess this is the part where the equation explains the strength of that motivation. Just don't ask me to actually calculate that equation, because my brain will break and it won't be pretty.
The third law - which makes more sense to me when stated as "to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" is much easier for me to relate to. Again, from a strictly scientific perspective, it seems like it would be impossible for anything to actually ever move at all, because according to Newton's theory, objects are always pushing against each other, and I believe this is the essence of this law. That being said, in a more metaphysical sense, and perhaps more related to chaos theory and the theory of quantum mechanics - it seems to me that objects (or events, or thoughts) that are in motion will affect objects (or events, or thoughts) in a directly proportional way - not necessarily in an oppositional way....such as the stone in the pond analogy - throwing a stone in a pond creates motion in the water, which expands and moves ever outward from the source.
Our "Energy Efficient" Culture:
Does not exist. A lot of people are talking a lot about energy efficiency, and it is certainly popular to talk the talk - but actually walking the walk is a totally different matter, and it seems to me that there are more than just a few things that need to change in order to achieve this state; and I am actually not sure it is possible to achieve at any rate. Since energy "is conserved" in the universe, it never goes away or increases, it just changes from one thing to another.
I used to live in a collective household which was theoretically committed to green living - and a prime example of a very simple way in which energy efficiency can be thwarted would be the fact that the house (three story victorian) was completely fitted out with low wattage light bulbs - and then people left the lights on in rooms and stairwells on all three floors all night long, all day long, all the time. So. Not very "efficient".
Descartes has a lot to answer for!:
I think that it really is truly amazing that in our history as humans on this planet, that there have consistently been people who have challenged the dominant paradigm with new ideas and theories and who have also consistently advanced our knowledge of our world and ourselves in the process. The scientists of the 17th and 18th centuries had so many social and religious parameters which framed their consciousness and beliefs, both restricting and expanding their ability to understand and to even consider alternate truths - and yet in so many ways they "got it" and were able to move scientific thought and ultimately human understanding forward on the backs of those truths. I think that most likely the truths that scientists are now beginning to embrace and tinker with will do the same thing.
That being said, I am also really grateful that science appears to be moving into a new era of holistic thought - acknowledging the power of the mind and factoring in that power as they re-examine the work of their predecessors. Western science for too long has influenced overall human thinking and interaction - in the sense that it has separated out the power of the mind and emotions and the overall metaphysical aspect of our existence - and this has led to untold imbalances which have been destroying our world.
So, finally we get into some of the concepts in physics that are more difficult for me to get my head around...nevertheless, I will take a stab at it here. The law of inertia is probably one that I am most familiar with, as I am definitely a body at rest if at all humanly possible, and if there is no measurable motivation I can remain at rest indefinitely (LOL). But I get it, the baseline, if you will, is that you start with an object that just "is" - without any additional stimulus or interaction, that object will remain where it is, without change or growth - without getting either better or worse.
I have a lot more trouble with the second law - 'cause this is where the math comes in. Again, in essence I understand the concept, that my ass is more likely to get up off the couch and go for a walk if the sun is shining and there is nothing good on tv or there is nothing interesting in front of me to eat (ok, just kidding here, but I suppose to get a body out of the state of inertia there needs to be an outside force acting upon it - say motivation, in the example above?) - but I guess this is the part where the equation explains the strength of that motivation. Just don't ask me to actually calculate that equation, because my brain will break and it won't be pretty.
The third law - which makes more sense to me when stated as "to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" is much easier for me to relate to. Again, from a strictly scientific perspective, it seems like it would be impossible for anything to actually ever move at all, because according to Newton's theory, objects are always pushing against each other, and I believe this is the essence of this law. That being said, in a more metaphysical sense, and perhaps more related to chaos theory and the theory of quantum mechanics - it seems to me that objects (or events, or thoughts) that are in motion will affect objects (or events, or thoughts) in a directly proportional way - not necessarily in an oppositional way....such as the stone in the pond analogy - throwing a stone in a pond creates motion in the water, which expands and moves ever outward from the source.
Our "Energy Efficient" Culture:
Does not exist. A lot of people are talking a lot about energy efficiency, and it is certainly popular to talk the talk - but actually walking the walk is a totally different matter, and it seems to me that there are more than just a few things that need to change in order to achieve this state; and I am actually not sure it is possible to achieve at any rate. Since energy "is conserved" in the universe, it never goes away or increases, it just changes from one thing to another.
I used to live in a collective household which was theoretically committed to green living - and a prime example of a very simple way in which energy efficiency can be thwarted would be the fact that the house (three story victorian) was completely fitted out with low wattage light bulbs - and then people left the lights on in rooms and stairwells on all three floors all night long, all day long, all the time. So. Not very "efficient".
Descartes has a lot to answer for!:
I think that it really is truly amazing that in our history as humans on this planet, that there have consistently been people who have challenged the dominant paradigm with new ideas and theories and who have also consistently advanced our knowledge of our world and ourselves in the process. The scientists of the 17th and 18th centuries had so many social and religious parameters which framed their consciousness and beliefs, both restricting and expanding their ability to understand and to even consider alternate truths - and yet in so many ways they "got it" and were able to move scientific thought and ultimately human understanding forward on the backs of those truths. I think that most likely the truths that scientists are now beginning to embrace and tinker with will do the same thing.
That being said, I am also really grateful that science appears to be moving into a new era of holistic thought - acknowledging the power of the mind and factoring in that power as they re-examine the work of their predecessors. Western science for too long has influenced overall human thinking and interaction - in the sense that it has separated out the power of the mind and emotions and the overall metaphysical aspect of our existence - and this has led to untold imbalances which have been destroying our world.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Week 7 Assignments - Chaos Theory
On "Ordered Chaos":
What is interesting to me is the paradox of order and chaos - and the seeming oxymoron of these two terms being used together to describe their dynamic relationship. Order arises when a system becomes too chaotic - and conversely, chaos is required when a system has become strangled by too much order. Both rely upon each other in the constant struggle for balance, or homeostasis. In fact, I don't think I really like the word "struggle" - because this also seems to imply that the process is in some way negative or adversarial. In fact, this is just the natural state of dynamic systems (healthy ones, anyway); they are always in motion, always changing and always flowing into one another, becoming each other. Here again, the concept of Yin and Yang comes to mind...
Fractals as Patterns of Complex systems:
First of all, I have to say that I TOTALLY dig fractals!!! I have been looking at them online, and I haven't found one yet that wasn't really beautiful and fascinating - and I am equally enamored of those found in nature as I am with the ones that are computer generated. I also wonder if the mandala is a form of fractal - one which is used to train our minds and bodies for changes of consciousness...the ultimate "complex system", IMO.
There is something amazing about the fractal's "random uniformity" that speaks to the creative side of me. I have also always been fascinated by the "butterfly effect" and in much of my spiritual practice I have found this concept to be the way that things work - one AHA moment, or leap of faith on my part will then lead to other ideas or events which will eventually take me wherever it is I am supposed to go - and often this will ultimately entail a complete life changing experience for me which is never anything that I originally planned on or expected; and yet, there is somewhere within it the kernal of an idea or truth that makes sense to me, and I can always trace events back to that original moment or action which set everything in motion.
Consciousness out of Chaos:
So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does chaos create consciousness as suggested above - or is our consciousness the random force which drives chaos? Are the chaotic events in our lives the catalysts that lead to leaps of consciousness and self awareness and would we cease to grow and change if for some reason chaos were to disappear from our lives? I think the answer to that question is yes, that consciousness requires chaos in order to grow and thrive. However, I think that due to the dynamic and "coupling" nature of order and chaos, that it is also true that our consciousness and process of self-awareness is what gives rise to that chaos in our lives. If we are self-aware (which is one aspect of how I view "consciousness") then we are looking for random ideas and events which don't fit into the norm of our existence or which give us a fresh perspective or direction - and which challenge us to move in a different way or direction than we have done before. When we take up that challenge, when we follow an idea or event, often as an act of faith - big and beautiful things can happen in our lives; or sometimes big and not so beautiful, but it has been my experience that ultimately I am grateful for the lesson learned and I always end up somewhere new and unexpected.
What is interesting to me is the paradox of order and chaos - and the seeming oxymoron of these two terms being used together to describe their dynamic relationship. Order arises when a system becomes too chaotic - and conversely, chaos is required when a system has become strangled by too much order. Both rely upon each other in the constant struggle for balance, or homeostasis. In fact, I don't think I really like the word "struggle" - because this also seems to imply that the process is in some way negative or adversarial. In fact, this is just the natural state of dynamic systems (healthy ones, anyway); they are always in motion, always changing and always flowing into one another, becoming each other. Here again, the concept of Yin and Yang comes to mind...
Fractals as Patterns of Complex systems:
First of all, I have to say that I TOTALLY dig fractals!!! I have been looking at them online, and I haven't found one yet that wasn't really beautiful and fascinating - and I am equally enamored of those found in nature as I am with the ones that are computer generated. I also wonder if the mandala is a form of fractal - one which is used to train our minds and bodies for changes of consciousness...the ultimate "complex system", IMO.
There is something amazing about the fractal's "random uniformity" that speaks to the creative side of me. I have also always been fascinated by the "butterfly effect" and in much of my spiritual practice I have found this concept to be the way that things work - one AHA moment, or leap of faith on my part will then lead to other ideas or events which will eventually take me wherever it is I am supposed to go - and often this will ultimately entail a complete life changing experience for me which is never anything that I originally planned on or expected; and yet, there is somewhere within it the kernal of an idea or truth that makes sense to me, and I can always trace events back to that original moment or action which set everything in motion.
Consciousness out of Chaos:
So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does chaos create consciousness as suggested above - or is our consciousness the random force which drives chaos? Are the chaotic events in our lives the catalysts that lead to leaps of consciousness and self awareness and would we cease to grow and change if for some reason chaos were to disappear from our lives? I think the answer to that question is yes, that consciousness requires chaos in order to grow and thrive. However, I think that due to the dynamic and "coupling" nature of order and chaos, that it is also true that our consciousness and process of self-awareness is what gives rise to that chaos in our lives. If we are self-aware (which is one aspect of how I view "consciousness") then we are looking for random ideas and events which don't fit into the norm of our existence or which give us a fresh perspective or direction - and which challenge us to move in a different way or direction than we have done before. When we take up that challenge, when we follow an idea or event, often as an act of faith - big and beautiful things can happen in our lives; or sometimes big and not so beautiful, but it has been my experience that ultimately I am grateful for the lesson learned and I always end up somewhere new and unexpected.
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