Don't let him fool you, Molly. He's a right mean spirited old bastard. ;) On Sun, Mar 22, 2009 at 1:20 PM, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > In addition, Neil, I certainly did not mean to diminish your wonderful > insight or generous nature. You do, as you say, encourage all of us > in our conversations here. I do not mean to direct any of this > personally. > > On Mar 21, 9:14 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> I'd rather hope you'd think it pretty obvious I spend a lot of time >> encouraging Molly. And that part of that involves needing to imagine >> a lot of deficiencies and how they arise. There is the question of >> denial and I'm sure one needs imagination to find out how to invite >> the 'right' material in. I do think Derrida got something very >> positive out of a recognition of what you are saying (and often say). >> One 'report' after another in the UK is showing that responsibility >> has taken flight out of the window, much as in Priestley's 'An >> Inspector Calls'. I doubt any set of finite fetish has anything >> infinite. The imagination has to probe beyond fetish, perhaps even to >> the extent of descent into the inferno in order to find the better >> life (a story often told and misunderstood). We may want intelligence >> and beauty to succeed as perhaps matter has succeeded against anti- >> matter, but in this sense I believe that origins are complex and that >> we act between polarities. I don't believe imagination is wasted in >> seeking to understand a continuum and how we may balance positions in >> that. When I find people simply lying about what is positive against >> all the evidence I am not inclined to dismiss that. >> >> On 21 Mar, 17:49, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > Seems to me a waste of imagination to imagine "human being may lack >> > the capacity to see >> > human beings as human beings." But certainly, if you do, that is what >> > you will get. >> >> > Imagining that human beings are capable of intelligence and beauty >> > might get us further. >> >> > At some point, while immersed in the finite and infinite, we have to >> > imagine the life we desire for ourselves. If we spend our time >> > realising ignorance, trash chimping censorship or politesse, or even >> > dwelling in that reality that screams these aspects at us, we should >> > ask ourselves, why am I here? Do I enjoy feeling the victim of it >> > all? Do I feel alive when I can say - that is rotten, I am not that. >> > More alive than when I say, "I can see that these folks have more in >> > them, the possibility of moving into something more intelligent and >> > beautiful. And, I can see myself surrounded by intelligent, beautiful >> > aspects of life. Sometimes, we deny that intelligence and beauty are >> > a part of our life because it pains us to feel the lack of it. And >> > that pain makes us feel alive, so we cling to it. But beauty and >> > intelligence is all around us, just as the rest of the spectrum of >> > life is there. Recognizing our choice and responsibility are the >> > first steps to inviting in that possibility into our own lives. When >> > we invite in possibility, we create our opportunity to move from the >> > finite to the infinite. From the limited to the unlimited. I do >> > agree, Neil, that imagination is key. >> >> > On Mar 21, 6:26 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > Chimpout says it all Don. I reckon the bald guy in front of the bench >> > > sat with a black woman is trying out his arm on her. We are so >> > > secretive I can't imagine a set of councillors letting cameras in for >> > > fear of us finding out what they do. >> >> > > It's struck me since I can remember thinking much that infinity is >> > > connected with imagination and we have trouble keeping the imagination >> > > alive in discussions. >> >> > > "If it makes sense to speak of human beings as human beings, then it >> > > makes sense to imagine that a human being may lack the capacity to see >> > > human beings as human beings. It would make sense to ask whether >> > > someone may be soul-blind." - this from Stanley Cavell (somewhere). I >> > > can just about remember being taught stuff like Johari's Window and >> > > receiving it rather badly because I thought people just did >> > > reflection, before realising there was a whole lot more ignorance >> > > about than a little grammar school boy knew - an infinity of it on >> > > might say. We often sweep away stuff under the carpet of not being >> > > bothered to have to put up with trash chimping as in Don's U-Tube >> > > find, but this leads to censorship through politesse as we treat >> > > people with critical views that need to be heard to the general in- >> > > group, soul-less chimping humans do to try and avoid embarrassment. >> >> > > On 21 Mar, 04:18, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > Could be worse. I used to be amused at the antics of British >> > > > parliament. What with all the muttering and such. I shouldn't have >> > > > been so smug. Here's a link to a real, live American city council >> > > > meeting. How utterly embarrassing. >> >> > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqOSNI7l0bQ >> >> > > > Our tax dollars at work. How do these people ever stay elected? I >> > > > just don't get it. >> >> > > > dj >> >> > > > On Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 7:37 PM, archytas <[email protected]> >> > > > wrote: >> >> > > > > Sue and I can rarely bear the language of most of what intrudes into >> > > > > our lives - it seems like irritating distraction that is aimed at >> > > > > preventing us communicating. I went to an anticrime meeting on >> > > > > Thursday that was a total disaster in this respect. The outright >> > > > > lying and presence of a claque as the police and council people who >> > > > > are failing us so badly made themselves out to be doing a good job. >> > > > > There was no capacity for personal review. I had to leave. >> >> > > > > On 20 Mar, 20:06, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > >> Lovely and inscrutable post ...as always Neil! :-) >> >> > > > >> I’m not so sure it is lack of interest as much as lack of visible >> > > > >> availability. Perhaps the charlatans don’t help much either. >> >> > > > >> As to being able to ‘check’….as is the case for all scientific >> > > > >> exploration, a personal review I find to be the best…how else would >> > > > >> I >> > > > >> actually know? …faith?... on some of those wondrous published papers >> > > > >> we talk about often here? >> >> > > > >> The truth is that much is currently made explicit….again, mostly >> > > > >> lack >> > > > >> of distribution and acceptance in this current rather barbaric and >> > > > >> confused culture. >> >> > > > >> On Mar 20, 10:43 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > >> > There are phenomenological practices about Orn - I guess part of >> > > > >> > the >> > > > >> > lack of interest is to do with people lying about what they find >> > > > >> > and >> > > > >> > there being no way to check. I sense that much that we do is >> > > > >> > done in >> > > > >> > pretence of secrecy and we'd be better off with a narrative of >> > > > >> > what we >> > > > >> > are looking at made explicit. >> >> > > > >> > On 18 Mar, 15:01, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > >> > > Neil, thanks for the recent, albeit rather barbaric study. I >> > > > >> > > have been >> > > > >> > > sharing this type of information all along. For those who >> > > > >> > > missed my >> > > > >> > > post with the link to the Santa Barbara Institute, take some >> > > > >> > > time and >> > > > >> > > read, watch, listen to as many of the internal links there as >> > > > >> > > you can. >> > > > >> > > The place is run by an old friend of mine, Alan Wallace. He >> > > > >> > > taught me >> > > > >> > > Tibetan in the mid 80s and I've done 7 day long intensive >> > > > >> > > shamatha >> > > > >> > > retreat with him.http://www.sbinstitute.com/ >> >> > > > >> > > All the way back to William James the scientific study of mind/ >> > > > >> > > consciousness has been addressed in western psych. >> > > > >> > > Unfortunately, few >> > > > >> > > in the west after James followed his recommendation to not only >> > > > >> > > study >> > > > >> > > behavior and the somatic body, but introspection...mind looking >> > > > >> > > at >> > > > >> > > mind itself. >> >> > > > >> > > On Mar 18, 5:41 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > >> > > > Electrodes implanted in the brains of people with epilepsy >> > > > >> > > > might have >> > > > >> > > > resolved an ancient question about consciousness. Signals >> > > > >> > > > from the >> > > > >> > > > electrodes seem to show that consciousness arises from the >> > > > >> > > > coordinated >> > > > >> > > > activity of the entire brain. The signals also take us closer >> > > > >> > > > to >> > > > >> > > > finding an objective "consciousness signature" that could be >> > > > >> > > > used to >> > > > >> > > > probe the process in animals and people with brain damage >> > > > >> > > > without >> > > > >> > > > inserting electrodes. Previously it wasn't clear whether a >> > > > >> > > > dedicated >> > > > >> > > > brain area, or "seat of consciousness", was responsible for >> > > > >> > > > guiding >> > > > >> > > > our subjective view of the world, or whether consciousness >> > > > >> > > > was the >> > > > >> > > > result of concerted activity across the whole brain (the >> > > > >> > > > pineal gland >> > > > >> > > > was an old favourite). Probing the process has been a >> > > > >> > > > challenge, as >> > > > >> > > > non-invasive techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging >> > > > >> > > > and EEG >> > > > >> > > > give either spatial or temporal information but not both. The >> > > > >> > > > best way >> > > > >> > > > to get both simultaneously is to implant electrodes deep >> > > > >> > > > inside the >> > > > >> > > > skull, but it is difficult to justify this in healthy people >> > > > >> > > > for >> > > > >> > > > ethical reasons (volunteers being those who fail to take two >> > > > >> > > > steps >> > > > >> > > > backwards). >> >> > > > >> > > > Between the 10 volunteers, the researchers received >> > > > >> > > > information from a >> > > > >> > > > total of 176 electrodes, which covered almost the whole >> > > > >> > > > brain. During >> > > > >> > > > the first 300 milliseconds of the experiment, brain activity >> > > > >> > > > during >> > > > >> > > > both the non-conscious and conscious tasks was very similar, >> > > > >> > > > indicating that the process of consciousness had not kicked >> > > > >> > > > in. But >> > > > >> > > > after that, there were several types of brain activity that >> > > > >> > > > only >> > > > >> > > > occurred in the individuals who were aware of the words that >> > > > >> > > > were >> > > > >> > > > specially delivered in the experiments. >> >> > > > >> > > > First, there was an increase in the voltage levels of the >> > > > >> > > > signals in >> > > > >> > > > their brains. Second, the frequency and phase of neurons >> > > > >> > > > firing in >> > > > >> > > > different parts of the brain seemed to synchronise. Then some >> > > > >> > > > of these >> >> ... >> >> read more » > > >
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