As humans, we are intrigued by who we are and how we differ from other creatures of evolution. Among the capacities thought to be uniquely human are autonoetic consciousness, the aspect of self-awareness that allows us to imagine our own experiences in different places at other times, and theory of mind (ToM), which allows us to infer other people’s current mental states. The idea that ToM is closely related to, and that it may depend on, episodic memory and autonoetic consciousness seems perfectly natural: that in order to imagine and make sense of other people’s thoughts, feelings, intentions, and actions, we must rely on our autobiographical recollections. The ability to consciously recollect past personal happenings has been shown to be necessary for imagining coherent and detailed personal happenings in the future. Both episodic memory and ToM emerge close in time in ontogenetic development. The neural substrate on which the two abilities rely is in many ways strikingly similar.
This might just accord with Molly's notions of self-development - that one needs to get self right before making sense of or enjoying the world and understanding others and how we might choose to live. Idealism can turn in on itself, with the world seen as cynical and frustrating the ideals - mysticism looking like thousands of years of flowery failure by people with time to think it up in personal situations of exploitation of sweat off others' backs. The grim Mike Leigh film 'Naked' makes such points. One might say that actually living and working alongside others is better than making it all up mystically from self could be a better start than introspection amongst other chattering class types. In respect of the first paragraph above, I found a dire shortage of people who did have accurate autobiography to work from. My own is particularly suspect. On Sunday, December 21, 2014 12:33:27 AM UTC, archytas wrote: > > Amsterdam politicians have been apt to talk of levelling the red lights > and replacing them with a red carpet to the museums and theatre. I liked > the piano barge. In another form of mysticism one can see what lies > beneath. Der Wallen is a place to see trafficking and exploitation, then > throw up. I did a coffee shop instead - walking red light districts is > like unpaid overtime to me. Took the technicolour yawner on a tram to see > some flower fields. Beauty is fine until you think of it as 'not ugly', > thus making ugliness and disability some kind of sin. > > Personally, I love mindful mindlessness as the basis of being able to do > nothing. Tried it on this laptop the other day before effecting a cure > with the soldering iron. Mysticism can be good, but also mystification. > Angels and devils again. > > On Saturday, December 20, 2014 10:27:49 PM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: >> >> The museums of Amsterdam are great, somethings are good with much that is >> os question. I do not like wandering around their either. You are right it >> is in the eye if the beholder. Greatfully it is out of bicycling range >> Leiden is 10 km one way Den Haag (Den Hague) 10 km a different direction >> the difference between the two is Lieden is a city where as Den Haag is i >> oversize town and does not qualify as a city by dutch law. >> Everything is a matter of perspective. >> >> ~~ >> لا القتل والاغتصاب واستعباد أو إيذاء الآخرين >> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: archytas <[email protected]> >> To: [email protected] >> Sent: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 23:03 >> Subject: Mind's Eye Re: Mysticism >> >> A guy I didn't like walked through Amsterdam's red light district with me >> years ago. He threw up over the nearest canal bridge. I rather liked his >> mystic summary of the place. Reality, one suspects, is not in the eye of >> the beholder. >> >> On Saturday, December 20, 2014 9:10:24 PM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: >>> >>> To quote >>> >>> "mysticism is the art of union with Reality." >>> >>> >>> "The old story of Eyes and No-Eyes is really the story of the mystical >>> and unmystical types. "No-Eyes" has fixed his attention on the fact that he >>> is obliged to take a walk. For him the chief factor of existence is his own >>> movement along the road; a movement which he intends to accomplish as >>> efficiently and comfortably as he can. He asks not to know what may >>> be on either side of the hedges. He ignores the caress of the wind until >>> it threatens to remove his hat. He trudges along, steadily, >>> diligently; avoiding the muddy pools, but oblivious of the light which >>> they reflect. >>> "Eyes" takes the walk too: and for him it is a perpetual revelation of >>> beauty and wonder. The sunlight inebriates him, the winds delight him, the >>> very effort of the journey is a joy. Magic presences throng the roadside, >>> or cry salutations to him >>> from the hidden fields. The rich world through which he moves lies in >>> the fore-ground of his consciousness; and it gives up new secrets to him at >>> every step. "No-Eyes," when told of his adventures adventures, usually >>> refuses to believe that both have gone by the same road. He fancies that >>> his companion has been floating about in the air, or beset by agreeable >>> hallucinations. We shall never >>> persuade him to the contrary unless we persuade him to look for himself." >>> >>> ~~ >>> لا القتل والاغتصاب واستعباد أو إيذاء الآخرين >>> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others >> >> -- >> >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> ""Minds Eye"" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
