The Heavy Stuff

Hello, welcome back to The Heavy Stuff (THS) - thanks for returning or for hitting the link on another website. If you are a returning reader - you may be familiar with my posts about what I call the Phillips Phenomenology - if not - and if you have some free time - here’s my internal link to that material http://theheavystuff.com/?cat=5. And, as I’ve referred to before in these posts - the Phenomenology came to me in `altered states’ in the 1970’s - almost as a ghost writing - as I had never even read any Phenomenology. Later, when I came across Edmund Husserl, I realized that I was writing about were very similar ideas and thoughts. And, as you may know, thoughts about Phenomenology - can be taken to almost any extreme - as is shown by Sartre’s book - Being and Nothingness (to me, the Heaviest book ever written).

But, today, I’d like to keep it all a little more basic and examine instead one of the underlying `ideas’ about `esoteric’ or altered states in general - and - that is the `idea’ that somehow - we - humans - are connected not only to each other (as of course we are thru our DNA) - but - are indeed - connected to the world and indeed the universe in a manner that can be interpreted by our consciousness as almost mystical. Some call it `oneness’ that they experience in these `higher’ states.

And, when the `altered qualitative state’ may be achived or experienced by humans - the best description - in general - is a `feeling’ or actualizing of `oneness’. It is the goal of many `states’ — from meditating states, certain drug states, to states of religious frenzy. And, those that experience `the special states’ often say it is one of the highlight experiences of their lives - often changing their very perceptions about `things’ - and especially about `connectiveness’.

So, what is `this oneness’ `state’ - that is so `connecting’ to so many `altered views of reality’ from the `common consensus’?

Well, what I’m about to suggest - isn’t as esoteric as you may think (or hope)  - as to the `connection’ - the reason - at the very base and basis of Phenomenology - for `all things’ being - connected. And, even better, largely it is `supported’ at least in my opinion - by what is known about Physics (in the broad laymen terms I will use). Are you ready to put on your thinking caps - and - ready for a thought exercise?

Ok, here we go. First, lets think about you and me. Humans. Existing in the `here and now’ - so we are `told’. And, in the macro sense - the most basic form of perception - that is exactly where we are. Here and Now.

BUT, you need to think deeper about this `reality’ you `see’. Because, obviously, what we `see’ is a `light reflection’ off of a surface (like off the surface of the things around you) - that is bounced (meaning taking TIME to reach you)  - to your retina and then interpreted by your brain. My whole point in this finite description is to emphasize that the outside reality of `here and now’ is NOT really - NOW. Let that sink in.

NO, that (what is seen by you) is `what was’ — `what they were’ (those other objects) - fractions of a second IN THE PAST. Yes, it (our visual reality) is from the PAST but IS part of YOUR OWN NOW. ONLY YOU HAVE A `CURRENT NOW’ as part of the reality you `see’ or experience.

Are you still with me?

That is why `the now’ can’t be changed, as it is already - except for your now intentions - `the past’. Let that sink in.

But, don’t feel so lonely as it appears that `Determinism’ might be more probable than `freewill’ - as you may be overthinking it. (You can find more about my thoughts about the freewill and determinism issue in the above link too.) Because, now, I’m about to take you down onto another look at our reality as humans - as - entities - things - in the universe.

Because, as you know, - if you `slowed’ us — humans - down — and looked - at `what we are actually made of’ - we find that - indeed, we are made up of electrons (and all that stuff - I’m gonna keep this simple) and that the atoms are further `made-up’ by other `smaller’ particles. And so on and so on.

But, what our science also knows is that these small components of `all things’ — all mass — all SPACES  (all humans) — ————– ALL of that — has `zillions’ of more `space’ between the particles than the size of the `particles’ themselves. It’s almost as if we are ghosts or `images of a space-mass’ - than a real thing like we `know’ we are in actuality.

For, in fact, `we’ - `any object’ - AT OUR VERY BASIS - are a `space’ - equal to ALL OTHER SPACES (made of the same material too) - all other things - a - connectedness - a `oneness’. The oneness is that we are all `space’ - with a simultaneous `experience of each other’ (remember, it takes our space of reflective now the same amount of `time’ to travel to the other space) — that said, only WE have OUR (real) NOW (that includes intentions too).

I’ve often had the thought and challenged others to tell me how my human `atoms’ are `more aware’ than the `atoms’ of a rock. What/Which atoms are conscious? `Where is the consciousness?’

So, while I feel that Oneness - as spoken about in the great perceptual experiences available to a human - is real - I think `the oneness’ basis is that we are all `SPACES with simultaneous nows’. This is EVEN TRUE as in our relationship with `things’ that are not close - even things in other parts of the universe. WE simultaneously `bounce’ off the rest of all spaces - every moment of counted time. (Or, as I like to say, and Husserl - our `running off’.)

But, there is another level too - much more related to human consciousness that seems to be able to `produce’ this `effect’ of Oneness. And, finally, I have to introduce you to the Phillips Phenomenology to talk about that `esoteric oneness feeling’.

First, almost 100% of our consciousness at ANY given moment will be part of what I call the `Not Able To Not Be’ - which IS the `reality we see’. Indeed, give it some thought — all that we `see’ (which is already the past) HAS TO BE — it has already occurred at it’s `space source’. Remember, everything we see - `takes time’ to reach our eyes and be assimilated into a reality picture.

 We, as humans, are VERY INVOLVED in the `Not Able To Not Be’ — in the `what has to be’ - indeed, it’s OUR REALITY - the determined Not Able To Not Be. Or, the HAS to be of our reality.

It is at this common, lowest, level that human consciousness `feeds’ its brain - its SPACE with data from. What we commonly perceive as the `flow of reality’. And, this `flow’ allows for `little reflection’ upon one’s own space - the only REAL `now’ of the `seen’ Not Able To Not Be.

Indeed, in the Phillips Phenomenology - consciousness can focus on different `levels’ of beingness. The lowest and common one - the Not Able To Not be - or - the next levels. (We spend 99% of our time focused on the Not Able To Not Be because our life and reality seems dependent on it. For example, if we weren’t - we’d crash our car, walk into a wall, etc.)

The next consciousness level `up’ is what I call the `Able-To-Not-Be’ — which ONLY is part of OUR now. Indeed, the `Able-To-Not-Be’ is exactly what the words suggest — it is `our part’ of `our consciousness’ that is ABLE TO NOT BE — the NOT ABLE TO NOT BE of our common reality. It is our `separateness’ - the thing that lets us -step back and be aware (of all the other spaces). A reflective state. A higher state. It is what makes us more than a computer (as we know them normally) or robot.

Those who meditate, go INTO, our (their)  own Able To Not Be - to meditate (the same with drugs or religious mystical states). Indeed, `when’ `there’, one can recognize that immediately it is a different state - it IS indeed, a higher level - a higher state. Indeed, it is the state that CAN access - true higher consciousness - `where’ the `oneness’ state IS.

BUT, in and of itself - it is NOT the oneness state. The ecstasy oneness state described in the literature you may be familiar with via reading esoteric materials. But, it IS close in a sense and IS the way one would reach the oneness state. Let that sink in.

So, `where’ or `what’ is the Oneness state?

The Phillips Phenomenology would suggest that `just beyond’ the consciousness state of Able To Not Be — is the NOT ABLE TO BE. And, yes, THAT is what the `oneness’ state IS. Indeed, it is the state that CAN occur if one abandons (or goes beyond) the already higher Able To Not Be state. It is where ones consciousness literally goes BEYOND the Able To Not Be - and that state - is rarely experienced directly.

Best described - it would be consciousness - CLIMBING up to BE - the NOT ABLE TO BE. The `realization’, if you will, of `the connection’ of EVERYTHING. The `connected’ SPACES we (and all things which are spaces) all have - within - OUR OWN `NOW’. The SPACE where we are real and have intentions.

Finally, the irony of `Oneness’ is that it relates to `the fact’ of our `determinism’ - the fact that OUR SPACE - the singular space that we all have - `occurs ONLY ONCE’ - is counted - and is actually NOT ABLE TO BE. A realization of the despair that confronts `us’ as a Space.

And that, connects us to the Oneness of the very Universe we live within.

My Phenomenology Poem (1976)

Time Watching The Play/Of Which Words Have No Say/What Is Not Able To Not Be-IS/ And, Is With Time - Watching, Ever Watching.

Finally, if you are `into’ the above Phenomenology - I’ve written much more at http://whatisnotabletonotbeis.blogspot.com and daily I put `anomaly’ type links at http://www.squidoo.com/AnomalyMan - thanks for checking them out and for your bookmarking my site today.