This is actually a bait and switch, or not…

One of my recurring themes is that dimension of being human that is beyond the sum total of our biological evolutionary components.
We are more than automaton.

This evening I received a beautiful card from a young lady not yet 20, who’s half way around the world right now.

To me it highlights that real-life magical mystery tour that really shouldn’t be dismissed as easily as some try to, with all their learned paragraphs.

Namaste D,
If I had to choose one word to describe the Himalayan Mountains it would have to be humbling.  The day at Base Camp we woke up early to catch the first rays of sunlight kiss the tops of the peaks and oh my god, I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed anything so sublime, maybe, not even the Grand Canyon!  I was surrounded by giants - I’ve never felt smaller, which is usually a great feeling because it’s proof that this world is so grand and full of wonder much larger than myself, but here I felt so small I was insignificant.  It was humbling and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to see such beauty…

The visceral connection to something greater . . .

citizenschallenge - 07 May 2010 10:35 PM

One of my recurring themes is that dimension of being human that is beyond the sum total of our biological evolutionary components.
We are more than automaton.

This evening I received a beautiful card from a young lady not yet 20, who’s half way around the world right now.

To me it highlights that real-life magical mystery tour that really shouldn’t be dismissed as easily as some try to, with all their learned paragraphs.

The visceral connection to something greater . . .

`
That first-hand description was beautiful, and something I’m sure we can all relate to :) (not that we’ve all seen/witnessed that particular sight, but that we’ve all experienced some ‘beauty of nature’ that affects us profoundly)

But I’m curious, citizen….what are you talking about when you say that some ‘try to dismiss’ such a reaction?  What is it that you think some “dismiss”?

`

I certainly wouldn’t dismiss such a reaction, not when it’s directed at the natural world. That was part of the grandeur of Sagan’s Cosmos.

Must say, CC, that’s a very strange post.

George - 08 May 2010 09:36 AM

Must say, CC, that’s a very strange post.

Yea, posted on a wave emotion and awe at watching this kid developing into a thoughtful open eyed mensch.
Plus really getting off on the solidity of her adventure spirit.

But, what’s funny is that after posting that, I listened the Ecklund’s POI interview and found myself thinking: Yes! Now that’s something along the lines of what I’m trying to convey in this post.

Namely, grappling with that spiritual side of life.  Sure I long ago gave up on the God Of The Throne, or anything else I could ever conceive. 
But, that doesn’t mean I’m not connected to some ineffable something worth wondering about and being in wonder of.

For instance, back to me and this visceral (no other way to describe it) connection to our Earth,
especially lately when I’ve had the time to explore the most forsaken roads in SE Utah and been spending time in ultra rural settings far from all people.
A connection that stretches on to the universe visa a vie our moon, sun, planets and stars.

I like the mind-experiment of triangulating the early waxing crescent moon’s shadow and our earth with the sun which has dipped below the horizon. 
When I’ve really gotten into the zone I actually felt myself on the edge of this planet orbiting in 3D space - I even got weightless, naw , but I did get that vertigo dizzy tingle.  It was quite the mind blower first time I experienced it.  In honestly, I’ve only touched that moment rarely, but once experienced - the night sky and me sitting on the crust of this planet took on a whole new wonderful dimension. 
Add to that the layers of the column of time visible throughout this geologic wonderland I live in - and what that hints at us about this creation we are a part of,
all of this adds on another mindboggling fourth even fifth dimension to the perceptions… my mindscape.

So, what all this bumbling rambling is about, is my continuing struggle with trying to find a way to express the spiritual connection to life each of us has, in a way that won’t offend the more sober-minded, human as bio-machine types.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just in case you’re interested a couple years ago I wrote a set of essays that do a more coherent, if inadequate, job of explaining myself on this topic.
http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com
▼ August 3rd, 2008
      There They Go Again….....
      What is Science’s Sin?
      God flowing into the Word

I call it a “sense of wonder”.

The other night my wife said to me, “You know what I like about you? You think ants are cool and will go off and research them for months. You’ve never lost your sense of wonder”.

Awe, wonder. These are all things we can legitimately feel when we contemplate the universe.

There have been language developed to articulate these “dimensions” of human consciousness, primarily done by the mystics of our major religions. If you are longing to open up more to these dimensions of Consciousness, there are methods to bring them about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticism

Mike from Oz - 09 May 2010 11:02 PM

Awe, wonder. These are all things we can legitimately feel when we contemplate the universe.

True, true, but I also believe there is a dimension of belonging that encompasses a bit more than just wonder.

WeeDie, I appreciate the thought, but I’m past indulging someone else’s lesson plan,
the real work to be done is within that solitary being that is each of us for ourselves.

citizenschallenge - 14 May 2010 10:41 PM

Mike from Oz - 09 May 2010 11:02 PM

Awe, wonder. These are all things we can legitimately feel when we contemplate the universe.

True, true, but I also believe there is a dimension of belonging that encompasses a bit more than just wonder.

`
Could you elaborate on this ‘dimension’ you’re talking about citizenschallenge?

I definitely experience a profound feeling of belonging/connection that accompanies the ‘wonder’ in such situations…......is that what you mean?

`

citizenschallenge - 14 May 2010 10:41 PM

Mike from Oz - 09 May 2010 11:02 PM

Awe, wonder. These are all things we can legitimately feel when we contemplate the universe.

True, true, but I also believe there is a dimension of belonging that encompasses a bit more than just wonder.

WeeDie, I appreciate the thought, but I’m past indulging someone else’s lesson plan,
the real work to be done is within that solitary being that is each of us for ourselves.

You are free to conceive Being in any way you like. Over all these years you have imagined this entity “you”, in contrast to all these “other” people, I can imagine some solitude would tinker your bell.

Axegrrl - 15 May 2010 12:10 AM

Could you elaborate on this ‘dimension’ you’re talking about citizenschallenge?

I definitely experience a profound feeling of belonging/connection that accompanies the ‘wonder’ in such situations…......is that what you mean?

Probably, something close to it.
I did a sloppy job back in #4 of trying to explain it.  One of these days I hope to come up with a better description.

But, it includes more than just the wooy feely meely touchy i just luv natur thing*.

Because, there is the stone cold reality of our connectedness, starting with the matter that is always migrating through our bodies while they grow and maintain themselves.
Then, the historical fact of the thing - the body plan that makes us succeed, it has a heritage of literally a couple+ billions years of a learning and development process, of which I am one link.
and I’ll probably come back and add a couple more

*not to say there isn’t a time for that too  

citizenschallenge - 15 May 2010 09:16 AM

But, it includes more than just the wooy feely meely touchy i just luv natur thing*.

Because, there is the stone cold reality of our connectedness, starting with the matter that is always migrating through our bodies while they grow and maintain themselves.
Then, the historical fact of the thing - the body plan that makes us succeed, it has a heritage of literally a couple+ billions years of a learning and development process, of which I am one link.

`
You know, I think what you’ve described above isn’t necessarily something ‘deeper’ than that ‘wooy feely meely touch i just luv natur thing’........in fact, I think what you described is what creates/inspires that feeling :)

`

Axegrrl - 15 May 2010 11:23 AM

You know, I think what you’ve described above isn’t necessarily something ‘deeper’ than that ‘wooy feely meely touch i just luv natur thing’....
....in fact, I think what you described is what creates/inspires that feeling

I like that