Ninja warrior quotes...
Being sick is balls. I haven't been sick in about 6 months, so it only seems appropriate that I get really sick for days on end now, I guess. Ugh, I feel terrible. My mom says I might be sick for another week too. Blech.
I hate spending all my time at home too. Call me if you want to do anything (if this post doesn't offend you too much). Really, seriously. I'm not doing anything. *sheepish look*
What I really wanted to talk about, though, was mystification. I really dislike the idea of mystification on any level with anything. What made me start thinking about this was when I was lounging around watching Mindfreak (with Criss Angel!) earlier. The language, the editing, the mentality of the show all point towards some sort of strange force or will that somehow allows "larger than life" things to happen. Pah, I say. That seems like nonsense.
On the show, Criss was trying to suspend himself by flesh hooks from a helicopter and fly around. He was, of course, very scared and wasn't sure about the stunt. When he did go through with his intended action, everything changed to a magical experience. He said that when the mind, body, and spirit are in unison, anything is possible in voice over as he hung from hooks in his back as he flew over the desert. This was in stark contrast to the pain and fear prior. Of course, I looked at that and started to explain it differently... He had convinced himself to go through an intensely painful experience, so he would probably like it even if it sucked and the endorphins and adrenaline he was feeling would make him feel so high that he would probably be blissed out anyway.
I don't like the idea of putting a greater explanation out there than really is present. My stance in the past few weeks has developed into: no one has ever seen God/god(s), lived with a ghost, or transcended reality. I hate how that makes me sound like the outspoken (and crazy) atheists of the world, because I'm not really like that. It's not to say that people haven't felt awe when looking at nature, felt separated from themselves, or witnessed (or done) outstanding or amazingly improbable things. Surely all of that has happened. Adding some sort of mystical explanation for these feelings and experiences is a secondary, post hoc kind of experience that isn't really involved with the event itself. It's a narrative put on life after the fact just because it makes the moment seem more meaningful or special.
Dr. Wallis once explained to my sanskrit class that he sees part of the world (at least religious experience) as on a continuum with phenomenological explanations at one end and narratological (if that's a word) explanations at the other. I have to say that I'm on the phenomenological side. I, of course, think that's a good side to be on. Experience itself is a wonderful and beautiful thing and shouldn't need an extra sheen of narration in order for it to be consistent and meaningful for people. If it's all fresh, new, clear, interesting, and truly experienced in the moment then there isn't a need for a narration, or any explanation beyond what's actually there.
Beyond that, I suppose I don't know if I have a real point. Being in the position to believe in a narration of life rather than what's going on is symptomatic anyway - what I'd call a leaf problem (as opposed to a root problem in my tree metaphor). So I don't expect to convince anyone of anything with this particular posting, it's more just for me to put down my thoughts on the matter. I suspect the origination of the mystical belief set is a strong, ingrained need to feed a defense of the egoic self which is, itself, a defensive fiction (perhaps...well, I'd say probably). It's a defensive cycle. *shrug* Oh well. Maybe I'll write about that some other time.
EDIT:
For instance, another example I can think of is martial arts. I saw a show a few days ago where it seemed as if Chuck Norris was being viewed as some sort of martial arts god in comparison to this crappy dude he was trying to teach. What a bunch of malarkey. That stuff, while amazing, is merely a human capacity which can be trained. Sure, when trained it looks pretty damn amazing. Mike (my teacher) still amazes me - he can do more than I can possibly think of doing right now. But the "right now" is important. In 20 years I'll be somewhere around where he's that. He's just had more than my entire life to train.
But we all have plenty of skills that we are good at. We're pretty good at walking (controlled falling), talking, writing, hell, I'm writing this out at probably 50 words per minute on a keyboard. That's a skill right there. It would probably seem pretty impressive to, say, my great grandmother who knows almost nothing of computers and spent most of her life in a time prior to their common usage (and she didn't have one anywhere nearby until a year or two ago). But it's just a human capacity, just like martial arts or any other skill. Sure there are aptitudes and abilities that some people seem more suited for and tend to excel at, and at that expert level it seems to be something outlandish and almost godly, but that doesn't mean it isn't human.
People can do all sorts of things. I read something once by Pascal Boyer that said religious experience tends to be a lack of understanding of the laws of probability. Sure, some events are improbable or unlikely or uncommon. But, they still happen, just by chance. Given enough time and enough experience everything will happen at least once. Same applies with skills as with miracles. Lots and lots of people have done lots and lots of things, there will always be people that excel in certain areas and seemingly miraculous (but really just statistical eventualities) events.
I hate spending all my time at home too. Call me if you want to do anything (if this post doesn't offend you too much). Really, seriously. I'm not doing anything. *sheepish look*
What I really wanted to talk about, though, was mystification. I really dislike the idea of mystification on any level with anything. What made me start thinking about this was when I was lounging around watching Mindfreak (with Criss Angel!) earlier. The language, the editing, the mentality of the show all point towards some sort of strange force or will that somehow allows "larger than life" things to happen. Pah, I say. That seems like nonsense.
On the show, Criss was trying to suspend himself by flesh hooks from a helicopter and fly around. He was, of course, very scared and wasn't sure about the stunt. When he did go through with his intended action, everything changed to a magical experience. He said that when the mind, body, and spirit are in unison, anything is possible in voice over as he hung from hooks in his back as he flew over the desert. This was in stark contrast to the pain and fear prior. Of course, I looked at that and started to explain it differently... He had convinced himself to go through an intensely painful experience, so he would probably like it even if it sucked and the endorphins and adrenaline he was feeling would make him feel so high that he would probably be blissed out anyway.
I don't like the idea of putting a greater explanation out there than really is present. My stance in the past few weeks has developed into: no one has ever seen God/god(s), lived with a ghost, or transcended reality. I hate how that makes me sound like the outspoken (and crazy) atheists of the world, because I'm not really like that. It's not to say that people haven't felt awe when looking at nature, felt separated from themselves, or witnessed (or done) outstanding or amazingly improbable things. Surely all of that has happened. Adding some sort of mystical explanation for these feelings and experiences is a secondary, post hoc kind of experience that isn't really involved with the event itself. It's a narrative put on life after the fact just because it makes the moment seem more meaningful or special.
Dr. Wallis once explained to my sanskrit class that he sees part of the world (at least religious experience) as on a continuum with phenomenological explanations at one end and narratological (if that's a word) explanations at the other. I have to say that I'm on the phenomenological side. I, of course, think that's a good side to be on. Experience itself is a wonderful and beautiful thing and shouldn't need an extra sheen of narration in order for it to be consistent and meaningful for people. If it's all fresh, new, clear, interesting, and truly experienced in the moment then there isn't a need for a narration, or any explanation beyond what's actually there.
Beyond that, I suppose I don't know if I have a real point. Being in the position to believe in a narration of life rather than what's going on is symptomatic anyway - what I'd call a leaf problem (as opposed to a root problem in my tree metaphor). So I don't expect to convince anyone of anything with this particular posting, it's more just for me to put down my thoughts on the matter. I suspect the origination of the mystical belief set is a strong, ingrained need to feed a defense of the egoic self which is, itself, a defensive fiction (perhaps...well, I'd say probably). It's a defensive cycle. *shrug* Oh well. Maybe I'll write about that some other time.
EDIT:
For instance, another example I can think of is martial arts. I saw a show a few days ago where it seemed as if Chuck Norris was being viewed as some sort of martial arts god in comparison to this crappy dude he was trying to teach. What a bunch of malarkey. That stuff, while amazing, is merely a human capacity which can be trained. Sure, when trained it looks pretty damn amazing. Mike (my teacher) still amazes me - he can do more than I can possibly think of doing right now. But the "right now" is important. In 20 years I'll be somewhere around where he's that. He's just had more than my entire life to train.
But we all have plenty of skills that we are good at. We're pretty good at walking (controlled falling), talking, writing, hell, I'm writing this out at probably 50 words per minute on a keyboard. That's a skill right there. It would probably seem pretty impressive to, say, my great grandmother who knows almost nothing of computers and spent most of her life in a time prior to their common usage (and she didn't have one anywhere nearby until a year or two ago). But it's just a human capacity, just like martial arts or any other skill. Sure there are aptitudes and abilities that some people seem more suited for and tend to excel at, and at that expert level it seems to be something outlandish and almost godly, but that doesn't mean it isn't human.
People can do all sorts of things. I read something once by Pascal Boyer that said religious experience tends to be a lack of understanding of the laws of probability. Sure, some events are improbable or unlikely or uncommon. But, they still happen, just by chance. Given enough time and enough experience everything will happen at least once. Same applies with skills as with miracles. Lots and lots of people have done lots and lots of things, there will always be people that excel in certain areas and seemingly miraculous (but really just statistical eventualities) events.