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Addressing Fatalism as a Result of Lessons Learned

It is interesting. Based on something Durkheim wrote in the context of discussing religion, I write this as shorthand for what he was saying: Science as a dominant, legitimate truth producing mechanism takes away the magic from imagination. For me, I attach imagination to science in the sense that I base some freaky ideas on established or un-established scientific “truth.” It is fun.

I am not disheartened that this class at times demystifies the things that we have grown to believe are mystically and spooky. The class can at times be a party-pooper. Yet, that is one perspective. For me, no one can take the mystic away from the things/phenomenon that science tries to explain—especially because there are so many unknowns about the known. And the knowns are pretty freaky themselves: i.e. a holographic universe.

Addressing Feeling What is not There: I’ll Think Myself into Satisfaction

Ehuster: in a post you wrote: “I have seen that we can experience phantom limbs that we think are there but it's because the nerves think that they are there. I was so confused in class this past week because my brain couldn't wrap around the fact that we can feel what is not there ... being wrong has never felt so right.”

I would phrase it a little differently than experiencing something that is “not there.” It maybe easier for us to grasp. I would phrase it as such: The brain can feel what it thinks or thinks it feels. Now, that is empowering. Let me think myself into enjoying a nice piece of dark chocolate: Mmmm, the satisfaction.

Addressing Losing the Idea of Unifying Force

Yes, before and also now, I had an idea of a unifying force that holds us together and constitutes us—individually & collectively. This course does not discount this for me. It even helps me get more specific in where I attribute this holding-together function.

For example, I still have not forgotten about the electromagnetic field thing that we learned in the beginning of the class. We came to the conclusion that uneven random motion creates order.

That order constitutes who we are: If there are numerous central generators that act randomly with respect to other central generators and that motion is uneven, then there will be some ordered created in the form of an electromagnetic force field or something else.

This can be true for society in some sense, for we begin to define ourselves by the morals that hold us together. To the foreign observer, an individuals action may seem random as compared to another in that persons same society. However, upon closer inspection, with a wise eye, the foreigner would realize that there is some method to this madness he is observing.

Addressing Getting “Answers”

The questions are just getting started for me. I have not let go to the questions to which I have brought to class (all my classes). I will keep holding them, like a folded letter, to light of viable conclusions until I get a satisfactory message. I have not received one as yet. So let the investigation continue…