I must admit as much as I admire the work of Rene Descartes, in the final analysis, it is my contention that he got it wrong. Not all of it mind you but when it comes to “I think, therefore I am” the significance of this escapes me and in fact, I believe it to be one of the world’s greatest “red herrings” of all time.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, thinking is all fine and well, but as evidence of one’s existence? That seems a bit of a stretch and indeed, a “feel-good” answer to a very serious and often complex question. Hear me out.
Thinking is at best a somewhat logical process, at least by human standards, by which we add and/or subtract from the eternal dialogue that binds us together as one. Let’s call this the One Mind Theory. Every time we muse about life, the universe, existence, non-existence at high end, who’s going to win the World Series, and what’s for dinner? And although some may disagree with me, at the lower end, we find ourselves in a state of inner consciousness that I like to describe as talking internally to one’s self.
So, when someone says do you talk to yourself? My immediate response is yes, all the time. Now whether my inquirer means out loud, that could be another issue entirely, but probably not a sign of any mental infirmity, but an acknowledgement there is a here and a now and we as sentient beings are able to participate in a process I believe is designed to access all there is and ever will be.
Yet, if that is so, why is it we don’t have all the answers to all our questions, earthen or spiritual, secular and sectarian, including Gauguin’s painting/query “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? I mean, shouldn’t this be as simple as checking a book out of a library?
And so, the mere realization that we can send yet more molecules, atoms, quarks, waves, energy or electricity if you wish to call it that, and assuming Descartes is correct, the better and far more practical question is, I know you are, for I can 'experience your presence, or 'feel' you as part of a communal continuum of thoughts, but, I still have no answer for what am I? and again assuming I 'am' whatever that means, to make a long theory short and to the point, exactly what the hell is it I’m buying into here?"
Is it real? Or is it a series of illusions upon illusions that I now find myself thinking about? And illusions, as far as we know, are not real, or are they? Have we mistakenly confused the meaning of reality and illusion? Let me try it this way, As I am thinking about illusions, they are. Right?
And here in lies what I think (LOL) is the problem, or perhaps a piece of the Gauguin puzzle explained right under our noses, this again assuming we indeed have noses. Like I said, puzzling, isn’t it? I sniff therefore I am? Sorry, had to do it.
Now, taking as granted that part of the human condition is the inability to access all of God’s wisdom, that there is heavenly or celestial information beyond our mortal reach, although thankfully to be revealed TBD, what if in addition to our senses, our feelings and our emotions, we remove the designation of “real” and “unreal” and replace it with “is”, or “is not”? Somewhat Zen, but as I have explained on many occasions, all roads mystical, spiritual or otherwise, lead to the same destination.
The distinction may seem superficial, but I assure you it is not. For this is the true path to enlightenment, the inescapable fact that is right in front of us. If for no other reason there is no, and I mean no indication that we do not all go back to the same place and importantly, from if nothing else a religious perspective, there is no heaven and hell. And, wait for it, duality in and of itself, when applied to mind, body and spirit, is a dangerous distinction that prevents us from knowing how special we truly are.
This may seem like a conundrum that we are uniquely special and yet all one, but how else do you explain the difference between free will and fate? If I am correct in my assumption, fate is as simple as life, death and all points in between are not linear, but a circle playing on a constant loop, until we finally decide to get off the merry-go-round and take our rightful places by God’s side?
When will we all admit, as my good friend Jaime Carlo-Casellas likes to say, “We are all we are all brother and sisters born from the same maternal womb.” To which I now add, and will return to our point of origin regardless of any beliefs to the contrary, as any perceived separation of any one of us from us all is illusory and must be avoided at all costs?
This is both the charm and danger of believing that fate is singular in nature. We will all return from where we came. Simple as that. There are no exceptions, and hence no rules or beliefs to the contrary, regardless of any patina of legitimacy attached to who, what or where they came from, is false. It is an illusion and yes, we are far better trying to deal with what “is” and “is not”.
If “existence” is circular, then time does not exist. Space does not exist. Depth does not exist. They are contrivances related to the human capacity to learn and grow meant to be used to make sense of the non-sensible, and to ease our burdens along our separate and group journey back home.
If you find yourself “caught” be quiet and use what is already there and always remember, if you choose to follow the imaginary, the unreal, I tell you truly this is not the way to peace, fulfillment or serenity of body and spirit. Love, life, laughter and light cannot be borne from answering an illusion with another illusion.
Imaginary problems require imaginary answers for there is no real answer to a problem that doesn’t exist, except the ones you or those who would deceive you, contrive for their own personal, often sinister and always misguided sense of singular benefit and as with all such a selfish-contrivances, if this is not a sin, I do not know what is.
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