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symbioidljLanguage could be said to be the first Virtual Reality. Language, as the symbol/signifier, points to something beyond itself, in the same way that VR symbolizes and abstracts an external "ideal" form(a la: the platonic ideal... in this case, the ideal is the substantial. a sort of reverse platonism, the apotheosis and transendence towards the imaginal, is probably a more accurate rendering of what is occurring here)
Language, being the limited filter that it is, cannot convey the true experience and felt presence of being. It can only convey in limited fashion the ideal of it's own concept.
It is a virtual reality, in the sense that it is telepathic. The observer/participant experiences the immediate present, and carries away a limited form of it. Observer then conveys through the filter of language(already subjecting it to his own internal psychic projections and emotions and feelings and interpretations) the event to Listener. Listener then appropriates his own conceptual apparatus upon the language that is given to him.
The pure experience is no longer effective. A tree becomes symbol: triangular bushy green thing. The essence and purity is lost.
Silence is the way to see. Silence is the way to hear.
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There are two ways to react to this fact. Silence, as mentioned, is one way. The buddhist stilling of the monkey-mind. To directly observe and participate with name and label. To absorb the experience and understand an object without the egoic separation that language brings. This allows for the unification of subject-object. knower and known.
The other way is to, after McKenna, expand language. expand conscious verbality and explore the hidden, dark corners of psyche and logos through ever more refined expression. Clarity is then achieved through ever greater refinement of language, so that the object conveyed through language becomes ever more clear and true, and the virtuality becomes ever more real.
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These two methods are indicative of a greater schism of approaches that, ultimately, should be embraced in synthesis.
The path of the ascetic and the path of the ecstatic.
Silence, stillness, meditative thought, mantra, mind-machines(in one mode of operation), etc... These are ascetic paths, slowing the metabolism towards the state of death, towards egolessness through egoic absorption into self.
Dance, drumming, singing, psychedelics, tantric sex. These are some of the roads on the ecstatic path. The excitation of the self into greater awareness of the all through trance inducing methods...
---
the path of the stillness and silence is the path of the void, the thanatos, the black nothingness.
the path of the dance and song is the path of the aethyr, the eros, the pure white everything.
Both paths point to a transcendent reality where ultimately, the division between these two paths become irrelevant, because nothing and all have unified.
I believe that ultimately the best way is a balance/synthesis between these two methodologies.
It also depends on the individual...
Questions arise: Is it better for the individual to follow a path that is opposite their natural tendency in order to temper their extreme(ie: if someone is very communicative, is it best for them to practice the art of stillness and meditation to calm the monkey mind? or if someone is quiet and shy, still and slow, does it behoove them to practice the art of dance and song?) or is it better for them to follow a path that is more "natural" for them, so that the quiet being follows a meditative path and the communicator ever refines their linguistic abilities?
These two are not at odds, and ultimately a well-rounded integration of both paths can lead to a more holistic life.
Language, being the limited filter that it is, cannot convey the true experience and felt presence of being. It can only convey in limited fashion the ideal of it's own concept.
It is a virtual reality, in the sense that it is telepathic. The observer/participant experiences the immediate present, and carries away a limited form of it. Observer then conveys through the filter of language(already subjecting it to his own internal psychic projections and emotions and feelings and interpretations) the event to Listener. Listener then appropriates his own conceptual apparatus upon the language that is given to him.
The pure experience is no longer effective. A tree becomes symbol: triangular bushy green thing. The essence and purity is lost.
Silence is the way to see. Silence is the way to hear.
--------
There are two ways to react to this fact. Silence, as mentioned, is one way. The buddhist stilling of the monkey-mind. To directly observe and participate with name and label. To absorb the experience and understand an object without the egoic separation that language brings. This allows for the unification of subject-object. knower and known.
The other way is to, after McKenna, expand language. expand conscious verbality and explore the hidden, dark corners of psyche and logos through ever more refined expression. Clarity is then achieved through ever greater refinement of language, so that the object conveyed through language becomes ever more clear and true, and the virtuality becomes ever more real.
---------
These two methods are indicative of a greater schism of approaches that, ultimately, should be embraced in synthesis.
The path of the ascetic and the path of the ecstatic.
Silence, stillness, meditative thought, mantra, mind-machines(in one mode of operation), etc... These are ascetic paths, slowing the metabolism towards the state of death, towards egolessness through egoic absorption into self.
Dance, drumming, singing, psychedelics, tantric sex. These are some of the roads on the ecstatic path. The excitation of the self into greater awareness of the all through trance inducing methods...
---
the path of the stillness and silence is the path of the void, the thanatos, the black nothingness.
the path of the dance and song is the path of the aethyr, the eros, the pure white everything.
Both paths point to a transcendent reality where ultimately, the division between these two paths become irrelevant, because nothing and all have unified.
I believe that ultimately the best way is a balance/synthesis between these two methodologies.
It also depends on the individual...
Questions arise: Is it better for the individual to follow a path that is opposite their natural tendency in order to temper their extreme(ie: if someone is very communicative, is it best for them to practice the art of stillness and meditation to calm the monkey mind? or if someone is quiet and shy, still and slow, does it behoove them to practice the art of dance and song?) or is it better for them to follow a path that is more "natural" for them, so that the quiet being follows a meditative path and the communicator ever refines their linguistic abilities?
These two are not at odds, and ultimately a well-rounded integration of both paths can lead to a more holistic life.
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this has nothing to do with this post..
Date: 2003-07-26 05:19 pm (UTC)Re: this has nothing to do with this post..
Date: 2003-07-26 05:20 pm (UTC)Re: this has nothing to do with this post..
Date: 2003-07-26 10:57 pm (UTC)I asked in his journal, and said "I hope she's ok", and an anonymous reply to my comment said "She's not!"
I thought maybe it was her, so I called her number and found it was changed with no forwarding number left. That's gotten me really concerned.
I talked to
I really don't know. I don't know if the anonymous comment was from K or if it was from her mom who may have gotten ahold of her accounts or something, or perhaps it was mysticsun...
If you are able to find anything out, please let me know, because I've been concerned for a while.
Re: this has nothing to do with this post..
Date: 2003-07-27 10:45 am (UTC)Re: this has nothing to do with this post..
Date: 2003-07-27 11:04 am (UTC)