From Siddhartha To Deepak Chopra

I read Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, in the heady days of my youth, some forty years ago. I read it again just recently. I can't remember much of my first reading, but I do remember that my mind wandered off as I read this or that passage, just as it did this time around. The difference was that this time those passages didn't hold my attention because I got bored, whereas I'm fairly certain that the youthful me got hooked by the mysticism (which pervades the whole book), and no doubt spent a good deal of time thinking "right on!" and "far out!"

If you are not familiar with the book, the story goes something like this:

Good, middle-class boy, who wants to know what it's all about, gets frustrated with traditional life at home (he feels he's not getting anywhere), and goes off to join a cult, giving up all his possessions and spongeing off society in order to survive. Gets fed up with it after a while - still feels he's not getting anywhere - and goes off to listen to a celebrity guru type of chap who's supposed to have 'the secret'. He listens to and chats with the guru chappy, decides guru chappy probably does have 'the secret', but thinks he can't learn it just by listening to him. So, off he goes again, this time to the bright lights of the big city, where he experiments with sex and business (he's very lucky - really falls on his feet). Does that for a long time, very successfully, but eventually decides he's still not getting anywhere, so he dumps his long time lover, and his business partner, and goes off again, this time into 'the wilderness'. Shacks up with a simple ferryman, learns his trade, spends a lot of time sitting around doing not very much, except listening to the river flowing by, and comes to believe the river is intelligently communicating with him. Ferryman dies so he takes his place, and spends practically all his time listening to the river, eventually reaching the conclusion that it's all about the 'oneness' of everything, the realisation of which he feels is the enlightenment he had been looking for.

That's roughly (very roughly) the story. There is more to it, but I haven't bothered to mention any of that because it's just padding, there to bolster up the idea that everything in existence is all connected, all 'one', but the parts are meaningless, it's the 'whole' that's 'where it's at, man!'

Mysticism. It's just great, isn't it. You can feel like you really know something important but you don't have to go through all that tedious evidence stuff. You can just wing it, make it up as you go along. Assert something and support your assertion with another assertion, and another, and ... shazzam! You're one of the cognoscenti!

And when you're one of the cognoscenti, you can say stuff like this: While the body appears to be material, it is really a field of energy and intelligence that is inextricably connected to the mind. We now know that what used to be considered the “normal” experience of aging – a progressive descent into physical and mental incapacity – is in large part a conditioned response. The mind influences every cell in the body and therefore human aging is fluid and changeable. It can speed up, slow down, and even reverse itself. [source]

Or maybe you could talk about ways to tap into your inner reservoir of unlimited energy. [source]

If you're really switched on, you could set up a 'lifestyle workshop' (why not call it an 'event'?) and tell potential attendees: We will discuss the science of mythology and archetypes – powerful energies that are within us and demonstrated within our cultures. We will learn how to activate these archetypal energies within us to inspire, guide, and transform our lives. [source]

It doesn't matter that there doesn't appear to be a science of mythology, just making reference to it, as if it exists, is all you have to do. Of course, one might be tempted to cite a book entitled Contributions to the Science of Mythology (Max Müller, 1897), and another entitled Essays on a Science of Mythology: The Myth of the Divine Child and the Mysteries of Eleusis (C. G. Jung & C. Kerényi, 1969), as evidence of such a science. Unfortunately, the evidence isn't very convincing when Princeton University Press (the publishers of the latter book) include the following, about the authors, in their description: Both men hoped, through their collaboration, to elevate the study of mythology to the status of a science. Methinks you'd probably be wise not to do any citing at all.

Deepak Chopra seems to be wise. I'm not entirely certain if it's the wisdom which comes from a Siddhartha-esque understanding of what it's all about, or just a shrewd business head, but the stuff on the Chopra Center website undoubtedly strives to give the impression that he knows what he's talking about. It's not scientific, but it sounds as if it is. And that's what counts.

It's an odd thing that the phrase "blinded me with science" rarely applies to real science, but is almost always applicable to the bucketloads of pseudo science bullshit one can easily find.

 

Cue musical interlude...

She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby Listen on Posterous

 

I was most intrigued by the claim that human aging is fluid and changeable. It can speed up, slow down, and even reverse itself. I did a little research and came up with this corroborating evidence.

Oooops. Perhaps someone forgot to tap into their inner reservoir of unlimited energy.

Source pictures: http://www.quotespapa.com/authors/deepak-chopra-quotes.html
and http://altreligion.net/?p=2113

Google Image Search

Morph animation: Zizisoft Face Transformer

Thomas Dolby: She Blinded Me With Science available at Amazon

Posted via email from Jo S Wun on Posterous

The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Picture Of Dorian Gray is one of those books that I felt I ought to have read, but somehow had never quite got around to it. On the whole, I'm glad that I have eventually done so.

Fortunately, I knew nothing of the story so I was able to read it without the bias one inevitably has when reading a book, or watching a film, after having read reviews or summaries. That's not to say I had no bias at all. Oscar Wilde's reputation for "... biting wit, flamboyant dress, and glittering conversation"[*] lurked in the recesses of my mind as I began to read.

According to Wikipedia, the book is considered a work of classic gothic fiction, with a strong Faustian theme. I wouldn't argue with that, at least not after having looked up the definition of that genre. In my uninformed previous state, I would have said it was a kind of horror fantasy.

I didn't know beforehand, but there were at least two versions of the novel. The first, consisting of thirteen chapters, appeared in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The author subsequently made alterations and also added new chapters, increasing the count to twenty, this revised edition being published by Ward, Lock, and Company in 1891. It was this version which I read.

Sadly, the insertion of additional chapters was probably a mistake. In particular, chapter eleven should have filed for bankruptcy long before it was inflicted on readers. It adds nothing of significance to the book, being not much more than a tedious set of descriptions of exquisite artifacts of one sort or another. I almost felt it was a case of Wilde rather vainly showing off his depth of knowledge of such things.

Be that as it may, it's actually not a bad story, providing you are willing to accept the fantasy nature of the plot which allows the main character, Dorian Gray, to indulge his own fantasies without substantial risk to himself or his reputation.

Reputation is a big deal in the society of which he is a part, a society which includes Lords and various other interesting chaps, who, if Wilde is to be believed, never sit down but rather 'fling' or 'throw' themselves into whatever type of seating is to hand. Perhaps if Wilde had had access to a word processor with word frequency analysis, he'd have noticed how often he used those words.

But that's just tittle tattle. For the most part it's an absorbing read which explores the murkier aspects of human nature. Certainly a good deal more shocking at the time of publication than it is today, it nevertheless takes the reader to places we don't normally go. Overall, I give it a thumbs up, but suspect the original, shorter version may well be the one to go for.

A replica of the version which appeared in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine can be downloaded as a PDF here, at the University of Victoria website. Alternatively, Project Gutenberg has both versions, short and long in various formats.

Posted via email from Jo S Wun on Posterous

Shark Infested Waiters

I tried out a new freeware file manager (Master Commander) yesterday, and, as part of my testing, I watched a previously downloaded video in its built-in, pop up viewer. It's a pretty good file manager, but I'll be sticking with FreeCommander. It's more configurable, viewing videos doesn't need a pop up viewer, and it seems more intuitive to use (which I'm likely to think because I've been using it for years and got comfortable with any quirks it might have a long time ago).

I've also been trying out SpiderOak, an online backup/synchronisation service similar to Dropbox. If you follow tech/software blogs you'll know that Dropbox has come in for some criticism of late over its security. SpiderOak uses what it calls comprehensive 'zero-knowledge' data encryption, by which it means that, unlike Dropbox, it has absolutely no means of access to the content of files stored on its servers - the encryption happens locally on the user's device before it is sent. It works well and has some additional features too.

The standard free account offers 2GB of storage, but you can get 3GB by signing up and downloading the application via this link. (Yes...of course I get extra free storage as well!)

So what's all this got to do with sharks and waiters? Well, the video I watched was the one embedded below, which shows sharks as I've never seen them before. It reminded me how difficult it seems to be to convince authorities to curtail the trade in fins (the ones hacked off the sharks, fins which end up in soup served by the waiters). Perhaps the image of sharks as presented in films such as Jaws makes the public feel a bowl of soup is 'just deserts' (sorry!) for sharks.

Gimme A Hug.wmv Watch on Posterous

It's a few months old, but this article in The Independent gives some info on the shark fin industry, together with some links to organisations which are trying to stop it.

And finally, twenty-two years ago today: Tiananmen Square

Posted via email from Jo S Wun on Posterous