CHAPTER THREE OF MINDFLIGHT NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING
For those following the serialization of Tom's new book on Copthorne Macdonald's Wisdom Page, here is a preview of the next chapter, "Lightning in the Darkness":
Amidst the steel mills of northwest Indiana Tom discovers the joy and exhilaration of teaching – of creating intricate mind maps on intellectual history, learning, thinking and creativity, and holistic psychology. But after order comes chaos. After superficial sanity comes some real madness. After studying science, epistemology, and perception, life takes a Dionysian turn – lightning strikes – and the world begins to sparkle and swirl. Now enter sex, and drugs and the metaphysical realities of science fiction. Tom wanders through the unfathomable vastness of “The Library of Babel” and goes in search of quality and love and a mythical red-haired woman called Harmony. Consciousness expands – consciousness falls apart. Life becomes a strange saga in some alternate reality perhaps of his own creation. There is a brush with death in a blizzard in Wisconsin. There is a conversation with God. Life seems filled with paradox. He leaves Indiana for the promise of adventure and the beauty of the Rockies, where he floats in sensory isolation tanks, comes unglued, and is, metaphorically, nailed to the cross. He falls off the edge – the precipitous cliffs – and rolls all the way back to Indiana where he is captured by a “bright-eyed girl.” This is chapter three of Mind Flight.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A New Life
The summer has left us all nicely fried in Scottsdale and as it cools down to 100, we try to ignore the Christmas aisle at Home Depot and enjoy the sultry fall weather. Even here, though, the change of seasons makes us stop and ponder the passing of time. Autumn, as the penultimate season of the year is, of course, a metaphor for the coming end of things. Next comes winter and death.
For many of us, this turning of the seasons might seem to parallel our own passage into oblivion. And for those of us moving farther and farther away from the beginnings of our own individual trajectories, it is easy to get maudlin over the passage of time. The death of aged parents, aunts, uncles, and friends only serves to underscore how fast the sand is flowing in the hourglass of life.
Tom's father died a few weeks ago and his dear friend and colleague, Larry Celaya, died a week later. Today, in fact, Tom read that the one of the leading religious futurists, Richard Kirby had also passed away. We are reminded, through such deaths close by, of our own mortality and our own ongoing process of aging.
But over the summer, Tom and I began to play with a new paradigm. It all started with some articles on the increase in the number of centenarians worldwide. According to one by Ed Yong in The New Scientist, for example, this is the fastest-growing demographic in much of the developed world. In fact, thanks to the aging baby-boomers, by 2030 there will be about a million worldwide! That should give us pause. What if we DON'T die soon? How will we spend twenty, thirty, or forty more fruitful years?
At twenty we all had the feeling of a long life stretching ahead of us. There were a myriad of possibilities. We could go in any number of directions. But there were distractions and surprises for which we were unprepared. Most of us had no money. Then life began to throw repsonsibilities at almost faster than we could adapt to them. Before we knew it we were long past the first flush of adulthood. Some of us resigned ourselves to the feeling of being trapped. This is it. This is my life.
But, instead of thinking of life after mid century as the time we wind down and slowly roll downhill towards the grave, Tom and I started thinking that we should conceptualize the future as a new beginning of a new life - a whole new life. At twenty we figured we might have about forty good years. Well, many of us will likely have another thirty or forty years - perhaps even more as bio-medical advances pick up the pace. And while many of us have been hit by the recession/depression, we sure as hell have more resources than we did at twenty.
All of us have imagined the hypothetical scenario of going back to our youth and being able to do it over again. All of us have said, too, given such a chance, "if I knew then what I know now..." We have, of course, considered this a fanciful and impossible scenario - we can't go back and start over.
Well, it is true we cannot go back, but we can start over. And we can start over knowing a lot more than we did the first time around.
Let's then imagine that we are at the beginning of a second adult life. Let's reflect upon what we have learned in our previous life - of the wisdom we have accumulated - and seriously consider what we wish to take with us and what we wish to leave behind as we set sail on this new life.
This is not something to be accomplished overnight. We should give ourselves time to ponder the question and time to work out the details. The important thing, though, is to fight against the mentality in our culture that tells us we are "over the hill" at forty and have "one foot in the grave" at sixty. These are outdated notions. And if there are things you "have always wanted to do but never had the time," now is the time to realize that you just may have an entire second lifetime.
It is time to start thinking about your new life.
FALL PHILOSOPHY SERIES STARTING BACK UP
Tom will be continuing his popular philosophy series at Rio Salado Lifelong Learning Center this fall and winter. The first presentation of the fall takes place this Wednesday, September 30, from 10:00-12:00. Tom will be giving part 3 of his lecture on Mind, Self, and Consciousness. Details and map can be found on the sidebar under upcoming events.
For many of us, this turning of the seasons might seem to parallel our own passage into oblivion. And for those of us moving farther and farther away from the beginnings of our own individual trajectories, it is easy to get maudlin over the passage of time. The death of aged parents, aunts, uncles, and friends only serves to underscore how fast the sand is flowing in the hourglass of life.
Tom's father died a few weeks ago and his dear friend and colleague, Larry Celaya, died a week later. Today, in fact, Tom read that the one of the leading religious futurists, Richard Kirby had also passed away. We are reminded, through such deaths close by, of our own mortality and our own ongoing process of aging.
But over the summer, Tom and I began to play with a new paradigm. It all started with some articles on the increase in the number of centenarians worldwide. According to one by Ed Yong in The New Scientist, for example, this is the fastest-growing demographic in much of the developed world. In fact, thanks to the aging baby-boomers, by 2030 there will be about a million worldwide! That should give us pause. What if we DON'T die soon? How will we spend twenty, thirty, or forty more fruitful years?
At twenty we all had the feeling of a long life stretching ahead of us. There were a myriad of possibilities. We could go in any number of directions. But there were distractions and surprises for which we were unprepared. Most of us had no money. Then life began to throw repsonsibilities at almost faster than we could adapt to them. Before we knew it we were long past the first flush of adulthood. Some of us resigned ourselves to the feeling of being trapped. This is it. This is my life.
But, instead of thinking of life after mid century as the time we wind down and slowly roll downhill towards the grave, Tom and I started thinking that we should conceptualize the future as a new beginning of a new life - a whole new life. At twenty we figured we might have about forty good years. Well, many of us will likely have another thirty or forty years - perhaps even more as bio-medical advances pick up the pace. And while many of us have been hit by the recession/depression, we sure as hell have more resources than we did at twenty.
All of us have imagined the hypothetical scenario of going back to our youth and being able to do it over again. All of us have said, too, given such a chance, "if I knew then what I know now..." We have, of course, considered this a fanciful and impossible scenario - we can't go back and start over.
Well, it is true we cannot go back, but we can start over. And we can start over knowing a lot more than we did the first time around.
Let's then imagine that we are at the beginning of a second adult life. Let's reflect upon what we have learned in our previous life - of the wisdom we have accumulated - and seriously consider what we wish to take with us and what we wish to leave behind as we set sail on this new life.
This is not something to be accomplished overnight. We should give ourselves time to ponder the question and time to work out the details. The important thing, though, is to fight against the mentality in our culture that tells us we are "over the hill" at forty and have "one foot in the grave" at sixty. These are outdated notions. And if there are things you "have always wanted to do but never had the time," now is the time to realize that you just may have an entire second lifetime.
It is time to start thinking about your new life.
FALL PHILOSOPHY SERIES STARTING BACK UP
Tom will be continuing his popular philosophy series at Rio Salado Lifelong Learning Center this fall and winter. The first presentation of the fall takes place this Wednesday, September 30, from 10:00-12:00. Tom will be giving part 3 of his lecture on Mind, Self, and Consciousness. Details and map can be found on the sidebar under upcoming events.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Getting Wise about Education on September 9
What does wisdom have to do with education? Strangely enough that seems to be a question that is infrequently asked in these times of looking at education as preprofessional training, something to be got through to get that degree. We are not discounting the importance of such concerns, but propose that placing wisdom as the central goal of education not only facilitates the achievement of practical goals on an individual level but contributes to the overall well-being and development of society.
What is wisdom? Here is Tom's definition: “Wisdom is the highest expression of self-development and future consciousness. It is the continually evolving understanding of and fascination with the big picture of life, of what is important, ethical, and meaningful, and the desire and ability to apply this understanding to enhance the well being of life, both for oneself and others.”
If you are interested and local, Tom will be giving a presentation at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 9th. at the Surprise Communiversity on “The Pursuit of Wisdom and the Future of Education." Tom will present and explain his thesis that wisdom should be the central goal of all higher education, both as the primary character virtue that teachers and educational administrators should model and practice, and as the central learning objective for college students, regardless of their particular discipline or degree. Tom will describe the basic features of wisdom, outlining contemporary inter-disciplinary research on the topic. And he will demonstrate the critical relevance of wisdom to successfully addressing the challenges, present and future, facing human society and higher education.
If you are not local but still interested, read about wisdom and the future of education here.
What is wisdom? Here is Tom's definition: “Wisdom is the highest expression of self-development and future consciousness. It is the continually evolving understanding of and fascination with the big picture of life, of what is important, ethical, and meaningful, and the desire and ability to apply this understanding to enhance the well being of life, both for oneself and others.”
If you are interested and local, Tom will be giving a presentation at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 9th. at the Surprise Communiversity on “The Pursuit of Wisdom and the Future of Education." Tom will present and explain his thesis that wisdom should be the central goal of all higher education, both as the primary character virtue that teachers and educational administrators should model and practice, and as the central learning objective for college students, regardless of their particular discipline or degree. Tom will describe the basic features of wisdom, outlining contemporary inter-disciplinary research on the topic. And he will demonstrate the critical relevance of wisdom to successfully addressing the challenges, present and future, facing human society and higher education.
If you are not local but still interested, read about wisdom and the future of education here.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Mindflight: Wisdom, Enlightenment and the Journey of Life
It has been an eventful summer. Tom and I presented at the Science, Wisdom, and the Future Conference in June and the World Future Society Conference in July, relishing the opportunity to engage in dialogue with some great minds, including (at the first conference) Riane Eisler and David Loye; Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution and his wife and science-writer Connie Willis; "Voluntary Simplicity" pioneer Duane Elgin; and the ever inspiring Barbara Marx Hubbard, among many others. Check out my article on Duane Elgin's presentation. More on the World Future Society Conference in a blog to come.
The most significant event of the summer though is the premiere of Tom's new book Mindflight: Wisdom, Enlightenment, and the Journey of Life, which is being serialized on Copthorne Macdonald's The Wisdom Page. The book is what Copthorne characterizes as a quest-for-wisdom-story. It is also a rollicking personal history which intertwines a comprehensive overview of the main currents of Western philosophy (and some Eastern concepts too) with accounts of the variously funny, painful, and perplexing events that fired a life of the mind in one man over a period of forty years. Here in its debut you will find a description of the book followed by the prologue and the first chapter. Subsequent chapters will appear on the first of every month for the next twelve months.
This is an important and timely book, one that addresses the challenges facing all of us in life as we head into the strange and turbulent waters of the future - the heights to which we may soar and the depths into which we are plunged. But like life itself it is funny, engaging, surprising, and mystifying. A highly personal account, its publication has been an intimidating and frightening propostion for both of us. But here you have it. We stand naked before you. We would be interested in your reactions, comments, and thoughts on these first sections.
The most significant event of the summer though is the premiere of Tom's new book Mindflight: Wisdom, Enlightenment, and the Journey of Life, which is being serialized on Copthorne Macdonald's The Wisdom Page. The book is what Copthorne characterizes as a quest-for-wisdom-story. It is also a rollicking personal history which intertwines a comprehensive overview of the main currents of Western philosophy (and some Eastern concepts too) with accounts of the variously funny, painful, and perplexing events that fired a life of the mind in one man over a period of forty years. Here in its debut you will find a description of the book followed by the prologue and the first chapter. Subsequent chapters will appear on the first of every month for the next twelve months.
This is an important and timely book, one that addresses the challenges facing all of us in life as we head into the strange and turbulent waters of the future - the heights to which we may soar and the depths into which we are plunged. But like life itself it is funny, engaging, surprising, and mystifying. A highly personal account, its publication has been an intimidating and frightening propostion for both of us. But here you have it. We stand naked before you. We would be interested in your reactions, comments, and thoughts on these first sections.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Join Us in Exploring the Mind, Wisdom, and Consciousness
Heads up on two upcoming events.
First, Tom will be doing a two-part presentation on "Mind, Self, and Consciousness" out at Rio Salado's Lifelong Learning Center on Tuesday May 12 and Tuesday June 9 from 10:00-2:00. Visitors are welcome. Following is a little preview:
What is the nature of the mind? What is the “I”, the “me”, the sense of personal identity or self that we all seem to possess? Most intriguing of all, what is consciousness? What is this strange thing we call “experience” and why is it private and subjective? Why, in fact, is there consciousness at all and how did it arise within a physical world?
These connected questions have baffled both philosophers and scientists through the ages, and the two presentations will cover the whole array of relevant issues and ideas, from Plato, the Buddha, and Descartes to Freud, Sartre, Damasio, Clark, Chalmers and many others.
Tom will begin with ancient theories of the mind, starting with the Greeks and mystical Eastern thinkers, and then move into modern views, covering both Enlightenment philosophy and science and the emergence of psychology toward the end of the nineteenth century. From there he will explore contemporary thinking, looking at the brain and consciousness, the evolution of the self, and most recently, some mind-expanding theories on what the mind is.
Participants will be challenged to consider a myriad of questions: What is the relationship of consciousness and matter? What is the unconscious? Where is the mind? Why am I me and not you? We will consider whether the self is an illusion, a social construction, or a figment of the imagination. We will consider the issues of freedom, responsibility, and determinism as it pertains to the mind and the self. In the finale, we will even head into the future, connecting mind, self, and consciousness with artificial intelligence, robots, the cosmos, and the possibilities of expanding our conscious minds in the world of tomorrow.
Later in the summer Tom and Jeanne will both be presenting at the Science, Wisdom and the Future Conference in San Luis Obispo on California's central coast from June 24-28. There is still time to register for the conference and to engage with some top-knotch speakers so check out the link.
Tom will do a first session Wisdom, Virtue, and Future Consciousness, and a second special session on The Future of Psychology and the Cosmology of Consciousness. Jeanne will be speaking on Wisdom and the Ideal Society. There is a wonderful lineup of speakers such as Riane Eisler, author of Sacred Pleasure and The Chalice and the Blade, evolutionary writer and head of the Darwin Project, David Loye, and proponent of conscious evolution, Barbara Marx Hubbard.
The conference will bring together scholars and students, experts and lay persons—all who are interested in drawing on our latest science and deepest wisdom to build a sustainable and flourishing future for planet Earth and all its inhabitants.
Along with formal presentations, working lunch discussions and open space give all participants the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue. There will also be significant opportunities for sharing organizational work, important books, upcoming conferences and initiatives through displays, and special focus sessions. Various modes of sharing scholarly, artistic, and multi-media expressions of science, wisdom, and visions for the future will enrich the conference experience.
To see a list of presenters, or if you are interested in participating or in presenting, hit on the link above or call Cheryl Genet at 805-438-4088 for more information.
First, Tom will be doing a two-part presentation on "Mind, Self, and Consciousness" out at Rio Salado's Lifelong Learning Center on Tuesday May 12 and Tuesday June 9 from 10:00-2:00. Visitors are welcome. Following is a little preview:
What is the nature of the mind? What is the “I”, the “me”, the sense of personal identity or self that we all seem to possess? Most intriguing of all, what is consciousness? What is this strange thing we call “experience” and why is it private and subjective? Why, in fact, is there consciousness at all and how did it arise within a physical world?
These connected questions have baffled both philosophers and scientists through the ages, and the two presentations will cover the whole array of relevant issues and ideas, from Plato, the Buddha, and Descartes to Freud, Sartre, Damasio, Clark, Chalmers and many others.
Tom will begin with ancient theories of the mind, starting with the Greeks and mystical Eastern thinkers, and then move into modern views, covering both Enlightenment philosophy and science and the emergence of psychology toward the end of the nineteenth century. From there he will explore contemporary thinking, looking at the brain and consciousness, the evolution of the self, and most recently, some mind-expanding theories on what the mind is.
Participants will be challenged to consider a myriad of questions: What is the relationship of consciousness and matter? What is the unconscious? Where is the mind? Why am I me and not you? We will consider whether the self is an illusion, a social construction, or a figment of the imagination. We will consider the issues of freedom, responsibility, and determinism as it pertains to the mind and the self. In the finale, we will even head into the future, connecting mind, self, and consciousness with artificial intelligence, robots, the cosmos, and the possibilities of expanding our conscious minds in the world of tomorrow.
Later in the summer Tom and Jeanne will both be presenting at the Science, Wisdom and the Future Conference in San Luis Obispo on California's central coast from June 24-28. There is still time to register for the conference and to engage with some top-knotch speakers so check out the link.
Tom will do a first session Wisdom, Virtue, and Future Consciousness, and a second special session on The Future of Psychology and the Cosmology of Consciousness. Jeanne will be speaking on Wisdom and the Ideal Society. There is a wonderful lineup of speakers such as Riane Eisler, author of Sacred Pleasure and The Chalice and the Blade, evolutionary writer and head of the Darwin Project, David Loye, and proponent of conscious evolution, Barbara Marx Hubbard.
The conference will bring together scholars and students, experts and lay persons—all who are interested in drawing on our latest science and deepest wisdom to build a sustainable and flourishing future for planet Earth and all its inhabitants.
Along with formal presentations, working lunch discussions and open space give all participants the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue. There will also be significant opportunities for sharing organizational work, important books, upcoming conferences and initiatives through displays, and special focus sessions. Various modes of sharing scholarly, artistic, and multi-media expressions of science, wisdom, and visions for the future will enrich the conference experience.
To see a list of presenters, or if you are interested in participating or in presenting, hit on the link above or call Cheryl Genet at 805-438-4088 for more information.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Strength in Numbers?
Been a little quiet on the blog lately but writing for a web magazine - Suite101 for which I recently published an article on global population growth. On NPR's Diane Ream show this week, guest Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb (1971) and more recently The Dominant Animal spoke on the implications of current trends in the fertility rate as the global population barrels along towards a whopping seven billion people. Certainly this is an issue of crucial importance, not only for the quality of life of those alive today, but, as Erlich points out, especially for those who come after us.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Darwin and Lincoln
It is Presidents' Day weekend in the States, a three-day weekend that memorializes the births of two of our most illustrious presidents, Washington and Lincoln. While many people simply appreciate the extra free day, we hope that our fellow Americans and friends abroad pause to reflect on the legacy of our first and sixteenth presidents and perhaps even take a moment to re-read the Gettysburg Address, one of the most eloquent appeals for freedom and for "a government of the people, by the people and for the people." Whatever your politics, it is a mighty testament to Lincoln's commitment to the ideals of American liberty and equality that today, 200 years after his birth, Barack Obama is in the White House. It is also a reminder that war should only be waged to further those sacred values and not for empire building, global economic dominance, or other immoral or evil objectives.
Today is the actual day of Lincoln's birthday 200 years ago, but it is also the birthday of Charles Darwin. How interesting that these two immortals came into the world on exactly the same day. To Darwin of course we owe the idea of evolution, and what an idea. In his monumental study, Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention from Fire to Freud, Peter Watson rates it as one of the all-time great ideas. It is a legacy that is sadly not appreciated in this country. Worse, his idea has been under vigorous attack since Origin of the Species was published in 1859. Incredibly, according to a poll reported on CNN today, only 39% of Americans accept the validity of Darwin's theory. The implications of this statistic for the future of the United States are dire. Here is a short article from today's New York Times on Darwin, the man, and on the importance to humanity of his groundbreaking insight into the processes of the natural world and the place of humankind among the other living things with which we share this world. We can think of no better way to celebrate his achievement than by committing ourselves to the struggle against those who would banish the teaching of evolution from our schools. We hope you join us.
Today is the actual day of Lincoln's birthday 200 years ago, but it is also the birthday of Charles Darwin. How interesting that these two immortals came into the world on exactly the same day. To Darwin of course we owe the idea of evolution, and what an idea. In his monumental study, Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention from Fire to Freud, Peter Watson rates it as one of the all-time great ideas. It is a legacy that is sadly not appreciated in this country. Worse, his idea has been under vigorous attack since Origin of the Species was published in 1859. Incredibly, according to a poll reported on CNN today, only 39% of Americans accept the validity of Darwin's theory. The implications of this statistic for the future of the United States are dire. Here is a short article from today's New York Times on Darwin, the man, and on the importance to humanity of his groundbreaking insight into the processes of the natural world and the place of humankind among the other living things with which we share this world. We can think of no better way to celebrate his achievement than by committing ourselves to the struggle against those who would banish the teaching of evolution from our schools. We hope you join us.
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