In Relation to the Ongoing Crisis: Human Consciousness & Intelligence Relative to Other Earthly Forms of Those Characteristics

 I'm fairly certain that we humans all have been raised to believe human beings are superior to all other life forms on Earth.  Perhaps not superior in every way possible, but at least in regard to intelligence and consciousness.  As we journey through life, that idea often is reinforced by both people and circumstances.  We view the concept as a given; no further thought about it is necessary.

Some people believe in it because of religion, I'm guessing.  At least, that is likely in terms of the religion in Western World cultures.  In those beliefs, humans are the pinnacle of creation.  Other animal life, and certainly plants, are viewed as having only a utilitarian purpose vis-a-vis humanity.  Forget about microbes.  Atheists and perhaps agnostics, as well, seem to believe in it because of little more than Logic.  It simply makes sense.

Like most everyone else, for years I bought into the myth of human superiority.  How could it not be true?  Of course we were meant to dominate this planet.  Eventually, though, I came to realize there are other ways of looking at the web of life and our place in it.  I didn't experience a single "eureka" moment, nothing like that.  It was more like hundreds of those moments, and they stretched out over decades.  Because of my education and experience in Agriculture, Biology, and Environmental Geography, most eurekas involved nonhuman animals, plants, and other parts of the natural environment.  Then, too, the ignorance (and sometimes, utter stupidity) displayed by we humans relative to our habitat and other life played a part in changing my worldview.

Here are only two little tidbits which helped to bring about about my transformation.  Did you know that trees communicate with each other in forests, and "mother trees" nurture nearby seedlings?  They do these things by means of symbiotic, micorrhizal fungi.  Watch this video by the plant ecologist, Suzanne Simard.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs&list=WL&index=65&t=33s

This is not based on magical thinking, but rather on solid ecological research.  The clip is relatively short, and quite a revelation.  The botanist, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, has something similar in a full-length documentary, Call of the Forest: the Forgotten Wisdom of Trees.  Both pieces demonstrate scientific evidence supporting the hypothesis that trees have a type of consciousness and intelligence.  Not like that of humans, but nonetheless significant.

While we most certainly are unique, humans are but a single strand in the fabric of life on Earth.  Our mistaken worldview coupled with our hubris regarding other life have resulted in the current Crisis.  A change in our Ethics is critical if we are to survive and thrive in the future.  It has taken us decades to cause life-sustaining natural cycles to be on the brink of ruin.  We must now re-double our efforts to avoid total disaster.  That's not only my opinion.  Many other people all across the political spectrum agree.

In my next post, I'll provide a long list of sources which show what's needed and why, plus some of the amazing research going on presently and in the recent past.   It's the not-yet-complete bibliography for a short book I've been writing since January of this year.

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Everyone Take Care

It's the Other Side's Fault

Below is my response (edited a bit) to an email from a friend.  His email was a commentary on my piece here titled, "Republicans & Democrats - Time to Cowboy-Up".  The name "Hartmann" below refers to Thom Hartmann, the pundit and author.

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You & Hartmann seem to have the premise that all Republicans are sociopaths, but maybe only a few Democrats are that.  Really?  You actually believe that everyone in an entire group is sociopathic?  Please.  Forgive me, but that's prejudice.  In fact, it sounds very similar (not the same) to Nazis claiming that all Jews are deceitful, conniving, & filthy.  Or, some Republicans claiming that all Democrats are totalitarian communists.  All of the above is ridiculous.

You don't have to sell me on the egregious actions of Repub Administrations; I agree.  That doesn't prove your premise that all Repubs are sociopaths.  Neither does the study you mentioned some time ago about Right Wing folks having some sort of flaw in their brains.  Here's another study that tends to suggest this whole thing is not as one-sided as you believe---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SOQduoLgRw&t=3s

Perhaps you watched it the 1st time I sent it, but maybe your bias against Repubs prevented you from getting the point.  I don't know.  Jon Haidt studies the moral foundations of politics; he's a well respected psychologist.  His study results are quite revealing.  http://people.stern.nyu.edu/jhaidt/

Those of you who continue to pit one side against the other are making things more entrenched...worse, in my opinion.  You and I apparently will never agree on this topic, so of what use is it to talk about it?

To put all people of a particular persuasion into one psychological/social basket is a huge mistake in my opinion.  It causes big problems.  Too many unwarranted assumptions, too much jumping to conclusions, too much prejudice.  I've known some mighty fine people in my life; some were Repubs, some were Dems, some were Libertarians, and some were Socialists.  I've never found each separate political group to be homogeneous in their beliefs or actions.

 We humans seem to have an innate drive to divide up into groups/factions/teams and oppose one another.  Too often that opposition winds up in violence... mainly thanks to propaganda.  And each group firmly believes that it alone is "in the right"...for whatever reason.  The "other" side is always "wrong".  All that is probably why we'll wind up like every other species that had some degree of dominance on Earth---extinct.

None of the above is too much of a concern to me because, in my belief/faith system, this existence of ours is The Grand Illusion.  As the old song goes, "... Life is but a dream.".  And that's a good thing.  

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"In the Year 2525"

In 1969, a song came out by the duo Zager & Evans under the title "In the Year 2525".  All these years later, I see humanity going pretty much right where the song predicted.  We humans just can't seem to live and let live; plus, we're being sucked into the abyss of technology at a breath-taking pace.  It's de-humanizing all of us.  

Now it's almost nothing for a President to talk about nuking 25 million people...as if they're ants.  I find it not only sad & tragic, but also puzzling...and in a devastating way, comical.  As a species, our ignorance truly is beyond the pale.  Unfortunately, and despite popular opinion here to the contrary, I believe Americans are the worst of the bunch.  Our hubris on the world stage is absolutely astounding...no matter which political Party is in power.  We are so "holier-than-thou" that it boggles the mind.  It's no wonder to me that 80% of the world's people think that the greatest threat to Peace is our Fed Gov't.  That poll was taken a few years ago; now the number is probably up to 90% or more.  My main solace in all that's going on today is that in 10,000 years none of it will matter one whit.

Nevertheless, Life really is fascinating in these weird times.  

Long ago, a Zen Master said, "Once you understand the true nature of Reality, the only thing left to do is to have a good belly-laugh.".  I suspect that he was right.

p.s.  "I feel much better now that I've given up hope."   ~Woody Allen  [That's funny!]

Bottom line:  enjoy Life; it's short.  We all know that, but on a daily basis I think we tend to forget it.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Childish Tech Whiz Kids

Not all of them...I'm talking only about the ones who are immature and malicious.  Every so often, some dweeb manages to inject a piece of malware into my machine...because he/she has no life of any consequence (I'm guessing).  We've all had this happen to us.  Even with a firewall and various anti-viral gizmos, once in awhile something gets through.

It takes me awhile to stumble around and neutralize the infection, but so far, I've always been successful... and I'm essentially a No-Tech person.  I suppose perhaps we should pity these maladjusted, frustrated Techies who can't figure out how to have a meaningful life, so instead they act childish.  My point here is this:  if a No-Tech guy like me can get around their foolishness, apparently they aren't as smart & clever as they they think they are.  :)

My message to such people is:  why be so small-minded & petty; why not try injecting something really worthwhile into your lives?  Life can be a beautiful, exciting, meaningful adventure...no matter what place in which you find yourself.  It doesn't have to be empty and ugly.  It all depends on your mindset.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"God", Physics, and the Grand Illusion

Recently I watched a documentary on YouTube entitled, “What We Still Don’t Know:  Are We Real?”.  It’s a piece on Physics and Cosmology…and quite fascinating.  It relays the discovery of the Cosmological Constant, a concept in Physics (a Law of Nature) that suggested to theoretical physicists the distinct probability of the existence of a “Creator”.  [Google Cosmological Constant for details.]

This did not sit well with some physicists, so eventually they came up with the hypothesis known as the Multiverse.  That allowed them to hypothesize a Super-Intelligence in another Universe which possibly could create a silicon Simulation of our Universe…thus eliminating the need for a “Creator”.  As crazy as it sounds, that hypothesis is somewhat plausible.

I left a Comment (modified a bit here) proposing another option, as follows.  [This is not my usual Blog fare, but hey, a little variety in thought never hurt anyone… neither did a little stretching of the mind.]

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Instead of an all-powerful "God" (the Creator) or a Super-Intelligence in another Universe that created a Simulation, perhaps the following is true. [This idea, or something very much similar, has been around for thousands of years in the philosophy of Buddhism.]

It could be that there is a Universal Mind (the word "God" has too much baggage attached to it to be used in this scenario) which has always existed, is NOT all-powerful...and is the ONLY thing that does exist. What we perceive as the Universe merely is Universal Mind's imagination, or dream (of some sort), or something else unknown but similar to those two possibilities. In other words, what we perceive as "real" really is the ultimate Grand Illusion.

We easily can imagine that such a thing is possible simply by considering our own experience with our own dreams. When we are dreaming, everything in the dream seems real; only when we awaken do we find out the truth of the matter. Buddhists say that until you awaken to the true nature of existence and the Universe, you essentially will be frustrated, unhappy, and suffering. A Zen Master long ago said, "Once you realize the true nature of the Universe, the only thing left to do is to have a good belly laugh.":)

Such a scenario or possibility as described above includes or encompasses all religions, philosophies, and beliefs.  Nothing is slighted or excluded… and none of it is "real".  In such a case, perhaps we humans finally can cease squabbling with and killing each other.  Instead, we all can have a good belly laugh and enjoy “life”.

One reasonably might ask:  what would be the point of "life" in such a case?  In my estimation, the point would be that Universal Mind wants to experience everything:  the good, the bad, the wonderful, the ugly, and all else in between.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well