Writing Samples (October 2010)

ENTRY 1 - OCTOBER 2010

The idea of mind power is interesting. For some reason, despite the societal instructions of “listen/follow” in my head, I can still zone out while inhabiting a time/space where I hear/see/touch noise, instructions, thoughts etc. This is not an unusual trait – it does not specifically pertain to me only yet I think might be one of the few to recognize this trait as an indicator of my own mind’s strength/power.  This implies that my knowledge is not completely subject to whatever my senses perceive. Human knowledge is fallible – I’ve added that as a law to my constitution, even though I feel I should give knowledge a bit more credit by allowing the claim “knowledge is possible” to stand.

The sceptic, in the traditional sense, denies any affirmation of knowledge based on the belief that evidence is not mere evidence in the world; it fulfills other roles as well. This is what makes it so difficult – the fungibility of the nature of things classified as “evidence” for claims of knowledge. To bring up fungibility is to bring up change. Ah change. You are my friend and hangman for I gain and lose by the very same token of what it is that you promise: no permanence. Consistency is big for knowledge insofar as it can smooth over or gloss certain rough edges that can scar the individual if they get too close for examination. I believe a certain message is trying to be relayed.

The other issue that emerges out of a lack of consistency is that elements of narrative, namely describing the past and future, become extremely difficult. I believed once, and still kind of do, that it is only time that guarantees the conviction that truth demands. Consequently, the past nor the future can never be undisputedly true as they both lack the essence of present time to validate them. Time is only revealed or manifest through the senses.

Without the senses, there is no time. I suppose that’s how death feels like – absence of time. Wow. My brain cannot even fathom such an experience or state of being. What is the relationship between time and motion? Do they have to be connected together? Presumably yes as motion depends on time as an active principle to perform its objective of transference of light/energy/w/e it may be. Ok, so can motion exist without time? No. Quick realization here as I realized to answer this question I must define what motion is first. Surprisingly it turns out that motion – once chased far enough – reveals itself as “change”. Great so now I’m stuck with change again. It always appears to wait for me at every corner. The constant flux is a battle for the mind each time. Heraclitus perceived change to consist of permanent tensions between opposites. But I wonder whether even that relationship that we draw between opposites is contrary to what actually is the case. We, people that is, have a tendency to create relationships out of everything. What if it’s us that’s positing the relationship but that’s really not the case once our mind has left the picture. Another interesting question is what happens once our mind has left the picture? Once the music stops? Silence is all I hear around me right now so I will leave it at that. Silence – take your floor