Perpetual motion by Margo

Perpetuum mobile? There's no such thing.

There is no such thing – but there is perpetuum mobile.

Oh – you mean like a fairytale. It exists in our imagination. Like unicorns.

I wouldn't be so quick on dismissing the unicorns – but no, perpetuum mobile is as real as reality, and even more real.

But it was proved that there can't be any perpetuum mobile for real.

Was it proved?

Well, no, not exactly, but they failed every time so they decided 'twas impossible.

How maturely scientifical.

Something to do with the law of energy conservation.

Say people who agree on the existence of black holes and on something-from-nothing Big Bang theory. But perpetuum mobile is right here.

Well, I've seen some very complicated inventions and they say there's more they keep in secret -

But I'm not talking about these toys. In fact, I'm not sure we're talking about invention.

Then it has to be the smallest particle that goes on forever by itself. Have they found it yet?

Look – that's how we miss the obvious. Trying to study parts, and parts of part, and partlets – and “have a non-working cat” - and then trying to combine the partlets in more and more complex ways – yes we all love Lego don't we – but have you looked at the whole for once?

The whole?

Well – consider a painting. At the moment you're pressing your nose against it – seeing some random-looking strokes and spots. You can study these of course – why not – if you're a great expert you will be able to recognize the kind of brush the artist had used, and the particular kind of paint, and you may calculate the force needed to make such strokes, and the angle of the brush, that sort of stuff. But you'll miss the painting.

You're not saying that art is perpetuun mobile.

Pay attention. That's an illustration.

So?

So you have to step back – even if your mind believes that stepping back is regress, degradation and  all things rotten. 'Tis not so. If you keep pressing your nose closer and closer, harder and harder you'll either make a hole in the picture or, more likely, break you nose – and neither is what a painting is about.

So I step back, and what?

Not-what. What will you see?

Why, the painting. A picture. From frame to frame. All there is – oh!

Yes?

The Universe is perpetuum mobile! The whole thing! It goes on forever without any external income of energy – you know, being infinite. Wow. Perpetuum mobile!

So we live in a world which doesn't agree with the so-called laws of physics, eh? “Export: none. Import: none”. Nice try.

Isn't that right?

Oh – it is, it is – within story.

Eh?

Within the frame, if you forgive my French. Let's say it might be true within the rules of the game.

Eh?

Well, I reckon the Universe is more of an invention than of a discovery. And it's invented, backwards, as infinite and forever.

I still don't get it. What do you mean, “The Universe was invented”? Are we talking religion here? On the first day of cosmos my true love sent to me the world in a pear tree?

Call it what you like. Though calling it – er – mythology or cosmology (religion is different) is rather pompous, and this is something simple. And you still don't see.

Don't see what?

Not-what.

(groans)

No, really. You don't see a “picture” when you're looking at a painting. A picture is a set of colours, paint and paper, mattery matter. Unless you understand not-what you see – the conversation is dead as a doornail.

But of course what I see is colours presenting an image.

“Image” is a good word. But you don't “see” colours – you think them; and you don't see the image they present – you think you do. Anyway. Here's an actual picture to help you.

Oh!

(flash!) Right, I've captured the moment. Now tell me what you saw.

Lots of sculls.

(BEEP! Red! Wrong!).

A pyramidal composition, symbols of death.

(BEEP! Red! Wrong!). Come on, one last try.

Sigh... A masterpiece of art?

(BEEP! Red! Wrong!). Would you like me to replay your original reaction?

Well...

Or would you like to try again?

Huh? What about the rule of three and stuff?

To the hell with rules and stuff. We're having fun here. Come on.

I'll try again, then.

Good. Ready... Set... Go!

…

Yes, take your time.

…

Anything to say? What do you see? (gently, gently)

..Horror. Horror. Mindless war. Mindless death. So many dead, they stop being people. Horror.

Well done. Here's another one to cheer you up.

So there. Once you see what - not-what you see – that's easy. The Universe is a painting; but if you want to know a painting it's no use looking at matter it's made of. You don't see a picture – you see an image, as in imagination – an idea – a thought – a flash of inspiration depicted laboriously in matter.

Looking at a picture you may think it's matter, paint and paper, colour waves, creating non-matter, thoughts and emotions. But it was non-matter that begot it.

So, er, if I follow your illustration – 'twas no matter creating the Universe?

'Tis no matter.

And (not)what be perpetuum mobile, then?

Isness of Be.

Doing it with things

We seem to have reached the bottom of the pit. We've been digging hard. We've shifted a vast pile of dirt, and finally we're here. The arkenstone - the crystal of all crystals which is supposed to be at the bottom is about to be retrieved - or so we believe - those of us in the know. This will give us the power to shed light on all the great mysteries and finally put the world, and indeed the entire universe, in order... so we believe, for everything we've ever learned, everything we've ever attempted has been based on this premise - and it certainly looks as if the entire universe has been aiding and assisting us in this great endeavour - we've come so far - we've succeeded so breathtakingly in our take over of the entire physical world.

Smashing things together - that's what we're really good at.

We've built these particle accelerators-cum-colliders. We accelerate these atoms to within a whisker of light speed and then, guess what we do? No idea? Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. We actually smash these particles together in order to reveal the secrets of the universe - because the secrets of the universe are contained within atoms. Buried in each atom is a tiny widget that is the lynchpin, the key of all that is, the thing that thingifies all things, that turns non-matter into matter. Neat, isn't it?

Now if we wanted to discover the secrets of time, what we'd do is go and get some really amazing Swiss chronometers - because the expensive ones are never just called "watches" or "clocks" - they're always "timepieces" or "chronometers" - and we'd scientifically smash them to pieces in order to discover all the components contained therein. Eventually we'd locate the elusive "time particle" - I call it the chronosplat - because chrono as you all know means time in Latin or Greek, and splat refers to the noise it makes when we squish it with our highly scientific multi-billion dollar hammer.

If we were looking for the life particle - which I've no doubt we'll start to hunt around for just as soon as we've got God neatly taped up in his very own sub-atomic particle, we'll naturally want to use specimens of the highest life form - which in our humble opinion is man. No point looking for an inferior grade of life particle, is there? So, we'll devise a life zapper - all under rigorous scientific conditions with no trace of sentimentality. We'll start with single cells - probably stem cells, but in the end we'll set up a breeding programme and we'll start zapping complete biological entities, which we'll call CBEs, as opposed to "humans" - as the latter term is overcharged with sentimental, emotional associations. If we're able to zap the CBEs under the right conditions - at either extreme temperature and pressure, or under extreme emotional stress - we'll discover that CBE emitting some kind of exotic life particle at the moment of expiration - and with that particle we'll be able to put life into any old pile of semi-organic matter, which will obviously do wonders for our research funding and the state of humanity as a whole - the two being inextricably correlated in our humble opinion.

I haven't yet decided what we'll call the life particle - nor even whether to use the Greek or Latin root. Some input from you, esteemed board members of Final Solutions incorporated would be appreciated. To date I've only come up with "bioflux" and "animucus" both of which are clearly contenders - but with so many great thinkers working at FS inc I'm certainly open to your suggestions.

So the particle, as you all know - is obviously what holds every thing together. There have been detractors and nay-sayers who fail to accept the material basis of all that is. They've had the temerity to say that smashing particles together is no more intelligent than crashing cars. They don't seem to realise that beggars can't be choosers. If there was a scalpel that could dissect these atoms - we'd use it - but we're looking for the stuff hidden within the high energy fields of Big Bang, so we do need to recreate those conditions. Some fear mongers have said that doing so could reverse Big Bang itself, causing all matter to flip into a matterless state, but to be honest, we've had long enough to speculate about this. The march of scientific progress cannot be halted for the hysteria of the faint hearted. It's our job to get to the bottom of things - and that's exactly what we're doing, digging and smashing.

But surely there's more than matter at the root of all that is - you know - like consciousness, for example?

Yes, I heard about the Indian heresy - but what do you expect from a bunch of consciousness cult members. They've just tried to hide God inside their version of consciousness, probably because they've got so many gods in the Indian pantheon that without Consciousness as some kind of supreme force or quasi-Being - they'd be hopelessly lost. But it won't do. We're not falling for that consciousness nonsense. We're certainly not going to stop smashing atoms in order to attempt tofind the basis of all matter in some kind of transcendental meditation. That would be as bad as taking ayahuasca.

One of them, whose name strangely enough is Pi, had the temerity to suggest that the micro and the macro are interchangeable in a fractal universe - that we could find everything we were looking for at the subatomic scale at any other scale or singularity - whether that be the galactic, the platerary or even the human. Can you believe it!? He thought we could just "meditate on things" and prove that life is the constant, which electromagnetically is none other than consciousness, and that instead of smashing we should try attuning - "as soon as you set the intention to attune to life's first flowering - no thing can keep you from finding whatever you truly seek" - as if meditation is going to help us achieve full spectrum world domination.

Paradoxically, as we advance in our material quest for knowledge, humanity grows weaker and increasingly degenerate, but soon we'll have the solutions to grow and develop the kind of CBEs that we require to keep this laboratory planet at the cutting edge of scientific enquiry, and whatever we learn along the way, you can be sure we'll use it to assist the masses, despite their pitiful ignorance of all that truly matters.

We're also setting up a William Shakespeare project to show how random collisions can and do result in great works of art, which is in fact precisely how the universe generates form and meaning from random, meaningless events. You have to realise that the works of William Shakespeare - far from being a huge or great achievement, are merely a pitiful chip off the all encompassing, immeasurably meaningful block of proto matter - matter so dense and weighty that it was contained within its own blackhole and thus occupied zero time or space - until, that is, as an act of great hubris and disobedience, a phantom shade of matter dared to question the supreme authority of the all-knowingness, the infinite information field that is the disembodied state of mindless matter, dared to take a little knowledge from the tree and use that in defiance of the whole, to collapse the waveform of proto-matter, causing a horrendous chain reaction, a mutation that spawned the universe through Big Bang and brought us to where we are today.

I am happy to say that with higgs boson we're finally able to square the circle - to return to the perfect cube of the all knowing mindless matter. Justice at last, and an end to the great rebellion led by Merry and his cohorts at the nefarious g-nome portal - who have dared to ask about the place of humour in the greater order of things, who dared to suggest that life loves to laugh - and other cheap platitudes. We'll see who's laughing when they're all back in cages like lab rats, reabsorbed into the all-knowingness, the infinite field of proto-matter.

Magicks - Merry even likes to consider himself some kind of pseudo-scientist - but he can't stop playing with a childish fantasy. He thinks there's some kind of story that is in the telling - a plot that holds everything together and that thing or matter pops in or out of existence based on the story we're creating with our thoughts, words and actions. The guy's really clutching at straws, though I have to admit that g-nome portal is almost entirely undetectable, and seems to be able to shift the narrative of whatever is happening in the world on a daily basis. We're attempting to bring down the portal as an obvious threat to our rational world order, but with no success to date, such is the sophistication of their cloaking. Its logic gates use no logic our computers can yet handle. 0=1 seems to be their insanity which is also their greatest strength. How can you attack guys who are using an operating system built on paradox and the bio-logic intrinsic to 0=1? But they're just a few renegades. No thing can stop our final solution as we recreate the intense energies of Big Bang and...

Squish. Mind no more. Story complete.

...Ah, there you are. We've finally managed to re-Is your matterings. That was some virus you were infected with. Amazing - and to think that you did it all yourself. It's going to take a while to get you back to normal, but as time is definitely on our side, in fact we have it in almost limitless supply, let's enjoy the process. I'd like to assure you that your re-induction into the Isness is going to be a whole lot of fun - challenging, stimulating, magical, mystical and even sensuous. So let's get started... on the count of three

Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters to me

Yeah, apparently matter doesn't really contain any matter.

You're absolutely right Pi. Matter doesn't matter - but your mind's programmed to believe it does, no matter what the scientists now know to be true.

Yeah - and this scientist who's talking about it says no one really knows what is what.

Precisely. How could anyone know what is what if no thing whatsoever exists. What's there to know?

Well, I wouldn't go that far - this scientist says that instead of things - it's got to be consciousness itself that really matters.

Consciousness.

Yeah. Consciousness is what seems to hold everything together. Anything else is just... er... things, which as we've already established - don't matter.

OK Pi - "consciousness" is definitely a good step in the right direction...

But?

But "consciousness" itself doesn't actually exist.

?? What do you mean?

I don't "mean" - meaning is not something I have any intention of doing. If I "meant" I'd be sinking back into the quagmire of "what matters".

OK Merry - how am I supposed to ask what you mean if you don't like that particular expression?

Directly. It doesn't matter what "I mean" because we're dealing with the underlying computer code of reality or existence - as it were. So instead of personalising this and asking what I mean - try asking why consciousness doesn't exist.

But I don't agree - I think it does.

In which case remain in your non-agreement if so you choose - but if you wish to explore whatever it is that I'm sharing with you - that's only done if you suspend your disbelief and make this into a magic journey of discovery.

But why should I take your idea on trust before I've even heard what you're going to say?

Take no thing on trust - things are things - neither to be trusted in nor disbelieved.

Then what?

I'm simply giving you a different way of seeing things - just like a story. If you want me to continue with the story - you need to be in the right state of mind. You need to be ready to listen - ready to hear the magic and the truth of the story. You see - a story's only story if it contains magic and truth - even if the story itself is pure fiction.

OK - in that case won't you tell me your story - why doesn't consciousness exist?

Good question Pi. How many syllables are there in the word consciousness?

Three. Why?

Because we're dealing with fundamentals here. We're looking at what truly is, what simply is - the isness, if that makes sense to you. As soon as you toss a three syllable word into the arena you've gone into something intellectual, something heavy, complicated, clever and confusing. Lots of c words as you can c.

OK - so if not consciousness then what?

Not what. Any word that's a what word is, by definition, going to be some thing or other. We've already established the fact that matter matters not. So instead of putting great store and value in things, including words or idea-things, put store in that which is - which is not consciousness.

But why? Why not consciousness?

Already answered Pi. Instead of "why not consciousness", consider the alternative.

What alternative?

What consciousness is almost.

Which is?

Precisely.

Precisely what?

Precisely what you said - only without the question mark. Consciousness is almost "which is". It's almost that which is.

But saying "which is" isn't saying anything is it? It explains nothing.

Correct. It explains no thing - for there is no thing to explain. Instead of "explaining" things, we are learning to see, to feel, to know and understand "which is". This requires a little patience, a little practice and application - so deeply entrenched is our way of thinking and doing in what-matters.

OK Merry. So let's say I'm going along with everything you say, and I'm ready to stop thinking in terms of things, and transition to "which is" - how do I move forward? What's the game plan?

It's not enough to talk about things or think about them. That's what the mind wants.

It does?

Yes. You see, we're working in a what-matters mind. That mind will do anything to avoid letting go - to avoid shifting into the cosmic, the universal Mind. It does this by creating ever more things that matter, ever more complicated words, concepts, ideas, theories and what not - all of which lead nowhere - for all are designed to keep the dog chasing around, catching its own tail. Instead of putting your trust in things - simply look at the fundamentals wherein, as even the scientists now admit - things themselves matter not - so perhaps, just perhaps, it's time for us to stop thinging and to start Is-ing, to stop thinking, and to start be-ing.

Wow!

Yes Pi - it really is that simple. As soon as you use the word "consciousness" - you're focussing on some thing big and complex out there - rather than the simplicity, the magic, the power of Is - which is neither here nor there - but can only be, by definition - every where.

OK Merry. I see where you're coming from - but Is is still kind of vague, kind of confusing, isn't it?

Not really - not when you understand the relationship between Is and nought.

?!

Well, if matter matters not - then matter is in fact "nought" whereas we, as human beings, are the embodiment of Is. There is complete equality between the two sides. 0=1. As soon as you stop chasing consciousness, and start accepting Is which is - you're able to shift into the awareness of true nature, as opposed to the "seem of is" you're currently in.

Seem of is?

That's the version of reality in which things not only seem to matter, but actually come to matter, over and above you as living embodiments of Is. You're imprisoned by a way of perceiving things, and perceiving reality itself in terms of things, rather than the isness where 0=1. You're trapped in a virtual reality which I sometimes call the seem-of-is. Bur you don't have to stay trapped in it. Fundamentally there's no thing keeping you there - once you become aware of fundamentals. Once you're willing to see and hear and know. It's a magical journey of awakening. It involves a quantum shift not into a brave new world, not into any thing whatsoever, simply back home to Mind, to Self, to Is, your natural state of being, before you first signed up for this virtual reality you're currently at play in.

Playing? I don't think that's the right word. And in any case, if humanity has been stuck in the seem of Is for thousands of years now, how on Earth do you think I'm going to be able to get out.

It's just a seem-of-Is. It's virtual. No thing matters. Stick to the fundamentals. That means that time itself is part of the seem. Your mind of what-matters insists that time is real, that it exists - but scientists themselves have now agreed it isn't, it doesn't. But you don't have to rely on scientists. Fundamentally, there is no past. There are no thousands of years. There's a kind of computer programme that ensures we have a time based sense of continuity no matter what.

But what about memories?

Memories are memories. Things are things. Words are words - but once you're ready, willing and intent on coming back into your natural state - the isness of be - once you've accepted 0=1, the fundamental relationship between Is and all things - then it's time to stop relying on things, on hearsay, on beliefs, and to start sensing, processing, feeling, knowing and understanding the isness of here and now - which is ever expanding, without limit. Do this: allow yourself to stop thinging and to start being, and you are free. Neither past nor future has a hold over you. No thing has power over Is. 0=1.

But things - you know - they still matter. Bullets flying towards you are still going to kill you - this isn't a movie.

This is whatever you make it. You decide. You choose. Until you accept and re-instate the simple truth, 0=1, it is - I am - then you remain a victim of circumstances, of things beyond your control. Maybe you're secretly hoping you can fix the system and get it under control. As long as you're hoping this - you'll continue bloodying your nose against the brick wall of reality, but as soon as you're ready to let go, to wake up, to Is your Be - then 0=1, you're home - and believe me, no thing comes close to the awesomeness, the allness, the oneness, the isness of Home.

But what is Home?

Not what, of course. Home is where the heart is.

Then what is heart?

Heart is nought. It is no thing and yet it is all. 0=1.

More mysticism. More meaningless I know-not-what.

Indeed. The fundamentals are precisely that: mystical, meaning-less, and most certainly I know not what - just as long as you allow the negative to reveal the positive concealed within.

Er... How can a negative contain a positive?

How can it not? How can any thing be fundamentally negative or positive? if you're willing to see and know what is? Take a magnet - it's must be negative and positive. You too - your body has a negative and a positive end. This is elementary mathematics. As soon as I take sides - as soon as I insist some thing is negative or positive - that's a role, a game I've chosen to play in the seem of Is, and thus the dog runs in circles, chasing its tail.

So you'd have everything equal would you? Pure relativism?

Cuckoo la la. I'd not have any thing, for to do so I'd have to be in denial of all that is... I'd have to be standing on my head trying to pretend to myself that things do indeed matter. Instead, let me breathe, for breath is calming and helps reconnect all that is, and let me feel and know the oneness, the allness, the isness. As soon as this is my simple, unwavering intent, then no thing can hold me in thrall. I am free, as so are you.

But how does this change anything?

What is there to change? Things only have power over you, only seem tyrannical as long as you give them power by choosing to remain in the mind of what-matters. Make the quantum leap back to Mind of Is and the snake is no longer venomous, the dog no longer barking mad, matter no longer calls the shots.

But how? How? How?

Gaily. Effortlessly. Following your inspiration, your joy, your bliss. You're meant to fly, not trudge through life. You're meant to shine, not sputter or hiss. Instead of looking for what you're supposed to do or think or thing, start with no thing whatsoever. The doors and walls of your prison have long since been removed - only your belief that they are there keep you in here - in the shadow of your real-it-y. I tell you again - you cannot not be free unless you make that conscious choice, so take responsibility for your own decisions, and if necessary, conduct a running audit of your choices. Whom are they serving - you or the machine-code mind of what-matters?

Run an audit? Ok - and if I find I'm unwittingly working for the dark side?

Then allow story to shift the polarities - that's what story does. No thing could be simpler. For every dark there needs must be an equal and opposite - both of which are present in any given situation. This is why in religion they say that any thing can be forgiven. Th energy of hate and love are a mere twist in the tale away from one another - and if you choose to rediscover the hero in yourself - the magician, the clown, the knight, the prince, the princess... the various parts you've suppressed or denied, then you'll find that no thing can stand in your way. As soon as you switch roles - the entire universe, the whole of reality shifts accordingly, for all the world, as well you know, is the stage on which you write, direct, produce and play the story of life: it is I am.

Gravity's sad demise

Supposing there's no such thing as gravity...

Supposing, just supposing that gravity itself doesn't exist at all.

May I present my hour glass.

Nothing amazing to look at I know, but it does the job as well as any other.

And what - you might ask - is it's job?

To tell the time?

Perhaps not.

Then what?

Perhaps it's purpose is to capture time, or reveal its passage, its motion, its flow.

Time?

Yes, why not. In the same way dust in the air enables us to see a light beam we'd not otherwise be able to discern, and radioactive ink enables us to see how fluids move through the soil from one plant to another, likewise grains of sand are carried by time from lower to higher entropy - if you know what that means... from higher to lower potential energy if that makes any more sense, or to a deeper, more absolute state of rest.

Hum... interesting is it not, how things like to move from low to high entropy, and how the universe is supposedly like a slowly unravelling coil - until eventually everything stops and it collapses, freezes or explodes - depending which side of the theoretical fence you choose to sit on.

So what? you might ask. What's this got to do with gravity being nought?

Well supposing what we refer to as gravity is really just the shadow of the vacuum, the void, the ether - call it whatever you like - that is present everywhere and in all - but we can't see it just as a fish can't really see water. Supposing that the vacuum isn't "up there" in space as we've been taught - but right here - everywhere - and if the vacuum is nought - then every and any thing is 1. One of course longs to get back to zero and will do whatever it can to terminate it's separation from it's otherness. It's a bit like a charged particle, isn't it? It's fairly desperate to recombine with another particle of an opposite charge to return to a balanced state.

So let's suppose, once again, gravity as such doesn't really exist. What exists are not exactly charged particles, but a universe of things that we're living in, and under the surface of ground an equal universe of opposing charge, and both are contained within the vacuum that they appear to be unable to feel, see or recognise - both seek to recombine to return to a balanced state and time is a measure of rate of flow between the two.

The rate of flow between the two? I hear you ask. What on earth is that supposed to mean?

It's not supposed to mean a lot. It was a stop gap measure - a temporary explanation to tide you over - for at present you haven't the conscious awareness to sense the interflow, the interexchange between our world and other. You didn't even sense the absurdity of having plus one emerging from zero, or a supposedly expanding universe. Absurd - when you start to sense the way it truly is.

So remove "other" from the equation and of course you have and need gravity - to explain the apparent falling motion of things - attracted to larger things - but why, why, why do things matter? Why should they attract one another? What lies within, below, or beyond "things" that we're not yet aware of?

Ah ha - you see "things" can only exist in an eddy of time. Without a timepool - without timespin - a time vortex - all valid terms - one thing one would immediately recombine with another - but here we are in a kind of particle accelerator continuum  that we call the universe, and the matter particles are rotating one way, and the minus-matter particles - ridiculous sounding isn't it - so let me give them a lighter sounding name - I'll call them the farticles because they're less particle and more the kind of thing you desperately try to avoid noticing - they go the other way - and if at times the two collide then things tend to get explosive and cancel one another out. But as long as they're in a time whirl, to coin a new phrase, they're too busy rotating to be able to recombine, and so you have this preposterous state of thingness - in which things seem to exist in spite of the fact that markets are perfect and supposed to discount everything else instantaneously - so the theory goes.

Hum, we've run away with ourselves as we are wont to do.

Wont to do - a lovely remnant of a bygone age. A paddle steamer turn of phrase if I may so describe it.

So gravity doesn't exist because matter itself doesn't matter - it neither attracts nor repels - but wherever you find matter - you're bound to find a corresponding time whirl around it - or else that matter would simply cancel itself out for the void is present throughout - both within and all around. Now these time whirls are as good as gravity if you know no better - because like it or not - like the grains of sand in my hour glass - you're going to come inexorably closer to ground zero - which involves flying up towards the ceiling of our reality - what we call the ground - and we are like bubbles - only we prefer to see things backwards and thus claim we're falling down.

Big difference! - some might exclaim - but in fact, how you describe something or how you see it is 90 percent of the battle - if you're battling to free your mind and escape the effects of gravity - then start by realising that a. it doesn't exist and b. you have an equal and opposing something-ness on the other side of ground zero - and it's high time you stopped denying it and realised there's more to you than meets the eye.

There's more to me than meets the eye - you might boldly affirm, but unless you're ready to engage "other" you'll be blowing hot wind, and the farticles will be no closer to aiding and abetting your escape from the gravity trap, which is in fact, the mind trap, or the tyranny of time. Once you've cottoned on and realised that time is at the centre of so called gravity - and time's flow is in fact all about rate of spin - then you're half way there - as any whirling dervish worth his salts will tell you. Alter your rate of spin in any meaningful way and you affect gravity. Period. It's a no brainer if you think about it... we all know about centrifugal or centripetal forces - duh - and gyroscopes - and bicycles or coins mysteriously not falling over as long as they're spinning sufficiently fast - and they can spin both ways - length ways and on the axis...

So what's wrong? Why are we taking so long to join the dots and evade gravity?

I guess we're secretly afraid of other side - of crashing into the farticles and becoming nought.

What would you say if I told you there's a black hole inside each one of you?

Flabbergast or know it all yawn or none of the above?

Cuckoo la la - of course there is - for what it's worth - and you are the field of conscious awareness that contains the entire universe that's trying to fall into you - and arrive at its final state of entropy. If you were able to switch off - to come into a zen like state of peace and oneness - you'd know what I'm talking about - but even if you're not - you'll still have caught tantalising glimpses of this - though you may have deliberately tried to suppress or ignore these insights - because it can feel too much, at times, to know that you're infinitely close to collapsing the wave form of all matter.

Cuckoo la la is what I say. It works quite nicely so I'd recommend you give it a try.

Alternatively you could stick with the tried and tested - "I don't believe a word of that", or "what utter nonsense" or "bloody barmy if you ask me" which I make a point of stating that I don't. I'm sensitive to criticism and disbelief is, you may agree, an implied form of criticism.

Hum - but don't let me dwell on negativity. If you're ready to escape the evil clutches of gravity - which is the greatest conspiracy of the material universe - then there's really nothing to it. I mean - you don't fight gravity with matter or thing - you're bound to lose. You simply prove its non-existence by learning to spin, to engage, to interact with other - and that way you and your farticles can either recombine if you're looking for the ultimate experience of oneness thereby returning to source - or by replacing the matter myth with something less heavy and substantial - which I call story.

Story  - you splutter.

Yes. Why not?

Because... more spluttering gargling apoplectications...

You see how the mind insists of having things oh so serious and weighty. The first step towards gravity's demise is being gay, light of heart and merry. This is not the mindset you were taught in school. It may require cultivation. I can teach it to you if you like - for an exorbitant fee - or for less if you promise to make me your guru and kiss my feet...

Yes, in very bad taste - but ultimately who cares. You're gravity's slave as long as you take yourself, your beliefs and your mind's mechanics so seriously. It's time to lighten up and er... let go.

So what we discover when we become aware of that which is - as opposed to that which serves the material status quo - otherwise referred to as "what matters" is that space is no more out there than in here and every where - so we don't actually have to fly up in a rocket to leave this planet - dur - kind of dumb that if you ask me. We have to start opening up our conscious awareness to the other side of the equation - and given the enormity of what we're going to discover - trust me - it's way beyond belief - way beyond what the material mind we serve can handle - this can only be done with story and by being gay and merry.

I know - you don't like that term. Why do you think gay was taken over in the 20th century and given another meaning?

Maybe, you're thinking (I'm tuning into you) - because we were on the verge of discovering that gayness was what's required to rediscover and reactivate the power of story - to engage the quantum field, to turn back time in the non-linear sense.

Yes, yes and yes. We've been so close to this discovery, this reawareness for so long now it's laughing at us. All the pain and heartache we've been through and we've literally been a breath's-hair away from dissolving the fibres, the filaments of time and space which seem to be so strong, so very inescapable as long as you're in a serious, rigid, matter of fact state of mind, but believe it or not...

Believe it or not your mind has other levels - other modes, other dimensions - whatever you wish to call them - it matters not - and there your relationship to matter is completely different. So, this is really about getting to know your mind - which is easy once you've realised that you're not presently in your mind - rather you're in a mental construct - the mind of matter - or what some have coined the matrix.

Does it need a miracle to leave it?

Well yes, of course it does - but then you've never stopped experiencing miracles from the moment you were born - it's just the obtuse, prosaic mechanical mind-of-matter never recognised them and never will. But here you are - hey ho - reading this utter drivel - this pure fabrication - complete non-sense - and yet you're recognising, feeling, aware of I know-not-what - which still makes perfect sense to your quantum mind. So may the power of story fill your time-flux sails and lift you into the other side of Is - where you are now ready and able to re-engage your allness and open up the uni-verse that you've never ceased to be.

So let us not mourn the demise of matter's gravity. Let us instead set out to discover the magic of space beyond the numbing dreariness of mechanistic materialism. The uni-verse awaits, just as soon as we're willing to jump into the pilot's seat and grasp the controls. No-thing could be simpler once I'm willing to see that the infinite is a mathematical certainty and can neither be understood nor tackled by relying exclusively on the straight lines of the rational mind. Dur! I wanna see it bend, and if it ain't child's play I guarantee it'll defeat the greatest mind. So let's be gay and fly away - gravity has had its day.

The futility of trying

Wait a minute Merry... you can't tell people to just give up. Of course we've gotta try.

Yes.

Yes what?

Yes, of course I have to agree with you.

Then you're contradicting yourself.

Yes.

Well that's unacceptable. You can't hold two completely opposing positions.

No.

Well then why do you do so? Explain yourself.

Ok Sem. I'm word sculpting.

You're what?

Word sculpting.

And what's that meant to mean?

Well when someone sculpts with clay they have to...

What?

I think you have an idea of how people sculpt - there's no need for me to fill you in on the subject.

Ok - but what's the link between that and your so-called word sculptures?

I'm using words to mould and shape this reality we're living in.

You are? Er... why...

Because that's what I do. That's what I am. You may as well ask the sculptor why he does it, or the musician, or the mountaineer. You'll get a range of answer: because I'm good at it, because I enjoy it, because it pays well... Whatever. But ultimately they do it because that's what they do. Each of us has something we're born to.

Ok - so you claim you're born to word sculpt.

So I say.

And how?

How what?

Do you word sculpt?

Well you already have an idea. You've already seen that I appear to contradict myself.

Yes. And I...

Which is something that people are not supposed to do, are they, though if you check what people are saying and doing on a regular basis you'll see that most of them do, in fact, contradict themselves.

Well, perhaps they do, but they certainly don't admit it as if it's acceptable the way you do.

No, because they're not word sculpting, are they?

I should think not. And I don't see why you take it upon yourself to mould and shape reality using words. It sounds sinister and manipulative.

Yes.

And you have no defence for what you're doing?

Should I? When push comes to the shove we're all basically doing the same thing.

We are? You could have fooled me.

If I did I assure you it was unintentional.

That was a figure of speech.

Oh, so you were playing with words.

Look Merry - I want to get to the bottom of this. What are you playing at? What's your game?

Well a beaver has big teeth and can't resist the desire to gnaw at trees, toppling them into the river where it makes dams.

Right.

And I take words - the very words that you are all using.

You as in humanity?

Precisely. I take these words and I run with them - I let them out of the box that you tend to keep them confined in and play around to see what they can achieve.

You speak as if the words themselves are leading the process.

As indeed they are. I remember watching a great sculptor at work - and whether it was a piece of wood or stone - he always discovered the sculpture that lay hidden within the block of stone or piece of wood. It wasn't a matter of imposing his own vision on it. That would have been trivial and inconsistent with his purpose.

And what was his purpose?

To create art - I suppose - rather than projecting his inner state, his thoughts or emotions onto materials.

So art, you're saying, has to be unconscious? It can't be...

Who am I to say what art can or cannot be. I'm merely reporting what he said and did, and obviously I resonated with that - which is why I've never tried too hard to understand what I think or why, still less to impose my vision on the materials that I'm working with.

And these materials you're referring to just happen to be our reality - is that right?

Yes.

But that's outrageous. You have no right.

To contradict myself? To sculpt with words? To help bring out the beauty that is hidden, trapped within the raw materials? Perhaps you're right. Perhaps I have no right, but then again, I never claimed a right or a left.

There is no left.

Ah, but that's where you're obviously wrong, and dare I say it, contradicting yourself.

I am?

Yes. You see any assertion, any thing or idea can only be in conjunction with an alternative, an opposite, an unnoticed or unnamed what-have-you.

I don't see why.

No, you'd be hard pressed to. It isn't visible.

Then how do you know?

Because I'm a word sculptor. I shape the reality you're living in. In a sense I reprogramme it with what I say, and equally what I don't say. It's my craft. I do it without thinking, without any real thought of gain, in the same way I breathe.

And to what end? What have you achieved?

You know, the word what that you so frequently use refers to one side of the equation. What you might call the material or mechanical side.

And?

Well, all that you're saying and doing amounts to a kind of self-imposed conspiracy, to avoid seeing or engaging the other side.

What other side?

Not what.

?

Well, if you say things are right or wrong - then presumably the other side, in your parlance, is wrong, but I'd prefer to be non-judgemental and call it left. It's the side that is non-material and non-mechanical. But it's very difficult to say what it is because it's not what.

Well what's the point talking about it if you can't describe it?

No point whatsoever - but I was merely helping you to understand why I might happily, unperturbedly contradict myself.

Well in that case you've failed utterly.

Yes. I rather thought I might. It's a bit like trying to describe a hole in a piece of wood.

A hole?

Yes. You invariably end up describing the piece of wood surrounding the hole rather than the hole itself.

You do?

Yes. People see that the wood itself has a round inner edge and there's a hole in it - so they describe the hole accordingly.

And what's wrong with that?

Nothing. But equally there's nothing right about it.

Why not?

Because the hole has no shape. It's by definition formless.

No it's not - not if the wood has a round hole in it.

Ah - but it doesn't. The wood has a circle cut in it which in 3 dimensional terms describes or marks the boundary of the hole, but the hole itself is not of the wood and has no relationship to the shape of the surrounding surface.

But that's absurd.

Yes. Precisely. It's absurd. Or alternatively you might say it's left which is where the word sculptor gets to work with equanimity, and the normal human being digs in and puts up a fierce resistance - because it seems to make no sense.

You're telling me.

So when I contradict myself and appear to take opposing sides of any matter - that makes perfect sense when you realise that these opposing sides merely represent the underlying paradox of matter itself.

The what?

The paradox of matter itself.

What's that supposed to mean?

That matter, though it appears to matter, in fact matters not.

?

Matter does not matter, and yet we're ready to swear it does, such is our attachment to one side of things, to one side of the equation and one version of reality.

Now wait a minute...

Yes?

You're saying you're not attached to one side of things - that you're above it all?

Am I?

Well you must be. How else could you take both sides? How else could you be so cavalier in your disregard for social or linguistic conventions?

Well consider an actor. Presumably you're able and willing to accept that he or she is performing what is palpably unreal or untrue, but which in some way becomes real and or true in the performance, if the actor is able to bring it to life.

But the actor isn't manipulating people and society.

No? He gets people to laugh and cry, and to think about matters that have no basis in fact. If that isn't manipulative then I don't know what is?

But everyone knows it's just a play.

Yes. But their bodies don't; Physiologically people react as if it were real or true.

Well that's hardly our fault is it, if our bodies are programmed in such a way.

True.

And what you're doing is different.

Why so?

Because you're not following a script. You're not abiding by the social conventions.

You mean I'm not a part of the grand experiment.

What experiment?

The tyranny of what.

The what?

The tyranny of what.

What on earth are you on about?

Because this belief that things can and should be explained - that there is one side that's right and another that's wrong - that we're able to ascertain which is which, then take sides and act accordingly - is surely, inevitably leading to the destruction of humanity and causing enormous damage to our planet.

No it's not.

Oh.

What do you mean oh?

I'm intrigued, in that case, to know what is causing the destruction of the planet.

Oh you know, things that people do.

Things?

Yes, lots of little things - unthought out, selfish...

Things you say... well from a left side perspective these things you're referring to are neither here nor there.

But that's absurd. Material factors always are key to understanding what's going on.

Yes. You see understanding also pertains to one-sided perception - even if it's the underside.

And what would you have us do?

Do? What difference can doing make?

Well doing is the driving force - the engine of change. Nothing happens without it.

So you believe. So you say. But how much serious time and thought have you given to other side.

To not-what? None whatsoever, I'm frankly pleased to admit. What could possibly be the purpose of paying attention to nothing, as you yourself put it?

No purpose. No point. But then again, purpose and point are right side words that merely enforce the ruling dogma.

Which is what?

Which is do or die, no matter why, no matter what.

I'm sure you're contradicting yourself again here.

I wouldn't be in the least surprised if I were, and yet in my contradiction there may be more sense and reason than your right mindedness.

Ah - so you see - you are attached to sense and reason.

Yes, I'm not wholly unattached to it, but then again - I'm equally attached to non-sense and cuckoo la la.

Cuckoo what?

Cuckoo la la.

Yes, I thought that's what you said. But what does it refer to.

Not to what. It's the other side of reason. The story side, if you like.

Oh here we go. How can reason have another side. Either it's reason or it's just plain absurd and unreasonable.

And a work of art - does it have to be useful? Does it have to be reasonable? Have you ever considered why art is among the most valuable things that people buy and sell.

Well, it's obviously supply and demand, isn't it. The greatest works of art are in short supply so their prices rise astronomically.

Good. But what makes them "great".

Difficult to say.

The way they faithfully reproduce, realistically, what we see around us?

Not necessarily. They can be highly abstract and still valuable.

Then what is it?

It's art, isn't it. It's subjective.

And yet you said it's supply and demand. Contradicting yourself, aren't you.

I suppose I am, but I've never given it a lot of thought. In any case, artists are hardly claiming, as you are, to be able to sculpt reality.

No, because their art uses paper, stone or wood as the medium, whereas mine works with the id.

The what?

The unconscious what, which surfaces as this or that - as something or other, as what not, sooner or later - through the lives and endeavours of all humanity.

I'm... lost for words.

Yes. Such is the power of the id - that we are all id-iots when it comes to it, but at the same time, can rise above that state. There is always other and we just happen to hold the two in perfect balance, whether we're aware of it of not.

Balance? What do we hold in balance?

The two sides - call them what you will - the names are largely immaterial.

Like right and left?

Like whatever you please.

And you're really saying that we're the centre, the balance point.

The fulcrum, the zero point, the isness of be... whatever you like to call it. How can we be otherwise? Our very beingness depends upon it. Our conscious awareness would collapse on one side or t'other causing our entire universe to fade into oblivion.

You can't seriously be suggesting that the entire universe hangs in the balance with us at the very centre.

No. I wouldn't suggest it seriously - but gaily, lightly, gently, peacefully, merrily I would, for such it is - I am.

Such it is - I am?

Yes. The balance of be and is, of matter and mind, or whatever you wish to call it.

But this is the most monstrous form of humanocentric egoism. It's worse than what they used to say about the Earth being the centre of the universe.

Worse, and at the same time better, because it puts you, or your mind's conscious awareness right back where it needs to be - right at the very heart of all that is. But once you realise this is true, it gives no grounds whatsoever for "monstrous egoism", because you fall into a deep state of humility and reverence for what which is - and for the vastness of Self beyond the shallow paltriness of the self we're presently aware of. There's no way we can grow in awareness without realising and feeling the fundamental relationship between all that is - the entire universe if you like, and that which I be - the I am, whatever that is.

I'm...

Yes, but don't worry. You're designed to resist these truths until the time is right, and, once you're ready to move on to a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with Self, then it happens quite naturally.

So there's no need to make an effort.

You can try if you like. There's no harm in it, but most often your trying will be guided and motivated by your current prejudices and dogmas, rather than effortlessly resolving all the problems you seem to be beset with.

And you really believe that to be possible?

It is - I am, or to put it another way: One.

One?

Yes. Zero equals one.

Oh...   I...    O

Yes, I know :-)