thing no more - introducing norms

Er... Merry, are you alright?

Yes.

I thought you were talking... to a table.

Now why would I want to do that, Zie?

I dunno. Maybe I was mistaken...

But you don’t think so, do you? You’re pretty sure you just saw me talking to a table.

Er... I guess so.

So that must make me kind of clinically insane, no?

Well, it would, wouldn’t it? I mean, unless there’s a pretty good reason for it – talking to a table would definitely be a good indicator that there’s something wrong with your mind.

Unless the table’s a transmitter.

Oh – I never thought of that.

But I’m not saying it is – but if it were a transmitter – there wouldn’t be anything untoward talking to it – just like talking into a microphone.

Yeah I guess so – but it isn’t is it – it’s not a transmitter?

No, not as such, but it’s nice to consider the possibility that talking to tables is not a sure sign of insanity.

Well what then – if you’re not insane – which you don’t seem to be. Can you explain?

Norms.

Norms?

Ok guys, we’re learning about norms today.

What?

It’s not a table.

Oh come on Merry – of course it’s a table.

Well obviously it is – looking at it in 3D – but step outside 3D and you see something else.

Like what?

Norms. That’s one level of seeing things beyond 3D.

Er...

They’re beings.

What kind of beings.

They’re norms – that kind of beings. You’ve got to want to tune into them. You’ve got to want to know more by sensing, seeing, feeling them yourself.

Ok.

All you need to know is that norms make things seem normal.

Right.

They make a table seem like a table, a chair like a chair, a wall like a wall.

They do?

Yep – they make things normal.

But why?

Why what?

Why do they need to make things normal?

Because otherwise things are completely weird – you’d never be able to interface with anything. Every thing is and would be an island of weirdness – unapproachable. They pull things from the quantum soup of infinity – where things are undefined – things in waiting – drawing them down into 3D.

Oh my God.

Well yes, it’s kind of "Oh my God". Creation – that’s what they’re up to – continual creation.

But... surely things are, you know – things, independent of these norms.

Nope. Without norms you’re completely stuck.

So how come no one knows about them?

Everyone knows about them, but everyone chooses to ignore them. That’s how 3D works.

But why do we ignore them?

Because noticing them makes you feel incredibly bored and detached from reality – so most people will do anything to avoid that feeling of normness.

So how come you don’t?

Because it doesn’t affect me. In any case – until you learn how to handle the norms you’re kind of trapped in 3D. You can make things comfortable for yourself – you can gild the cage, but it’s still just a kind of fancy cage.

Oh my God – we’re all in prison.

Kind of yes, kind of no.

Well, which is it?

Well, no in the sense that  you freely entered and you can freely leave whenever you choose, but yes, it’s prison in the sense that most of you seem to have forgotten who you are – and take things at face value, as if they’re real, as opposed to what really is.

What really is what?

Not what – these things you take for real – they’re really just norms.

So that table’s a norm.

Yep.

And you can see it.

Yep.

And talk to it.

Yep.

And it can answer you.

Yep – though it doesn’t have to answer me as such.

Then what’s the point talking to it?

Well, I might want to move it, or change it in some way.

And you can do that?

Of course.

But that’s freakin weird.

Yes, from the 3D line of thinking – things are supposed to be whatever they are – and you’ll always ignore any shifts – rewriting over whatever you just saw a moment before in order to sustain the comfortable illusion that things are things.

You mean to say that things are always shifting around?

Well, they don’t bother to maintain their full thinginess when you’re not observing them – so they only need to be fully things for a fraction of the time.

And the rest of the time – that table just disappears, you’re saying?

No, it kind of retracts into a residual outline of what it is – a kind of lowburn night light – to save energy and allow the norm to get on with other more pressing stuff.

Oh.

Actually, things can really vanish almost completely – and people don’t even notice – once they’ve grown accustomed to particular things. It’s amazing how the mind fills things in. It’s a bit like the adult elephant.

How do you mean?

When it was a child it had a strong rope or chain on its leg preventing it from escaping, but by the time it’s an adult they just keep a small string there – which couldn’t stop the elephant from escaping if it wanted to – but the elephant already assumes it can’t – so it doesn’t.

Oh. So if we started testing these things out – we’d discover...

That there are gaping gaps – omissions – fake scenery – or you’d discover a norm who’s hoping you’ll desist and go back to your usual state of complacency – which you almost certainly will.

Because it feels weird and disturbing?

Yes, and because you might become afraid that you’re going insane, or that you’re existing in an almost completely unmaterial, hollowed out, honeycomb reality – that could leave you with a sense of vertigo, or a sense of unprotectedness. People like to imagine they’re held firmly in place by physical things – that they’re actually walking on the earth, or a bridge, or a concrete floor. Imagine how you’d feel if you started perceiving the provisionalness of things you’d hitherto taken for granted. That could be a deeply disturbing experience, could it not?

You’re telling me.

You’d want back into the matrix – the sense that things are what they’re supposed to be.

You bet I would.

Unless you were intent on something more.

And some people are, you’re saying?

Yes, there are some.

But why?

Because they know – and that’s enough – they want to get real – they’re no longer content with the half truth of matter and things. They’ve outgrown the crèche. They’re ready for big school.

Oh.

Which is where you enter the conversation.

No, no, Merry, you’ve got me wrong. I’m not interested in busting out of the matrix. I’m comfortable living in a world of normal things.

Hum, interesting that – because I’ve been observing how the norms react when you start looking at things, of late.

You have? I didn’t notice I’ve been looking at things any differently.

No, you didn’t – your mind will try to block out anything that threatens the status quo, even to the point of wiping your memory in an attempt to keep you safely ensconced in normality.

Wiping my memory? I don’t like the sound of that.

But you can get it back without too much trouble. You just need to start observing the norm behind, the norm within, the norm attached to the thing – whatever thing it be – this table for instance.

Hey.

What?

Did you notice that?

Notice what?

It just moved.

Did it?

Yes. At least I think it did – when the two of us looked at it just now.

Oh that – well it would do wouldn’t it.

But I’ve never noticed that before.

Like I said – you have – but your memory’s been wiped shortly after, and you’ve been happy to forgot something that was kind of disturbing.

You’re telling me.

But now you know better – you can use that event – the table budging – to tune in, to focus on the norm.

But how?

Bring up your deepest sense of boredom and pointlessness and look at the table as if it’s inspiring you to expire with tedium.

Do I have to?

Yes, if you want to smoke out the norm hiding in this tree.

But why boredom?

Because unless you’re ready to be massively bored, you’ll fall for the exciting distraction that the norm will fire at you the minute you get to inquisitive.

What exciting distraction?

Anything – something you forgot to do, or an amazing idea, a girl you’ve been thinking about of late – whatever’s on the periphery of your mind – the norm can nudge it – bringing it into motion – and that will be sufficient to break your concentration – detaching it from this table – at which point the norm could go one step further and project something weird and slightly disturbing to make you recoil and perform your very own mindwipe – that way all the tracks are covered and cleared.

But why does it go to such inordinate lengths to avoid detection?

To remain anonymous. As long as you’re not even aware that norms exist – you’re powerless to attack them, in fact you’ll do everything you can to preserve things the way they are.

And you? You want to break things up – is that what you’re saying?

Not at all – I’m just as happy to work with norms as anyone else is – they’re our cousins in the infinite quantum field of continuous creation of which we’re a part – it’s just they’re inorganic and have a different function from our own. There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re not harmful – but I prefer to be in control of whatever I’m able to perceive and interact with. Besides, I’m physically unable to be purely 3D the way you are.

You mean you’re not one of us? You’re not human?

Hum, good question.

Merry, don’t freak me out.

Zie, does it really matter whether I’m human or not?

Er... yes, I think it does – at least that way I’d know whether I could trust you or not.

Good point. And you’re saying you don’t really know?

Er... at times I have my doubts.

Good – let’s keep it that way for the moment – doubts are a powerful instigator of learning and change. But back to the table – this is your 1^st conscious norm day.

It is?

Yes. Didn’t you know?

I must have mindwiped that too.

Never mind. Let’s continue. Allow yourself to be bored – now tickle the table with your breath, in a manner of speaking, as you gaze at it. Allow yourself to suspend judgement – to suspend your disbelief, to know and accept that this table is only really table because a norm is normalising it – holding it in a kind of resonance with your C3.

My C3?

Your consciousness – we’ll use the technical term if you don’t mind.

Ok.

So the norm kind of attaches the table to your C3 field and hey presto – it’s absolutely real – so real you can sit on it, stand on it, dance on it, make love on it – and you won’t fall through – unless you exceed its signal strength and break the wood.

Oh.

Now, you can feel the norm’s doing its utmost to distract you – so hold your focus by calling it out – otherwise you’ll forget what you were intending.

How do I call it out?

However you like – the words aren’t important. You could try singing to the norm “hello table norm, hello table norm, I can see you in the table, I can see your smooth creation of a holographic thingness that is beautifully normal, Mr Norm, Mr Norm and I am deeply impressed by your splendid abilities.”

That sounds a bit cheesy.

Yes, but flattery usual pays – you get them off guard that way. By the way – the minute you sense the norm – it’s a bit like one of those magic eye 3D pictures – once you can see it – it’s easy to see thereafter.

Oh dear – I was never very good at those.

You’re doing fine – the norm is rising to the bait.

It is?

Yes – you’re drawing it out of its comfortable state of tableness. It’s unable to hold that position with all the attention you’re giving it.

Why's that?

Because it was always going to be overpowered by the beauty, the magic, the magnetism of your C3.

It was? Why?

Why do you think? Do you have any idea how powerful humans really are?

Er... not really. A few 100 watt light bulbs is all I guess we’re able to generate in body heat and luminescence.

Merry starts choking – a convulsive laughter that makes it almost impossible for him to breath. It reaches the point that Zie’s getting concerned. Merry seems to be breaking up – fading out and other images of Merry seem to be flashing in and out of sight around the room.

Are you alright Merry? Here – have some water.

Zie hands Merry a glass of water, which he accepts and drinks gratefully.

Did you see it?

Er... see what?

The composite nature of 3D? As I was fading did you notice other versions of me popping up around you.

My God – I did. It was disturbing – why did you do that Merry?

I couldn’t help it. You just cracked me up – literally.

I didn’t mean to – I can’t imagine what you found so funny.

Can’t you? Just imagine the power contained within your near infinite quantum stream of C3.

Well, I can’t say I’ve ever really noticed much power. In any case, consciousness is terribly vague and nebulous. It never really seems to do very much.

Really? What about that glass of water?

What about it?

Rewind a moment, if you would. Replay the sequence of events. Why do you see now?

Merry starts humming something under his breath – which seems to help Zie concentrate.

Wait a minute – where the hell did that glass come from?

There you go! You’ve remembered. Well done.

But where?

Where do you think?

I...

Of course your mind doesn’t want you to remember, la la la me me la la me

Jesus Christ, Merry – what are you doing to me?

Moi? Nothing whatsoever, I assure you.

I can’t just materialise a glass from thin air. That’s insane.

Absolutely insane, innit? So what are you going to do about it?

Shit. I just grabbed it in the heat of the moment without thinking what I was doing or how.

Very good.

It was like it was just there the minute I needed it.

Excellent. Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of C3. Now what about that norm sitting under the table.

Oh him.

How do you think he reacted when he saw you grabbing a glass of water from the quantum stream?

I don’t suppose he cared, he was too busy being a table.

On the contrary – he was fascinated and appalled – both in equal measure – and at that moment his guard dropped.

It did? ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...   ...  ... oh my God...   ...   ...   it did.

Excellent. You see.

But how do you know?

What?

That I see?

Because your C3 has shifted into a completely new configuration, a different position.

It has?

Yes. It was like a big egg before.

And now?

More like a star.

Oh wow.

So you’re going to call out the norm – it’s time.

Do I...

Do it Zie. That table has to go – so quit feeling sorry for it – otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life a slave to things – controlled and herded around by perfectly harmless not in any way evil norms.

That doesn’t sound harmless to me – manipulating my reality – controlling me!

Well, you’re asking them to do it, aren’t you, unless you’re willing to stand up and declare you’re human.

Of course I’m human.

Not until you take back the keys to the kingdom.

Er... which kingdom are we talking about?

You have till I count to 3, otherwise, dear Zie, our pleasant time together ends forthwith – 1

No wait a minute – I can’t handle this...

2

But come on Merry – it’s not fair I’m...

3

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo za za za – a green flash and the table dematerialises utterly – as does the room and everything else. There before Zie is a kind of creature – a blob of energy – pulsating slightly – obviously deeply uncomfortable – squirming under the brightness of Zie’s gaze – like it’s been caught with no clothes on...

Which is exactly how it feels right now. Well done Zie. That was great. I’ve never heard it done za za za before, but effective and timely.

Zie is breathless and emotional. This is an awkward place to be – no thing seems to make sense, no thing seems to be right – which is logical when you consider there is neither right nor left on this particular platform, staring at a butt naked norm.

Ok, now rather than getting upset Zie, take this opportunity to feel how this wonderful creature that until a moment ago was a table, is able to create a link between your mind and C3, which is infinitely more than your mind, using the register of material things to...

Make table thing.

Precisely. It makes table thing – in the same way you can make a canary sing, or make a car move. To thing or not to thing...

That is the question.

Somehow the whole of 3D is carried along by this Tom-thingery. No one doubts for a minute that it’s all there, that it’s all real, and that irony of ironies, our knowledge of things is the key to understanding life, the universe and everything.

But tell me Merry...

Yes?

How do you get things to change around?

How did you make this norm materialise? How did you grab the glass of water? How do those clever so called magicians do their amazing tricks?

By sleight of hand.

Perhaps.

You don’t think so?

Oh, they’re good with their hands, without a doubt – but there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy, as young Hamlet put it. Every time you try to fix what it might be that you’re endeavouring to understand, you’re shoving a spanner into the wheel spin of infinity, peddling the assumption that things are best understood.

And what else should we do with things?

Unfrock them. De-norm them. Use them as markers as you shuttle back and forth between 3D and the the quantum stream of C3.

Vague, Merry. Hopelessly vague.

Ok Zie, see this unlikely looking norm here?

Yes...

He’s willing to go to the end of the world with you, for you, in order to do some more applied creation. He wants to do the form thing – but he can only do it if you’re willing to go along with his minor deception.

Well I’m not.

Why so objectionable Zie? Just think how much these norms have benefitted humanity – giving them things to work with, and as soon as we learn how, we can work with norms to make things work for humanity, rather than vice versa...

Humanity as it currently does, working for things.

Precisely – but you can hardly blame norms for that.

So what would you do in my place?

I would wish to delve further into the nature of things, and to better understand how things and C3 interact, interrelate, intermingle.

You mean you want to do cheap magic tricks!

Well, I wouldn’t mind – but I’d certainly like to see whether beautiful humanity can become a little less obsessed with things – a little more interested in the wonders of C3. To do so we need to stop thinking that magic is just a matter of trickery or illusion. So, without further ado – Merry runs forward and appears to grab the norm – the two of them tussle and the next thing you know Merry is sitting on a table with wings which is flying up into the air.

Jump on Zie, if all else fails we can open an air taxi service – you can be my first fare – where do you want to fly to?

I want to see norms in their homeland, unencumbered by things.

What a perfectly splendid idea. Hi ho silver –and off they fly into the grey blue.