Riders of the storm

#The reasonable assumption of degree

You know, we always assumed that a little was less than a lot – and a little poison was a lot less likely to kill you than a lot. Logical – you’re probably nodding, being men, women or its of reason. Well, boy have I got news for you…

Come on Spike – spare us the lecture on unreason please. We all know the theory – but frankly – who gives a damn. In reality the matter of degree holds true almost infallibly – hell – they even call the qualification you leave university with a "degree" in recognition of this mostly unreported law.

Well, be that as it may…

No Spike – be that as it is. When are you going to face reality – rather than living in a dream world of theoretical things of neither moment nor matter.

Well, now that you put it so bluntly – I have one thing to say to you.

Yes? You’ve finally decided to see reason.

The word does not, in fact, begin with an r.

Oh hell. Here we go again. Let me guess – does it begin with an i for insanity, or perhaps an h for hula or horsesh..

it does not. If you’d hold wind for a single breath – it begins with c

for conspiracy? Been there, seen the movie, smoked the cigar – it’s not even remotely appealing so let’s move on to our next point on the agenda…

for capacitor

Capacitor? What on Earth are you on about now.

This is why your law of degree appears to hold true.

It is? Uh…

We’re in a kind of electrical circuit – aren’t we.

No, we’re actually in a syncretic field of consciousness – commonly known as “reality”.

Yes, of course – that’s the official version which is great for day to day processing – but simply won’t work if you need to touch fundamentals.

And you believe?

Our so-called field of consciousness has a lot in common with a common and garden capacitor.

It does? In what way?

It builds and stores charge – until it is discharged.

Well, yes, I know how a capacitor works – but what’s that got to do with the law of degree and human beings?

Because we’re all part of an electrical circuit – and our information or ideas are current. They build up, build up, build up until – crash – they are suddenly released.

I fail to see where you get this ridiculous notion from.

Of course – that’s exactly how the mind is supposed to work. It’s an excellent device and you – both individually and no less collectively – serve your function admirably – as capacitors – in the same way clouds do too – until the charge is sufficient and then – crash – a bolt of lightning rips through the air – bringing the two plates back to an even, neutral state of equilibrium.

Er… but why do you assume ideas and information are in any way comparable to electric charge?

Because this reality we’re in appears to be bound by the law of degree – whereas, in fact, things can or should be much less stable and ordered – if it was all naturally haphazard, unstructured and free flowing.

In what way?

Well, infinity is not something to be sniffed at. It’s potential wild and savage. It can, and should be able to manifest anywhere and at any time – and completely upturn the status quo – if we were operating in a quantum state of Is-ness.

Er…

But things seem to be remarkably well organised – do they not? Our body doesn’t exactly jump or jitter about. The atoms in our body, the thoughts in our head, the cars on the road, the planets in space – they all seem to hold course fairly consistently – as does the information in our computer, on our drives or in the processor. The same is true of water flowing in rivers, the atmosphere, animals or people moving as crowds and basically any thing you choose to look at. Absent, throughout – is the pandora’s  glove of infinity – the magic wand which suddenly flummoxes rhyme or reason – shifting things beyond recognition in a flash – seemingly randomly. That’s what you would expect, or need, if infinity were to manifest at any time anywhere in your field – whatever field you choose to observe.

So maybe it’s just the fact that we’re observing it that prevents real randomness – the hoofmarks of infinity – from riding roughshod over reality’s manicured lawns.

Maybe indeed, or maybe the four horsemen of the apocalypse are merely patiently awaiting our summons – that we are, in fact, the dielectric separating the two plates – and until we become aware of the electrical nature of our reality – we’re unable to call forth and work with the limitless and creative powers of infinity.

Or just as likely – we know that the limitless and creative powers of infinity – you refer to – are wild, savage and untameable – so better left well alone.

Indeed, indeed – all these and many more random possible permutations – but something tells me the answer is staring us in the face.

Well?

And it involves inside outing our perception of things.

Well?

Well, for example, instead of assuming infinity is somewhere out there – in the vastness of space or time – let’s start by assuming the opposite.

That it’s present here in our small, cosy, confined reality? Haven’t you yourself just pointed out that it seems to be strangely absent.

Yes – but that’s to be expected, isn’t it?

Er… why?

If we are the keepers of infinity – the hiding place for its quantum depths.

But how likely is that?

In terms of infinity – very likely indeed.

But why?

Because infinity has little or no respect for vastness – it’s just as comfortable working at any scale – and what better place to hide and conceal it than here in us – lurking in the unplotted depths of our consciousness.

But where are the sudden surges, translocations, eruptions or fluxes which give the game away?

Well, if the entire universe – from the subatomic level up to the smorgasbord of galaxies are the electrical circuitry, or the hardware if you like, and if we, our consciousness: our conscious-awareness are the capacitor – then we, it transpires, are what smooths the curve – are what averages out the wild undulations and teenage petulance of infinity.

We?

Who else? If you want to get a difficult job done – then better to do it yourself. Who else can you really rely on?

But – how can this be?

What could be simpler? Consciousness, in this model – is not something merely possessed by biological, organic entities – human beings or other life forms. Consciousness is what keeps things in order – is it not?

I wouldn’t know. It’s a little beyond my ken.

Well, let’s just wildly assume that in fact, things are incredibly simple.

Er… I’m not sure that’s a particular reasonable assumption to make given the incredibly complicated nature of things…

Things are only complicated because you’re consciously bound to ignore the obvious – the unifying force, the common denominator – right before your eyes.

Which is?

Which is what holds all the different strands together – life, perception, awareness, consciousness, matter and whatever else it is I’m missing.

And this, you’re saying, is going to be incredibly simple?

It has to be. The only way things can hold together and work is if they come to a single point – a single oscillation – a single equation or a single experience – a bit like the Greek theatrical unities of time, place and action.

Er…

It means that if we notice something surprisingly smooth, homogenous or recognisable about reality, things in general or the nature of all that is – then ding ding ding – the alarm bell starts ringing – there is no single force out there big enough to hold it all together – to bring it under control – is there?

Er…

How on earth could all the planets, stars, atoms and, what have you – kind of fix themselves or synchronise their orbits or whatever they do so beautifully? Or the cells in your body, the atoms in the galaxy your body floats within, or the sub-atomic particles in the quantum states of indeterminacy those atoms kind of rest upon…

Er…

It’s all just too much – unless/ until you recognise that it has to be way, way simpler than you're imagining – does it not?

I… don’t see why? Can’t it just be mindnumbingly complicated?

Well, it could – but then things get too thingish, too heavy, too interlocking and interconnecting and you find yourself utterly unable to accommodate infinity anywhere in your ponderous, massive and weighty model of things.

Er…

And believe it or not – infinity has to be the key element – does it not?

Really, I can’t say

For how else are you going to make sense of anything?

We seem to be doing pretty well actually, without reference to infinity.

Well yes – we just have to Big Bang an entire universe into existence for no apparent reason, with no external cause. Hum… and then we have inorganic chemicals doing a second big bang – just somehow coming alive – becoming conscious, and aware – even though matter, we are told, is neither conscious, nor aware – just because a bit of light, warmth, or dare we say – electricity, happened to make Frankenstein’s heart start beating and open his eyes.

Well… we are talking about billions of years – are we not? Anything can happen given enough time and the right conditions.

Hmmm… Actually, electricity or light might well be hugely central to the whole life conundrum – as presumably they are full of it – and carry huge amounts of information which we’re barely even aware of…

You see – you too can begin to see how things start falling into place without any great need to dispense with complexity.

Oh yes – things fall into place – you have huge incredibly complicated electrical circuits and machines – let’s face it – a galaxy, a solar system, a universe is no less. What are they powering? How were they designed? How long is a piece of string?

Er….

All meaningless rhetorical questions once you realise that all this so-called “intellectual thought” and “rational enquiry” is missing the elephant under the proverbial carpet.

It is?

Obviously.

Obviously? Er… what exactly do you mean?

That the thinking through of things ignores the thinker and his or her or its direct relationship with the processes he, she, it is thinking – for what is thought if not a kind of observation looking inwards – in other words – a time going backwards from our perspective electrical reality observing the reverse of everything we’re thinking in our physical reality – so to speak, if you know what I mean.

Er… not really.

No, not surprisingly – but really it’s fairly simple if you remember the capacitor.

It is?

Yes. All our thought is our side of things – and it builds up, builds up until eventually something is decided, then acted upon and done. The spark is carried across the dielectric bridge or gap – the air becomes a conductor at the right voltage and lightning rises up to the cloud or falls down to the earth – depending on which way you prefer to see things.

Er…

It also rises up into so-called “space” above the thunder cloud – which is interesting in and of itself, is it not?

Er… if you say so.

Now, consider that our consciousness rides upon electrical current – whether that be the electrical signals in our brain – or quantumly connected electrical current in the cloud – somewhere above our head at any distance – near or far.

Oh… must it really be so inconceivable?

Absolutely. The two plates in the capacitor have to be separated by a dielectric non-conductor – an insulator – which could be water or glass or air – actually water’s better if you can keep it from leaking out.

And?

And so, whatever you think makes sense is going to be one side of the plate. Whatever is in fact true is going to appear to be inconceivable or absurd, is it not – otherwise your mind would fail to act as an insulator – your two plates would constantly be shorting out rather than holding their opposing charge as they must.

Er…

So, the mind is designed not to see the whole picture – to see one half, one side – because it needs to act as capacitor for the electrical current that is consciousness – which you host – not merely for yourself…

No?

No – you are way too over-engineered for just holding your own life together.

I am?

Absolutely. If it was just you – you could have done a perfectly good job as an amoeba or just a kind of non-cellular electrolyte – anything that could hold and separate a little electrical current – but you’ve got much, much more going on inside you – thoughts, emotions, feelings, passions – all of which complicate exponentially what you’re able to hold, capicatate and then deliver.

So, what am I in fact doing?

Doing, thinking, being – who knows – after all – the mind’s not supposed to know these things – is it – otherwise the circuit shorts out – but really – we don’t have to look too far, do we?

Er…

We know there have been enlightened people – or even unenlightened people who have had experiences of the universe – of being totally, utterly connected to one and all – in a cosmic sense – banal as this may sound.

So, you think we little humans are at the very centre of the entire universe?

Oh no, much more than that.

Uh?? More than the universe?

Oh yes. The universe, after all, is fairly spaced out and diffuse. Just think how much information is stored or processed by the interface – your conscious-awareness – name it what you like – the numbers are beyond astronomical – particularly if you practice some kind of prayer or meditation and learn to switch off the noisiest part of your head and connect to a bigger allness.

Er… So, you’re talking multiple universes?

No, neither one nor many – because they just stack up and amount to little more or less. Matter, after all, is merely matter whereas we, beautiful human beings that we are – or aspire to be – are the quintessence of dust – are we not.

Which isn’t saying much – is it?

Which is saying very little – which is precisely what we should agree to do – if we’re to approach the truth.

By saying very little?

By keeping it simple.

But why? how?

Because everything you think or say acts as a link or a gap or a barrier and interrupts the natural unity – the whole, the one, the all. Things thought – immediately grow heavy and drag us down into time and space – which is a million miles from where we want to be if we are interested in learning the truth.

?

For the truth is unthingable.

Unthinkable?

That too. So what could it be – you still haven’t found the answer to the question.

Er… that’s because my brain’s bleeding. You’ve lacerated it.

Relax. Don’t fight the circuit. Don’t try to push or force it – you’ll only trip yourself up mentally.

Then what?

Feel the two plates of the capacitor that you be –

Two plates?

The yin and the yang – so to speak

Yin yang – feel?

Feel. Breathe. Know that you are no less than the all there be, all that is – the entire universe – but this is not something your mind can or should try to process – merely smile inwardly at the absurd futility of trying to understand what your electrical function cannot allow.

My electrical function…

For ultimately, the conscious-ness that you carry, that you stream, that you be…

The conscious- ness

Cannot itself be perceived, understood or known directly – consciously – can it?

No, I suppose not.

But, on the other hand – you can feel the electrical charge – you can sense and become more aware of the architecture of consciousness, which is more or less the entire universe turned inside out – for perception reverses what is, when brought into your mind.

It does does it – naughty tyke.

Well, how else could you function as a capacitor?

Er…

You had to hold both sides. You had to be turned around. You had to be largely ignorant of, and more or less determined to ignore infinity, did you not, or else you’d have been too tempted to walk away from the task in hand – to go visit pastures greener.

And you? Why do you assume you’re not?

Well, let’s say that I’m a kind of poet – absurd though this sounds.

And what?

And I derive satisfaction from the beauty inherent in what is seemingly absurd, even superficially ugly. You might say I’m a bit like the bacteria you find in your gut, or in a compost heap – that likes breaking things down into simpler elements.

So you’re feeding on us?

I’m not sure that’s the best way of putting it – but probably, in a manner of speaking this may be true – after all – everything is to a greater or lesser extent symbiotic – feeding off whatever it is surrounded by…

So, if you know all this – why don’t you just use it and

Abuse it? What good what that do?

Good – why do you need to do good?

Ah – now we’re really making music – are we not?

Er… are you trying to dodge the question?

Perhaps, a little, but in fact asking me what good might be, or why we might wish to do it – is not very different from trying to gaze at the fundamental nature of things. You’re dielectric function shouldn’t really allow it – so you smash right into the limitations of consciousness once again – unless, that is, you decide that your consciousness is not internal – is in fact the same consciousness present in all things and all beings – in which case you’re able to see yourself from an entirely new, a fresh perspective – which will certainly go some way towards answering this ticklish question.

Ticklish?

Yes, fundamental questions are inherently ticklish – and unless we are able to expand into them and inflate our awareness exponentially, then we tend to merely exchange one set of distortions for another.

So bigger is better, you’re saying?

Not exactly – but a one millimetre error at the nanoscale is infinitely larger than a kilometre error at the galactic scale, is it not?

I suppose it is.

So, demeaning though this may sound – once we’re willing to bite the bullet and accept that in a funny sort of way, we are a kind of capacitor – that infinity behaves itself only really because the split infinity within us slows it down and largely brings it under control – then and only then are we really able to start re-engaging infinity – bringing in-finity back to the surface, back into play.

We can? Really?

Yes, absolutely.

?!

Exciting isn’t it.

I…

You see – this is what we’ve secretly been longing for, looking for, hoping to rediscover – but always to no avail – for we were always trying to think it through – to bring it from the thought process into the physical reality we believe ourselves to be a part of – hopelessly cart-before-horsish, is it not?

Yes, I suppose you’re right.

Whereas, in fact, it was infinitely simpler. Once we confront our internal contradictions, our paradox, our ridiculously impossible complexity – only then do we begin to sense, to feel, to understand and know the infinity we be, the infinity we rest upon, the infinity we comprise, contain or hold

And?

And joy, let the magic and joy of in-finity lift you up, back into the plains of conscious-ness which only you can enjoy, only you can know, only you can be – no one else – for when the cogs of in-finity start turning, the sluice gates open and the waters flow – all things, all matter, all beings, even, join in the great celebration of what is utterly ineffable, unknowable and good – no matter what that might mean or be, do they not?

Er…

Om

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