Can We Get There From Here?
Published August 20, 2007
In a post a few years ago I wrote about my hopes for the Internet and the cyberworld. I also noted my disappointment at how we were using it. When I look at the Internet I see a physical manifestation of the collective unconscious of human kind with all the good, the bad, and the ugly inherent in the collective mind. This great cacophony cannot be really controlled or corralled, but it can, however, be guided. In this fact lies our greatest hope, however we are using the great power of the cyber-medium to play mindless word games on the deck of the Titanic and to otherwise numb our minds to our impending fate. Our only hope lies in this aforementioned mass realization of our place in existence. This direct awareness of being is something that can be passed from mind to mind. The question is, how can we use this electronic medium to create a virtual mind-to-mind transmission of this direct awareness of being? This transmission is the only thing that can operate at the speed that life on this planet requires.
The underlying motivation of all that I do, whether it is building a piece of furniture, teaching in a classroom, or writing, is to manifest this direct sense of being. My hope here is to somehow, in mind-to-mind fashion, fire that same sense of beingness in you and have you carry it forward mind-to-mind. This is what life needs from us in this moment in our history of fear. We are asked to stop and see clearly. It is the least we can do. Can we get there from here?
I hope to provide a place for questions and dialogue without diatribes and polarized opinion. Pleas join me.
John Spivey is a writer and woodworker who lives in Santa Barbara, California with his wife. He owns a small publishing company CrowsCry Press and maintains a personal blog. He can be contacted here.
- Can We Get There From Here?
- Published: August 20, 2007
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Internet, Culture: Society, Culture: Religion, Culture: Education
- Writer: John Spivey
- John Spivey's BC Writer page
- John Spivey's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
duane,
The question is not rhetorical. I'm answering it for myself by this act of writing. There will be more. There is actually no single answer. If through my writing you suddenly come to your real self, then inherent in that is the knowledge of what you need to do yourself and how to direct your own skills and talents in the service of the greater. I know that somewhere out there are people whose talents are capable of doing what I cannot do. My task is to awaken them if I can.
John
Good to "hear" from you again. But a post-60 funk? You have to be kidding. I barely noticed 60. Just another day. Now 70 is another matter.
The internet does have potential, doesn't it? And most will go on using it for mindless word games because they are not ready for anything deeper. But there are many who are ready and probably searching for what you are talking about. The problem is how to reach them or let them reach you.
It can be done though. NaNoWriMo went from twelve people to thousands in just a few years because they all have a common interest in writing fiction. It did cause a few problems, though, when they expected 140 people to register and 4,000 showed up.
Sonny,
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm working on another post, but I have to weave it around my work schedule in my shop.
John
oh my stars and garters...!
good to *see* you back at it John, you've been missed
can't wait to read the next bits!
for John
Excelsior?
gonzo,
Yeh, it's me. Good to hear from you again and hope to hear more. There's a new posting today under Sci/Tech (if they keep it that way).
John
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/67708)
I was particularly brought down by my regret as regards my academic, intellectual achievement.
No doubt you stopped and sensed the universal condition inherent in being inside the ever-expanding sphere of knowledge. I think you're in plenty of good company.
... even physics of the highest order is not what we need at this point in our existence.
I don't see that this is anything but self-evident. Who would argue that "physics is all you need"? Physics (and science in general) is a wonderful thing, but it cannot cure the ills of the world. Only a dreamer would claim otherwise. The "human condition" still lies far outside the purview of quantitative science.
The question is, how can we use this electronic medium to create a virtual mind-to-mind transmission of this direct awareness of being?
Is this rhetorical, or is there a Part 2 in the works?
I hope that's not too antipodal or whatever the adjective form of diatribe is. Diatribal? Diatribistical?