It’s an odd sensation, periodically rediscovering how some things that I find self-evident, seem absolutely foreign (if not invisible) to most others. When I embraced the term “Mindscape” a couple years back, I though I did a good job of capturing a metaphor for those universes of thoughts that we possess just beyond our physical brain with its neurons, synapses and electro-chemical cascades. The seat of ego, emotions, thought, reflection, god seeking, knowledge seeking, love seeking, success thirsting, the sense of self, our life’s spirit, our soul, whatever labels you want to tag onto it.
The world flowing through our physical senses and then getting sorted through our genetic and environmental filters before being reflected against the metaphorical retina of our brain and infusing through our body. The thing that thinks it’s telling our body what to do, when most the time it’s the other way around. The thing that believes it’s in control of us, or out of control, as the case may be. The thing that is us, but has yet to be found by scientist or philosopher.
I’ve discovered that suggesting we should categorize it differently than the stuff of atoms and the laws of physics invites the wildest mental gymnastics intent on drawing the discussion away from the essence of acknowledging the ephemeral nature of our human mind, that thing that animates our bodies during our short dance across physical reality’s stage, or more specifically, Earth - and then disappears when we die.
For me, the insight fell right into place and in short order it served to spark a realization that I AM AN EARTH CENTRIST, because Earth provides our only touchstone with physical reality, deep time and our ongoing life story.
Human’s only have their own stories, millions of them, billions, trillions, all blossoming from our egos. Earth and her rhythms are simply Physical Reality unfolding, they doesn’t depend on our stories one bit and they will be here, continuing the journey, long after all echoes of our existence has vanished.
It seems to me, too many are terrified by such a revelation, so turn inward to the comfort of their pliable mindscapes, with all their self-serving stories and emotions.
I’m convinced it would do us humans endless good to appreciate that distinction between our florid Mindscapes and the fundamental Physical Reality of the world we exist within. Worship god for all you’re worth, if that’s your desire, but don’t take yourself too seriously.
As for science that is dedicated to soberly rationally learning about the physical reality that surrounds us. It’s basic rules are set up to filter out our petty egos and biases. To me it seems a recognition and acknowledgment that we need each other to keep ourselves honest.
What’s in it for the individual? An enhanced appreciation of our place within the flow of Evolution, which imparts a certain spiritual peace of mind and solidity. One that I know self-serving preachers and the words within holy books can’t get close to touching.
As an example, I believe this perspective helps me better appreciate all the bluster and confusion between “Science” and “Scientism.”
Science is an activity that seeks to explore the natural world using well-established, clearly-delineated methods.Scientism, on the other hand, is a speculative worldview about the ultimate reality of the universe and its meaning. (Thomas Burnett)
Science limits itself to what it can observe and measure. Science’s pronouncements are dictated by the facts at hand, knowing full well that future inquiry will provide more facts and knowledge which in turn will allow those pronouncements to be refined in accordance with the evidence attained.
For me, the best metaphor of the march of science, is that of an image getting displayed with ever more resolution as the dots-per-inch (available facts) get increased, leaving us with an ever more recognizable picture.
Scientism, on the other hand, crosses over into the Mindscape without ever taking the time to really delineate, or even consider, Physical Reality as a thing onto itself, beyond our varied imaginings.
By muddling, if not ignoring, that mind-body, thought-physical boundary, Scientism produces a world of contrived ideas as malleable as our fickled imaginations, but useless for truly understanding this reality we are embedded within.