FW: "V" Resonances

[Vincent A. Maeder]

Several thoughts here:
Vheissu's iridescence is very similar to the Zen practice of removing the
boundaries of our mind, realizing the oneness between yourself and all
around you. Following that thread to paranoia would be interesting. For
example: The moment of insight in Zen is the satori experience--similar to
religious conversion or rebirth in western civilization--then we might say
one source of paranoia is the religious experience whereby this becomes that
and all become one.

Second thought was along lines of nonlinear dynamics and that whole chaos
thing. Beyond the issue of similarity between the wording, chaos of the
universe versus chaos of science, is the mechanical similarity. In the
science, we realize the ultimate answer (the final number in the equation as
it were) can never be reached. Ultimate understanding of the equation's
outcome is impossible. The scientist must instead look at the patterns of
the equation and make a probability estimate as to the outcome. The entire
whole cannot be grasped unless the problem is abstracted to a visual or
geometric level... And the universe cannot be understood by the lowly mind
by powering through thoughts but rather must abstract at some level the
image or divine geometry of all manifestation. For satori, the insight comes
upon release of the chains of the conscious mind opening the doorway through
which marches the subconscious and its connection to the universe.

Finally, deconstruction and reintegration of the spiritual body (and some
argue the physical body) is paramount to the shamanic experience where the
seeker travels down the rabbit hole of the universe, the tree of creation or
the center of being (usually associated with holes and caves) to the
underside or outerworld (depending on who you read here) before the seeker
grasps an understanding of creation.

It is the construction of science, mathematics, reason (and literary
criticism) which deconstructs our soul, our remembrance of reality, and it
is only by releasing the rational that we can understand the whole. It is
indeed a death to the created mental reality, differing from actuality, that
is required before the leap can be made.

Interestingly, those who have a mental disease, such as paranoia, were
considered by aboriginal beliefs to have lost their soul to the other
side... there is a germ of thought there is that paranoia comes from
interaction with actuality when the universe in its power intrudes on the
rational mind... I'll stop jabbering now...

V.

-----Original Message-----
 David Morris
The significance of Vheissu's constantly shifting iridescence as a "blind
spot" is not literal, but a description of the mind's attempt (but failure)
to distinguish and define "order" from perceptual chaos.  jody said it well:
'"blind spot" (as an origin- i.e., before boundaries between the various
"hues" became established).'

N.O.Brown's concept of a "resurrecting" the body sees the human act of
definition as the root or tool of repression and thus "death-inspired"
meaning is its result, characterized by more and more fixed and specific
definitions and boundaries, removing magic from life as much as possible.
When he speaks about "living" meaning being iridescent he seeks a return
("resurrection") to a pre-repressed perceptual state where everything is
magic.  His prescription for approaching this state is *metaphor,* the act
of the mind which blurs border, whereby "this" becomes "that" and everything
is potentially connected to everything else.  This too is related to
Pynchon's concept of "paranoia."

David Morris

>From: "Vincent A. Maeder" <vmaeder at valderlaw.com>
>
>I love the retinal blind spot, fovea centralis I believe, however there is
>a dichotomy here. The fovea is actually the area of most acute vision. Such
>a reference might be symbolic of great insight. So while there may be
>difficulty distinguishing the spectrum of meaning, there is keen perception
>of existence. Interestingly, the fovea is the primary generator of our
>ability to see in the dark, something crucial in the passage from this
>world to Vheissu. But, on your point of filling in blind spots, the brain
>is even more complex throwing out noise and not seeing things we see. The
>eyes constantly moving, searching the air for objects to focus on. Perhaps
>if one of those objects is colored perhaps red on a green background, such
>as a strawberry in a plantation, the fovea does not see it, missing the
>critical insight, the fruit of our endeavors. But, then it has been said
>the human mind did not dream in color so many years ago. Seems the
>development of modernity's vibrant and unnatural colors act as an
>irrational indicator (irrational in that it is meaningless and probably
>fractal).
>
>From: David Morris
>
>This N.O.Brown quote brought me straight to Hugh's experience at Vheissu,
>where everything was rainbow iridescence - which he ultimately found
>distressing.  "Meanings" were inaccessible to him and he sought to dissect
>the surface even though that would have killed the life.  That segment of
>_V._ relates directly Brown's words below. [...]

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