Martin Euser's Posts - Theosophy.Net2024-03-29T09:16:08ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuserhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2985082488?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://theosophy.net/profiles/blog/feed?user=2o8nmypxwm6nv&xn_auth=noDid ancient philosophers have a method to contact the Spirit?tag:theosophy.net,2013-08-22:3055387:BlogPost:1292092013-08-22T22:41:41.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
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<p>Did ancient philosophers have a method to align themselves with the Divine realms (or Spirit)?</p>
<p>From what we know about them, some of them certainly did. Part of this method consisted of studying the philosophical and poetic works of their forefathers. They assembled in Mystery Schools of old, where the spirit of the group took them to new levels of understanding by inspiration and, of course, exchanging their ideas about the Good, the Just and the Beautiful. Plato is well…</p>
<p></p>
<p>Did ancient philosophers have a method to align themselves with the Divine realms (or Spirit)?</p>
<p>From what we know about them, some of them certainly did. Part of this method consisted of studying the philosophical and poetic works of their forefathers. They assembled in Mystery Schools of old, where the spirit of the group took them to new levels of understanding by inspiration and, of course, exchanging their ideas about the Good, the Just and the Beautiful. Plato is well known for his use of his dialectical method. <br/>This method (as used by Plato) presupposes certain basic insights into the nature of things, like the presence of subtle realms and orders of Gods, Heroes, and the like. Nowadays, it seems, large portions of inhabitants of the West seem to have lost these basic insights. But that is not the topic of this posting.</p>
<p>The Neo-Platonists combined Plato's teachings with elements of Aristotle's writings, like his work on logic. Proclus demonstrates the use of logic, and dialectical method, in combination with philosophical questions. Just study his tome "Commentary on the Parmenides" to find a rather lengthy example of this. He, like Plato, was very enamored by mathematics as a science and study of it as a first step to intellectual enlightenment.</p>
<p>So, philosophers of old had their ways and methods of reaching a deeper understanding of the world. Their knowledge and method was more of a philosophic-spiritual nature than directed to empiricism, but this is not to downgrade their insights. Their understanding of the essential unity of the world certainly seems larger to me than that of many of our contemporary philosophers. <br/>Also, Pythagoras is said to cure depressions of his disciples through the use of music. He must have learned this either from someone else, or have discovered this method of curing himself, which likely involves empirical data, experience, and/or intuitive insights. His work on musical theory is well known, and involves mathematics as well as practical work on instruments.</p>
<p>Today, we have the advantage of the internet to exchange ideas. Imagine what possibilities this would have opened to them!</p>Just 48 hours left to urge for labeling genetically modified food!tag:theosophy.net,2012-03-26:3055387:BlogPost:1100782012-03-26T21:10:10.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
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<p><a href="http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/554?akid=496.367477.NNfO5L&t=4">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/554?akid=496.367477.NNfO5L&t=4</a></p>
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<p>Right now <strong>we have 48 hours left</strong> to tell President Obama and the FDA that it’s time to label genetically engineered foods on a legal petition filed with the FDA by the Just Label It coalition. <strong>Tomorrow is the deadline to make comment, please add your voice…</strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/554?akid=496.367477.NNfO5L&t=4">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/554?akid=496.367477.NNfO5L&t=4</a></p>
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<p>Right now <strong>we have 48 hours left</strong> to tell President Obama and the FDA that it’s time to label genetically engineered foods on a legal petition filed with the FDA by the Just Label It coalition. <strong>Tomorrow is the deadline to make comment, please add your voice today!</strong></p>
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<p>Last year a Canadian study discovered that insecticide toxins from genetically engineered (GMO) crops were found in the blood of 93% of blood samples taken from pregnant women and 80% umbilical cords tested. Monsanto has maintained that these toxins in their crops would never affect the food supply or affect humans, but can we trust them? Today 88% of corn and 94% of soybeans are genetically engineered. How could this be affecting you and your family?</p>
<p>For the past 20 years, Americans have been denied the basic right to know what’s in our food, despite the fact that nearly 50 countries around the world already require labeling of genetically engineered food.</p>
<p><strong>Unlike America, countries such as Russia and China label GMOs, allowing their citizens the fundamental right to know what they’re eating!</strong> Why not the U.S.? Because giant biotech and seed companies like Monsanto have written the rules for our governmental regulatory agencies and paid billions in lobbying, PR and campaign donations over the past two decades.</p>
<p><strong>Please pass this link onto your friends:</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/554?akid=496.367477.NNfO5L&t=4">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/554?akid=496.367477.NNfO5L&t=5</a></strong></p>
<p>Thank you for participating in food democracy,</p>
<p>(Remember, democracy is like a muscle - use it or lose it!)</p>
<p>Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! team</p>Culture wars: three perspectives on our world todaytag:theosophy.net,2011-10-25:3055387:BlogPost:841332011-10-25T10:24:19.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>This essay discusses the segmentation of the world, more particularly the Western world, into three cultural groups: Moderns, Traditionals and Cultural Creatives. There is a fierce polarity to be found here. Can Cultural Creatives bridge the gap that exists between Moderns and Traditionals? </p>
<p>This essay is a kind of informal sociological analysis. It is a sequel to my analysis of the…</p>
<p>This essay discusses the segmentation of the world, more particularly the Western world, into three cultural groups: Moderns, Traditionals and Cultural Creatives. There is a fierce polarity to be found here. Can Cultural Creatives bridge the gap that exists between Moderns and Traditionals? </p>
<p>This essay is a kind of informal sociological analysis. It is a sequel to my analysis of the <a target="_self" href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/threefold-gunas-in-psychology-how-the-ancients-had-it-right?xg_source=activity">three gunas in the human psyche</a> and gives some examples of how the principles of process-theosophy can be applied to the sociological domain.Attached you will find the essay.<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999008762?profile=original">Culture%20wars%20-%20Three%20%20perspecives%20on%20the%20world.pdf</a></p>Threefold gunas in psychology: how the ancients had it righttag:theosophy.net,2011-08-28:3055387:BlogPost:764392011-08-28T11:08:48.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>Recently I discovered how the ancient concept of the gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas or balance/harmony, activity, inertia) can be applied to psychological processes. My work on the <a href="http://www.theosopher.net/menu/selfhelpintro.php" target="_blank">self-help introduction</a> involved study of material that immensely helped me to integrate these concepts into the decision making process.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Attached you will find a study on the gunas, seen here as qualities of mind, expressed…</p>
<p>Recently I discovered how the ancient concept of the gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas or balance/harmony, activity, inertia) can be applied to psychological processes. My work on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theosopher.net/menu/selfhelpintro.php">self-help introduction</a> involved study of material that immensely helped me to integrate these concepts into the decision making process.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Attached you will find a study on the gunas, seen here as qualities of mind, expressed in and through psychological energies involved in decision processes, hence in life itself. Graphs and examples illustrate the idea.</p>
<p>This is an important step forward in the integration of ancient ideas into modern spiritual models of mind. If you have anything to add, please let me know. File Attached: <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999008449?profile=original">Gunasinpsyche.pdf</a></p>Aphorismtag:theosophy.net,2011-06-12:3055387:BlogPost:559372011-06-12T10:07:02.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">You contribute to the mosaic of life.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Do you make beautiful patterns?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">You contribute to the mosaic of life.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Do you make beautiful patterns?</p>Beyond Reductionism (7)tag:theosophy.net,2011-05-01:3055387:BlogPost:479142011-05-01T02:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<span class="font-size-2">Weiss, part five.</span><br></br>
<br></br><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Open systems</i></span><br></br>
<br></br><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss mentions here his use of escape clauses as "to all intents</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">
and purposes", "relatively bounded", "relatively constant", "essential" in relation to the issue of the non-existence of wholly autonomous, tightly bounded, systems of any order of magnitude and complexity.…</span><br></br>
<span class="font-size-2">Weiss, part five.</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Open systems</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss mentions here his use of escape clauses as "to all intents</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
and purposes", "relatively bounded", "relatively constant", "essential" in relation to the issue of the non-existence of wholly autonomous, tightly bounded, systems of any order of magnitude and complexity.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
He mentions the emphasis placed by Bertalanffy (1945) on "open systems".</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">True to his concept “of the primacy of continuity and interrelatedness throughout the Universe”, he must consider <i>all</i> systems as "open" - ideally and theoretically. Basically, all systems must be expected to be open somewhere somehow. For practical purposes, we might close them by empirical boundaries, subject to amendment.
</span><br/>
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<i>Systems - theoretically founded</i></span><br/>
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Having presented the case for the hierarchical organization of living systems in assertive form, Weiss comes to document those assertions in the form of a few illustrative examples, presented in two parts: a brief theoretical one and a more elaborate concrete one dealing with the living cell.</span><br/>
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“On the theoretical side, there is a strictly logical test for the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
identification of a system. It rests on the nature of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
interrelations between the units conceived of atomistically, through primary abstraction, as isolated, separate and autonomous”.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss then points to his previous discussion of analysis and synthesis (see the erector set analogy). The synthetic insight, explaining things by addition,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
would apply only “for those particular cases in which our original primary abstraction has been empirically validated, that is, on the premise that the abstracted entities have actually been proved to be relatively autonomous”.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">“<b>The fundamental distinction of a system is that this premise definitely does not apply as far as the relations among its constituents are concerned”</b>.
</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">“Let us assume, for instance, a triplet of units, A, B, and C, each of which depends for its very existence upon interactions with, or contributions from, the other two. <b>Then, obviously, we could not achieve a step-wise assembly of this triplet</b>, the way we did before by first joining A to B and then adding C;
for in the absence of C, neither A nor B could have been formed,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
existed or survived. In short, the <i>coexistence and co-operation of all three</i> is indispensable for the existence and operation of any one of them.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss mentions that in empirical studies, processes in living systems present themselves “as just such networks of mutually interdependent tributaries to the integral operation of the whole group”.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">Examples of systems of this type of "<b>physical wholeness</b>" can be
represented by inorganic analogies. “A self-supporting arch is one</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
example. One could never close an arch by piling loose stones upon one another because they start to slip off at the curvature. In other words, an arch as a self-supporting structure can only exist in its entirety or not at all.” Human imagination has found ways of building arches piece by piece, by help of cements or of a scaffolding. “But those are contrivances of a living system, the resourceful human brain, enabling a system to be synthesized</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
from parts, a feat which could never have been accomplished without such help from another system”: <b>System begets system</b>.</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
This conclusion leads to an example in living systems, namely, “the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
reproduction of the macromolecules in the living cell”. Although</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
commonly referred to as "synthesis", this process is radically</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
different from what goes under the same name in inorganic chemistry.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">In the latter, for example, if chlorine and hydrogen are brought together, they will combine to hydrochloric acid, “<i>even if none of the end product has</i> <i>b</i><i>een</i>
<i>present before</i>”.</span> <br/><br/><span class="font-size-2">“By contrast, the assembly of simple constituents into complex macromolecules in organic systems always requires the presence of a <i><b>ready-made model</b></i> <span style="font-style: normal;">of</span> the product or, at any rate, a <i>te</i><i>mplate</i> of the same high degree of specificity, to guide the proper order of assemblage”.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">The best known case is the transcription of genes or sequence of DNA parts into a corresponding sequence of ribonucleic acid (RNA), “the orderly array of which is then translated into a corresponding serial pattern of amino acids in the formation of a protein”.
</span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-2">
'Although this copying process of patterns and its various derivative manifestations, such as the highly specific catalysis of further macromolecular species through the enzymatic action of proteins, is often referred to by verbs with the <i>anthropomorphic prefix</i> "self-", these processes are no more "self”-engendered than an arch can be ”self”-building;</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
for in order to occur at all, they require the specific co-operation of their own terminal products - the enzyme systems which, being indispensable prerequisites for all the links in the metabolic chains, including those for their own formation, thus <i>close</i> <i>t</i><i>he</i> <i>c</i><i>ircle</i> <i>of interdependent component processes</i> to a coherent integrated system. Only the integral totality of such a system could with some justification be called "self-contained", "self-perpetuating", and "self-sustaining".'</span><br/>
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Links:</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-6" target="_self">Weiss, part four</a></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a></span>
<p> </p>Beyond Reductionism (6)tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-26:3055387:BlogPost:467322011-04-26T23:41:39.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>Weiss, part four</p>
<p><br></br><span class="font-size-2"><i>Hierarchy: a biological necessity</i></span><br></br> <br></br><span class="font-size-2">
To stress the need for viewing living organisms as hierarchically</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">
ordered systems, ponder the following facts. The average cell in the human body</span> <br></br><span class="font-size-2">consists of about eighty per cent of water and for the rest contains about 10^5</span> <br></br><span class="font-size-2">macromolecules…</span></p>
<p>Weiss, part four</p>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2"><i>Hierarchy: a biological necessity</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
To stress the need for viewing living organisms as hierarchically</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
ordered systems, ponder the following facts. The average cell in the human body</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">consists of about eighty per cent of water and for the rest contains about 10^5</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">macromolecules [^ is symbol for exponent, editor]. “The human brain alone</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">contains about 10^10 cells, hence about 10^15 (1,000,000,000,000,000) macromolecules”</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">(give or take one order of magnitude).</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
Could you actually believe that <i>such an</i> <i>enormous</i> <i>number of elements</i>, shuffled around as we have demonstrated in our cell studies, “<i>could ever guarantee to you your sense of identity and constancy in life without this constancy being insured</i> <i><b>by a super</b></i><i><b>ordinated principle of integration</b></i>?”</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Each nerve cell in the brain receives an average of 10^4 connections</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">from other brain cells, and in addition, “although the cells themselves retain their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
individuality, their macro-molecular contingent is renewed about 10^4</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
times in a lifetime (P.W. 1969a). In short, every cell of your brain</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
actually harbors and has to deal with approximately 10^9 macromolecules</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
during its life”. But there is more. “The brain loses, on the average, about 10^3 cells per day,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">so that the brain cell population is decimated during the life</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
span by about 10^7 cells, expunging 10^11 conducting cross linkages.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2"><i>Despite this</i> <i>ceaseless change of detail</i> in that large population of
elements,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">“<b>our basic patterns of behavior, our memories, our sense of</b></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
<b>integral existence as an individual, have retained throughout their</b></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
<b>unitary continuity of pattern</b>”.</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
When one looks at biology exclusively from the molecular end, one might feel</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
satisfied by “calculating that a contingent at any one time of 10^15</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
brain molecules in intercommunication could numerically account for any</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
conceivable number of resultant functional manifestations by their mass.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
However, this misses the real problem.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">It is redundant to confirm that which we already know to happen;</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">what scientists have to explain, is not that it happens, but <i>why</i> it happens</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">just the way it does. 'And this is exactly where the above molecular computation fails</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">abysmally, for it <i>ignores</i> the <b>crucial fact</b> that contrary to that "conceivable" infinite</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">number and variety of possible kaleidoscopic constellations and combinations,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">the real <b>brain</b>
<b>processes</b>, taken as a whole, <b>retain their overall patterns</b>.'</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
This example has taken us up to one of the highest levels of organismic organization - the brain.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">Erwin Schrödinger wrestled with the same issue in his lecture series on “What Is Life?” (1945):</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">the contrast between the degrees of potential freedom among trillions of molecules making up</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">the brain on the one hand and on the other hand, “the perseverance in an essentially</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">invariant pattern of the functions of our nervous system, our thoughts, our ideas, our</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
memories (and as for the whole body, of our structure and the harmonious</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
physiological co-operation of all our parts)”.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">He was forced to conclude that every conscious mind that has ever felt or said 'I' .. is “the person, if any, who controls the 'motion of the atoms' according to the laws of nature."
</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
Let us forget the implied brain-mind dualism, for the emphasis lies on the word "<b>control</b>" – 'the subordination of the blind play of atoms and molecules to an <i>overall regulatory control system</i> with features of continuity and relative invariability of pattern; in short, the postulation of a systems principle'.</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
The integral systems operation, of the body as a whole, or of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
brain within it, deals not directly with the molecules, “but only</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
through the agency of intermediate subordinate sub-systems,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
ranged in a hierarchical scale of orders of magnitude” (see the description of hierarchical order in cells below). Each sub-system dominates its own subordinate smaller parts within its own domain, restraining their degrees of freedom “according to its own integral portion of the overall pattern”, much like its own degrees of freedom “have been restrained by the pattern of activities of the higher system of which it is a part and participant”.*</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
* Gerard (1958) and Koestler (1967) have endowed systems and subsystems of this</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
description with symbolic names, (Gerard: "orgs", Koestler: "holons").</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss fears that such terms might be naively misconstrued for “labels of disembodied super-agencies conceived as something that might after all somehow some day <i>materialize</i>, distilled off and separable from the conservative <i>dynamics</i>, whose special rules those terms aim at categorizing.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The history of science shows the conceptual hazards inherent in raising adjectives to the rank of nouns; “particularly, in the description of living phenomena, where the temptation to personify nouns is ever present”.
</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
This picture of the organism is the lesson learned from biological study:</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
the organism is composed of cells, which are composed of organelles, which are in turn composed of macromolecular complexes, down to the macromolecules and smaller molecules, which are the link to inorganic nature. “The principle is valid for the single cell as much as for the multicellular community of the higher animal, and for the latter's development as much as for its homeostatic maintenance of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
physiological equilibrium in later life.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
On each one of the planes or levels of this systemic hierarchy, “we encounter the same type of descriptive rule summarized in the inequality formula outlined earlier; namely, that any one of the particular complexes that show that high degree of constancy and unity that marks them as systems loses that</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
aspect of invariance the more we concentrate our attention on smaller samples of its content”.</span> <br/><br/><span class="font-size-2">So, at each level of descent, we recognize entities like organs, cells, organelles, macromolecules; or brain functions, as expressed in concepts, thoughts, sentences, words, symbols, “but whose methodical behavior on that level cannot be ascribed to any fixity of regularities in the behavior of the units of next lower order”; knowing the properties of intermediary entities “would not permit us to describe</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
by sheer additive reconstruction the behavioral features of their next superordinate level in precise and specific terms”.</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
"The whole is more than the sum of its parts" is translated by Weiss into a mandate for action: “a call for spelling out the irreducible minimum of supplementary information that is required beyond the information derivable from the knowledge of the ideally separated parts in order to yield a complete and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
meaningful description of the ordered behavior of the collective”.</span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-2">The reference to hierarchically ordered systems in terms of "levels" has to do with our habit of thinking in spatial imagery. “In our imagination, we visualize the system as a whole on one plane; we then dissect it mentally or physically into its components, which we display on another, a lower, plane”.</span><br/><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Yet, in reality, the system and its parts “are co-extensive and congruous, that nothing need be presumed to have been disrupted or lost in the dissection process except the pattern or orderly relations among the parts”.
</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The "level" we are speaking of signifies the “level of attention of an observer whose interest has been attracted by certain regularities of pattern prevailing at that level, as he scans across the range of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
orders of magnitude”.</span> <br/><br/><span class="font-size-2">
The observer finds constancies on every level. It does not matter whether one uses a visual image or verbiage as a model</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
of hierarchic structure as long as one realizes that this model is a simplified artifact “reflecting the inadequacy of our faculty for visualizing abstract concepts”. They all become equivalent, whether one prefers the layered structure intimated by the term "level" or “Arthur Koestler's tree scheme</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
of reanastomosing arborizations” or Weiss' own preference for "inscribed domains". The latter refers to a simple figure of his showing concentric circles which have in the center the label “gene”, then chromosome, nucleus, cytoplasm, tissue, organism with connections between all the circles (interactive relations among hierarchically ordered subsystems of an organism). The whole is embedded in an environment.</span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-2">Links:</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-5" target="_self">Weiss, part three</a></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a></span></p>Beyond Reductionism (5)tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-25:3055387:BlogPost:465362011-04-25T12:23:25.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p><span class="font-size-2">Weiss, part three</span><br></br> <br></br><span class="font-size-2"><i>Reductionism and holism</i></span><br></br>
<br></br><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss next tries to define basic criteria that mark a complex of parts for designation as a system. First, however, he talks about the controversy in biology between "reductionism" and "holism". The former finds its advocates in the field of "molecular biology". The latter term can be used to imply a deliberate “self-limitation of…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Weiss, part three</span><br/> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Reductionism and holism</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss next tries to define basic criteria that mark a complex of parts for designation as a system. First, however, he talks about the controversy in biology between "reductionism" and "holism". The former finds its advocates in the field of "molecular biology". The latter term can be used to imply a deliberate “self-limitation of viewpoint and research to molecular interactions in living systems”. That is a pertinent and legitimate use of the term. If, however, molecular biologists “were to assume the attitude of a benevolent absolutism, <b>claiming a monopoly for the explanation of all phenomena in living systems</b>, and indeed were <i>issuing injunctions against the use of other than molecular principles</i> in the description of biological systems, this would obviously show a lack of practical experience with, or <b>disregard</b> of, the <b>evidence for supra-molecular order</b> in living systems.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
The term "molecular biology" was coined almost simultaneously by Astbury (1951) and Weiss*; “it was to indicate, on the scale of orders of magnitude, the lowest level of investigation relevant to the advancement of biological knowledge. But nothing in the nomenclature insinuated that it should assume the role of <i>pars pro toto</i>”.[the part usurping the role of the whole, <i>editor</i>.]</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
* Weiss proposed a hierarchical system of order according to functional principles in common to living organisms: Molecular, Cellular, Genetic, Developmental, Regulatory and Group and Environmental Biology (see, for instance, P.W. 1952).</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
“It is one thing not to see the forest for the trees, but then to go on to deny the reality of the forest is a more serious matter; for it is not just a case of myopia, but one of <b>self-inflicted blindness</b>.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
In using the phrase "<i>The whole is more than the sum of its parts</i>", the term "<i>more</i>" is often taken as a term referring to numbers.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
However, a living cell does not have more content, mass or volume than is constituted by the total mass of molecules which it comprises.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss has shown in an article (P.W. 1967) that the "<i>more</i>" (than the sum of parts) in the above tenet “does not at all refer to any measurable quantity in the observed systems themselves; it refers solely to the necessity for the observer to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
supplement the sum of statements that can be made about the separate parts by any such additional statements as will be needed to describe the <i>collective behavior</i> of the parts, when in an organized group.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
In going through this upgrading process, the observer is in effect only “<b>restoring information content</b> that has been lost on the way down in the progressive analysis of the unitary universe into abstracted elements.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss' neutral account may reconcile reductionism and holism.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
The reductionist moves from the top down, “gaining precision of information about fragments as he descends, but losing information content about the larger orders he leaves behind; the other proceeds in the opposite direction, from below, trying to retrieve the lost information content by reconstruction, but <i>recognizes early in the ascent that that information is not forthcoming unless he has already had it on record in the first place.”</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
The difference between the two processes, determined largely also by historical traditions, is “not unlike that between two individuals looking at the same object through a telescope from opposite ends.”</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>System, operationally defined</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss then proposes an epistemologically neutral (pragmatic) definition of a system: it is “a rather circumscribed complex of relatively bounded phenomena, which, within those bounds, retains a relatively stationary pattern of structure in space or of sequential configuration in time in spite of a high degree of variability in the details of distribution and interrelations among its constituent units of lower order.” The system maintains its configuration and integral operation in a rather constant environment, and it responds to alterations of the environment by “an adaptive redirection of its componental processes in such a manner as to counter the external change in the direction of optimum preservation of its systemic integrity.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
He then gives a simple formula to set a system in relation to the sum of its components by an inequality, which boils down to:</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
A complex is a system if “the variance of the features of the whole collective is significantly less than the sum of variances of its constituents”;</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
So, the basic characteristic of a system is “its essential</span> <span class="font-size-2"><i><b>invariance</b></i> beyond the much more variant flux and fluctuations of its elements or constituents”. By implication this signifies that the <i>elements “are subject to restraints of their degrees of freedom</i> so as to yield a resultant in the direction of maintaining the optimum stability of the collective. <b>The terms "co-ordination", "control", and the like, are merely synonymous labels for this principle.”</b></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
To summarize, a major aspect of a system is that while the state and</span> <span class="font-size-2">pattern of the whole can be defined as known, “the detailed</span> <span class="font-size-2">states and pathways of the components not only are so erratic as to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
defy definition”, but even if one could trace them, “would</span> <span class="font-size-2">prove to be so unique and non-recurrent that they would be devoid of</span> <span class="font-size-2">scientific interest”. <b>This is the opposite of a machine</b>, in which “the structure of the product depends crucially on strictly predefined operations of the parts”.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
“In the system, the <i>structure of the whole determines the operation of the parts</i>”; in the machine, it is the operation of the parts which determines the outcome. Weiss points out that even the machine owes the coordinated functional arrangement of its parts to a systems operation - the brain of its designer.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><br/></span></p>
Links:<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-4" target="_self">Weiss, part two</a><br/>
<a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a>Beyond Reductionism (4)tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-24:3055387:BlogPost:465282011-04-24T21:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p><span style="color: #888888;"><strong>Weiss, part two</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><i>From analysis to synthesis</i></span><br></br> <br></br><span class="font-size-2">By looking from single objects to their interrelations with others,</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">one reverses his direction from analysis to synthesis. By doing this,</span> <br></br><span class="font-size-2">one discovers simple rules which describe the interrelations between…</span> <br></br></p>
<p><span style="color: #888888;"><strong>Weiss, part two</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><i>From analysis to synthesis</i></span><br/> <br/><span class="font-size-2">By looking from single objects to their interrelations with others,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">one reverses his direction from analysis to synthesis. By doing this,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">one discovers simple rules which describe the interrelations between</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">such entities and keep one's basic conviction that those entities can be</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">regarded as having primarily an isolated existence of their own,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">and becoming just secondarily coupled, depending on "circumstances".</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">"Circumstances", however, is merely a substitute term for "environment".</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">This is a deliberate abstraction, but one which has brought science</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">tremendous success over the last two millennia.</span><br/> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
“We have learned that if a finite series of modifications of an entity A</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">is regularly associated with a correlated series of modification in another entity B,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">a rule can be established from which all future correlations between the two</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">can be extrapolated without further experience. We then proceed to study A</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">in its relation to C, and C again in its relation to B", and so in serial order, "to learn</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">how different parts of the Universe, erstwhile mentally dissected and separated,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">hang actually together.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
This artificial, but fruitful method of analysis, “adhering to the atomistic</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
concept of Democrit, can thus be partly reversed by putting two and two together</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
- either physically or mentally in our imagination - linking by way of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
consecutive synthesis such coupled pairs into complex chains and cross braces,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
constructing compound real or ideal structures, the way a child builds bridges</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
with an erector set.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
The point is this: biological thinking entails the idea that, given</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
time, it “will succeed in describing and comprehending, by the consistent</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
application of this synthetic method, all that is within the Universe</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
in entities and properties and processes that are knowable to us,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
including the phenomena of life.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Modern physics has already departed from “such a micromechanistic, naive picture</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
of the outer world”, but we are concerned not with physics but with <i>living<br/>
organisms.</i> On the basis of empirical investigation, we can assert that</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
“<b>the mere reversal of our prior analytic dissection of the Universe by<br/>
putting the pieces together again, whether in reality or just in our minds, <br/>
can yield no complete explanation of the behavior of even the most elementary <br/>living system</b>”</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>The living organism: a system</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Life is process. “A living system is no more adequately characterized by an</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
inventory of its material constituents, such as molecules, than the life</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
of a city is described by the list of names and numbers in a telephone</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
book. Only by virtue of their ordered interactions do molecules become</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
partners in the living process; in other words, through their behavior.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
This involves vast numbers of disparate compounds,so “all living</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
phenomena consist of <i>group behaviour</i>, which offers aspects not evident</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
in the members of the group when observed singly”.</span></p>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2">This fact is generally put aside by referring to living systems as "complex"; but</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the term "complex" need “imply no more than a haphazard conglomeration,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2"><b>whereas in the living system we find distinctive orderliness</b></span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">of the complexes”. While there could be an infinite number of possible</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">interactions and combinations among its constituent units in a mere complex,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">“in the living system only an <b>extremely restricted selection</b></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
from that grab-bag of opportunities for chemical processes is being realized at</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
any one moment - a <i>selection which can be understood solely in its bearing on<br/>
the concerted harmonious performance of a task by the complex as a whole</i>.”</span></p>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2">This is the feature that distinguishes the living system from a dead body, or a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">functional process from a list of parts involved in a process, or “a sentence</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">from an alphabet, or in biological terms, ecology from taxonomy.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
“The rules of order which rigorously restrain componental interactions in such</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
co-ordinated fashion as to yield a harmonious group performance of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
collective can only be recognized, appreciated and properly described once we</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
have raised our sights from the element to the collective system”.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
This means passing to a higher level of conceptualization.</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Hierarchy of wholes and parts</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
The mention of "levels" brings Weiss to “the fundamental distinction</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
between atomistic, micro-mechanistic terms of explanations on the one</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
hand, and hierarchical concepts of organization on the other.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">The difference is that <b>the latter imply some sort of discontinuity <br/>
encountered as one crosses interfaces between lower and higher orders of<br/>
magnitude”.</b> In the former approach one tries to reduce all phenomena to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
the properties of ultimate elements in their various combinations; that view is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
based on “the premise of a continuity of gradations all the way up from the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
single elements to infinite numbers of them”.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
To decide which one of these two contrasting views of nature represents the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
reality of biological phenomena is “not to be left to <i>a priori</i> conviction,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
but is a matter of empirical study”.</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
“If co-ordinated group performances of a high order of regularity can be proven</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
to be the blind resultant of a multitude of concurrent linear bundles of chain</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
reactions minutely pre-set in spatial distribution and pre-scheduled in duration</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
and sequence, then the former theory could hold sway”. If not, then systems</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
theory would have to be granted a primary role for the treatment of organized</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
systems; for the systems concept is the expression of the experience that there</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
are <b>patterned processes</b> “which owe their typical configuration not to a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
prearranged, absolutely stereotyped, mosaic of single-tracked component</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
performances”, but rather “to the fact that the component activities</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
have many degrees of freedom, <b>but submit to the ordering restraints exerted <br/>
upon them by the integral activity of the "whole"</b> in its patterned systems dynamics.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss has put his finger on the sore spot which has hurt the protagonists of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
analytical-reductionist orthodoxy for a long time: <i>the concept of<br/>
wholeness</i>.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
The reductionists have refused to look beyond their ultimate and most extreme</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
abstraction, namely, the <i>presumption of truly "isolated" elements in nature.</i></span></p>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2">They ask: what else could there be in the universe other than elements and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">interactions?. Weiss answers: “The interaction between a positive and a negative</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">electric charge, or between the earth and a falling stone, can certainly be</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
described, at least in first approximation, without paying attention to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
what happens in the rest of the universe. And if one watches a multitude</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
of stones falling to earth, the total result can still be represented as</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
the sum of all the individual events.”</span></p>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2">“But there is also <b>another class of interactions</b>, which of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">necessity escapes the elementarian observer in his preoccupation with the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">smallest samples, because they pertain to properties peculiar to larger</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
samples only of the universe, ignored in the communitive process which</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
led to the concept of elements in the first place.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">It is in that latter class that the <i>empirical dichotomy arises between simple <br/>conglomerates and the type of ordered complexes which we designate as systems</i>.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">In other words, <b>systems are products of our experience with nature</b>,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">and not mental constructs, and whoever without being privy to that primary</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">practical experience would try to abrogate them, could do so only by</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">arrogation.”</span></p>
<br/>
Links:<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-3" target="_self">Weiss, part one</a><br/>
<a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-5" target="_self">Weiss, part three</a><br/>
<a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a>Beyond Reductionism (3)tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-24:3055387:BlogPost:465112011-04-24T01:30:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<center><br></br> <span class="font-size-3">The living system: determinism stratified</span> <br></br><span class="font-size-3">Paul A. Weiss*</span><br></br><span class="font-size-3">
Rockefeller University, New York</span><br></br></center>
<p><br></br> <br></br> <br></br>
<span class="font-size-2">A summary of Weiss's main points, as far as relevant to the purpose of this blog, follows.</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">Emphasis is largely mine. This is a long article, from which I retain the headings of the…</span></p>
<center><br/> <span class="font-size-3">The living system: determinism stratified</span> <br/><span class="font-size-3">
Paul A. Weiss*</span><br/><span class="font-size-3">
Rockefeller University, New York</span><br/></center>
<p><br/> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="font-size-2">A summary of Weiss's main points, as far as relevant to the purpose of this blog, follows.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Emphasis is largely mine. This is a long article, from which I retain the headings of the sections.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">It will be split in several postings.</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
* In references to the author's publications in the text, abbreviated to "P.W."</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Introduction: need for the systems concept</i></span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss stresses the need for the scientist to periodically step back</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">from his detailed work and have a look at what others in science</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">are doing in order to retain a sense of perspective and proportions.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">His conclusions and postulates are derived “from pragmatic insights acquired</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">from the study of living organisms.” He wants to contribute to the marriage</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">of inductive experimental fact-finding and theoretical speculations</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">to bring forth something fruitful.</span><br/> <br/><span class="font-size-2">His prime object here is to document that a number of basic controversies</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
about the nature of organisms and living processes, “(e.g., reductionism versus</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
holism), readily vanish in the light of realistic studies of the actual</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
phenomena, described in language uncontaminated by preconceptions”.</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
“In this light (1) the <i>principle of hierarchic order</i> in living nature</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
reveals itself as a <b>demonstrable descriptive fact</b>, regardless of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
philosophical connotations that it may carry.”</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
and (2) there is a compelling necessity to accept organic entities as <i>systems</i> <span style="font-style: normal;"><br/>which are</span> subject to network dynamics, “rather than as bundles of micro-precisely</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">programmed linear chain reactions”. A strictly mechanistic, machine-like, notion</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">of the nature of living organisms “presupposes a high degree of precision</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">in the spatial and chronological program according to which the innumerable</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
concurrent component chains are composed and arrayed” to “keep the bunch</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
of separate processes from falling apart when faced with the fortuitous</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
fluctuations of the outer world”.</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Animal behaviour: systems dynamics</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Jacques Loeb (1918) explained animal behaviour in terms of</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">“concatenated reflex sequences”, and “particularly his proposition</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">of tropisms as paradigms of a precise cause-effect machine principle in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
organisms, epitomizes that kind of mechanistic preconception”.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">His thesis had two serious flaws. Firstly, that brand of naively mechanistic</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">thinking already had become outdated in physics;</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">secondly, “studies of the actual behavior of animals in goal-directed</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">or other forms of directional performances showed none of the presumed</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">stereotypism in the manner in which animals attained their objectives.”</span></p>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2">“True, the beginning and end of a behavioral act could often be</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">unequivocally correlated with a vectorial cue from the environment; <span style="font-style: normal;"><b>but</b></span></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
<b>the execution of the given act was found to be so variable <br/>and indeed</b> <span style="font-style: normal;"><b>unique in detail</b></span>, from case to case and from instance</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">to instance, that <i>i</i><i>t was gratuitous to maintain</i> that the attainment</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">of essentially the same result regardless of the variety of approaches</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2"><i>is simply the blind</i> <i>outcome of a chain of seriated steps</i> appropriately</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">pre-designed by evolution to lead to that end.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
So, organisms are “not puppets operated by environmental strings”;</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
<b>moreover, the analogy is meaningless</b>, because the "environment"</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">that pulls the strings of puppets in proper order is often another organism</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">with his brain.</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss' detailed study of the movements and tracks of butterflies</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">assuming resting postures prompted him to disavow the reflex chain theory</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">of animal orientation as unrealistic.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">He proposed in its stead a <i>general systems theory of animal behavior.</i></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
(P.W. 1925). The basic tenets of the paper seem to have been largely borne out</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">by later developments. That conceptual framework is set forth here.</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
<i>Analytic thinking - an abstraction</i></span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
To Weiss, the Universe presents itself as an cohesive continuum.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">
However, most of us are used to looking at it as a “patchwork of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
discrete fragments. This habit stems partly from a biological heritage,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
which makes focusing on 'things', such as prey, enemies, or obstacles, a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
vital necessity”; our cultural tradition plays a role too; and curiosity,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">“which draws our attention and interest to limited 'objects'.”</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
These can be:</span><br/>
<br/></p>
<ul>
<li><span class="font-size-2">well-delineated patterns in our visual field;</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-2">repetitive arrays of sounds in bird song, melody or human language;</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-2">processes of patterned regularity, such as waves.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><br/><span class="font-size-2">Their reiterative appearance in relatively constant and durable form</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">makes them the focus of our attention; we give these a name,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">while the rest is simply "background". These named processes and patterns</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">are mentally dissected out because we happen to be especially interested</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">in these 'things' or have drawn our attention.They cannot be said</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">to be truly isolated or "isolable" from the rest. [See Whyte, 1949]</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
The process through which we have come to treat a 'cluster of properties,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">called "parts", as ideally isolated, is mostly empirical'.</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">We think that 'objects' are independent of their environment,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">but this is our perception. The latter refers to the limited powers</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">of discrimination of the observer and his instruments;</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">Also, in speaking of "independence from the environment",</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">we must allow that '<b>since "environment" is ubiquitous, we cannot test</b>,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">hence never discount, "<b>dependencies</b>" upon any of the features of the cosmic</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">environment which are universal'.</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
Weiss mentions temperature or radiation as cases in point.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
Independence is not absolute, for all those “<b>putatively independent entities <br/>are interconnected by the common environmental matrix</b>,</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">in which they lie embedded”.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
Those so-called “discrete items”, form part and parcel of each other's environment.</span> <br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
To summarize this part: we have a habit of atomizing the Universe mentally</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2">into isolated parts. But we do also see connections between isolated items,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and then sort those we deem "relevant" from "negligible" ones;</span> <br/><span class="font-size-2"><b>this</b> “<b>obviously lets the judgment of the describer (or of</b></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
<b>statistics) intrude into purportedly "objective" descriptions</b></span><br/><span class="font-size-2">
<b>of properties of</b> <b>'</b><b>objects</b><b>'”</b>.</span></p>
<br/>
Links:<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-4" target="_self">Weiss, part two</a><br/>
<a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a>Beyond Reductionism (2)tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-21:3055387:BlogPost:461162011-04-21T00:30:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p><span class="font-size-2">We continue with Piaget and Inhelder:</span><br></br> <br></br><span class="font-size-2">“There is a second difference between physical experience and logico-mathematical experience or deduction. Whilst the latter, proceeding by means of reflective abstractions, leads to progressive purification (whose final stages are today those of the formalization peculiar to "pure" mathematics), physical experience is always a sort of "mixture". There is in fact no "pure" experience in…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">We continue with Piaget and Inhelder:</span><br/> <br/><span class="font-size-2">“There is a second difference between physical experience and logico-mathematical experience or deduction. Whilst the latter, proceeding by means of reflective abstractions, leads to progressive purification (whose final stages are today those of the formalization peculiar to "pure" mathematics), physical experience is always a sort of "mixture". There is in fact no "pure" experience in the sense of a simple recording of external factors, without endogenous activity on the part of the subject. All physical experience results from actions on objects, for without actions modifying objects the latter would remain inaccessible even to our perception (since perception itself supposes a series of activities such as establishing relationships, etc.). If this is so, the actions which enable us to experiment on objects will always be dependent on the general coordinations outside of which they would lose all coherence. This means that physical experience is always indissociable from the logico-mathematical "framework"<sup>3</sup> which is necessary for its "structuralization" This logico-mathematical device is in no way restricted to translating the experience into formal language—as if it were possible to have on the one side, the experience itself and, on the other, its verbal translation.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
[footnote 3. Establishing relationships or logical classes, functions, counting and measuring, etc.]</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
“This brings us back to the central argument of empiricism: that all knowledge should be related as closely as possible to observable facts.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
“In reality, in every field—from physics to psychology, sociology or linguistics—<b>the essence of scientific knowledge consists in going beyond what is observable in order to relate it to subjacent structures.</b> Firstly, logico-mathematical structures must go outside the scope of what is observable, i.e. what is furnished by physical experience in the broad sense (including biological, psychological experience, etc.). Infinity, continuity, logical necessity, the hierarchy of constructions and of reflective abstractions are all unobservable realities according to the empiricist, and if they had to be attributed to the simple powers of a "language", <i>this language would have the surprising property of being infinitely richer than that which it describes</i>. Secondly, in physics we might just be justified in regarding as observable features the repeatable relations which functional analysis strives to translate into "laws", but on examination of the actual work of scientists—and not the philosophical statements to which they so often limit themselves—we have to recognize that their systematic and unceasing need to discover why things happen <i>forces them to break through the barriers of the observable</i>. In these last decades, measurement has become a problem and <b>researchers have often sought to identify the structures before attempting measurement</b>. To take just one classical example, no one would dispute that the very widespread success of the application of the group structures in physics means that physicists also subordinate what is observable to systems or models which are not. Present-day achievements of structuralism in biology also provide an example of this and almost all the social sciences are proceeding along the same lines.”</span><br/>
<br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
“To sum up, the innumerable problems continually being raised by the nature of mathematics and its application to experimental science <b>have moved us further away from, rather than towards, the empiricist ideal of scientific knowledge</b>.”</span><br/>
<br/><span class="font-size-2">
[This ends Piaget for the moment.]<br/>
<a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-1" target="_self">Back to Piaget, part one</a><br/><a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a></span></p>Beyond Reductionism (1)tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-17:3055387:BlogPost:455842011-04-17T12:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>In this series of blog posts, I will summarize and quote parts of some books that deal with the <i>problems of reductionism</i>.<br></br> The first book that draw my attention, was the famous book "Beyond reductionism", New perspectives in the life sciences, which is a report from the Alpbach Symposium held in 1968. Participants were, among others, Arthur Koestler [holons!], J.R. Smythies, Ludwig von Bertalanffy [systems theory], Paul Weiss, Jean Piaget[developmental psychology], Paul Maclean…</p>
<p>In this series of blog posts, I will summarize and quote parts of some books that deal with the <i>problems of reductionism</i>.<br/> The first book that draw my attention, was the famous book "Beyond reductionism", New perspectives in the life sciences, which is a report from the Alpbach Symposium held in 1968. Participants were, among others, Arthur Koestler [holons!], J.R. Smythies, Ludwig von Bertalanffy [systems theory], Paul Weiss, Jean Piaget[developmental psychology], Paul Maclean [three functional brains idea], W.H. Thorpe, Viktor Frankl. The book breathes a fresh atmosphere. It is a lively report of the thoughts and research of many great scientists, especially from the biology, psychology and linguistic departments. One can also see how current academia have diverged from this line of thought, in favor of a more reductionist paradigm (as evidenced by molecular biology, and especially neuropsychology). There are many problems facing the reductionist paradigm. I will deal with some of these in this series of postings.<br/>
<br/>
The first article concerns the lecture of Jean Piaget and Bärbel Inhelder (University of Geneva), titled “The gaps in empiricism”. I will quote from a section of this long lecture. First there is an intro on behaviorism, which I will skip. Then, an enlightening part on empiricism and mathematics follows (all emphasis is mine):<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Empiricism and mathematics</b><br/>
<br/>
“<i>In so far as empiricism seeks to limit knowledge to that of observable features, the problem it has failed to solve is the existence of mathematics,</i> and this problem becomes particularly acute when it comes to explaining psychologically how the subject discovers or constructs logico-mathematical structures.”<br/>
<br/>
“Classical empiricism, as argued by Herbert Spencer for example, considered that we derive mathematical concepts by means of abstraction from physical objects: certain Soviet schools of thought share this view, though it is in fact not consistent with the theory of dialectics. In contrast to this attitude, contemporary logical empiricism has well understood the difference between physics, on the one hand, and logic and mathematics, on the other, but instead of seeking a possible common source of knowledge in these respective fields it has maintained that there are two entirely different sources. It has thus aimed at reducing physical knowledge to experience alone (the root of synthetic judgments) and logico-mathematical knowledge to language alone (whose general syntactic and semantic features pertain to analytical judgments).”<br/>
<br/>
“This view poses several problems. Firstly, from the linguistic point of view, while Bloomfield's positivism (and even earlier Watson's behaviorism) aimed at reducing all thought and, in particular, logic to a mere product of language, Chomsky's transformational structuralism reverts to the rationalist tradition of grammar and logic (in doing this, as we have just seen, he exaggerates to the point where he regards basic structures as innate). In the second place, <i>the great logician Quine was able to show the impossibility of defending a radical dualism of analytic and synthetic judgments</i> (this "dogma" of logical empiricism, as Quine amusingly termed it). Moreover, a collective study by our Centre for Genetic Epistemology has been able to verify Quine's objections experimentally by finding numerous intermediaries between the analytic and synthetic poles. Finally, psychogenetically, it is obvious that the <i>roots of the logico-mathematical structures must go far deeper than language</i> and must extend to the general coordination of actions found at the elementary behavior levels, and even to sensory-motor intelligence; sensory-motor schemes already include order of movements, embedding of a sub-scheme into a total scheme and establishing correspondences. <b>The basic arguments of logical empiricism are thus shown today to be refuted in all the linguistic, logical and psychological areas where one might have hoped to prove them</b>.”<br/>
<br/>
“As far as the connections between logico-mathematical structures and physical reality are concerned, the situation seems just as clear. It became clarified through experimental analyses of the nature of experience itself. While empiricists aimed at reducing everything to experience, and were thus obliged to explain what they meant by "experience", they have simply forgotten to prove their interpretation experimentally. In other words, we have been given no systematic experimental study on what experience actually is.”<br/>
<br/>
“From our prolonged and careful studies of the development of experience and of the roles which it plays in both physical and logico-mathematical knowledge, the following facts emerge.”<br/>
<br/>
“It is perfectly true that logico-mathematical knowledge begins with a phase in which the child needs experience because it cannot reason along deductive lines. There is an epistemological parallel: Egyptian geometry was based on land-measuring, which paved the way for the empirical discovery of the relationship between the sides of a right-angled triangle with sides of 3, 4 and 5 units, which constitutes a special case of Pythagoras' theorem. Similarly, the child at the preoperatory level (before 7-8 years) needs to make sure by actually handling objects that 3+2=2+3 or that A=C if A=B and B = C (when he cannot see A and C together).”<br/>
<br/>
“But logico-mathematical experience which precedes deductive elaboration is not of the same type as physical experience. The latter bears directly on, and obtains its information from, objects as such by means of abstraction—"direct" abstraction which consists of retaining the interesting properties of the object in question by separating them from others which are ignored. For example, if one side of a rubber ball is coated with flour, the child discovers fairly early on that the further the ball drops in height the more it flattens out when it hits the ground (as indicated by the mark on the floor). He also discovers at a later age (10-11) that the more this ball flattens out the higher it bounces up; a younger child thinks it is the other way round. This is therefore a physical experience because it leads to knowledge which is derived from the objects themselves.”<br/>
<br/>
“By contrast, in the case of logico-mathematical experience, the child also acts on the objects, but the knowledge which he gains from the experience is not derived from these objects: it is derived from the action bearing on the objects, which is not the same thing at all. In order to find out that 3+2=2+3, he needs to introduce a certain order into the objects he is handling (pebbles, marbles, etc.), putting down first three and then two or first two and then three. He needs to put these objects together in different ways—2, 3 or 5. What he discovers is that the total remains the same whatever the order; in other words, that the product of the action of bringing together is independent of the action of ordering. If there is in fact (at this level) an experimental discovery, it is not relevant to the properties of the objects. Here the discovery stems from the subject's actions and manipulations and this is why later, when these actions are interiorized into operations (interiorized reversible actions belonging to a structure), handling becomes superfluous and the subject can combine these operations by means of a purely deductive procedure and he knows that there is no risk of them being proved wrong by contradictory physical experiences. Thus the actual properties of the objects are not relevant to such logical mathematical discoveries. By contrast, it is just these properties which are relevant when—as in one of our recent experiments—the child is asked questions about how the behaviour of pebbles (which stay where you put them) differs from that of drops of water.”<br/>
<br/>
“<i>The method of abstraction peculiar to logico-mathematical structures is therefore different from that in elementary physical experiences</i>. The former can be called a "reflective abstraction", because, when the child slowly progresses from material actions to interiorized operations (by "superior" we mean both "more complex" and "chronologically later") the results of the abstractions carried out on an inferior level are reflected on a superior one. This term is also appropriate because the structures of the inferior level will be reorganized on the next one since the child can now reflect on his own thought processes. At the same time this reflection enriches the structures that are already present. For example, primitive societies and children are already aware of the one-to-one correspondence, but it needed Cantor to discover the general operations of establishing relationships by means of "reflective abstraction" and he needed a second reflective abstraction in order to establish a relationship between the series 1,2,3 ... and 2, 4, 6 ... and thus to discover transfinite numbers.”<br/>
<br/>
“In this light we understand why mathematics, which at its outset has been shown to stem from the general coordination of actions of handling (and thus from neurological coordinations and, if we go even further back, from organic self-regulations), succeeds in constantly engendering new constructions. These constructions must of necessity have a certain form. In other words, <i>mathematical thought builds structures which are quite different from the simple verbal tautologies in which logical empiricism would have us believe.</i>”<br/>
<br/>
Links:</p>
<p><br/> <a href="http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/beyond-reductionism-2" target="_self">Piaget, part two</a><br/><a href="http://theosopher.net/articles/Beyond-Reductionism-Index.html" target="_blank">Index of Beyond Reductionism blog postings</a></p>
<p> </p>
<br/>The wayseer manifesto..tag:theosophy.net,2011-04-15:3055387:BlogPost:457402011-04-15T20:15:49.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>For all the mavericks, misfits, seers.. enjoy the following video:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://wayseermanifesto.com/" target="_blank">http://wayseermanifesto.com/</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>For all the mavericks, misfits, seers.. enjoy the following video:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://wayseermanifesto.com/" target="_blank">http://wayseermanifesto.com/</a></p>
<p> </p>Famous Myers book on the afterlife now available on my scribd pagetag:theosophy.net,2011-04-10:3055387:BlogPost:445822011-04-10T11:26:21.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>At my <a href="http://www.scribd.com/meuser" target="_blank">scribd page</a> you will now find the famous book of Frederic Myers on his research on the afterlife.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>See <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/52660404/Frederic-Myers-Human-Survival-After-Death" target="_blank">http://www.scribd.com/doc/52660404/Frederic-Myers-Human-Survival-After-Death</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>While at my page, be so kind to Like it!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Martin</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At my <a href="http://www.scribd.com/meuser" target="_blank">scribd page</a> you will now find the famous book of Frederic Myers on his research on the afterlife.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>See <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/52660404/Frederic-Myers-Human-Survival-After-Death" target="_blank">http://www.scribd.com/doc/52660404/Frederic-Myers-Human-Survival-After-Death</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>While at my page, be so kind to Like it!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Martin</p>
<p> </p>Redefining Christianity - Leslie Hershberger Coming Home webcoursetag:theosophy.net,2011-03-15:3055387:BlogPost:411622011-03-15T23:59:52.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p><a href="http://cominghomeintegral.com/">http://cominghomeintegral.com/</a></p>
<p>See video. Leslie, a theologian, deconstructs Christianity and brings the value of love, one's unique perspective, manifesting Christ through one's person, meditation, feminine perspective of the holy Trinity, and much more back to the Christian religion. The times they are a changing..</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://cominghomeintegral.com/">http://cominghomeintegral.com/</a></p>
<p>See video. Leslie, a theologian, deconstructs Christianity and brings the value of love, one's unique perspective, manifesting Christ through one's person, meditation, feminine perspective of the holy Trinity, and much more back to the Christian religion. The times they are a changing..</p>
<p> </p>world foresight forum 13-15 april The Haguetag:theosophy.net,2011-03-14:3055387:BlogPost:413092011-03-14T08:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://world-foresight-forum.pressdoc.com/14861-international-forum-in-the-hague-jointly-seeks-solutions-to-worldwide-challenges" target="_blank">http://world-foresight-forum.pressdoc.com/14861-international-forum-in-the-hague-jointly-seeks-solutions-to-worldwide-challenges</a><br />
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://world-foresight-forum.pressdoc.com/14861-international-forum-in-the-hague-jointly-seeks-solutions-to-worldwide-challenges" target="_blank">http://world-foresight-forum.pressdoc.com/14861-international-forum-in-the-hague-jointly-seeks-solutions-to-worldwide-challenges</a><br />
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Modern Science and the Dehumanization of Mantag:theosophy.net,2011-01-17:3055387:BlogPost:369322011-01-17T23:41:42.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p> This article from Philip Sherrard really makes one think..</p>
<p>Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. We will all become Borg. Or not..? That's the question.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/253.pdf">http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/253.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> This article from Philip Sherrard really makes one think..</p>
<p>Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. We will all become Borg. Or not..? That's the question.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/253.pdf">http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/253.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>Jacob Boehme's Six theosophical points and Mysterium Pansophicum now available on scribdtag:theosophy.net,2010-12-23:3055387:BlogPost:354032010-12-23T14:14:14.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<p>Have a look at:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/45833485/Six-Theosophical-Points-and-Mysterium-Pansophicum">http://www.scribd.com/doc/45833485/Six-Theosophical-Points-and-Mysterium-Pansophicum</a></p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>Martin Euser</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Have a look at:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/45833485/Six-Theosophical-Points-and-Mysterium-Pansophicum">http://www.scribd.com/doc/45833485/Six-Theosophical-Points-and-Mysterium-Pansophicum</a></p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>Martin Euser</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Integrative philosophy (3)tag:theosophy.net,2010-10-07:3055387:BlogPost:317892010-10-07T22:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><i>The global financial crisis in the perspective of the fourfold model of society.…</i></span></p>
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<div><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Integrative philosophy (3)</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><i>The global financial crisis in the perspective of the fourfold model of society.</i></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Before I go into the topic of the global financial crisis, I must not forget to mention that I had been pondering some time on the relation between a seed (especially the DNA) and the form that develops out of the seed. I had been considering that the seed (with its DNA pattern) and form</span> express different stages of the plant life and should be put on different "levels" or categories.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">I was very glad to encounter the differentiation of pattern and form in J.G. Bennett's writings. That confirmed my intuition about it. It was not very clearly defined in Arthur Young's model. That had to do with the fact that Arthur used Aristotle's four causes as descriptive of the four levels. Later I encountered Proclus six causes. He had split Aristotle's formal cause in two separate causes: the paradigmatic cause ("the pattern", or seed-form, as I take it) and the eicon (model, or reflection of the pattern). This tallies of course with theosophical notions of "causal principle" (auric egg) and linga sharira (or model body, etheric body) which latter form is an emanation from the auric egg. So, here I had a handle on that issue, at last. The paradigma is on a higher level than the eicon. That's for sure. For the moment I put it on layer one of my model, to be validated by philosophic and scientific research.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Now, on to the topic of this posting. This will be a short reflection on the financial crisis that plagues our world. It is my own reflection, and is related to my fourfold model of society.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">"Institutionalized greed" could be the name for the remake of the "Wall street " movie, as its director tells us.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">When we consider the fact that a country (its government, social sphere) should have laws in operation that</span> <span style="font-style:italic" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">regulate, or control,</span> <span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">economic life appropriately, we can ask ourselves: "what went wrong?" and "what is the appropriate sphere for risk taking and debt resolution related to the financial crisis?". Well, we all know what went wrong. There was so much pressure and greed for short-term profits that the banks/mortgage creditors lured their customers into immoral contracts. People who could never pay their mortgage were offered low interest rates in the first two years. After that those rates rose sharply. The political system (in the USA) encouraged the practice of getting low income groups to buy their own houses.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">On top of that, intransparant products were issued, credit default swaps, and the like, which were also traded massively internationally. What we see here is that banks forget about the role they have to play in the economic system. On the one hand, they act as savings and mortgage banks, on the other as business banks. Mixing those two roles has proved disastrous. A separation of these tasks would be better. This has to do with the risks associated especially with the business banks.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">(BTW, there seem to be still large debts present with many banks. Financial specialists speculate that a scenario like that in Japan will hit the Western world. In Japan, there has been little economic growth since 1990. Many debts of the banks in Japan have been conveniently parked "out of sight", not visible anymore on the balance sheets. Is the same going to happen in the West? Possibly).</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Now, what is one of the most scandalous parts of this whole crisis, is the way some of the sky-high debts of banks have been taken over by the governments (hence, the people of the countries involved -- us!). Can someone tell me please why the creditors (those who have bought bonds of a bank), and the shareholders largely too, are spared any burden of this crisis? Why do the common hard-working, badly paid people have to bear the burden of this crisis, which is caused by over-paid bonus-greedy financial workers? This is immoral! Small wonder that people protest vehemently. Have the political sphere (social, public sphere) and the economical sphere become too entangled? It certainly looks that way. No, one has to put financial risks in the economic sphere, not in the social sphere. The latter should</span> <span style="font-style:italic" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">regulate</span> <span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">the economy, not laissez-faire. Although the economic sphere should operate autonomously, this does not mean that there should be no control from the social, or public, sphere.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">We should have learned from the way nature solves problems of control (as Stafford Beer shows - see previous posting in this series).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:left"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">We will pay dearly for the mistakes made, for years to come! Mass unemployment, heavy taxes, less government services and curtailed pensions will be our part.</span></p>
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</div>Integrative philosophy (2)tag:theosophy.net,2010-10-02:3055387:BlogPost:313472010-10-02T21:48:59.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<br></br><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Integrative philosophy (2)<br></br></div>
<br></br>The next examples are rather complicated. The sciences involved are relatively young, and there is some unfamiliar terminology to study (unless one has biological, medical and organizational knowledge). For those who want to be able to follow this posting, it will be necessary to do a little study of anatomy and the functions of the human nervous system. It will also be necessary to study…
<br/><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Integrative philosophy (2)<br/></div>
<br/>The next examples are rather complicated. The sciences involved are relatively young, and there is some unfamiliar terminology to study (unless one has biological, medical and organizational knowledge). For those who want to be able to follow this posting, it will be necessary to do a little study of anatomy and the functions of the human nervous system. It will also be necessary to study Stafford Beer’s work “Brain of the firm”. They will be amply rewarded by a broader view on natural process. Life is a complicated business. There are so many influences to balance, structures to organize, valuations and decisions to be made. Let's have a look.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The brain/nervous system.</span><br/></div>
<br/>This is a section which is very tentatively formulated. To be expanded in future postings, in combination with the work of Stafford Beer (see below).<br/>The brain is an exceedingly complex organ. Neuro-scientists have dissected it, and attributed all kinds of functions to ever varying combinations of structures and components. Brain-science is still a very young discipline.<br/>I will try to elucidate some features of the brain, as found in several textbooks. The interweaving of structures, and the innumerable connections between parts makes one wonder where to draw the lines, or how to make divisions of the brain. It may be that the following scheme has to be revised.<br/>We will keep in mind that components may be involved in multiple functions and vice versa (mathematically speaking: a n:m relationship exists between subsystems, in the Jim Miller sense, and components. <br/>In my old blog I give an overview of these subsystems - I will repost that here at some point).<br/>Nevertheless, let’s proceed with the layers: <br/><br/>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Higher functions/neocortex; intellect; meta-emotion; emotion?<br/>Concerned with pattern. Volition. Also, there is the limbic part of the cerebrum which can signal danger and distress to the hypothalamus;<br/>Basal nuclei are usually classified today with the neocortex. The limbic system is a so-called functional system that contains structures that are part of the diencephalon and some other structures that are classified with the cerebrum.<br/>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>'Animal' C.N.S./diencephalon, basal nuclei connection?: sorting, switching, relaying(thalamus); hormones; emotion;animation; <br/>hypothalamus: “controls activity of autonomic centres in brainstem and spinal cord. Center for emotional response and behaviour. Activates sympathetic system in fight or flight response. Helmsman of endocrine system”.<br/>Deals with the stimuli of the (outer) world, together with neocortex: evaluation of interactions with world and integration of info. Information processing.<br/>Control function.<br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Brainstem <br/>Branches of nerves spring from the brainstem.<br/>These nerves control/interface with organs, muscles and senses which form part of layer four. Contains structures which control the release of neurotransmitters (which work peripherally). <br/>Controls autonomic function (together with the hypothalamus).<br/>Integration of activities of the branches and functions. Alerting function (arousal) through the reticular activating system (ascending reticular formation).<br/>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Peripheral N.S. : divided into sensory and motor division.<br/>Motor division is subdivided into autonomic and somatic N.S.<br/>The autonomic (or vegetative) N.S. is subdivided into sympathetic and parasympathetic N.S. <br/>Data capture and initial processing. Collect and disseminate info. <br/>Mediates afferent and efferent info. <br/>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/><br/>Explanation: C.N.S. = central nervous system; N.S. = nervous system<br/><br/>The large neocortex is associated with the human type. Higher (abstract) functions are expressed e.g. as art, science, and complex social interactions, together with the diencephalon. Basal nuclei are often classified with the neocortex, but have a functional relationship with other layers (brainstem, diencephalon?). See anatomy & physiology textbooks for explanation of terms pertaining to brain structures.<br/>Meta-emotions regulate/modulate basic emotions. More on that in another posting.<br/><br/><br/>The ‘animal’ CNS, diencephalon, takes care of the interaction (information exchange) with the environment. (as does the brainstem in a more primitive way, see below). That involves the use of the several divisions of the peripheral N.S. and the processing of information from sense data. The name ‘animal’ for this part is misleading, because plants also interact with the environment, and can process stimuli. Plants also produce hormones, and are considered to have a kind of ‘proto-nervous system’ in their roots.<br/>Senses are receptors that take in impressions, convert (transduce) them and send electrical impulses to the brain for further processing.<br/>Example: fight or flight reactions come to mind. There is a coupling to the autonomic (vegetative) N.S. as the body must be prepared for action.<br/>Hormones influence behavior.<br/><br/><br/>Brainstem: “rigidly programmed, automatic behaviors, necessary for survival.”<br/>(double quotes from Marieb, “Human anatomy and physiology”)<br/>Contains centers that control neurotransmitters. Filter for incoming information.<br/>Arousal mechanism (ascending reticular formation).<br/><br/>The vegetative (autonomic) NS is responsible for the homeostasis (maintaining equilibrium) of the organ systems. That is an internal thing, although exchange of matter-energy with the environment is a necessary condition.<br/>Metabolism, secretion, excretion, growth and reproduction are usually attributed to the vegetative functions.<br/>The peripheral somatic NS is concerned with spinal reflexes.<br/>Distributed expression of inward flow of impulses. <br/><br/>Interconnections between the levels/layers, expressed through organ systems, are still under research. This is a very complex matter! The idea seems to be that layers three and four can be considered largely autonomic layers, comparable with the threefold prana - linga sharira - sthula sarira (organizational forces - mediating etheric body - physical body). That threefold is considered (relatively) autonomous in theosophical literature. Mind/soul can split off during deep sleep from body.<br/>On a separate note, scientists think there is a collaboration between neocortex and limbic system in decision processes. Perhaps more on this in another posting. <br/>The Dutch professor Piet Vroon has written a really interesting book on the brain, in the Dutch language, and I will use some of his ideas (and, separately, Alexander Luria's work) later on to elucidate the above partition of the brain.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">Organization <br/></div>
<br/>I will briefly touch upon the topic of organization, especially using ideas from Stafford Beer. He has written extensively on viable organizations. He utilizes the way the human brain is organized and functions for his design of viable (sustainable) organizations. I will use a lot of (cybernetics-based) ideas from his work “Brain of the firm”, since he understands the use of analogy between the process control occurring in the human brain and in organizations and tries to model the control process for organizations in accordance with that of the human nervous system. The idea is that evolution of the brain has solved a number of control problems that are faced also by current organizations. Why not use that solution? He has formulated a hierarchical five-tier recursive or fractal/holographic model for a viable organization , as follows, see:<br/><br/><br/><a href="http://irevolution.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/project-cybersyn-chile-20-in-1973/">http://irevolution.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/project-cybersyn-chile-20-in-1973/</a><br/>and:<br/><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Beer">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Beer</a><br/><br/>I can’t go into this much deeper at the moment, since his work is very comprehensive and takes a lot of time to study, certainly in relation to brain anatomy and function. Also see Schwaninger (2006): “the evolution of organizational cybernetics”, from which I take some quotes.<br/><br/>Suffice to say that there is a senior management (system 5) which deals with: the overall functioning of the organization; moderating interactions between systems 3 and 4; identity of the organization; embodies the core values; decision making, together with:<br/>system 4 (long-term adaptation, development, research, diagnosis of relation organization-environment, knowledge creation). <br/>System 3: “management of the collective of primary units”; providing for synergies and resource allocation (executive corporate management).<br/>System 3*: “Investigation and validation of information flowing between Systems 1-3 and 1-2-3 via auditing/monitoring activities”<br/>System 2: “Amplification of self-regulatory capacity; attenuation of oscillations and co-ordination of activities via information and communication”<br/>System 1: “Regulatory capacity of the basic units”; autonomous adaptation to their environment, optimization of ongoing business areas of a company.<br/><br/>Briefly:<br/>Systems 1,2,3, 3*: operative level (compare layers four and three in my model?)<br/>Systems 4 and 3 comprise the strategic level (layer two and one in my model?)<br/>System 5 the normative level (layer one reflected in layer two in my model?)<br/><br/><br/>Hopefully, all this info will lead us to more understanding of organization of processes in the natural world. My main emphasis will be on biological and psychological processes as well as on the threefold social order. <br/><br/>Integrative philosophy (1)tag:theosophy.net,2010-10-02:3055387:BlogPost:313452010-10-02T21:35:38.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<div style="text-align: center;">Integrative philosophy (1)<br></br><br></br><br></br><br></br>Introduction<br></br></div>
<br></br>In this series I will try to define my fourfold model of process a bit further, and study some examples or applications of this model. In case you haven't studied my previous blog postings on creation philosophy & psychology (1-5), now may be the time to review them.<br></br>Also, some basic knowledge of theosophy, as explained in my ebook (see…
<div style="text-align: center;">Integrative philosophy (1)<br/><br/><br/><br/>Introduction<br/></div>
<br/>In this series I will try to define my fourfold model of process a bit further, and study some examples or applications of this model. In case you haven't studied my previous blog postings on creation philosophy & psychology (1-5), now may be the time to review them.<br/>Also, some basic knowledge of theosophy, as explained in my ebook (see <a href="http://meuser.awardspace.com">meuser.awardspace.com</a>), is assumed, although probably not strictly necessary to follow these postings. The way I write is as follows: first, a sketch of the topic is given, which is gradually filled in, in later postings. I am somewhat limited by the state of development of the sciences involved: organization theory, cybernetics, brain science, and theory of meaning/value. Especially the latter has been poorly developed. The other disciplines mentioned above are also relatively young (most of these stem from the post World-War Two period).<br/>Nevertheless, I think that these branches of knowledge can deliver enough data to be of use.<br/><br/>The material I deal with has been partly dealt with by diverse individuals and organizations. I mention first of all, cyberneticians such as James Grier Miller (Living Systems Theory), Management theorists such as Stafford Beer (Brain of the Firm and many other seminal books), Anthroposophists (Threefold Social Order - Rudolf Steiner and many after him), brain scientists (too many to mention, but Edelman, MacLean and Luria come to mind), and of course, Arthur Young (see my ebook). Fritjof Capra can be mentioned too. See his books "Web of Life", and "The hidden connections", for example. There are of course many philosophers that I could mention in this respect, especially philosophers of process. I will pay some attention to their contributions as the occasion warrants.<br/> <br/>It has always amazed me that so few people seem to see the relevancy of ideas developed in other branches or societies than their own. This also applies to theosophers. The second object of the T.S. concerns comparative study of religion, study of philosophy and science. This has been neglected during the last century, thus neglecting a major goal of the founders.<br/><br/>Transdisciplinary research is a necessary thing in our fragmented society.<br/>It will lead to a more holistic system of thought by integrating findings in a comprehensive system of thought. <br/>Summarizing the above, I can say that a truly integrative philosophy is needed for the era in which we live. This philosophy builds on certain axiomas and research findings. Higher order cybernetics, perhaps a bit extended to include value and meaning, will play an important part in all this.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">The model<br/></div>
<br/>The idea of a fourfold structure and division of process is not new. The Brahmans seem to have had a fourfold model of the world. See the writings of Subba Rao. They only didn't want to share it with outsiders. How pathetic.<br/>H.P. Blavatsky gives an abstract fourfold model of our universe in Isis Unveiled, volume 2. See the diagrams of the Hindu and Chaldean cosmogonies. I may refer to these from time to time when the topic of evolution and development pops up. Threefold models seem to have been popular as well in esoteric or semi-esoteric literature. One may encounter such models, for example, the threefold social order, in the work of Rudolf Steiner, which BTW, can be extended to a fourfold model quite easily, as I will show. <br/>Proclus is a champion of threefold systems with threefold subdivisions.<br/><br/>My model is an interpretation (and modification) of Arthur Young's model, and includes some Kabbalistic and theosophical notions. It is in its incipient stage and very much under development. It is heavily based on biological and psychological insights and includes spiritual aspects as well.<br/>The model consists of four layers or spheres of influence, energies, principles, etc., which interpenetrate each other to some degree. There is (some) autonomy for each layer, to be researched further. The description of the layers has already been given to some extent in my creation philosophy blog postings, among which you will find a figure or diagram (see posting no. 4 of that series) that synthesizes a couple of ideas.<br/><br/>The current model simply takes the current state of development of things (like organisms), and says little about development of structures over time.<br/>There are some ideas about the latter, but these need a lot more research.<br/> <br/>Limiting the model to four layers is a conscious choice. It makes things easier to recognize, since it is restricted to mainly observable structures and processes, although subjectivity plays an important role too (as in value and meaning). One can always put an imaginary triangle above the four layers to indicate three further levels of a more spiritual or subtle nature, but let's learn to work with four layers first.<br/><br/>A first tentative description of the layers follows here (question marks indicate that more research is necessary):<br/><br/>Layer one: potential, idea, archetype, seed, <span style="font-weight: bold;">pattern</span>, power, source; relatively abstract layer (as to function). Its connection with the environment may be indirectly through its connections with other layers, a feature to be researched. The meaning of the labels or descriptions of this layer will become clearer in applications.<br/><br/>Layer two: "Social" level. <span style="font-weight: bold;">valuation</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">selection</span>, selectivity, choice, switch, control, deliberation, <span style="font-weight: bold;">decision</span>, meaning, agency, <span style="font-weight: bold;">animation</span>, motivation, communication with the outside world, interaction, <span style="font-weight: bold;">relational</span>, exchange of information, signaling process. Triggering of internal maintenance processes (the latter processes are more of a layer three type activity). <br/><br/>Layer three: formative and organizing forces, sustaining flow, homeostasis, maintenance of structure, internal <span style="font-weight: bold;">stability</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">organization</span>, planning, administration, control. Differentiation and development of identity? Together with layer four: metabolic activity: extracting valuable substances from raw material, transforming matter-energy streams. <br/><br/>Layer four: execution of plan, steering of execution, combination of (influences of) layers, binding layers together, grounding, control, error correction, feedback (environment-system, also passing control info to higher control structures); <span style="font-weight: bold;">peripheral action</span> (compared to above layers). Lateral or horizontal axis.<br/>Expression on the physical plane. Exchange of matter/info? Work.<br/><br/>Layers work together in some fashion, to be researched. Combinations of layers may vary as to relative contribution of influences. Examples will make this a bit clearer. Impulses flow through the layers - bidirectional. How all this is supposed to work is a matter of meticulous research which obviously has involved and will involve many people during long periods of time. (Theosophical principles, energies and elements will play a role too, at some point).<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">To summarize:<br/></div>
<br/>Generally speaking, when one starts with ideas and patterns (layer one), there arises the question of selection. There has to be a process of evaluation, weighing pros and cons, and then a decision/choice, or a simple selectivity for beings lacking self-consciousness. That is all layer two stuff.<br/>Then there is a need for (internal) organization. An organism cannot work or live haphazardly. There must be order in structure and process (build-up and maintenance), or the organism is not viable at all. That can be considered layer three (which controls layer four). It is a reflection or development of pattern into form which materializes further in layer four.<br/>Organizational forces play a prominent role in these layers.<br/>The reverse direction, the extraction of pattern from form also seems a standard feature of life to me. (The plant that forms a seed; the human brain that perceives a pattern).<br/>Finally, there is the matter of daily operation and control and outward (peripheral) expression. This is closely related to, and integrated with, layers three and four (and also layer two, as we will see). The whole matter of autonomic and somatic function of the human nervous system come to mind here.<br/><br/><br/>I have already formulated one model, based on these layers, namely, the stages of active will working in the psyche, based on the work of Roberto Assagioli. (It is an idealized model, because it presupposes a complete run from layer one - the formation of idea - to layer four - the steering of the act, while in reality a partial loop can be completed. A simple need is something different from a grand idea that needs elaboration.)<br/>Note that this model can be tested! Each stage has certain characteristics which will be experienced more or less clearly, depending on the degree to which one has developed one's sensitivity to subtle energies. The stages can be inter-subjectively verified. This is foremost a phenomenological approach, and certainly valid in scientific circles (except to the die-hard adherents of scientism, which I simply ignore). Transitions between layers can be easily discerned in the model of active will. The flow of prana, e.g., that occurs after the fiat of will has been given, is very distinct. Peripheral action simply means expression of a program/plan/idea in the "physical", tangible, world. The transition from plan to action (localized in space-time) is quite clear. The transition from the idea-phase to deliberation is clear as well, in the sense that, after a while, one realizes that deliberation is necessary.<br/><br/>Other models, based on this fourfold division or meta-paradigm, can be formulated, for example for the brain/nervous system, human organizations (structure and process), and society. I will outline some basic features of such models here, and in later postings, hopefully to be elaborated at some point by whomever is capable of that. Note that control and decision flow through all the layers distributively. We will have to deal with that aspect at some point. The question of the nesting vs. relative independence of layers is another point of research. A most interesting question concerns the fractality of the model, i.e., are these layers somehow repeated on another scale of the same process? Relativity, as a philosophical concept, plays an important role in this model. Everywhere we find relationships, not absolutes, in this model. Isn’t it the same in real life?<br/><br/><br/>Note that many research questions can be formulated with the help of this model.<br/><br/>Questions as mentioned above:<br/><br/>. nesting [hierarchy] vs independence or interdependence of layers<br/>. transitions between layers: which flows (matter-energy, information, value/meaning) can be discerned?<br/>. selection and combination of influences (energies/information/meaning) from the layers<br/>. dominance and relative contribution of influences from and through the layers<br/>. how is value being coded in an organization (norms)?<br/>. which channels are there through which matter-energy, information, value/meaning flow?<br/>. how is control/decision effected throughout the layers? Are there centers of control? Which ones?<br/>. how about coordination and planning?<br/>. how does homeostasis relate to the control loop/decider subsystem [Miller, see below]<br/>. which transducers are there in the system under study?<br/>. and thousands of other questions (see e.g. the book Living Systems Theory from James Grier Miller which deals with the processing of information and matter-energy streams by a total of twenty subsystems)<br/><br/>Ok, let's have a brief look at some examples or applications of the meta-model. This is a first tentative formulation, to be refined and modified later on, as study reveals ever more connections and patterns of process. I will try to focus a bit more on process as a whole and the associated functions (or even principles) than on structure or components, since several structures or components may be needed to perform a functional activity, and a structure may serve more than one function.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">Society<br/></div>
<br/><br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/> Cultural sphere; science, religion, art, philosophy; values; patterns; produces advice, reports, etc.<br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/> Social sphere - active values -> law, hard-coded norms; <br/> government: police, army; regulator of economic activities; <br/> service organization; design of processes; <br/> applied insights from the cultural sphere; <br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/> Economic sphere; merchants (organizers), planners; maintenance of structures,<br/> providing for needs and wants; process (organization of manufacturing goods)<br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/> Combinations; steering of execution of plans [“foremen”] in contact with layer 3; <br/>executive functions (workfloor); “blue collar workers”; general (peripheral) expression of impulses.<br/>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/>Explanation: the first three layers are described by Rudolf Steiner, in his threefold social order. Important contributions to this threefold model have been made by Dutch anthroposophists such as Bos, Brull, and many others. I may give some examples from their work later on.<br/>The fourth layer has been added by me as a level where actualization of plans, ideas, etc., occur on the physical plane ("peripheral expression" through appropriate organs/structures and “muscles” or executives). After all, influences must be combined and grounded (bound) to the physical, embodied, world. This can be seen as a horizontal or lateral axis, whereas layers 1,2,3 have a vertical (control) component. Also, there is, to some extent, a mutual influence of layers on each other.<br/><br/>Many questions can be raised as to the relation of the spheres to each other:<br/><br/>.Which are the values that determine how we organize our economic system?<br/> How does this relate to plan-economy, raw capitalism, and guided market systems?<br/>.Are subsidies necessary to support artists?<br/>.How do scientific research and technology relate to each other and to economic activity? Role of subsidies?<br/>.Layer 2: regulating function - law, coded norms - examples (how does it work)<br/>.What is the influence of layer 1 on layer 3 and vice versa(relation science/technology to economic sphere)? What is considered a healthy relationship?<br/>. And so on. Anthroposophists have devoted a lot of time to contemplating questions like these. Why haven’t Theosophists done the same?<br/><br/>The next two examples will be posted in a separate posting (#2). They are rather complicated, but can potentially enrich our understanding considerably. As always, if you feel that you have something constructive to contribute, feel free to mail me, or post a comment.<br/><br/>The power of open source learning..tag:theosophy.net,2010-09-27:3055387:BlogPost:311092010-09-27T13:23:42.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">(found this through Google 10^100 project):…</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">(found this through Google 10^100 project):</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">The <a href="http://www.khanacademy.org/">http://www.khanacademy.org/</a> Khan Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Free education always appealed to me. It is an inherently noble goal to provide free access to education to all people of the world. Now imagine a good philosophy curriculum..</span></div>Creation philosophy and psychology (5)tag:theosophy.net,2010-09-18:3055387:BlogPost:305772010-09-18T13:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<div>Creation philosophy and psychology (5)</div>
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<div>In the previous blog posting we halted description at the stage of acting.</div>
<div>Assagioli’s stages end at this point, because he looks at the process moving from inside (will, imagination) to outside (steering of physical act).</div>
<div>There is however also the opposite direction: <i>from outside to inside.</i></div>
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<div>Knoope continues his description…</div>
<div>Creation philosophy and psychology (5)</div>
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<div>In the previous blog posting we halted description at the stage of acting.</div>
<div>Assagioli’s stages end at this point, because he looks at the process moving from inside (will, imagination) to outside (steering of physical act).</div>
<div>There is however also the opposite direction: <i>from outside to inside.</i></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Knoope continues his description with:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>9. Persevere</div>
<div>10. Receive (the fruits of your work)</div>
<div>11. Value/appreciate</div>
<div>12. Relax/rest/let go</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phase 9 can be seen as a continuation of phase 8, but can involve a reorientation on why one has started the whole enterprise in the first place!</div>
<div>Motivation may have to be renewed, refreshed, strengthened, etc.</div>
<div>A reappraisal of the idea and plan may be necessary in this stage.</div>
<div>A reinforcement of the whole idea will give the motivation to go on new fuel (a pranic, vital stream).</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phase 10, Receive the fruits of your work.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>First of all, I envisage the flowing and propagation (reverberation) of one’s work through the various networks of society (physical and information channels, also comprising appreciation of one’s work by others, and, hence, karmic effects). Karma means action, and also the (moral) effects of one’s intents and actions. It entails a <i>feedback-loop</i> from intent and manifestation of intent to the fruits one reaps from one’s actions.</div>
<div>One reaps what one sows, in this life or another. Difficult to swallow for some of us, but that’s the way it is. Our intuitive sense of justice demands it, and one life is simply not enough for the human monad to experience the scala of possibilities on this plane of life. The discussion of karma and reincarnation (not of the personality, but the human monad) has been extensive in theosophical literature, including my ebook, so I won’t go into that here.</div>
<div>The form in which karmic effects manifest depends on many factors, since environment changes over time and so do the persons involved. That makes sense, I hope. Mass-karma or collective karma makes up for a large percentage of what happens in one’s life. One is embedded in society. Are you sure that you are thinking your own thoughts, or might it be that you are just rechewing what others have thought before?</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phase 11. Value the fruits. This goes with phase 10, in my opinion.</div>
<div>How one values karmic results has to do with one’s character and the development of perceptive faculty. What is acceptable and agreeable to one, may be seen as too meagre a result by another. Do you see that this takes place in the inward sphere of valuation?</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phase 12. Relax and let go.</div>
<div>Some people have trouble in letting go. It is an important phase, though.</div>
<div>I am inclined to think that letting go already starts in phase 10 (phases overlap in reality, as internal and external acts can be parallel and serial). If one does not cling to results, then it might be easier to enjoy the process of creation! Keep in mind what Sri Krishna says about this in the Bhagavad Gita: rise above the polarities or opposites. This is a form of non-attachment to results. Certainly important in spiritual work. One cannot always see or estimate results of one’s efforts. That is another thing one can contemplate!</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phases 10 and 11 have especially to do with the social and intrapsychic levels I have indicated in the diagram in my previous blog posting. The feedbacks during the process are internalized into the psyche as memories, acquired insights, etc. Assimilation.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phase 9 can involve multiple levels from the diagram as rebuilding of motivation, a reorientation on idea and plan involve feedback loops and steering.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Phase 12 looks to me as going inwards, during and after assimilation of results and effects.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>That ends the overview of creation philosophy.</div>
<div>I will continue this series under the heading of <b>integrative philosophy</b>, since the philosophy of the levels, layers or spheres of action, and stages of ‘creation’ or formation involves a good deal more than the stages of Assagioli or Knoope alone.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>For example, we have to deal with a very important aspect of the paradigm I’ve sketched thus far: decision making and control.</div>
<div>We will encounter decisions at several stages in the creative process. They serve to connect levels and set up flows of matter/energy, and involve information transfer and attribution of value/meaning (transactions).</div>
<div>In human organizations, there is the flow of values and control throughout the organization. In the human body, there is the flow of neurotransmitters, electrical impulses, and hormones. Analogy abounds!</div>
<div>The four-layered model will serve us well in our analysis of process, be it of the human brain, human psyche, human organizations, society, and possibly other fields of knowledge.</div>
<div>It may provide a testable model of many phenomena, if elaborated upon.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><br/></div>Wikipedia Theosophy linked keywords statisticstag:theosophy.net,2010-09-16:3055387:BlogPost:305022010-09-16T11:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.1944px;">(link:)</span><a href="http://top-topics.thefullwiki.org/Theosophy">This is a really interesting page to watch..</a><br/>
<br/>
See which keywords are used that link to Theosophy.
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.1944px;">(link:)</span><a href="http://top-topics.thefullwiki.org/Theosophy">This is a really interesting page to watch..</a><br/>
<br/>
See which keywords are used that link to Theosophy.Creation philosophy and psychology (4)tag:theosophy.net,2010-09-01:3055387:BlogPost:299022010-09-01T19:00:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<div>The steps Imagine, Will, Act can be formulated as Imagine, Will, Plan, Act to conform to my four-level model of creative process in/through the human psyche.</div>
<div>I designed a preliminary diagram [paradigm] of the stages of the creative act, put on four levels:</div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div><p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999008383?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="509"></img></p>
</div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div>This concerns primarily the work of Roberto Assagioli. The six stages of active will have been described by me in a previous…</div>
<div>The steps Imagine, Will, Act can be formulated as Imagine, Will, Plan, Act to conform to my four-level model of creative process in/through the human psyche.</div>
<div>I designed a preliminary diagram [paradigm] of the stages of the creative act, put on four levels:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="509" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999008383?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>This concerns primarily the work of Roberto Assagioli. The six stages of active will have been described by me in a previous blog posting. Here, I have conceived a model, consisting of four layers nested as shown in the picture with a preliminary mapping of the six stages. The picture shows the interpenetration of levels. It is not a layered cake! It can be interpreted as follows: the human being desires something (evoked by some thought); this is the first stage, where also imagination takes place. It is internal to the human psyche, interacting with the world of ideas, thoughts, etc. The way I have formulated this, means that in this diagram I do not discriminate between lofty aspirations that reach the higher strata of the mind-world (higher manas) and more personal desires which reach only to lower strata. The levels would have to be subdivided further, as for example, layer One into, say, seven sublayers. That is nice for further research. Note how the diagram conforms to Kabbalistic thought with its four worlds (Archetypic containing "seed models", Intellectual (intuitive-communicative), Formative, Action). There are multiple representations of these worlds possible. Maybe I go into that in another posting, but curious minds can study my edition of Alan Bain's work on the Kabbalah.</div>
<div>[See <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.1944px;"><a href="http://meuser.awardspace.com">http://meuser.awardspace.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.1944px;">]</span></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>The second layer shows communication, networking, deliberation, valuing and choice. This is partly an interaction level with the "outside world", the social environment in a broad sense. It also entails a valuation and decision process. Feedbacks and input from the environment play a role here.</div>
<div>This has been described in my previous note on Assagioli. For all the levels subsequent to level (or layer) one, there is an overflowing of forces from one level to the next. The levels interpenetrate!</div>
<div>The positive choice (go for it, do it!) concerns the fiat of will. Fiat means "let there be..".</div>
<div>This fiat activates [motivates] organizing vital forces [pranas!] which flow as it were to the next (third) layer and phase of the creative process: planning, organization, etc., which have to do with making scripts or blueprints (structuring the executive act). It is very easy to recognize this phase: we all have had ideas for which we made plans. If you have some sensitivity, you will have observed the flow of energy that comes with the planning. Managers often display a lot of vital energy, busy as they are with organization.</div>
<div>Form giving and structuring or planning events require flexibility of mind. "Steer and follow", so to speak. One has to see the opportunities that exist or rise and gather the means necessary for accomplishing one's goals. That starts already on the second level, where one has to weigh the pros and cons of the cherished ideas, and is becoming urgent and actual in this phase.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>The fourth layer concerns the steering (control) of execution. Supervision of tasks to do is needed.</div>
<div>This phase combines the previously prepared and planned parts and stages of the execution.</div>
<div>Feedbacks arise where corrections in execution are deemed necessary.</div>
<div>This phase combines the influences of all the previous levels. Resistence and inertia on this level (as well as in the planning/organization phase), due to many factors, can cause a lot of headaches. Flexibility is needed. If you can't do something in one way, try another way. Learn to see different possibilities to do something and realize your goals. If one realizes a goal (or part of a purpose), one will get some satisfaction out of that. If it doesn't work out quite the way one has expected, there probably is a lesson to be learned. Karma is always operating on the levels described.</div>
<div>The sensori-motor part of the execution is not dealt with in the Assagioli description. It could be added to the diagram as a sublevel of the fourth level. I will not deal with that here, since it is not essential to the diagram. The mapping of functional brain-areas is a complicated business anyway, and subject to modifications</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>That ends part four of this series. More research is needed as to (a wider) applicability of this paradigm or model. If you feel you can contribute to this research, please let me know.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Martin Euser</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><br/></div>Klaus Dona - the hidden history of the human race-antediluvian world and nephilim giantstag:theosophy.net,2010-08-28:3055387:BlogPost:297262010-08-28T09:30:00.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
At least some of humanity have chosen not to close their eyes and minds to extraordinary findings. Watch this slideshow: <a href="http://projectavalon.net/lang/en/klaus_dona_en.html">http://projectavalon.net/lang/en/klaus_dona_en.html</a><br></br>
<br></br>
Besides the artifacts which our current technology cannot help manufacture, there are skeletons of 2.6 m long, old maps of the world carved into stone, the Peri Reis map showing the continent of Antarctica (some of which is under sea level - how…
At least some of humanity have chosen not to close their eyes and minds to extraordinary findings. Watch this slideshow: <a href="http://projectavalon.net/lang/en/klaus_dona_en.html">http://projectavalon.net/lang/en/klaus_dona_en.html</a><br/>
<br/>
Besides the artifacts which our current technology cannot help manufacture, there are skeletons of 2.6 m long, old maps of the world carved into stone, the Peri Reis map showing the continent of Antarctica (some of which is under sea level - how could ancient people know this?), and much more.<br/>
<br/>
Some photos: <a href="http://www.google.nl/images?hl=nl&source=imghp&biw=799&bih=468&btnG=Afbeeldingen+zoeken&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&gs_rfai=&q=Klaus%20Dona%20giant%20skull&tbs=isch:1">http://www.google.nl/images?hl=nl&source=imghp&biw=799&bih=468&btnG=Afbeeldingen+zoeken&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&gs_rfai=&q=Klaus%20Dona%20giant%20skull&tbs=isch:1</a><br/>
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Website of Klaus Dona: http://unsolved-mysteries.info/english/retro/e02_01_frame.htm<br/>
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"Klaus Dona comes from the art world. As Art Exhibition Curator for the Habsburg Haus of Austria, Klaus has organized exhibitions world wide. With this background his approach to archeology is unconventional. He has traveled the world in search of unique and unexplained findings. Intrepid and unrelenting, he is on a mission to bring to the eye of the public such finds as giant bones, crystal skulls, carvings and sculptures in forms that do not fit into the contemporary view of our timeline. We spent an afternoon with Klaus in Vienna talking at length about his process, his particularly stunning finds and why he is motivated to pursue this unusual vocation. Staunchly open minded, he refuses to retreat in the face of skepticism and doubt. Low on funding, he presses on to discover the real mysteries, going down through the centuries and excavating artifacts that science does not allow for, revealing the existence of physical proof that humanity has barely grazed the surface of our heritage here on Earth. (Kerry Cassidy 28 January 2010)"Creation philosophy & psychology (3)tag:theosophy.net,2010-08-19:3055387:BlogPost:293012010-08-19T11:55:50.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<div>Now let's have a closer look at the beginning stages of Knoope and Assagioli, for which also see my previous blog postings. Nr. 1 is labeled "wish" with Knoope, to which I have added the labels "desire" and "See" (or beginning of Vision).</div>
<div>I narrow the field a bit and take this "wish" as a deep-felt desire for accomplishing something worthwhile. Simple needs are of a more biological nature and are not dealt with here.</div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div>Now what is desire? Everyone of us…</div>
<div>Now let's have a closer look at the beginning stages of Knoope and Assagioli, for which also see my previous blog postings. Nr. 1 is labeled "wish" with Knoope, to which I have added the labels "desire" and "See" (or beginning of Vision).</div>
<div>I narrow the field a bit and take this "wish" as a deep-felt desire for accomplishing something worthwhile. Simple needs are of a more biological nature and are not dealt with here.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Now what is desire? Everyone of us experiences desires, but seldom do we pause a moment to contemplate the nature of what is happening to and in us. According to theosophical writers, e.g. Jacob Boehme, desire is a psychomagnetic force.</div>
<div>I would certainly concur with that description. Desire draws certain elements towards one's aura, or biofield, as some call it. These elements of experience are called "elemental lives" or "life-atoms". There seems to be whole hosts of them, from spiritual, intellectual, to emotional kinds. I have gone into this matter more deeply in my ebook, so I will keep it short here. These life-atoms are not souls, certainly not self-conscious, but rather less developed beings and structures. What is important to understand here is that the human mind works with living elements of nature. This refers to the theosophical ontology, a topic about which Proclus had a lot to say (as had De Purucker and Jacob Boehme).</div>
<div>As a human being is a thinking being, I'll designate these elements as "seed-thoughts" that are perceived by the human being. This immediately raises the questions of bias/filtering in the perceptive process and which thoughts we do allow ourselves to nurture or to indulge in. This I leave for yourself to <b>observe</b>. It is an exercise which may bring one some useful insight into one's own nature or character. In a moment of rest, be the detached observer. Be honest to yourself, but don't judge yourself. This is a good meditation exercise!</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Ok, back to Knoope and Assagioli now.</div>
<div>We started with the attraction resulting from active desire. There is something in our mind now, and we are on the route of becoming aware of what it is that we wish to accomplish. A purpose comes to mind, quickly or slowly. We start to identify or recognize the associated wish/desire/intention we feel or have inside our mind.</div>
<div>One needs some clarity of mind in order to work with intentions and purposes.</div>
<div>The clearer our goals are, the easier and quicker we can start working towards the realization of them. Imagination is a faculty (and involves the use of a type of energy) we use to give a more or less clear form to our desires and intents. But there is also an evaluation or valuation of the goal necessary. Is the goal something that fits our character? We have to judge the goals/purposes. And then, even if it falls within the scope of our possibilities, are we motivated to really go for it?</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>In the previous posting I wrote:</div>
<div>" Then a motive must be generated that provides a drive and intent for one to realize this purpose/goal.</div>
<div><i>A motive is a dynamic thing. It is generated by the values we ascribe to the goals we want to reach</i>."</div>
<div>But, there may be conflicting goals in our mind. There may be strictly personal goals, or there may be aspirations towards serving others. So, we have to make a selection of goals, establish a preference and priority and focus on the realization of them. That is step 2 in the Assagioli's list. The whole gamut of aspects mentioned in Assagioli's step 1 are spread or (re)iterated over steps 1 to 4, as I see it. It's quite complicated! In the same vein, Knoope's twelve aspects in the creation spiral are not that separated at all. Each is in each, according to my vision, although some aspects are dominant in one phase, and other aspects in another one. We are dealing with faculties and energies here. His phase 3 (belief/faith) is clearly involved with the values we hold dear.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Assagioli's step 3: "deliberation" may involve something of Knoope's step 4 "Tell/communicate/network/share" and step 5. Research. This is because of the fact that deliberation can involve the consulting of others for their opinion on the goal(s) concerned. Some research (step 5) is often necessary to establish the feasibility of the ideas we have in our mind. Discrimination is especially necessary in this stage. Choice and decision are now imminent. The end of Assagioli's phase 3.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Choice and decision are truly remarkable operations of the human mind. They mark the <i>transition</i> of one stage (Assagioli no. 3) to the next stage, stage 4: reinforcement of the choice and decision.</div>
<div>This <b>activates</b> the creative and dynamic energies necessary to accomplish one's goal/purpose.</div>
<div>The image of what is to be becomes dynamic now. It has been charged (colored) by our intentions and values.</div>
<div>Compare this with J.G. Bennett's "commitments", described in his tome "The Dramatic Universe".</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Bennett, BTW, devised a "decision exercise" for his students in which "the future state of affairs (as an image) evokes the initiative as much as the intention to decide does", as one of Bennett's students thinks he meant by the exercise). It seems that goal and need or necessity (two poles) are now connected. A circuit has formed between the "hyparchic future" (the realm of possibilities, see my blog) and the here and now. These are very deep thoughts. <i>What can be or should be (and already exists as an idea, or seed-thought, on the mental plane) has now a pathway to the here and now</i> on the astral and physical planes. It is the magic of creation! It involves the combined powers of will and imagination. This can be seen as the practical implementation of meditation: See, Deliberate, Choose-select, Commit, Plan, Act, or, short: see, commit, act. (Imagine, Will, Act).</div>
<div><b><br/></b></div>
<div><b>The human being connects the spheres of thought and action in the act of creation (form-giving)</b></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>This is the ultimate "meditation exercise" put into practice, when the human being becomes a channel for the inflow of spiritual forces. There is no use for endless floating in the air. Spiritual energies must be grounded, or earthed. How else can they do their transformative work here on earth?</div>
<div><br/></div>Creation philosophy & psychology (2): Assagioli's act of willtag:theosophy.net,2010-08-13:3055387:BlogPost:290762010-08-13T12:56:39.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
Will is a most interesting topic to research. Everyone of us has to some degree experience with the act of will and can do experiments in this field.<div>In this blog posting I'll summarize Assagioli a bit. Extract from an old blog of mine:</div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div><div>The process of active will is very complex. It has been described by</div>
<div>Assagioli in his book "Act of will". I cannot deal with it here at length.</div>
<div>I will mention the steps involved in the will-process,…</div>
</div>
Will is a most interesting topic to research. Everyone of us has to some degree experience with the act of will and can do experiments in this field.<div>In this blog posting I'll summarize Assagioli a bit. Extract from an old blog of mine:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><div>The process of active will is very complex. It has been described by</div>
<div>Assagioli in his book "Act of will". I cannot deal with it here at length.</div>
<div>I will mention the steps involved in the will-process, however.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Reversely translated from my Dutch copy of this book, we have:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>1. Goal or purpose, based on valuation, motivation and intent.</div>
<div>2. Deliberation.</div>
<div>3. Choice and decision.</div>
<div>4. Reinforcement: command or fiat of the will.</div>
<div>5. Planning and elaboration of a program.</div>
<div>6. Steering of execution.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>This is the process of will in it's complete and ideal form.</div>
<div>Remarks, based on Assagioli's treatment of the subject:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>1. There is a goal to be reached. One has to clearly define a goal or purpose</div>
<div>to be realized. The faculty of Imagination (ideation, vision) is involved in this.</div>
<div>This is not enough to get things going. A general vision is just a starting point.</div>
<div>An evaluation or valuation of the goal is necessary ending in a judgment.</div>
<div>Then a motive must be generated that provides a drive and intent for one</div>
<div>to realize this purpose/goal.</div>
<div>A motive is a dynamic thing. It is generated by the values we ascribe to</div>
<div>the goals we want to reach.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>2. As there are many goals, we must choose between them. This</div>
<div>establishing of a preference is the result of the function of deliberation</div>
<div>where we have to investigate several goals, our skills to realize these goals,</div>
<div>the consequences of our choice, social desirability, acceptability, etc.</div>
<div>Discrimination is necessary!</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>3. Deliberation should lead to choice and decision.</div>
<div>One has to wrap up, integrate, all the points mentioned at phase two,</div>
<div>and come to a decision.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>4. Then follows reinforcement of the choice and decision. This activates</div>
<div>the creative and dynamic energies necessary to accomplish one's</div>
<div>goal/purpose. Compare this with J.G. Bennett's "commitments", described</div>
<div>in his tome "The Dramatic Universe".</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>5. Planning and a program are needed. Methods of execution come into</div>
<div>play as are considerations of time, circumstances , conditions.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>6. At last there is the steering of the execution.</div>
<div>Will is like a director of a play. It is the supervisor of the whole process.</div>
<div>It looks to me that the whole gamut of human functions is concerned in this</div>
<div>process: from will to imagination to motivation to discrimination to</div>
<div>planning down to the physical execution (sensori-motor function).</div>
<div>Quite impressive! The physical execution itself is not a function of will,</div>
<div>but the steering of that part is.</div>
</div>
<div><br/></div>Creation philosophy & psychology (1)tag:theosophy.net,2010-08-08:3055387:BlogPost:288612010-08-08T19:43:59.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In this blog posting, and some follow-ups, I plan to deal concisely and informally with the fascinating route from wish to reality. There have been quite some authors who have been writing and lecturing about this, especially in newage…</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In this blog posting, and some follow-ups, I plan to deal concisely and informally with the fascinating route from wish to reality. There have been quite some authors who have been writing and lecturing about this, especially in newage circles. However, I draw my material from other sources: Roberto Assagioli, the Italian psychiatrist who laid down the foundation for psychosynthesis, and a more recent, Dutch, writer, Marinus Knoope, the discoverer of "the creation spiral" and the pair-wise operation of so-called "negative" emotions.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br/></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am especially interested in Assagioli's work Act of Will and Knoope's work on the creation spiral. The two have some ideas in common regarding creation work. Knoope's work is now being used to help children and adults help to formulate their dreams/wishes, at schools and in communities in the Netherlands. It is also used by some consultants in transformation work in the business environment.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br/></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ALthough Knoope's work to my knowledge as yet hasn't been translated into English, I will give you some English terms associated with his twelvefold cycle.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br/></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Also see</span> <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/intention-manifestation/14032-better-than-secret-creation-spiral.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/intention-manifestation/14032-better-than-secret-creation-spiral.html</span></a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">from which I will give a few quotes.</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Kingston):"The Creation Spiral states that we are destined to realize our wishes, just like a apple seed is destined to become an apple tree. The new thing is that the proces of manifesting an intention is identical to the growth of a tree from a seed. There are twelve steps, which you can visualize as the numbers on a clock. You can also compare it to fruit that grows throughout the seasons."</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I. Winter:</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Wish/desire/See</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Imagine/give form</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Believe/have faith</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">II. Spring:</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Tell/communicate/network/share</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Research</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Plan</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">III. Summer:</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">7. Decide</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">8. Act</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">9. Persevere</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">IV. Fall:</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">10. Receive (the fruits of your work)</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">11. Value/appreciate</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">12. Relax/rest/let go</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And then, the cycle starts anew. New ideas/wishes manifest, that is, if you listen to what comes up in the recesses of your mind.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There can and will be blockages, potentially at every step, called "negative" emotions (but a source of power), and these are dealt with by Knoope in his latest book. These emotions fulfil an important role as paradoxes surround the creative</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">process.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The twelve steps can be projected on a circle. The opposites on the circle seem to have an analogous function, but in another phase or level. I cannot go into that now.</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Kingston) "There is more to it, but the main thing we can see is that you can never skip any of the steps (excluding synchronicity), just like an apple can not skip any step in its growth process. The Creation spiral helps me organize all the aspects of an intention in order. Like The Secret, it recognizes that you can achieve more than you think. And it also recognizes that there is more to manifesting intentions (reaching goals) than planning and action."</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Pegasus: "This sounds similar to the scientific method:</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Winter = identifying the intention</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Spring = Researching and then forming a hypothesis</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Summer = Acting or experimenting</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fall = Appreciating or evaluating the results")</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is a grouping of three phases each under four "seasons". This is in parallel to the seasons in nature, like the seasonal budding, growth, blossoming and fruition of trees.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Phase I ("winter season") often has a lot of emotional blockages associated with it. People have difficulty with discovering/acknowledging their deepest wishes, give form to it, and especially faith (in their own abilities or in support of their network) is lacking.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Phase IV (Fall) has its own stressful aspects. Many can't receive properly, or don't know how to appreciate/value results/"fruits" or cannot relax (let go) for a while. And so with the other seasons. Know those who can't decide? People who cannot persevere? People who cannot share/communicate? It occurs to me that this wheel/circle can be used as a diagnostic tool.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is much more to this cycle than Knoope acknowledges himself, and I hope to complement the scheme a bit with some ideas of Assagioli and myself, in a next posting.</span></blockquote>
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</blockquote>Modern Buddhism an abomination?tag:theosophy.net,2010-03-23:3055387:BlogPost:243012010-03-23T21:16:06.000ZMartin Euserhttps://theosophy.net/profile/MartinEuser
Modern Buddhism an abomination?<br></br><br></br>See <a href="http://www.attan.com/">http://www.attan.com/</a><br></br><br></br>Some nice quotes (and this is not even the sharpest):<br></br><br></br>"To quote the late metaphysician, Dr. A.K. Coomaraswamy: “Buddhism is most famous today for everything it originally never taught.” As such attan.com does not advocate nor endorse Theravada & Hinayana, nor any form of Mahayana, Vajrayana, and certainly not Zen. None of these sectarian creations are original to earliest…
Modern Buddhism an abomination?<br/><br/>See <a href="http://www.attan.com/">http://www.attan.com/</a><br/><br/>Some nice quotes (and this is not even the sharpest):<br/><br/>"To quote the late metaphysician, Dr. A.K. Coomaraswamy: “Buddhism is most famous today for everything it originally never taught.” As such attan.com does not advocate nor endorse Theravada & Hinayana, nor any form of Mahayana, Vajrayana, and certainly not Zen. None of these sectarian creations are original to earliest Buddhism."<br/><br/>Further:<br/><br/>"Attan.com is devoted to original Buddhism, Traditionalist metaphysics, and the gnosis advocated thereof, as such it is an anti-Guru, anti-Zen-Master, anti-Lama, anti-Rimpoche, and anti-bhikkhu site adverse to any and all forms of superficial spiritual-materialism, petty ritualisms, and the New-Age movement in general.<br/><br/>Attan.com is equally adversarial to those who find counterfeit peace and grace in spiritual trinkets, empirical pietism such as extreme bodily austerities such as chanting, bowing, self-mortification, or those who find love towards cultish Guru-personalities, other such pseudo-religious rubbish and meaningless corporeal endeavors which are irrelevant to the gnosis which culminates in the noetic liberation of spirit.<br/><br/>Attan.com's content is hostile to illogical systems such as: secular humanism, creationism, atheism, agnosticism, and the mass of pseudo-religionists such as those who claim to be ‘Buddhists’, and spiritual…yet deny the very spirit (atman, citta, nous) which is the only refuge and light proclaimed in and of Buddhism and metaphysics at large. "<br/><br/><br/><br/>I love it!<br/>One of the few exceptions, perhaps, to the justified criticisms of attan.com, is the work of the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. There will always be exceptions, of course.<br/><br/><br/><br/>