Scientific evaluations of reality suggest we see something quite different from what’s actually there, bringing concepts to bear. We are visual creatures, nearly a third of the brain’s cortex is devoted to seeing, hence the world of objects. We make sense of existence visually. There are objects in the material world, and belief in the non. Human consciousness exists in the non, with opinion and subjectivity. The photo above depicts a belief called Sufism, the whirling dervishes. I once attended a Sufi gathering, and attempted to whirl. I also went to Konya to visit the founders sarcophagus, Jalaluddin Rumi.
Monist theory reckons matter is an epiphenomenon of consciousness. The world of objects exists, but as a stage for communication between conscious agents. Primarily there is consciousness. For Monist’s, our individuality is altered consciousness of the collective, multiple personality disorder. Monist theory questions the existence of matter without consciousness. Science too questions matter’s independence. One interpretation of the quantum mechanics double slit experiment is consciousness effects the movement of light particles. The act of perception causes the particles to go through one slit. When not observed, they act as a wave going through both. This is called the wave-particle duality phenomenon. It acknowledges a link between the observer and the observed.
Traveling, I wanted to visit the many sources of human civilization. Places like the pyramids, Machu Picchu, the Vatican. Below I include lists of influences.
These are the books, films, places, and sounds that have shaped my understanding. They are the architecture of my consciousness, the memories I hold onto. When I woke from coma, my memories were fragmented. These are the ideas, stories, journeys, that remained. They became the raw material I used to rebuild a sense of self. If identity is the story we tell ourselves, then this is the well I draw from.
Books
- Our Hearts, my Face, Brief as Photos – John Berger
- Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
- The Trial – Franz Kafka
- The Castle – Franz Kafka
- To the Wedding – John Berger
- Here is Where We Meet – John Berger
- Narcissus and Goldmund – Hermann Hesse
- Siddhartha – Hermann Hesse
- Steppenwolf – Hermann Hesse
- The Last Temptation of Christ – Nikos Kazantzakis
- Zorba the Greek – Nikos Kazantzakis
- Nausea – Jean-Paul Sartre
- The Age of Reason – Jean-Paul Sartre
- Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez
- Fictions – Jorge Luis Borges
- Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera
- A Space Odyssey – Arthur C Clarke
- Eyes Wide Shut – Arthur Schnitzler
- A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
- Dr Strangelove – Peter George
- Being and Nothingness – Jean-Paul Sartre
- Lord of the Flies – William Golding
- Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- 1984 – George Orwell
- Animal Farm – George Orwell
- The Outsiders – S. E. Hinton
- Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
- Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
- My Brother Jack – George Johnston
- The World According To Garp – John Irving
- One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
- The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
- Dead Poets Society – N. H. Kleinbaum
- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
- Notes from Underground – Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller
- Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
- On the road – Jack Kerouac
- The Dharma Bums – Jack Kerouac
- The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
- Moby-Dick – Herman Melville
- Franny and Zooey – J. D. Salinger
Film
- Space Odyssey 2001
- Solaris
- Eyes Wide Shut
- Nostalgia
- Gattaca
- Prospero’s Books
- The Wings of Desire
- Fanny and Alexander
- Koyaanisqatsi
- In the Mood for Love
- Crouching Tiger
- Powaqqatsi
- Naqoyqatsi
- Dogville
- Transcendence
- Babette’s Feast
- Coffee and Cigarettes
- Ex Machina
- The Mission
- One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Travel
- Deutschland
- Singapore
- Australia
- France
- England
- Morocco
- Egypt
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Norway
- Sweden
- Iraq
- Iran
- Israel
- Jerusalem
- India
- Pakistan
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Philippines
- Greece
- Vietnam
- Bali
- Italy
- Japan
- China
- Spain
- Ireland
- Czech Republic
- Croatia
- Scotland
- Taiwan
- New Caledonia
- Myanmar
- Orkney Island
- Machu Picchu
- Pyramids
- Sagrada Familia
- Vatican
- The Blue Mosque
- Bethlehem
- Taj Mahal
- Kraków
- Hiroshima
- Empire State
- The Louvre
- Guggenheim
- Dharamshala
- Gaza Strip
- Alhambra
- Notre Dame
- Palace of Versailles
- The Colosseum
- The Parthenon
- Uluru
- The Kokoda Trail
- Old Melbourne Gaol
- Botany Bay
- Sphinx
- Sicily
- Berlin
- Greek Islands: Naxos, Paros, Syros, Santorini, Samos, Iraklia, Crete, Mykonos, Lesbos…
Music
- This Mortal Coil
- Craig Armstrong
- Max Richter
- David Sylvian
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Art of fighting
- Massive Attack
- Tinder Sticks
- Crime and the City Solution
- Joy Division
- Groove Armada
- Died Pretty
- U2
- Bauhaus
- Pete Murphy
- Nick Cave
- PJ Harvey
- The Church
- Steve Kilbey
- Djivan Gasparyan
- Durutti Column
- Michael Nyman
- Low
- Sigur Ros
- Dead can Dance
- Gavin Bryars
- GB3
- Mahler
- Bach
- Handel
- Tan Dun
- Gorecki
- Duruflé
- Fauré
- The Blue Nile
- Cocteau twins
Band
I played bass and sang in a band: The Silent Reach. Our music can be found at: BandCamp.
Video