Overwhelming...

uesday 23rd June, 2020

There is so much 'out there' that boggles my mind and understanding. So much information, knowledge about such a vast variety of subjects that I cannot begin to process or understand. So much analysis, so many theories and opinions and suppositions and such esoteric fields of learning. I find it utterly daunting. A few months ago I went to a lecture entitled 'The Dying Universe'. An Astro physicist spoke of the vastness of our Universe, how it is expanding and also cooling. She spoke of the billions of light years let alone miles involved in it all. Stars which we are just seeing died billions of light years ago, black holes are sucking in matter and compressing it beyond calculation. She showed photographs of space, outer space and space beyond space and spoke of the nothingness between spaces. It was totally riveting, totally mysterious, totally absorbing and totally beyond my ability to grasp beyond being awesome and beautiful.

Today I received a link to an article published 'online'. Once again I was overwhelmed and out of my depth, first by the whole matter of cyberspace, the technology and workings of computers and communication. There before me was an article on the mind written by a man in America, picked up by a pressing of a button on a formula in an email. The same person who sent me the email has a machine she calls 'Alexa'. She says out loud 'Alexa...' and then proceeds to give instructions and ask questions. For example ' Alexa, how many miles is Uranus from planet Earth? Alexa please play Beethoven's fifth concerto as conducted by Klemperer with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra...' and Alexa answers and performs.

Someone understands how this works. Someone made or invented these possibilities and machines. I do not understand nor know nor have I invented anything or added to the knowledge of the World.

The article I had linked to was entitled 'Reality is constructed by your brain'. The author quoted Patrick Cavanagh noting that it is 'really important to understand we're not seeing reality. We're seeing a story that is created for us..' by the brain, by experience, by previous perceptions and expectations.

It was quite a read! Finally the phrase that caught me was 'Neuroscience is deeply humbling'. Yes, indeed but to me everything is deeply humbling. How a pot of honey gets on to a supermarket shelf. How turning on a switch gets a bulb to light up. How a plant grows, an animal lives and functions let alone of what the universe is made or even how my brain works.

It is so easy to be overwhelmed , confused, obfuscated by it all. It is all humbling. The truth is we need to realise we are not gods. We live as best we can even if neuroscientists tell us it is not reality. The only problem is if we are not humble.