Philosophy of Imagination*Forty Four

The Collective Conscious. What is it? Theories abound, so I will pull the pieces I believe to be the most valid to create my own theory. The most popular idea is that the collective conscious is, we'll call it Air, because it can be and permeate everywhere. Air is everywhere, except for in a vacuum, but there is still something there, the ether, is made up of something, we're just not sure what yet. Probably really tiny particles. Digression done.

The collective conscious is the Air that exists everywhere, that connects everything. The Air/Collective Conscious/Force, since it is everywhere contains ideas, morality, values -- floating around and a Imagination/sharp conscious is one that is better able to connect itself to this Air all around. There is no true form to all these things floating around. It's chaos. That's where your Imagination comes in. It's like your space suit for going out to explore this Air, to pull things from it and bring them back in to  your mind. There, in your own Imagination, separate from the Air is where you put together the things that you found. Just like I'm doing with this theory. Your Imagination creates order of the disparate pieces. That's the magic of you.

We're not pulling fully formed ideas from the Air. We're grabbing pieces, words, images, colors as they zip around. How we catch them and put them together is what makes each one of us (and our Imaginations) unique. After procuring the bits, our Imagination creates something beautiful out of the chaos. Being connected to your own Imagination and the Air/World around you is how you get better at  tuning into it all. It takes a lot of practice and time to get there, save the rare few geniuses who get spit out into this World. There are plenty of people who thing clear ideas and stories and art are flying around whole, but I believe that to be bullshit. Without our individual Imaginations, it's just chaotic stuff. You must learn how to harness and control the air and I don't mean superpowers or making objects move or some shit. Being receptive. Being present. Being you.

As a Public, as humanity, we try to capture as much of the collective conscious as we can and write it down into books, magazines, online articles, blogs, paintings, sculptures, architecture, speeches, so we can create understanding and discussion. This is what makes us people. Curiosity about the World. The desire to have it make sense. You can go as deep or as shallow as you want. I hope everyone wants to go deep, but that is not for me to decide. Everyone does that on their own and there should be no outside pressure. There are not many absolute truths in the Universe. Very few. But we must be open minded and empathetic, as to see the truths of others. Everyone has their own truths and we must respect that.

The trouble comes in lies. Where people say things they know to be untrue, even to themselves. This misinformation poisons and hurts all that it touches, to varying degrees. I recently heard a nice parable in the movie DOUBT. A woman confesses to her pastor that she has gossiped. She wanted forgiveness. The pastor said, first, take a feather pillow to the roof of your building and tear it open. The woman did and the wind began to catch the feathers. When she returned to the pastor, she told him that she had done what he told her to do. Now can I be forgiven. One more thing, he said. Now I need you to go gather up all the feathers that came out of the pillow. That's impossible -- they flew everywhere. That's gossip and lies. When these lies get repeated, they begin to look a lot like truth. We gotta be careful. We gotta be careful. Lies are poison and they can destroy even more completely and accurately than a missile. 

The Air is full of lies and we must learn to avoid them. It's hard, but we all have the ability and Imaginative power to stop, think and pull things apart. We all have the wherewithal to extract the truth. Don't forget you have that power. It is strong. You also have to have the courage to go into the Air and pull things out. There is a lot of scary, dark, evil shit out there and you will have to withstand it to find goodness and life. Often times, goodness and knowledge reside inside the evil and you have to be absurdly brave to go inside of it and extract the light.

We need as many Air/Collective Conscious explorers as we can get. We need the brave, courageous and intrepid. Find that in your true self and let's go journeying into the unknown!

Philosophy of Imagination*Forty Two

I've already talked about how I believe we all have an incredible Imagination from the time that we're born. Something has to keep a child entertained when it's in utero. The mind can't live in darkness. It would drive anyone mad. So, we're born with our fantastic Imagination. There's nothing you can't do when you're a child. 

My theory on this next thing is hard to discuss, because it's so personal, but I think it's worth looking at. It has helped me to understand and heal. I was sexually abused when I was a kid. I'm not sure by whom or how often. My whole life it's something I had always thought may have happened, but I wasn't able to accept it as fact until recently. Medication for depression, therapy and the love of my wife and family helped get me there. But the initial impetus was my thinking on Imagination and how it works. How is my mind/Imagination so strong that it can block entire pieces of time in my life? That blows my mind.

Could the people who suffer severe mental and physical abuse go somewhere safe, until the abuse is over. 

As I've thought over my past, my Imagination helped make clear to me that the past is the past and it could be replayed a million times, a trillion times over and the outcome would always be the same. That there was nothing that I could do to stop the abuse. That the abuse was not my fault. That I am not damaged. That I have the confidence to tell people and not feel judged. That I am exactly me and don't have to be anything more than that. That I accept and love myself, every part and forgive myself for any past moments of weakness. 

Once you're able to forgive yourself, forgive yourself for everything, a magical thing happens. You're able to forgive everyone else for their shortcomings. It's beautiful. Nearly indescribable. 

I have forgiven my abuser/abusers, whomever they may be. I am by no means thankful for being abused, but I am very thankful for what it has made me. I wouldn't change a moment of my life. Even the awful shit. There is no shame or guilt if you have been abused. None. And I know it's hard to think about and face, but if you can see how bright the light is on the other side, it is worth it. But everyone in their time. It took me forty years of life to be able o accept and admit to myself what had happened when I was a kid. Love you all! We're all in this together and we need to help each other. Don't stay in that darkness alone. Come into the light and beauty where everyone will welcome you with open arms. Like Q-Tip said, 'Come spread your arms if you really need a hug.'

Philosophy of Imagination*Forty

I'm forty now and I've never felt so young. It's like a drug, that I've waited for on-line, for twenty years. Worth the wait, bet your ass. I didn't know so many neurons could fire so much goodness at once. Imagination is my drug, my juice, my love--trumped only by my wife and family and dogs. Imagination has given me everything and I can't wait to keep feeding it daily.

I read a recent article about 'Simulation Theory'. It's basically the plot of THE MATRIX, minus the evil human battery overtones. The theory posits that our whole Universe and existence is a computer simulation, a real life Sims. It's interesting to think about. After writing all the code, doing all the math, tinkering with algorithms, did they push the button (The Big Bang) and let us go? Are they constantly manipulating things? Who is it?

I find the theory interesting and fascinating to think about, as do most. The Matrix blew almost all minds and it's remained popular, because WOW! What the fuck? That could be true? Are we in a simulation? Well done Wachowskis! Nailed the jump, didn't stick the landing and I think for good reason. Because when they tried to explain the start and continued existence of us and our Universe, the theory gets too confusing and stupid. I believe mostly, because it's a fun theory, but untrue.

Computers want perfection. Without it, they don't work very well. Ever get a virus on your computer or run outta memory? Shit starts to go bad quick and fast. You're computer becomes a miracle to a pile of junk in no time. Complicated systems have lots of complicated problems and our Universe is most certainly complicated and the most complicated thing in this complex Universe is our complicated brains. 

If we lived in a computer simulation, things would be breaking down all the time. We would see behind the curtain, the wires, the smoke and mirrors of our creation. We would see the fuck ups. They'd be all over, all the time. But not one person has witnessed one or has any proof it. Kinda like God. God as computer programmer--I think not.

Our Universe is imperfection. That's what makes it beautiful. Computers work on perfection and perfection is dull and boring. We aren't a computer simulation. We are a fucked up, disorganized, cluttered mess of beautiful being.

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Eight

I have spent most of my forty years trying to make sure my Imagination was always growing. But like everyone, I am full of contradictions and as I was working on growth and learning with my Imagination, I was also trying to kill it. Had a twenty year uncivil war with alcohol. Forty year struggle with societal norms trying to oppress and crush my individuality and self. And 22 years battling depression and sedentariness. All fights that are hard to win and my Imagination emerged victorious every time, always stronger on the other side. Not that any of those battles are over, they rage on every day, but most days it's a skirmish or propaganda, nothing that can't be subdued quickly and with little to no collateral damage. My Imagination has it handled and grows more powerful each day. It's bursting and exploding like a piñata of light and I'm trying to catch every last drop of it on to paper or any surface, making it shine.

Make sure you're catching everything your Imagination is throwing into reality, create and share it with the World! Everyday! Even if it's a doodle or a journal entry or a hug. Make it count!

Art comes in many forms and all you need is one fan of your work. It's best if you are the first most avid one. Love yourself! Love everyone! Love shortcomings more than assets, they're far more interesting and universal.

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Seven

Who are you? Who who? Who who? It's a great question. Who are you? Not what you want. Not what you do for a job. Not where you live. Not your age. Not your gender. Not your color. Not how you dress. Who are you? Inside? The stuff that can't be seen. 

What do you believe? What are your morals and values? What is your philosophy on life? How do you treat people? Your family? Yourself? And if you're not who you are yet, who do you want to be?

THIS IS WHAT MATTERS MOST. However, you ask most these people and they don't have answers to these basic, simple questions. People have no idea who they are and what they stand for -- which doesn't include shit you don't like. We constantly make decisions based on what we DON'T want, instead of what we DO want. The lesser of two evils (Election 2016...). People are conforming, fitting in, two scared to go out on their own and be themselves. It's crippling. Their Imaginations have withered to nothing. They can no longer Imagine who they are, so they look around to see what they should do, the exact opposite of how you should be thinking and living. Never without, always within.

Who are you?

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Six

I struggle with a lot. A lot. But one of my biggest issues is listening. I am so packed full of opinions, I can't wait to interject or give advice, pushing my agenda. Problem is, no one gives a shit, besides me. Why do you think I'm writing these posts? I justify this, because it's written and people can come to my website to read it only if they want to. Otherwise they can ignore me. I'm fine with that. 

I'm certainly not alone in my deficiency. Most of us suck at listening. It really does take practice. A lot of it. I'm good at being quiet while people talk, looking on, attentive, sometimes with my brow knitted or the slow head nod in agreement with what is being spoken, but am I really listening? No. I'm taking it in, but I'm urgent to use my modicum of wisdom to help them solve their problem. 'Here's what you should do...' Bullshit. I'm making them my audience.

Have you ever cleared your mind, leaned in and only, really, truly just listened? Until a week ago, my answer was 'no'. Big, granite sculpted 'no'. But I've been trying to be aware. Cognizant. Clear-mind. No retorts or opinions on deck. Listening. It is crazy how much more you can absorb. It lands and feels different. So weird! But it is hard to remember to do all the time. I'm gonna keep working on it.

Listening is another key to growing your Imagination. Listening, empathy and Imagination are aligned. To really know people, to Imagine yourself in their shoes, to empathize, you have to listen like that. Forget yourself for a few minutes and listen. You're with yourself all the time. You have the floor for 24 hours out of the 24 hour day. You can handle sharing it for an hour or so every day. 

One of my favorite quotes ever is;
'You can't say anything you don't already know.' -- Unknown

Listen. Be curious. Expand your mind and Imagination. We are pliable. Nothing is certain, it's our best guess. Take in all the information you can, from both sides and think about it. Turn it over, look at it from every angle. We should be proud that we change our minds. That's evolution. Growing and maturing. Those are the people that survive. People who are stuck in their ways, will stay stuck, like mammoths in the tar. Not many mammoths around any more.

Truly listen. Erase you for a minute and listen. 

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Five

I think we can agree that the best things in life are the hardest to attain. To get them, there a lot of work, sacrifice and pain involved. Why is that? Why are the best things in the Universe, the hardest to get? Are they the best in our minds, because they are hard to get? Because of the scarcity? Or is it more natural? It has to be hard to gain a reward? To feel the joy and adulation, you have to struggle? No easy answers?

Let's break down some examples to get a lay of the land. We'll start simple. Walking on a beach. It's easy, sure and at sunset, there might not be a better place to be. But is it easy? When you were a baby, you had to learn how to walk. Definitely not easy. Probably one of the hardest concepts to learn. There is so  much balance and adjustment happening, billions of synapses firing, muscle cells, memory and on and on. Walking is fucking difficult, but we take it for granted once we know how. Sure, you could lay on the beach like a slug and still get some of the ambiance, but you need someone to carry you there and pick you back up once the tide comes in. That's a big favor. Someone that loved you would surely do it, but love is incredibly hard to come by. Way harder than walking. There are so many intricate emotions, coupled with a lifetime of experience, the lens in which we see the World, any of which can trip up love and are willingness to engage in it. And all of that complication is doubled, because it takes two people to love. So you're on the beach, walking or slugging it, but you had to get to the beach. If you live near the coast, you have a small advantage, you may only be a few miles away. However, if you live in Kansas, you have to earn the money and pay for a plane ticket. You have to fly there, pay for a cab. Once you're there, you have to be present, patient, in the moment. You're on the beach, feeling the waves tickling your toes and the sand compressing under your feet, smelling the salt and seaweed. You must have focus to be truly present. Our minds want to wander, thinking about the baby screaming on your flight or the fact that you couldn't get anyone else to come with you or that you overpaid for the cab. Taking a walk on the beach isn't as easy as it sounds.

Next let's look at drugs. Drugs are fun. They make you feel amazing when you're doing them. Life of the party, being yourself, you can't lose! Until the drugs wear off. The you gotta get more. Drugs are expensive, so you have to earn the money. Or steal it, which has an enormous price, because if you get caught, you go to jail and your freedom and independence is stripped away, far outweighing any benefit you've received from using the drug. That goes for the using of the drug, too. If you are caught using, possessing or selling, straight to the slammer. Freedom gone. That is steep. Even if you have the money and you don't get caught, you still have the hangover, depression, the need for more drugs to keep your high and then it really starts to affect your life. Job, family, living become second priority to the drugs. You waste everything, health, happiness, life, to keep that fleeting drug high going. The cost far outweighs any pleasure. Therefore, it cannot even be counted as something good.

Nothing good is free. It all comes at a high cost. We have to keep moving and working hard and growing as individuals. Movement is life. Having a great life involves a lot of movement. In the right directions. We have to keep trying to get what is great, what is blowed and sought after. 

If movement is life, can you sit still? Of course, but you have to be engaging your Imagination and soul while you sit. If I go into my backyard and plop down on the grass, if I let myself think about anything in my life, except for the backyard, I'll get bored fast. But, if I am thinking about the backyard, listening to the birds, looking at the clouds, feeling the grass, smelling the fig tree, watching the bugs and the birds, fueling my brain with the present, I can sit there for hours. I am sitting still, but I am still moving a lot. If you sit places and stew about all your problems and place in the Universe, you're living in the past and what's the only thing in this World that we can't change? The past. Get out of there! Forward is the way! The present is the way! If you only live in those two places, think about how much movement you will have. Think of the life you will have! 

But why do we have to move to have a great life? I'll interject one of my theories, that all good things, on or below the surface, have more gravity. The beauty, charisma, confidence or even just an object. Matter and particles, just like people, want to be part of something. The better and more sought after that thing is, the more gravity it has. Gravity draws us in, mentally, physically and spiritually. So why don't we get sucked in to what is great in this World? Why aren't we bouncing in between gravities of the beautiful and amazing in life? Why are we attracted to them, but are held at arms length? Is it movement alone? If we don't have enough movement in ourselves (or the particles that make us up), the lack of excitement pushes us back. 

So do great/beautiful/awesome things have gravity that draw people/particles in, but there is another force pushing away with equal power/pressure? If you don't have enough movement/excitement, you get left in the cold? What would this anti-gravity, pushing force be? Dark energy? Which is the opposite of light/Imagination? Is it our inability to leave behind ourselves, our past, our opinions and judgements? Our inability to leave it all at the door and exist with something new? Until we are able to drop our guard and the armor we've created around us, encumbering us always (we think it is helping, but it is holding us back and creating unwarranted pressure), can we not move enough to see things for what they are? Is that the force pushing back? Our perceptions of life? Would relieving ourselves of these perceptions allow our Imagination to run wild, to move, with no impediments? Untethering your held beliefs/life experience/opinions and allowing them to drift off, would allow your Imagination to show you exactly what you are capable of? That you can proceed without fear? If we can say we know nothing and drop all preconceptions, will we see all things for what they truly are? Is fear/racism/hate/stereotypes/past experience the force that is pushing away, even as gravity pulls? Anti-Imagination? If you let anti-Imagination rule, you will move further and further away from yourself, from who you really are, because you're letting the past and outside forces/opinions/people Imagine for you? 

But jobs and big houses and fame don't have opinions. They are inanimate. But the people who control jobs, real estate and fame do. Are these people with power the ones creating the anti-Imagination/dark energy/pushing force? Is that why space is black, because it is constantly growing? Movement creates light? And you need a lot of it, working three times as hard to make it punch through the dark? Does movement create light? Does lack of movement create darkness? 

Does relinquishing all fear and secrets and preconception allow you to create great art, or run a business well or raising children? Does it make you more accessible through personal interactions or interactions with things that you Imagination has created? Does it create more light in you that people are drawn to, because you've made it more accessible? Made yourself, your true self more accessible? Putting yourself and movement and hard work into something will draw people in. You're increasing your light/gravity and letting the dark energy/opinions/ego/secrets go? You're letting yourself go and saying, 'we're in this together', let me share with you everything I've learned so far, which isn't much. Like Socrates said, the only thing I know for sure, is that I don't know -- that's a paraphrase. 

I think I might only know three things for certain.
1. BE KIND to everyone and everything.
2. LOVE YOURSELF. Especially the warts.
3. IMAGINE and WORK HARD to catch it!!!

Everything else is a theory, waiting to be disproved by a more simple idea. 

Darkness can never catch light? It is faster and stronger, but not by much, than darkness? If the Universe weren't expanding/moving, it would be contracting, collapsing in on itself? If light is leading the way into the infinite and darkness is always too slow to catch it, then light will always exist? Is movement time, too?

Movement is life.
Life is light.
Be yourself and you will be the light.
Be the light.
Shine bright for everyone to see!!!

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Four

We were discussing the five things we would rescue from a fire. Not counting family/friends. Here are mine; 1. Our dogs, Bean and Gracie -- 2. Journals -- 3. Photos -- 4. All my writing and notes -- 5. Computer and Hard Drives

What were yours?

I have some tangible things on my list, as I'm sure you do too, but what are the tangible items? What do they represent? Why are they important? The answer invariably comes back, 'Things that can't be replaced or reproduced.' These are all items with a tremendous amount of sentimental value. Things that don't have a price. My computer and hard drives(cell phone falls here) are important, because they contain photos and writing that I've done. These physical things hold the sentiment. The memories. The irreplaceable beauty created by your Imagination. 

There will always be a few outliers, maybe those jet skis are your babies, but almost everyone's list will be similar to mine, with some small derivations, all rife with sentiment, all things that we didn't have to buy with money. All things that live in our heart and Imagination.

When faced with losing everything, we save things that cost (almost) no money. We save memories and our Imagination creations. That's what matters. So, why do we spend 90% of our time chasing money. Sure, everyone has to work and have money to survive, but why do we sacrifice our time working, trying to get ahead, at the expense of family and friends? At the expense of ourselves and our mental well-being? Why do we chase cash to buy that new car, when your time and money could be used to create memories, those irreplaceable memories that we rescue from the fire? Why are our priorities so skewed?

You have got to recognize what is most important to you and throw 90% of your time and hard work behind it. Try it for a week, see how it feels, see how clear your mind will become. Imagine what kind of person you want to be and be it.

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirty Three

I want you to sit for an hour, alone, no TV, no music and most definitely no phone. You by yourself, with a notepad and a pencil/pen, thinking about you. Imagine away. As always, let it take you wherever it wants. By the end of the hour, you need to have written down the five most important things to you in the whole Universe.

Good luck! Don't be freaked out. You're amazing! You're gonna have a great time!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Eight

Imagination is amazing. Probably the best in the Universe as all feelings and emotion and consciousness are born of it. The physical World and the people, animals and nature are the only thing that out-cools Imagination.

As with everything in the Universe, Imagination is half light and dark. Your Imagination can conjure greatness beyond compare. Love, hope, happiness, films, paintings, architecture, physics, biology, saving planets, saving lives, science fiction, spaceships, unicorns, unicorns that fly spaceships, ii(that's my new acronym for 'Into Infinite'--meaning I could keep listing things forever). 

Your Imagination can conjure fear, hate and darkness in equal measure. Murder, betrayal, car crashes, gossip, the World against you, hate, demons, blood, evil, failure, worthlessness, loneliness, apathy, ego, racism, hopelessness, ii.

The key is to keep as much focus as you can on the Light. The darkness needs to be there for balance, but it can sit way in the back in the obstructed view seats. Fear doesn't have to be part of your daily life. And shouldn't be. Bad things happen all the time, every second of every day to someone in the World, but that doesn't mean we have to live in fear of it. It becomes crippling. We deal with bad situations as they come. They will make you sad and scared and fearful, but when those emotions come, if you have a strong Imagination of the light, the one that you cultivate every day, you will be able to push those dark Images away and see a future of light, of overcoming all evil/fear/hardships that life throws at you.

Imagine that you get a call from the police. Your brother/sister has been in a car accident. As you rush to the hospital, you are scared and fearful. For most of us, our Imagination takes us to the worst outcome. Paralyzed. Disfigured. Brain damage. Death. This is normal, but if you can also Imagine the light alongside it. It's a fender bender. A few broken bones. It will be hard at first, but they will make a full recovery. The stronger the light side of your Imagination, the easier it is to nullify or even ignore fear.

If we can ignore fear, we will reach out further, we will try new things, things we've been putting off, go places, meet people -- live! We will live a fuller life, devoid of fear. Even the small fears we have, like what are people are thinking of me? Do I look good? Am I doing a good job at work? Will this old yogurt give me food poisoning? You will go and do without thinking about or being hindered by fear. You can be your beautiful self. 

Imagine how much more you will do and get done if you don't have to ponder the fear and uncertainty of every choice and decision that you make. Sure, you should still be cautious, but there is a huge difference between fear and caution. Caution is being safe, taking into account things that may likely go wrong and taking measures to mitigate problems. Fear is mostly unfounded events. Like being murdered if you go for a walk at night. Fear makes you stay inside and watch TV instead of getting exercise, enjoying fresh air and talking with people you come across. See how much fear can negatively affect even a very small decision, small decisions that we make thousands of a day. You see how much fear plays into our everyday.

Imagine light. Imagine how much fun you will have. Imagine the experience you will have and the stories you can tell for the rest of your life. No one tells stories about watching TV. 

Get out and live! Don't let fear cripple you. Think on why certain things make you scared and fearful. See if they are caution or rational fear. If they aren't, dismiss the fear and plunge ahead. Imagining the light will get you there. The only thing you want to blow out of proportion is how much fun you will have!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Seven

You're amazing. We know that. Sure, you can occasionally be rude, dismissive, judgmental, petty, caddy, fussy, whiny, obsessive, manipulative, cold, bitchy, an asshole, lame, dumb, unpleasant, smelly, old, loud, annoying, obnoxious, stupid, moronic, unrealistic, vapid, vitriolic, bombastic, quiet, self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic, clumsy, hacky, copy cat, clingy, needy, co-dependent, angry, violent, racist, stereotyper, ugly, gross, greasy, unctuous, overbearing, hamfisted, pussy-footed, scared, frightened, cloying, mendacious, dick, pussy, fuckhead, fuckwad, prick, prat, dipshit, cock, bollocks, hermit, non-communicative, introvert, extrovert, slow, too fast, insufferable and a nincompoop. You're never these things for long. Fleeting bursts of obnoxious. Usually, you're a beautiful human being.

All other people are occasionally rude, dismissive, judgmental, petty, caddy, fussy, whiny, obsessive, manipulative, cold, bitchy, an asshole, lame, dumb, unpleasant, smelly, old, loud, annoying, obnoxious, stupid, moronic, unrealistic, vapid, vitriolic, bombastic, quiet, self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic, clumsy, hacky, copy cat, clingy, needy, co-dependent, angry, violent, racist, stereotyper, ugly, gross, greasy, unctuous, overbearing, hamfisted, pussy-footed, scared, frightened, cloying, mendacious, dick, pussy, fuckhead, fuckwad, prick, prat, dipshit, cock, bollocks, hermit, non-communicative, introvert, extrovert, slow, fast, insufferable and a nincompoop. Other people are never these things for long. Fleeting bursts of obnoxious. Usually, they're beautiful human beings.

If we can recognize this and forgive ourselves and others for their foibles and missteps, then we can know true empathy. If we can learn to see it all the time, then we won't get angry at ourselves or others, because they (and you) are doing the best that they can.

If we can do that, Imagine ourselves in all people and things, see you in them, then our World will immediately become more beautiful. Empathy needs a great Imagination. Practice Imagining. Practice always and like  magic, everything is you -- Amazing!!!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Four

Let us Imagine that all particles, even the smallest tiny ones (Higgs-Boson, Neutrino, Tachyon and so many others that we haven't found or perceived of yet) all have memory. They all know where they are now and where they have been, but like us, have no idea where they're going. If they have memory, then they also have Imagination and so at some level, conscious, subconscious or something else, they have a desire to be somewhere desirable in their future. With memory and Imagination, even a single particle, the smallest we can conceive of, has dreams.

Like people and everything else in the Universe, it has dark and light, the two forces wrestling for dominance in any Universal body, from macro to quantum. The particles memory keeps track of this ebb and flow and is drawn to other like particles. That is the Imagination/gravity of the particle at work. They don't have complete control and so there is plenty of randomness and particles hitting everything that comes in their way, even if that particle wanted to run into other light-dominated particles, often it runs into a dark body of particles and it will do its best to turn the others it runs afoul of, into light. Same goes for the dark particles. It's the back and forth, the yin and yang, the good and the bad, the ebb and flow, the highs and lows that make up life and the Universe. 

All of these particles are flying around in every direction in our Universe. Running in to each other, some times bouncing off, sometimes being absorbed by a large body of particles, sometimes being broken apart into smaller particles. They are always moving, always flowing and always becoming part of something else. 

One day a particle may be part of a camel, the next day it's sand, the next day it's more sand -- there's a lotta sand in deserts -- then two years from then it's a man in China, then ten years from then it's a fish in the Atlantic, then a 100 years from then it's rock in Amsterdam, then six days from then it's a spoon in Luxembourg and on and on and on into the Infinite.

Eventually, all particles become everyone and everything else and everything is connected. We are the Universe. We are Imagination. We are a camel. Everything we do, does effect everything else in the Universe. You matter very much. You have a hand in everything, whether you like it or not.

This does not mean you have to be an amalgam lump. Or that you have to do what others are doing, or believing or saying. Be yourself. That is very important. Your unique Imagination is what will continue to make the World great! Do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, or impede with someone else's self being. Keep yourself light. Don't let the darkness extinguish your beauty. Do that and you will help the Universe survive. Live a good life and you will make the entire Universe a better place for everyone, now and for Infinity. 

Particles are swirling and flowing and smashing into each other always, they become you and me and oceans and your friends and your enemies and then you again. Send as many particles back out into the Universe with as much light and Imagination as you can pack into them!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Three

You only have to know one thing. One absolute truth. It is the seed, the seed that will grow into your love and beauty and happiness and knowledge and experience -- I could go on 'and-ing' forever, because that seed will make everything better. You have to know for sure, it must be unshakeable, a truth that is never lost, no matter how many naysayers and assholes and rules say 'no'. You must hang on to this 'SEED OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH'. Forever.

Everyone has an Imagination. No one can see or steal or corrupt it in any way. It is safe and sound. It is your seed and it is impossible to steal or destroy (even after you're dead and gone). Your Imagination is powerful and allows you to do anything you want. Whatever you can Imagine, you can make happen. That's it!

Albert Einstein said 'Imagination is more important than knowledge.' I agree, but I would go further. 'Imagination is more important than everything.' it is where everything lives and grows. It is love, feelings, fun, laughter, music--I'm and-ing again. So, with that said...

The only truth you absolutely need in life is that YOU/YOUR IMAGINATION allows you to do anything!!! Anything!!! So fucking cool! That is your Seed. Help it grow and you can make a beautiful World for yourself!!! Start with changing your World and when your ready, you will know how to help the rest of the World.

Imagine every day. Imagine yourself swallowing a whole watermelon and spitting the seeds out like a hose. Imagine bouncing up and down a power line. Imagine running and jumping over a mountain and having a chat with a crow on the way down. Imagine being happy every day. Imagine doing what you love for money. Imagine floating in a blue lakeland knowing that your future is love and beauty and happiness. Imagine eating a ice cream cone ten feet tall, that never melts. Imagine everything and your body will follow.

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty Two

When we are kids, even too young to talk, we begin to express ourselves with art. We draw. We color. We paint. We make crafts. We cut shapes. We make music with pans and sticks. We build with blocks and legos. We use anything at the disposal of our little hands to let the World (but mostly our parents) know what we are all about. Besides crying, it is our first form of communication. Not only does it help us communicate, we also use it to learn about what we don't understand. Expression in its most simple form. These are our Imaginations at work! And as kids, our Imaginations are humming.

Then we begin to grow up. We watch more TV/films/internet videos, play video games and we use our Imaginations less and less. The art continues through grade school, but when we get to junior high, it's an elective. By the time we get to high school, only about 35% of kids are taking any type of artistic class, which includes art, wood shop, playing an instrument, singing in the choir and writing for the school paper. After high school, it drops to less than 10%. Funding for these endeavors is always the first to go. Most don't give a shit that they're taking away one of our most important assets for communication.

Studies have shown that when Imagination and creativity is used often in schools and classrooms, everything gets better. Literally everything! Grades in all subjects. Test scores in all subjects. Attendance. Attention. Behavior. Everything! Art should be the last to go. It's salt! It makes everything better! You would never make food without salt. Everything has salt in it. Even the sweets.

Quitting Imaginative/creative/artistic endeavors is debilitating for everyone. It extends to everything beyond school, too. When we are artistic, everything in life gets better. It's exercising our Imaginations. It's the salt. The elixir for all that ails us, but we use it so infrequently. Most often, we let others entertain us with their Imaginations, which is important, too, but we'll never recognize the importance of it until we do it ourselves. We're losing one of the most important aspects of communication, a highway into the individual Imagination, the greatest destination one can visit.

You wouldn't sew your mouth shut or paint your eyeballs black or stuff your ears with cotton, but that's what we're doing when we don't do anything artistic. We're ignoring one of our senses. The salt! The most sophisticated and complex of all the senses. Where all the other senses come to be made sense of. 

Use your Imagination! Write! Draw! Paint! Play music! Write music! Make films! Sculpt! Cook!(with salt). One of our first and most important forms of communication is being forgotten. Go back down the road to where you through it out, dust it off and make it new again. We're all artists. We just have to do art. It will make everything better!

Philosophy of Imagination*Twenty

We spend a lot of time, most of our time, thinking about what other people are Imagining about us. How we dress. How we look. What job we have. Who are friends are. Where we live. What movies we like. There are no shortage of opinions out there. You could probably call the internet 'Opinion' instead and it would make more logical sense. All this that I'm writing is my opinion on life. It's good in small doses, but almost none of us consume it in small doses. We grow up with social norms that we follow. Our parents have ideas on how we should look, act and behave. Our friends, too. And then we get roped into it, almost from the time we're able to understand the World around us.

All of us have a beautiful, infinite Imagination. One of the only things that's hard for us to imagine is what other people are thinking and Imagining. We can't see their Imagination and never will (we try and give people the best representation through art and action). So why do we spend most of our lives trying to figure it out, when we have our own brilliant Imagination that is aching to be explored. Explore it!

Your reality and how you view the World is different from everyone else's. So quit following their rules and follow your own. Learn about you. Think about you. Be you. And this is not a conceit or egotistical. It doesn't mean you stop helping people or think yourself to be better than those around you. It is simply taking the time to get to know yourself. You'll never understand a fucking thing until you really know and love yourself. Until you set others reality aside and live yours, with no apologies.

I know you're amazing and I've never met you. Now it's your turn to find your own reality and see the amazing light inside of yourself!

Philosophy of Imagination*Eighteen

Where's happy?

Hopefully all of them. Throw a rock and you'll hit happy. Have you ever been to an amazing concert? The band is playing the best song they've ever written, an energy and vitality like it was the first time they played it and crowd is going apeshit like it's the first time they've heard this musical genius!

What is that special feeling that everyone (except maybe the drunk people barfing in the port-potties) is experiencing? That euphoric happiness that is so strong, if a bomb was dropped on top of all of you, everyone would be fine with it. What is that connectedness that makes you lock eyes with a total sweaty stranger three rows down, while you dance and sing the lyrics to each other? Invisible, but palpable. Free, but invaluable. Strong, but fleeting. What makes this happen?

This can be said of all events where groups of people come together to share a joyous experience. Sports, movies, parades. It can also evaporate quickly and leave sad, anxious, angry feelings if something goes wrong. Like when your football team is winning big and the other team slowly comes back and that moment when they take the lead, its as if everyone was struck with depression and insecurities. They always use the term 'the air got sucked out of the stadium'. What is that? What sucks the collective exuberance out of a crowd? 

Imagination. Our Collective Imagination gets condensed, concentrated when we're all together, sharing an experience. Our Imaginations are working together toward a common idea -- how awesome this concert/game is going to continue to be. The best fucking concert ever! That's what the Collective Imagination is doing and it's so powerful, it can suck in everyone. 

If something goes wrong, someone gets hurt, the music stops, your team goes down late in the game, the same Collective Imagination that created the happiness hysteria, turns to Imagining the worst. The ripples encompassing everyone. Is the person gonna die? That might have been the last note my favorite band ever plays? Our season is over.

Overwhelmingly these events stay positive, fueling our happiness and love for each other without a word being spoken. How can we create more events and coming together moments where we tap into the beauty and power of our Collective Imagination? We should have huge coming togethers for no other reason than coming together.

For love alone.

Philosophy of Imagination*Seventeen

I was reading a philosophy article that was making the argument for 'God'. He made some interesting points, but the foundation of his argument is the same one that religious people make again and again. Who created the Universe? There has to be a 'God', because someone created the Universe, or the matter that grew into the Universe. But the same argument can be made about 'God'.

If 'God created the Universe, who created God? It's a circular argument, that like all great philosophical discussions has no answer. Yet. 

My goal is to not impugn on anyone's beliefs, or morals or values or interests. Let people do anything they want, is what I believe, as long as they're not hurting anyone else, physically or emotionally. That's the only time I'll stand up and say 'hold the fuck on'. If people believe in God, great, believe in God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost. Or Muhammed. Or Ganesh. Or math and science. Or Mother Earth. Or Zeus. Vindictive creators are particularly interesting. Believe what you want and leave others to do the same. Where we run into problems is when we admonish and vilify those who believe differently from ourselves. If someone wants to believe 'flying spaghetti' (a real religion) to be the 'god', then let them. How is that hurting you? Let people be. 

I believe Imagination is the Creator. That it can exist with your other beliefs and ideas. Your Imagination is what allows you to believe in a 'God' of your choosing. Imagination allows you to close your eyes and see that 'God' if you want. Your Imagination knows right and wrong and helps you create your morals and values -- perhaps with the aid of your 'God'. And you live your life by these morals and values, or by a lack of them. Do what you want (as long as you're not hurting anyone).

We can all believe in Imagination. If I say 'star chasing cowboy pickle', something pops in to your head, an image. And everyone's image is different. 7.5 billion different images. So 7.5 billion different images of 'God'.

We all have our own 'God'. Created by our unique Imaginations. Let people be*.

*Unless they're hurting someone or something.

Philosophy of Imagination*Thirteen

I got looking back at my posts so far. I sound like I've never had a problem in the World. That my life has been sunshine, popsicles and rainbows. Like everyone else on this planet, that can't be further from the truth. Happiness is something that has to be worked at and I have worked hard to get happy. Although the gush of good vibes and positivity can seem cloying and obnoxious in abundance, I will make no apologies of it. I am not always happy. Sometimes I'm fucking pissed and sad and lost. My work to make happiness the largest part of my 'Feelings Pie' is what I'm celebrating. Imagination has got me here. No apologies.

Why do we want to be happy? Why is that the feeling that we're all chasing? How do we stay happy? These are questions that we need to answer for ourselves, I'm only hoping to spur thought, to awaken the conscious to think about such things. 

Everyone should be free to do whatever they want -- *as long as it's not hurting anyone else. ANYONE ELSE. The only rule, The Golden Rule. However, if you have never taken a deep dive into yourself and asked yourself a few of the existential questions, you should try it. A deep dive. Deep. A dive where shit starts to get scary and dark, but you don't turn back. I promise, as dark as it may seem, if you keep on diving, it will begin to get light again. More light than you've ever seen. It's beautiful -- there goes my inexhaustible happiness rearing it's smiling head. No apologies.

I hate rules. More than anything. I came up with the three. The only three that I follow. You are free to adopt them, hate them, be ambivalent toward them. That's up to you. I will never stand in the way of what you want to do and neither should anyone else (*as long as you're not hurting anyone). I wanted to share, though. They're pretty awesome.

1. Be good to everyone and everything.       

2. Always be in the now with an eye on the future.

3. Imagine always! Have fun! Create!

That last one kind of sounds like three, but I assure you, Imagination begets fun, which begets creativity. If you've got one you think I've missed, I'd love to hear it and why you think it's important?

Give it a shot. Apply these to all that you do. Be conscious. Dive deep. Unapologetic happiness may start to feel less cloying and obnoxious. Love you all!

Philosophy of Imagination*Eleven

Imagine every day.

Dream every day.

Love everyone every day.

Give every day.

Be you every day.

Imagine how good that will be every day.

Philosophy of Imagination*Ten

Today is V-E Day! Hooray! One of the greatest days in the history of our World. The day before, we were engaged in the biggest war the World has ever seen. People were dying everywhere. The families of soldiers were scared and fearful that their sons and husbands would never come home. Europe was drudging through the idea that their future lay under the thumb of Nazi rule.

Then the next day, that was all wiped away! Everyone could Imagine a big bright beautiful future! Even for Germany and the Nazis. All of that positivity and hope and dreams unleashed upon the Earth by millions of people at once. It had to have been palpable, the song of the collective Imagination rising up and making a rainbow that shown across the whole planet. I bet V-E Day set the record for most fucking in one day?

Propaganda can be a very effective tool in wartime. It can tap in to the darkness of the Imagination and foster feelings of dread and hopelessness. The psychological damage can be much more severe than the physical one. If that hopelessness spurred on by negative propaganda permeates a city or town or country, often times there is no coming back. 

It's best not to listen at all and only see the life in front of you. Keep your spirits up and hope alive for a brighter tomorrow. That spirit is what kept the Allies going. Despite overwhelming odds, they could still envision a great future with their collective Imagination. They were able to defeat an enemy that was unbeatable, because they believed they could do it and they didn't listen to the voices telling them that they were finished.

Recently I was feeling very anxious, angry and scared about our current political climate. Every day there was something in the news that reignited the fire that I had put out the day before. I got so caught up in the propaganda, I was having trouble focusing on anything else. So I quit the news. I haven't read or watched any news in almost two months and I feel amazing! My mind and Imagination are working better than ever! And it allows me to Imagine my World, how I truly see it, not how the news media and advertisers want me to see it. 

We need to think more for ourselves. I didn't realize how much power the media has until I turned them off. It is powerful! They are creating drama and your Imagination (usually the dark side of it) blows it even further out of proportion. We have to think for ourselves. Take back full control of our Imaginations and let it focus on making our lives happier and more fulfilling.

You're Imagination is your own. Make sure you're piloting it.