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From: locke@convex.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: More mirrors, more dust - (nf)
Message-ID: <46100004@convex.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Jul-84 12:17:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: convex.46100004
Posted: Mon Jul  9 12:17:00 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Jul-84 00:23:28 EDT
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Nf-From: convex!locke    Jul  9 11:17:00 1984

#R:flairvax:-62000:convex:46100004:000:2223
convex!locke    Jul  9 11:17:00 1984

It appears that the problem surrounding the understanding of the mind 
deals with our point of perception.  As an explanation of this, I recall
a scene from the book " The Fire From Within" by Carlos Castaneda.  Carlos
was with his teacher and friend, Don Juan.  An aquaintence of Don Juan's,
called Genero, was also present.  During their time together, Carlos
describes a horrifying and fearful experience which he says Genero had brought
about.  After the event, Genero asks Don Juan if he thought Carlos had
enough energy to repeat the experience.  Don Juan's reply (directed to
Carlos) was that that was just Genero's morbid way of having fun.
	It was several years later that Carlos "saw" that Don Juan had
initiated his turmoil (while all the time Don Juan appeared from 
Carlos' observations to be the last person to ever instigate such an
event).  Genero was Don Juan's "heavy".  When Genero asked if Carlos has
energy to repeat the experience, Carlos now 'understood' that Genero
was worried about him. It was a change in perception that allowed that
understanding.
	T. Leary had a similar approach in his 1960's experiments on
his patients with hallucinagenic drugs.  The idea was for his patients to
understand that no perception of awareness was final.
	This background was in preparation to considering the concept
of using the scientific method to evaluate and classify the 'mind'.
Such properties of the mind as 'will' and 'intent' may very well be
impossible to realistically approach by these means, but everyone
knows or has an awareness of them.  Maintaining that a logical,rational
(and perhaps judgemental) point of awareness will permit oneself to
understand the totality of one's awareness makes as much sense as using
the scientific method of proving the existenc of God (which is also
a very real experience to some).
	The most difficult realization to accept may be that in order
to expand our awareness, we must forget about everything we have been taught
to be able to realign our awareness.  This might not bring about a new
understanding, but perhaps a more total understanding.  By that time,
who knows, we may all be out of our minds and never consider the
question of their existance.