The Nature and Importance of Experience

What is Experience? Why is it important and how does it play a role in the development of Mind? Well, as I explained in the previous posting, Experience is that which results when matter interacts with the environment. Experience is the input data used by Mind to enable Matter attain a realization of its own Being. Without Experience, Mind remains inert and consequently Matter cannot realize its own being. It is important to note that following our definition of life, all Matter – organic or not, possess life. Taking the human being as a case study, examples of how Experience defines the human beings realization of the self are: the use of sight, sound, speech, smell and touch. These attributes, which are obtained from the interaction between certain parts of the body and the external environment, are all subject to the law of evolution. The law of evolution is the law of interaction. Under its omnipresent influence, all that is contained within Creation must interact in order to preserve its state of dynamism. The fact that the human being is able to interact using the property of sight, sound, speech, smell and touch, is only due to the fact that it happens to arbitrarily posses the appropriate organs to enable the realization of certain types of Experience, which we arbitrarily label sound, smell and so on. It could just as easily have been otherwise.

We have stated that the Mind is unchanging. It is a reservoir of energy without purpose or direction but waiting to be used. The input of Experience gives it direction and purpose. Consequently, work is performed. Experience defines the world we live in. With regards to sentient Matter, taste, touch, sight, smell and sound are all types of Experiences that are made possible by the level of complexity of certain organs, i.e. tongue, skin, eye, nose and ear. This implies that the level of complexity of Matter enables the realization of certain types of Experiences. This is because since Matter can assume an infinite number of complex variations, it can realize Experience in an infinite number of ways. More importantly, the link between Matter and Mind through Experience implies that Matter will never reach its full potential until the Mind is fully developed.

To give a clear example of how Experience plays a vital role in shaping our lives, we shall follow the hypothetical life of a human being from birth through adolescence, adulthood and finally death.
At the instant just before a baby is born into the world, it is blind to everything – all sensations, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. The only thing it has to go by are the sensations experienced in the womb of its mother. These sensations prepare its Mind for what is to come when birth finally occurs. At birth the baby’s Mind is still not developed. By this I mean, that even though at birth the baby’s Mind has already formed all the various aspects – subconscious, subjective, objective, etc, courtesy of the complexity of its organs, it is unable to express itself because it’s Mind hasn’t had the requisite input of data in the form of Experience. The baby however is Aware. And so what one observes is that the baby is constantly interacting with the environment – gurgling, laughing, grunting, crying, staring, moving its limbs, etc, in an attempt to use its Awareness to feed its Mind with Experiences (which we must remember it is compelled to do by virtue of the active principle of Evolution that permeates its Being). The result is that its Mind becomes strengthened with each passing moment. Consequently, a personality that is unique to the child slowly begins to emerge which is a function of the Experiences that have been fed to the Mind.

This brings us to a crucial point. And this is that the uniqueness of the baby’s personality is a direct consequence of the Experiences that are fed into its Mind. Acknowledging the fact that each human being is unique, i.e. subtly different in physical make up, this implies that all human beings will realize the same Experience in a unique way. In other words, for example, if asked to look upon a random object, say, a stone, every human being will perceive it differently because the physical make up of the eye of each person varies in a very subtle manner. The same applies to the sense of smell, tasting, and so on.
And so coming back to the baby, we find that as the years go by, the baby is able to increasingly express itself from a unique perspective and thus it develops a personality that is unique to it only. When the baby reaches adolescence, and becomes a teenager however, its personality undergoes significant change, which will stay with it for the rest of its life. It is a change that provides the teenager with the tool to deepen its Mind and in the process realize its own Being even more fully. This is a crucial time in the life of the teenager because whatever is experienced during this period will define how well he or she is able to realize and balance all aspects of Mind. This in turn will determine how well the teenager is able to interact with his/her self and the external environment i.e. society.

So why does the child’s personality undergo such drastic change during its adolescence? Well the reason is that during this period, in preparation for progression into adulthood, the body produces hormones, which act as catalysts for the introduction of major changes to the overall Matter composition of the body. The teenager gets bigger in size, puts on more bones and muscle, becomes more masculine or feminine, etc. The change in the Matter composition of the body results in an increase in complexity of the total Matter composition of the body. Thus, this will result in a consequent change in the perception and interpretation of any subsequent Experience obtained from interaction with the environment. This change in perception and interpretation of Experience is what results in a change of the personality. Note that the frame of the personality will remain the same but the depth of the frame will change.

Since the personality is the sum total of all aspects of Mind, a change in depth of the personality will affect the growth of the various aspects of Mind. If the depth of the personality changes uniformly then this implies a balanced personality. In reality however, this is not usually the case. During adolescence, the body grows so fast and the world suddenly seems different – almost alien, so much so, that in a bid to adapt, the teenager is forced to favour certain experiences over others. This leads to an unbalanced personality. After coming out of adolescence, the teenager subconsciously spends the rest of his or her life seeking out those experiences that will restore the simple balance of pre-teen years. The teenager will have the best opportunity to find this balance in old age in the years leading up to death for the simple reason that the body growth has virtually ceased and change in perception of experienced has slowed considerably.

It is important to bear in mind that an unbalanced personality is the hallmark of evolving complex matter. And as such there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. It is inevitable. However, where it becomes a problem is with regards to the traits in promotes in human beings that run contrary to the progression of society a single unit. Some of these traits are greed, selfishness, lust for power, and so on, all of which, it must be noted are natural and only become disruptive when viewed in the context of the greater good – the Group.

So the question now becomes: how can the flaws in human nature, which are caused by an unbalanced personality, be corrected so that all members of society can co-exist in harmony leading to the elimination of social injustice and inequality? Well, the answer lies in learning to embrace and actively seek out all types of Experiences since different types of Experiences develop different aspects of the Mind. This will eliminate fear, uncertainty and guilt, which in turn will allow each human being to explore, without reservation, the self and the environment. This implies that that the human being will have put himself or herself in the best possible position to obey the prime directive of Creation, which is to evolve. The human being will experience a total realization of all aspects of his or her Mind. And this will result in perfect harmony with all Life.

This is the ultimate goal of every human being. It is what we subconsciously strive to do with our every waking breadth. All our endeavours in reacting to demand by trying to understand the self, the environment in which we live and how the two interact, is in response to our desire to achieve perfect harmony with all life. The best period in which to learn how to achieve this is just before adolescence. Our children must be taught to embrace all experiences in order to eliminate fear. When fear is eliminated, a strong, clear and balanced sense of self is established. In other words, all the facets of the personality, which is Matter’s realization of its self will be fully recognized and acknowledged. More importantly however, our children must be taught to interpret their experiences with respect to the expectations of the Group will i.e. of society’s will. This is the only way to preserve harmony within the self and with society. It is the only way forward. It is the only way to eliminate poverty, uneven distribution of wealth, crime and all the ills of society.

The Paradigm of Matter and Mind

To understand the link between Mind and Matter, it will be necessary to introduce the concepts of Mind and Matter.

Matter

Matter can be defined loosely as anything that can be realized as a physical aspect of life. In other words, anything that is experienced as a physical object is matter. Since life is Creation, this implies that matter is the physical aspect of Creation. The question then becomes why is it necessary for Creation to have a physical aspect. Who or what defines a physical aspect. The answers to these questions are to be found in the Paradigm of Mind and Matter.

Mind

What is Mind? Popular perception is that Mind is a concept that embodies a series of functions that stem from the brain. Some even go as far as suggesting that the Mind is the brain, in other words, without the brain there is no Mind. If true, this implies that any matter that is not sentient and does not possess a brain does not possess Mind. This cannot be true. There is a lot that is unknown about the nature, origin or purpose of Mind.Therefore, there is no reason to exclude the possibility of an intrinsic link between Mind and Matter – be it organic or inorganic.

So, what is the link between Mind and Matter? Well, we are sure that there must be a link for the simple reason that since Mind is an aspect of Creation, as is Matter, then they must both be subject to the same laws of Evolution. This crucial link between Mind and Matter will enable us to derive a paradigm that describes their interaction.

Mind has many observed aspects, such as consciousness, intellect, thought, perception, etc. What is the link between them all? This answer is to be found in the paradigm of Mind and Matter.

The Paradigm of Mind and Matter

This is the paradigm of Mind and Matter:

• Before the beginning was a sea of Existence – which was characterized by a state of infinite potential without any boundaries. Because it was without any boundaries, the sea of existence was without form or purpose. It was non-dynamic. It was in a state of Pre-Creation.
• Pre-Creation was injected with an impulse which imposed boundary conditions on its “potential well” thus giving rise to internal dynamism resulting in the state of Being...which is Creation.
• The Principle of Evolution is the personification of this impulse. Its only purpose is the enforcement and maintenance of dynamism in and of Creation.
• Creation results from the transformation of Pre-Creation due to the intervention of Evolution.
• Matter is the condensation of Being in space and time.
• Mind is the Personification of Being.
• Mind is formed in the instant Being is formed. In other words, Mind has existed for as long as Creation has existed.
• Condensation occurs in a quantum like manner. This is because throughout the process of condensation, the energy remains the same, but the frequency of vibration reduces. Therefore, to compensate condensation occurs in quantum levels. The presence of quantum levels results in the fracture of time, at the moment in-between levels, thus creating unique moments of space at each level.
• This implies that Matter stretches through numerous quantum levels, but throughout each level space remains non-unique, i.e. unchanged, while time is unique.
• The uniqueness of time within a given quantum level creates a reality that can be objectified only in that quantum level.
• Since Mind is the personification of Being, and since Matter is Being condensed in space and time, then this implies that Mind personifies the entire spectrum of Matter through all its quantum levels of realisation.
• Matter can only realize its personification through feeding Mind with Experience. In other words, Matter is only able to realize itself through Mind. And, this is done only by providing Mind with input data in the form of Experience. Thus Mind without any input is inert.
• Experience is obtained from the interaction of Matter with the environment.
• Experience is realized and channelled through to the Mind via the use of Awareness.
• Awareness could be visualized as a sheath between Matter and Mind. It is the conduit through which information is passed between the Matter and Mind.

Summary

The paradigm of Mind and Matter is based on our understanding of the phenomena of Existence, Creation, Matter and Mind. The paradigm of Mind and Matter explains that the key to understanding Mind or Matter is to understand the principle of Evolution. It explains that the principle of Evolution is the link between Mind and Matter. Mind and Matter are two aspects of Being where Being is Creation. Matter however, is the condensation of Being in space and time, while Mind is the tool with which Being, i.e. Matter, realizes its own self. The paradigm also lets us know that the condensation of Matter occurs in quantum-like steps with the result that space stays the same in each pocket of condensation while time is fractured at the point between each pocket. This implies that in each pocket, time is unique, i.e. unfolds at a different rate. This in turn implies that in each pocket Matter realizes its own self differently. Therefore, the manifestation of matter in each pocket will be different, despite the fact that the essence of matter remains unchanged. This is a profound discovery that will explain so many mysteries of Matter that man struggles to come to terms with today. Finally, the paradigm of Mind and Matter enables us to know that since Mind is the tool with which Matter realizes itself, then the only way to understand Mind and the dynamics of its many levels is to understand the nature of Experience.

Existence, Being and Creation

To study the link between Matter and Mind, we will need to familiarise ourselves with three concepts. They are: Evolution, Existence and Being.

Evolution

We shall begin with Evolution. What is Evolution? What does it entail? Well, Evolution is the principle that governs the dynamism of Creation. We know from observation that the dynamism of Creation appears to follow specific patterns for example, movement, the cycles of life and death. A logical question at this point would be to consider the nature and origin of the source of the dynamism in Creation. However, the answer to this question is not trivial and so we shall come back to it later. In the meantime, an even more pertinent question is to consider the reason for the specific patterns that Creation seems to adhere to rigorously. The answer to this is Evolution. Evolution is simply a law, a condition or a state that in some way defines or describes Creation. It is a law in the same way that Newton’s laws of motions are laws that describe the dynamics of motion between objects. Evolution can be considered a first principle because it is a law that depends on an assumption that cannot be proven.

Since Evolution defines Creation this implies that it was there at the beginning of Creation. In other words, the law of Evolution was activated at the instant Creation was brought into being. This implies that Creation had a source. Being part of Creation, it is impossible to determine the nature of this source as this would be tantamount to trying to see beyond ones beginning. Even though it is impossible to make any firm deductions on the exact origin and nature of this source, it would be logical to make deductions based on its impact. To this end we shall call the source Pre-Creation.

In attempting to understand the source of dynamism in Creation, it becomes obvious that since Evolution came into being at the inception of Creation, something must have occurred to ensure the transition of Creation from a state of Pre-Creation to a state of Creation. The only logical explanation is that Pre-Creation must have been subjected to an injection of impulse which resulted in the formation of Creation. The exact nature of this impulse is unclear and perhaps irrelevant in the context of our goal of trying to understand the dynamics of Creation. Many names have been given to this impulse over the years. Some call it energy, others call it God, and to others it is simply the First Cause. Whatever the nature of its origin, its effects imply that its physical embodiment must be Evolution. Therefore, Evolution and the impulse that kick started Creation are the same. It must be noted that Evolution did not predate Creation. Evolution and Creation occurred simultaneously. It is also worth noting that since Creation is contained within the sea of existence, then this implies that Pre-Creation is Existence for the simple reason that nothing cannot give rise to something.

The question of the exact origin and nature of the impulse that initiated the emergence of Creation, despite being valid, is irrelevant in the context of describing and understanding the dynamics of Creation. This is obvious given our previous argument that the impulse originated from outside Creation and as such is beyond the ability of the human mind – a part of Creation, to explain, illustrate or quantify. This implies that the only tool that is required to achieve our prime objective is the principle of Evolution, which is a first principle unto itself and thus can be described as a measurable property.

Existence

To do this we would need to come up with a way to describe the concept of Existence in the context of Creation. Remember that we have said that Pre-Creation is to all intent and purposes Existence. Therefore, we could describe Existence as a state that is characterized by an infinite potential (energy well) of unlimited depth and purpose. In other words, Existence could be regarded as an infinitely dimensionless potential well, where a potential well is defined as a mass of energy that can be made to perform work or a given function by constraining it with certain conditions. Given this definition, it becomes obvious that existence can be likened to a infinite and bottomless well of energy that is without direction or purpose. In other words, the potential that characterizes existence is in its original state non-dynamic. So how can this definition be linked to Creation? Well, remember that the introduction of the principle of Evolution into the sea of existence i.e. Pre-Creation, had the effect of imposing laws that kick-started and maintained dynamism in Creation. This implies that the principle of Evolution in effect imposed boundary conditions in the potential that characterizes non-dynamic existence. And this resulted in the formation and maintenance of dynamism in the sea of existence. Therefore, Creation can be defined as dynamic existence. In other words, the only thing that differentiates dynamic and non-dynamic existence is the principle of Evolution.

Being

The third important concept to get to grips with is the concept of being. Being can be defined as the state of dynamic existence. This definition implies that it is possible that there could be many states of existence. Whether this is true or not, is irrelevant to us because we are only interested in Creation which is characterized by the state of dynamic existence to which we attribute the concept of Being. Any other state therefore is not Being. An important point to note here is that the fact that Being characterizes the state of dynamic existence implies that Being personifies Existence, where personification in this context refers to the requisite state or process of transformation that is necessary for a dormant condition to become active and self-sustaining. The importance of this property will become obvious in when we discuss the attributes of Mind and Consciousness.

And so to summarize, Creation – which is the sum of Existence as we realize it, exists only as a state of dynamic Existence. Creation has its source in the sea of non-dynamic Existence. Existence became dynamic only through of the injection of an impulse which kick started and maintained dynamism within it. The physical embodiment of this impulse is a set of laws known as Evolution.