No one realizes they are poor until someone explains it to them. Similarly, few people acknowledge the plight of the eagle that perches on a landowner's trees. As Alan Watts once said, "There was a young man who said, 'Though it seems that I know that I know, what I would like to see is the I that knows me when I know that I know that I know.'"
Terrence McKenna's ideas were disputed by experts in evolution, but it's possible that he was onto something. After all, Roger Ebert became a renowned film critic by asserting his expertise. Perhaps McKenna's unconventional views deserve reexamination. For instance, the phenomenon of cellular memory, where an organ recipient takes on some of the memories and personality traits of the donor, raises intriguing questions. Interestingly, all organ donors must be alive, as there is no such thing as a cadaver heart donation.
The idea that our perceptions and understanding are filtered through our individual perspectives. In the movie True Romance, the scene in Rae's Diner, where Clarence probes Alabama about her likes and dislikes using the famous Playboy Centerfold questionnaire, illustrates this point. As Alan Watts' quote suggests, it's the "I" that can get in the way of true understanding. To gain insight, one must try to look beyond their own biases and preconceptions.
The questions that follow - Was McKenna correct? How does a sea horse know where to go? What is instinct? What is hard code?Did you ever ponder the nature of knowledge and reality? If no one escaped Plato's cave, would anyone know they were miserable? Consider the relationship between perception and reality. Ultimately, the choice is ours: to be the eagle that soars or the one that squats. Rock bottom is the only place to start. Just ask Tyler, a character who likely embodies this idea.
