Belief can turn our lives into a series of addictive behavoirs. We may be able to update some of the more obviously dysfunctional or limiting pieces of code, for new “empowering” or “positive” stories. Yet they remain what they are, programs that shape our decisions and actions and ultimately alter the way we relate with the world around and inside of us.
This is not to say that belief is bad, for that would also be a belief, can you see how tricky this gets?
For the sake of exploration allow me to posit that:
We store memory as skill or as knowledge, ( no ledger required?)
Skill requires sensitivity because it is relational, it is action that moves gracefully with the unfolding situation, even as it alters it. As such, this kind of memory is flexible, or it would not be able to receive - it is the vibrating string that is both receiver and transmitter - it exists right in the middle of both past and future.
Stored Knowledge is also relational but without the context, what the hell does that even mean?
What I am suggesting is that knowledge is comprised of pattens that can be applied to many situations.
Skills are embodied
Knowledge is dis-embodied? (we will come back to this, its critical)
Knowledge lacks context, so that it can be applied to situations that have vastly different properties (textures).
Knowledge alows us to have pattern recognition, it is all about relationship, yet it is devoid of actual relationship.
Knowledge allows us to share what others have learned from their direct or indirect experiences. The more unspecified the better - consider math which is totally abstract and can be applied in infinate ways across unlimited disciplines.
For knowledge to serve us, it needs to be updatable, expandable, verifiable and flexible, in other words...applicable. We need to be able to apply it in an environment that is dynamic and complex. Knowldge has to be as flowing and expansive as the environment from which it emerged.
To understand how to apply knowledge, to be able to predict the consequences of using it to alter what would otherwise occur. That is impossible, for in an infinitely connected world, there are too many variables. Great skill is required, much practice is needed, the quality of the experience gained is dependant on our sensitivity - feed back.
A great artist or engineer who is also an effective teacher may be able to pass much to a gifted student. We often do not have time or patience for that kind of education however, so we take short cuts.
We both give and accept teaching in an abbreviated form - we accpet the knowledge without having testing it, without the full richness of three dimensional five sensual experience. We believe it rather than living it.
We trust these beliefs even though we have not personally tested them in a variety of situations.
Now that is fine, we can run a temporary belief and so long as it is functional, we can always test it on the run, update it as we gain the rich textures of context.
Many times I have found myself re-running some “up-setting” event from my past, one of those “he said, she said, so I said” scenarios.
Many times I have noticed that keep re-playing different versions of the original event where I said or did something different.
Maybe its just me, but I find myself re-living these alternate fantasies rather a lot, particularly when I wanted to be focused on something else..you know a minor thing, like the real relationships of the present moment lol.
The cells of my poor ole body, meanwhile are pumping out adrenaline, shutting down immune function, they may of even stopped checking the way new protiens are folding, they are in a full blown emergency...while I am taking a shower, walking on the beach or supposedly listening to a loved one.
Perhaps these “thoughts” are even being thrown up into my awareness by my immune system? Perhaps its my bodies way of saying “ how dingbat, you wanna re-process this piece of code, cos it sure is using a lot of energy?”.
These kind of thoughts are stories - they are created when I allow an opinion or assumption to “motivate” my actions. It’s like a piece of bad code or a virus in my operating system.
So however did “I” come to trust these pieces of code?
Without vigorously testing them in the fires of experience?
Why was I tempted to use these un tempered reactions?
That is a story for another day, hope your still enjoying the journey, thank you for joining me.
Your comments help to bring more perspectives to thes posts, I enjoy all of them, especially the ones that challenge, where I may by trying to sell you an untested piece of code lol....
Enjoy your day, feel your way =8-P