Lets Begin!
Human’s deeply desire the concept of freedom and have created elaborate theories for millennia in differing strains.
Many notable figures and intellectuals have dedicated their life’s work to attempt to solve, or inquire deeper into the concept, if only incidentally.
The desire for freedom appears deeply rooted in our DNA.
Religious influences and modern day pop gurus at some point in history have claimed to have transcended man’s fragility, perhaps through god, self knowledge, or by taking spiritual alchemies (such as ayahausca) from which they can explore other dimensions.
Many accept these ‘solutions’ without asking the tough questions, treating the gurus and Deepak Chopra’s of the world like slaves treated their masters in Egypt.
Others posit that acceptance is the answer, most prevalently achieved by mediation or altered states of consciousness. I think this is in actuality an acceptance of their non-conscious acknowledgement to their complete lack of freedom, both physically and mentally.
Despite all these attempts, none appear to have solved the question.
Why?
I first must ask you, what are you attempting to be free from? What is the thought that is manifested, the neurones that carried the electrical impulse, perhaps long ago, that created one’s wish to be free?
Can you describe the levels of freedom? Are they purely economic, or perhaps freedom of the mind from one’s own thoughts? The yearning to escape ones own thoughts, if but for a moment?
Can you ever transcend the limits of your biological structure, the complex organism of the human body, consisting of trillions of bacterial cells which influence us in ways we cannot control? (see nervous system influence on overall health, mood).
Isn’t freedom but a metaphysical concept, a much told story, with no pragmatic basis?
You may not see the chains, but they are still there
Question- Will you ever be free from:
your individual conscious experience
your desires
your construction of the future by the mind to attempt at continuity of self
your need to produce, biologically or through one’s work (a method to portray that the individual is living)
your need to share philosophical insights with others, to converse with others
your dependence on others: economically, physically, intellectually
your need for approval
your fear of death
your need to prove or invalidate concepts
your biological traits and constrictions
your actions themselves, and their consequences
your environment’s influence upon you, from birth, and the influence of others
your extremely narrow perception of the world, thoughts, and even yourself
This is not an exhaustive list, only meant for a preponderance of thought.
Conclusion
It is soothing to the mind and ego to choose one of the aforementioned philosophies and attempt to claim to be ‘free’, however one must acknowledge the farcical dishonesty in which these claims are made.
Even when writing this, the exact phrases I have used are merely tools acquired from birth, to make sense of the environment I was born to, one which I did not choose to live in, and which I cannot choose to postpone death.
