Vibrations

Are all vibrations "good"?

Although all Beach Boy vibrations are "good" (apologies to all; I just could not resist), it seems to me that vibrations just "are." "Good" implies a value judgment outside of our objective, "scientific" discussion of Vibrations. The results of vibrations might include discussion of "good" or "bad" effects, but "good" and "bad" are not descriptors inherent in the phenomena. One could argue that some vibrations have both qualities; for example, odor vibrations might be "good" for the hunter, but "bad" for the hunted. But in the overall scheme of things, where those eaten provide life for those doing the eating, even this example of a qualitative description of the phenomena falls short. There is no inherent "good" or "evil" in any natural phenomena.

Resonance in my world

Well, gosh, everything comes to us via vibrations! I was originally going to write that the most interesting aspects of resonance in my world are the non-verbal communiques or "energy fields" projecting outward from my fellow beings. I am intrigued by communications accomplished without the use of words; how feelings can be communicated, for instance. But then I thought about color! I used to paint in oils, and I still like to color. There is very real enjoyment to be found in color combination. But then I thought about music! Auditory stimulation alone can transport me to other times and places, can fill me with peace, or make me cry. And that makes me think about laughter, and the sound of a child's uncontrollable giggle! The miracle of it! And then there is dancing and the vibrating body! And the sight, the smell, the sound of a forest after an early morning rain! My world is made of vibrations!

Connections I can make between Energy and Qi?

One of the limitations of spelling words with letters rather than representing ideas through "pictures" is that we seem to be not always able to get at the deeper meanings inherent in our perceptions of the world. Our grammars often tie our hands, limit our minds. To make connections between Energy and Qi, other than the grammatically obvious, would require mind-expanding representations of the utmost subtlety and infinite variation. For now, in this language of spelling and metaphor, I am happy to settle upon an equivalence between them, remembering that concepts born of different languages almost always lose something in translation. "Energy" in English may include ideas not found in the Chinese "Qi." Likewise, the Chinese "Qi" may certainly include notions not to be found in the English "Energy."

Symmetry and Sacred Geometry

My (A)Symmetrical World

During particular times, when events were explosive, out of control, whole periods of my life when I have suffered what felt to be unendurable and unending grief, as well as those times when the love and joy in my life have seemed effortless and boundless; my world seemed clearly asymmetrical. There was little balance. What was experienced in the extreme during these particular times has always remained jagged memories of isolating events thrust upon me by an unjust and meaningless world (kudos, always, to Shakespeare: "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"). There are scars on my psyche, the sources of which I have hated very profoundly, for it is hard to see the beauty and balance of life when one is attacked from without or from within, assaulted physically, spiritually or sexually, or even just had one's good "Christian name" (kudos, always, to Joni) or educated nose rubbed in the dung heap.

No justice, no symmetry.

Now I am not really sure what happened. It is not that the "years have taken a toll" or that I have yet acquired the "wisdom that comes with age." I still have profound hatred for much that is in the world (kudos, always, to Bertoldt: "Change the world... she needs it!"). But I sense a profound symmetry now in my world. As more years go by, they move faster and faster, and I can feel their rhythm. Within the largest cycles there is a sense of containment. The great arc of my life I am able to see as from a distance, and I enjoy my experience of it. I dance. As the older folks I know leave this existence, the younger ones enter. Friends have gone and friends have come. Wherever I go, there I am. (Funny, but true!) I can see my reflection and know it to be illusory, for "I" am the illusion. The symmetry is perfect and complete.

This was really hard to write. I am very tired. It is late; good thing it is dark. Perfect symmetry.

Just what does this CP violation really mean?

It may very well be the reason there is an "is" here. Contrary to the symmetry theorem of quantum physics which states that all processes involving particles remain invariant if: 1) the particles are changed into antiparticles ("charge"), 2) the particle system is reversed left to right ("parity"), and 3) the particle system is run backward ("time"); it has been found that the rate of decay of one particular particle (a kaon) could be altered by changing it's charge and parity. CP was violated. Therefore for CPT to remain invariant, the system would have to change if time were run backward. In other words there is one tiny bit of matter which posits time as directional on a subatomic level.

CPT invariant declares the universe in perfect symmetry and there is... nothing. All matter is perfectly in balance with its opposite, anti-matter. But since one tiny bit of matter posits time as directional, by apparently behaving differently in forward and backward directions, the time required for things "to be separated" is brought into being. And we live.

Are there connections between Sacred Geometry and Physics?

The methods we use to get at the "truth" of the world around us, in our day, we call Physics. Physics, then, helps us develop our world-view. Physics is part and parcel of the technology used by our culture to approach "truth." Other societies, separated by time and space from our own, have developed different technologies to approach the universal questing after the "truth" of the world. We see their approaches as "Sacred Geometry" as we discover the usefulness and profound qualities inherent in these other technologies and as they show us "truth" beyond the limitations of our particular technology. Our tools reflect assumptions we make about the world, but the mysteries, the "truths" seem universal to all conscious beings. Physics has begun to connect us to Sacred Geometry. Perhaps all useful technologies do.

Energy, Matter, and Force

How has e=mc² affected you?

Short answer: "duck and cover." Except, in actuality (long answer:), the teachers at my elementary school never instructed us to dive under our desks. Rather, I remember sitting along the walls on the floor of inside hallways, head between knees and hands clasped firmly over head. We had to sit quietly. We were but thirty miles from the heart of the "motor city," and even I knew that our little practices were for naught. Later, during junior high school when I worked delivering our local weekly paper in the neighborhood, came the "Cuban missile crisis." I remember delivering my papers while dashing between houses, trying to keep a house between me and the direction of the Detroit skyline which we could see in the distance on a clear day. About this time I did a school presentation on the effects of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I learned what sorts of destruction occurred in successive concentric rings out from the center of the blast. I remember that nearest the blast all that remained of one individual was the shadow he made from the fireball. Further away I remember that people had their flesh melt from them. I learned that the government of the United States chose these cities because they had been largely spared previous bombing campaigns and that "our side" wanted to gain a clearer understanding of the effects of these new weapons. I learned then that I did not understand how anyone could hate someone else so much, and I still do not understand. Those born immediately afterward, worldwide, became the first generation of humankind ever to have so much radioactive material in our very bones. This certainly contributed to hippie-dom as well as widespread revolutionary movements.

The equation itself has always fascinated me. I realize it is a way of understanding the amount of energy packed within any bit of matter, but I've always fantasized the possibilities inherent in just getting stuff to... go fast enough! Now add to the fantasy the notion that velocity itself is relative and must be in relation to something else: Our solar system has a speed in relation to the center of the Milky Way, for instance; and the Milky Way has a velocity in relation to other Galaxies. Just sitting here then am I already zooming along at a velocity equal to a high percentage of the speed of light? Certainly not in relation to the light on my desk, but it is moving "with" me, as are all of our tools for measuring it. The implications are fascinating and apparently endless.

Someone in class mentioned mass and energy as another example of yin and yang. I really liked that, particularly as we discover the various states of qi energy, from aggregate (mass) to dispersed (energy). This is an amazing and wonderful way to see the world, and Einstein's formula states it well.

How would you compare the four "forces?"

Electromagnetism includes the phenomena of light, electricity, and magnetism, which I understand in terms of electrons and simple positive and negative attractions and repulsions. Weak nuclear forces I understand in terms of electrons, ions, and other charged particles which we explore more fully through the study of chemistry. These forces help us to understand how chemical elements and the substances they "make" interact or not, and form the basis for various shampoo formulas, for instance. It is relatively easy to understand that these two forces have been shown to be two aspects of a single "electroweak force." Strong nuclear forces are explored through accelerators and the like; they enter the discussion when we try to break atoms into component parts. We are no longer discussing the cure for split ends but the desire to split atoms, to discover the structure within structure, for example. Grand unified theories speculatively combine the electroweak force and the strong nuclear force, which I will have to accept as understandable to those who understand it.

The fourth of the fab four forces is gravity, and how to combine it with the three others in a grand unified theory is still a topic of research and debate. It is interesting to me that gravity, despite being the force with which humankind was first and foremost familiar, remains the force which has been the most misunderstood and the force most difficult to unite with the others into one unified force theory.

What is the function of gravity?

Gravity is a force of attraction that exists between any two masses, any two bodies, any two particles. Gravity is the attraction that exists between all objects. It is the pre-Big Bang calling out to itself.

By realizing that a force must make an apple fall from a tree, Sir Isaac Newton (1642--1727) discovered that a force is required to change the speed or direction of movement of an object. Further, he deduced that gravitational forces exist between all objects and found that some objects required more force to move than others, specifically that the force needed to push an object at a given acceleration was proportional to the object's mass (F=ma). Newton proposed that an artificial satellite could be made to encircle the Earth, if it was given enough speed in the correct direction.

Gravity keeps the Earth in its orbit around the sun. Gravity keeps the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and inhabitants from drifting into space. Gravity pulls the rain to the rivers, and ultimately to the sea. Gravity guides the development and growth of plants and affects the way our bones and muscles develop and function. Gravity controls the fluid in our inner ear, giving us a sense of direction and the ability to balance. The specific mechanisms used by plant and animal cells, tissues, and organs to sense gravity is not fully understood. And the role of gravity in biological functions is only partially understood. (This paragraph is from www.yorku.ca/esse/veo/earth/sub1-6-2.htm.)

Also, the proper amount of gravity keeps us from laughing too hard, too long, or too embarrassingly. But that's another story...

Synchronicity

What evidence can you find for synchronicity?

Evidence is best evidenced through example. In early December this past year, a friend with whom I had often danced in Afro-Haitian classes at CCSF sent me an invitation to a party via email. As busy as I was during this period, struggling to get my application into ACCHS, writing to folks to ask for recommendations, looking for work, and attempting to send Holiday Greeting cards in a timely fashion; I failed to respond to her invitation. Tuesday afternoons I am still found at CCSF where I have a Tango class. After class my usual route off campus is through the library, where one can enter the rear set of doors at a lower ground level, take the elevator to the fourth floor, exit through the front set of doors at a higher ground level, and thereby avoid climbing the hill in which the library building itself is nestled. Last Tuesday after class this friend was heavy on my mind and I was reminding myself that I really needed to contact her, thank her for the invite, and just learn how things were going with her. Riding up the elevator, I suddenly decided to get off on the third floor because the third floor restroom usually has paper towels whereas the fourth floor restroom does not. I found the third floor restroom closed for repairs and as I turned toward the stairway to climb the flight, there was the friend I was needing to contact.

In this example, what had prompted my change in route (a preferred restroom) became a tertiary relation (a “trick” of the Universe?) connecting the objective outer Event (meeting my friend) and my inner psychological State (needing to meet her). The Event and my State did not cause one the other, or vice versa, but they certainly were a-causally related through meaning.

My best example (one of the favorite stories of my life), however, goes back to a previous century when I was but a lad in high school. My Grandmother took my cousin and myself on a summer trip to Gloucester, Massachusetts near where she’d been born and raised (Salem). There were distant cousins still living there and we stayed with them in a huge old house which had once been part of the underground railroad in Civil War days. Now, my Grandmother, who had never been to this house either, was Reverend Harriet Rae Smiley of the Spiritualist Helpers Church. Before I knew better, I used to tell people that she “dressed up like a gypsy and rented herself out for parties.” If nothing else she had what some called an uncanny ability to know things that most would think could not possibly be known nor, at least, known by her. She told my disbelieving mother once that she would be pregnant again, and sure enough… My Grandmother “read cards” and a very large number of people came to her regularly for advice and counsel. I knew her as a generous and loving soul who loved me unconditionally and taught me to play poker.

Staying in the huge old house near Gloucester one night, my Grandmother informed us all that a woman who used to live there had died very young. She didn’t know her name, but it did begin with the letter “S.” She also gave the year of her death as 1864. That night I remember, too, as the night my distant relatives taught me how to do tequila shots with salt and lemon. We all had a good time. The next day our hosts invited all the younger of us for a jeep ride up into nearby woods where there was a deserted cemetery long overgrown with wildness and trees which had cracked and tipped the tombstones. The filtering leaves dappled sunlight around us, making the cemetery really beautiful and very peaceful. Wandering among the ancient monuments, I happened across the stone of “Sarah (undecipherable),” who’d been born in 1846 and died in 1864! I truly believe there was no way my Grandmother could have discovered this information in this way beforehand.

In this example, though, there was a-causal relational meaning given to the connection between my Grandmother’s pre-existing knowledge of an Event (age, gender, initial letter of a deceased) and the confirmation of the Event, by me, which induced my inner psychological State (love, awe, respect, belief, etc.). In this way, I learned there is no such thing as coincidence.

Based on what you know, how would you explain connectivity?

Connectivity is there from the beginning. We are taught to be unconnected, from the Earth and from each other, in order to sell us more refrigerators. The question would better be: How do we relearn our truer nature of connection? How do we explain to those we hope will be able to follow us what the hell happened?