final

Physics and the fortification of Worldviews

It seems that classical physics is a comfortable way to view the world when there are parameters to how reality is perceived. For most of western culture there is an agreement about what is considered real and what is considered a figment of the mind or imagination. Reality as is agreed upon by much of the west must fit certain criteria. It wasn’t until quantum mechanics came along that a wrench was thrown into our ability as human beings to perceive reality as ‘real.’ That is why in the 60’s, during an era when the mystical and eastern traditions began to seep into the western worldview that quantum mechanics became a topic of hot discussion. The west was starting to see a profound and undeniably mysterious phenomenon on the quantum level that seemed better explained by a worldview that was alien to the west.

According to Richard Smoley in his book ‘The Dice Game of Shiva”, there is a list of five things that make reality real. First, an object or event in reality must be perceptible to all the senses and angles as it pertains to that object or event. We may look at an object like a sweater balled up on the couch and think for a moment that it is our cat sleeping curled up into a ball. In fact, as we get close enough to see the contours of a sweater we realize that the sweater is a sweater and not a cat. Oh! I thought that was my cat at first, we think. We realize that a stereoscopic visualization of an object is reliable and in those moments that things are unclear we say things like ‘my eyes were playing tricks on me’.

Second, reality must be stable. An object cannot appear and reappear or change shape before our eyes. It cannot change in ways that are unpredictable based on what agreed characteristics have been assigned to that specific object. Of course, quantum mechanics throws a wrench into this idea with things like superposition and entanglement.

Third, reality must be accessible to all who posses the proper agreed upon mental faculties. Sane, rational individuals who agree that they are all seeing the same thing are the ones who posses the right to deem something as real. Those who do not possess proper lucidity like those who are on an LSD trip, anyone with dementia or a mentally ill person who has sense hallucinations are all deemed questionable perceivers of what is real.

Fourth, real reality is perceived only when physically conscious or lucid. Dreams, stories of the imagination like daydreams or shamanic journeys that take place in consciousness as opposed to the material world, etc… are not “real”.

Lastly, reality must fit a criteria of what is expected. The sweater that is balled up on the couch is not moving, its not purring, its not sitting in my lap or asking for food. It is inanimate and fills all the criteria for a sweater. Therefore, it is a sweater and that sweater is real.

I find these criteria interesting because they sum up a very western perception of reality and that reality seems to be reinforced by classical physics. Every event that we perceive has a cause and that cause has a cause and it can be measured and quantified and we can then view ourselves as objective observers of reality. With this very western linear worldview we then can go without having to question the instrument we have used to measure that reality, that instrument being our nervous system, our bodies, our boundaried perceptions. It is a very human centric worldview that assumes that we can come up with all of the answers, that we can define a perforation between ourselves and all that is unfolding.

The discover of quantum mechanics put a stop to all of that. Or, it at least threw a wrench into our western worldview. Quantum mechanics does not allow for much either/or-ness. Quantum mechanics doesn’t allow us to take ourselves out of the equation as easily as classical physics. Quantum mechanics seems a more comfortable fit with Eastern thought in that strict delineations of reality are less readily enforced. As Robert Anton Wilson points out, a Chinese person who grew up on the philosophical tradition of the I-Qing is much more comfortable with quantum mechanics, ‘quantum mechanics is only puzzling to those raised on Aristotelian logic that says that things are A or not A, whereas I-Qing says that things are A and not A at the same time’.

It is also important to note that the discovery of quantum mechanics, as it puzzles us and asks us to question our perception of reality, or the boundaries that define reality, the concepts behind quantum theory can also be used to fortify a distorted worldview. A worldview that appears benign on the surface but in fact reinforces some of the same self-absorption as classical physics by stoking the drive for materialism and immediate gratification so inherent to our culture. We have seen this in movies like ‘what the bleep?’ which was a fun movie with a great message but shortly after this movie came out we also saw a popular surge of books and movies like ‘The Secret’ which promoted a sort of spiritual materialism. The message was essentially that the abilities of manifestation are that more concretized by popular spiritual notions of quantum physics and that by merely setting your intention you can have everything you ever dreamed of including riches and fame.

My point is that science and cultural worldviews cannot be separated easily. The two are entangled indefinitely and it is up to us to realize this fact so that we may question our fundamental beliefs and concepts about the way the world works and our place in it.

Week 13: Bionics

Would you support the development of a bionic person?

I would be concerned about the consequences of any culture having the power to create a bionic person. But when I think of a bionic person of course the first thing that I think of is the various androids or human-android chimeras of well known science fiction movies. I think of movies like Alien, the Battelstar Galactica series and the Terminator films. I know it seems juvenile that these are the first images conjured up in my mind, but I think there are good lessons to take from these films.

First of all, take the character “Ash” from Alien. He seems to be a focused scientist doing research work. Legitimate and inscrutable in his position as a researcher aboard the ship, he is easily overlooked when things begin to unravel. But he is in fact an android who has been programed to follow through with a mission that leaves him divest of any human attachments or regard for the lives of his colleagues.

In both the Battlestar Galactica series and the Terminator films you have a similar theme of the robots as bioengineered beings used primarily for battle and slave services. Because these androids and android-like creatures actually posses a sense of self, they begin to rebel and war between real humans and robots unfold.

Ok, the probability of such a scenario actually occuring in real life is very slim. But what concerns me is the immediate assumption that bionic abilities should be put to ‘good use’, meaning that often times the medical applications are overlooked in favor of technological advancement specifically in regard to warfare.

That said, I fully support bionic components for those who need them. If you are missing limbs or have been paralyzed in some fashion, having bionic limbs seems to be the most effective and reasonable intervention. I also like the prospect of nanotechnology helping type 1 diabetics by basically substituting the pancreas with a capsule that exctretes insulin but keeps out antibodies.

Week 12; Energy Medicine and Energy Fields

Acupuncture As Effective Energy Medicine


What does the concept of energy mean in the context of healing? How do we measure its effectiveness?

When we talk about acupuncture as an energy medicine I am going to assume that it is in reference to its ability to create tangible change in the physical body. We view the channels of the body as a map to guide the placement of needles. We then place needles in certain areas called acupoints that have been mapped out over millennia using trial and error, as well as universally common areas that incur tension as a result of human musculature.

The word ‘energy’ in reference to healing practices has been overused and thus subject to the trappings of an overgeneralized idea of what it means in the use of traditional medicines. I personally feel it is not enough to sum up acupuncture as an energy medicine because this label implies that the forces wherein are beyond tangibility and belong to a purely esoteric plane. It is also not enough to say that acupuncture works based soley on a neurological or physiological basis. Where does that leave us in terms of defining acupuncture as an effective medicine? It is quite ambiguous when we try to assign it to one realm or another. Perhaps if we were to regard the practice within the worldview it grew from, it would make more sense.

The question of effectiveness implies a certain amount of linear based thinking, that if we apply a certain remedy to an ailment then a specific result should follow. But the concepts of Eastern philosophy ask us to consider the relationships among different realms of the body as well as the entire picture. The chief goal is to attain the proverbial “balance” between these systems without an eye on a cure per se. Here in the west we share a certain agreement about what is real, what works, what framework reality should take. We do no lend much credence to realms outside this narrow definition.

I find myself constantly trying to describe the practice of acupuncture to others by first narrowing it down to something that sounds palatable to Western ears. In my own way, I try not to use the word “energy” only because I have given that to myself as a personal challenge in order that I may come up with my own descriptors for this medicine. My own words so far seem to be a mix of biomedical and eastern terms and is far from refined at this point in time.

But as far as acupuncture being a medicine based on the the bioenergetic properties of the human body? Yes it is. As far as acupuncture being an effective agent in making changes within the bioenergy of the body? Well, I think so. In a simple and elegant way, it just makes sense that the body is in itself a matrix of activity, dynamic and over and over again transforming itself. Acupuncture itself is a subtle agent of this reform that promotes the body’s healthiest self but a powerful one nonetheless.



What conclusions do you draw from Kirlian Photography?

I’m not sure. I think the photographs themselves are nice to look at. As far as being representations of a bioenergetic field and a tool to record changes that occur in that field it is quite possible. It seems that the changes in moisture on the skin is what is being attributed to the changes in color and intensity of the photographs. The more moisture present, the more intese a color of red or orange. The more dry the object or person being photographed, the more blue the color. Some people say that the color change comes with different emotional states. Others say that emotional states of stress or anger produce physiological changes namely moist skin. This is true, but I don’t think the photographs or the color changes are pure physiology. I think the photographs show us a more symbolic and ethereal representation of the object or person being photographed.

Human Intent As it Effects Health

I feel that intention has a large effect on how focused the practitioner is and this level of focus can effect the outcome of treatment. I also think the person who takes time to examine their intentions and creates conscious healthy intentions around daily living is ultimately a more healthy person. It is actually shown that health outcomes are better in people who take an active role in their own healing process. I think that means that those who take an active role have really just homed in on their personal intention and put it into action.

Week 11; Synthesis

My E-prime day!

It is very difficult to communicate consistently using the E-prime method. I noticed that I was not so successful, especially when it came to the way I casually speak around my friends and family. However, it still was and is a valuable tool. One big thing that I noticed about E-prime is that it has been useful when I am not using it. I actually *notice* when I am making bold statements and using a lot of "is's" in my speech. It has forced me to be more consciousness about the way I frame my words. So, even though I have not been so successful at enacting E-prime for a good stretch of time (a whole day!), the one thing that it has helped me do is to bring more thought to my speech.

East-West Synthesis

I believe that I have been somewhat successful in melding east and west in my own life. I am a western individual in a western culture who has explored many ways of perceiving the world. I am especially interested in theories of consciousness. The Eastern Philosophies have a vast source of information on this topic and I am continuously feeding my western brain from this wellspring. I also feel as western intern of Chinese Medicine, I am participating in the synthesis of these very different cultural mindsets. The reason why I chose AIMC over other schools is that there is a strong emphasis here on integrative medicine. This appeals to me because I feel that I can participate in the active melding of systems without denigrating or mystifying either "side."

Week 9

Newton’s Three Laws and Me

Thank god for the first law of motion because if it were not for the friction that air creates on me and the force of gravity pulling me to the earth then I would just drift off into space until I was met with an object or environmental circumstance that would stop me from my space hurtle.

As for the second law, well thank god for that, too. As I am walking and being so faithfully stopped and started by friction and gravty I am also creating momentum as my mass times velocity propels me through space.

Also, as I am doing this walking or dancing or running or whatever it is that I am doing, I am being propelled by my own body’s force against the earth as well as the earth’s perfect match of force upon my feet. It’s a beautiful relationship.

Our “Energy Efficient” Culture

Warning: there is a soap box somewhere in there.

So here goes- our culture only recently decided that an efficient use of energy was a good idea. The industrial revolution got us started on a bad habit, a very bad habit indeed. That habit was to use energy without a care in the world for efficiency. That habit has the unfortunate side effect of using the atmosphere as a trash can. I think about all those cars out there on the road every day and the engines that propel them through space. Those engines are terribly inefficient- fire burning under a hood and a tailpipe spewing out waste right into the atmosphere. Its disgusting. Ok, maybe that is dramatic but I have to say- I do not own a car, my primary mode of transport is a bike. Ok Ok, I’m not trying to be all ego inflated and puffed up and on my soap box about it but I can say this- when you ride a bike you can actually tell how bad the pollution is out there. When you ride often enough on urban roads you are constantly smelling and breathing exhaust fumes. Sometimes it is just too much. Sometimes I have to hold my scarf or shirt to my face. When you ride in a car or drive a car you don’t notice it half as much because you are going to fast or your windows are rolled up. Riding a bike puts you in a situation where you have a more sense-oriented relationship with the world. I can smell dinners cooking on my way home at night. I can also smell a lot of exhaust. It was only when I started riding a bike that I realized just how bad this situation really is. Its pretty unnerving to be perfectly honest.

Descartes has a lot to answer for!

Yes he does!

The mind-body split anyone? The myth of the rational mind divested of any emotional influence being superior? Can anyone say patriachy, animal cruelty, arrogance?

Yeah, a lot to answer for.

Week Seven; Chaos!

"Ordered Chaos"- Does this sound familiar?

Absolutely. It all depends on how you perceive order. Many things that upon observation appear to be chaotic actually may possess a grand element of order upon further reflection. One example of this is a chaotic moving mound of ants in an ant colony. Upon first look, it may seem like the ants are a pulsating jumbled brown mess. If you begin to look at the ant colony more closely, you will start to see an ordered hierarchical group of creatures moving in quite a sophisticated manner. Each ant is communicating with other ants using pheromones, creating bridges, carrying large items and searching for food. There is a collective intelligence that is created out of all that seeming chaos. 

Fractals as patterns of complex systems

Fractals are beautiful displays of ordered chaos. They are a visual display of a pattern set in motion by a small variable in the initial stages of formation. As I did more research on fractals I got more interested. It seems that you can find fractals on display in many parts of nature. For example, fractal patterns are seen in coastlines and mountains as well as parts of galaxies. These complex, contained patterns are beautiful and interesting to look at. It makes me wonder about the infinite variety of patterns that potentiate our universe giving rise the inherent creativity we see all around us. 

Consciousness out of Chaos?

How does consciousness emerge out of chaos? Or is chaos inherent to the creation of consciousness? Is chaos the variable that infuses creativity into the universe giving rise to this complex system of life?  

Consciousness and creativity are what give rise to my set of questions above. As it was stated in one of last weeks articles, "Systems in advanced states of order become inflexible and relationally dead." Of course, to balance this out was also the statement, "Systems in advanced states of chaos become limp and relationally incompetent."

Consciousness is a creative expression of the universe because consciousness allows for reflection, which allows for more creative expression as we ponder this grand mystery. I imagine that consciousness must have emerged from a chaotic system with just enough order to maintain the integrity of the system's relational creativity. This is the balance of yin and yang at its highest expression. 

Week Six; Vibrations

Are all vibrations good?

 

Not all vibrations are good. Earthquakes are an example of a not-so-good  vibration. I would also categorize the vibration that emits from a 12-inch car woofer as it rolls down the street as a not-so-good vibration. Although the deep vibrating bass that rattles my apartment windows every now and then is much preferred to the vibration of an earthquake.

 

Some examples of good vibrations are the purring of my cat on my lap right now and the soothing delicate sound of ambient music coming from my speakers.

 

I notice how dramatically these different vibrations affect my mood. The not-so-good vibrations stimulate my coritsol levels and disrupt my nervous system in a way that makes me uptight and irritable or downright afraid (earthquake!). The other good vibrations soothe my mind and body in a way that is good for me. It makes me understand and appreciate the ability of sound to heal.

 

Resonance in my world

 

I never quite understood what the word “resonance” really meant until Larry explained it in class. I had of course used the word to describe relationships between people or things, “I really resonated with what he was saying”, or “the watercolor painting really resonated with me.” But I had never really thought about the scientfic or concrete meaning of the word. I actually feel like I had a little breakthrough in my understanding of the basis of homeopathic medicine when I did a little bit more research in to the idea of resonance. I always heard homeopathic effects described as the “energetic properties distilled down to just the vibration”, or “the vibrational properties of the remedies are matched to whatever symptoms the person  has.” I had never actually explored this meaning beyond what is termed “energy medicine.” But as I delved a little bit further, it was exciting to learn about the actual tangible evidence of homeopathic effects. It made a lot of sense to me intuitively and I definitely have more appreciation for the concept of resonance. 

Week Five: Symmetry and Sacred Geometry

Week Five

 

My Asymmetrical World

 

Asymmetry is important for the success of life. There are many different aspects of matter competing and struggling with one another to form every part of life as we know it. It started with the big bang and fortnately not enough anti-matter to annihilate everything but enough matter and CP violation to set everything as we know it in motion.

 

What is CP Violation, really?

 

This definition was very hard for me to figure out. Basically, CP violation is when a particle called a kaon decays at a different rate than expected. This means that radioactiv e decay timelines are different for this particle, implying that this may be the key to understanding why matter was able to dominate the universe. It basically says that matter and anti-matter are not symmetrical. This allows for the dominance of matter in the universe.

 

 

Sacred Geometry and Physics

 

There are many examples of Sacred Geometry like the I-Ching, Tibetan Mandalas, the hundreds of Muslim and Hindu temples of India, etc…There are also many examples of it in nature like the Nautilus, Spiral Galaxies, the 64-codon structure of DNA, the molecular structure of geological formations, etc…Based on this, I believe that physics and sacred geometry are definitely connected. 

Week Four; E=mc2

How  has E=Mc2 affected me?

Well, E=Mc2 is the most famous equation in the world so it is burned into my subconscious somewhere with images of Einstein, chalkboards and nuclear bombs. I cannot readily trace this equation's affect on me in some direct concrete way other than the popular images is conjures up in my mind. The stars I see at night or the sun's rays as they shine down on me during the day are the most material experiences I can think of that are related to this equation. 

I did some research on this equation to try understand it in a way that would allow me to casually talk about it. I didn't quite reach my goal. Ok, so I understand that mass has energy, etc...but I get lost in the theoretical basis of the equation when fission and fusion start coming up. Maybe by the end of this class I will understand it enough to trace its real world effect on my life. 

The four forces; comparing them!

Ok, this is gonna be a challenge. Quick synopsis. The four forces are "the four discrete forces that govern the interactions of matter- gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force and the strong nuclear force." Each force has its own messenger particle. 

Gravity is the weakest of all the forces. However, it has infinite range, as does electromagnetism. This means these forces exert themselves everywhere in the universe (i think?). Gravity is always attractive whereas electromagnetism has attractive and repulsive properties. The messenger particle of gravity is the graviton. The messenger particle of electromagnetism is the photon. 

The Weak nuclear force and the strong nuclear force have ranges that are limited to subatomic distances. The weak force is responsible for radioactive decay and operates on very short distance scales found in the atomic nucleus. The strong force is responsible for keeping quarks together inside protons and neutrons and keeping them all inside the nucleus. 

Where gravity and electromagnetism operate within infinite range, the other two forces act only on the subatomic level. This is probably the biggest difference between the forces that I could find other than the fact that they have different strengths. 

Week Three; Synchronicity

What evidence can you find for synchronicity?

In my own life I have witnessed many times over what seem to be synchronistic events in my life. It seems that when I put a focus on some aspect of my life, wether it be health, money, or relationship, events seems to correlate with whatever my focus is in that moment. For instance, a couple of years a go I booked a month long trip to India. I realized that when I was several weeks away from my trip that I needed a very specific amount of money to make the trip happen. Within a week of this, a check came in the mail for this exact amount of money. My grandmother had just come into a little bit of cash and had decided to share her wealth. She had never done this before and she had no prior knowledge of my need for trip funds. 

I also have the strange phone phenomenon that many people talk about. It is not that I know who is calling me before I see caller ID, although sometimes that does happen sometimes. Its usually when I call my mom and stepdad's house. I pretty much always know who is going to answer the phone. Of course there it is always a 50/50 chance on who will answer the phone because only the two of them live there, but I always get a "feeling" its gonna be my stepdad before he answers. This happens almost every single time I call. 

Lastly, when I was in high school my father died of a terminal illness. We were told at one point that he did not have much time left. We didn't know if this meant weeks or months, but the day he died I was very aware on a psychic level of the event. I remember walking around that day with a sense of heaviness, as if I was living in slow motion. The only words I can put to this feeling is that "I knew." It was very strange. 

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

Connectivity is the alive, dynamic and permeable relationship that all things have with one another and the universe. Connectivity is the inherent indivisible nature of all things, the interdependence at the core of the universe.

Week Two; Quantum Mechanics

Reflections on Uncertainty

The idea that we cannot measure quantum particles with a degree of certainty must be unsettling for some. Perhaps if I were a physicist I would feel some measure of dissatisfaction with the Heisenberg principle as far as my right brain thinking goes. On a greater scale, it seems that anyone who derives a feeling of stability with every increment of certainty they obtain from the world would be feeling less stable with the idea that the Universe is inherently uncertain based on this principle. 

Yet, the entire idea of certainty is a little bit absurd if you think about it. I believe that when you measure something you must consider that your results are only certain relative to the tool you have used to measure this something with. I suppose I feel that the human mind can never be absolutely objective to begin with so we must always consider that we can only know what we are built to understand and all we know about he universe will be forever confined to how we have constructed the path to this knowledge. 

The word "certainty" itself puzzles me a little bit. When we use this word in the context of science, it seems to imply that we have found an answer and that answer has been achieved through very linear methods of application. This assumes that a linear mode of thinking is the superior method to access the truths of the physical universe. How can that be? How can we leave out an entire realm of thinking that considers the overall pattern or texture of the universe? 

I recently came across a science radio program that covered the area of cognitive processing used in decision making. It seemed that certain people who had experienced brain tumors in their temporal region had lost considerable ability to process emotions. These people had retained all of their other cognitive abilities and appeared very normal. However, given the loss of emotional processing you would think that these people would be brutally pragmatic and rational in the way they interface with the world. (Which uncovers our assumption that emotion and reason are divorced from one another). As it turned out, those who had this particular affliction had the hardest time making decisions about even the tiniest thing like which color shirt to wear. One man lost his job because he could not get anything done. He would spend hours deciding which pen to use at the office. It turns out that emotion fuels decision making even in seemingly inconsequential ways. 

I use this example to illustrate how interconnected our emotional and rational brains really are. They are coupled together in a beautiful display of interdependence. Just as Qi is the commander of Blood and Blood is the mother of Qi, is reason the commander of emotion and emotion the mother of reason? How does this fit in with the idea of certainty? Well, it just shows how complex and interdependent our process of thinking is and how even a concept like certainty must be questioned and considered when it comes to how we perceive the world. We are all conscious beings with incredibly expansive ways of looking at matter and the universe, but we must always consider the framework of the human mind and how certainty is only so relative to the tool with which it has been measured, including the human mind. 

Causality

Causality is a principle that we have a lot of faith in. We must. We must believe that events occur and respond to other events. In order to effect change we need to have faith that what we are doing is going to have a response. In medicine, we put faith in different modalities to remedy an affliction. In politics we pray that our guy wins so that we can see changes in the way our society runs itself. We put faith in causality on a small scale as well. We have faith that when we push a button on the elevator it will take us to a certain floor. 

I think where we get into interesting areas is when we place high importance on one link in a chain of events and call that the cause of the rest of the chain of events. We can get into trouble when we do this, for instance take a tomato. I think we get into a little bit of trouble when we reduce the benefits of a tomato (or any food) to a phytochemical. A tomato has a wonderful phytochemical called lycopene.  We have a tendency to say, "let's take the lycopene out of the tomato and put it into a pill and sell it as a anti-oxidant that fights DNA damage, aka cancer". We know that foods that contain lycopene have these benefits. But is the lycopene the absolute cause of these benefits? What about the rest of the tomato? What about the unifying matrix of the tomato that came into being out of the universe in a perfect form to feed the human body? 

Is the Universe weird?

Yes, the universe is weird. The universe is a strange, unpredictable, weird place. The universe is the embodiment of creativity, non-duality, and mystery.

Week One

What attracts me to Chinese medicine? What am I doing here?

It seems that my answer to this question changes over time. The more I learn about the medicine, the more I come to appreciate what it means, what it has to offer. If every journey starts with one step, my journey toward Chinese medicine began when I was 18 years old, the day I picked up a book on the 4 noble truths. It was a very simple book, one that outlined the life of the Buddha. 

This was a profound time in my life, not because of any spiritual or religious conversion, but because I had found a philosophy of life that matched something that was stirring inside me. I had found some words on a page that explained a very fundamental unease I felt about my culture. Something shifted in me and I wanted to learn more. So, I took a comparative religions class. I found all the religions fascinating but it seemed that the Eastern religions in particular captivated me, particularly Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. And of course, as we know now, Chinese medicine is a medicine of syncretism. It is a melding of these three schools of thought. Of course there are more branches that extend out from these particular religions but the body of the medicine is influenced mainly by these 3 philosophies.

And then came my experience with Western medicine. I believe it was Leon Hammer that said, "Western medicine does not have a unifying matrix." Well, this was clear from my experience and it bothered me. The disjointed world-view that defined modern culture and had contributed to my general sense of unease was the same world-view that created what we know as "western medicine". And it was dissatisfying to say the least. I wanted to do something about it. 

I was searching for a path that fit who I was. I wasn't willing to settle for something that did not satisfy my need for a holistic world-view. I wanted to contribute something worthwhile and help those who wanted a more global and unified sense of their bodies, their minds, their health. I loved herbs, I loved the "unified matrix" that TCM had to offer. So here I am. 

What do I think about Physics?

I think that Physics is a fascinating subject with a lot of potential to expand and boggle my mind. 

Reflections on The Meaning of Time

Linear time, subjective time, objective time, parallel universes where events take place at the same time, the time-space continuum, how much time it takes for light to travel, digital time, atomic time. And time is always on our minds... I'm never gonna be on time, what time is it?, did you have a good time? what time do you want to meet? etc...

Time is many things. Time is an agreement, a statement, a constraint, a dictator, a liberator, a friend. Time can be stolen from us, "borrowed", wasted, used. Time is what we give prisoners who need to be punished. Time is valuable. Time is money. Time is...just in time.

There are so many ways to view time. This subject completely fascinates me and I am overjoyed that we are discussing it in Larry's class. Time is such a strange concept that I feel transcends the capabilities of the human mind in many ways. Time is an invisible force that shapes our bodies, our minds, our character and the development of wisdom and reflection. From a spiritual aspect it is a great teacher if we pay attention to those patterns that repeat over time and we learn from them.  I believe that human beings experience time as a tool of reflection, as an opportunity to grow. Our goal I believe is not to necessarily know the literal meaning of time but to explore it, to dwell here in this mysterious place and ask questions. Human beings are a great way for the Universe to reflect back on itself, to ponder itself. Time offers the perfect tool for those that are willing.