The Mind's I

null@example.com (Perceval) — Sat, 28 Aug 2004 15:25:49 +0000

Greetings all,
You guys are just starting your day. I’m ending mine. So good morning and goodnight. I just wanted to recommend a book I read years ago that some of you might find stimulating. The Mind’s I
AFB’s new avatar and byline made me think of it. I recall it also had an illustration of a single eye on the cover, although I don’t believe it was Escher. It’s a collection of essays and excerpts from larger works that explore the nature of self and self-consciousness. It made quite an impact on me at that time. It really gets you thinking about this flimsy construction we hold so precious. Since then I’ve read other things from the contributors that I thought were great, notably Stanislav Lem. One of the editors, Douglas R. Hofstadter, wrote another book, Godel, Escher, Bach an Eternal Golden Braid. It’s a masterpiece.
It seems to me that whenever we discuss reincarnation, or any kind of return of “self“? to this material world we have to consider the nature of that individual consciousness, personality, whatever you want to call it. What is it about you that will survive death? Your memories? Your abilities. Your loves and hates?
I worked in a state mental hospital when I was in school and saw a lot of things in the back wards that could really shake your confidence in anything like an eternal soul.
I read in the news Thursday that Elizabeth Kubler Ross passed away. You might know her for her book, “On Death and Dying.“? Incredible fortune made an opportunity for me to hear her speak in a very intimate setting. She told us some profound things about her experience with dying children and how they had absolutely convinced her of life after death.
I guess everyone here in the Noble Realms takes it for granted that we are indestructible spirits with all eternity to live and learn in one dimension or another, but when Ms Kubler-Ross wrote her first books and spoke out publicly about her beliefs she was a pioneer. She was real champion.

Perceval

Noble Realms — The Mind's I

The Mind's I