The poetry of science, I feel that that is my (perhaps our?) creative niche. I wrote this poem about the hormones of pregnancy that came to mind when you wrote that. I've also been making nature-y watercolors inspired by the shapes of head CTs, but substack won't let me plop them in here. And I 100% agree with that scientist. It will be a spiritual healing to face the wounds that cause greed, apathy, and feelings of powerlessness/victimization.
I do declare us poetic scientists as of this very writing. I love your science and poetry topics! I guess we are the new renaissance humans :) And yes, in order to change our consciousness/elevate it to build a more humane world, we need to heal ourselves individually. And the only way out is in and through as we both know now fortunately. Thanks for the comment!
I suspect that a number of scientists are poets, but of course they can’t get published professionally writing that way. Have read the late Loren Eiseley? He was an amazing writer as well as scientist. Read him, and I think you might agree. 🙂
I came across Eiseley only recently when I was investigating how to become a poetic scientist 🤣 now that you mention, I will do a deeper dive on him. Thanks for the rec!
I dont see the unleveled skyline. 😂 thats why i did not become a surgeon. That part of my brain must be atrophied. Ill try and pay attention with next shots but its definitely too nuanced for my current brain. 🧠
I loved seeing that photo of Chile -what an adventure that was hiking Torres del Paine! I appreciate the wonderful quotes sprinkled throughout your writing and your reflections on life, as it is right now!
It was truly heaven on earth! What other proof do the people need? Thanks for the reading, the support and for sharing your adventurous spirit. Glad you like the quotes!
Nessa, about optics (video and pics): The eagle video feed is delightful, so full of simple silence (one of my closest friends, so uncomfortable for others except my beloved Jackie), and so full of endearing gestures of intelligent awareness. accompanied whimsically by apparent occasional drowsiness. The first photo: An embodiment of silence -- so beautiful! Photo #2: A creature divine -- You, Nessa. Oh, and the gorilla, also divine, but in a very different way.
The Buddha's thinking of 2,600 years ago: I'm afraid I find it somewhat less than inspiring. He leaves fundamentals undefined and draws conclusions from them. For example, his words, "But when you yourselves directly know, . . . ," I have to ask how do we "directly know." Do we directly know anything? Do we "know" anything other than by inference and deduction? Of course many would reply what of innate knowledge? To which I would respond, where does innate knowledge come from? Is it formed of neural connections before or soon after we are born? Before we can understand spoken language? Before we are aware of ourselves? I have to respond with my belief that "innate" knowledge comes only after experience and inference followed or accompanied by deduction. We are obviously born with innate needs like beating of heart, breathing, swallowing, etc. Can we call that knowledge? Only by the most fundamental of definitions! So how may we know whether a "principle" is wholesome or unwholesome before we have acquired the experience to judge? By guessing, of course!
Dear friend, thank you for the insightful comments as usual. As for the compliments, I don't usually do well with flattery but thank you for the kindness. As to your comment on the Buddhist phrase quoted above. I don't think you can actually offer informed critique because you must know context of the quote to do that.
Obviously there have been volumes and volumes written on this very point and I do not want to reduce the meaning behind this quote. It requires a post entire. If interested, I recommend the book The Art Of Living Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka by William Hart. It contains a lot of great wisdom and principles that I now practice daily. Vipassana means "as it is" meditation (as opposed to as you want it to be) or how to live in the world with keen observational skills of what is actually happening in the world real time vs. what you watch/read/believe is happening.
Direct knowledge/lived experience is a fundamental principle to remaining in present moments which is a key part of Buddhist/Eastern World teachings (and our health if I may add). Buddha was basically a neuroscientist who came up with some tools to improve brain health/consciousness, see past illusions, and decrease suffering. He also says do not believe me or my words just try the tools for yourself and believe your experience of utilizing the teachings to get you closer to truth. The idea is that it is encouranged to believe what you yourself experience and see with your own eyes as opposed to succumb to external influences/dogma/illusions/brainwashings/corruption.
This resonates for me personally since I base my knowings and intuitions on observations I have made with my own eyes. Of nature and the divinity in what I see. Not what he said she said. Or he wrote she wrote. Not armchair opinions or values.
It also touches on the principle that we have divine intuitive insight within us that has become out of reach to us. There are ways to cut through illusions of others and illusions of self to find inner wisdom/light. Our access to it is blocked by us because we are such lost, confused, fearful, violent, and sick souls.
I think there are few acts more instructive than watching our own minds at work. Following the path of our thoughts and continually asking, “Hmmm, where did thought/feeling come from?” Doing so with genuine curiosity and without judgment. I wake up in the morning feeling morose, then track my mind’s ideas and consider, “I think I need a glass of water,” then I drink it and immediately feel better. I don’t claim that this proves anything, I only observe that our thoughts and feelings can arise from the oddest places, and watching them can be very illuminating.
Yes agree. Witness awareness is so cool and insightful. Equanimity is key. I used to shame and judge parts of me that had certain thoughts (conditioned to do that). now I just invite all the guests to the table and keep it civil.
The poetry of science, I feel that that is my (perhaps our?) creative niche. I wrote this poem about the hormones of pregnancy that came to mind when you wrote that. I've also been making nature-y watercolors inspired by the shapes of head CTs, but substack won't let me plop them in here. And I 100% agree with that scientist. It will be a spiritual healing to face the wounds that cause greed, apathy, and feelings of powerlessness/victimization.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thenettlewitchmd/p/the-messengers?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=3mq65
I do declare us poetic scientists as of this very writing. I love your science and poetry topics! I guess we are the new renaissance humans :) And yes, in order to change our consciousness/elevate it to build a more humane world, we need to heal ourselves individually. And the only way out is in and through as we both know now fortunately. Thanks for the comment!
I suspect that a number of scientists are poets, but of course they can’t get published professionally writing that way. Have read the late Loren Eiseley? He was an amazing writer as well as scientist. Read him, and I think you might agree. 🙂
I came across Eiseley only recently when I was investigating how to become a poetic scientist 🤣 now that you mention, I will do a deeper dive on him. Thanks for the rec!
You need to level the skyline!! lol
I love your photography
I dont see the unleveled skyline. 😂 thats why i did not become a surgeon. That part of my brain must be atrophied. Ill try and pay attention with next shots but its definitely too nuanced for my current brain. 🧠
The first beach photo ;)
I loved seeing that photo of Chile -what an adventure that was hiking Torres del Paine! I appreciate the wonderful quotes sprinkled throughout your writing and your reflections on life, as it is right now!
It was truly heaven on earth! What other proof do the people need? Thanks for the reading, the support and for sharing your adventurous spirit. Glad you like the quotes!
Nessa, about optics (video and pics): The eagle video feed is delightful, so full of simple silence (one of my closest friends, so uncomfortable for others except my beloved Jackie), and so full of endearing gestures of intelligent awareness. accompanied whimsically by apparent occasional drowsiness. The first photo: An embodiment of silence -- so beautiful! Photo #2: A creature divine -- You, Nessa. Oh, and the gorilla, also divine, but in a very different way.
The Buddha's thinking of 2,600 years ago: I'm afraid I find it somewhat less than inspiring. He leaves fundamentals undefined and draws conclusions from them. For example, his words, "But when you yourselves directly know, . . . ," I have to ask how do we "directly know." Do we directly know anything? Do we "know" anything other than by inference and deduction? Of course many would reply what of innate knowledge? To which I would respond, where does innate knowledge come from? Is it formed of neural connections before or soon after we are born? Before we can understand spoken language? Before we are aware of ourselves? I have to respond with my belief that "innate" knowledge comes only after experience and inference followed or accompanied by deduction. We are obviously born with innate needs like beating of heart, breathing, swallowing, etc. Can we call that knowledge? Only by the most fundamental of definitions! So how may we know whether a "principle" is wholesome or unwholesome before we have acquired the experience to judge? By guessing, of course!
Dear friend, thank you for the insightful comments as usual. As for the compliments, I don't usually do well with flattery but thank you for the kindness. As to your comment on the Buddhist phrase quoted above. I don't think you can actually offer informed critique because you must know context of the quote to do that.
Obviously there have been volumes and volumes written on this very point and I do not want to reduce the meaning behind this quote. It requires a post entire. If interested, I recommend the book The Art Of Living Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka by William Hart. It contains a lot of great wisdom and principles that I now practice daily. Vipassana means "as it is" meditation (as opposed to as you want it to be) or how to live in the world with keen observational skills of what is actually happening in the world real time vs. what you watch/read/believe is happening.
Direct knowledge/lived experience is a fundamental principle to remaining in present moments which is a key part of Buddhist/Eastern World teachings (and our health if I may add). Buddha was basically a neuroscientist who came up with some tools to improve brain health/consciousness, see past illusions, and decrease suffering. He also says do not believe me or my words just try the tools for yourself and believe your experience of utilizing the teachings to get you closer to truth. The idea is that it is encouranged to believe what you yourself experience and see with your own eyes as opposed to succumb to external influences/dogma/illusions/brainwashings/corruption.
This resonates for me personally since I base my knowings and intuitions on observations I have made with my own eyes. Of nature and the divinity in what I see. Not what he said she said. Or he wrote she wrote. Not armchair opinions or values.
It also touches on the principle that we have divine intuitive insight within us that has become out of reach to us. There are ways to cut through illusions of others and illusions of self to find inner wisdom/light. Our access to it is blocked by us because we are such lost, confused, fearful, violent, and sick souls.
I think there are few acts more instructive than watching our own minds at work. Following the path of our thoughts and continually asking, “Hmmm, where did thought/feeling come from?” Doing so with genuine curiosity and without judgment. I wake up in the morning feeling morose, then track my mind’s ideas and consider, “I think I need a glass of water,” then I drink it and immediately feel better. I don’t claim that this proves anything, I only observe that our thoughts and feelings can arise from the oddest places, and watching them can be very illuminating.
Yes agree. Witness awareness is so cool and insightful. Equanimity is key. I used to shame and judge parts of me that had certain thoughts (conditioned to do that). now I just invite all the guests to the table and keep it civil.