OUR METAPHORICAL REALITY
SEMIOTIC INTERPRETATIONS
Metaphors speak in symbolic language which expresses our basic truths. Interpretation of that language is directed by the context of the symbolic presentation.
We who are products of Western science, philosophy, and society tend to be limited by a materialistic, left brain interpretation of our reality.
The far East, by virtue of its ancient philosophies, has been traditionally oriented toward a non sensory, non materialistic view of reality which recognizes the fundamental psychic/spiritual nature of our world. Consciousness reigns supreme.
Eastern phylosophy is based upon the recognition that materialism is a temporary illusion which is convenient for us in our incarnation in this world, but does not last.
About one hundred years ago, the West began to escape the illusory nature of materialistic science and philosophy through our introduction to the great mystery of Quantum Physics (“the quantum”).
I think of our early quantum physicists as the new mystics. They discovered that material manifestations are dictated by the observing consciousness.
There is general scientific recognition that the deeper we penetrate into a material event, the more emptiness we find. We forced to admit that there is NO real solidity in material events. There is nothing but space and energy.
It has been asked, “If reality is shaped by my observing consciousness, if I am not looking at my cat now, it doesn’t exist as a material reality?”
No. It is real, whether or not you are the consciousness observing it. An infinite number of material things exist that each of us is not observing. The moon exists whether or not you are looking at it.
The consciousness of the Universe is always observing its creation, and thereby gives it the illusion of material existence.
Humans have inherited a portion of this Universal consciousness and in limited circumstances by our observation we “collapse the wave” and bring forth a material reality that before our observation existed only as mixture of existence and non existence.
The Universal all pervading conscious observer of all its creation has vested in us certain levels of ability to create that influences certain aspects of the material reality we observe that prior to our observation have been left by the all observing creator in a state of probabilities composed of a wave of energy that collapses upon observation by a human.
Must the observing consciousness be human? We know that the Great Observer, the Universe, is not human. Cannot a less developed animal consciousness not collapse a wave of potential material condition, thereby causing Shrodinger’s cat to be either alive or dead, or a photon to be either a wave or a particle?
There are many levels of creative consciousness. A lion seeking something to eat does not have to observe its target to make it real. It only has to find and see it in order to capture it, but it was already materially real due to its observation by the Universal consciousness, the Creator.
You see how easy it is to slip down upon a rapidly spinning carousel of speculative thought that can quickly become nonsense.
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Back to the metaphorical nature of our reality. When the wave collapses and a material reality is fixed, that apparent reality is a symbol of a greater truth.
This is like a mythical or parabolic story that, though not literally true, presents a greater truth than initially seen in the literal interpretation of the story. Think of the Greek myths regarding Zeus and the other gods in his mountain, or the parables told by Jesus.
Along these lines, I have previously presented the mythical nature of the story of Atlantas. I have read no other similar account. Most people prefer to see the Atlantas story as literally true.
My presentation of the mythical nature of the Atlantas story is not popular, but the signs of myth are all over it.
It is a difficult task to question something we consider to be literally true, and search for the underlying, greater truth it symbolically presents to us.
An example might be when we find ourselves in heated debate over any issue, perhaps politics, I propose that this issue is not as it appears, favoring one candidate over others, but that the debate symbolizes a need for respect. Even a quest for power comes down to an ego need for respect.
We all have a fundamental need to feel respected, and often that need represents symbolically in a debate (argument) over political principals, or what we will have for dinner tonight.
When we demonstrate sincere respect for the one we debate, the issue debated tends to lose importance to both of us because it in literal context was not that big a deal anyway.
Who will be our president (or dictator) will not be determined by the winner of this debate, therefore the debate is not nearly as important as it feels. It is symbolic of an issue of personal importance.
Same with arguing about what we will eat tonight. Neither party to the debate is likely to suggest food bad for us, or that tastes bad, so how important is it any way? We may find the real issue is the need to win, and thereby feel respected.
The sense of respect might come from ourselves rather than the other party to the argument. Is that true respect? Probably not, just a passing excuse to stop the fight.
So many debates are not really about the issue debated but about a need for respect, or a sense of power. If these are the real needs symbolized by the debate, the sooner we recognize that fact, the sooner perceived levels of discomfort evaporate, and the argument ends.
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We need to each interpret the real, underlying meanings in the metaphors life continually presents. This is a personal thing that generally does not lead to interpretation by an outsider.
This is like our interpretation of dreams. Someone more familiar with interpreting symbolic language might could offer some guidelines, but each of us must be the interpreter of our dreams, and our lives.
“Life is but a dream”, but a very meaningful one.