Origin of thoughts & their significance - Where do they come from?

An interesting question. Though there is no definitive answer available, each one of us have our own answer anyway! 

However numerous arguments have been and are being made by exponents from different backgrounds. Philosophers, scientists, doctors, yoga instructors are enthusiastically involved in making their case. Currently there is no specific theory that is widely accepted. 

One reasoning quotes quantum physics. It suggests that as everything in the world is considered to be made up of energy or vibrations, even thoughts are variants of energy. 

It goes on to say that there is no fundamental difference between people’s thoughts. 

Sparkles of energy will be produced based on our sensory interaction with external world in combination with the memory that we possess. Memory can be related to our past experiences. When we consciously pay attention, the thought gains energy. Otherwise the thought will be feeble and dies down. It is the energy that one exudes would be picked by another.

This element is elaborated further by intellectuals and they declare that thoughts are just a function of memory and experiences. They announce that there is no such thing as our thought. All thoughts come from outside – from external environment that we are in. According to them there is no originality in anyone’s thoughts.  

The doctors also have been exploring this. They are of the opinion that neural processes facilitate emergence of thoughts. However, the medical science doesn’t know for sure currently how thoughts emerge from neuron activity. 

They only rely on indirect evidence to support the argument that brain is the organ where thoughts get formed. Click here to read a neuroscientist’s viewpoint on the subject. 

Having heard different perspectives of origin of thoughts, it is clear we do not have a conclusive answer as to where do they come from. However, we have to admit that we lose massive amount of energy because we are continuously paying attention to our thoughts; we can say that weare losing energy through our thoughts.  

If we are able to conserve this energy, we can channelize the energy properly and thereby make us feel energetic. This is what “yoga” is according to Patanjali’s yoga sutras. 

According to Patanjali, to perform yoga is to reduce the number of thoughts to zero so that energy, which is otherwise wasted, can be utilized in the right manner and transition into Self-Realization.

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Panpsychism, the philosophy of mind?

Consciousness is considered to be the foundation of universe. It is thought to be omnipresent, in whatever we encounter including us. 

Contrary to belief that it is a subjective experience that only human beings possess, intellectuals are now debating that consciousness is all pervasive.

When we are discussing topics such as consciousness there is no concurrence in terms of what we know so far. Especially when the argument turns into something that beats our common sense. 

But philosophers and academicians across the world think that even scientists like Albert Einstein make suggestions regarding their research that counters common sense. So, we should learn to be more open rather than drawing conclusions based on our intuition.

A philosophy professor, Mr. David Chalmers indicated the hard problem of consciousness a few years ago demonstrating that there was no solution to the origin of consciousness. There have been two major perspectives to answer this question – materialism and dualism.

Materialism believes consciousness is derived entirely from physical matter however dualism suggests that consciousness and physical matter are two distinct entities. None of these is a feasible explanation though. 

It is at this juncture Panpsychism offers another explanation. It holds that consciousness is a fundamental feature of physical matter. 

This viewpoint makes a case that every particle that exists has a form of consciousness however puny it may be. The argument goes further to indicate that when many such small forms come together, complex structures get created.

Does it mean that inanimate objects too possess consciousness? Well, panpsychism would imply that. Anything that you can think of – stones, cars, forks, tables, yes, everything has consciousness. There is a lot of interest on this way of seeing things. 

Universities have made serious attempts to offer panpsychism, the philosophy of mind, as one of the areas being researched. There have been books written now. So, it is gathering sufficient interest. Click here to know more about on this doctrine.

But does panpsychism provide reasonable explanation for all questions? No, there are still questions to be answered. One of the biggest questions is known as “Combination problem”. It asks exactly how do small pieces of consciousness gel together to form more sophisticated piece of consciousness? Even though for sake of argument if we consider that specks of consciousness do exist in all objects, there is no plausible justification that they would consolidate.

Having said all these, there is still a long way to go to reach any conclusion as such. Any doctrine is yet to reach that stage which has solution to all the problems that mankind can fathom. 

It is in this context philosopher John Perry says, 

"If you think about consciousness long enough, you either become a panpsychist or you go into administration.”

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Mark of Great Quality

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Quit Talking; Begin Doing

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The Man who asked the Big Questions

Stephen William Hawking born in 1942 is best remembered as a cosmologist who didn’t fear to ask the big question and persevere to seek the answer despite his physical limitations. 

Some of his questions are something that I’m sure you would also have thought at some point in your life, like - “Where did the universe come from?”. But the difference is that most of us would just stop there after asking the question.

Even though he was restricted to his wheelchair most of his life due to his illness, he was spirited to explore and pursue his research on a variety of topics related to the universe. In fact, he is considered to be a leader in this generation of researchers in this area. 

He went on to explore properties of gravity and black holes. Mankind is still searching for answers and plausible explanations on an array of topics in relation to these.

Given his physical condition, what an amazingly adventurous person he was – he celebrated one of his birthdays by going up in a hot-air balloon; he took part in a zero gravity flight to experience weightlessness!

And to constant questions from curious people, he would always say “I want to show that people need not be limited by physical handicaps as long as they are not disabled in spirit”. An excellent message for all of us to ponder upon. May his soul rest in peace.

Click here to read a detailed obituary.

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Spirituality Wheel

The way human mind operates is quite astonishing. There has been tremendous advancement in the studies of human body and mind and naturally with exploration mankind has understood lot many things about what constitutes our body. 

However, with respect to the most complicated part of human body – brain, there is a still long way to go. 

Whether mind can be considered associated only with the brain itself is a question which is debated at different forums.

You would have noticed in your day to day activities that your mind certainly has lot of amazing powers. For instance, just by looking at an event published in the newspaper, your mind calculates lot of stuff at enormous speed and arrives at options, possibilities, conclusions. 

Possibly it is not being conscious enough but next time you perform any mundane activity just pay little more attention. You will really be surprised at what your mind is capable of. In whatever means it performs, the argument is that there is a basic stereotype of a person’s trait that the mind follows.

In an attempt to map a person’s character to a certain attitude there is a ‘wheel’ created that is called a spirituality wheel. It seems that it determines your most dominant trait! It is a quick assessment with 7 questions and doesn’t take long. So why not give it a try?

Click here to know your dominant trait according to the spirituality wheel.

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Hidden Power

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