Hi All!
Wow, what a thread this is. Where to begin?
I guess I will just respond to Mark if I may, since a lot of what is in Mark's post is so inspiring (as is Gregg's blog from which all these posts seem to be inspired!).

I do agree Mark that a return to a much earlier form of human cognition is warranted and long overdue. We used to believe in magic and miracles, even if those are probably a kind of social awe in lieu of our modern inclination toward social skepticism (we are now disenchanted, as you said it so nicely here). I couldn't agree more. We need to be in awe of each other and this world a lot more often than we are. But when what we sense gets trapped inside, it has a habit of refusing to leave. We begin to prefer the things we know over the experience of getting to know them.

The other thing I would like to contribute to, is the definition of metaphysical. For me, in my research, nothing is more amazing than this physical universe, and what we call metaphysical or subconscious, is not un-physical. It is when a single idea (a physical response) cannot be understood or conveyed as a single idea. But when we try to perceive (or conceive) many different things all at once (or across time), we struggle against the nature of the transitory "manyness" of existence (a phenomenal pluribus) in favor of lasting objectifications (mentalized systems of consistent expectations).

Why not simply grant that more than one distinct thing is always here? or, conversely, why not grant that each individual is an amazing variety of wonderfully unique moments we tend to collect into the idea of an enduring person?

What is unconscious is not unconscious but simply many individual things, I feel. But since we think all things are made of fewer things that appear in many slightly different ways, most things remain unconscious to us. This theory lets us go back in time to when our species was young and experienced wonder. It does not detract from all of these neat diagrams of Gregg's, but lets us wonder if we are only as amazing as we let everything else seem amazing to us.

Consider: If we try to keep everything here, how will tomorrow fit? And if we try to predict tomorrow (so we feel safe and secure), how can we have faith that we will make it there together? Knowing is nice, but wondering at it all just seems so much nicer. As Byron said so eloquently, "I love not Man the less, but Nature more". Nature will always be just outside my thoughts, never held captive by them. It is why I seek out others to find out how I might become more than I am.

Thanks for letting me share here :) You all have so much depth to share!
Lonny

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