Layered Thoughts

Posted on March 30, 2007
Filed Under Journal, Spirituality, Consciousness |

Some months ago I got a pair of glasses, mainly for distance viewing. Now what I didn’t realise is that there would be an adjustment period when wearing them whilst my eyes adapted. Meanwhile I visited someone who was building a new garage in their garden. Upon seeing the garage I was completely stumped, for the ground it was built upon was curved, yet the garage itself was level. I examined the building and its structure didn’t appear to accommodate the fact that the floor was totally uneven. It was all quite odd.

So I asked the guy who built it how he managed to achieve such a thing. He proceeded to elaborate at great length how he used spirit levels, accurate measurements and solid foundations. None of which actually explained the paradox of a level building built upon an uneven surface without needing a rise on one side or the other.

At a loss I pointed this out, only to receive an odd look and then the same explanation in simpler terms. Anyway failing to grasp what I was seeing, I gave up and moved on.

The point of the story isn’t that my new glasses where actually causing the light to diffract, whilst my brain failed to adjust for that fact. What was amazing about this scenario is that both of us failed to realise that we were actually seeing different things. I was seeing curved ground, whilst the other guy was seeing level ground. Yet totally unaware of this issue, we were dancing around the subject assuming we were both seeing the same thing – and wondering why the other could not grasp what was trying to be explained.

Recently I have heard various discussions on the latest Battlestar Galactica episode. Many people appear to be surprised and at a loss as to why the show has suddenly taken such an odd and unexpected turn in direction in its season finale. Other people meanwhile have been impressed with the manner in which the show brought together various plot elements which had up to this point been relatively subtle, yet obvious when perceived within the shows use of multi-contextual plot building.

It is an obvious statement; perception is where it all hinges at.

The article I wrote on Galactica suggested that the show is a great allegory for life itself. Life is a dance, it has its own melody – layers upon layers, upon layers; each of those layers, multi-contextual, related and interconnected.

It is kinda like hind-sight – but in reverse.

Some people see this about life – whilst others do not. Some people see how their own emotions, reactions, beliefs – their entire being – fit into this pattern; that we are very much a part of the structure of how reality functions. Other people have a more level view, and take a linear approach to life, one of semantic linguistics. They see themselves as an observer rather than a partaker, not really comprehending that observing is partaking.

Am I trying to make a point here? Maybe it is buried somewhat, maybe it appears as a bit of a judgmental rant. Point is this: What would you have thought had you seen the conversation between me and that guy with his garage?