Life and the Spectrum of Consciousness

~ Tim ~ 3 Comments

When we look in the mirror, we can see ourselves and know that we exist, that we have a independent identity, an independent awareness of life. What does a worm think when it looks at itself in the mirror? How could we possibly know that!? No one knows how to communicate with a worm! But is it aware of itself like we are? The answer is not “No”! The answer is that we don’t know!

I believe that consciousness—awareness—exists throughout the entire spectrum of life-forms. Recent studies have shown that many animals seem to have a sense of being self-aware, (especially dolphins incidentally). But it is not “self” awareness that I’m talking about here. I think that the total spectrum of consciousness is actually “Life” being aware of ITSELF.

A worm experiences the world completely differently than we do. Birds, elephants, snakes, flies, even single celled amoeba’s see and experience the world in a different way than we do. Bat’s and dolphins “see” with their ears! Each life-form has their own unique means of living and experiencing the world. There is even evidence to suggest that plant-life is in some sense aware.

If we put all of these forms of life together—all of the things that are “alive”, that have the life-force within them—from plants, to amoeba’s, to insects, to reptiles to fish to dolphins and whales, to mammals to humans—if we add all of those individual experiences together, isn’t it possible that the total sum equals the whole? Our separate awareness might instead be Life looking through us at itself! The only way that life could in any sense be "aware" of itself in totality, would be by creating the entire spectrum of plant and animal species, making us its witnesses, its observers, seeing itself through our eyes: Life itself seeing itself, as it totally is.

An exciting concept, don’t you think? Something to think about.

T.

Lived a good life…?

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

I recently overheard two people talking about an elderly friend of theirs who had recently died. The first expressed regret, saying how sad she was to hear the bad news. The second responded by saying, “Oh, don’t be upset, she had a long and good life. She always had the best of everything. You don’t need to feel sorry for her dying!”.

You may have heard people respond in a similar way. Perhaps even you think this way. If you do, WHY?

To me, every single life is precious. The loss of any life creates an instant blank spot in the whole saga of humanity. There never has been and there never will be another human being created just like them!

And, if someone you know dies—even if they are very elderly—in the blink of an eye something has been taken from your life personally, something that you have previously been able to reach out and to touch, and to hug, and maybe even to hold, and now it—they, are gone forever. Yes, their memory remains, but you don’t need to rationalize their disappearance! If you cared at all about that person, then it is perfectly normal—and I’ll dare to say it’s completely “sane” to feel the loss of their presence in your life!

A loss, YES, but at least never forgotten.

T.

Forgetmenot-Flower

Save Japan Dolphins

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

The CoveI watched an amazing documentary tonight about the merciless slaughter of bottle-nosed dolphins that has occurred in the small Japanese town of Taiji. The film documents the efforts of Ric O’Barry, the director of Save Japan Dolphins.

Ironically, Ric was the trainer of the dolphin used in the mid-sixties TV show, “Flipper”. It was after the show finished airing that Ric developed his passion to protect the dolphins, as one day he watched Cathy, one of the Flipper show dolphins, die in his arms. From there started his transformation from training dolphins in captivity to assertively combating the captivity industry.

The film initially had a wonderful response, resulting in a "No Kill” policy being issued, putting a complete stop to the slaughter. But in the past week or so, O’Barry discovered that they have started once again to kill the dolphins.

O’Barry is focusing his efforts now to have the film shown in Japan. I hope he is successful. I will be following his efforts here on my blog. I urge my readers to see the movie (available now to rent or purchase. I watched it via my “Shaw On Demand” TV cable service).

Click here to see the latest update from O’Barry’s blog.
Click here to read one of O’Barry’s first blog postings about this.

 

The water in this picture from the site of the massacre is red from the blood of the dolphins.

dolphin-kill-at-Taiji1

 

image

 

Poetry

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment
I always wanted to be a Poet…

But the words didn’t show it.

 They just couldn’t rhyme…

 No matter the time.

 But it seems that I’ve got it

 On time or perhaps not

 At least there is something

 I’ll give it a shot!

T.

Another day almost over…

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

Are you joining me at this time of night? Or are you reading this in the luxury of the sun-shine and day-time of wherever you are?

It doesn’t matter.

Really. It doesn’t.

WHY?

Because the day is only as old as it looks.

Time wants to give us its set-point deadlines.

But what is it if all smatters after twelve by a bit?

Only by that which we give it.

A day is only that which we give it, indeed.

Give it nothing, and that’s what it is.

Be chained to the definition…and that’s you in Jail!

But go with it, and freedom dwells truly there…

There in the midst of it.

Rain on the window-sill…

All winds a-blowing…

But the fact is, Life is only right here, right now, now at at eleven-forty-five by my clock.

Even no rhyme can come to greet us, for the poetic amongst us.

A shame, because these words could end so well, otherwise.

So for those who have lived to see these words and perhaps another day….

I bid you good night, may sleep give you some deliverance from today.

It can if you let it! Do not dismay!

The rhyme is closer than we all realize…

Like the wind in the willows, it is here right now…

Dare we pause to receive it? To recognize it as such?

Or do we let the day lay, as it is…..as much?

Indeed, let’s let it be just as it is, to all my friends this I pray!

_____________________________________________________________

T.

New Year’s Resolution Follow-up

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

Well, its been 13 days since we made our New Year’s resolutions! Most of us have probably broken them already! And in the end, only 1 out of 12 people will actually accomplish them. But do you know what that statistics don’t say? They don’t say anything about the other 3, 4, or 5 people who WILL keep their resolutions SORT-OF. “Sort-of” means that a few more of those 12 people might not totally accomplish their New Year’s goals, but they can and will keep working towards them!

I have a friend who has a serious problem with alcohol—when he’s drinking it! His doctor told him to quit a couple years ago, quit or eventually die from it because it has been catching up with him as he gets older. Well, he did quit—for about a month. A week later, he quit again, for about 3 months! Since then, three months has pretty much been the longest that he’s been able to go without drinking a drop. The other day he told me how much this has frustrated him. He wants so desperately to quit, he said with a sigh, but just can’t pass that 3 month mark.

Now you tell me—has my friend been successful with his desire to quit drinking? Of course he has (sorry AA)!!! I said to my friend, “Friend, you have already WON your battle with the bottle! You have been able to go for as long as 3 MONTHS without taking a drink! And, you’ve been doing that for the past couple of years. If you can keep on doing what you’ve been doing for the rest of your life, you will never have to worry about alcohol eating away your life and killing you!” He looked at me, clearly stunned.  After a few seconds, his eyes lit up  like big, bright stars and then a huge smile arose.  “That’s right!!!” he bellowed excitedly, then stuck his hand out and gave me one of the firmest and most heartfelt handshakes of my life. And then again after a couple minutes, and then again a couple more minutes after that!

Dear readers: Your New Years resolutions might have been broken, but YOU are not. Tomorrow is a NEW DAY, full of so much opportunity to keep on keeping on. Follow the flame in your heart to your own personal greatness, if only one day, one week, one month, three months—at a time. Starting tomorrow you can start again, or you can keep doing whatever you have already started. Just do it. You can do it!

I’m doing my best to do the same. We’re all in this together!

Cheers
T.

Only One

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

There is only one YOU in the entire world. Think about it. In the entire history of the human species there has never been anyone just like you. Like a star in the sky on a cool winters night you are a light burning brightly in the world here today. That light is yours and yours alone. No one, and no thing can ever take that distinction, that uniqueness, that pure greatness of who you away from you.

You came into this world with a totally unique set of talents and abilities. No one ever has and no one ever will be just like you. Think about that! Don’t judge yourself, just meditate on the FACT, on what IS. See how unique and therefore how special you are. Yes, you ARE!

Let your light shine. Just do THAT and the rest of your life will be purposeful.

Your purpose is to simply be who and what you are.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

T.

Every day is a new day!

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

I have written about this before…about how “Tomorrow” is  a “New Day”. Indeed, it IS, my friend, whether you think so or not!

Every day in our life is a day that we DID, that we now have done…whatever it is that we did yesterday, that we can let go of, that we can ERASE from our past…because when wake up tomorrow…it will be a NEW DAY.

Life, the Universe, God, what-have-you, gives YOU and ME this gift each and every day. It is OUR CHOICE to accept it or to reject it.

Accept it, and I promise you that your life will change…in ways that you cannot imagine.

Join ME tomorrow morning…with a “New Day”, will you?

I hope to see you there!

“Blessings”

Tim

Gentle Rain…

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

Gently falling, calling to the sea

The raindrops quicken, passing me

It’s rain that washes away the dirt

If only it could erase the hurt

But what hurt there is will sweetly go

As the passing of another day does show

That times arrow beckons and goes past true

Tomorrow will be another day, clean, fresh and new.

—————————————————————————————-

I hope you all have a wonderful night and day.
As my dear friend Bill says with such purity of heart…

”Blessings”

T.