Do you feel like you are a spirit living inside a body? Or do you feel that the human body is you?
It’s seems like that’s the difference between being religious or atheist. If you’re atheist, when the body expires you’re done. Poof! If you believe you are a spirit… the essence of your soul lives on, perhaps in another dimension.
Sarah Silverman says she’s a very hopeful agnostic. I love that. After all since no one knows for sure, why not lean towards the bright side while showing some humility? She’s also said atheists are just as obnoxious as Jesus freaks. Both have taken a leap of faith, which is a fancy way of saying they lie and pretend to know something they can’t possibly know for sure.
Of course, believing or not is a choice. I choose to believe, because it feels right. Not the same as knowing for sure, I suppose.
Downtown Joe once said he has to believe in God. It’s what keeps him from “Raping and Pillaging”. That really affected me. It was clever. I laughed out loud at the absurdity, as I know that Joe is one of the sweetest kindest most humble people you’d ever want to meet. He might steal a cookie. But that’s about it. Yet he seemed to be admitting that if we were barbarians, and there was no penalty…. we might just behave like pirates. Or worse.
When you go to sleep what happens to you? Are you paused, like a streaming video? No one really knows. It’s still one of the great mysteries of science. One thing we do know is that whatever you were working on that day continues in your sleep. When I’m trying to learn a tough piano part, I may go to bed frustrated as I’ve hit a brick wall and can’t get it. When I wake up the next morning I’ve somehow put it together. Muscle memory and neural pathways are solidified during shut-eye. Wild.
It was reported today that some scientists think they may one day be able to record our dreams.
They are utilizing lucid dreamers for the research. Have ever had a lucid dream? That’s when you are in a dream, and you know you are dreaming. I’ve done this quite a few times. As a lucid dreamer you can actually think about how you want the story you are in to develop… you are directing it. Lucid dreaming is also sometimes scary. I’ve dreamed I was awakened in a haunted version of my house, hearing voices and animals or sirens that weren’t there. Suddenly I realized I was dreaming but I couldn’t make myself wake up. When I finally did I was pretty shaken. But relieved.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2018/03/21/recording-dreams-scientists/
I think it’s good to remember from time to time that we’re all specks of dust in a giant universe beyond our understanding. And to wonder where does our energy come from? Even if you think we are just animals, we’re pretty amazing creatures.
Sit under a starry sky. And wonder.
Bob
PS. Sarah Silverman’s most recent (2017) Netflix special (Speck Of Dust) seems to me to be her best work ever. Highly recommend if you haven’t seen it.
I’m editing a demo tape. I hate hearing my own voice. Isn’t that strange, considering 33 years of hosting morning shows?
"Dreaming" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by h.koppdelaney
