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Moments of Consciousness
Inspired by some comments left here in relation to Gurdjieff’s “Third State of Consciousness,” I found a handful of interesting items online which I thought I’d share with you. (I’ll probably post each of these separately, as they are each pretty good)
This one has to do with memory:
As regards our ordinary memory, or moments of memory, we actually remember only moments of consciousness although we do not see that this is so.
What memory means in a technical sense, I shall explain later. Now I simply want you to turn your attention to your own observations of your memory. You will notice that you remember things differently: some things you remember quite vividly, some very vaguely, and some you do not remember at all. You only know that they happened.
This means, for instance, that if you know that some time ago you went to a definit place to speak to someone, you may remember two or three things connected with your conversation with this person; but you may not remember at all how you went there or how you returned, you will say that you remember distinctly, when, in reality, you only know it and know where you went; but you do not remember it, with the exception possibly of two or three flashes.
You will be astonished when you realize how little you actually remember. And it happens in this way, because you remember only the moments when you were conscious.
Very interesting… Thoughts? Disagreements?
- Raising Consciousness
- We are just vessels made of the stuff meant to fill us*
- “States” of Consciousness
- “Spam” As A Classification of Consciousness
- Schools and the collective conscious
- Prev: Playing Your Character
- Next: If The Dead Remembered…
December 18th, 2006 at 12:54 am
especially when you realise that you are making it up as you go along.
December 18th, 2006 at 2:34 am
What does that mean though?
December 18th, 2006 at 8:24 am
memory, and present experience, is filtered, deleted, edited and distorted by the “presupposing device” we have come to know as consciousness. these presuppositions are made of culture, beliefs, biases, fears, desires, etc.
you can play with the presuppositions and alter memories and new exeriences. any priest or therapist worth his salt does this constantly, as do politicians and athletes and artists………and of course crazy people.
December 18th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
it seems that the only one`s who don`t are psychotherapists…………they need thier clients to stick around for a while.
December 18th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Ok now I’m following you. I like the notion of consciousness as a “presupposing device.”
If that’s what it is though, wouldn’t the goal of the *true* priest be to dismantle consciousness all together? (To cut off the head, so to speak?)
December 18th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
We remember things that make an emotional (Good or Bad) impact on us.
The stronger the emotions and/or the more time one spends thinking (reliving) the experience determines how strong the memory will be.
I do believe however, that the brain records and stores all sensory imput. It is the “post-processing” that is done by the brain which determines which events are ‘remembered’ and which are ‘forgotten’.
December 18th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
well, part of the conciousness contains everything that has been, is, and will be. the true priest allows the journey to begin. our culture has us trapped in this corner believing it`s everything.
i get the feling that the trap is made of language.
the consciousness as a presupposing device is programmed by culture, so continues to reinstall it.
consciousness does what it`s told every time. it doesn`t judge, it just provides. that`s why i ignore tv, newspapers and the like because i want different things than what is suggested by these media.
December 18th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
I’m not really sure that fits my experience. I remember in great detail many things which have no emotional value and have disremembered a lot of things that were extremely emotionally charged for me.
Maybe in the short term, but not in the long term. Think of the pain of a break-up. Hurts a lot and you re-live it in detail for a while, but then it eventually goes away and you don’t even necessarily remember what you fought over or what broke you up.