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EMERGENT ESP

Posted by anthonynorth on November 26, 2008

You’ll find Three Word Wednesday and ReadWritePoem below.
Have you had a go yet?

alpha-pentangle A hypothesis. I am me. Or am I? I am me, but my behaviour is decided by so much more. I exist in culture. I read books, I watch films, I observe art, I listen to music, and they produce thoughts in my head and they inspire me.
They make me think, they provide emotional stimuli, they provide facts and ideas and change me. They are proof that I am more than myself. I am me, but I am also part of a community of knowledge and inspiration.

I am me. Or am I?

people-16I am me, but my behaviour is decided by so much more. I exist in society. I go about my business, but with every movement I make I observe things. I hear things. I smell things. I feel things. And these provide impulses that affect me.
They make me think, they provide emotional stimuli. And I experience people, and someone does something and I relate to it, and I change because of it. I am me, but I am also part of a community, of humanity and interaction.

They provide knowledge.

And this knowledge becomes part of me and changes me. Every time I interact, I can never be the same again. Humanity – the environment – has touched me and changed me.
Facts have built upon facts and I am more. I am more than just me, more than just my individuality, I am reborn every second of every day. For I have experienced life. But maybe I have done much more.

Why have I experienced this?

Because I have placed my attention upon the world that is not me but becomes me. But what is this attention? It is my will to notice things; my ability to turn consciousness into a thin beam of attention and prize knowledge from the world about me. But that world goes on also beyond my attention, beyond what I consciously notice. What happens to this information?
It does not just not exist. It enters me, too. But it enters without my conscious attention. But it enters me nonetheless and it is in my mind, in my unconscious mind, entering with the same speed, the same efficiency and it revolves around my mind looking for a place.

alpha-mystical-eye Neurons buzz within my brain, unnoticed.

But my unconscious noticed. It heard that conversation between two people passing, and it does this hundreds, maybe thousands of times a day, and the continual build up of information swirls and the neurons burn.
On an average day, in an average city, I have paid unconscious witness to thousands of people close by but unnoticed, and the next day thousands more and the next, thousands more, until millions of conversations and actions exist in the maze of my mind – unnoticed.
And suddenly something happens. It may be so unimportant to my conscious mind, but the unconscious goes ‘Aha!’ as it remembers that conversation two months ago, and a thought enters consciousness and I know!
I have had a thought that I shouldn’t know. I know something of someone’s intention and it coincides with a thought in that unknown person’s head providing action that marries to my thought and I’m telepathic!
Facts have built upon facts and extrasensory is rubbish! It was there all along, and had emerged. But so much more.
Facts build upon facts, and scenarios are intuited upon scenarios, and a thought enters consciousness and I predict! But it was there all along, buried in the inattentive unconscious, until something happens to make it emerge.
And I am paranormal. And I am paranormal because we become One.
Next post, Saturday. Hope to see you then.

© Anthony North, November 2008

yob

THE BALLAD OF MR YOB

This is the ballad of Mr Yob,
a kid so delinquent he got no job,
fury was his normal mode,
whenever he went out of his abode,
someone would look and he didn’t like that,
so out came the fist, another nose, splat!
Eventually he got the message, of course,
when the police picked him up, they’d endorse,
the fact that you can’t go around like that,
with many stays in prison, infact,
and finally guilt made him see his way,
was cruel, pathetic, offering nothing but dismay;
Finally he grew into a decent chap,
thankful that he realised his handicap,
always thinking life was another’s fault,
making it all so easy to assault,
but finally realising he was the one to blame,
he looked on his past as totally insane

(c) Anthony North, November 2008

alpha-ghost

PHENOMENAL

Ghosties, spooks, goblins and all,
stories told, often thought tall,
but just how true are these cases, many?
After all, they continue, ten a penny;
Truth can be so relative,
evidence, oh, so tentative,
are they real or in the mind?
Or somewhere inbetween, we may find;
People who see such mysteries worry,
but knowledge seems to be in no hurry,
believers believe and that is that,
scientists scoff, it’s all old hat,
people, they say, should get over it,
don’t be such a stupid twit!
Which leaves so many fearful and scared,
what they saw cannot be compared,
to anything that seems of this world,
madness, so often, is unfurled;
We owe them far, far more than this,
they deserve a life of total bliss,
free of non-understanding of what’s going on,
so we can’t dismiss it when it’s not gone;
So get a grip researchers, all,
work it out! Be enthralled,
by the mysteries of the universe,
not just quasars, but what’s been in a hearse;
It is not beyond our advanced mind,
for a theory surely to find,
then the experiencer can be enlightened,
for at present, you’re leaving them very frightened

(c) Anthony North, November 2008

38 Responses to “EMERGENT ESP”

  1. I loved Mr. Yob. I’ve known a lot just like him. Some turn around and some don’t. Many times they are never the master of their own ship. They blame everyone but themselves. Very well done.

    Have a terrific day and rest of the week. See you Sunday. 🙂

  2. Hi Sandee,
    Thanks for that. Yes, I’ve known several Mr Yobs myself.

  3. Ah, Mr. Yob – a man after my own head! If, indeed, I am me…
    Great post!

  4. I’ve got a few Mr. Yobs in my classes!

    I like it!

  5. Hi Tumblewords,
    Thanks for that. And I’m sure you’re you, no matter how you were formed 🙂

    Hi Linda,
    Many thanks. I think they’re everywhere.

  6. Selma said

    I do enjoy your contemplations on the paranormal. Excellent post, as always!

  7. Twilight said

    I feel sure that there’s a lot of truth your hypothesis, AN. You’ve described it so poetically! 🙂

    I’m also fairly sure that it’s not the whole story behind all ESP. I wonder if there might be more than one avenue to ESP, or maybe it arises from a mix of components, including those you describe.

    Or (thinks…)everybody doesn’t have the same capacity for pulling information from their surroundings, then storing it and re-accessing it when a trigger demands it. Which means that there is still an extra ingredient to be identified. (???)

  8. Chris said

    Hi Anthony,
    I reckon that you’ve outdone even yourself with this post meaning that you’ve created a new benchmark and consequently greater expectations. I hope that you are eating plenty of fish! 🙂
    “And I am paranormal because we become One.”, without losing our ‘individuality’. Those darn neurons do seem to have the ability to get there own way (unless of course we’re talking about “Big Pharma”). For some reason I can ‘feel’ a sceptic ‘feeding frenzy’ coming on!

    “THE BALLAD OF MR YOB”, such a subtle but powerful response (I think?).

    “PHENOMENAL”. Fear/danger causes the “fight or flight” response (at least it means we’re ‘awake’) and I also reckon its about time that man ‘fought’ (for what is right).

    Oh dear, I’m in one of those esoteric moods, I think that I had better employ the ‘Ostrich Effect’!

  9. Hi Selma,
    Thanks for that. I’ve been thinking about such things for a long, long time.

    Hi Twilight,
    Yes, you’ve got that about right. This isn’t the whole story, I’m sure. In many ways I think all of what we class as psychical phenomena is a form of emergent syndrome, with many factors. In many ways, the tags we use, such as telepathy, reincarnation, etc, complicate the issue – send us on the wrong track.

    Hi Chris,
    Many thanks. Yes, I eat plenty of fish 😉
    Ah, those sceptic feeding frenzies – what would I do without them?
    Talking of ostriches …

  10. paisley said

    well tony… i am me,,, whoever that is…..

    and i am loving the mr. yob piece… and crossing my fingers the majority of the little thug wannabe’s out there turn out that way!!!!

  11. Hi Paisley,
    And I am me, thanks to thee, and everyone else. I think that makes sense 🙂
    As for the Mr Yobs, yes some do break the trend. I’ve seen it happen more often than I would have thought.
    Thanks for the kind comment.

  12. Our lives are contingent on all other lives. Knowledge of this makes me very aware that I need to be careful about what I say and do as well as the company I keep. Care and silence and very helpful in mediating an noisy world that can make us and can mitigate the harm we might do as we make the world!

  13. Hi Sandy,
    Beautiful thoughts, which form a natural extension to the essay. Thanks for that.

  14. Hi Anthony, I love your matter of fact interpretation of ESP, whether you can spell or not. It is amazing how attentive the human ear is to other peoples conversations. Perhaps ESP, telepathy etc. is more to do with the manipulation of this stored information. A bit like the way governments and big business corporations are building up dossiers on all of us. Soon they’ll know about Every Single Penny that we’ve got. Because of our ‘Tell-apathy?’ Sorry about that, I’m really losing it here, or should that be hear?

  15. Hi Andy,
    Thanks for that. Loved your ‘Tell-apathy’!
    Yes, I do have an occasional problem with spelling, as well as grammar and punctuation. I left school at 15 and have had no formal education since. I’m totally self-taught.
    I often don’t even know the difference between a noun and verb, although I do know what an Oxymoron is.
    Just wish I could think up an equivalent for Cambridge 😉

  16. I really liked the Ballad of Lob!

  17. Hi Forgetfulone,
    This seems to be going down well. I’m pleased you liked it. Many thanks.

  18. Annamari said

    Mr Yob got himself in trouble, for there are rules to be broken and rules (not) to be broken…

  19. Hi Annamari,
    There is indeed. Bend them a bit, maybe, but break? No!

  20. Chris said

    Hi Anthony,
    Hahahaha! :). I’ve never heard a talking ostrich before!

  21. Hi Chris,
    Just tonight I watched a Bushtucker Trial on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, involving ostriches, AND filmed in Australia. And I’m certain one talked.
    Or was that a celebrity …?

  22. Jamie said

    I have a meme for you if you like it.

  23. carolee said

    i like: “believers believe and that is that.” it’s so true about so many things!

  24. Brad said

    Hi Anthony. Slowly lifting my head out of the required reading and getting back to the recreational reading for a few months. How goes it?

  25. Simonne said

    Hello!
    Dear old Mr Yob! There’re too many of those out there isnt’ there?!

  26. Hi Jamie,
    That’s a good one. Many thanks. I’ll place it in my Saturday post.

    Hi Carolee,
    It is indeed. Thank you for the comment.

    Hi Brad,
    It goes very well. And I hope you’re keeping fine.

    Hi Simonne,
    There are indeed. I’ll pop over for a visit later.

  27. I love this: “Truth can be so relative, / evidence, oh, so tentative, / are they real or in the mind?”

  28. Hi Ingrid,
    Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

  29. your skill at rhyming always amazing me, anthony, esp how you combine the rhymes in this case with this topic!

  30. Hi Artpredator,
    Many thanks. Your words are much appreciated.

  31. […] Emergent Esp You’ll find Three Word Wednesday and ReadWritePoem below. Have you had a go yet? A hypothesis. I am me. Or am I? […] […]

  32. Dr Zog. said

    I found this page and stared agog
    at ‘ESP’ and ‘Mr Yob’
    I never thought I’d ever see
    such evidence of twattery.

  33. Hi Dr Zog,
    You mean you’ve never looked in a mirror?

  34. […] Emergent Esp You’ll find Three Word Wednesday and ReadWritePoem below. Have you had a go yet? A hypothesis. I am me. Or am I? […] […]

  35. Dr Zog. said

    Touchez, Mr North. I appologise. my heart is full of contrition and abject fawning. Please forgive my poor attempt at wit at your expense. I am a toad.

  36. Hi Dr Zog,
    Look in the mirror again. I’m sure you’re not really a toad 🙂
    I enjoy a little humour, so no apology required. Although I DO always answer in kind.

  37. Ryan Cowling said

    If I read you correctly you are proposing a mundane explanation for “telepathy” by proposing that the unconscious mind efficiently gathers and remembers information as you go about town.
    I like the idea. The subconcious mind seems to have savant like abilities. I can remember a few odd occasions when I have blurted things out loud that didn’t seem to come from my conscious persona, but on observation turned out to be correct information, that answered a questionI’d been thinking about hours earlier . Somewhere deep inside us all there are very complex models of our worlds being run.

  38. Hi Ryan,
    Yes, you’ve grasped the idea perfectly, and I think this form of explanation could be the key to eventually understanding psychical phenomena, ourselves and the universe itself.
    Basically, we’ve found many of the ‘bits’ of the puzzle. What we haven’t done is placed them in a more holistic paradigm, with the possibility of those mundane bits causing an emergence that is much more than the parts themselves.
    I’ve done dozens of such essays as this. If you’re interested, go to THE UNEXPLAINED at top of site, and click The ‘Y’ Files.

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