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Postcards from:
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Greetings from bicamerality,
The wily woolly wanderer is off again. As it is much too hot for the long planned Middle East expedition, I have chosen to renew my exploration of Bolivia and Paraguay. The American Airlines flight for La Paz leaves tomorrow with a brief stop in Miami. I'll get to the bicamerality part in a minute. On my previous trip through Bolivia I missed what must be the most extraordinary 40 mile stretch of road in the world... and certainly the most dangerous; there are 1 to 6 traffic fatalities per week on the Camino de la Muerte! I am determined to see the monster. this time with my own eyes up close and personal; carefully, very carefully, of course. Why are some of us so fascinated with unusual places like this? It must be a lot like a moth's attraction to a flickering candle flame as there are plenty of other safer places beckoning. Hillman Wonders of the World for example, presents descriptions of 100 top attractions around the globe. It is amazing how many I have missed, considering all the traveling I do. This past six months has been a period of intense study. With the help of some crafty bargain hunting on eBay, I have accumulated twenty-three titles published by the Teaching Company: over 330 hours of lectures. My studies have focused on the intellectual development of humanity with special attention to the role of "revealed truths" in the haphazard development of Western civilization. My 70+ years of life experiences have set the stage for insights and understanding unavailable during those hectic years at the University so long ago. It is amazing how this broader and deeper understanding of humanity's efforts to become civilized has changed my perception of current events.
While naturally skeptical as a child, I am even more so now. Much of
what the populace uncritically accepts as truth is hogwash, self serving
ideas and assertions designed to convince the masses to do the bidding
of the invisible power-elite. The problem is so deeply ingrained in the
culture I fear no resolution is possible in our lifetime. Fortunately,
every generation produces fearless individuals of good character and
intelligence willing to act boldly. Perhaps one day one of these
exceptional people will find a way to motivate citizens and governments
to always do the right thing. I for one vacillate between blind optimism
and debilitating despair. During moments of depression over the state of
world affairs I am likely to seek refuge in
FreeCellPro while listening to some of the great
classical
music
now freely available over the Internet.
The perennial conflict between religion and science, between the rational and irrational aspects of human nature is a fascinating subject. Gentle faith and passionate reason both seem to be essential aspects of a healthy human being. Even the most rational scientists have wonderful emotional experiences, fleeting moments of awe that have a significant impact on the quality of their lives. Can that be anything other than evidence for an inborn spiritual dimension of our being? Few would wish to extinguish it. Yet, when adopted as an exclusive rational for living, it is easy to overlook many of the enormous fruits of humanity's past intellectual endeavors. I know several Christian fundamentalists who use computers, and I have never seen electronic data processing machines even mentioned in any of the ancient holy books. Knowledge based exclusively on ancient "revealed truths" can blind us to the benefits of cumulative human development in the secular realm. Most ancient mysteries no longer require mythical explanations. Reason and evidence are not the enemy. If there is a conflict between evidence and faith, beliefs need to be reinterpreted! I have long wondered if people could not be persuaded to adopt a state of mind capable of embracing both reason and faith at the same time without being immobilized by the resulting anxiety. Some years ago the concept of the bicameral mind received a good deal of public attention. Recently, I have revisited the literature and discovered the idea still provokes serious academic attention. Princeton University's Julian Jaynes spent his entire professional life studying human consciousness, culminating in his compelling theory, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. His controversial arguments go a long way toward explaining the overpowering appeal of religious beliefs throughout the world, especially the most extreme forms of fundamentalism. Speaking of fundamentalism, if you missed the excellent three part mini-series entitled, "God's Warriors," you might want to watch for a rerun on CNN. Whatever your faith you will find the similarities among extremists in all three Abrahamic religions striking and thought provoking. Religious extremism may be the most profound challenge facing our generation. While in Bangkok last time I bought a WiFi Skype phone. It works like a cell phone whenever I happen to be in the vicinity of a hot spot... something increasingly common near international hotels. Don't be surprised if you get a call from some strange gringo in Bolivia. The calls cost me nothing! Now on to some last minute packing for a 6AM down-the-mountain bus appointment. More to come in a future postcard... if I survive the "Death Road!" Peace Fred L Bellomy
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 Reference photo:
authorAugust 2002 |
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