It is important that we not go through our lives in a state of constant awe and wonder. We wouldn’t be able to hunt or eat or reproduce. But there are experiences and ideas that can give us a spiritual tickle. For people trained to believe in god a trip to church or an evening prayer can bring them into contact with those greater forces. It has been shown that just thinking about professors before taking a test means receiving a better grade, and in a similar way I believe that contemplating the mysteries of the universe elevates our mental state and awareness and appreciation.
I am an art school student, and now an ITP student and I realize that there are things about math and physics that I will just never understand. A friend was telling me yesterday that if I ever really understand how to calculate an eigenvector for a five dimensional matrix it’s because I’d done something wrong with my life. Another friend who actually can do that was telling me that yes he can do it, but he doesn’t understand it, and understanding that sort of thing just happens in little bits and stages. It’s more of a relationship, there isn’t an aha moment.
But as a human being I look at the waves that are created by surrounding a space with atoms, perfect waves, and I am struck by the real spiritual power and beauty that everything is waves and music is waves and from there it’s a short step to say that we’re all made of music. You could also say light, or thought or anything really because it would all be true in a very real way.
Small is Beautiful – homework 1
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