There have been endless books, essays, & discussions about the nature of our experience. I have tried to absorb many people's insights from throughout history, in an effort to affect my own consciousness.
A very wise & insightful friend introduced me to the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. I saw the book she was reading, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, which led me to watch several of his talks online. He is like a German Yoda. I consider myself to be a very laid back personality, but Meister Tolle is probably one of the most chilled-out dudes I've ever seen. Even on video, he emanates a sense of peace & good-natured calm.
Like any guru, he is simply a human & has no special powers. However the essence of his teachings resonates with me, and they are no doubt helpful to many people.
The main focus of his lectures is the importance of stopping the mind-stream, that produces the endless chatter inside our heads.
This internal dialogue of our conscious mind, known as The Monkey Mind to Buddhists, drowns out our ability to directly & fully appreciate the present moment...the continual experience of NOW.
Our mind somehow constructs the models of reality we call "The Past" & "The Future". However, these ideas are just creations of our mind used to navigate the flow of our experience.
When Tolle talks about the essential, pure stillness of the mind, I cannot help thinking back to a near-death experience I had in my early 20's. My consciousness shifted into what I can only describe into an all-encompassing bright white light. The closest analog I can find is the idea of The Clear Light, also in Buddhist teachings. There was no thought, perception, or feeling. It was like my brain had rebooted, & I was getting a white start-up screen inside my mind.
I've been able to refer back to that empty, yet illuminating pure state when I try to still my mind. Maybe it was just my neurons firing in a last gasp of activity, but I feel like a window was opened into another aspect of the process of consciousness.
When you cleanse the mind of mental analysis, learned knowledge, & emotional judgement... even temporarily... you can begin to glimpse the infinity we are a part of.
In Buddhism & other spiritual practices, the purpose of meditation is to tame the "monkey mind".
It is a term to describe the normal state of consciousness- in which an endless stream of thoughts & internal mental chatter interfere with the direct awareness of reality.
This state of mind is illustrated by the monkey in this animated gif, persistently banging cymbals inside Homer Simpson's head.
I created this blog, The Monkey Buddha, 10 years ago today, on June 28, 2005!
The very first post I wrote was about a creation that I feel is one of my most notable achievements so far. It is an award-winning strategy game that I designed, based on the timeless principles of 'sacred geometry', called "Da Vinci's Challenge".
"Hopefully, this will be a place where I can finally share the ridiculous
amount of info I have stored in my brain and its silicon symbiote I
call my Apple Computer. I am looking forward to posting all kinds of
important news, nuggets of crazy wisdom, interesting technologies,
political rants, and useless fun crap.
Please bookmark this site
and check back every once in awhile... I will try to be vigilant &
continue posting new items. Basically, this blog will reflect the world
and its infinite complexity - from my own infinitely limited
perspective. Enjoy!"
To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of this creative endeavor, I wanted to share some interesting things about it.
Since I started posting to The Monkey Buddha, I've been able to fit every one of the 1,591 posts to date into one of these categories- click the links to explore!
Although I love to write about all different topics, I am a professional graphic artist. The Monkey Buddha has also been a place to show my art, such as 3D renderings and graphic design work.
For me, blogging has always been a purely creative pastime, an opportunity to
express my thoughts and interests publicly for anyone who happens to see
it. I truly appreciate anyone who follows this page or The Monkey Buddha Facebook page.
I have never tried to directly make money from this page. There have
never been ads or even a donation button on the page.
On occasion, I have shared some products featuring my designs that are available in my Cafepress shop.
Like so many others, I am a endlessly creative person, and this blog is a tremendous outlet for my ideas. It is a credit to Google that they offer this free blogging platform to people.
Sometimes I wonder, though... What would happen to all my work if Google or the Blogger service stopped existing? Would all my thoughts & work be lost? It's almost like the idea of a Tibetan sand mandala, where the intricate creation of the Buddhist monks is swept away after completion, leaving no trace. It is a meditation on impermanence, the fact that neither we humans nor our accomplishments will last forever.
However, there is the possibility that, because I've had the opportunity to add my presence to the Internet's electronic hive mind, my writings and artwork will outlive me for a time.
Hopefully, humanity will expand into the Universe beyond Earth, and my thoughts & artistic work will continue to exist in the repository of our species' shared knowledge as we travel to the stars.
I'd like to think that the content of this blog will last for many more years, and perhaps even decades- so that The Monkey Buddha can continue to inform, entertain, and perhaps enlighten others into the future.
It is an excellent look into the chaotic nature of our minds and the simplicity behind meditation, which is nothing more than looking inside one's self & quieting the mind. The continuous mental chatter of "conscious thought" can be dissolved through focusing awareness- as a result, inner and outer reality can be experienced more deeply & directly.
Of course, I have always been amused by the analogy of the mind to a restless monkey:
Buddhist thought appeals to me because of the awareness by the Buddha & his teaching that there is no such thing as a doctorine of Absolute Truth- which doesn't actually exist in religion or science or anything else, for that matter (...and that's the absolute truth).
Also, it is a fascinating psychological system that has cultivated a mindset that's very different to traditional Western spiritual understanding. Since I really became exposed to the general philosophy of Buddhism in a Religions of the World course back in college, it has continued to be one of many sources of wisdom I try to draw from.
Being a Monkey Buddha, I don't need to sit cross-legged and chant mantras to meditate. However, I do need to cut out the TV, PS3, & computer once in awhile to just lay down & stare at the ceiling or close my eyes and listen to my breathing or the leaves blowing outside. Doing nothing has always given me great satisfaction. :)
Speaking of which, my only plans for tonight is to grab a beer & a sandwich while I watch The State of the Union performance by The Long-Legged Mack Daddy. I'm an avid observer of national politics, so this is required viewing. Last time, a Congressional redneck yelled at Obama, so it could get interesting...
I recently finished the book Baboon Metaphysics, that my girlfriend's parents gave me last Christmas. They know I love anything about monkeys. The book details some of the field studies of communication that goes on between baboons, as well as other primates.
Here is a video with the authors of Baboon Metaphysics:
The book also hypothesized about the nature of the monkey mind, and how it is similar and different from the human mind. Although there was detailed evidence of meaningful calls & signaling, the authors stopped short of claiming that the monkeys actually had "language" as we understand it.
I think the line between animal communication & human language is a fuzzy one, arbitrarily delineated by us humans. Although they don't have grammar and sentence structure, animals are clearly communicating complex ideas.
It is interesting that animals were trained to understand human language, and only now are we beginning to unlock the meaning in animal socializing.
Perhaps one day there will be a way to achieve a fluid understanding between humans & other living things. This will greatly increase the empathy that people have for Life, in all forms.
He addresses the fundamental problem of the human mind. How do we stop the endless chatter & worry of the "monkey mind," in order to bring calm to our consciousness?
Alan Watts was one of the first public figures to bring the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the West.
A single form encompasses
the multitude of dharmas,
all of which are interconnected
Within the Net of Indra.
Layer after layer, there is no point at which it all ends.
Whether in motion or still,
ALL is fully interpenetrating.
- Zhitong (d.1124)
Even though my career is in graphic art, I have always been interested in science.
In high school & college I took physics courses because I loved the way it analytically uncovered the mysteries of our Universe. However, I also realized that scientists, like everyone else, are just making up stories.
Yes, science is more self-consistent than other intellectual endeavors. It is fairly obvious though, that scientific theories are only limited cases, that do not describe the totality of happenings within the reality we inhabit. Old theories are replaced with new ones as more information becomes available. "Laws" such as thermodynamics are applied to idealized situations. Even previously immutable physical constants are shown to be not as "constant" as we once believed.
Scientists can sometimes be like priests when it comes to holding onto questionable premises as dogma. The Big Bang, dark matter, and the use of various constants to make equations do what they are expected to do... these are just some examples of faulty premises that have become doctrine that cannot be questioned without fierce resistance from the scientific community.
Maybe it's because I'm also inclined to a mystical point-of-view, but I tend to look beyond the monkey grunts & crude symbols that we use to try to explain the world. Science & math may be more refined than most ways of thinking, but they are still the products of our limited monkey mind.
The Universe is Infinity.
All we are doing (with any system of knowledge) is looking at bits & pieces of that Infinity, and trying to connect the few stray pieces we can comprehend at any given time.
All that being said, I recently watched this video by Nassim Haramein about new ways of looking at the atomic realm & how it relates to other scales of Reality. It takes alot to blow my mind these days, but this video really made me think about the world in a new way. *Disclaimer: I am not claiming to fully believe everything he has to say, or that his theories are without flaws. However, to argue about this stuff would be missing the forest for the trees. What he brings is a new vision for understanding the Universe at different scales.
I think fractals are a key to understanding the nature of Reality.
Nassim very much incorporates a fractal view of nature, which I think is crucial to a unified view of the Universe. I don't think that a "Unified Theory of Everything" is actually possible. However, we can always find ways to integrate more & more aspects of scientific theory into more elegant and useful forms.
Scientifically-minded people may hear "sacred geometry" and be immediately repulsed by the mystical implications. However, symbols like 'The Flower of Life' are simply geometric forms studied in an attempt to find underlying patterns in natural processes. There does not need to be anything about "God" or metaphysics injected into the discussion.
I also feel that there is definitely a "zero point" energy inherent in the quantum field. One day, with sufficient understanding and technology, we will be able to extract this infinite energy source, that exists within us & around us, throughout the Universe. When our energy problems are solved, many other difficulties faced by the human race will also be overcome. We will be able to harvest unlimited energy, bend gravity, & travel to the stars, freeing us from the womb of planet Earth- so we can guarantee our survival as a species.
All revolutionary ways of thinking are at first ridiculed by those who have fooled themselves to think they know how things really are. The truth is, we know relatively nothing! However, I think Nassim's talk opens doors to new ways of approaching the way we look at the Universe.
We must keep our mind open and realize that everything, including "truth" & scientific understanding, is subject to change.
In this study, a monkey in an electronic wheelchair was able to navigate around a room, using an interface directly with its brain.
This will eventually lead to mechanical means of movement that will allow paralyzed people to regain movement. It will also result in unforeseen consequences of developing a brain-computer interface.
The lab of Dr. Miguel Nicolelis is also conducting experiments in rats to establish brain-to-brain sharing of sensory information, and also an interconnected "brain network".
This work is amazing & somewhat frightening in its implications. It is the groundwork for creating a technology similar to my concept for an "Apple iThink"- in which human minds are connected & augmented through electronic implants.
All the scientists and data visualization experts are coming to realize that the quantum world, the mind, and the universe are all exactly the same thing. Perhaps a consequence of our perceptive realities expanding into each other will be an infinite interconnection of intelligence that surpasses any form of 'reality' that we can imagine.
What if the mind becomes fused with the light machines known as computers or even with the base energy of the universe itself & one can multi-task one's consciousness at the speed of light? What will existence be like when you can simultaneously communicate, create, and learn in a virtual space with no limitation of linear input? Modes of thought experience will obviously be much more un-linear and vast than what the sensory-driven mind is currently capable of conjuring.
Recently while reading, I started to think about the fact that the words echoing in my head were someone else's thoughts...
Through the symbolic transfer of language, specifically the written word, you can transfer the internal dialogue from inside your head into the mind of another person.
I wrote a short dialogue, a conscious manipulation of the voice inside YOUR head, & then made the graphic below.
The real reason I'm rooting for Barack Obama is that he is apparently an observer of the non-existent, yet mind-expanding, belief system that is arbitrarily labeled Monkey Buddhism. (The true name of this imaginary philosophical tradition is 10^22378 letters long.)
Obama's allegiance is evident by the lucky Hanuman idol that was sent to him from India by well-wishers.
Also revealed earlier in the campaign was Sen. Obama's collection of lucky charms he has collected including a symbolic Monkey figure.
"Obama has also carried a small gold statue of the Monkey King, revered in India because Hindus believe monkeys are descendants of the monkey god, Hanuman."
Technology has always been one of my favorite topics. Although, I consider myself to be deeply connected to nature, I am also comfortable with the many powerful uses of computers & the Internet.
Many people are afraid of the relentless progression of technological development, and worry about the potential loss of "human-ness" that will result from our dependence on tech. I see all technology simply as a set of tools- with the potential for good, bad, & even neutral, consequences.
Humans have always had an integral, & often dependent, relationship with our inventions. There have been countless mind-augmenting technologies over the millenia, in the realm of communication. Spoken language, written symbols, the printing press, and the World Wide Web are all creations that have allowed the human mind to better connect with other minds.
Email, text messaging, social media, and other electronic systems are slightly more advanced steps toward a form of technological telepathy. The fundamental goal of a human being, in relation to other beings, is simply to connect. What digital devices are allowing us to do is make these connections in increasingly novel ways, at instantaneous speeds.
Right now, there is a Occupy Central protest in Hong Kong, advocating for representational democracy. The protesters are using the FireChat app to bypass the Internet & cell coverage, allowing peer-to-peer "mesh networking". This type of connection is extremely difficult for authorities to stop, since it is not reliant on a central or common network that can be blocked.
This demonstrates that technology is a source of evolution, that is every bit as real as biological mutation. Technology is a transformative aspect of the human experience- adapting & changing to fit the situation, and much more rapidly than natural selection.
As much as I truly appreciate the many positive uses for digital tech, there are just as many potentially hazardous outcomes. Unfortunately, I don't think humans will outgrow their capacity for maliciousness & desire for control of others before this technology develops.
In addition to humanity's flaws, perhaps the machines themselves could be a subtly invasive force. Sometimes I imagine electronics as silicone creatures, that are evolving to latch on closer & closer to humans, trying to merge into us like some kind of parasite. Computers are getting smaller, and moving closer to our bodies, via smartphones & wearable devices. Eventually, they will be embedded in our brains and incorporated directly into our biological systems. Then, we will become as dependent on the benefits of our iThink brain implant as we are on our mobile devices today.
If this ultimate symbiosis between mind & machine happens, could it be a source of cognitive liberation, through limitless mind-expansion,... or a virtual trap for our consciousness?
Regardless of the possible consequences, both science & the technologies it produces will continue to ceaselessly advance. This year, scientists have achieved direct brain-to-brain communication, so the era of truly interlinked minds is rapidly approaching. Then, perhaps instead of sending clumsy symbolic communications such as text or even the primitive monkey grunts of our voice, humans will be able to directly share thoughts among minds.
As the late, great philosopher and psychonaut Terence McKenna said,
"It is not what we thought telepathy would be,
which, I suppose (if you're like me)
you imagine telepathy would be hearing what other people think...
My wife & I recently watch the movie "Arrival". It is a movie about the sudden appearance of enormous alien spacecraft around the world, and the effort to communicate with their inhabitants. It was a very interesting exploration of the intellectual challenge such a scenario would present to the entire human race.
I don't watch a lot of movies, so going into it I have to know it's good & worth experiencing. My wife usually balks at my choices, because they're usually sci-fi or some kind of documentary, but she ends up admitting it was good!
The movie is based on a short story by Ted Chiang:
We both enjoyed this movie & it spurred some great discussion on language and communication, which is already mysterious enough between human beings. Trying to exchange ideas or information with another species is absolutely mind-boggling... just really think about the idea of somehow recognizing brain patterns in another biological system- from a distance. Although the process of deciphering the alien language was simplified for movie purposes, it still provided real insight into the difficulties that would be involved.
"Arrival" imagines another aspect of a situation where alien life appears around the world. How would different nations and governments act when presented with this scenario, and how would they interact with other countries? You would hope that people would realize the existential importance of such an event, to come together as a species. However, the primitive monkey mind of human beings is still a powerful influence on our collective behavior, something the aliens in the movie realize and work around.
The key insight that's highlighted in the story is this- the type of language used by a living being is a defining factor in their mindset, and even the basis of conscious experience itself. The inverse is also true-the way a sentient being perceives the world will be reflected in the way they communicate.
In "Arrival", the alien heptapods are found to perceive time-space holistically, meaning they see time as a fourth dimensional space that can be perceived as a whole. This is reflected in their writing, consisting of dynamic, ink-blot circular forms. These round symbolic creations are layered multi-dimensionally with vast amounts of information and meaning.
I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in the mysteries of language, the likelihood of extraterrestrial life, and the nature of consciousness. As I mentioned, it created some deep discussion and really makes you think about these profound, universal issues. When a movie or any work of art can do that, it has succeeded.
As I'm watching the news surrounding the Presidential primaries, The current buzz from the hive mind is about the momentum behind Barack Obama's campaign.
I wish any one of the Democrats (and Ron Paul on the Republican side) could take over right now & at least put the brakes on the Dubya Disaster Express. I've said before that Dennis Kucinich has the most insight & the most noble ideals. However, since I don't live in a world where insight & compassion reign supreme, I would be very happy with Edwards or Obama in charge. The moral substance of both of these guys is evident if you listen to their ideas & solutions. As far as Hillary, I'd prefer her any day to the current usurper, & as a woman I think she'd bring a very different perspective, but America really needs to avoid political dynasties from now on.
Speaking of Obama, I got a forward at work talking about Obama's history & the insinuations that he's actually a jihadist in disguise because of the influence of Islam in his past. Besides obviously being a smear email, the message said that the information it contained was found by Snopes.com to be true. Of course, I took 1/2 a friggin' second & actually looked up the message on Snopes.com, where it debunked that very same email!!! That drives me absolutely up the wall, because other lazy fools look at it & go - "Oh no! Obama is going to turn our country into one big mosque!" The worst part is, that is the #1 most popular item on Snopes right now, so if you forward that email, you must be an idiot or a political operative.
I have spent a fair share of blog space since George W. Bush took office (what now seems like eons ago) venting about the mind-numbing incompetence & criminality of his administration. At this point, my mind is... well, numb from the chaos the War Monkey & his petro-military cabal have caused to the human race. They have caused or magnified disaster after horrifying disaster with no consequences, other than having the collective hatred of the human race directed toward them.
One answer to the problems caused by having an incompetent jerk-off in office would be to get RID of the office of the United States Presidency altogether!!! The idea of having just one person as a figurehead in a "democratic" society is completely retarded. Why not institute an "Executive Council"- made up of 2 members each from the major parties and 1 independent seat, for a total of 5 members? Majority rules on decisions like the Supreme Court & this guarantees no single ideology will run the executive agenda. Unfortunately, this solution is so logical that it is guaranteed NOT to be implemented - or even considered. Sure it means a little more bureaucracy as a result, but the benefits would outweigh many negatives that I can think of.
It would be a proud day if America became one step farther away from being a monarchy/military theocracy - because as a society now, we're not even close.
I've come across some wacked-out monkey stuff I'm going to post here for my own amusement.
First of all, here's a skeevy video I saw on BoingBoing of a swarm of monkeys covering a tourist with food. It unfortunately reminds me of the grossest thing I've ever seen: Rat Hoarders. >:-P
This other video I've seen around the web is just plain weird. These monkeys wear disturbing masks and serve food at this crazy-ass Japanese restaurant:
For many years, I've payed close attention to my dreams. Ever since my teenage years, I've tried to look into the symbolism and imagery behind the situations that my dream self experiences. As a window to the subconscious, I analyze these dream states and use them to better understand my own mind.
Part of the trick to analyzing dreams is to remember them in the first place. By focusing on your dreams when you immediately wake, and recording what you can remember (if possible), it becomes easier to recall them. For dreams that I find to be particularly significant, I will make a voice memo on my phone recounting the dream, while it's still fresh in my mind.
After many years of trying to cultivate awareness & memory of my dreams, I have had many interesting experiences as my body sleeps.
Probably the most striking dreams are lucid dreams, in which I have become conscious of the fact that I'm dreaming. In these lucid dreams, a person realizes they are in a dream, and can even control certain aspects of the situation or environment. For instance, during times where I realized I was dreaming & became lucid- I was able to run at super speeds, smash stone counter tops, and even fly.
Taking flight in lucid dreams have been the most exhilarating experiences that I've encountered in the sleeping state. Remembering how to fly in a dream usually feels like getting on a bike after a long time. You might be a little wobbly at first, but quickly gain your bearings. I have soared through trees, into the clouds, and it felt as real as my waking life. I always marvel at the ability of the human mind to simulate this kind of superhuman feat in such a convincing & realistic way.
I can see how people throughout time & around the world would have been fascinated by the crazy experiences that dreams bring to the human experience. The fact that there is convincing evidence that animals dream shows that dreaming is a function of the complex energetic patterns of the brain.
As we discover more about the brain, & how it gives rise to the mind, the mysteries of the dream world will be uncovered. However, I think that just as consciousness may never be completely understood, the full implication of dreams will likely remain mysterious for a long time.
Between working my full time job as a graphic designer, keeping my side businesses going (Paul Micarelli Design and Fantasy Photos), helping my wife with our brand Conscious Living for You, being a husband, and trying to find time for myself, I haven't been able to post on my blog nearly as much as I'd like.
So, I opened up Blogger to post something tonight and realize that I missed a milestone I knew was creeping up... The Monkey Buddha has passed 1 million page views since I started this blog, back in 2005!
It took me almost 15 years to get that many views, but I've never advertised or really promoted this blog in any way. It has always been simply a creative outlet for me to share and write about the things that interested me.
As you can see in the screenshot above, my most viewed post is, much to my continued amusement, "The World Was Always Awful".
I have had many people contact me over the years or leave comments through the blog. I've even met some friends and clients from it. It has been rewarding to hear how people enjoy enjoy reading it, and it's mind-boggling to think about how many people may have been affected, influenced, or just entertained in some way over all those years.
If you happen to be following The Monkey Buddha, or just landed on this post somehow, leave a comment below with your thoughts on this virtual information outlet I've created. Hopefully I can continue to post here for at least another 15 years! By then, I will be uploading information to the holo-blog through my Apple iThink implant.
This is a cool painting by Mexican artist Octavio Ocampo.
It contains hidden imagery & optical effects to illustrate man's progress from bipedal monkey... to machine-using inventor... to our future incarnation, which may transcend Einstein's conception of spacetime to become a non-localized quantum being.
I was contacted by a student asking where to find in-depth analysis of this painting. I couldn't find any, so I wrote one myself:
'Evolution of Man' represents a 4-dimensional understanding of the human being and species. It is like stepping ‘outside’ of time, to see humanity as a continuous timeline of morphing forms.
It shows the progression as a classic triptych.
• The 1st part is our primitive hominid past, where we literally outrun our monkey body. Long-distance running is one of the unique evolutionary traits of humans. The large, superimposed face is that of an ape ancestor.
• The 2nd part is the material age of industrialization and the physical sciences. This is the stage when people are occupied with mechanical technology. The large superimposed image is the face of a modern person.
• The 3rd part is the cosmic/energetic future of humankind. After transitioning from physical technologies, the forms are breaking down into elementary particles and energies. Consciousness transcends the physical body & the light of the mind explodes into & throughout the Universe. The face superimposed over this area is that Albert Einstein, representing the inclusion of mind into science- through relativity theory and the emphasis on the experience of the observer. Also, his introduction of mass/energy equivalence through E=Mc^2 opened new horizons for the future of science, and therefore the human species.
Overall, this is a type of multi-dimensional roadmap for the progression of humanity as a collective phenomenon. It shows our past, present, and future, with an optical superimposition of a face for each stage of the “”Evolution of Man”.
There are many things I enjoy in life, but bizarre creations & monkey pictures always make my day.
I saw the masterpiece below on the Tumblr blog JUST_MONK3Y.
A pensive ape, wearing a fez hat with the the all-seeing eye, is holding a human skull.
Using the mind-boggling power of Google Images & Search ("ape+fez+skull"), I just took 30 seconds & tracked down the creator of this superb image, Jean Labourdette. The title of the work only adds to its awesomeness:
It looks at how the primitive monkey mind of a human being evaluates the risks associated with different threats.
People tend to conveniently ignore overwhelmingly evident dangers- such as those presented by climate change, or disease due to poor diet & lack of exercise.
However, mention the statistically-unlikely threats of terrorists or the ebola virus, and people go, well, ape shit...
The fake Daily Mail headline below is also funny & relevant. This is how anyone with a certain level of awareness sees the news media, which grabs our attention by blatantly appealing to the primitive fear & conflict responses in the brain:
