Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Wanderers 2008.10.28

:: angel of the west enroute to Florida ::
by Julian Voss Andreae
Dr. George Weissmann is giving his second presentation to Wanderers, approximately one year after his first. I'm on standby to chauffeur Carol, arriving in PDX from Boston this evening. We're not taping this event, per usual, so I'm reconciled to missing a big part of this, already going great. This guy is very experienced and I enjoy his company. Plus Julian is here, and I'm a true fan of his too.

What I'm thinking about is my communications with mathematicians regarding the word "emotion", which hard science gave up on, consigning to psychology as a witch doctor science (cool!). But think of some natural philosopher coining the word "e-motion" (kind of like "e-mail"), really intending to do some coherent theory around it, in her day a scientist, the word not having been coined. Is turning one's back at all helpful?

Synergetics doesn't turn its back on psychology, which explains Applewhite's engagement, relates in terms of a Phase Rule (Willard Gibbs a source). I won't go into the details here, but rest assured that we're talking about a work in the humanities here, which explains why physicists hit a brick wall in some ways (not that it's really that solid).

The topic tonight is paradigms, how they're felt, not just "believed" (in some purely intellectual sense). This would be consistent with tantric practice, which invites at that level, doesn't try to stay "aloof" in the western sense of "objective". Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript a relevant sutra in this connection.

Later: OK, so I got the call to high tail it out to PDX, only to be pulled over by one of Portland's finest (motorcycle cop). Nothing like red and blue in the mirror to shift one's paradigm, turned right on 39th without stopping, OK I deserved the citation ($242 base fine a shock).

Mom home safely. I'm back at Pauling House, remembered to bring the donuts this time. Folks still getting into it.