Wednesday, November 5 Puppet of the Universe

Post 1305, Day 309 of 2014
- 1,405 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I think I've given up on the idea that there is free will and we can (consciously) choose our actions.

And, by 'I', I mean the conscious/self-aware part of me, the part that thinks of itself as an entity, Ken Kellerman, with all the identifying characteristics and behaviors that convince me that I am unique. The one that thinks it is writing this comment. The one who accepts the I-Thou duality.

And by 'we' I mean all the other conscious/self-aware entities. You know who you are.

By 'we', I do not mean all humans. I think humans, en masse, do exercise free will - but the individuals don't.

Let me 'splain.

We are not conscious of the millions-per-minute decisions it takes to maintain our physical existence. We do not plan our breaths, consciously order the millions of separate digestive processes, consciously coordinate the thousands of muscle contractions that make up movement, and so on.

These automatic processes that enable life as we know it happen below the level of our awareness. To even become aware of them we have to stop the kind of thinking that makes us aware, quiet the 'thinking' mind. Anything less, and the performance of these essential activities is compromised.

Brain imaging technology has shown us that any decision to act, no matter how spontaneous it seems, is preceded by brain activity we are unaware of. This preceding activity (again, shown by brain scans) makes the decision. Our conscious 'choice' follows the decision already made subconsciously.

This is one of those "science proviing what philosophers have always known" things I read about decades ago in the Tao of physics. Not that it isn't controversial, or universally accepted, but this idea long predates our ability to demonstrate it scientifically, and is fundamental to many Eastern religions and philosophies, as well as certain philosophers in the Judeo-Christian sector.

We do not act exercising real free will. We are carrying out instructions 'dictated' by our subconscious.

And what directs the subconscious? Where do those instructions come from? 

It is easy to ascribe the source of these instructions to God, the Great Flying Spaghetti Monster, or the Universe, or to simply equate same with the inaccessible part of our consciousness (like I do), and just say that it is an Unknown. But the fact remains that the idea that we are consciously choosing our behavior is an illusion.

That's what I mean.

Food and Diet Section

2014 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:          207.0 lbs

Previous Weight:         206.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:       + 0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

That's a late-night snack bump right there. 

Food Log 

Breakfast
A cocoa-hemp-kale protein shake (almond-coconut milk, kefir, kale, large organic egg, whey powder (24g protein), hemp seeds, hemp protein (7g protein), raw organic cacao powder, fermented coconut water, chia gel, moringa leaf powder, celery, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend.

Lunch

Roasted turkey breast on baby kale, baby spinach, chard, black beans and cole slaw mix with balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack
Celery and home-made mayonnaise.

Dinner
Pepperoni, Dubliner cheese, cole slaw and a Quest bar.

Snack
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 86+ oz.

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