jmdrummond93@hotmail.com ISBN 978-1-326-28119-9
90000
9 781326 281199 Copyright Š 2015 by Jamie Marc Drummond All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review, or for educational research purposes
Real Imagination Is a way to describe how everything we experience, both externally, through our senses and internally, through our imagination takes place entirely within our own mind. Emotions are intangible things, caused by external stimuli that is received and personally interpreted inside the individuals mind. Yet these feelings have a very real effect on our behaviour. From this we see that through stimulation of our imagination comes our human perception of the world and what we experience and perceive in the here and now is as authentic as it is ever going to get for us... Or is it? This book explores how the external world can fool us, revealing how our brains interpret our senses. It assesses how our minds are governed by subconscious internal processes and how bizarre our sense of “reality” can become, it then investigates some of the ideas that attempt to shape an understanding of our place in the universe and all of existence .
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
11. States of Consciousness
23. Spacetime
1. Optical illusions
13. Saccadic masking
25. The Grandfather Paradox
3. The Penrose triangle
15. The Blind Spot
27. Buddhism and Science
5. Neon Colour Spreading
17. Psychoactive Chemicals
29. Quantum Entanglement
7. Pareidolia
19. Brahman + Atman
31. Simulated Reality
9. Crepuscular rays
21. Free Will and the “self”
33. The Holographic Principle
The External
The Internal
What Lies Between
Chapter One The EXTERNAL
The Optical Illusion We know that the image opposite is printed on paper, and is therefore immobile. Yet, because of how our brains recognise contrasting colours, edges and surfaces the image appears to move relentlessly in our peripheral vision as our eyes scatter their focus across the page. This shows that you cant always rely on your vision to give you an accurate interpretation of the world. Another more extreme example of how our brains process stimuli is the “Motion aftereffect”. Use the QR code to watch a video that induces the effects. The results are intense and mimic the warping and stretching visuals experienced by those under the influence of psychoactive substances. Don’t be alarmed however, the effect only lasts for a few moments.
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The PENROSE TRIANGLE An impossible object, the Penrose triangle, unlike a physical structure, exists purely in conceptual geometry. As your focus moves around the image, trying to work out which part is where in your minds “spatial imagination” you come to notice that each part of the triangle seems to be “ahead” of itself. How confusing.
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Neon Colour Spreading Neon colour spreading refers to the fluid borders and coloured spaces seen between the circular designs. These aspects of the image are perceived entirely within ones own imagination and show our minds affinity for creating patterns and sense out of the external world. Of course, illusions like theses are designed to show you ways in which your visual system works. In everyday life, the effects of these ways of processing information are hardly ever noticed and may influence us in ways that we are unaware of. If seeing is believing, then how does one differentiate with certainty between the external world and internal imagination?
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Pareidolia Pareidolia refers to the tendency for us to interpret vague sensory input as being significant. The psychological illusion works best when examining rough patterns like a mountain side, or the bark of a tree and is exemplified here in a reproduction of the “Rorschach inkblot test�. The test was shown to many patients in the 1960’s, their subjective interpretations were then recorded and interpreted to gather an idea of a persons personality and characteristics. The tendency is to see images in the randomness; faces, landscapes and other familiar objects. So what can you see?
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Crepuscular Rays As the sun sets behind a lone few clouds in the sky, Crepuscular (twilight) rays are seen to burst outwards, radiating from a central point and creating columns of light that illuminate the land and sky. This, however is an illusion on a grand scale. The light is actually traveling in almost parallel columns through the atmosphere, and its our perspective that causes them to look as if they diverge. Perhaps this is why the view is one of such awe, because each and every one of us gets a view that is unique to our position in time and space and seems as though its created for the individual.
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Chapter TWO The Internal
States Of consciousness Any perspective of the world that is different from a normal waking state can be thought of as an altered state of consciousness. They are the result of a huge number of causes and can therefore produce a wide variety of completely differing states of mind. Naturally occurring alternate states of consciousness include lucid/dreaming, meditative states, adrenaline rushes, and so on. whilst other forms of consciousness are caused by brain damage, psychological disturbances, Infections and the use of psychoactive compounds. So if our consciousness is so easily modified, it shows that we have evolved to experience the world in a specialized and unique way. This also implies that other living things experience reality in their own unique and distinct way. So which organisms perception of their self and surroundings is the most “authentic� and what does that say for objective reality? What might exists beyond the world of the living senses?
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Saccadic Masking Saccadic masking is a phenomenon where the mind briefly suppresses ones vision as the eye darts across the scene to each point of focus, it does this to stop us from perceiving a blurry confusing image as we look around. What is more amazing is that when our eyes move like this, what we perceive in the fraction of a second blur that is the saccade is filled in by the very next thing we see. So if your looking up to the second hand of a clock, it can sometimes seem like that first moment takes longer than a second to pass. This illusion is referred to as chronostasis, meaning “time standing still�. The QR link explains the phenomenon and provides some more in depth insight.
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The blind spot In the human eye, there is a spot where the optic nerve sends visual information about our surroundings through the “optic disk� to the brain. At this point there are no light sensitive cells that are responsible for receiving light and therefore our brain must fill in this spot with information gathered from its surroundings. You can perceive this lack of sensory stimulation in the opposite image by turning the page, closing your right eye focusing on the man’s forehead and adjusting the distance between your eye and the page. With a bit of practice you can make the bee disappear!
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Psychoactive Substances
Any chemical substance that when consumed in some form, changes ones perception can be considered to be a “psychoactive”. Many psychoactives are used traditionally in cultures across the planet in religious or ritual settings as a way of healing, contacting higher dimensions and exploring the mind, or in more recreational scenarios, relaxing after a long day, or partying all night. Many substances are also capable of producing effects that are undesirable and this can lead to “train wreck” experiences addictive habits and damage to the body. Many traditional compounds are natural in their origin, however most are illegal in many parts of the world and this has lead to a surge in the production of very new and untested substances worldwide. These substances are known as “Research chemicals” or “Legal Highs” and are sold under the premise that they are “not for human consumption” Different classes of compounds create unique subjective experiences and so are described by unique terms. Stimulant drugs like mephedrone and MDMA can give one energy, some provide feelings of emotional attachment, love and joy but are often accompanied by a “comedown period” that is exhausting both physically and mentally. Depressants like alcohol and benzodiazapiens produce feelings of reduced coordination and anxiety, reckless behaviour and feelings of relaxation. Mild psychedelics like Cannabis produce euphoric warmth whilst stronger ones like Magic mushrooms and 2cb can produce full blown colourful hallucinations, visions and contact with “other worlds”. Dissociative’s like Ketamine and Salvia, are used to block signals from the senses from reaching the brain and can result in feelings of numbness, spatial distortions, disconnection from reality, depersonalisation, pain suppression and sedation. Deliriants like Deadly nightshade and Diphenhydramine can cause a person to not only have vivid sinister hallucinations, but to believe them, as if dreaming. All drugs can be dangerous if not used with consideration and many are illegal. So best to keep your nose out of trouble. Listen to Dr Robin Carhart-Harris talk about his scientific research into the effects and potential therapeutic uses of psychedelic drugs.
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This footage is mildly distressing and shows the danger of doing strong psychedelics (Salvia Divinorum) without the company of a sober sitter.
Brahman + Atman Brahman is a term used to describe the concept of an unchanging reality amidst and beyond the world which cannot exactly be defined. Some describe it as the sum total of all that ever is, was or shall be. The highest form of reality. Atman is another term used to describe the individual living organism or consciousness and is considered to be at one with Brahman. Together these two concepts can be thought of metaphorically; The Brahman is like a flame bursting with energy, the Atman is like a spark emerging, from that flame, it is magnificent but short lived. These concepts are something that can be felt within ones own psyche upon deep introspective exploration through meditation, but are also commonly felt as innately understood gut feelings experienced by those under the influence of heavy doses of psychedelics.
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Free WILL We often seem to think that we have absolute control over our thoughts and actions. Many feel as if they “live inside” their body and maintain authority. But that cannot be true. Thoughts simply pop into our head out of a random salad of potential thoughts made up of previous experiences in our subconscious minds. The mind works as a parallel system where different regions do different things, organising movement and thought. All this happens simultaneously, so much so that we are often unaware of our actions until they have already been completed. Think about speech and typing, it literally flows out of us as if from nowhere. You have no idea right now, what the next thing out of your mouth will be, because it will be the result of a prior cause, like being asked a question or seeing something worth commenting on. A simple experiment involves thinking of someone you know in your life. This person that you know, feels like someone you took from the “shelf of memory”. However you cannot account for why you chose that person as opposed to somebody else you know. What does this mean for our understanding of the self? Some may see it as a foreboding concept, Others as a testament to our ability to change and grow due to circumstance. Use the QR code to listen to Sam Harris explain his ideas on the illusion of free will.
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Chapter Three What lies between
Spacetime Spacetime refers to a mathematical model that consists of the three dimensions of space and the forth of time and explains how gravity and momentum influence the very fabric of the universe. You can think of the fabric of reality as a 3D grid that spans across the entire observable universe, pervading the cosmos. When an object with mass influences that grid, the grid warps and illustrates the gravity being radiated. The heavier the warping the stronger the gravitational pull. Use the QR code to see a 3D representation of the relation between space-time and gravity.
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Grandfather Paradox The grandfather paradox describes a proposed problem if time travel were to ever be invented. The idea is that a time traveller would go back and kill his grandfather before the grandfather could reproduce, therefore eliminating the chances of the time traveller ever being conceived. Its an entirely theoretical thought experiment as we have no idea whether we will ever be able to time travel. If we did manage to invent a means of traveling back in time how would it work? Would the whole of space and time revert back to an earlier stage in its development? Or maybe the time-traveler is simply sent back to an “alternate time-line� whilst his original time line continues? perhaps the traveller is transported to a parallel reality where every event up until the very moment of time travel has been exactly the same?
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Buddhism and science When the dogmatic aspects of Buddhism are removed, It has many compatibility’s with science and thus the impartial exploration of nature. unlike faith based religion, Buddhist teachings insist on assessment of evidence rather than speculation. “When you know for yourself that certain things are unwholesome, bad and untrue then give them up, and when you know for yourself that certain things are wholesome, good and true, then accept and follow them�.
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Quantum entanglement Individual sub atomic particles, the things that make up all of the energy and matter in the universe behave in a way that is completely different from what we see when we look at things in the macroscopic scales of classical physics and everyday life as opposed to the sub-microscopic scales of quantum (sub atomic) physics. One of these behaviours include “quantum entanglement, this describes the “connection” between two particles. These two particles could be on either side of the universe yet, their property’s (for example their spin) rely on each other. Does this somehow mean there is an unbreakable bond between particles in the universe that allows them faster than light communication? Is something happening in a dimension we cannot perceive? No-one has yet to fully understand these bizarre features of the universe and some (Stephen Hawking) theorize that a definitive explanation may be out of reach to us. Even if such an understanding came to be, there may still be fundamental truths about it; unfathomable to the human senses, undetectable by even our most technologically advanced experiments. To get a better understanding of quantum physics use the QR code to visit “quantum made simple”.
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Simulated reality Imagine one lives inside a computer program that has generated an entire universe filled with conscious entity’s, similar to you, that evolve to understand things about themselves. The world is somehow removed from a “higher reality” where the program “runs”, so one would not know that they were in a simulation. Suppose some individuals came to learn about the simulation, what might happen and what would it mean for the validity of our perceptual reality? It is In the movie “The Matrix” that this thought provoking concept is explored.
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Holographic principle The holographic principle states that while we may experience reality as 4 dimensional in nature (3 dimensions of space + 1 of time), all the information needed to describe our reality can be contained on a 2D surface that exists on the boundaries of our universe. Think of a black hole, sucking in matter. The information contained in that matter was once thought to be destroyed, violating fundamental laws of nature. It is now theorized that the information about the in falling matter is retained, holographically on the surface or “event horizon� of the black hole somehow. To get a feel for how 3D information can be encoded on a 2D surface, cross your eyes to merge the two images opposite, adjust the distance between your eye and the page until you are able to focus. Use the QR code and watch the video to better comprehend the idea.
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I made this book because every day I find myself wondering about questions like these. I want to know what’s going on, why there is something instead of nothing? I’m fascinated by the big questions in life and thrilled by the smallest of novelties, I want to spread that curiosity to others and inspire people to think more deeply about what it means to be a alive in this existence. As a society many of us neglect our ability to connect to the world around and within us in a meaningful way. By being curious and attentive to the small quirks of life we become more engaged and can gain more insight. with this curiosity only then do we begin to get answers to the deeper questions. I hope what you have seen here has been of some interest to you and has encouraged a more objective perspective of what we describe as reality The truth is, no one has all the answers, but so long as we stay inquisitive about ideas like these, we can only hope to fuel our imaginations and unravel the mystery’s that forever await us. Jamie Marc Drummond 09/04/2015
You can put down the book. The story ends. You walk away and believe in whatever you want to believe. or You can look inside and enter a wonderland where I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.