Having just eaten a banana, I am left wondering of
the many trivial and interesting facts pertaining to the magnificent fruit. For
example, a cluster of bananas is called a hand,
and each individual banana a finger. What’s
more interesting is that contrary to popular belief, bananas do not actually
grow on trees, but rather from a tree-like perennial herb. But of course, I do
not simply spend my time solely thinking of bananas. No matter what it may be
that I am wondering about, the point is that I have something to wonder about.
The ability to wonder is the reason why my mind is my sacred space.
The human mind is a powerful creator. It can
construct images for your eyes to see, sounds for your ears to hear, and
sensations for your body to feel. The ability to process such abstract thoughts
is most definitely a more recent development on the human timeline, making the
act of thought a left-brained activity; however, I do not believe all aspects
of the human mind belong to the left side. There is a more primal and possibly
even animalistic characteristic belonging to the act of thought that we saw in
class when watching Dr. Nigel Spivey speak of the San people of South Africa. Through
deep thought individuals were able to enter trances, or possibly the dreamtime,
and became unresponsive to the physical world around them for certain periods
of time. I would argue that such a function, such states of meditation or
removal, might actually be primordial, belonging then of course to the right half of the brain.
I've got to say that the whole opening with the banana really drew me in, because I had no idea how you were going to go about connecting it to sacred space (I was kind of wondering if it was going to happen at all, actually). But I was pleasantly surprised to see how you brought it back in. The way you tied your sacred space into what we've discussed in class was spot-on, and I hadn't even considered how going into deep thought is so similar to a trance. Your mind being your sacred space prompts me to ask, though, if you are always in your sacred space. Is it something that you cannot avoid? One might say-- though I don't agree-- that since you are so often in your "right mind," it would be too ordinary to be considered "sacred." I really like the idea of a sacred space being a part of you that can never really go away. You're sort of always in your sacred space and there's something really poetic about that mobility.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with Quincy, the banana intro was quite enticing. I'm surprised banana Bill didn't think of this technique earlier. It's true that the mind is the true perceiver of sacred space and it is through the mind that scared spaces can be considered scared, so I understand and relate when you say all you need is your mind, and thoughts to fill it with, to be in a sacred space.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with Quincy, the banana intro was quite enticing. I'm surprised banana Bill didn't think of this technique earlier. It's true that the mind is the true perceiver of sacred space and it is through the mind that scared spaces can be considered scared, so I understand and relate when you say all you need is your mind, and thoughts to fill it with, to be in a sacred space.
ReplyDelete