New Civilization News: Knowledge    
 Knowledge6 comments
9 Oct 2004 @ 10:31, by Greg Sherk

Knowledge or what is and what may be.

In this article I seek to answer the question: “Why do I believe what I believe?” This is a key question; one which must be answered by anyone seeking to teach and more importantly, by anyone seeking to add to the overall pool of knowledge.

Knowledge is in some ways like c, the speed of light:

In physics we see that as we approach the speed of light it takes ever greater energy to create ever smaller accelerations, until, at the speed of light, it takes infinite energy to create any acceleration. We cannot go faster than light.

In knowledge we see that as we approach truth, it takes ever greater thought to make ever smaller improvements in our model, until, at truth, it takes infinite thought to create any improvement. When our model accurately reflects truth, no improvement is possible.

Knowledge is in other ways more like an electron:

Every now and then in knowledge, a person has an Einstein moment. Einstein saw that Newton’s Laws of Motion apply only under normal circumstances, which lead others to Quantum Physics. At that moment, as the electron makes its quantum leap to a higher or lower state, knowledge as a whole, made a quantum leap into a new and advanced state.

We know from studies of evolution that these two rules apply to the evolution of species. There is slow change from natural selection and every now and then, rapid change from special selection. As we can say these two rules apply to several areas of science, we may apply them as a part of the theory of knowledge. From this we say “Knowledge normally grows slowly as thought is applied and errors are corrected. At unpredictable times, knowledge grows rapidly as an individual applies a previously unknown concept to the knowledge base.”

ONE: We can now say that the velocity of knowledge growth is lumpy except when arbitrarily near to the current model of truth.

From history and statistics we can now import the concept that the overall growth of knowledge is accelerating. As our current model approaches objective truth the lumpiness will average out, the acceleration will slow and knowledge growth will eventually stop: That is, unless an Einstein moment occurs. Should one occur, as seems likely, then the entire knowledge base will change and the lumpy acceleration will once more start; new growth towards a new and better model of truth occurs once more in normal mode.

TWO: This constant jumping to ever better models of reality is the most accurate theory we have for answering the overriding question “What is truth?”

Therefore, we have a test for the question “Are we close to the current model of truth?” The lumpiness of growth in the knowledge base is an objective standard measuring how close we are to the current model of truth. The closer to the current model of truth, the fewer new concepts are being added and therefore the flatter the curve of knowledge growth.

Now we must apply the known statistical corrections in order to remove anti-knowledge as we use our theory. The corrections are:

a) Is there any political pressure being applied to supporting the current model? From our knowledge of fear in groups we can say: The more political pressure being applied in favor of the model, the greater the odds are that the model is wrong.
b) Are there any data points in the current model which are wrong or probably wrong? From history of science we can say: The greater the chances of one or more error points, the greater the odds that the model is wrong.
c) What do our elderly and distinguished experts say about alternate views of the model? Again from history of science we can say: The greater the pressure from experts deriding an alternate view as impossible, the greater the odds are that an alternate view is the correct one. This comes from the observed concept that when an elderly and distinguished scientist says something is possible, he is almost always right: When the same scientist says something is impossible, he is almost always wrong.

Now we can use our theory of knowledge to look at individual models of reality.

From my point of view, wishing to understand spiritual growth as a tool of healing for damaged men, two of the models I most desperately wish to know about are the current model of gender and the current model of spirituality.

So I ask “How lumpy is the current growth of knowledge in gender?” That will tell me how close we are to the current model. After spending almost a year searching for scholarly articles on gender I can give as my opinion the statement that “knowledge growth in the field of gender is virtually flat.” All articles are rehashing of previous knowledge and do not include testing for concept errors.

Next I ask “Is there political pressure being brought to bear to support the current model?” The answer, based on the rather extreme damage done to people questioning the current model, is a resoundingly loud “YES.” The problems which Murray Strauss and Doris Lessing faced are only tiny examples in the sea of bigotry thrown at anyone disagreeing with the current model of gender.

Next I ask “Are there any wrong or probably wrong data points in the current model of gender?” As the theory of Patriarchy is a center point in the current model of gender and the theory of Patriarchy has a great many error points I can say “Yes, there are error points in the current model.”

Next I ask “What do our elderly and distinguished experts say about alternate views of the current model?” Almost without exception the experts deride and disdain all alternate views of the current gender model.

Therefore, I can say with reasonable assurance that we are, knowledge wise, arbitrarily close to an incorrect model of gender. We need a breakthrough to a new and better model of gender.

So I now ask “How lumpy is the current growth of knowledge in spirituality?” After looking at a great many articles and books I can offer my opinion that the growth of knowledge in spirituality is quite lumpy. In fact, knowledge of spirituality is so severely fractured that I can go further and say that there is no currently accepted model of spirituality.

I now ask “Is there political pressure being brought to bear to support the current model of spirituality?” As the growth of knowledge in spirituality is so very lumpy and political pressure is being brought to bear on a great many models of spirituality I can say that this question is not answerable.

“Are there any wrong or probably wrong data points in the current model of spirituality?” It seems to be clear that there are error points in a great many of the models of spirituality.

“What do our elderly and distinguished experts say about alternate views of the current model?” Our experts are of a great many opinions.

Therefore, I can say with some assurance that there is no currently acceptable model of spirituality.

I now have a starting point. I know that the current model of who and what the two genders are is fundamentally wrong and that there is no generally acceptable model of exactly what spirituality is.


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6 comments

9 Oct 2004 @ 14:32 by martha : Greg you wrote-
"I know that the current model of who and what the two genders are is fundamentally wrong and that there is no generally acceptable model of exactly what spirituality is."

I don't quite understnd how you came to this conclusion. Could you please clarify.  



9 Oct 2004 @ 16:26 by bushman : Hmm
There is an experiment, where they took a drop of blood from a person, and wired it up to a lie detector type device, it was found that no matter where you took this drop of blood, it would react to stimuli instantainously, basicly if you poked the person that the blood was from with a pin, that drop of blood would react instanly, distance was not a factor, so theoreticly they could take that drop of blood to the edge of the univers and it would still react instantly, that is faster than the speed of light, and physics as we understand can't explaine it. I will say that thought and spirit is as one with the whole universe as one singal entity, and that the energy that makes it up, permiates the whole of the space, this means what we truly are, is everywhere at once, just like the idea of God, no time, no space.
Here, check it out. :}
{http://www.primaryperception.com/}  



9 Oct 2004 @ 19:53 by scotty : Really interesting Bushy !
reminds me of a story I heard when I was a kid - American Indians used to gather around a tree that they had chosen to cut down (to make a Totem pole) and held a big ceremony - praising the tree and explaining to it why it had been chsen ... all the trees in the forest therefore became in tune and sent out their love to the poor condamned tree - in the meantime at another part of the forest a group of braves very quickly felled another tree altogether... the idea being that the tree which was cut down didn't have the time to realise what was happening to it because it was too concentrated ont the pseudo 'condemned' tree - therefore it's death was painless and humain !!

I vaguely remember something about some experimenter wiring up plants and recording their screams when they were plucked - and surrounding plants crying out in sympathy - also plants 'cringe' from the presence of someone who has recently cut plants !!
Amazing stuff !
For me it goes to show that we are all connected somehow !  



11 Oct 2004 @ 11:56 by jwwells : for mmborders
All knowledge starts with a model, usually with the theory form of a model. A model is like an engineer's drawing of a machine, except in this case it is reality itself and not a machine that is being drawn. Also, words and math and ideas are used instead of the engineer's lines and signs.

All new knowledge comes from comparing reality to a model. "How closely does the model reflect observed reality?" is the question all researchers seek to answer.

In gender the model is a series of statements about the two genders. These statements set out what, why, who, etc. for the two genders. We can now say that there are serious errors in the current model of gender. What they are is the goal of research: But in this case all new research is a rehash of earlier research.... In other words, we need an Einstein moment. We need someone to see clearly and start over again with a newer and better model of gender: There are too many errors in the old one....

In spirituality, a search for a generally accepted model breaks down. A similar thing happened in physics during the two decades after the second world war. What that means is there are several new models and no one of them has become generally agreed upon. For the researcher this means spirituality is an exciting and confusing area of research where many new things are happening.

Does that make sense?

jw  



11 Oct 2004 @ 12:09 by jwwells : Also
Another way of seing it is:

We can say we are close to the current model of gender because the growth of knowledge in that area is flat. Now we must be in one of two conditions:

a) we are close to a valid model of truth in gender
or
b) we are close to an wrong model of truth in gender

As the known tests for anti-knowledge are positive we can say with assurance that "b" is correct, we are close to an invalid model of truth.

jw  



18 Nov 2004 @ 14:01 by redstar : Models of Gender & Spirituality
Relative to your article on Gender & Spirituality - Check this out
True love is a spiritual hurricane that sweeps away any obstacle in its path, as the ultimate cleansing storm. The spiritual union of male and female is a mutually empowering, self-perpetuating, psychic feast.
Male and Female are in the cosmic sense, the opposite poles of the same magnet. They are the ancient passage of galactic spirals in their motion through the heavens, and the subtle whir of electron and proton. They are the flow of creative forces, one to another…a reflection of all the passions of Creation in Nature. Man and woman are the opposite charges of the energy of God. They are the strike of lightning, the motion of wind in fragrant blossoms and the dual strands of all DNA. Unity of man and woman is the Cosmic Tao of the sexes, provoking a spiritual process with no limitations. Through recognizing the Tao of female and male, or in other words, Yin and Yang, two people may raise up together in spiritual ecstasy without bounds or barriers. This is an ultimately potent spiritual path, and a ready engine for mutual ascension.

When we look at the symbol of the Tao, (Yin/Yang) we find two opposite colors merged into a singular, flowing, circular motion. There is a dark half and a light half of the Yin/Yang; representing equal and complimentary forces for all time. Man and woman are equally powerful! They both embody the Cosmic aspects of creation, in ways which are mutually complimentary. Each side of the Tao symbol contains a small portion of its polar opposite, just as there is a small portion of the opposite sex within each of us. This means we each possess the qualities of both sexes, (it is just that certain qualities are emphasized by our Yin or Yang polarity). Yang is known to be more will-oriented, and dynamic in nature. It is eternal motion and cosmic action. Yin on the other hand is receptive, supportive and magnetic. It is eternally stabilizing and of cosmic potentiality. Another factor in human misery is the so-called “battle of the sexes”, which is nothing more than a symptom of collective insanity. This self destructive insanity runs deep in Western culture. We are infinitely more than social labels or pathetically limiting roles. The “battle” is entirely fictional, because it is learned behavior. It is our modern task to unlearn it without hesitation. Social, sexual discord is ideological. Our own limited images about what it is to be a man or a woman, do injustice to one another, on the battlefield of our collective unconsciousness. There is no such thing as a naturally occurring battle between the sexes, other than what society has mistakenly created. This is yet another reason we must return to nature and observe natural laws, to maintain our sanity. There is also no such thing as “gender roles” either, other than those dictated by biology. We create these divisions and roles between the sexes at our supreme peril, and to heal the world we must look to the cosmic Tao of male and female. We must do this in remembrance of the natural and cosmic potentials of relationship. When relationship again becomes a place for mutual ascension rather than antagonism, our entire species will be revived into its natural aliveness. This will be paradise re-gained.

In mutual pleasure we are filled with ecstatic life. In mutual love we begin to radiate a signal of pure, crystalline grace to a world in pain and need of spiritual ministry. In mutual rapture, we are raised together into the bliss of angelic realms, and the abode of the Masters of all time. We become the seers and prophets of cosmic design, and can speak therefrom with experience. Such perspective adds clearer meaning to the term “soulmate”. Let us not underestimate this opportunity in the Tao! Let us seek only the highest in ourselves and each other, thereby fulfilling the very Plan of Creation!
Excerpts from :-
The World Mind Society http://www.eoni.com/~visionquest  



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