The Evolutionary Gap

Descartes had claimed that what makes us different than animals is, us having a mind. He also said that humans had mental abilities such as the capacity to wonder, curiosity, imitation, attention, memory, reasoning, and aesthetic sensibility. (Domjan, The Principles of Learning and Behavior, 2008) Darwin claimed that human mind is a product of evolution. In search of intelligence in animals, scientists made several attempts after these claims.

   There are some aspects of human behavior that separates humans from nonhuman animals. However, the issue depends on how we define intelligence. Nonhuman animals also have the capacity to make decisions, but based on what? Humans decide to choose to do something, whereas nonhumans decisions are made by their instincts, which means that the actions are predetermined.
Humans acquire language, but nonhumans learn it to some extent. -By language I mean human language, not nonhuman animal communication-

   Let's look at this idea from a Darwinian perspective. He believed that human mind was a product of evolution. It does not matter for how long we have been living on this planet but we all have been living together in it for quite some time. What made our evolution faster than nonhumans so that we have a mind and they don't, looking from the perspective of Descartes? Are we here to learn and they to enjoy? -I choose to leave aside the ethical issues in this writing, it is an entirely different subject to discuss- Our brains have prefrontal cortex to make decisions and reason, so does mammals but not other animals.

So why don't they operate in the way that we do, why is there still a wide gap between our evolutionary state and theirs, because both human and nonhuman animals have intelligence that come from instincts?

Beyond What is Going On

I've been thinking... Since the beginning of the Gezi Park events, there is a huge energy explosion and I think that this time we are able to see the flotations.

I have always wondered why there weren't more "awake" people around, why more people aren't more curious of what is going on around the world, inside their worlds, within the universe, outside the universe, why people did not care about seeing beyond the visible without loosing the connection with the visible. The answer I got was: "People are in different states of their own evolution." However, this answer did not suffice and the question probed my mind every now and then.

Yesterday I read a book that completed this thought. I concluded that every state of being completes each other because they are all linked together. Right now there is a pyramid of states of existence and if there wasn't a "solid ground" for our being, we would have collapsed. We need every state and we need it together. The broken part is that we think that we are separate. If you hold one hand and build a bridge, no one will think of you as the enemy.

A New Book: "Fi" by Akilah

So far in my life, I have read one novel that shook me up and made me feel upset because it had to end. It changed my life and my perspective on how I see and observe human beings and categorize them in an objective manner. It has been almost nine years since I finished it. To be honest, I have had some good reads but not great.

Last year, a person who has a great place in my heart, who also had introduced me to my favorite book, has written one herself. And I swear by my heart, I am not making any exceptions here when I say hers is the most intriguing book I have read since then. The book is called "Fi", derived from the Fibonacci series which present the beauty in nature that are found in a series of numbers: 1.618...

The fictional book "Fi"s story is about a well-known psychologist who is shaken by a beauty, a one that can be as perfect as fi...

I don't want to spoil it for you, if you want to buy it, the book will be available in bookstores starting from 05.06.2013 and currently available on idefix.com.

I know that I have some followers who continuously read my things, but I do not have a direct contact with any one of you. So if you like my writings and think that they light up something in you, or touch you somehow, I assure you that you will love this book.

http://www.akilah.co/ 
https://www.facebook.com/Fi.Akilah
https://twitter.com/AkilahFi

Notice how technology is advancing and the instincts are being disregarded. Who is to say that we will not be thirsty for our freedom as we are to scientific advancement today?

I love science because it gives me the opportunity to understand more of what is in nature and gives me answers to questions like: "What gives the blood its color?" or "What makes us human?" I am a huge enthusiast of new technology that enables us to see the smallest particles, analyze how water possibly came to our planet and many things that I can catch up with. Also, I always think that everyone must have a fundamental knowledge of science because it gives us awareness. But in order to be able to process the knowledge in a philosophical way; we need to have the critical thinking ability in the first place. Knowledge is nothing when the means to gain it is evil or if the source is coming from ignorance, because it means that one will acquire the information for a means and that means it to take control over. I am not saying that one should not have a purpose, since existance is purpose but if you try to extort something out of a source, you disrupt its balance. Besides, any self-respecting entity would now that, in order to exist, you need to be and not to have.

 ~ Fringe 5th Season inspiration. 

Possible Impossibilities

We are made to believe that we can make the possible impossible, but we are capable of making the impossible possible. However, the advertisements say: "Impossible is nothing." Do you see how we run to get what we think we want? Let me explain: When we think of something that seems possible, our brains actually create a visual image of the desire. Neuroscientists say that there is an 18 percent difference between actually doing something and imagining it. This means that the same neurotransmitters in the brain are activated during both processes. So when we think about something, it is because we have the desire to experience it and also the capability to imagine it, therefore the possibility lies before us. What is it that you want to experience? Is it something that seems far or close? Who tells you whether you can do it or not? There is an undeniable entity that tells you exactly what you have to do: Advertisements. It tells you that "Impossible is nothing" so you start running, but where to? It seems like there is a paradox but there isn't. The subtle difference is your self-awareness about what you want and who you are rather than what they make you want and who you think you are.

Becoming Inured to Knowledge

Kids are always excited about acquiring new knowledge no matter the subject. But because of the way we are taught, we inescapably become robotic and perceive subjects mostly as a way of making money rather than fully enjoying them. However, there are some people out there that had the chance to keep their minds open and continue to suck the knowledge in and be true scientists, musicians, writers... Inevitably, these people become very good at what they do in early ages. Some interesting facts that awaken -new comers of knowledge- don't interest these people anymore. The fire that starts so early maybe burns them out. Is this any different than the case of the ignorant? In one end of the continuum there is a raw intelligence and on the other end there is a consumed one. No matter how suitable you are, for becoming one or the other, you need to have balance in order to maintain a healthy mind. I have complete faith in people who know themselves and their boundaries, for they are the ones who will set examples, not prototypes. 

On Wasting

It is obvious that what makes us different from animals is our consciousness. Do all humans have it at the same wavelength? Here is how we can differentiate: How much are you controlled by your emotions? Emotions are the way we experience the world around us with more depth but if we are controlled by them we are clearly not using our intelligence that separates us from other species. In fact, because our evolution is happening so fast, one might be left at the other end of human evolution continuum, acting like our ancestors, like homo habilis... I am not an expert of human evolution timeline but I know that there are primitive emotions that are identified by psychologists that we are all aware of. Many of the psychologists name them differently but here is how psychoanalyst Paul Ekman named them; anger, fear, sadness, disgust, happiness, surprise, contempt. The reason that I wanted to show these is simply because they are primitive. If we experience more complex ones, it means that we are more developed, more complex creatures. Experiencing wider range of emotions certainly gives us richness because we are then able to become more aware of ourselves. And it needs more capability to condition oneself or observe the effects as soon as they present themselves. But the main and more significant issue is; how much of your life is ruled by them? How much time do you spend on "feeling" rather than experiencing and observing at the same instant? For me, letting yourself dwell in these is a waste. I am definitely not depreciating love, as it is what all life comes from but I am trying to show that in the road of creating yourself -which never stops- nothing should ever get in your way. 

If you observe every experience you live when you are in it, the way you perceive the experience will change.

Is our perception of time going to change any soon?

"Time is forever dividing itself toward innumerable futures..." ~ The Garden of Forking Paths, J.L. Borges 

For centuries, the human mind has adapted itself to think linear, according to the concept of time; "yesterday", "today" and "tomorrow", time being the most relevant construction of our lives. When we observe the concept of time as a more complex entity, time being a constant in many different dimensions; our perceptions of it are not changing concurrently. Why?
Most likely, it is because of us being habitual creatures as human beings. Our brains ability to construct data is through memory and memory works best when it captures the moments via chronological order. Otherwise, I suppose that we would go insane not perceiving our daily lives moment by moment. But perhaps, by thinking about time in a more complex manner, we can prepare our own evolution. -Scientists say that the prefrontal cortex of the human brain is responsible for constructing data according to chronological order and also it is the most capable part of the brain that has plasticity- Let's say that we have managed all. This means that the only problem left is our daily lives. How are we going to integrate this new concept into it? Maybe, in the search of a time machine, we don't realize that our own brains are the ultimate masters of time, having the capability of going through back and forth in time and space, being the most sophisticated machine of all "times".

"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision." ~Ayn Rand

The Idea of “Uniqueness”

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“Is there more than one of anything?” This question made me think of the idea of being one and complete. How are we, each of us, or the smallest particle recognized in our perception, one within ourselves? If you consider the fact that there are parallel universes outside one’s own perception in different dimensions, how are “you” unique? Think about it. You exist in this world in different realms but you are not conscious of it, not yet. And still, there is an idea that you are one and only, not found anywhere else. Does the Nathatlie that decide to get up at 3.00 in the morning recognize the one that sleeps till 7.00am? When I wake up in the morning and consider three other options do I not manifest them as well? So all these five separate entities make one, don’t they?

Now let’s consider a photon. A scientist from the University of Vienna, Anton Zellinger, has claimed that he has been teleporting photons for over ten years. He says that, during the teleportation, the information of the particle travels but not the photon itself. Also, the information of the “actual” photon disappears. This may mean that the photon did not experience two different realities at once. It is either “there” or “here” which means that it has been transformed. If it did exist in two different realms at the same time, I would have asked whether it was a unique energy unit.

Humans haven’t experienced teleportation yet but in theory we live in alternate realities and we live in the world of possibilities. If we are not conscious of the “I” in these alternate universes, are we truly complete and unique or is the comprehension of the idea enough?           

Human, are we?

According to astrophysicists, we are a type zero civilization because we base our living on consuming the planet we live in. We are not in control of our natural habitats; earthquakes, weather, hurricanes, meteors... But nanotechnology is developing so fast and progressively that I am quite persuaded by the idea of humans being in control of these things in a couple of decades. Think about it; scientists are developing a bacteria that is so tiny that will enter your body through your blood vessels. It's purpose is to deliver drugs to the specific part of the body in need via magnetically moving the bacteria by a computer. It seems like we live in a sci-fi movie. Everything is happening so fast, or maybe it does not. Maybe I am so amazed by this finding because I am able to understand basically how it works or what it does.

The problems of the society and the abuse of capitalism is always being talked about. The upper class is always being blamed because money means power and, well, they have it. But they are also the people who enable scientists to go beyond nature and secure research. I know that you instantly think about the power being used for politic purposes or power struggles or mind control but don't take this as a naive proposal. What society actually needs is knowledge of the scientific evolution because with knowledge, comes awareness. And it is your job to simplify and explain what is actually happening. Our children will need it, the society needs it and your neighbor needs it. If they don't take it, then shove it in. If a man-made micro bacteria will make its way though our bodies, we should know it.
Don't blame the system, make your way!

It is very significant to share knowledge that you have -which is not yours to begin with- because you never know what it will light up in someone else's mind!

 When you are a material person, you may not want to share the things that you have bought, things that you value. But if you are an intellectual, a scientist in mind, you may sometimes find yourself not wanting to share the knowledge or the discovery you have made. They all come from one source; possession. Being an intellectual does not mean that you have upgraded as a human being like a computer software does. It just means that you enjoy -hopefully you truly do- learning. I see the same thing in these two categories: Over-ambitiousness. 

As humans, we seem to think that we own things. We own our clothes, we own our partners, we own our thoughts and this planet. Thankfully nature has been showing us signs that we don't; global warming, meteors, drained resources, chickens that are fed with growth hormones concurrently giving us diseases...

We are a part of the whole. Our thoughts are not our own because we are a part of the collective consciousness that is linked together. Whatever you are thinking, someone else is also thinking the same things because you are able to think what you think and see what you see. You are able to see some things with experience because you have trained yourself to see what was already there; you have opened your eyes so the information is flowing into you. 

So who knows, when you share, maybe you open another blind curtain.