(re)Framing Causation

Some time ago, a Scottish philosopher inquired into the nature of human understanding. He saw that perceptions of sense and memory, as they present to the mind, do so in space or in time, but most importantly, in a necessary connection with each other. He reasoned that space, time, and causation are ideas. They do not actually represent the perceptions themselves. Rather, they reflect the manner in which the mind takes perceptions in, processes them, and “understands” them.

Consider the notion that what we perceive as matter - you know, “the hard stuff” of reality - is ultimately a quantum entanglement of light. All of the flavor and the scent, the gift of sound and vision, and the felt sense of perception comes from your body swimming in a sea of electromagnetic radiation.

From and within this sea of light, the mind uses the information from perception to generate ideas and does so in language. How we frame perception and how we (choose to) use language is a creative act.

Each moment in life is a creative unfolding of how we interact with this light. Tuning and turning the mind with intention and attention is a conscious choice that transforms the lens through which we perceive. We can perceive because we are embodied and this embodiment allows us to sense the relationships within and between space, time, and motion.

What if we (re)framed how we think about causation? That instead of being subject to, powerless against, or separate from the process of causation - we are the sequence of time. That essentially causation is thought and action creatively interwoven through the fabric of our reality causing, effecting, and affecting our experience in this life.

Kosmos i jego kontrasty

Brushwork

How often do you brush your teeth? Once a day? Twice a day? Floss, mouthwash, perhaps a coconut oil pull? It is widely acknowledged that brushing your teeth routinely is an important aspect of dental hygiene. I, however, am not a dentist. I’m not here to critique your teeth.

I do have a particular interest in how the brain works. The brain thrives on novelty. One of the most important elements of learning is based on this concept. Is the brain excited to make sense of some new idea or information that doesn’t fit neatly into what it already recognizes? Brain health depends on constantly learning and learning is stimulated by novelty.

I am using “learning” in a very broad sense. You can learn from books, or from podcasts. You can learn from conversations with interesting people or gain knowledge from an experience, especially if it’s not part of your normal routine. On a biological level, the definition of learning neatly summarizes the major role that the nervous system plays in the body - “the acquisition of knowledge and skills”. In a literal sense, your life depends on the ability of your brain to acquire knowledge and develop skills. The quality of your life also depends on whether and how much you choose to learn.

One of the best ways to introduce novelty to your brain is by adding creativity to your life. You don’t have take painting classes with Bob Ross or consider yourself “the creative type” to make this happen. You do have to acknowledge one very simple, but very profound fact:

being creative is a choice that can be made with every thought, every word, and every action.
 

Piece by piece, choice by choice, and day by day, you have a chance to create something for yourself, of yourself. Remember, it’s on you: no one is going to live creatively for you.

So start small. Take a different way home, try cooking without a recipe, cross your legs the other way. Read some poetry, tell the truth, or see what happens if you pay attention to your breathing for 10 seconds. Have you ever tried brushing your teeth with the opposite hand?

Brushing your teeth lefty might not change your life overnight, but it’s a start.