I haven’t been accepted into the Astrophysics department at University of Chicago yet. As it turns out, first you have to apply. Apparently, they don’t just know that it’s my destiny to receive a Nobel Prize. Second, upon further examination, via the Science Channel, it also turns out that there are other schools of thought; for example, mechanical physics, astronomy, theoretical physics, and other bla bla bla stuff that I had never actually considered, let alone heard of before. I’ll keep you posted on my research.
In the meantime, I’ve started reading an 800-page book, for the fun of it, Carl Jung’s The Unconscious Mind. Here’s what I’ve gotten out of 47 pages and 17 hours later (lots of snack breaks). There are three basic portions to our conscious. The first layer is our personality, which by definition, can be found in another super big book called, The Dictionary. Personality is said to mean “a mask”. Remember this for later. There is a subconscious layer, that hasn’t yet been discussed at length in those first forty-seven pages, and the unconscious, which is stated to reflect upon the dark waters. Think of the deepest depth of the ocean. We can’t see it, but we know it’s there. It’s also kind of like the concept that the sun is a big ball of gas that warms our earth, or knowing the world really is round. It doesn’t feel like it, but it’s true. Weird.
This whole dark water concept made much more sense while watching The Avengers, Age of Ultron. Spoiler alert: The Avengers won that battle. Sorry. Anyway, remember when Thor goes into the cave, in the midst of darkness, and must enter an opaque pool of water hoping for answers? And remember how that scientist dude said it was a bad idea to go in the water because most men come out of it mad? [If this is unfamiliar, I believe this movie is free On Demand.]
When Thor emerges from the depths of darkness, he comes away with enlightenment. It wasn’t, to say, he was honorable or worthy. I think it was more on the concept that he allowed his conscious, or mask, that he shows the world, to fade, if only for a few moments, so he could experience truth—the Ultimate Truth. Like Jung said, “if we can see our own shadow and can bear knowing about it, then a small part of the problem has already been solved.” Here, Thor put aside his title, his heritage, and allowed himself to absorb a portion of himself that he never would have experienced in the waking world, hidden behind his mask.
What if we too did something to that effect? Not become a demi-god, silly. What if for a few moments right before drifting off to sleep, we put aside everything we think we should be or what we have become, take off our masks, and focus on the depth of the ocean? Our ocean of fears, of bliss, or even our true purpose in this world. Maybe we’ll even find our own Mind Stone [Avenger reference], or universal knowledge, however you’d like to describe it. Or…we could simply fall asleep and wake up doing the same thing we do every day, day in and day out, with no true rest and no true path.
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting my search for the yellow stone tonight.
