Author: davemacq
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The Insanity Continues
Last week I thought the world was fairly stable; immature, yes; moving in the direction of catastrophe, yes; but in immediate danger, no. This week I am not so certain — truly the insanity continues. Especially with: the threat of nuclear war markedly increasing, in theatrical fashion the slowly tightening net on the legal entanglement…
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Media And The Anxiety Of Society
I have not been keeping count but it seems to me that there are more and more headlines about the Trump administration. Generally I do not pay much attention to the regular news — although in the past, the media has served important functions concerning ethical investigation of political issues, it seems to me that…
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A Few Interesting Links
Not a lot to report this week. I am still gearing up for my course on contemplative practice. A few interesting links this week— commentary included. Politics Why Russia Revelations Never Seem To Change Anything (20170725) A fairly good article on the complexity surrounding the lack of effective responsiveness within American politics. Tomgram: Michael Klare,…
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Knowing Through Relationship
The week has been busy — lots of little jobs, and also I have been having difficulty organizing a workshop I will be doing (in October) on relationship. I am taking an older workshop, one that I have never been fully satisfied with, and both reducing it in size (for a full weekend to 1½…
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The Usual Warnings
Overall this week, I have been busy with the panpsychism issue, so not much to report. What has attracted my attention has all been related to climate issues, most of which are about the usual warnings and struggles. Given the cultural malaise, some days I wonder who is listening. Of course, there has also been…
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Panpsychism, Part 4
My concluding post on panpsychism, essentially my attempt to understand my own experiences in philosophic and theologic language, in preparation for a two-year study program in contemplative practice. During my careers as anesthetist and therapist, I have consistently been attracted to understanding the nature of consciousness. As anesthetist, I had the opportunity to familiarize myself…
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Panpsychism, Part 3
This is my third post on panpsychism, essentially my attempt to understand my own experiences in philosophic and theologic language. As indicated previously, I am enrolled in a two-year program of Christian contemplative practice (the Center for Action and Contemplation), wherein I intend to examine and compare my own spiritual stance with the models offered…
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Panpsychism, Part 2
This is my second post on panpsychism, essentially my attempt to understand my own experiences. By understanding I mean my willingness to comprehend as best I can the mystery and awe of the universe; I do not mean its usual connotation of analysis — that is what I call overstanding, usually a place of hubris.…
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Panpsychism, Part 1
In previous posts, I’ve alluded to panpsychism on a number of occasions, and I also indicated that I would do a post (or three) on the concept. So here goes. Because it is so unfamiliar to most people, I need to go into detail, and apologies if it gets too conceptual; as usual, I am…
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Time Will Tell
A quiet week as I continue to explore the world of contemplative practice. The Living School is part of the Center for Action and Contemplation; Richard Rohr, the Franciscan monk who initiated the center in 1986, maintains that the most important word in the title is the and. To quote from their website, illustrative of…
Awakening From Your Anger 