the querying of the quest

I suppose if one looks closely, one will see that every life has a theme, a major underlying quest-ion that points like an arrow at its target. For me, it has been: what is the nature of the universe? This quest opens into three queries: who am I? where am I? what is going on?

It seems to me that many if not most folk get that understood early on and settle down to the busyness of life. But I am still the twelve-year-old boy that was lifted into space from his home in Alabama and shown the earth from afar. Let's call it my cosmic experience. It was the year I received confirmation (but not in a manmade church) as a cosmic citizen.

Making sense of that experience has been and is the quest of my life.

On this quest I did not succumb to the temptation to wrap myself in robes of holiness, keeping contact with earth by a thin string anchoring my spiritual balloon to some post. I found later that some of the Buddhist scriptures warn against this, saying that one can choose to go off into Bliss and sit there but eventually you gotta come back and start your journey again where you left off.

Instead I learned the language of science, of rigorous methodology, of experimental design, and of probability and statistical proof. Got good at it too. My early research on nonverbal behavior is still in the literature. Though it did not satisfy, my sticking my head into the science pencil sharpener made its point: ratio-nal consciousness is good but does not and can not go far enough. It has its limitations.

I discovered the heartmind. Well, I didn't really discover it, since it has always been here. I just had an Un-Duh moment. Our ancestors (many of whom were more in touch with these matters than we are in our present dark age) spoke of "thinking in your heart" and they were correct. The heart as a brain is about 40 times more powerful in sensitivity to information than the slab of meat in our head. Together (which is the way it truly works) they are a formidable team.

In making sense of that cosmic experience I have poked my nose, then entered with full body, into many realms. I will share some of that research. with its use of what Ewert Cousins called "shamanistic epistemology" in posts to come.

Meanwhile, here is a quest-ion for you. What is the quest you are on? I am not necessarily looking for responses on this blog. I just think it is a powerfully important question and well worth everyone's consideration and re-consideration.