The ‘mind-body’ problem stems from the mind :)
It is in the belief that what I see is ‘real’…separate from the Seeing.
Yet this is plainly not the case.
Plainly, everything Seen is an ‘illusion’.
Simply ‘hold the thumb close to the eye and look into the distance’
Notice that the apparent thumb occludes most other apparent objects known to be many orders of magnitude larger.
A thing that is smaller than another thing cannot also be larger than the other thing… it can only appear so. Such appearance can only be an illusion.
Notice that what is true of the apparent thumb is true of every apparent object.
Now notice that all apparent objects consist only of ‘sensory images’.
Notice that these sensory images consist of colours-Seen, sounds-Heard, feelings-Felt, flavours-Tasted and odours-Smelled.
Notice that these ‘sensory images’ appear to be ‘things, relations and events’ only as ideas are associated with the images.
Notice that without any change in the image the experience changes as the ideas change. So the initial experience may be ‘what’s that?’ as no idea is associated with the image. Then it may be ‘Oh shit, it’s a snake’ as that idea comes to mind, followed by ‘Ah no, it’s just a piece of old rope’ as that idea arises in Awareness.
Plainly, Consciousness is.
It requires no theory or belief that it is.
Plainly too, there is no Awareness at all of ‘what’ it is.
This should not be surprising as any ‘what’ is defined by a set of ideas (number, form and meaning)… and
Plainly, Consciousness is not an ‘idea’.
Plainly it is Sensing-sensations (colours, sounds, feelings, flavours and odours) and Knowing-ideas (number, form and meaning) with the power to manifest sensory images in accord with ideas to create the appearance of ‘my body’ and ‘my thoughts’ and ‘my feelings’ and ‘my surroundings’… as in a dream.
This is not to deny science. It simply recognizes that the ‘laws of nature’ relate to ‘ideal objects’ (such as quantum fields, quarks and atoms, through molecules, organs and bodies, to planets, stars and galaxies forming the whole known universe) that through a long chain of mathematics describe the apparent behaviour of apparent objects… apparent in and to Consciousness.
Physics simply describes the behaviour of ideal objects. It says nothing about ‘life’: freedom and slavery, laughing with friends, fantasy trips to the moon, the fear of battle, cruelty and tenderness, the pleasure of a sunrise, or a symphony in the park.
Consciousness alone knows what it is to live.
Beyond Consciousness is nothing at all.
