There
is a world which is struck every several seconds by lightning;
it
is ceaseless and has been this way as long as any one can remember.
The
inhabitants have come to believe there are meaningful patterns to
the
incessant flashes which carry important information,
and
they offer to one another their personal interpretations of
what
they perceive the information to be,
and
in that each individual's differs somewhat from his neighbor's,
over
the years the residents have gradually adopted several large,
collectively
agreed upon interpretations which seems to give them a feeling of stability
and comfort.
Asserting
alliance to one of the larger templates does not stop the
individuals’
private interpretations of the flashes,
and
though they may pay lip service to selectively subjugating theirs to the
larger;
each
inhabitant’s personal interpretation of the lightning is as natural,
and
irrepressible as are the flashes themselves.
All
above told is such an innate gear in the overall machinery of life on the
world that rare note is specifically taken thereof, (that is):
the
entire matter of the strikes themselves provoking in the inhabitants,
automatic
interpretations of the strikes is itself not analyzed & interpreted.
This
affair is without parallel in our universe,
and
not at all agreeable to being described, but this gives suggestive outline:
a thing occurs which carries its own interpretation
of itself
while causing those who hear the interpretation to think that it originated
in them.
Just
trying to grasp this scene is far too frustrating for most of that
orb’s
inhabitants -- test it for yourself;
even
with the power of the human mind the situation is like attempting
to
picture how light could be described to lightning,
and
as noted, these aliens suffer from the added difficulty of having
the
lightning constantly describing itself as it strikes,
while
making their minds believe the descriptions come from them.
Indeed,
the whole affair is so annoying and convoluted
(not
to mention, unnecessary), that save for a minuscule few,
no
one there bothers with it at all;
the
few who do are not readily explained -- all that can be safely said
is:
they
exist, and that for a very few within the already few,
nothing
will do but to see the matter through.
Where
to even start? -- a quick exemplary sketch:
calm,
close, cold blooded yet easy scrutiny gives the few-of-the-few
unmistakable
private evidence that the interpretations they hear coming from the world
in their own head -- which is being continually struck by lightning
--
are
not their interpretations (nor are anyone else’s theirs);
this
initial realization, as plain, simple and self evident as it be
is
as near an impossibility as the human mind can imagine (and trying to imagine
what the mind cannot imagine, being itself an impossible
challenge).
When
you try to think about this, your thoughts will immediately point
out that even if it is true and you manage to see that the interpretations
you hear
and
take to be yours -- are not yours -- then you have
the brand new quandary: whose are they? -- where do they come from? –
questions
which no human mind can answer,
and
thus is the whole affair one which any normal human mind will ignore,
and
avoid thinking about at all costs,
but
it is Step One on the path to Freeville.
Verbal
limns of other steps could be offered, but they are just illusionary encouragements
(like telling a traveler: “When you reach a certain
rock
formation on your left, you are getting to closer to the destination” etc);
it
is the realizing for yourself that:
there is a world which every several
seconds is struck by lightning
–
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
It
strikes ---
and is gone --- it strikes
--- and is
gone;
over and over and over again.
What
interpretation is needed? ---
now it’s here ---
now it’s gone.
here’s a flash ---
now it’s gone;
here’s another ---
and now…………………………….
J