I ain't got no body...
Check out the comments to the 'User Manual...' post below and you'll see we got a bit of the old mind'body debate going. What an opportunity for me to whale in with some ill-thought out amateur philosphising. See, the 'we are only flesh' has a pretty strong logical argument going for it but something - perhaps nothing more than intellectual cowardice - has always made me shy away from it. At the same time, I don't think it's as simple as the 'My body is just a suitcase...' idea proposed by my good friend Mark and by Willie Nelson, admirable chaps both. See, in some very fundamental way my concept of 'me' is very much linked to this lump of flash and blood and water plunked here on an office chair in Donegal. Regarding the suitcase theory, I just can't imagine myself getting of the plane in Derry to be told that, although my soul has arrived safely, my body has turned up unclaimed in Prestwick. Everything I feel and experience, I feel in this piece of extended stuff I call 'me.' I don't sit here in my office and feel happy in the next room. (Reminds me a bit of Woody Allen's psychic twins, one of whom had a bath while the other mysteriously got clean.) All those things we see as intangible still seem to be located about this physical old body with all its imperfections. The action is here, where my body is and I can't envisage how it would be any other way. Now, I'm not saying that nothing exists beyond the physical. What I am saying is that what exists seems to be mediated through the physical at the very least and that the two appear mutually dependent. More than that, I'll leave to greater minds than mine to puzzle out.
Smell you later.
Smell you later.
posted by Brian at
3:22 AM
8 Comments:
The body does drive the mind and the mind the body.. that has been proven. I think it impossible to envision ourselves one, without the other. Oh, I can invision you only soul or only body... but not me... Somehow I feel I would have to split the essense of self to accomplish that feat.
Still waiting on a dr. apt. in Chicago to see how long this body will last. Somedays I would simply rather not know. Like today. I know you have had your fill of songs, but this one by Sting helps me..
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"
Let your soul be your pilot
Let your soul guide you
He'll guide you well
When you're down and they're counting
When your secrets all found out
When your troubles take to mounting
When the map you have leads you to doubt
When there's no information
And the compass turns to nowhere that you know well
Let your soul be your pilot
Let your soul guide you
He'll guide you well
When the doctors failed to heal you
When no medicine chest can make you well
When no counsel leads to comfort
When there are no more lies they can tell
No more useless information
And the compass spins
The compass spins between heaven and hell
Let your soul be your pilot
Let your soul guide you
He'll guide you well
And your eyes turn towards the window pane
To the lights upon the hill
The distance seems so strange to you now
And the dark room seems so still
Let your pain be my sorrow
Let your tears be my tears too
Let your courage be my model
That the north you find will be true
When there's no information
And the compass turns to nowhere that you know well
Let your soul be your pilot
Let your soul guide you
Let your soul guide you
Let your soul guide you upon your way...
Hi Stephani,
Good to hear from you again. Sorry to hear you're still waiting on a diagnosis. I and my wife think about you a great deal. So keep in touch and stay well.
The body is merely a prism to the white light of our soul.
"I just can't imagine myself getting of the plane in Derry to be told that, although my soul has arrived safely, my body has turned up unclaimed in Prestwick."
LOL!
If that did happen. Man. THAT would be a bad day! ;)
Been reading another fellow's blog, who states every aspect of the pancreas journey honestly. Hope it helps,
http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html
Hey, Prestwick's not too bad! ;-)
My apt. is scheduled Aug 8-10. I have constant pain, when not on drugs, and find it so interesting that you presented with no pain. Did you go through all the tests? This could all be too personal, forgive me. My birthday is tomorrow (46) and I just wonder if I should make it a super big one. You never know.
Hello from across the pond. Have Hope! Four years ago I did not know what a Pancreas was. Now I am a four year survivor of pancreatic cancer. I have had a surgery (Whipple) to remove a large portion of my pancreas, three and a half years of Chemo, and one reoccurance that we beat back with intensified Chemo. and I am still here! Do not concetrate on statistics they are old news we are making new statistics every day. Here in the states there is a great organization for support called the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. www.PanCAN.org They have patient support and links to studies. Here is what my wife and I are doing to help (www.rideforhope.info) We are nearly the same age, I am 45 and am not near done living. You can survive Chemo for a long time, stay positive, stay commited, Eat lot's of Ice Cream! All the Best.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home