It dawned on me the other day that I no longer get excited, nor do I seek excitement any more. One can be excited by the prospect of travel; I'm not. I've not been on holiday for 12 years, nor do I hanker for a holiday. I'm not excited by watching sport or going fast.
This is a profound difference between me today and the younger, thrill-chasing me.
Am I happier! Of course I'm happier! But why? What is it about an ascetic rural lifestyle that brings happiness? Primarily, peace of mind, agency over my time. Repeatable moments of joy.
One question arises however. I am convinced of the reality of non-local consciousness, of the survival of identity after death – in the form of consciousness and its associated qualia memories – rather than ego. The ego being intrinsically linked with the body, with its appearance and its place in the status hierarchy, dies with it. But consciousness, pure observation, abides.
Much of the lore surrounding reincarnation features people with memories of dying young, of lives tragically cut short, and of the desire to return again to experience more of human life.
But what of reincarnation as experienced by people who die in old age? A long life may bring substantial wisdom, along with a sharper perception of how much remains unexplored. I know what I know, my belief system is becoming ever-clearer, but I am also increasingly aware of what I don't know.
I witnessed two great forces driving my father forward in old age, namely observation and curiosity. Not everyone has had the benefits of a great education, but with enough observation and curiosity, aided by access to knowledge unparalleled in human history and more time for self-improvement, the life-long learning potential of an autodidact is vast.
What's needed is the drive to learn; focus (for those wanting to specialise in any one field), the energy required to keep on with the hard work. And the inspiration to tap into the Flow, frequent moments of deep intuition. Didn't have enough of these qualities this time round? Ask for more next time.
A spiritually mature consciousness is likely to choose a next life that is not high in status or excitement, rather desiring an existence that offers the right conditions for further development.
Here I bow towards Plato and his Myth of Er in Book X of The Republic. For Plato, the purpose of philosophy is partly to prepare one's consciousness for the moment of biological death and the choice that follows. The philosophically educated person learns to distinguish a superficially good life from the genuinely good – wealth from justice, fame from wisdom, power from self-mastery. Once each soul has selected a life, its chosen destiny is confirmed. The souls then forget their old lives, before being reborn.
Much as I admire classic sports cars, ownership of one is not for me. Entropy would soon turn it to rust, I have zero mechanical or engineering skills; in any case I would not seek to wring out every last ounce of power on my local backroads, nor do I feel any compunction to show off a beautiful car in front of people.
Should I have any curiosity regarding places such as Göbekli Tepe or any number of anomalous prehistoric sites, I can visit them online these days, and watch talks about them from experts. The prospect of flying off anywhere is no long exciting; the prospect of sitting for several hours in an aluminium cylinder at 30,000 feet, between security and passport checks. No thanks.
Excitement – I have have passed onto a higher plane.
Happiness is a 1:1 ratio between your expectations and your reality. (J. Koba)
This time last year:
The Aesthetic Attention Span
This time three years ago:
Wałbrzych, Książ and Riese
Something new in the skies over Okęcie
How the other half lives – a Radomite's tale
This time 13 years ago:
On guard against complacency
This time 14 years ago:
Ready but not open – footbridge over Puławska
This time 15 years ago:
Dusk along the Vistula
This time 16 years ago:
Mediterranean Kraków
This time 16 years ago:
Around Wisełka, Most Łazienkowski, Wilanowska by night
This time 17 years ago:
Summer storms
This time 19 years ago:
Golden time of day
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