sensory | The Short Version

Who is the Magician? Tricks of the Brain

March 5, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 08-21-07: An excellent article in the New York Times today, "Sleights of Mind," by George Johnson. It covered several topics of great interest in understanding human experience: "...the cognitive … [Read more...]

Timeless: Conceptual Thinking and Perception of Time

March 5, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine Leave a Comment

Originally posted on 06-07-07: After I got dressed this morning, which comes after peeing, washing face, stretching, and Tai Chi, I put on my glasses and stood for a while, gazing out my bedroom window. An article I read … [Read more...]

But What Is Real? The Limits of Perception/Conception

March 4, 2008 by Norm Bearrentine 1 Comment

Originally posted on 05-19-07: I ended yesterday's post mentioning the importance of distinguishing fantasy from reality, which brings up a really big question: What is reality? Which reminds me of the current installment … [Read more...]

When I realized that the idea of god was a joke, I thought that was the end of the story. Later I found that Christianity had shaped my values, and while some were worth keeping, many had lost their foundation—the meaning of life, for example. Something similar happened when I realized that the idea of free will was a joke, and I’ve spent the decades since both those realizations discovering and editing what Julia Galef calls the “orphan beliefs” they left behind. It’s a tricky business, and this blog has been a chronicle of my efforts to puzzle it all out, including reviews of related books. I hope you find it helpful.