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Your concept of “I” is not truly what dominates over your other supposedly subordinate (supposedly subservient) thoughts. All thoughts — including the concept of “I” (or that internal “me”) — are conditioned responses… and, as such, one does not (in reality) truly dominate over the others. Profound awareness and immense intelligence transcends conditioning (at least to some significant extent) and goes beyond the deep misconceptions that the aforementioned sentence suggests. Via erroneous (primitive) education, billions are saturated with such substantial misconceptions and delusions (of a “central controller”)… and this, in turn, causes much needless friction and deceit (within the brain) which often projects as additional disorder both within the brain and out from the brain. Better education could help to change things for the better. We, as a society, have a long way to go before we transcend out of very psychologically crude, primitive realms. True freedom lies not in the concept of free will, but in the daily, intelligent (method-free) understanding of the mind, which may allow one to actually joyfully exist (at times) beyond the limited field of total conditioning. With such freedom comes real goodness and order (beyond mere reactions).
(Added note: This is one fundamental reason why so very few, throughout the world — over time — have truly been enlightened. A process or technique developed or utilized by a fictitious center cannot ever find profound truth; the profound truth comes only when conditioning and needless conflict, friction, and deceit are dissipated… and not dissipated by some supposed central agent that is — in itself — a major result of ignorance and conditioning. For so many — for so long — it has been like throwing water to drowning people in order to save them!)
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Jumping spider in Lily. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Jumping spider in Lily. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Interesting concept, have to think about that. Also, great pics – as usual.
Thank you, Frank! Read about the corpus callosum and split brain surgeries… when you get a chance online.
Fantastic photos. On my favorites list. Your words ring true. I posed a question to freshmen sociology students at the University of Wisconsin as a guest lecturer. “What would your life look like if social morays, money and expectations are tossed out of the equation?” Blank stares on statue like faces was the response. “Okay, if you could do or be anything you want, please share. Use your imagination.” Two resposnes out of a class of 50. That was an eye opener for me. Talk about conditioned response as a way of life! These kids didn’t have a clue about anything outside of what they have been brainwashed throughout life to be anything but free. The idea of “central agent” is greatly applicable to these kids. College courses designed to encourage freedom of thought and action do nothing of the sort.
Great subjest and as always, superb writing.
Yes, Jude, we all are mostly conditioned… some of us way more than others. Transcending conditioning is real spirituality; it is truly being “alive”… which is what authentic spirituality actually is.
I don’t think that all conditioning is a bad thing. I have spent a lot of time throughout my adult life pondering many things. I have questioned what I was taught by my parents and teachers and others around me. I have chosen to adopt some of the beliefs I was taught and to reject other beliefs.