Dimensionalizing the reality

We used to think that if we knew one, we knew two, because one and one are two. We are finding that we must learn a great deal more about "and." ~Arthur Stanley Eddington

The way we have understood the reality is to be understood before we understand reality itself. We start learning geometry in our school from a simple straight line starting from a place extending in one direction to certain length. That is very easy to understand. We can see it differentiate and do not require much imagination. Then we extend this line to infinity. And what we comprehend from that it is so long that we cannot find end. This is fine as it is only imaginary concept and on paper i do see line ending with an arrow. I just tell my mind that this goes on and on.
Then we say that join two such lines back to back extending in opposite direction. This is an axis. That is what you see extends in two directions. By that time mind has stopped bothering about infinity.
Now we introduce one more axis and make it two dimension. Pen paper make it difficult for us to introduce 3rd dimension, but we do it by drawing something like,


Linear thinking is the basis. Even if we see a sphere, we represent for analysis purpose the sphere as points on this set of linear dimensions.

Same thinking holds in lots of other areas. When we judge people personalities we create dimensions. A basic example is MBTI personality indicator where there are four dimensions and we define by four charaters which quadrant (or say section as this is 4D) the personality is.
In decison theory we create graphs and mark quadrants what they represent and what could be done in those quadrants.

This is fine, but it is also important to keep in my mind that this is a reflection of reality. What should be in the mind when seeing world through linear lenses,

1. The world is basically non-linear, small separation of values could mean big differences and vice versa.
2. Since beyond 4D we cannot hold it in our imagination most of the relfections of higher dimensional reality are on lower dimensional (<=4D) canvas. So we have to know that in a non-linear world we are ignoring dimensions which could change everything we understand.

This doesn't mean that we stop dimensionalizing reality, but we should be ready to savour surprises at rare times when our understanding doesn't hold good.

More you think, less or more might happen

The more you read a concept, scientific or otherwise, the more you understand. Practice makes perfect is what we have learnt in schools. This is also true with physical skills (for e.g. swimming). More you practice the better you become. Or say easier it becomes to do a thing.

But, more you focus on stress, it doesn't get easier. The solution for stress is to let go things, not to try hard. Ever heard of Law of Reversed Effort. So why doesn't it become easier to deal with stress the same way it gets easier to do things when focused or tried hard.

I tried this for many years - when i was sad, i used to continuously ask why am i sad. And i used to sulk for weeks. These questions ne'er made me happy. What made me happy was either getting tired of asking these questions and let go or read a book/watch a movie that would change the whole set of thoughts in mind.

So, looks like there are two personalities to mind - one which listens to us, one which doesn't. The more you tell to the part that doesn't listen, the more tough it makes for you. Now, if you have something that you wish to do with mind, will you focus or not. Subjective - depends on what you actually want to do.

How do you unify/reconcile this? Well, here is what Fritjof Capra says about unifying things. Let us say you were seeing something go in straight line, back and forth. It goes to point A and then goes to point B and then again to A and then to B. You tend to think that point A and B are limits that this thing is hitting and therefore, it has to turn back whenever it hits point A or B. But what if the system doesn't allow limits? You could reconcile this by looking at higher plane. That is add one more dimension. Visualize that what you saw was a shadow on floow of something going around in vertical circle. The particle ne'er turns back, there is no limit to hit, it is just going in circles. But looking at shadow one sees a particle going around in straight line. Unification helps a scientific mind understand system, but creates a complexer world, which sometimes could not just be visualized. Reality is eleven dimensional reflected on a 3D world that we can visualize.

So, how do we unify these parts of mind. Is the new dimension "what you want to do with mind"? - Is it learning? Is it emotion? Or it it the situation the mind is in - for e.g. when you see a lion you will run, focus or not.

Paradoxes

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing -- to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. Not a select party.
- John Keats

It is similar situations that i encounter which make me blog. These are questions for everyone. And ofcourse no solution is not a problem as the first quote says.