What if everything was the same?

What if everything was the same?

You know like everything! What if every snow flake was identical to every other snow flake? What if each moment was the same as the last? Could that be possible? What would our world look and feel like if each moment was identical to the last and every future moment?

Is it possible that each snow flake is made of the exact same thing? Could each drop of water in the universe be made of the exact same stuff? No matter where or when we are in the universe, water would be made of the exact same stuff. Here is another one, what if every cell in our body was identical. There would only be one type of cell. So, the cells in our eyes are the same as the cells in our blood. Yikes how could that be?

Each cell would have to contain the exact same information as every other cell. Perhaps this could be true. But that would mean that any particular cell could be anything and for some reason that cell took on a specific responsibility in our body.

Ok, let's look at water again. What about water?  Well, is every drop of water really made of the same stuff everywhere and every time? Then the stuff that water is made of has to be the same thing as well!

So we could think of every drop of water in the universe being made of the same type of atoms. Then that would mean that each atom of water is made of the same stuff. I guess this line of thought could just keep going on and on.

I guess when the great thinkers and scientist say – “Everything is made of the same thing!” They really meant everything!  Then why do things look so different?

What is in a Thought?

What is in a Thought?

What is in a thought? Have you ever wondered what a thought was made out of? We have these things called thoughts all the time. When we are talking, resting and working we may have thoughts. So what are these things called thoughts? Some thoughts make us happy and some make us sad. Some thoughts motivate us to take action and still others may cause us to procrastinate.

Scientist can measure our mental activity when we are thinking. Some measurements show the electrical activity changes while other research has shown the blood flow patterns associated with the thinking process. Then there is the more recent research that shows significant chemical activity changes take place when we are thinking. Scientist have mapped thousands of specialized chemicals generated in and around the brain when we are thinking.

We can recognize when we are thinking and identify when we are being quite. In fact, we have the ability to watch ourselves having a thought! The actual activity of thinking can be observed as if someone else was having our thoughts. Meditation can be used to enhance our ability to control our thoughts. It has been said that our thoughts are the only thing we can control. We can choose to think about anything we want.

How about this? Do we have thoughts when we are not consciences? What are we doing when are not have any thoughts? Are there ways of thinking that are more powerful or more desirable the other methods of thinking? What is the relationship between our senses and our thoughts?

Some of our thoughts are memories of the past, some thoughts are about the future and yet others contemplate our current experiences. The mind has the ability to think about the past, present and future in an elegant and fluid mix of images, sounds, textures and with all of our senses. Can you recall the Christmas mornings with the smell of your mother’s turkey cooking. Recall that feeling of getting your first childhood kiss. Or what will you new car look like? How will you feel when you receive that award?

Is there any limit to our ability to contemplate our reality?

What are our thoughts made out of? Where do our thoughts come from and where do they go? And.. Does it matter? Perhaps the answers to these questions do not matter. Perhaps by definition a thought cannot be held, measured or in any meaningful way be contained. Hey we do not question the act of sight; so why should we question the act of thinking. Thinking may be our six sense!  Perhaps thinking is our way of "feeling" or "sensing" our reality.

What do you think?

Steve Oliver
June 2010