Is the World Self or Non-self?

[Guest guest]

Hello Ananda,

My use of the word 'totalisation' has no

sense of sums being done in the background just the

idea that objects are given as wholes. It is this that

leads to the perceptual synecdoche whereby the flash of

nacre presumes the whole shilling.

 

Reading yesterday the chapter on Conversion in William

James' 'The Varieties of Religious Experience'(

1901/02) I came across this paragraph which may be of

interest.

 

"The expression 'field of consciousness' has but

recently come into vogue in the psychology books.

Until quite lately the unit of mental life which

figured most was the single 'idea' supposed to be a

definitely outlined thing. But at present

psychologists are tending, first, to admit that the

actual unit is more probably the total mental state,

the entire wave of consciousness or field of objects

present to the thought at any time; and, second, to see

that it is impossible to outline this wave, this field,

with any definiteness."

 

I wasn't aware that Shri Atmananda's account of

drinking a glass of milk was an ironic spur to further

inquiry. I will keep that in mind.

 

Best Wishes, Michael.