Myths that shape thinking

This is a summary of a fascinating conversation by the philosopher Alan Watts about how we perceive reality and the myths that shape our thinking. Watts begins by describing two basic models of the universe that influenced Western culture – the ceramic model and the fully automatic model.

The ceramic model, which originates from the Book of Genesis, sees the world as an artificial object created by God in human form. In this model, God is like a potter who fashions tools from raw material, or a carpenter who builds furniture from wood. The world is seen as the handiwork of a wise and sophisticated god who planned everything in advance. Similarly, human beings are seen as creations, as artificial objects designed by God.

In contrast, the fully automatic model, which developed from Western science, sees the universe as an independent mechanism that operates according to defined laws, without the need for a creator. In this model, the universe resembles a complex machine – each part plays a specific role and the interactions between them create all the phenomena. It is the basic laws of nature, and not a supreme being, that dictate the conduct of the universe.

Disconnection and separation – the results of the contrasting models

Watts claims that despite their differences, these two models ultimately lead to a similar feeling – a feeling of disconnection from nature and the entire universe. The karmic model places man in an inferior position, as a subject subject to an all-powerful overlord. We feel like small and helpless creatures in front of the mighty Creator.

The automatic model, on the other hand, sees us as a product of chance and separate from the blind force that drives the universe. We are just tiny cogs in the mighty machine, with no real meaning or purpose. In both cases, the result is the same – we feel alienated from reality, trapped in a “skin bag” that separates us from the world.

As a result of these concepts, Western culture is built on the idea of struggle and war between man and nature. We project our sense of foreignness onto the environment and try to take control of it by force. Symbols such as missiles and heavy artillery represent our attempt to “conquer” space and the earth, as if we were external beings who invaded this world from somewhere else. But Watts reminds us that despite the feeling, We are actually an inseparable part of the world and the entire universe.

The Big Bang and the Infinite Expansion

To illustrate the close connection between us and the universe, Watts offers an enlightening metaphor. He compares the Big Bang, the initial explosion from which everything was created, to throwing an ink bottle at a wall. When the ink hits the wall it spreads everywhere, creating splatters and splatters. As you move away from the point of impact, the spots become thinner and more complex.

In the same way, Watts argues, the primordial cosmic burst of energy has spread out in all directions, and we constitute the most complex and refined patterns at the farthest end of that burst. In other words, we are not just a product of the Big Bang, but we continue to be part of the process itself – the basic energy of the universe that is embodied and expressed in a unique way in each and every one of us. When we internalize this insight, we are no longer separate or alien to the universe, but form an integral and inseparable part of it.

Separating thought and integrative vision

The problem, Watts explains, lies in the fact that Western culture and thinking do not teach us to feel and see in this way. We are used to perceiving ourselves as separate and independent “things”, instead of as part of a dynamic and endless continuum. To understand and control the convoluted and ever-changing world, we tend to sort, divide and separate it into discrete units.

Watts uses an enlightening image – we spread a conceptual “net” over reality, number the holes in the network, thus creating the illusion that there are separate and distinct “things”. But in nature itself, emphasizes Watts, reality does not arrive split and divided in advance, just as you cannot take a chicken out of an egg that has been disassembled into its parts.

In fact, Watts argues, there is no such thing as intrinsically separate “things” or events. These concepts exist only as a way of talking and thinking about the world, just as a “noun” is part of language and not a tangible entity in itself. The physical world is continuous, winding and incredibly complex – it does not come divided into pieces. Any separation between us and the world, or between different parts of the world, is largely artificial and imaginary.

The world as a living and dynamic tissue

Watts ends his words with a revolutionary claim – the universe is not “a big rock infested with living organisms”, just as a skeleton is not “bones infested with cells”. When we as scientists try to describe the behavior of a living being, we cannot be satisfied with what is happening within the confines of its skin. We must take into account his constant and two-way interaction with the environment in which he lives.

What we call the “external world” is an essential and inseparable part of us, just like our physical body. The boundaries between us and the rest of the world are thin and fluid, like a delicate membrane through which various materials and forces penetrate back and forth without interruption. Each entity defines, influences and shapes the others in a reciprocal and constant way, like two sticks that lean on each other and allow each other to stand.

Towards a new experience of being

Ultimately, Alan Watts challenges our most fundamental assumptions about the nature of reality and our place within it. He invites us to free ourselves from the myths and images that cut us off from the world, and to adopt an integrative and experiential view of life. Instead of seeing ourselves as separate entities in constant conflict with the environment, we can recognize the fact that we are an organic part of the vast cosmic fabric.

When we manage to break free from the old templates and connect to the continuous reality in which we are so intertwined, we may be able to rediscover our true home in the universe. The isolated and alienated perception makes us feel lost, without belonging and meaning. On the other hand, the recognition of the deep connection and basic unity with all that exists, can restore to us the sense of belonging, purpose and wonder.

The key, according to Watts, lies in our ability to experience reality directly and merge with the ceaseless flow of life. If we manage to do this, we may be able to find a solution to the deepest existential problems that trouble us, and live a fuller and more fulfilling life in harmony with the world around us. This is an opportunity to rediscover the magic, beauty and inexhaustible wealth that the universe offers us every moment.