"One of the goals of current brain research is the discovery of
common patterns of activity across a whole population. These patterns
would be called 'normal'. Eventually, exceptions would be classified as
various categories of 'disordered thought'. It is assumed that only
so-called 'harmonious and symmetrical' brain patterns are positive and
beneficial. This assumption is grossly false. It is, in fact, a
childish, stunted, and simplistic version of aesthetics. The creative
force always breaks out of these little geometries. So does every new
idea. Increasingly, Earth culture is unable to understand this." (The Magician Awakes, Jon Rappoport)
The
year was 2054. The artist, living on the edge of the city in a small
room, picked up his messages and discovered one from the Bureau of Mind
Management. It was an order to appear.
In an office on the 15th
floor of a virtual building, he sat in a chair surrounded by a ring of
yellow tulips. A holographic interrogator materialized.
"We have
a report on you," the i-figure said. "It indicates an output difficult
to measure or interpret. What can you tell us about this?"
"Well," the artist said, "I don't know. I'm composing a symphony."
"A symphony? What is that?"
"It's a piece of music written for a large orchestra."
"I find no extant orchestras in the country."
"That's true," the artist said. "Nevertheless, I'm composing."
"Why?" the i-figure said.
"For that day when an orchestra may come into being."
"Your thought impulses entered ranges we were not able to summarize."
"I suppose that means your instruments are limited," the artist said.
There was a pause.
"Your
last statement is incendiary," the i-figure said. "It suggests we are
imposing a restriction. As you well know, the science is settled on
this point. We measure and interpret thought that contributes to an
overall positive outcome, for the population at large."
"I'm
aware of that, yes," the artist said. "But the science rests on certain
assumptions. I would call it greatest good as a lowest common
denominator."
"What do you mean?" the i-figure said.
"You
assume a certain mindset contributes to the consensus reality you
favor. You legislate or permit a range of thought that will produce the
consensus."
"That's a gross oversimplification."
"It
doesn't describe the algorithms you employ," the artist said, "but all
in all I believe my summary is correct. You're reality makers. You
monitor thought-emissions, and when you find a departure from 'combined
averages,' as you call them, you issue a citation."
"What is this symphony you're composing?" the i-figure said.
"It's impossible to explain. It's music."
"It has a specific message?"
"No. If it did, I would write out the message and leave it at that."
Pause.
"Why have we not heard of you before?" said the i-figure.
"Because I was doing illustrations for the Happiness Holos."
"What happened?"
"I became bored. A machine could make those pictures. So I decided to compose music."
"The Happiness Holos are an essential social program."
"Perhaps,"
the artist said. "They encourage people to stay on the positive side
of a fantasy-construct called Positive&Negative, which as you know
is a State-sponsored theme. But what is superficially indicated by
those two opposing sets is, in fact, fuel for the fire."
"Fuel for what fire?"
"The creative fire. The artist can use and transform any material."
"Where did you hear such a thing?" the i-figure said.
"Nowhere," the artist said. "I've experienced it many times."
"Your
views are highly eccentric," the i-figure said. "I will have to
consult your childhood history to understand their roots."
"I'm afraid that won't do you any good."
"Why not?"
"Because your version, the US Department of Psychology version of cause and effect, is propaganda for the masses."
"This is your idea of a joke?" the i-figure said.
"Not at all."
"When you compose this...symphony, how do you think?"
"It's not thinking in the way you use the term," the artist said.
"No? Then what do you do?"
"I invent sound."
"Preposterous."
"Large masses of sound."
"Absurd. According to what underlying pattern?"
"None," the artist said. "Check the Library of Structures. You won't find my activity in the catalogs."
"All structures and patterns are contained in the files."
"I doubt that," the artist said. "But regardless, I don't invent through pattern."
"No?" the i-figure said. "How then?"
"I improvise."
"And this term refers to?"
"Something done spontaneously," the artist said.
"And you exceed prescribed ranges of thought in the process."
"Perhaps. I would hope so. I don't keep track."
"You're being flippant," the i-figure said.
"I knew you'd cite me," the artist said. "I'm just trying to enjoy myself until you pass sentence."
"There
is no sentence yet," the i-figure said. "You're an anomaly. We
investigate. We consider. We direct resources. We question. We
determine."
"I'm afraid," the artist said, "that your and my idea of 'determine' are quite different."
"Let
me ask you this," the i-figure said. "When you are composing, do you
ever believe you enter into a realm or area that could be called
'non-material'? We've heard such claims before."
"Not if you're
referring to some fairyland. But all thought is basically
non-material. The brain registers it after the fact. Thought, the real
thing, doesn't take place in the brain."
"You're deluded," the i-figure said. "And disordered."
"If I could simply confess to that and be on my way, I'd be a happy man. But I'm sure you have charges to attach."
"You
live in a society," the i-figure said. "To keep the peace and maintain
the Positive, from which all good things flow, science has discovered
that thought should occur within certain parameters."
"If you insist."
"We want to study you. It's a great honor to be called. You could help extend the boundaries of research."
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