Gazing in the Mirror

February 15 - Pockmarks and Near Misses

The difference between theism
and nontheism is not whether
one does or does not believe in
God. . .Theism is a deep-seated
conviction that there's some hand
to hold: if we just do the right
things, someone will appreciate us
and take care of us. . .Nontheism
is relaxing with the ambiguity and
uncertainty of the present moment
without reaching for anything to
protect ourselves.
~ Pema Chodron

The mind must reach a place where
It no longer remembers the past with
anxiety, or looks into the future with
uncertainty.
~ Ernest Holmes,
This Thing Called You

On this date in 2013, the world was abuzz with news of meteorites striking Siberia and an asteroid which will pass by closer than many of the satellites we humans have placed in geosynchronous orbit up above. While these two events are said not to be one and the same they seem to be possibly related as in the meteor was tagging along with the asteroid. The meteor was therefore not noticed until it entered our atmosphere in the most obvious of ways for those living in that vicinity in Russia. It seems that living on a planet in a field of universal space junk has its uncertainties and takes a kind of courage that isn't really conscious.

During our travels we visited Meteor Crater in Arizona. My sons delighted in playing the video game in the exhibit hall where they set various parameters for an inbound meteor and watch the outcome. My boy's favorite outcome in that game was total obliteration, though certainly most of us would not choose that experience for our "real" lives. We had visited the crater before but the effect on the landscape remains surprising to consider. We had also been watching over several nights about 4 hours of "raw" footage from the Apollo 11 mission which was the one that landed Americans on the moon. My husband was commenting that he remembered one of the exhibits at Meteor Crater shows the multitude of similar craters on Earth. It is just that we have so much "life" covering it all up that it is less obvious here on Earth than when looking at the stark desolation of the lunar surface.

In 1908 there was an event in Tunguska (Siberian Russia) that is generally believed by many scientists to have been the effects of a direct hit by a meteor. The natives at the time thought that it was a punishment for the wrongdoings of the people. Some modern people still worry about the wrath of the gods for the iniquities of the people as revealed by certain unkind remarks after Hurricane Katrina. Thankfully some of us are maturing beyond that and looking for ways to live in balance with the uncertainties without bringing guilt and self-criticism nor an expectation of punishment for sins into our personal equations. That is a great deal of what learning and applying metaphysics is all about.

Life is not certain. There never is a certainty that we will not suffer, be hurt, lose everything or have a difficult go of it, whatever the reason. Many people try not to realize that. Many people seek to escape the uncertainty. That is the basis of much that comes under the heading of religion. I suppose that "living in the moment" could be a similar kind of not looking at, not realizing the uncertainties. It could be a coping mechanism. Is there anything truly wrong in the current moment ? I think it was Eckart Tolle who suggested applying that as a technique. Usually the answer is that there isn't anything truly wrong but our fear of the future or our tendency to hold on to the past in the form of resentments including "woulda, shoulda, coulda" styled regrets.

Which leads me to a realization that the quote from Ernest Holmes in This Thing Called You shown at the top of this essay is intended to illustrate – that "Permanent happiness comes from a quiet contentment and an inner sense of certainty which cannot be shaken by outside conditions, whether good or ill." We have no choice but to live with the certainty that meteor strikes do occur and can do damage and can injure people. There is much about living on this planet that is not safe nor is life certain enough to engender any sense of security. Part of living with an easy-ness is coming to terms with that reality.

My friend Denise described yesterday that "Something feels very strange today. Almost like a close encounters kind of feeling." As I was falling asleep last night I noticed an anxiety for which I really had no explanation but it did not keep me awake. I think that it is possible for some people to be sensitive to general human energies but that interpreting these for any meaning can be very difficult and problematic. Sometimes in hindsight we have a solid explanation. I believe that it is good to be open to the potential of uncertainty and to view that as a valuable resource – then we don't deny its existence and can notice it while not being adversely impacted by fears related to it. How we cope with uncertainty is an important consideration because allowing excessive stress to take its toll may cause anger to erupt, be a root cause for certain diseases or could become chronic depression.

~ perspective

I consider the probability that some
uncertainty that has captured my attention
has a possibility of impacting me personally
and I take comfort in unlikely outcomes.
With some uncertainties I can take a wait
and see approach noticing that in the present
moment all is truly well and there is no
actual problem that I must address.
I have learned from experience not to
overreact to scary situations, my desire to
rush into some action on the basis of some
potential outcome that I fear is usually not
a good sign that I should or need to act.
The ability to live in the uncertainty
while experiencing a lack of clarity is
a valuable asset.
It is possible to teach myself to be more
tolerant of uncertainty by facing it with
awareness while yet allowing time and
change to bring more clarity regarding any
need to act or discovering none was needed.

#anxiety #asteroid #coping #courage #fear #reality #religion #security #stress #uncertainty