|
He now wants to know "what is a question"??!! Huh? What is it with this Stingray guy?... I hear you say ... what has this got to do with spirituality etc? Let me explain, my friend. Something mystical seems to happen within human beings when an element within our personal reality crosses the boundary from an observation to a question. Some internal process seems to get triggered off that generates this mysterious inner quality known as curiosity. And once curiosity is aroused, it can become a driving force within us like no other...it may not allow us to rest or find inner peace until that curiosity is satisfied. Look at this website, for example, it's driven by nothing but questions. Can anyone shed any light on what is taking place when a question (whatever that is) surfaces in our consciousness (from a metaphysical point of view)? |
|
From a metaphysical point of view, a question is the starting point for the process of creating reality. Sir Isaac Newton defined inertia thus: "The vis insita, or innate force of matter, is a power of resisting, by which every body, as much as in it lies, endeavors to preserve in its present state, whether it be of rest, or of moving uniformly forward in a straight line." This principle in his "First Law of Motion" is an apparent characteristic in human behavior. There is a resistance to change in people that keeps them in a rut, even when it's uncomfortable. The same resistance to change keeps workaholics and extremely competitive people in an almost obsessive frenzy of activity even when the mind and body get tired. Questions are the stimuli that move us to change, and thus to grow, that is, to create a new, or adapted reality. Questions are a natural result of our experience of our present reality. It's often said that curiosity is an emotion. Emotions can be cognitive or non-cognitive, instinctive or contemplative; and emotions tend to build upon each other, becoming increasingly mixed (mixed emotions) and complex. Questions are expressions of these emotions, through which we refuse to accept our present status quo, and seek to initiate change in our reality. Though it may be somewhat simplistic, there may be some significant truth to the observation that all behavior is motivated either by pain or by pleasure. A question is the mind's mechanism to gain knowledge and understand our universe, our reality, and to make sense of our experiences, to the end that we either benefit in some pleasurable way or by avoiding an uncomfortable, painful experience. I think curiosity is an instinct that is accompanied by emotion, not an emotion as such.
(18 Oct '09, 03:03)
Rebecca
I just said that curiosity is often said to be an emotion, having seen that point made in several websites. Though I haven't reached a final conclusion on the matter, I suspect you're right. However, since it's often said to be an emotion, I wanted to approach answering from that angle for the benefit of those who subscribe to that belief. As always, dear Rebecca, thank you for your insights!
(18 Oct '09, 06:47)
John
|
|
From a purely evolutionary standpoint, curiosity probably evolved to motivate creatures to gather information about their environment. Curiosity is an emotion rather than an instinct, because it is not a fixed action pattern. Curiosity is linked to several specific areas in the brain, so it is deeply embedded in our psyche. Curiosity is balanced by caution (fear of the unknown). Our ancestors would have needed this to keep them out of dangerous situations. Cautious curiosity excites several parts of the brain all at once. |
|
From a pointless point of view, the question is a mental tool to create solutions. you see, the mind loves to create, the conscious mind was designed to think. if you don't have a problem or a question, the mind will just invent one! .. try to shut it up, and it wil start to silently scream in anger and make all tricks it can do to escape and jump with a question in your head. get it busy thinking of an answer, and it will start working in joy like a child with a toy and every now and then it will come to you with a smile and says : ''hey daddy/mommy, look .. I got it!!'' . so, what - really - is a question ? .. it's a mental toy. that's all. ''you'' the sacred ''I'' AM wihtin .. doesn't need a question.. ''you'' know. but we ask to make our child happy, and our child think to make us happy. Remember: it doesn't matter if the answer is right or wrong, true or false, this is not what the child is after. as long as mommy/daddy is happy, nothing else matters! :D |
|
You only have to watch a cat to know that curiosity is wired in to them and all other species too.It makes us extend our knowledge and ourselves, and the world in general Without curiosity there is no exploring, no broadening the horizons, (literally and metaphorically), no investigation that the world isn't flat for example. A question in the context of spirituality drives and leads us to greater self awareness and understanding of our place in the world and in relation to God, whatever your concept of God is. From a metaphysical point of view it helps us start to conjure, (as in summon, effect, draw to us), new realities and explore new possibilities, new worlds, and maybe even new dimensions. |
If you are seeing this message then the Inward Quest system has noticed that your web browser is behaving in an unusual way and is now blocking your active participation in this site for security reasons. As a result, among other things, you may find that you are unable to answer any questions or leave any comments. Unusual browser behavior is often caused by add-ons (ad-blocking, privacy etc) that interfere with the operation of our website. If you have installed these kinds of add-ons, we suggest you disable them for this website
I like questions like these. It makes you think about the nature of reality in a way that changes your perspective on things.