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What you don’t know won’t hurt you . . . maybe. But it could change your mind about things you believe to be true. We all know this, of course, but do we really keep it in mind when we think about what we really know? And what does our tendency to exclude the unknown from our calculations say about our reduced capacity for wonder, our growing hubris, and, ultimately, the loss of our humanity? Find out in this seemingly simple but surprisingly deep “lost” episode of The Corbett Report.
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DOCUMENTATION
| FLASHBACK: Meet Smedley Butler (2010) | |
| Time Reference: | 00:56 |
| Vinnie Caggiano on Beatles Conspiracies | |
| Time Reference: | 02:36 |
| What’s On Your Bookshelf? – Questions For Corbett #035 | |
| Time Reference: | 04:59 |
| Episode 389 – Debunking the JFK Silver Certificate Myth | |
| Time Reference: | 02:47 |
| The Beatles: All These Years – Volume 1 Tune In – Extended Special Edition | |
| Time Reference: | 05:31 |
| The Beatles: All These Years – Volume 1 Tune In – Extended Special Edition | |
| Time Reference: | 05:35 |
| Interview 1276 – G. Edward Griffin Debunks the JFK/Fed Myth | |
| Time Reference: | 20:40 |
| Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs | |
| Time Reference: | 20:50 |
| Executive Order 11110—Amendment of Executive Order No. 10289 as Amended, Relating to the Performance of Certain Functions Affecting the Department of the Treasury | |
| Time Reference: | 25:50 |
| Executive Order 10289—Providing for the Performance of Certain Functions of the President by the Secretary of the Treasury |
|
| Time Reference: | 26:18 |
| Section 43 of the Act of May 12, 1933, as amended (31 U.S.C. 821 (b)) | |
| Time Reference: | 27:30 |
| Economic Report of the President January 1963 – Page XXIII “Silver” |
|
| Time Reference: | 30:33 |
| Japanese man in mystery survival (2006) | |
| Time Reference: | 38:50 |
| Teen stowaway describes high-altitude trip to Hawaii from San Jose | |
| Time Reference: | 40:15 |
| Penicillin: its discovery and early development | |
| Time Reference: | 41:33 |
| Roentgen’s discovery of the x-ray | |
| Time Reference: | 41:58 |
| The Amazing True Story of How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident | |
| Time Reference: | 42:17 |
| History of Corsica | |
| Time Reference: | 42:52 |
| Story of Edwin Drake (from The Prize by Daniel Yergin) | |
| Time Reference: | 43:48 |
| ENIAC: A computer is born | |
| Time Reference: | 45:27 |
James the Meet Smedley Butler video was excellent!
OMG, James! Im so grateful you posted the “Unknown Unkowns”!
The material you presented is so valuable and timely, particularly when considering the 21st century impetus to alter humans—our brains and our DNA. Also Grateful for the info about JFK and his EO 11110.
What you do, James, is an immeasurable contribution to humanity.
Well said, playing with the genome with a ‘gene gun’ (aka biolistic transformation) and “viral promoters” like the Cauliflower mosaic virus, as well as “agrobacteria” such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens or gene editing tools like CRISPR is like playing Russian roulette. So many endless variables come into play when it comes to the material of the DNA and how its many facets interact (not only endogenously but also with exomic particles from our environment that shift epigenetic modulation). One alteration does not just have the intended change (if it even succeeds at doing that in a stable way, which it rarely does) it creates ripple effects throughout the entire genome shifting genetic expression and creating unknown toxic substances and anomalous proteins. Humans can not even build a fruit fly from the cellular level up, yet we think we have the intelligence necessary to toy with the fabric of life at a molecular level? Its hubris, its greed and it is a dangerous game ‘we’ are playing (creating transgenic organisms).
I enjoyed the Unkown Unknowns very much. I had two friends who humbly asserted they did not know what they did not know. This then was their excuse to refuse to entertain any notions or evidence challenging the narratives and beliefs of the day. They, therefore, only trust experts.
It was also a backhanded put down of me as not knowing what I don’t know; a “know it all,” rather than a curious mind, willing to risk being wrong on a path to learning more and hopefully the truth.
They called me names. So often the narrative is sophistry. Perhaps my friends might discover sophist describes them. (But they’d have to look that up and think about it!)
pamb,
I liked reading your comment.
It well describes an aspect of life which we can run into.
Same here…I enjoyed the “Unkown Unknowns” very much.
Corbett has an excellent line in his intro description of Episode 431:
“And what does our tendency to exclude the unknown from our calculations say about our reduced capacity for wonder, our growing hubris, and, ultimately, the loss of our humanity?“
– Humanity –
I am so very glad that Corbett continuously emphasizes man’s humanity.
It has an incredible, vibrational and contagious wavelength.
This recognition of man’s humanity is how we all win.
HRS,
Well said.. and thanks for the excellent quote from episode 431.
This morning, my 14-year-old got the latter part of this as a lesson incorporating inspiration, human aspiration, psychology, sociology, biology, history, and hope (and actually, even a little Spanish, because I led into it with a song, suited perfectly for this part of the presentation).
I’d love to get this cut this from 38:41 – 49:21 to present as future lessons for the rest of my little ones. (Spanish song is, “Dicen Que Dicen” by La Oreja de Van Gogh, https://youtu.be/5NzwAi1Kwqw)
The episode, in its entirety resonates strongly with ME, for sure (it’s just that the youngsters aren’t quite yet suited for all that, not all at once anyway).
Thanks for the awesome work, as always!
Hi Belle,
Thank you for your story. This is the element of the CorbettReport discussion fora I like the most; people telling their stories. Of course, as I compose this I am listening to Dicen Que Dicen. Thank you! I don’t understand Spanish, so I’m just enjoying the music. There’s nothing particularly unique about the song musically, but its got a great groove and the lead singer has a wonderful voice.
Whatever. Good luck with parenting. It is an awesome responsibility. We do our best. You highlight one of the greatest challenges, when to introduce ideas and concepts which run counter to existing societal norms. To echo pamb above, if they start promoting the counter-culture ideas they may be “called names”, or socially isolated.
I’m a few years away from “completing” the upbringing of my and their mother’s second child. Number one is “out the door” in the sense they have completed their hormonal transition, formed their personality and core world view, and are thriving. I don’t think parents get the credit they deserve. Parents are the vehicle to the continuation of our species. The challenge for them is to assist their children in holding a moral core which is derived from the best elements of philosophy and religion, and to maintain an open and inquisitive mind. Very easy to say, not so easy to do, as you seem to appreciate.
Peace be with you and your family,
2-D
PS: I did spot the “and now for something completely different” link to the episode 🙂
Wow, I am beyond impressed that you listened to that whole, foreign-language song all the way to the end! (I incorporate music to help learn Spanish & had that CD way-back-when, with that track on it & that phrase was the only English on the album – or any of their albums to my knowledge.)
It’s extremely encouraging for me to hear that your oldest is on the right path (and seems like the 2nd is headed there too). You’re 100% on-point about parental challenges & responsibilities of instilling morals and guiding these little ones through the utter insanity permeating nearly all aspects of our society, to become functional, healthy, happy, competent and wise adults, capable of bringing hope, peace, beauty, life, and real values to future generations, with discernment & (what used to be) Common Sense.
Again, your comments above are so encouraging – to know that such teaching and parenting goals are actually obtainable, considering our times! So, thank you, so much for your time and your reply; I’m a little more optimistic today than yesterday thanks to that and parents like you.
Keep fighting the good fight!
~ Belle
Hey Belle,
Close but no banana. I listened to the audio at least four times through while composing my reply. I had it on loop. Its a good song. I’ve a penchant for songs which introduce with a pure rhythm section (drums and bass). This was your gift beyond your story. I HAD to listen to it while composing my reply.
Yes, the parental thing. It is so difficult and so rewarding. Yes, number two, beautiful [name of daughter] makes me weep. As a father I look upon my son, now strong and mature in body, mind and spirit, and I am proud. For my “getting there” daughter I have even more pride. She is going to be a wonderful mother. I know this already. She is only mid-teens, but I see what she has inherited from her wonderful mother, and the little analytic balance she has osmotically absorbed from her father (me). It is the differences in the child to one’s self that make the exquisite moments.
I am a dumb fuck analytic “science/maths” male. My mind is analytic and audio. She is a socially capable, emotionally aware, visual artist: synthetic and visual. We are “theoretically” light years apart. But, no. We are so close. We love. We care. We listen. We nurture. (This is a point lost on too many; children deliver nurture to parents. It is bi-directional — see dumb fuck analytic 🙂
Don’t be strong: be loving. You know what I mean. Live your life, raise your children’s life. Together be joyous.
Thank you for your tender response.
With deep respect,
2-D
As for another song dominated by a rhythym section, one of my favourites is “Moon Over Bourbon St.” by Sting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njg_dp6vEAM
Do *NOT* watch the visuals. Just listen.
The whole “Dream of the Blue Turtles” album is worthwhile.
The “bourbon” song is featured in one of my articles:
https://yesxorno.substack.com/p/controlling-the-narrative
2-D,
Your “Culture” references are vast, varied, & amazing.
https://yesxorno.substack.com/p/1984-is-the-manual-i-dont-like-mondays As I listened to this referenced song for the 1st time, I could hear & understand why ones mind would “refused to let the song be quiet”.
hello James… novelty that what you describe in this episode. Novelty always works for me. Curiosity is one of god’s gifts to men. The greatest source of knowledge to me is the subconscious mind. It is like the unseen hand when strange synchronicities occur. I don’t know why I was born so curious, but then I don’t know why I was born at all. I suspect my unconscious mind and it’s brethren consciousnesses’ have a reason why each of us is here, but I balk at the secrets nature keeps from human beings. Ha ha, not sure I made any sense at all with this musing. Oh well, maybe it’s not nature keeping us in the dark. Who then?
James,
Do you have any time for the suggestion that the Beatles may have been a longterm project of the Tavistock Institute? Sage of Quay (Mike Williams) appears to have some well-founded theories that Lennon and McCartney could not have wrote the songs for the Rubber Soul album, recorded them, and had the cover artwork completed all in the space of 30 days. He suggests that all they needed to do was turn up and do the singing…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ckb4vDOcIJU
Thanks.
That would be really interesting to hear JC’s thoughts on this. I read some material about this that the pop artists from the 1960s were some type of intelligence operation. It seems like a lot of circumstantial evidence, but nothing concrete. However, this is based on my very casual glance at the topic.
I tend to think that art can be steered, but that art itself can be enlightening and shift paradigms in unexpected ways. I tend to like the Beatles music after they started using LSD, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band for example. To me this is some of their best music, but maybe it’s because I like LSD. I don’t care what the government used it for, the compound itself is pretty amazing and had effects that were completely opposite of what they wanted to use it for.
Back to the premise of the above video (I haven’t finished it all btw.) that the Beatles could not have written, recorded and had cover artwork completed in the space of 30 days and that if this is true means that their other work is similarly fraudulent and evidence that they were part of a psyop to change the Christian based cultural norms and bring in the NWO. Hmmmm, I don’t know. Look back on the classical period and Mozart. He was amazing, a musical genius. Why couldn’t there be other geniuses that had a profound influence on art and culture?
That would be really cool to hear Mr Corbetts take on pop music.
Jay Dyer talks about that kinda thing quite often. He had a good talk on worldview warfare with THIS guy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fVZdCSSYlrU who is interesting though he talks kinda Slow.
And Jay Dyer also has some talks on music and the CIA in pop culture (it’s not even a secret that they funded modern “art” and Feminism and all manner of other culture weapons) Dr Jones (culture wars magazine / fidelity press ) had a few sections on culture makers in “degenerate moderns” which is just in I biography and how the subjects moral outlook shaped their work.
If the 1960s/70s Rock and Roll music was only some psyop, I’d be sincerely shocked. Because much of it is pretty amazing, including but not limited to the Beatles. But Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones are incredible bands. I’m more of a Zeppelin fan though.
I’m very skeptical that the CIA has enough creativity to pull something like that off to be completely honest. I can see how they could infiltrate a movement and art, but to be the producers of such amazing work is doubtful. However, I’m not some know it all who thinks they know everything, so I can be wrong.
There are unknown unknowns after all!
Cu.h.j
“…be the producers of such amazing work is doubtful…..”
The “CIA” can easily hire people to do the actual creative work, they hired plenty of charismatic weirdos to run Cults for them. I don’t much like that kind of music so am not an expert in it…honestly Brahms pee’s all over anything that came out in the 60s thru 70s. I like Mozart ok but linda feel like he is just smart rather than GOOD.
Ever see the movie about mozart, Amedaus? Mozart, lol, was fun.
Did you read “Weird scenes from Laurel Canyon” by the late Dave McGowan yet?
And much of the music recorded was recorded by these guys so I hear.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrecking_Crew_(music)
I did read some of it, but decided to listen to the audio book instead. I’m unfamiliar with a lot of the details so I thought it would be more interesting for me to listen rather than read through it.
I thought it was an interesting analysis but a lot of it was guilt by association type logic, like with Jim Morrison and such. Some of those cults were very weird, but this is different from the rock and roll music of that era. I just really love a lot of the music and when I listen to it find it to be some of the best music I’ve heard.
But I do like lots of other kinds of music too, like Middle Eastern, classical, some jazz (more old time jazz), blue grass, etc. Anything with a rocking base line or “soul” to it I tend to really enjoy. Speaking of rock and roll, it has it’s roots in the blues which I just really enjoy. For example this tune, “Baby pleas don’t go”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnlDEyZdJMw
Some music is just good and regardless of who wrote it and performed it connects human beings to joy and connection with others and is inspiring.
I also like this piece “Ave Maria” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5rusicEnc
Anything that is popular enough for us all to know about has most likely been manipulated. Just look at James’ video on Edward Bernays. If even eating bacon & eggs came from what in effect was psychological operations (aka propaganda, advertising, public relations…), do you think anyone wanting power would neglect something as emotionally engaging as music? For control, you do not have to compose or perform the music, just steer it in the direction you want (record labels, producers, handlers).
And as for Mozart, even propagandpedia admits the Magic Flute was based on his interest in freemasonry.
Just some thoughts. Just because we don’t know, doesn’t mean it ain’t so.
Cu.h.j
“Blackpilled” once made the point when folks were grumbling at his deconstruction of favorite music and movies as Propaganda that if it was not GOOD it would not be good propaganda 🙂 lol
Here, not really all that applicable but worth a general listen
https://odysee.com/@Blackpilled:b/kinda-i-want-to:d
@cu.h.j
You have great taste in music. Have you ever heard any of the work of a modern Icelandic pianist named Ólafur Arnalds?
Perhaps you would be willing to submit a song or two to the “epistemological humility playlist” I proposed in a comment below? 🙂
Gavinm:
Thanks for sharing Ólafur Arnalds with me. He’s a talented pianist and I had not heard his music before. I love piano.
I also like Erik Satie and Frédéric Chopin.
A humility playlist is an interesting idea. I’ll have to think about that one and see what I find and if I find anything I think embodies this, I will post.
Humility is a good quality and shows a willingness to open ones heart and mind.
Very well done.
This is such an important concept to keep in the forefront of our minds.
Studying nature with the intent of emulating it’s geometry and the relationships that exist within ecosystems has really helped me embrace that many unknown unknowns lurk beyond the purview of my conscious awareness. Sometimes when I am very still, and I open my self up to be a receptive student, one of our elder species offer me a glimpse into some of the previously ‘unknown unknowns’ (but this inevitably opens up my becoming aware of yet undiscovered vast potential horizons of infinitely more ‘unknown unknowns’). The closer I look, the more I see that each tree, each fungi, each pebble, each water droplet and each sunrise offer an ocean of unknown unknowns. I find great comfort, inspiration and hope in this awareness.. knowing there is a vast library of knowledge waiting to be unlocked, and that if I am humble and observant enough I may get a glimpse.. but that at the same time (regardless of how much a strive to educate my self) endless volumes within that library of unknown unknowns will remain untouched and reserved for future generations.
Then when I go beyond my human mind and see from a more spiritual perspective I also come to realize that beyond the unknown unknowns, is the unknowable.. as some things are beyond the grasp of our brain and human senses and can only be truly known from the perspective of the soul. Then there are also things are only knowable to one being (the Creator of all things). I also find comfort and food for the soul through embracing that awareness in my daily life.
Thanks again for the great episode James 🙂
Hi Gavinm,
Thank you for another of your thoughtful posts. I concur that this is another important thought provoking episode. I thought the most beautiful phrase was:
epistemological humility
which seems the summarize the episode in two words.
Being 2-D, I’ll relate two known unknowns which assist us in understanding that we really know very little about the universe. This is not to denigrate that which has been learned by philosophers, prophets, scientists and artists. To take the scientists, we have two profound known unknowns we gives me the “humility” part. These two are “dark matter” and “dark energy”.
I love astronomers and cosmologists. When they don’t understand something they just put “dark” in front of it. Bless ’em. They are reminding us that they study light. Though, the confirmation of gravity waves by the LIGO experiment opens the path for a completely new type of astronomy. But, that is another discussion.
One of the greatest discoveries of astronomy was of galaxies, which I believe Erwin Hubble assisted in. It took the advent of the technology of photography and the best optical telescope. But, the revolution is wonderful. We realised not just that there are galaxies but that we’re *in one*. Big mental shift there. We get to see ourselves as occupying a tiny little space in a universe so large that it is impossible to comprehend. Actually, our galaxy is so large we can’t do that either.
Anyway, dark matter is the reason to explain why stars closer to the outer edge of our galaxy are not just flung out into inter-galactic space. They should be because of their mass and the speed of rotation of the galaxy. But, astronomers can find none of these ‘flung out’ stars so “dark matter” is the “reason” for this not happening. They literally have no idea whatsoever what the “dark matter” is, even if is matter. If it is this implies that the astronomers have accounted for only a small fraction of the matter in our galaxy. That’s a bit humbling.
Dark energy is even better. Observation of galaxies show the universal expansion, which if you run time backwards provides the “big bang” theory. However, they are not moving away from each other at a constant speed, but are accelerating. As we know from Newton, you have to apply a force to something to accelerate it (F = ma). Now, galaxy are pretty heavy (or massive, to be technically correct). So, to accelerate a galaxy is going to take quite a lot of energy, to put it mildly. Again, they have no idea whatsoever what is doing this. None at all. Of course, there are theories, which is great, but no evidence to support any of it yet. There are Nobel prizes up for grabs, so work is under way to unpuzzle this problem.
The combination of dark energy and dark matter our cosmologists inform us is about 97% of the universe. Which is to say we think we’ve got a handle on about 3% of the universe.
Yes, be humble.
Greetings 2-D Chess Dweller,
Thank you for the intriguing, insightful and in-depth comment.
Your analysis of astronomers and cosmologists is dead on. I was a big astrophysics nerd growing up, always reading the journals and university publications. Eventually, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that beyond their proclivity to use catch all phrases like “dark matter” etc to prop-up their egos (with the notion that they have it all figured out because they slapped a random name on something) there is also lot of close-mindedness in those academic circles. When it comes to topics (such as the study of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations) that community takes on a very rigid and stagnant attitude when confronted with new evidence (many of them behaving in a way that makes them seem like they subscribe to dogmatic belief system, rather than the scientific process). Thus, I abandoned pursuing conventional education in those areas of knowledge and now apply the majority of my scientific curiosity to understanding the living Earth.
Considering how long humans have been studying the stars and considering how young other sciences are compared to that (such as mycology and soil science involving studying the myriad organisms that are symbiotically active in the rhizosphere of plants) I imagine we have a handle on even less when it comes to understanding the organisms which live under our feet and within us (maybe 1%?).
I have been studying the soil food web in a course run by Dr. Elaine Ingham and dabbling in soil microscopy recently and wow, being able to see the immense communities of life that exist in just a speck of living soil is mind blowing. Just to give you some perspective on how biodiverse living soil is, one teaspoon of good garden soil (about as much as can be balanced on your pinky finger) contains one billion bacteria of between 20,000 and 30,000 species, several yards of fungal hyphae, several thousand protozoa and a few dozen nematodes. And that is just what we can see with medium quality microscopes, once you get down to the scale of the virome those numbers go off the charts. It is a whole different universe of life down there! 🙂
While some do not consider viruses to be living organisms I still think it is humbling to consider that there are an estimated 100 million times more individual viruses on Earth than there are stars in the entire universe. Also, whether or not one considers viruses as ‘alive’ those packets of genetic information often take on mutualistic and even symbiotic functions (via the action of bacteriophages that associate with probiotic LAB). These so called “good viruses” are within us and all around us. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/meet-your-new-symbionts-several-trillion-viruses?fbclid=IwAR3PrYn4moz3VDSQl3CGkL_D4P9B6vBr3OMnDpwnbtlJWV5Sd4CAy01NYL4
https://www.insidescience.org/news/how-viruses-secretly-control-planet?fbclid=IwAR2wV8AfXaO0pQxnZJymCduKP8hUwRmAs6O8-gCIBO76UW0PViDSJDZajvo
(continued from comment above..)
As I glimpse into these vast inner realms of life it reminds me how important it is to forge (and re-affirm existing) alliances with beneficial microscopic lifeforms (rather than engaging in a futile attempt to kill all microbes as our dominant society does). After all, we macroscopic lifeforms are only distant observers of their realm.. our feeble attempts to use synthetic weapons to vanquish our microscopic foes often only makes them stronger.
While, understanding the mechanics of the cosmos is intriguing and awe-inspiring (and I do want to learn more about the universe beyond Earth) I see more practical applications for studying the critters in the soil, the fungi, the plants, bacteria and the virome.
This leads me to something else I find humbling to consider daily, and that is the fact that we depend on microscopic lifeforms, in fact we (humans) are composed of trillions of organisms. Only 10% the cells in our body contain our unique DNA.. our bodies are composed of a community of lifeforms . Whether it be in the compost heap or in our gut, teaming up with symbiotic microbes is our best chance to stay resilient and adaptable in challenging times.
We macro-lifeforms (humans) are allowed to exist by nature of the functions and inter-connectivity of the myriad organisms that weave the web of interdependence between species on the microscale. This includes the lactobaccili (and bacteriophages) in our gut that allow us to digest food, protect us from pathogens and enable the production of the biochemicals we require to facilitate higher brain function (eg 90% of the serotonin that is produced in the human body — the neurotransmitter that modulates everything from mood to focus to creative capacity — is produced in the gut lining rather than in the brain itself.)
We are not really at the top of the food chain, nor are we in any position to claim superiority or claim to be the dominant species on the planet. Our technology’s ability to kill macro-scopic lifeforms and/or displace large amounts of material on the macro-scale gives us the illusion that we are powerful, but our feeble attempts to attack our elder species in the bacteria and virus kingdoms with synthetic chemicals and transgenic concoctions fail more and more every year. We are in no position to claim to be masters of nature.
This is why I instead see myself as an apprentice to Mother Nature 🙂 I talk about two of my current teachers in that lifelong apprenticeship in this post: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/tiny-beings-offering-immense-wisdom I have found these two beings in particular to offer much wisdom in the way of humility.
(ps – I apologize for the tangential nature and poor structure/grammar of my response comments. It is a busy time of year harvesting and preserving garden crops, but I wanted to respond to your thoughtful comment before December so I rushed.)
Unfortunately, for me, the episode cuts off at the 5+ minute mark of your introduction, both on corbettreport.com and on Odyssey
Got it on Bitshute.
…and then Man recognized Beauty and He saw that it was good and he separated the Beauty from the Abominable…
but if there’d been no one around to recognize Beauty, like the proverbial Tree in the forest, would it have existed? Does Beauty exist in the absence of recognition?
How much Beauty in the form of courage, respect, cooperation, generosity, creative curiosity and joy could be brought into the world by the simple act of recognizing them.
Perhaps the fact of simply observing all that is Beautiful and Inspiring is a subversive act of simple sabotage
diluting and disenabling the cynical, the painful and the grip of hopelessness?
On a slightly different note, Humility, as an act of recognizing we don’t know everything, as an act of being open to what we don’t know
is much more appealing than the connotation of Humility that I’ve often encountered;
that of being self-effacing to the point of diminishing one’s own self-worth, of denigrating one’s own self-image.
Another thoughtful and thought-provoking episode.
Indeed, when wading and mired in the mud of all the darkness and duplicitous deeds of death and destruction in this world, we mustn’t let it all rob of us of our humanity and capacity to recognize and appreciate and wonder at Beauty!
… then the question arises: Can Beauty itself exist in the absence of the Abominable?
Excellent question! My guess is that no it cannot exist without the contrast of the Abominable. But maybe I’m wrong. Because I’ve known the abominable I can’t compare it to something I’ve never known which would be a world with only beauty and love.
It’s like asking could the color black be understood without comparing it to the color white?
in other words, is dualistic reasoning the only way to “measure”?
Do you mean to undo centuries of psychological lock-down? of course up cant exist without down; or uh, maybe we can further “let go”, of time, and theretofore spacial relativity…
I reckon dualistic thinking is a tool, and/but our imaginations dont necessarily need it to flourish.
we are extremely entrenched in dualistic thinking, butI dont think its the only way human consciousness can flow.
I read,, that the younger brother of a family of priests was upset with being assigned a lesser gods temple to custodian. His jealousy of his older brothers connection to the sun godess Anakita, drove him to abandon his home/roots (Samarkand) and he headed off to the west preaching “duality”. His name was Zoroaster.
Zach Bush said something close to: “beauty is the actual vector of the universe of which love is a symptom”. Im good with that.
Interesting. Duality or the pagan theory of relativity: that everything exists relative to something else.
Can you identify love without having experienced fear and/or hate?
Life, in my experience, comes with both joy and pain. The joy of well-being, the pain of being eaten by a lion, literally and mostly figuratively.
As evoked by cu.h.j, in a perpetually ecstatic or tranquil state of joy and/or love do I still perceive it? Or perhaps another non-material iteration of myself does? And yet we’re materially incarnated for some reason…?
“Can you identify love”
meditation is.
“love” does not need a name. thats why there is a lingering hiccup often when we do try to name it.
as we “identify”, as we pretend to orbit any “other”, so we hide or obscure or perhaps take part in the dissolution of the sense of separation: a dualistic act.
when I’m happy, i’m not that way because of comparing it to when I’m suffering. both happen.
“we’re materially incarnated for some reason…?”
\
I find that the good life is one with meaning, my reasonable “reason”; but pretty much, those that have come closest to knowing the answer to your question, for me, are those whove died for a short period and then continued living and are lucid enough to remember what was happening with their awareness.
when I’m happy, i’m not that way because of comparing it to when I’m suffering. both happen.
Separately or simultaneously? Is your happiness separated from despair by time? Is time illusory? Doesn’t seem so to my human perceptions.
meditation is… hard to deny… as is its generalized absence among the population with all its attendant and unpredictable excitement and stress, jubilation and sadness, distraction etc.
… the formidable existence of Allness or of One conveying the human illusion of plurality?
Yes, I’ve wanted to laugh and cry with joy and despair at the very same time… perhaps perpetually… or perhaps the simultaneous impression is an illusion?
But I have trouble accepting that the material expression of torture, rape and murder comes from the same place as nurturing life and growth… of imposing death by mass injection with sharing posts on how to live better via herbs, meditation and good company…
Perhaps the hypothetical “purpose of humanity” is to create duality and separate the subjective notions of creation and destruction, love and Hate, Good and Evil, One and the Other from a mass of oneness…for… the better? or worse?
perhaps I should have another cup of coffee or meditate in a vain attempt at making sense of all this… to the extent that my human senses can.
But I’d heartily agree that words are but mere representations of more, and often less, “real phenomena”.
…and yet we speak, pronounce and articulate well-being and fatal illness into existence…
Maybe humans are innately supposed to bring Duality into existence, not to be confused with binary thinking and false dichotomies where, for example, dire issues in the world transcend Republican vs Democrat, coke vs pepsi and microsoft vs apple analyses.
funny… my word processor wants me to capitalize netflix and microsoft but not apple, coke or pepsi… giggle.
juxtaposing the trivial and derisory from the fundamental…
anyhow
so here I am harping on the possible illusory nature of time and my computer has just started indicating “a time” that is four hours off…
?
certainly just needs a Great Reset but… the “timing” is odd.
Ah! just a simple click on the indicated hour and out of the four-hour time warp and back to “universal time” I am!
“Recognition”
Thanks for highlighting this awareness level.
@nosoapradio
What a profound comment and what thought provoking questions you posed.
In my opinion, since “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” (and since I recognize the existence of an eternal Creator being that existed before all matter and beings we know to be part of our universe) there have always been ‘eyes’ to behold the beauty and always will be, so while humans (and other intelligent, conscious observer beings) may rise and fall, the original being that perceives and recognizes beauty has always and will always persist. Thus, beauty is eternal.
With that being said, perhaps beauty in the form of courage, respect, cooperation, generosity, creative curiosity and joy (and in the context of being recognized by human beings) is like a seedling, living and capable of becoming much more.. Perhaps in our recognition of those expressions of beauty we water those seedlings and provide them nutrients to become much more. Perhaps we can become gardeners of beauty (not just in the world around us) but within ourselves, and within each other.. through using our free will to gently encourage others to recognize their own unique gifts and help them to shine.
Thanks for the beautiful comment.
“…since I recognize the existence of an eternal Creator being that existed before all matter and beings we know to be part of our universe) there have always been ‘eyes’ to behold the beauty and always will be…”
I’ve always had this sense that denying the miraculous nature of existence with all its pain and beauty is akin to
not seeing the forest for the trees.
But there may well be a fallacy in that formulation of my perception as I have yet to restate it, break it down, into a compelling argument, with “miraculous” being the key word.
I guess, if nothing else could have occurred than existence itself, if it simply always has been, then the word “miraculous” has no raison d’être.
What was/is the Intention behind Existence itself and is there one?
For anything to have “spoken” Existence into existence, there must have been an impetus or intention, no? If there is no Intention then what is the inherent value of beauty? Only to be recognized into existence and then its value determined in the eyes of the beholder?
But I do wonder what my sister would have said about that before and perhaps while she was precipitously being expedited from this human plane with unspeakable cruelty.
She was quite often very philosophical and hilariously funny in her prosaic expression of absolute truths.
I guess all that can be stated with any certainty is that
Everything is
either as an inherent reality or as a representation of reality born of a faithful attempt at “re-presentation” or as an act to mislead, an illusion.
The tantalizing and all-pervasive question is How
and also Why if such an explanation exists for the latter.
Nothing like a partly cloudy Sunday morning for evoking such…concerns. My cats, at least, don’t seem to mind the clouds.
Thank you for your kind reply.
Only a few days ago I had a conversation with my sister-in-law where I told her that I quite enjoy finding out that I have been wrong about something. It’s fair to say that she and everyone else around the table could not see where I was coming from. I felt quite out of place.
So, yes, this buried gem of a podcast does resonate with me, and strangely seems to have been unearthed exactly when I needed to hear it.
The Beatles are the original production of the propaganda arm of the intelligence machine (MI-6). That you’re a Beatles fan means that you are ignorant and have horrible taste in music, just like the degraded 99% who can’t tell shit from Shinola. You should listen to the song, Maxwell’s Siver Hammer one more time and see if you can get an inkling of understanding from it. Like McDonald’s, M-I6 wants you to eat shit and love it. It gives Satan glee to have human people listening to horrible music and loving it, out of their sheer stupidity and ignorance, as you do.
1963. I like what you did here, Stephen. Very interesting. Thank you.
JAMES. Doh! Please excuse me.
Really interesting and insightful piece. The hopeful tone at the end was much appreciated
I propose that we create an “epistemological humility playlist”! 🙂
Mind you, not songs that are “self-effacing to the point of diminishing one’s own self-worth, of denigrating one’s own self-image.” but rather songs that invite one to embrace “Humility, as an act of recognizing we don’t know everything, as an act of being open to what we don’t know” and songs that invite us to have the courage to let our ego take the back seat and instead let our soul and God’s guidance take the wheel for a while. 😉
Please share your favorite songs that have lyrics that are about embracing humility below (or alternatively share an instrumental track that invokes a sense of humility for you).
I will begin my sharing this song called “Wash It Away” by Nahko. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un07–y3Bh4
May this song be the first of many that we can gather and carry with us on our journeys to remind us of the infinite unknown unknowns that exist beyond the current scope of our conscious awareness. May these songs also serve to remind us that we are one of the younger species on this beautiful planet Earth… and though our souls may be eternal, it is through truly opening our heart and mind in a humble way that we can cultivate and invite nourishment for that eternal aspect of self into our lives on Earth.
loved your words…thank you for introducing me to this band…really resonates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBonY_cJXLA
I am so glad to hear that, my pleasure 🙂
His music really helped ‘throw me a rope ladder’ when I was going through a tough time.
I wouldn’t happen to be speaking to James Evan Pilato right now would I?
I ask because the first thought that came into my head after posting the above comment calling for the creation of a “epistemological humility playlist” is “I bet James Evan Pilato would have some great songs to suggest for this playlist” and your screenname on here made me think hmm maybe I had that thought for a good reason 🙂
Thanks for sharing that link, I had actually not heard that version of the song before.. loving the raw acoustic vibes and genuine emotion in that recording.
I will share a couple more of my favs from Nahko and Medicine For the People below before moving on to showcase some other artists in future shares on this thread
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtE10YN1kDU
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdQB6EIb-I8
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7vvp252vFw
I`ll throw all the tracks shared here onto a playlist (at some future time) so they will be easy to find and listen to in one spot for others.
Do you have any suggestions for a non “goo-tube” platform where I could throw the playlist together for sharing?
Next I would like to share a song that is intended to lend itself to the type of epistemological humility 2-D Chess Dweller was inviting us to embrace (in his comments about dark matter and the vastness of the universe above). The “song” features a famous scientist that was well known for his tendency to invoke a sense of cosmic humility through his descriptions of how if we take a step back and look at Earth from the perspective of an outside observer, she is like a tiny blue dot, or a ‘mote of dust, floating in the morning sun’ (just one of countless such worlds in a vast galaxy).
Well here it is:
Carl Sagan – ‘A Glorious Dawn’ ft Stephen Hawking (Symphony of Science) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgiXGELjbc
The song starts by playing a recording of Sagan stating “if you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first Invent The Universe..”
Today’s new addition to the playlist will continue along yesterday’s theme of cosmic humility with a mellow hip hop instrumental track that includes some audio clips from the movie “Contact” (with Jodie Foster)
Master Class – Contact : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp8cKVHY3hE
Next up we have an acoustic folk guitar track that speaks to how we get “..lost in comparisons, Always, pretending we knew..”
Nick Mulvey – Mountain To Move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoirvVIKJg
Enjoy my friends! 🙂
Today’s addition to the playlist will start with an instrumental song that invokes a sense of humility in me because when I stumbled across it, it involved two instruments I had never even heard of before (talk about unknown unknowns! 🙂 )
Nadishana and Thomas Bloch (hang & crystal organ) LOCUS SOLUS Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fD5hz8bHtU
Since stumbling across this fascinating collection of sounds (produced by instruments I had no idea existed before listening to it) I have explored the vast world of handpan drums and found some wonderous creations.
Here are a couple more handpan songs I stumbled across recently that invoke a sense of humility in me.
Rainbow’s End | Yatao | Handpan Duo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmUbqTQRXh8
Hang Massive – The Secret Kissing of the Sun and Moon : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvmOoSFhhJ4&t=8s
These rhythms speak to my imagination in a unique way, summoning thoughts, ideas and ways of knowing/perceiving that are only unlocked via the presence of those sounds. I like to listen to ‘stories without words’ (such as those that are contained within the songs I linked above) when considering that which exists outside the scope of my current understanding and opening up my heart and mind to perceive glimpses of that hidden library of knowledge. Sometimes the rhythms, resonance and poetry without words (that is instrumental music) serves as a key for the subconscious and a ‘telescope’ for our conscious awareness.. unlocking a wider scope of awareness that reaches further.. allowing us to be gifted treasures from the infinite library of the unknown unknowns.
I hope these collections of sounds can offer some of the same inspiration for you too.
Today we have an acoustic guitar track from an artist from Quebec named Antoine Dufour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHp57pO6TEc
The song is called “Existence” and listening to it, allowing the intricate story he tells without words (written in sounds created by vibrating strings) to wash over my mind always invokes a sense of humility in me as I ponder the nature of existence.
From 2:56 on in this song always compels me close my eyes and see beyond what my human eyes can see. It invites me to perceive a world of energy and spirit… where concepts and feelings are transmitted through vibration.. resonance.. emanations of the heart that speak in a universal language. It speaks to me of the existence of a spark within that always was and always will be.
Today’s new addition to the playlist is a fun cover of The Weight by Playing For Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1zQ
This one goes out to my favorite carpenter from a little town called Nazareth. He was a guy that was a walking embodiment of humility, trusting that any unknown unknowns he needed to have revealed to him would be if it was meant to be and God willed it so.
May your humble, selfless and courageous efforts on the Earth inspire people present (and yet to be born) to reach deep and find that moral courage, inner peace, intuitive clarity, kindness, (epistemological) humility and that genuine heart felt faith you lived and breathed… may they find that same vision of a hopeful, equitable and compassion grounded future and may they choose to embody the solution as you did.
Next up is a something from Icelandic Pianist Ólafur Arnalds which invokes a sense of humility in me as when I listen the stories that he tells (without words) it invites my mind to venture beyond the typical limitations of my conscious awareness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6u5D-5LWSg
The song is called 3055 and it builds slowly, opening up, carefully, with purpose.. in layers, like a seed germinating when the spring sunlight warms the soil and brings hope and new possibilities to a dormant seemingly dead landscape.
3:55-4:19 in this song always gives me a vision of alpine spring water cascading down a waterfall.. flowing over mossy rock and falling down to flow as a babbling brook through the woods into a crystal clear lake nearby.. water caressing ancient stone.. dancing in the sunlight with the smell of pines and wildflowers on the air.
I find that the power of good music to summon these images and sensations to my conscious mind like a key, unlocking my mind’s eye, even if only for a time, allowing me a glimpse into the vast library of unknown unknowns that dwell in the space just outside the periphery of my conscious awareness.
Today we have another track from Pianist Ólafur Arnalds, this time accompanied by his friend Nils Frahm where they do a live improvisation at Roter Salon – Volksbühne Berlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itErRn4T2no
This one has a sequence where (similar to how I described on the last comment) I like to close my eyes and allow the multi-layered story without words speak poetry to my soul and lift the gaze of my inner eye to perceive glimpses of what lies beyond the ordinary.
Today’s addition to the playlist is by a Canadian acoustic guitar artist named Antoine Dufour:
Antoine Dufour – Talk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbSKVqPOVjo
It invokes humility in me because it is a song that invokes a memory in me of a time when I saw Coldplay with my little brother many years ago (with 40 thousand plus people all camping out together outdoors for three days).
I think back on it and feel grateful and humbled that we were gifted all the synchronistic guidance to be able to get tickets to that three day concert (Pemberton Fest 2008). After a series of serendipitous events (starting at our parents fruit stand in Whistler) we ended up helping make raspberry lemonade at some local farmer’s stand for maybe 4 hours max and they gave us 500$ tickets to a weekend long series of concerts of a lifetime. Good times.
The next addition will be a mellow instrumental album by a Japanese producer, DJ and composer named Uyama Hiroto.
Uyama Hiroto: A son of the sun full album : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQpwOS6PCM&t=14s
His music invites my mind to be consciously aware that many unknown unknowns exist beyond the reach of my perception and knowing.. combinations of instruments, skills and sounds from ancient and modern cultures.. ways of weaving them together that are like painting a masterpiece in a language of sound.
These sounds remind me there is endless opportunity for learning and creativity on Earth.
This time lapse footage invokes a sense of humility in me for while I have climbed a great many mountains in North America, I have only set foot on a fraction of the ones that exist here, and beyond ‘Turtle Island’ there oceans of pristine peaks, gleaming in the sunlight as I sleep, collecting the life giving waters and sending them out to the valleys below to nourish countless beings
Loaded Boards Films | Patagonia Time Lapses : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUKHexiPPlg
I don’t know if i`ll ever make it to explore Patagonia in this life, but just knowing that those beautiful mountains exist, towering above the petty and apathetic reach of industry, holding wisdom infused into their bones of granite preserving it for those with the courage to trail blaze and look with an open mind is nourishing to my heart and mind.. and truly humbling.
Today’s addition to the epistemological humility playlist is “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc0KhhjJP98
This one invokes humility in me because it almost always makes me want to dance (and I am very self-conscious and not confident about dancing). Just the fact that some joyful and open hearted music has the power to instantly help one overcome emotional trauma and programming/fears is very humbling to me *he says while getting up to dance around the living room to the song linked above and holding a hopeful vision for 2023 despite a brutal last couple years* 🙂
Today’s new addition to the playlist is an improvised acapella session by Bobby McFerrin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81uJZIF9TCs
It invokes a sense of humility (and becoming aware of the ‘unknown unknowns’) in me for it is an example of a human being doing something I had no idea was possible with human vocal cords until I heard it performed. It sounds like some kinda far out chant from an extraterrestrial tribe that lives in a blue colored jungle in the Sirius star system or something 🙂
It makes me wonder what else humans can do with their vocal cords if they develop their innate gifts… perhaps some have learned to use specific octaves and frequencies to heal (or even kill/destroy) in past centuries and millennia?
We only know a fraction of what we are capable of as human beings.
Today’s addition will be my last post in this playlist for a while (as I had hoped others would join in but now I find my self on some weird perpetual solo-comment thread).
This video will continue on the theme of the last addition in that is invites one to contemplate the unknown unknowns that exist in the realm of our understanding of sound, frequency and vibration.
CYMATICS: Science Vs. Music – Nigel Stanford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3oItpVa9fs
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For anyone that stumbles across this unusual digital artifact whilst exploring the voluminous archives of the Corbett Report website in future years and wants to listen to the songs all in one place:
I have gathered all the songs/videos together for easy listening here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdCs2hNMAjjBBAbY4Mn4l7zJIgIZdV5-z
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Through consciously seeking to acknowledge the many unknown unknowns may we open our hearts and minds to being capable of receiving glimmers of inspiration and knowing that the Divine Creator seems to prefer bestowing upon the one with a humble heart.
In closing I will share a quote from a man that had knowledge that was way ahead of his time.
“?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ????????, ????? ?? ????? ?? ??????, ????????? ??? ?????????” – Nikola Tesla
Thank you for this wonderfully humble and wise episode.
I’m sorry about your son’s drug addiction. Please don’t blame yourself. Even though I am not a fan of vaccines, I can tell you from experience that non-vaccinated children also have Asperger’s. While vaccines may trigger it and worsen the symptoms, it is definitely an inherited condition. I only say this to hopefully soothe your guilt. From one mom to another. <3
Your style was so reminiscent of James Burkes ‘Connections’ James, we loved this! 🙂
And not being familiar with all your previous work I did not know you’d covered the Kennedy fed story that is oh too often pointed to quite wrongly, so thank you for that…I can see you were so right, going back to episode number 1 is going to be a must.
https://archive.org/details/james-burke-connections_s01e01
i dont know what you are talking about. the audio is perfectly good. a bit compressed sure, bute qualitywise not worth mentioning!