Searching for Truth

It has been a couple of weeks since my parents took off, and I am now back to the work, diet, gym, routine. The last few days of vacation I became restless, feeling as if I had too much time off from the discipline of normal life. As much as I loved the exploring, the international visits, and the gluttonous eating habits of people with nothing to loose but their six pack, it was definitely time to return to the grind.

Over the holiday break, I happened to stumble across two profoundly interesting books on spiritual development and evolution. The first is called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), a kind of philosophical treaty on metaphysics and quality published in 1974 by by Robert M. Pirsig. The book sold over 5 million copies worldwide, and currently holds the Guinness Book of Records title for the bestseller with the most publisher rejections (at 121 respectively). The novel, which is kind of a mind meld written by a exceedingly intelligent man, uses a long motorcycle trip to frame a prolonged exploration of life and how best to live it. It references perspectives from Western and Eastern Civilizations as it explores the central question of how to pursue technology so that human life is enriched rather than degraded. Narrated in the first person, it incorporates a parallel presentation of trip details and an ongoing retrospective concerning dramatic events from the narrator's past, creating a rich symbolism that explores the mysteries of why we exist and how to view the world.

Many of these discussions are tied together by the story of the narrator's own past self, who is referred to in the third person as Phaedrus (the wolf), a teacher of creative and technical writing at a small college who becomes engrossed in the question of how to define “quality”. His philosophical investigations eventually drive Phaedrus insane, and he is subjected to electroshock treatment which permanently alters his personality.

The greatest theme in the book is indeed this exploration of quality, what the source of it is, and how to see it in daily life. In Phaedrus’ mind, quality becomes a kind of link between mankind and God, a means to unify classic (logical/objective) and romantic (emotional/subjective) perspectives. His quest for truth because a kind of spiritual quest—a joining of qualitative and quantitative outlooks in search of a larger reality and the source behind it.

One of the quotes that he wrote stuck with me:

"Like those in the valley behind us, most people stand in sight of the spiritual mountains all their lives and never enter them, being content to listen to others who have been there and thus avoid the hardships."

I got to thinking about my own spiritual path, how I used to be hungry for greater knowledge, and how I had lost in recent years the desire to hike through those mountains. After reading the book, I felt like a tiny spark had ignited, urging me to carry on. As chance would have it, I have been doing some research for a novel that I have in mind to write, and I came across Thomas Campbell’s massive work – My Big Toe (Theory of Everything) – in my research. Campbell (or Old Uncle Tom as he likes to call himself) is a truly interesting character; a kind of mad scientist, digital physicist who has dedicated his life to researching altered states of consciousness, philosophy, physics, and metaphysics. His work is beyond ambitious, seeking to create a model of reality which supersedes the current boundaries of science, which moves past Einstein's unified field theory, and that answers the big questions through an attitude of open minded skepticism, logic, and scientific pragmatism.

I’m not going to sugar coat his work, nor go into the concepts here. There is just too much to digest. And his theories are very much mad scientist, very beyond what the scientific community would consider acceptable (or at least safe). If you’d like an introduction to his theories, these videos are a good start.



What I enjoyed about his work is the attempt to go beyond little picture views of God and reality, and how he explored the concept (a direct link to ZAMM!) of finding truth and improving the quality of your consciousness. I will not admit to a whole hearted commitment to all of his concepts, but in his work I did find a successful mixture of science, spirituality, and off the center metaphysics (like Out of Body experiences which I personally have experienced) increasing my curiosity and desire to learn more. Where his concepts are taking me I will have to illuminate in another post.

Suffice to say, I feel renewed in this quest towards greater truth. Clarence Darrow once wrote, “The pursuit of truth will set you free; even if you never catch up with it”. I figure time is nigh to go running through those mountains.