Uni.Expansion(Intro)

Idea of Universal Expansion For Wisdom
By: Dustin Cochran

K ppl, this is just the introduction into a theory that I have , it is not complete, but I figured I would post this first part to just see how well it stands...let me know what u think...

Introduction


There are many interesting things about our universe as a whole that we are yet to learn, yet we are continually learning about it. The title here might sound redundant, but it is meant in a different way than what it is normally used. As you may or may not know, science has discovered over the years that our universe is in a constant stage of growth, ever expanding infinitely. Now, since that discovery, the idea that our universe stopped growing when it was created has become obsolete and no longer true. However, to the average person, this scientific discovery may mean very little or possibly nothing at all because it was scientists with their sheets of paper and big, fancy, expensive equipment that found it. I challenge you to think again about the importance of this discovery though. Like many civilizations before us, we look to the stars for many different kinds of answers, with many different questions. Are we asking the right questions though when we gaze up at the stars? It is with these thoughts in mind that I present the idea of Universal Expansion in Comparison to the Human Evolution.

First, I want to start off with a little exercise of observation. On any clear night when the sky is utterly filled with stars go and find somewhere to sit down and simply observe them (it is easier to relax while sitting or lying down). While you observe them, ask yourself the following questions: What do these stars mean to me as a person? What do the stars represent (what they mean to you as a person is different than what they represent, to answer this question think about what stars have meant to past cultures)? What if the stars didn’t come up tomorrow night? I would recommend doing this star gazing exercise for at least 15-30 minutes minimum, but if you feel compelled to gaze longer, go right ahead because it couldn’t hurt. Now, once you have asked yourselves these questions under the stars, I would recommend writing down the details of your answers as best you can, simply as an escape of thoughts from mind, to paper (it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea at all to keep some kind of journal to track how you are doing).Now, the first two questions were the easy ones, however, I bet there was difficulty in answering the third and final question. Before I get to the point of the final question, let me explain the point of the first two.

What do these stars mean to me as a person? Each and every person on this earth is unique and different in some way, and this includes those people who are identical twins for those who wish to nitpick before I get to my point. It is because we are all unique and different that we are individuals with our own distinct features, character traits, and general mindsets. Everyone should be proud that there truly isn’t anyone else like them alive now, nor will there ever be for that matter! It is because of this individuality that you must take the time to stop and think in life to make things individual to you. I do not mean going out and stealing or anything like that but create an individual mindset when it comes to the world around you. The way that you look up at the stars, though maybe similar to someone else, they can never get inside your soul and truly feel the things that you do.

What do the stars represent? All through recorded history and very possibly even before then, we have looked up to the stars for beauty, light, and answers. Now that you know what the stars mean to you this question is essential in understanding the full picture of things. To fully be able to comprehend and make a thought or mindset your own, you must first be able to see the big picture of how things are not only to you, but to others as well. First, you need to see what stars meant to cultures historically, the reason for this is because it sets up the foundation of knowledge needed to take the next step. Ask yourself of these various cultures: What did they think the stars were? What different uses did they have for the stars? Based on historical evidence did the stars play a big role in their lives? Keep in mind, these are just basic questions to ask, feel free to be creative and come up with some more if you feel like you need to. By studying and answering these questions you acquire knowledge, and with knowledge comes an extent of power. This mental power is going to be essential to you now so that you may shape your future into something that you will remember and cherish, rather than forget or loathe. Once you have accomplished this task you are ready for the next step of this question, ask at least 3 other people, if they have different personalities that makes it all the better, what the stars mean and represent to them. The point of this is not to argue your view points, but instead to listen to what they have to say and then take what they have to say and weigh it on your own (once again, write down the highlights of their answers if at all possible). Now since you have the knowledge of stars in past civilizations and the knowledge of what your peers think of the stars, you are ready to move on.
What if the stars didn’t come up tomorrow night? By now you are probably wondering what the point of any of this is, but I assure you that it all links together. This question, is probably no easier than when you first tried to or did answer it in some way. No amount of historical knowledge or no number of opinions from others would ever be able to truly answer this question. The reason is because the answer to this question does not lie in the realm of conventional knowledge, but in a realm far more vast and beautiful. The realm where the answer is hidden away at, is the realm of wisdom. What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom you might ask. When you first studied the stars and what they meant to you, you got a little bit more knowledge as to who you are and your views. When you studied other cultures and even asked other people what the stars mean/represent to them, you were given knowledge about people long past and people in the present. But knowledge was all that you were given, you were not given wisdom of any kind! Wisdom, put in the simplest way possible, is knowledge applied over the period of a lifetime. However, that is the simplest way because wisdom can be so much more, and wisdom has everything to do with the answer to this question, because it does indeed have an answer. The thing about the pursuit of wisdom is that we often get caught up in the pursuit of knowledge instead and actually take very little wisdom away with us. Knowledge, though you can see the big picture of things through it, does not allow for the detail that wisdom does. Just because you can see the big picture of things, does not mean that you can appreciate the picture in front of you. The stars for example, come up to some extent every night, granted, some nights there might be less and others more, but when it is night there is always at least one visible. Most of us never take the time to slow down and appreciate the gentle glow of the stars and it is because of that reason why most people could not answer this third question. As an average person, you might see the moon in the night sky, feel the night air, and simply see the stars, but never experience them and appreciate them for what they are. You see the big picture but not the detail and the beauty that makes that picture unique. Wisdom is taking knowledge that you already have and breaking it down not for the purpose of seeking the wisdom, but for the purpose of appreciating the things around you and the things that you know as an individual. So the answer to this question from the perspective of someone wise?
If the stars did not come up tomorrow, I would be glad that I managed to gaze at their beauty one last time and see the answers that shine within them…

Now that I feel like I have gotten my most basic point across about wisdom, let me now dive deeper into the subject. Lets once again take a look at history first and the wise figures that are within our past. Keep in mind though, each person mentioned as wise are only examples of different and varying kinds of wisdom, just because I call them wise does not necessarily make them good people. Once again, to understand something, you must be able to see the big picture with the details within, and to do this you must know about varying kinds of wisdom.

First, there is Adolf Hitler, great public speaker, idealist, and leader. There is no denying to me that Hitler was indeed an intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise man. Granted, many atrocities happened solely because of him, but that still does not change the fact that in a way, he was indeed a genius. Hitler was wise in the sense that he knew his skills and what he was good at. I mean, do you think Adolf Hitler just woke up one day and decided he was going to do the things that he did? If you think he did, then you are only fooling yourself and do not wish to learn anything from this reading, but if you agree that he thought it all out, please do continue. The magnitude of the things that Hitler did could definitely not be accomplished by the average person, or even the highly intelligent person for that matter. Hitler was a combination of strength, knowledge, and wisdom with every act that he committed. His strength when it came to rallying people around him, was undoubtedly charismatic and unlike anything the world had seen, not to mention his strength when it came to his military forces. Knowledge was also one of his greatest weapons in his arsenal, he knew himself well enough to establish a goal, plan towards that goal, and then achieve the goal. Once again, he also was fairly intelligent when it came to the art of war. Finally, Hitler had a degree of wisdom that was all his own. It is here where I make my case about the first kind of wisdom, which I will call Misguided Wisdom. Hitler was able to see the big picture of things all along and he was even able to see the tiny details and beauty (that is, beauty to himself) within the picture. Hitler, in his own twisted sense of wisdom, did break the picture down and saw the beauty in things, but what he failed to realize was that the beauty he saw wasn’t the reality of things. You see, when pursuing wisdom, creativity of the beauty you see in things is not bad it is ok to get creative with reality. You do get to a point though where the fine details are no longer something real and of wisdom, but something of knowledge and the power that comes along with it. It becomes a mangled mess of wisdom and knowledge that can only result in something bad. My point being about Hitler and his particular strain of wisdom is this: Wisdom is not meant to conquer, subdue, or control but to spread to others the lessons you have learned in life. Wisdom is meant to be used for the bettering of mankind as a whole, and not yourself in this case.
My next example of wisdom is a totally different kind than what we have previously viewed, because it is the wisdom that was held by Mahatma Gandhi, political/spiritual leader, freedom fighter, non-violent activist. Gandhi was indeed a man that has had a lasting impact upon history as we know it, and also an impact on the idea of wisdom as we know it as well. His stance of non-violence does not represent an act of cowardice, but the act of a man wise enough to think of another solution to spare human lives. Gandhi truly did possess a very rare kind of wisdom that very few will ever achieve, but we all must strive for. Gandhi’s wisdom brought hope, justice, and freedom to an entire nation and like previously said, wisdom is meant for the greater good of humanity. It is because of all the things that Gandhi did with all of his wisdom that I name his specific kind of wisdom, Pure Wisdom. The wisdom of Gandhi was uncorrupt able, meaningful, and pure in every aspect of it. He is truly just one of a handful of people to ever live in the entire existence of humanity to be able to have and handle this kind of wisdom. Gandhi, like Hitler, was able to see the big pictures and the details within the picture, however, Gandhi took the current reality of his situation and changed it. You see, just because things are how they are in an environment at any given moment doesn’t make that one given moment your reality, granted, it is your reality for that brief second. It is within this brief second though that you create your reality for the future and the things that come of it. The things Gandhi did, though almost impossible, were indeed the result of that one given moment that happened to him (whenever it may have been) and allowed him to shape the reality of freedom that he wanted. He was able to not really change the reality of the big picture, but to erase details and replace them with his own, while Hitler on the other hand was wanting to totally change the reality around him. The lesson here: Wisdom, when used correctly can sway politics, change the minds of a nation, and save countless lives. Also, being able to see the big picture and the details within it are nothing if you are not able to erase details and make it your own.
Now that I have explained the two most contrasting types of wisdom (keep in mind, there is definitely wisdom that is in between both of these) it is time to attempt to further explain how to pursue this wisdom. Everyone in life will seek wisdom their own way, some through science, others through simple experiences, and some will seek wisdom from religion. Let me first say, that none of these ways are bad because to be wise is to be yourself, an individual, and choose your own path. The entire point of me writing this isn’t to tell someone how they can become wiser (because wisdom is something that really cannot be taught, it must be learned), but to open up people’s eyes to the possibilities of knowledge, wisdom, and knowing ones self. It is truly amazing what the power of someone reading something can do, especially if they take what they read into heart and into consideration. Once again, I must stress, this is not a guide, map, or informative brochure to wisdom nor do I claim that by reading this you will become wiser. It is however meant to be the empty and blank notebook that you carry with you during the school that is life, all you need to fill this notebook is a little thought, insight into yourself, and also a pen!

Now, let me jump back to the idea of the stars and we will start from there. The stars, though actually not at all as tiny as they seem to us while on Earth, will indeed be the smallest part of what I am about to suggest. You see, there are an infinite number of stars in the sky and you could spend an infinite number of lifetimes just trying to count them. Beyond what we can see with the naked eye at night besides the moon, are the other planets that also orbit around the sun, and of course, we are all in the Milky Way Galaxy. This is the point where most people stop to think about our universe, but what they do not realize is that our universe is so huge that we cannot even begin to wrap our minds around its immense size. So I hate to break some peoples heart, but the Milky Way doesn’t mark the end of the universe, and we sure the hell are not in the middle of the universe!
Theory Introduction

Before the modern discovery of the expansion of the universe was discovered, we had always assumed that when the universe was created (not going to get into creation theories here)that it was as big as it was ever going to get. This assumption, however, proved to be very wrong. Come to find out, our universe is growing at a mind blowing pace expanding further and further to whatever may be beyond it. It is this theory of Universal Expansion that I shall compare my own theory of finding who we are as individuals and applying what we find to ultimately achieve wisdom.
THEORY: If we apply the idea of an ever expanding universe to our individual lives and its ever expanding circumstances then we will be able to further discover our own identity and claim the wisdom that comes with knowing yourself.

Section 1: Wisdom as it Stands in The Present

I must reiterate here one more time, before we can begin to pursue our goal of self discovery and wisdom, we must first take a look at the picture of our world right now and its current mindset toward wisdom. Keep in mind as well, I do not intend to be the judge of the world!

It is obvious to any person that has lived in this world long enough to grow up into a teenager that the world is indeed changing. This can be held especially true for those who are older in age and have seen more times and events pass by. The current state of the world be it good or bad in your opinion, is definitely beginning to shift in their perspective of things. Used too there was no need to search for a cure of a deadly disease transmitted by intercourse. Before all of the ignorance, we lived in peace with one another. Not to mention, before nuclear weapons at least the Earth stood a chance of survival during a war.

What causes these changes though? Some of these changes, we cannot really alter the fact of their existence, only keep searching for something to either eradicate or cure it. Other changes that have happened to us socially over the distant past could have indeed been avoided but were not due to the hope of more money. Also, over the past couple decades, we have managed to make something that not only changes our history forever, but something that could change if not wipe out the very Earth that we live on. Some people might just shrug these events off and simply be like “Shit Happens!”. The thoughts of the people should not be like that though, simply because it reaffirms the belief that some people in the world have that mankind is inherently bad/evil(this being based on the fact that if someone does not care they must be at least a bad person for their inactivity).

One thing we cannot do about these events is go back and change them, but we can learn from them. One thing that will keep a person from knowing who they truly are and keep them away from wisdom is living in the past. In some way, shape, or form the ideology of wisdom was involved in these altercations to our history, even if it was horribly misguided. It is as simple as going to look in a history book to see that history often does repeat itself, this little bit of simple knowledge combined with just a little touch of wisdom could help prevent so much chaos! It is actually humorous to the point of making me sick that we think that we will never perish, be it as a nation or the world as a whole. That idea is well beyond the realm of ignorance, stupidity, and any conventional thought at all for that matter. Such ways of thinking cannot be tolerated when searching yourself and when searching for wisdom.
Lets first look at what wisdom could have possibly had to do with the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus. The thing about this disease is that it has no known cure, is slow killing, and can infect those people who do not certain precautions. How this virus came to be is not exactly known, but the fact of the matter is that it did, and it is slowly taking its toll on the world. It could definitely be said though that the spread of this virus was due to the lack of knowledge in the public and the idea of pleasure without consequences. However, it is because of this disease mainly that many individuals, groups, and organizations have begun to educate and spread the knowledge of safe intercourse practices all over the world! It is knowledge of the consequences that these people offer, it is wisdom when someone listens to the knowledge told to them.
For my next example, I am not going to go all the way back to its origins, but to the time when it came to a head. This history altering act of misguided wisdom and just sheer ignorance was known as the civil war. Contrary to popular belief, the civil war was not about slavery, that was a secondary priority, but it was actually about state rights as the first priority and main origins of the war. Either way though, both of the problems leading up to the civil war were born of ignorance and stubbornness. The idea of the states not feeling like they were getting their rights was quite possibly due to conflicting views not just on slavery, but other issues as well with the rest of their brothers in the nation. It just doesn’t seem intelligent or wise to want to leave a nation that was so hard fought for and had so much blood spilt for its freedom, only to leave and spill more on its soil. As for the idea of slavery, once again, ignorance. This black mark that shall forever remain on our nations reputation could have been avoided, but once again, Misguided Wisdom and Knowledge came into play. The plantation owners thought it would be a wise and good business move to get them some slaves to do work for them. The way they probably looked at it is, they pay for them once, but after awhile, they pay for themselves! However, this era in our history is not blackened by total misguidance nor ignorance, but has at least one brilliant light in the darkness. This light in the darkness, was none other than President Abraham Lincoln who through intelligence, patience, and wisdom managed to help rebuild a house that was once divided.

This last thing I am about to mention, makes absolutely no sense in the logic or wisdom of its creation, this thing being the advent of the Nuclear Weapon. I hope this example screams at you about our current views as a world when it comes to wisdom. Here is a question for everyone reading here, would you ever willingly make a weapon that could kill not only you, but everyone within a 100 mile radius as well? I know that I wouldn’t! Just think though, a 100 mile radius is nothing compared to the actual power of a nuclear weapon for the simple fact that whoever launches one is more than likely going to have one sent back on them and so on and so forth. What sense does it make? Some people attempt to argue the point that it keeps us safe as long as we all have them nobody will want to make us mad because if they do, they get a nuke! What happens though when we are attacked by yet another fearless foreign leader who does not care about the consequences of a nuclear winter? I will tell you what happens, total destruction of the earth. Once again, when this was first done, it was considered brilliant and wise by many powerful people because who wants to mess with a nation that could blow up the entire world just with their nuclear arsenal? I guess that in their infinite wisdom and knowledge of all things, our leaders did not really anticipate almost everyone else getting nukes as well. The creation of nuclear weapons is in a league of its own when it comes to Misguided Wisdom.

Hopefully, you were able to get the point I was making with those three comparisons, but let me now explain a little further. To me, the three events I have mentioned were huge landmarks not only in our nation per say, but all across the world as well. The number of areas affected by these events just goes to show what can happen when a person(or group of people) mistake stupidity for wisdom and the consequences that have happened, are happening, and very well could happen. The way I look at it (and these events alone prove it for me) is that the majority of the world no longer has any sense of finding who they are and where they belong in the universe, much less searching for actual wisdom.

It is clear though that a shift in mindset is approaching even quicker now as people slowly begin to pick their side to battle for. In the present day there are many different mindsets that people have, and many of them truly are willing to do battle for what they believe. To me, fighting (which has already came to the United States via conflicting beliefs with others in the world) isn’t the answer to solve conflicts of how people think, but let me explain my point of the conflicting ideas.
Indifferent( Extreme Non-activist)- People with this kind of social mindset could really care less about what is going on in the world around them and usually have a limited area (if not their own nation, then possibly their state, or possibly even a smaller level) that they keep up with what is happening. Typically, people in this mindset are a little more hollow inside when it comes to knowing who they are because they have no feelings either way, causing a lack of wisdom and self understanding.

Pro-Activist- a person that is a pro activist probably has the best understanding of who they are and the things that they want to accomplish and learn while in the world. This is likely because of their level of positive interaction with society. How far a person in this category reaches out is fairly irrelevant to their growth as a person, as long as they get the satisfaction they desire.


Con-Activist- This is the kind of person that is active in world or more localized events but they usually have their own personal agenda’s to follow. They might be like this because they do not know who they are as a person, or because they do know who they are as a person but misinterpret what they think. Things they do usually almost always turn out with a majority of negative issues and few if any positive outcomes.

These three categories are the easiest, yet still effective way to describe the majority of people and the way they look at life, wisdom, and themselves. This is by no means a definitive list, just a very broad generalization where people associated in the same events could fall into a different category depending on how they act (example: a pro-activist politician and a Con-activist politician). Also, a person classified as indifferent is also subject to a few inconsistencies if they decide to ever become active they may flip flop between pro or con.

It truly is a sad time that we face when it comes to knowing ones-self in our society. The thing about it is, we still do have that belief that a person needs to know who they are on the inside so that they can better themselves, but for the most part it is so watered down that it is pathetic. Most people now who still do hold the idea of knowing themselves only do it for their gain for the most part. It is supposed to be like this: Get to know who you are totally inside and out, seek the wisdom that comes with knowing yourself, spread you wisdom to others. However, for the large part of people today it would go more like this: Get to know who you are inside and outside overlooking all bad qualities, follow your own selfish ambitions, let no one get in your way. And these modern beliefs go against the very thing that wisdom is supposed to be for, but that is how it is for the most part.



Section 2: Visualization and Meditation
Now you are finally about to learn some of your main tools for discovering yourself! The tools of visualization and meditation have been around since the dawn of ancient religion and it is still used today in almost all religions as means of communication with the higher power of whatever religion. There are several things to keep in mind while practicing your visualization/ meditation: setting, goal, and patience. Each of those are key to success.
Before I go any further let me explain a little more about visualization/ meditation. There are many different reasons why people may wish to meditate. Meditation helps with relaxation, focus, and can also be used in some form of another for spiritual purpose. There is however a big difference in visualization and meditation.
The main difference is that it is very hard for the average person to be able to properly visual something without first practicing visualization while meditating. Visualization is exactly what it sounds like, visualizing something in your mind.