I think someone should maybe write a post describing how meditation is a form of empiricism, and then it should follow as a pretty easy corollary that Circling is also a form of empiricism.
I’d be interested in that, but don’t think I believe it enough to write it myself.
A brief sketch of why: there’s the “external universe”, and the “conscious mind”, and normal scientific empiricism is a way for the conscious mind to expose itself to the universe, letting it be reshaped to better match the universe that it’s in.
When you look at meditation, then you’re replacing “external universe” with something like the “mental universe.” And so you still have this way for the conscious mind to expose itself to the mental universe that it’s in, and be reshaped to better match it. But it’s less obvious that ‘the mental universe as revealed by meditation’ is worth reshaping towards, or has the ‘nourishing properties of the universe’ or whatever.
Like, with regular science we have materialism, and a pretty strong belief that there’s one underlying reality, and that it’s explainable through math. With Circling, we have other people to get around our blind spots. With meditation… there’s some reason to be optimistic, but it seems weaker.
I feel like Circling isn’t that much stronger than meditation on this particular axis. You might be characterizing “mental universe” as very different from “interpersonal universe,” but to me they’re very similar—because in both cases you have to use your subjective experience as the medium of “evidence delivery” so to speak.
I think the “increase in sensory acuity is an increase in introspective access to signal already present” point is central to understanding meditation, Circling, and their similarity, and think your post makes that point well.
If you just mean the version of “empiricism” where “knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience”, then I think it does a good job of pointing at how it’s trying to do that. I think there are important connotations of empiricism that are missing, tho; like, what is the sensory experience of? This is what I’ve vaguely gesturing at with the “nourishing properties of the universe” thing; if I look at a thermometer, I’m trying to get my sense data to connect to ‘objective reality’; if I look at my own thoughts, the connection to ‘objective reality’ is more tenuous. It’s not absent; and I think having some sort of reflective practice is a good idea, but I feel like Circling can make a stronger case than “a corollary of meditation.”
I think someone should maybe write a post describing how meditation is a form of empiricism, and then it should follow as a pretty easy corollary that Circling is also a form of empiricism.
I’d be interested in that, but don’t think I believe it enough to write it myself.
A brief sketch of why: there’s the “external universe”, and the “conscious mind”, and normal scientific empiricism is a way for the conscious mind to expose itself to the universe, letting it be reshaped to better match the universe that it’s in.
When you look at meditation, then you’re replacing “external universe” with something like the “mental universe.” And so you still have this way for the conscious mind to expose itself to the mental universe that it’s in, and be reshaped to better match it. But it’s less obvious that ‘the mental universe as revealed by meditation’ is worth reshaping towards, or has the ‘nourishing properties of the universe’ or whatever.
Like, with regular science we have materialism, and a pretty strong belief that there’s one underlying reality, and that it’s explainable through math. With Circling, we have other people to get around our blind spots. With meditation… there’s some reason to be optimistic, but it seems weaker.
I feel like Circling isn’t that much stronger than meditation on this particular axis. You might be characterizing “mental universe” as very different from “interpersonal universe,” but to me they’re very similar—because in both cases you have to use your subjective experience as the medium of “evidence delivery” so to speak.
Would be curious to hear how well you and Vaniver think that my recent post on meditation makes the case for “meditation as a form of empiricism”.
I think the “increase in sensory acuity is an increase in introspective access to signal already present” point is central to understanding meditation, Circling, and their similarity, and think your post makes that point well.
If you just mean the version of “empiricism” where “knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience”, then I think it does a good job of pointing at how it’s trying to do that. I think there are important connotations of empiricism that are missing, tho; like, what is the sensory experience of? This is what I’ve vaguely gesturing at with the “nourishing properties of the universe” thing; if I look at a thermometer, I’m trying to get my sense data to connect to ‘objective reality’; if I look at my own thoughts, the connection to ‘objective reality’ is more tenuous. It’s not absent; and I think having some sort of reflective practice is a good idea, but I feel like Circling can make a stronger case than “a corollary of meditation.”
That makes sense, thanks!