It takes great courage to bring one's pen to paper, indelibly scarring what was once white and pure. Though it is a commitment, all such commitments are fleeting, as it often seems that once read, one's own writing appears foreign and absurd. I shall not let these thoughts keep me from the task, for courage, once identified as lacking, usually comes to me in great supply, and it is the transient nature of consciousness that will be a subject of the act.
It is possible to entertain the idea that all acts require a motive. Even an 'involuntary' act such as blinking the eyes can be attributed to the will to survive. When an object is flung with great velocity towards one's face, the 'subconscious' urges the eye to close. Yet it is commonly known that with a certain degree of 'conscious' concentration one can exert a certain degree of control over such influences and refrain from blinking. We would normally also attribute sexual urges to the subconscious, but in this case (or it seems to us), our conscious mind is in 'control', but receiving subtle influences from our subconscious, which affects the actions.
Are we truly a whole being of mind, split into two, or split into several? Or is the truth that we are a system so complex that there are no individual pieces, no I's or divisions, but instead a series of connections, where the thought alignment of any part of or mind shifts constantly.
Will our drive for an understanding of the self grow so strong as to discover the ridiculousness of the question? Not merely posing the idea of its ridiculousness, but a 'true' scientific understanding of the lack of individuality and will.
It is well established that each of our lobes can act independently. Will it then be established that we can cut pieces off of our brain and interact with them as completely separate sentient beings? Of the ten billion selves inside of you, do you think you could identify which one you are? How does it feel to be the swarm as well as the bee?
- The Aspiring Hobo