Intuition & Machines

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word intuition as, “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning”. Some people use their intuition to fix things. This handy person doesn’t exactly know how they know what to do. Frankly speaking, as an intuitive handywoman my first reaction to anything broken is panic. After the initial “WTF” moment, I calm myself down to watch and listen to the sounds and smells of the machine or I try to remember what it should be like when it worked. Certainly, I pay attention to the rush of energy surging through my body when my intuition informs me I’m on the correct path to get the thing running again. With no prior knowledge, I’ve fixed toilets, stubbornly clogged sinks, vacuum cleaners, fans, minor washing machine repairs, and such like. If I need higher help I’ll reluctantly consult the manual, do a Google search, or notify the management company. Certainly my Mac devices have intuitive aspects but with complex computer problems I’ll talk to my brother or sister who are more knowledgable than me. I rarely pray. I assume God is too busy, or should be, for my mechanical woes.

I did have one incident which really surprised me. My refrigerator/freezer emitted a grinding noise that irritated and stumped me for a long time. I’d move things away from the vents, keep the area clean, and so on. Then I was told plumbers were replacing all the old pipes in my home and would start the following day in the kitchen. After hearing this news, I walked over to the refrigerator to once again adjust the freezer contents and said out loud, “Please be quiet. Don’t embarrass me in front of the plumbers.” Well, shifting the frozen stuff around felt different this time. It was as if I had peeled off an invisible skin from the bottom of the icebox. The refrigerator immediately went silent. From then on it has behaved itself; being mostly quiet, or just happily humming along. Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it. Yet!

It's not unusual to talk to machines these days. However, it is more likely to happen when we call a business or government agency where an AI voice connects us to the proper department or person. “The future is now” as my cousin says. In their house her husband constantly talks to an electronic voice to perform simple tasks, “Alexa what’s the correct spelling of this word.” “Meta prepare an email" or “Siri remind me of my 11am appointment tomorrow" and on and on it goes.

Perhaps, we’ll add the "being in the machine" onto the list of recognized "legal entities". This term can apply to anything that exists which is a separate, distinct thing be it a person, or a corporation. Thanks to the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v FEC (2010) the legal fiction that corporations are entities was expanded to allow them to help fund political campaigns whose policies are in agreement. In legislative circles the debate continues on whether or not advanced AI or robots should be given the same legal fiction status. Already embedded in our society is the idea that machines are an extension of oneself. Specifically, men have a personal relationship to most anything with an engine. Males have a special carve-out in our communities that gives them ample opportunity to make loud noises. We must tolerate their need for thunderous cars, motorcycles, and trucks. It's as if these machines augment their high testosterone identities.

Person-ness is not unique to mankind. We have to get use to this in modern times. Gary Francione, a professor of law and philosophy at Rutgers University states, “Veganism is an act of nonviolent defiance. It is our statement that we reject the notion that animals are things and that we regard sentient nonhumans as moral persons with the fundamental moral right not to be treated as the property or resources of humans”. Let's take the notion of a legal entity even further when we consider what defines a "sentient being". Usually, this term means awareness, capable of feelings, or reactive. The Torah teaches God created heaven and earth, which was a primordial world of wind and water. By divine fiat the dry land appears on the third day of creation. The earth and its atmosphere are composed of rocks, minerals, soil, nutrients, and rich elements. Generally, these are not considered sentient matter. However, this material does contain an aspect of God within itself and is often the stuff machines are made of. Therefore, we must also examine what is derivative matter. For example, a chemical substance that is produced or modified from another naturally occurring substance is often considered "man made" and non-sentient. ie cellulose acetate is a type of derivative plastic man-made from natural cellulose. Biblically speaking, all substances are essentially natural, directly or indirectly and possibly it is this which connects our intuitive capabilities to machines. In the Old Testatment's origin story, matter was made from the words spoken by God. These utterances emphasize the potent powers of the Hebrew alphabet and the spiritual, sentient essence in all matter, no matter how infinitesimal it may be. "Listen, you heavens, and I will speak, hear, you earth, the words of my mouth." Deuteronomy 32:1. Here the speaker is Moses but the authority for his speech is God. (Exodus 4:12). The Torah teaches that "heaven and earth”, in other words, matter has the capacity of awareness through senses similar to our own.

I’m reminded of the tarot card, The Sun. Traditionally it represents the ability to get along with all types of folks, uniting people, and being a motivational person amongst them. Usually, it is depicted by a shiny bright sun overlooking a grassy knoll where children are playing. In most tarot decks the Suit of Trumps are numbered from 0-21. Here the Sun is the 19th card. However, I prefer the tarot's association to the Hebrew alphabet which goes from 1-22. The 20th letter is Resh and symbolically means a "head". This body part is composed of at least two aspects associated with intellect or thinking. One is the "brain" which is local to the inside of our skull. The other is our "mind" which is nonlocal, similar to an energy field and implies the Self does not stop at the skin. Our intuition dissolves the mind/body distinction when thoughts can directly arise seemingly simultaneously with a quickening of energy that heats up the body, and the heart starts to race. I’ve blogged about it in the past. In this post we understand that the self and others can be broadly defined to include our pets, and perhaps even our smart devices and household appliances when our intuition is attuned with them.

I understand people are not dating these days. It appears to be a global phenomenon. Perhaps it’s because folks prefer to sleep beside their cellphones, instead of another human being. Just sayin.

Street Tarot

The Lost Tooth

Most adults realize a fairy will not leave money under their pillow when a tooth comes out. The folklore no longer alleviates the unpleasantness of a pulled tooth or in modern times an implant that went bad and must be extracted. Now a hole remains. Once out of your mouth that tooth is gone. Think of it as a “small death”, or an easy way to imagine passing away but in bite size pieces. In Greek mythology the god of death is called Thanatos, while his twin brother Hypnos is the god of sleep, which is also known as a "small death". The ancient Talmudic sages would say a prayer every morning to thank God for their returning souls, "Elohai neshamah shenatata bi tehorah. . . " "My God, the soul which you have place with in me is pure. . .". Talmud's Berakhot 60b. Many people still continue this daily practice.

Some "Gods" use death as a form of punishment. Although there are religions that believe in an afterlife beyond the physical body, generally, these metaphorical domains are exclusive to only good people. Death inflicted on another person is a homicide unless it is justifiable, as in the case of self-defense or a declaration of war. Death is ubiquitous when other species are brought into the frame. The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud had a theory called the “death drive" which concerned our instinctual nature to engage in such things as high risk behavior, watch gory horror movies, or why some of our choices are self-sabotaging. For example, you know it is not healthy to indulge in pastries but then devour a box of Entenmann's chocolate frosted donuts.

I am reminded of the tarot card, "Death" . Traditionally, it is the 13th card in the Suit of Trumps. It signifies change, transition, and transformation. In a tarot reading it can also imply attending a funeral, or a significant other's impending death but most likely not the questioners. This card is more affiliated with the "small death". In the modern version it is depicted by a skeleton or a dark, hooded figure with a sword or sickle in hand. The inference here is to be afraid of the menacing image. Death is scary. Perhaps because it is seemingly inconceivable. I was forced to face it during a violent attack, and wrote about it in "My Random Death", my memoir. However, the Greek God, Thanatos was portrayed as a winged youth, or man, to exemplify the nature of non-violent deaths. He was also a guide for the soul to the afterlife, but not for bad people.

Similar to the tarot card, the lost tooth has a symbolic teaching. Letting go can lead to growth and renewal. Sometimes parts of your psyche, your everyday personality, must drop off or let go of because you’re sick of it, or being it, and now desire to change and, perhaps, grow up. The process might be slow and the end not yet apparent. Similar to the lost tooth, a gap might remain from your diminished ego’s sense of knowing it all. A dentist might fill the space with a bovine graft and you can shore yourself up with spiritual faith or the practicality of trust. Ideally we should imagine a good outcome and not fret or get caught up in the destructive nature of Freud’s death drive. Admittedly, a change might require moving on from a particular person. This can be hard to do but must be done. The tarot card can also reflect a need to alter one’s career course, or make a dramatic move to another city or country. Nothing is going to be easy about any of this. The implications of the Death card can be abrupt. It is situational but always transformational.

In a tarot deck the Suit of Trumps is usually numbered from 0-21. However I prefer their alignment with the Hebrew alphabet, which goes from 1-22. The Death card is associated with the 14th letter, Nun whose symbolic meaning is traditionally a "fish". In Kabbalistic terms it means "rest" or "relinquishing control" as noted by Gilla Nissan in her book, "Meditations with the Hebrew Letters". She explains the letter Nun, "is not about being passive, but rather about allowing space and freedom for the Unknown to empower us. This is the Letter Nun. She asks us not only to be more receptive to what is available from Above, but also to understand how this non-action is essential to our life and well-being".

Certainly, a school of fish moving in synchrony know something about a lose of control, self-annihilation for the betterment, not thinking it all out, and getting into the flow of things when you don’t have all the answers. It’s been 47-years since my encounter with death and I am still trying to understand all its teachings. What I know for certain is you can never stop learning. It seems endless. . .

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Strength

I had a disagreement with God on the most holiest of days. It began with a question, a most familiar one, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”. Traditionally asked on Passover by the youngest child at the seder, but this particular night concernedYom Kippur, which is not a holiday of celebration. Instead of feasting, from sunset to sunset we fast. As a form of suffering, we go without food from sundown to sundown. Instead of rejoicing, we solemnly ask the divine to forgive our transgressions no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

Frankly,Yom Kipper is like my ordinary days. On a daily basis, I confront my faults, berate, and condemn myself over minor wrongdoings; too harsh a tone or a sharp word when talking to someone, or look away when I walk by a homeless person, although I gave money to the guy I just passed ten minutes ago. These are slight compared to the well known sins of the Ten Commandments. Nevertheless, on Yom Kippur I am required to take a day off from work or doing errands in order to starve myself, pray, and ask God for forgiveness. Perhaps, the Israelites who wondered the Sinai desert all those centuries ago were much more self consumed, had a tendency to worship idols, and needed to set aside a day to confess, fast, pray to God, and self reflect. Other than the fasting for 24-hours and the idols those practices make up my day-to-day, and has for decades.

The need for a separate, monumental high holiday to admit one’s wrongdoings seems unnecessary in these times. I questioned the reason to continue the customary rituals and suggested this holy of holiest days be reformed. Let's be happy. Of course, prior to this “ask” I said the blessing and lit the candle on the Yom Kippur Eve. I recited the Yarhtzeit prayer and lit two 24-hour candles in honor of my parents who passed away decades ago. I watched a video of Johnny Mathis singing the Kol Nidre prayer. I planned to fast until sundown the following day but only lasted until 2pm the next afternoon. Childhood memories of feeling nauseous consumed me until they became real and the memory faded. Then I ate. Before I succumbed to food, I mustard the courage to speak out to God.

In spite of my boldness, God did not "smote me down" right then and there as stated in the Bible. “But if you do not obey the Lord and you flout the Lord’s command, the hand of the Lord will strike you. . .”(1 Samuel 12:15) I am reminded of the tarot card, Strength, as I stood up to God and am still standing. Usually depicted by a nicely dressed woman in a rather quaint garden or county setting, she uses her bare hands to open the jaws of a lion relaxing beside her. This card represents indomitable strength stemming from an inner conviction, and compassion coupled with fortitude which ultimately leads to triumph. A traditional tarot deck is numbered from 0-21. The Strength card is usually numbered 9 or or IX in the Suit of Trumps. However, I prefer the tarot’s association to the Hebrew alphabet which goes from 1-22. Here the 10th letter is Yod, the smallest of letters and symbolic for the hand of God guiding us. "The Yod represents the Creator, the single point from which all of creation emerges, and the Unity within multiplicity. It is the foundation of all foundations, the hidden Divine spark which causes everything to be. It represents the power of the spirit to govern and guide the matter. Yod is a symbol of the Holy One, the Creator, since the holy name starts with Yod. Small in form, the meaning of the Yod is great. According to kabbalistic tradition, all of creation came forth from a single point – a point which represents God’s infinite presence inside of the finite world." - Gabriele Levy lectures around the world about the "secrets of the Hebrew alphabet"

In the midst of deep Kabbalistic studies, I was surprised to find I was not struck down since my question and then eating might be perceived as insolence, although not intended as such. However, instead of death more serendipity, or delightful coincidences, came into my life in the weeks that followed. Here are a few examples of the simple ones. They might be familiar experiences for you too:1) I had lunch with a friend who is a Kundalini and Kabbalistic healer when she mentioned the “King Messiah”. What seemed miraculous is the next morning, "King Messiah" showed up in the next bible portion I was reading, 1 Samuel 2:10; 2) This also happened the following day after I spoke with another person who is knowledgeable in how the body works and the subject of hemorrhoids, of all things, came up. Once again, “hemorrhoids” showed up in the Bible portion I was reading the following morning, 1 Samuel 6: 5; and 3) My final example was when a friend appeared at my door after I thought strongly about him the night before. I hadn’t seen him in over 5-years since he had moved away.

Oh, I've studied Torah, God, and other gods as comparative analysis in some form or fashion since I was a kid. But it never was my plan to become a religious writer. It just turned out that way when I was violently attack, left for dead, and came back to life with six divine directives to fulfill. After I completed my assignments, I wrote about my experiences and published my memoir, My Random Death. Now after I questioned God on Yom Kippur my sense of self lifted. The feeling was similar to when I was "twice-born", as Joan Wulfsohn calls it. She is the author of Stalking Carlos Castaneda, her fascinating memoir about her experiences with the famous American anthropologist and writer. Now, I no longer dwell so strongly on my faults and failures. I notice them but am better at not reliving them over and over again in my head. We over-think things and replay bad scenarios about ourselves way too often in our society. Now I am extremely aware of the importance of a balanced, wholesome mindset, rather then the violence of a self-destructive inner critic. The calm, quaint countryside or garden setting of the Strength tarot card indicates this peaceful, hopeful, and full of faith mindset. It is something I work towards everyday.

Street Tarot