Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

Projector

Sears Point, California, USA

November 20, 2009

This essay, Projector, is the companion piece to

in that order.

It was written at the same time as

If we tell the truth about where we fundamentally locate ourselves with respect to our bodies (and until we do, it's likely to remain inaccurate, obscured by its false obviousness), we consider where we're located ie we regard where we reside is inside our bodies. We regard we're located "in here" and the world is located "out there".

This conversation isn't about the origins of how we got to regard it this way. It's not about why we regard it this way, and I'm not going to tout any theories about it either, beyond acknowledging this is how we regard it. But if I were to venture a guess as to how we originally got to regard it this way, I would say it's likely to be a product of social pressure, mis-identification, and survival. There are a few other jokers in the deck as well. However, my guess that it's a product of social pressure, mis-identification, and survival, is good enough for jazz.

Antique 8 millimeter movie projector courtesy eHow.com

Consider there's no separation, no hard edge between who we are "in here", and the world "out there". Consider for a moment the world "out there" is our projection of what we consider to be the world "out there".

Now, so that we don't start down the wrong path here, so that we don't get off on the wrong foot in this conversation, please be clear when I imply the world "out there" is our projection of what we consider to be the world "out there", I'm not saying the world "out there" isn't real. It's real alright, and hopefully it won't require being hit by a bus to find out it's real. I'm saying our projection of what we consider to be the world "out there", is exactly what makes the world "out there" real. I'm saying the world "out there" is real because we project the world "out there" out there.

That's a maverick point of view. Mostly it's not how we consider things to be. Mostly that's not the way we operate. Mostly we consider we're "in here" and the world is "out there", and there's a separation, a hard edge between us "in here" and the world "out there". Another way of analogously saying this is mostly we consider we're "in here" watching a movie of the world "out there" after the fact, but we have no responsibility for and no role to play in either the directing of the movie or in the producing of the movie ie in the sourcing of the movie we're watching. Mostly we consider we don't have any responsibility for or any role to play in the projecting of the movie.

Those beautiful sunsets we all love to watch? They're not beautiful. In fact they're not even sunsets until you project beautiful sunsets out there. The wonderful music you love to listen to? It's not wonderful. In fact it's not even music until you project wonderful music out there. What about the savagery? What about the inhumanity of man? It's not savage. It's not even inhumane until you project savage inhumanity out there. Whatever it is out there in the world, whatever you say is out there in the world, you project it. The world is a movie, and you're its projector.

If you think this particular point of view defies what's real, think again. It doesn't imply if you project there's no gravity in the face of gravity, you'll fly. It doesn't imply if you project there's no trees when there are trees, forests will disappear. God only creates what is. Who you are is the projector of the movie of the world what is "out there". Who you are is the projector, projecting the movie of the world on a screen called life.

Now, is it "the truth" you're the projector projecting the movie of the world on a screen called life? God, I hope it's not "the truth". If it were "the truth", this particular point of view point would lose all it's value, devolving as it quickly would from a place to stand and look, into a pat answer. So rather than considering that it's "the truth" you're the projector projecting the movie of the world on a screen called life, regard it as a powerful place to stand, an open point of view, a platform from which to regard things.

And if you do get the way it is is you're the projector projecting the movie of the world on a screen called life, you can't use it to further your ambitions, to abet your success, to enhance your survival. You can't apply the way it is. The way it is is just what's so.

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