Bohm writes of his encounter with Krishnamurti:
". . . we
went on to consider the general disorder and confusion that pervades the
consciousness of
mankind. It is here that I encountered what I feel to be Krishnamurti's major
discovery. What he was
seriously proposing is that all this disorder, which is the root cause of such
widespread sorrow and
misery, and which prevents human beings from properly working together, has its
root in the fact that we
are ignorant of the general nature of our own processes of thought. Or to put
it differently it may
be said that we do not see what is actually happening, when we are
engaged in the activity of
thinking. Through close attention to and observation of this activity of
thought, Krishnamurti
feels that he directly perceives that thought is a material process, which is
going on inside
of the human being in the brain and nervous system as a whole." ...David
Bohm (1917-1992)
Krishnamurti proposes that
widespread sorrow, misery, and general disorder and confusion pervades
human being and that the cause is general lack of awareness of thought
processes. That is, people are
not aware that thought is processual. According to Krishnamurti, the process is
physical, and it is
possible to be aware it.
Both Bohm and Krishnamurti say
thought is a physical process and can be watched like
any other physical
process. Krishnamurti says that watching the processes stops the processes.
Bohm says awareness stops
the processes.
It is helpful to see that awareness
of awareness is not identical with awareness of content.
Think of content as imagery, imagination. It is clear
that awareness of an image is not the same as awareness
of awareness.
For example, it may be that
thought processes cause depression, and if the thought processes
are watched and become illuminated by awareness, the
awareness stops the processes and
the depression stops.
Another example may be substance
abuse, addiction or alcoholism. The addict or alcoholic often is unaware
of the reasons he uses drugs or drinks alcohol. Bohm and Krishnamurti suggest
that the addict
may be unaware of thought processes which cause or
drive him to abusive behavior.
The recovery program for addicts
and alcoholics, said to be efficacious when strictly followed,
suggests a searching and fearless moral inventory and an analysis of their
resentments,
what they re-sense that is troubling. They are to become aware of what they
re-sense,
write it down, and talk to someone about it -- admit it to someone. Perhaps the
awareness
of the thought processes required for inventory and analysis stops the very
processes
which cause them to abuse drugs and alcohol.
That is, when they become aware
of the thought processes driving them to excessive
behavior, the awareness itself stops the processes and the excessive behavior.
What about people who are not
addicts or alcoholics and do not have a twelve step program?
How may they increase awareness and have their problems solved? They may
increase their awareness
by talking, using words.
Bohm notes Korzybski's idea that words
are pointers, that words
direct awareness, attention to what is considered
relevant.
According to Korzybski, talking about brain/mind processes may direct attention
to the processes
so they can be watched.
But people talk constantly. If
talking does the trick, why is there such widespread
sorrow and misery,
constant strife and anxiety? The answer may be that people are selfish and
self-centered,
and talk about themselves which produces pleasure. The
repetition of identity processes
may create such pleasure that awareness of thought processes is blocked.
Thought processes can create feelings
of pleasure or feelings of pain, sorrow and general
confusion. Thought creates feeling and then anxiety about the feeling because
the source of
the feeling (thought) is not known.
Bohm indicates the mechanical
nature of personal identity thought may be the cause of such lack
of awareness regarding thought processes. Personal identity thought may
block awareness
and learning.
