Conatus: REVISED EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

characteristics as: ‘Heightened awareness, positive affective states (including a sense of elation or serenity, and lack of fear and anxiety and a sense of appreciation) and a sense of connection (towards other people, nature, or the world in general).’

From what others report — or perhaps from what the reader herself may have experienced directly — this is certainly the most desirable, life-changing and wonderful experience that any of us could hope to have. There is the feeling of being outside time and having an almost god-like perspective on life. There is a deep sense of well-being and ‘rightness’ to everything. We feel outside ourselves yet at the same time more deeply ourselves than ever before.

We often attribute such experiences to mystics, and similar sentiments reach us from those who have experimented with mind-altering drugs. But sometimes it seems the experience occurs quite randomly. Granted that such sublime moments are very often pleasant, but are they actually leading anywhere? What might the purpose of such experiences be? Should we seek things just because they might bring us pleasant feelings? And, could we live in such a state on a permanent basis? Could it at least be asked if we should strive to obtain this state as often as possible — perhaps through meditation? Or, it could be asked, is the universe trying to give us this experience as often as it can — wanting us to be in a particular state of mind? There seems no answers to such questions. The randomness of the event might suggest that it is just something to do with brain states. But the fact that they can occur via

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