Hello Paul,
Thank you for your email and the link to the director's cut.
The further illumination on many points is well appreciated. Compared to the story-telling format of the original, this version I suppose bears the necessity of being the science in the scientific documentary and does feel more left-brain. The challenge to popularizing Bohm's ideas, as you so well lay out at the end of the film, is it's simply and entirely counter-intuitive to the everyday experience.
We are thrilled to hear there is another film coming along on what might be the essence of his work, and also a most sensible way forward for effecting real, ground-up transformations. If our world's present trajectory is to be averted, society must learn to work together through dialogue. In physics or life, the nature of functional, generative systems thrive on open exchange of energy. We share, mix, cross-pollinate to generate momentum that lets us collectively spiral upward. In oppressive systems where this channel is choked; degeneration is inevitable. Unfortunately, we are seeing this in our society with accelerating speed. Bohm's work extends beyond the domain of science, and is urgently needed as a practical tool for us to re-orient ourselves.
Bohm points out the problem with the process of thinking. The nature of this problem is so insidious that we do not even know to question his insight that man is in fact product of his thought. It is as brilliant as it is counter-intuitive. Snapping out of the matrix thinking creates will require something other than it. On this point, allow me a few minutes to share an experience that might help bring to light these circuitous ideas for the laypeople like myself.
This music video might just illustrate what I mean. (May I request the honour of Mrs Howard for an opinion from the ladies)
Notice how the dancers, the music, vocals flow in exquisite sync. The couple looks like they are floating on clouds and Bryan Ferry's words. They are in the zone! All the elements fit together like hand in velvet glove. The ‘connection' between them is palpable, alive… For whatever it's worth, these few minutes are exceedingly enjoyable to watch, for me as creator and audience. Seeing things in flow puts one in natural captivation.
Now, take a look at the same thing from ‘above the surface' (source video: https://youtu.be/i3vsiiRK5GU). Without having first watched the previous video, I wager there is little chance one could (or would) imagine there exists a ‘connection' to Mr Ferry! This awesome clip I use as source came up in random on youtube for ‘TANGO HD VIDEO'. The songs are specially chosen and anything but random. And so after slabbing the pieces together, my jaw was quick to drop. Is this not visualisation of what Bohm talks about?! Disparate things do in actuality have a way to connect below the surface. Quite the unexpected tool these homemade videos somehow make visible what's below. In any case, the focal point is not on the videos but rather, the very reality these connections are present. They are real. One can feel herself drawn to them. There is something with independent reality that is being communicated, passed along. The mechanics of it escapes my mind; but feel it I know I do.
My point is: for Bohm's ideas to impress their relevance on more people, they must feel it. Thoughts play tricks. Feelings, especially deep ones, move and reconfigure us. Powerful feelings come from resonance to what's larger than us. Whatever name we give to this connection/ the field/ love, we all stand to be moved in the face of it. It is in our nature. It is our nature. The human ability to resonate to deep, cosmic, collective forces gifts us tangible experience of the intangible - precious moments we get to be beside our ‘selves'.
Let me close with the reason I see for our communication, there may exist another synchronistic connection in this equation. The video ends on a short film that harkens back to the question that started our journey - for which we feel Bohm's ideas, his life, his share of crazy ‘accidents' make the perfect answer. On the other hand, the question posed at the end of Infinite Potential: What does it mean for us? What are we to make of his ideas on a human level in the context of everyday life? Here I believe this question, in a circuitous way, may find engaging dialogue with ideas of other good friends on the rabbithole page. It looks to me these elements are here to ‘dance’…
As you well know, synchronicities spawn things that are meant to happen - some way, somehow. I don't know if this is one of those; but forgive me, I feel compelled to follow them… Here is an idea for the unorthodox. What if a collection of these ‘visualisations' is amalgamated and shared? An organic collage that paints itself. People of the world are called to join in on a dialogue in the borderless language of love and participate as co-creators of this grand picture that unfolds in small everyday glory such as a gift for our loved ones.
This has been a long letter. I wish to appreciate your time and everything you have done with bringing forth Bohm’s work to the world.
Warm wishes,
JC
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