| ITC Speeches |
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Colours and feelings Is what we feel always exactly what we know? I don’t think so … Sometimes I feel myself young and rich, but the mirror and my bank account tell me that I must be subjected to coloured feelings. Well I must say in this case that coloured feelings are far to prefer in respect to the facts. Perhaps this is the reason why many people like to escape in their feelings when facts show them no colours. We get our coloured feeling from perceptions. Light, sound and warmth reaches our senses … and a diversity of energetic forms immediately are painting the picture of our psychological landscape. Feelings are a form of colour … and colour is a form of action. Colours translate a world we cannot know into a world we think to know. Colours we feel not only with our eyes. We can feel the frequencies in our whole body. When we see a red colour, we perceive light with low energy. When we see blue light we see light with high energy. Experience tells us that in a fire-flame the small blue heart is much hotter than the big red and yellow surrounding part. But our feelings speak another tale than our experience does. In spite of what science learns us … we feel more energy by seeing red than by seeing blue. Red gives us feelings of warmth. It gives fire to our emotions. By seeing red we get into action, like a bull in the arena, if we are willing or not. Blue on the other hand, cools our emotions down. By seeing blue our thinking is rational and we have our actions under control. Green is a colour between red and blue. We feel warmth and in the same way it brings us mental rest. Imagine your state of mind if heaven, trees, and rivers should be only red or purple. Goethe, the German poet, famous for his theory of colours, said that a summer landscape … seen through a purple glass, … seems like the last day of judgement. Feelings are colours … When we are sad and lonely we feel blue and cold. When we are jealous we feel affections for something, while the facts tell us we cannot get it. Then we feel red, blue, green en purple together.
Colours are feelings … Without them there is no communication and without communication every knowledge is impossible. When we are very young, we have only feelings and our world is rich of light and colours. When we get older our knowledge grows … and slowly pushes our feelings away. So when our knowledge is growing … we can be inclined to underestimate our feelings and private life from colours. We can make the terrible mistake to think that our feelings must always be submitted to what we know. By example: We know that the blue heart of the flame is much hotter than the red and cooler part. We dismiss your feelings, follow science and get painting our whole room in the “cooler” red colour. Or we mistrust a golden springtime feeling … to be twenty again … by grumbling to the mirror … don’t do so silly … To mistrust our feelings when they do not agree with what we know is not always a sign of sound communication. Our knowledge is growing every minute of our life. That proves … knowledge will never be complete. But every minute of our life our feelings communicate with a world full of colours. Thanks to the colours we can trust our feelings, especially when we know better. ITC. winning speech Wisdom and the naked truth Once I heard an old well known melody from the Swedish pop group ABBA. ”If you see the wonder … of the fairytale … “What an awful nonsense”, I thought. Fairytales and wonders must be nothing but romantic illusions. But what is wisdom? And what is the naked truth? I pointed this question to all philosophers I met in human history. They showed me a rainbow full off different points of view. A little dazzled by all these different stories, I began to meditate about the truth. While I was meditating, my thoughts became void of everything … and completely filled with … NOTHING! At that moment she stood just before my inner eye. “Hello truth”, I said, “I was looking for you, I’ m very pleased to meet you.”. “I’ m very pleased too”, she said. “Because it is always a wonder I can fill a meditating mind.” I asked her why so many people tell different stories about her. “I’ll tell you about my secret. We felt unhappy about this. I was not able to reach the eyes of the people. As you see … I am looking like NOTHING! I, the naked truth, was not able to solve anybody’s problem, not even my own. My sister, much wiser than me, said: “Don’t worry! I’ll solve this problem.” One day, when I was crying about my uselessness and my invisibility, my sister came in. She was wearing a beautiful dress. I saw a rainbow filled with colours. I saw her crystal jewels, radiating the light of sun, moon and stars. Surprised to see this wonderful outfit, I forgot my troubles immediately. She was looking like a fairytale. “Don’t cry and worry any longer, silly truth”, she said. I jumped into my sisters clothes, and … whow … everybody looked in my direction. The people loved me and admired me. Wisdom said: “A little lie can be sometimes very wise, dear sister.” But I knew that a lie can never be true .. From that day we divided out tasks. But both we solve people’s problems immediately … only … each on our own special way. At that moment the naked truth was fading away, NOTHING rested before my inner eye. I turned on my radio and I heard the Swedish singers again … I felt a little dizzy, because my mind was void of nothing and became filled with problems of the day. “… if you see the wonder … of the fairytale … you can face the future … even if you fail..” “That is no nonsense”, I knew. When our eyes are able to see the clothes of Wisdom, our minds are able to know that the naked truth cannot be a fairytale. Admiring the wonders of truth, any mind is free to face any future … I. Lamers-Versteeg (filos.) (vr. gr. v. Cusanus en Spinoza Tulip speech. 1993, Oct. 18th. Twilight zone … after Nikola Tesla Twilight zone. What can that be? Is there more between heaven and earth … ? Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary says: What can I tell you about a period that is full of faint half-light? Light is something between heaven and earth. Light is formed by electric -magnetic fields which are not this or that but this and that. Electric magnetic fields propagate themselves between heaven and earth. Moving electric charges create magnetic fields, which in their turn influence charges to move. Moving electric charges give birth to magnetic fields … and so on. At the moment the one movement is dying, the other has already come to life, creating new life when fading away ….. They are like day and night, never together and always influencing each others birth and death at a speed of 300.000 kilo meters a second. So between heaven and earth space is filled with influences. The famous physician Paracelcus stated in the sixteenth century that to have the flue is only the result of influencing planets and stars. He assured his patients that there are no incurable diseases, but only ignorant medicines. In our time our scientists are less ignorant. It is since a short period that they are able to agree that light, warmth emission, wireless communication, electricity and magnetism, and so on … are different forms of the same. But while moving charges and fields do their best to serve the growing human needs, there is much more to learn about our tiny servants. In our time we are well known with the use of electric magnetic forces. We can turn a switch and … flash … twilight is gone. It looks quite normal and absolutely not like a mystery. But who gave us this electric magnetic world? Who … invented the huge transmission of energy to every village, every house …. and every human mind? Some people say he was born on a spaceship moving between Venus and Earth in the year 1856. Nikola Tesla was born in Kroatia. A intelligent child, building a waterwheel in the river behind his house and fortifying his character by giving his sweets to other children. After studying in Graz, the young and handsome engineer, started working. In the twilight evening in the city park of Budapest he admired the perishing sun, remembering a poem of Goethe. “The day is done, the sun moves over. Where ever she goes, she supports new life …” At the same moment: a light flash in his mind. “That ’s it.” Fading and at the same time rising, the sun supports life in the same way like as electric-magnetic forces do. His discovery changed the human world. What was his discovery? He invented a system power full and clean for generating and transmitting electricity, based on alternating electric-magnetic influences. His system was based on “out of face” coils, inducing magnetic fields. Like the sun the alternating current supported new “life” fading away and rising again…at a very high speed of alternation. Our world became an electrical world by this system of AC. or Alternating Current. He became a wealthy and rich man by selling his invention to the American Westinghouse Company. Tesla was not interested in moneymaking and tried to invent a way of creating clean energy out of light … moving between heaven and earth. But in 1890 most scientists thought his ideas were fixations. Most academics did not take him seriously. The time was not ready for this ideas about energy and thinking about what IS between heaven and earth. They thought there was nothing between heaven and earth than they knew knew.. When Tesla’s life came in the twilight sunset, he could only discus his idea’s with his pigeons. But at the moment his ideas seemed to die they created new knowledge. Today you can visit the Tesla Museum in Belgrado, while his face once has been printed on Yugoslavian money notes. If it is so, can we expect, like Paracelcus and Tesla did, a sunrise of growing knowledge supporting new and healthier life between heaven and earth? Ida Lamers Points for discussion:
Venus and AdonisMythology by Shakespeare *Did you ever experience some influences you could not understand? When the poet William Shakespeare went to London, it was a tradition that young promising poets and artists looked for protection of rich lovers or art. To express his gratitude and to give a convincing prove of his abilities as a poet he wrote Venus and Adonis for his meacenas Sir Henry Wriothshesly. Shakespeare’s father, a man who could not even write his own name but in spite of that he became the mayor of his village Stratford on the river Avon, wanted the best possible education for his son. So William visited the Latin school and learned to read the works of classic Greek and Roman writers, like Ploutarchos. In the first years of the Christian era Ploutarchos translated the whole Greek mythology and theology in Latin.
Venus is the Latin name of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Earthly love. She represents the pure feminine fertility. Her strength lies in her passion or desire to be ”kissed” and to be loved by the pure masculine power. Like the Earth she always desires to be kissed and activated by the awakening dawn. In the dark of the night Venus is hunting for being loved by the Heavenly sunrise, so new life can be created on Earth. Adonis is the Latin name of Apollo, the Greek God of Heavenly love. He represents the pure masculine power. His strength lies not in a mutual passion for being loved by the pure feminine fertility. The passion and desire of Heavenly Adonis is for mastering life. Adonis is hunting in the light of the day to subject life on Earth to his ordering actions, even when it should destroy his own life. The Greek mythical world is like a stage full of Gods and Goddesses, each possessing specific qualities for creating and destroying the drama of life and love. The Greek and later the Romans shaped the literal background which inspired the whole cultural world till nowadays. Shakespeare’s poem is a magnificent revision of the timeless ”truth” about natural ”masculine” and ”feminine” forces, like Yin and Yang, day and night, power and passion … attraction and repulsion … The poem and play begins by showing a purple pale cheeked sunrise. Beautiful tender young Adonis passes by in his horse reigned chariot. When Venus sees him passing by, she whispers: But what a pity, when she tries to embrace him, he is unwillingly. When Venus finally turns him over for one kiss, he immediately frees himself from the stranglehold of the irresistible Goddess. He likes to follow his own passion for hunting wild boars (swine) in the woods. Shakespeare would not be Shakespeare if he had not mingled two or more actions in one story. While Adonis tries to free himself, his faithful horse is waiting for his master. Suddenly between the trees appears a beautiful young mare. The stallion follows his suddenly awakened sexual reactions, forsakes the mastering power of Adonis and disappears in the woods with the mare. Here we can recognise Shakespeare’s vision on the mutual relation between mastery and passion. Adonis loves chasing, while Venus chases to be loved, powerfull playing on the stage of Nature. Because the woods and especially the boars are very dangerous, Venus is afraid that she, and the whole Earth, will loose forever the pure innocent beauty of the pale cheeked young Adonis, fresh and pure as the early morning sunrise. She warns him for the danger of the boars’ sharp teeth. But Adonis follows his natural passion for hunting and mastering, He leaves Venus in despair behind. Time passes by, the day ends, the night comes in. Venus is waiting … the next sunrise is coming … Adonis returns again … but … this time he is … badly wounded. His wounds weep with purple tears and drench the grass. The grass even seems to bleed, pure out of solemn sympathy with the wounded God. A little red flower (the famous white-red Adonis flower) is just new born at that moment in the early morning sunrise. Adonis is dying now in the loving arms of Venus, who understands that the Earth has lost its heavenly treasure of purity and innocence … forever. There is awful sorrow but also sweet consolation in the end of the poem of Shakespeare:
Since thou are dead, I prophesy, I shall be the cause of war and dire events, By this, the boy that by her side lay kill’d And in his blood that on the ground lay spill’d
Poor flower, quoth she, it is as good There shall not be a minute of an hour. Summarised and written by: drs. I. Lamers-Versteeg. Played by: Thurlygood Company ’64 A short story about helpless people, deserted in a rich but immoral country.
Desert Island Did you ever dream to be isolated on a Desert Island? Or perhaps your isolation was not a dream at all … but pure reality. Isolation is to be alone with yourself. Well, I am sure you do not have to dream or even to travel, to feel what it is like to be totally alone with yourself. Here I want to speak about three ways to be alone with yourself. * First you can appreciate yourself as a very pleasant person to be alone with. Such nice company can present you a very entertaining stay on an island … cut off from the weary social world. The spiritual luggage you brought with you is your sympathy for your inner life. Your intellectual suitcase contains anything you need to be your own positive thinking comrade. Loneliness is the situation you need to find new inspiration. This situation can seem to you the summit of desirable luxury. It can give your life that authentic touch … about which the Spanish philosopher José Ortega Y Gasset wrote: “The authenticity of a life … you can measure with its loneliness.” Ortega was a type of man who likes to be an isolated outsider. Such human beings enjoy themselves and others. They describe the changing ocean around their Desert Island of thoughts. * The second way to be isolated with yourself is when you hate yourself as a person to be alone with. Your own company will give you a boring stay on a topic where nobody else is available. Your spiritual luggage is very small and life looks unbearable disgusting. Alone with yourself, life looses every glance and looks shabby and grey. Every passing ship is better than to be on an Desert Island with yourself. * The third way to be alone with yourself is to feel mixed up between love and hate for loneliness. You love loneliness … because it can help you to escape from a crowded scene. But you hate loneliness … when it hinders you to engage with other people. For example, you are at a party, where you know only very few people. They are very busy, take less notice of you and you cannot find any person to begin a small talk. In the big ocean of Western culture there are many Desert Islands. Most people need sometimes to be captured in loneliness to feel free from captures they suffer in daily life. Some people are able to choose when, where and which time they will be in free imprisonment. They call it holidays. Because holidays can cure mind and body. But not everyone is able to choose his or her own departure to deserted areas of life. In our high technological world there are lots of moral problems. One of them is the way to handle with people with mental diseases like schizophrenia or manic depressions. As most of us know, our mind can be described as a chemical fabric … working on neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals who can be held responsible for contacts between cells in our brains. They regulate our fight or escape behaviour. A little too less and we fall in a deep depression. We want to escape, to be alone … and we want to die. Disfunctioning neurotransmitters are the cause that a lot of people do not have any chance to choose for mental holidays. They have to fall from one extreme into another, spending all their physical energy. The use of drugs, modern food and unattractive future-possibilities for young people help to increase the amount of mental diseases. Recent psychologists stand for a big dilemma, what can they do in a time with lower economic expectations? Psycho analytical treatment cannot help sufficiently. Even training in positive thinking can cause a very vulnerable self esteem in people who are captured on their inner Desert Island. There are more and more people who suffer on their Desert Island and there is less and less money to help them all. In recent time there is no place, no money and no people to help the most incurable patients. In our rich enonomy there is no other solution than leaving the most helpless ones alone in the streets where they stay deserted with their unmanageable aggressions and fears. So in the big cities we have to tolerate the total loneliness of man and women who feel not only deserted but are in reality totally forgotten by our economists and politicians. But … when we tolerate such political deserts, wherein the most helpless creatures are left alone with their nightmares, their pains, their sufferings … then we are real rocky Deserted Islands … deserted from any heart and moral life. Drs. I. Lamers-Versteeg. (filos.) |