|
“I Modulate” An Essay by Finn, the Modern Druid Philosophers
have often hidden the simple workings of nature behind foggy words. Mystics
in particular like to wrap experience in mystery, suggesting that reality is
somehow beyond comprehension. I take the opposite path. My task as druid is
not to mystify but to demystify, to speak plainly about how nature works and
to what end. The minim I want to explain is short and sharp: “I modulate.” 1. The ‘I’ is an Address, not a Soul When I
say ‘I’, I do not mean an immortal
essence, nor a little homunculus inside the head, nor my ego. I mean an address:
a confined state in which nature’s energy packets aggregate as real
identifiable unit. Every photon, every electron, every organism is an ‘I’ in this
sense — a bounded standing wave (of nested energy quanta) in a random sea of
energy quanta. To be an ‘I’ is
simply to be cognisable. A photon is cognizable because it is
distinguishable from the vacuum. A heartbeat is because it is rhythm
in the flow of blood. You and I are because our bodily confinement,
our set of limitations, makes us distinct from the air, and indeed other
confined energy aggregations, around us. 2. Every ‘I’ Is a Standing Wave Physics
teaches that waves, momenta, can (appear to) stand: that is, they can form a
stable pattern by the interference of random vibrations. A guitar string,
plucked at the right frequency, produces a standing wave that holds its form
until the energy dissipates. Likewise,
each emergent in nature, such as an human or a
bacterium, functions as a standing wave of random momenta. Atoms stand
as resonances of protons and electrons. A living cell stands as a resonance
of molecular interactions. Even consciousness, as real-time interface, stands
as a screened resonance of neural firings. To operate
as a standing wave is to be identifiable and real, albeit temporary— stable
enough to persist, but never permanent (as the Buddha stated 2500 years
ago). 3. Reception Requires Difference A wave
pattern that does not differ from background cannot be noticed. Reception
depends on difference. A radio set can only pick up a station if the signal
is modulated differently from noise. A baby’s cry is received because it
stands out from the hum of a household. In the
same way, every ‘I’ exists
because it is different — it confines energy into a distinctive pattern that
can be received by others. 4. Modulation Is Relay with Alteration The story
does not stop with reception. Every emergent receives momenta (i.e. data) —
impacts from other waves — and relays them onward. But the relay is never
neutral. The confinement of the emergent, as unique (logic = self-coherent) state,
alters what is received. Its output is always modulated. Input modulation
serves to improve a receiver’s survivability. ·
A photon striking an atom does not emerge the
same; the atom re-emits a photon at a new frequency. ·
A neuron receiving an impulse does not merely
pass it on; it modulates the signal according to its synaptic weights. ·
A human receiving a word never repeats it
exactly; it is filtered through memory, accent, context, and emerges altered. Relay
without modulation would be sterile repetition. Life continues because every
relay is a modulation — a difference that sustains continuance. 5. Continuance Is Unpredictable Because
each modulation is shaped by confinement, hence an emergent’s
momentary ‘best’ survival state, and because confinement itself is a ‘best’ response
to random input, outcomes are not (fully) predictable. The dominoes fall, but
each tilt is slightly new. The standing wave renews itself in ways that
cannot be foreseen in advance. This
unpredictability is not a failure; it is the motor of evolution, adaptation,
creativity. Continuance does not mean sameness. It means difference carried
forward. 6. The Logical Conclusion Put
together, the logic is simple: ·
Every emergent is an ‘I’: a
confined standing wave of random momenta. ·
Every ‘I’ receives energy impacts. ·
Every ‘I’ must relay them in order to persist. ·
Every relay is differential: confinement alters
what is received. ·
Thus, every ‘I’ modulates. Therefore the druid’s minim reads: “I modulate.” 7. Examples from Everyday Life ·
The Voice: Air from the lungs
vibrates the vocal cords. The shape of the mouth and tongue modulates
that vibration into speech, which another ear can receive. ·
The River: Water
flowing downstream meets rocks and banks. Each obstruction modulates
the flow, creating ripples, swirls, or rapids. ·
The Mind: A memory or idea enters
thought and is re-expressed in new words. The brain never repeats exactly. It
modulates what is given into what is possible. Conclusion: Demystification There is
no secret essence behind the world, no hidden lawgiver pulling strings (or
as the Buddha said 2500 years ago, all observables happen without abiding substance.)
There are only transient emergents, each an ‘I’ modulating
what is received into something new, just to survive. Hence the
simple observation: “I
modulate.” It is the
most natural conclusion, the plain logic of how continuance in a random
universe becomes possible. |