Our brains are landscape intelligent. We are interested in the landmarks and pathways with which we have evolved. But, although our landmarks and pathways are qualiadelic, they hold our interest for only a moment before we go chasing after matter. This is perfectly understandable, the result of millions of years of adaptation. We are animals, and qualia has always led animals right to the matter they need to survive. But the pathways animals follow are are on the surface of things, while human pathways attract us with the qualia within things — they are filled with meaning. Animals react to signs; people react to symbols. Mere food, sex, and shelter is not enough to make us happy. Our inner landscapes, our minds, and our imaginations reveal to us that there is something more to life.
2018-05-04