Holding to an ideal is as hard as breaking an addiction. In fact, the two skills are complimentary; to do one at all gives us the confidence to do the other.
Very few people are hip enough to pay attention to it, but those who are realize that qualia reveals two distinct landscapes: the “real” landscapes of our senses, and the “ideal” landscapes of the mind.
Qualia on the surface of things (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures) reveals what we commonly think of as reality. But the qualia within things, around which matter is formed, is another reality altogether – a reality of ideals, or perhaps, what we might call the “play” of thought.
When it comes to addiction, our attention is focused on superficial things – surface qualia – but in the mind, addiction controls the play of thoughts to create an ideal world that, ultimately, is not so ideal after all. In general, the qualia within things has evolved to help them endure (as the hexagon shape helps a snowflake endure, or a “tradition” helps a community endure), but the mind of an addict has been hijacked to help the addiction endure.
Addiction does keep us focused – no doubt about it – but the ideal we are focused on (the “fix”) is narrow, unhealthy, and ultimately negative. Addiction (and much of life in the human landscape) is clumsily fueled by Big Dopamine, while most beings on the planet run exceptionally well on Little Dopamine. Learning to notice the difference between the two is imperative – absolutely necessary.
This is where the Qualia Quotient can improve our ability to increase our focus and decrease our cravings. When our Interest and Participation levels are closely matched in the middle (around 5 out of 10) our alertness is broadened and steady. Imagine walking up to the center of a seesaw; all our attention is on not falling, but once we are in balance we can look beyond ourselves and take in so much more.
So, while Little Dopamine balances our Interest and Participation levels allows us to look beyond ourselves, Big Dopamine throws our Interest and Participation levels out of balance. Big Dopamine – addiction – makes us focus on the surface qualia and Little Dopamine helps us focus on the inner qualia.
This balance between Big and Little dopamine might be compared to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (different hormones are at play, but we must consider dopamine metaphorically). The sympathetic system represents fight or flight, sending blood to our feet and fists, and narrowing our focus – because we have to take care of immediate business. The other, the parasympathetic system, draws the blood to our center – and allows us to calmly observe more of our surroundings. Hopefully, the sympathetic nervous system is mostly asleep and our lives are predominantly contented.
When cruising along on Little Dopamine (when our Interest and Participation levels are in balance) we can hold positive ideals in the mind – and we live them better, too, and we can break Big Dopamine habits – addiction.
The question is always asked, “how can I replace the cravings?” And the answer is “with the play of thoughts.” When you observe the surface qualia of something and find yourself wondering about what lies beneath, you have stepped into the “playground.”
It is only when we are in balance that we can see beyond ourselves, and beneath the surface of other people, other creatures, and other things. This balance gives us the wherewithal to be creative and to solve problems. This is the playground of invention and compassion, and it is here that we find meaning in our lives.
Historically, the inner reality of things (mostly hidden from us), has been imagined and interpreted, mythically, religiously, artistically, poetically, and most recently, scientifically. This is where our best and our healthiest ideals come from, but – ideals rarely stay in the mind for long.
Visualize a hexagon and it may be white on a black background, it may be tiny, it may consist of dots, but then it may (it will!) change: it will become filled with color, or turn from dots into lines, or transform from a snowflake into falling snow. It is difficult to hold anything perfectly in the mind, even a color or a simple shape, and much harder to stabilize our thoughts and dreams. What did you want to be when you grew up? What did you imagine your true love would look like? How can we live in utopian harmony?
Reality, the landscape that has evolved in tandem with the senses, disintegrates when we examine it with the play of our thoughts. We learn, for instance, that the earth’s bounty is not here to serve us, but is a delicate balance that our addictive human landscape is throwing out of whack. With a little imagination we can reinvent a new ideal – and overcome our addictions at the same time.
Be qualiadelic and recover!