Welcome to the Inner Illumination Show! Your host for the show is Addison C. Arthur.
Addison: This is Addison. Greetings and welcome to all our listeners.
Catharsis: And, this is Catharsis. Yes, a grand hello to all of you out there. This is our first radio show. As such, the format for the show is subject to change based upon feedback obtained, listener interest, just for the fun of changing it around on you, or because Addison chooses to. What is our topic for today Addison?
Addison: The topic for today’s discussion is the phrase “beautiful in spirit.” Before we get to that let’s take a look at any interesting news highlights that we have come across, comment on any mail we have received, and mention any events popping up on the horizon which we feel may be worthwhile for our audience to know about.
Addison: Lindsey please begin reading the article we are discussing today.
Defined: beautiful – having qualities of beauty; exciting aesthetic pleasure; generally pleasing; excellent. Beauty – the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit; loveliness. Spirit – an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms; the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person; the feeling, quality or disposition characterizing something; a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature; general intent or real meaning.
What does the phrase “beautiful in spirit” mean? As we can see from the definitions, the phrase can mean different things to different people. Take the beauty part of this phrase for instance. If we have several people look at an assortment of paintings and then ask each person which painting is beautiful, we could have each person select a painting that is different from the choices the other people in the group made, assuming there are enough paintings to choose from. We can also have the group as a whole say that all the paintings are beautiful, yet one stands out as the most beautiful in the collection. As the saying goes, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.”
Catharsis: Lindsey please pause the reading there. Addison, it is interesting that you brought art into the article. We have been to some art museums together and you know what is interesting about them?
Addison: What would that be?
Catharsis: A lot of the so-called important works are kept at a distance from the viewer, enclosed within protective glass, or not displayed at all.
Addison: It would seem that the curator is attempting to preserve the works for future viewers.
Catharsis: I can understand that. I mean what if some art aficionado happened to take the rest of Van Gogh’s ear or, try to add some of his own color choices onto the painting? The main problem I have with the paintings being at such a distance is that I may desire to get up close and personal with the technique that the artist used in the process; to see the texture and brush strokes in close detail. And, what about the lighting the museums use? What if I want to see the art in another color, perhaps even under a black light?
Addison: I can understand your desire to get close enough to a painting to appreciate the texture and possibly manipulate the surrounding conditions. As I recall, you tried that once at a museum and it did not work out very well for you.
Takeaway to the skit:
Catharsis: This is a very nice piece. What if we take it and turn it upside down like this?
[We hear a child start to cry.]
Catharsis: And check this out. The colors really stand out under this black light I brought with me!
[The child cries, "Mama, I want my painting back!"]
Security Guard: What is going on here? Does that painting belong to you, sir?
Catharsis: Well, no…
Security Guard: Then I am going to have to ask you to step away from the painting sir. Sir, release the painting and step away!
[Coming back to the present]
Catharsis: Oh, you mean at that children’s art museum. Hey, I was only trying to help the boy get a further appreciation of the painting he made, by showing him another perspective to it. I felt he was very gifted.
Addison: Yes, I know you meant well. Continue the article reading please.
What is it about an object that a person finds pleasing? Perhaps the symmetry or shape of the object strikes one as pleasing to look at. Possibly the color palette used affects the viewer in a pleasing way. If the object is one that can be touched, then perhaps the texture is pleasing. And so on. Taken as a whole, the various properties of the object being sensed are experienced as being pleasurable.
One may ask why one person may sense beauty in things that another does not? Afterall, a typical human senses things within the same range as most other humans do. Why would one find a certain color, shape, texture, sound, etc., more pleasing than another? I suggest that perception, mental associations, memories, and mood have a lot to do with it. Yet there are things that affect most people the same way regardless of the above suggestion.
One of the things that affect most people in the same way is color. Researchers know that red tends to raise blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, and skin response (perspiration) and to excite brain waves. Blue tends to have the reverse effect, to lower blood pressure and pulse rate; skin response is less, and brain waves tend to decline.
If we take these two colors and ask different people which one they prefer we will get some choosing one and the rest the other. Perhaps the same people will choose the opposite color at another time. Why? At a certain moment a person may be in the mood for passion which is enhanced by the color red, while at another moment the same person may be in the mood for relaxation which is enhanced by the color blue.
Catharsis: Please pause the reading there. An interesting idea just occurred to me. Wouldn’t it be interesting to use color with your significant other? I figure you can actually promote and avoid certain interactions just by the use of color alone.
Addison: That sounds reasonable. Why don’t you expand upon your idea for us?
Catharsis: Just think of how many embarrassing or negative situations we could avoid if our mate used color to signal certain things. Red could be used to say that things are a go for passionate intimacy. Orange could be used for “I am being social and if you play your cards right we may get to something more.” Blue could be used for “I am relaxed so please do not freak me out right now.” And, of course black can be used to signal the infamous “honey, I have a headache” moment.
Addison: That is an interesting idea. I can see where that might lower the amount of surprises but what if one mate is constantly seeing red and the other blue or black?
Catharsis: Then it is quite possible that they need more than colors in their relationship. It was just an idea. Please continue the reading.
Where do perceptions, mental associations and memories fit in? If we take that relaxing blue and use it as the main color for a seascape painting, people tend to associate that scene with past experiences that may be similar. If one happened to have had a negative experience in a similar scene, that person may actually tense up instead of relaxing.
Now let’s start to link beauty with spirit. Depending on one’s idea of what spirit is, it can be simply the intent or meaning associated with an object, place, or life form. We can expand this a bit further and say that spirit can be the usual disposition of an object, place or life form. And the ultimate expansion based upon our previous definitions would be seeing spirit as the life force within.
Catharsis: Lindsey please pause the reading. Addison, you remember that story about Frankenstein?
Addison: Yes, I am familiar with it. There have been quite a few movies made about that story.
Catharsis: The story of Frankenstein reminds me that what is interesting about spirit is that most people can only feel it, or see it in action. Frankenstein set up his scientific contraptions to call forth the life force to give animation to his creation. [Sound effect here] Can you imagine such a scientist trying to locate the life force today?
Takeaway to the skit:
Mad Scientist: [Weird laughing] Where is that spirit? Where is it?! I have taken this body apart and I cannot find it. Maybe these 3d glasses I got at Universal Studios will help.
[Back to the present]
Catharsis: Perhaps he would have been better off using Kirlian photography instead. At least that way he would not have damaged a body for something that is usually seen by most people through its physical manifestation anyway. Continue the reading please.
How does one sense intent or meaning? Most humans rely on their vision to sense these with. The second most relied upon sense for this purpose would be hearing. While these senses bring in certain information it is eventually interpreted using the brain as a collection and filtering organ. The person’s mind then makes a decision on intent. If the intent or meaning is perceived as negative then the object, place, or life form is considered displeasurable. If perceived as positive, then pleasurable. The pleasurable will have more probability of being beautiful to that person.
Catharsis: Please pause the reading. With some people it is very easy to figure out what their intent is. Take those remarks that are often quite crude that some men make towards women in construction zones. What if they raised their intent to a more positive level?
Takeaway to the skit:
[Construction background noise]
Whistles are heard.
Construction Worker 1: Look at the spirit on her!”
Construction Worker 2: I sure would like to get me some of that spirit!
[Back to the present moment]
Addison: That would probably be a step up for most receiving such attention. However, I personally favor a more subtle approach.
Catharsis: Ah, Addison maybe that is why you are still single! Continue with the reading.
Most of us know that something which is visually beautiful can be quite displeasurable in its other dimensions. Let’s take a tiger for instance. Visually, I find a tiger to be a beautiful animal. But as many humans have found out, touching a tiger can have a displeasurable effect, such as being eaten! This situation can be quite beautiful from the tiger’s perspective in getting a meal, and highly displeasurable or ugly for the human being eaten. [A tiger is roaring]
Catharsis: Pause the reading please. That would certainly be a displeasurable situation for most. But you know there are people that go to the circus where animal acts are just hoping to see one of the animals break loose on the trainer. I mean they would really love to see a tiger grab the whip out of the guy’s hand and teach him a lesson.
Addison: Yes, I suppose there are. That is a risk one takes when doing such work. The point in the article is that what people find to be beautiful often distracts their attention away from any hidden danger that may be present. Continue reading the article.
As most of us are aware, when the term “beautiful in spirit” is used, it is usually applied to another human. As we know from experience, each individual has a normal disposition (personality or temperament) while having minor to major emotional fluctuations or outbursts. And, there is usually an intent or purpose when a person does something.
Catharsis: Pause the reading please. Addison you know what I find interesting about the phrase “beautiful in spirit?” It is typically the so-called attractive people that say it about others they do not find physically attractive. I mean “beautiful in spirit” may be just a nice thing to say about someone one finds sensually displeasurable.
Addison: Yes, there probably are people who do such a thing. Ironically, I suggest that they are correct in saying it no matter who it is said about. Continue with the reading.
What is a beautiful intention? This can be seen as having the purpose behind one’s action to give pleasure to another, especially pleasure that exalts the mind and spirit. At the very least I suggest that it is having the intention of not causing harm to another. I would also suggest that the highest pleasure one can give to another is unconditional love. This would certainly be loveliness.
What is a beautiful disposition? It is quite possible that the person with this disposition is highly self-regulated, thus keeping his or her emotional flare-ups to a minimum. This person also strives to be harmonious within and does not intentionally cause disharmony for others.
Catharsis: Pause the reading please. Do you remember that experiment we did in front of a group of people with identical-looking people in which the audience was to feel the intention and disposition from each?
Addison: Yes, how could I forget that one? Naruto made it more challenging in controlling the experiment…
Takeaway to the skit:
Catharsis: The intent of this experiment is to detect the intent of two identical-looking people who are not identical twins. As you will see, they are dressed the same, the hair style is the same… for all practical purposes they look the same. However, these two people are from completely different backgrounds. One of these two has a normal disposition of being negative, while the other has a normal disposition that is positive. The test here is to see if you can feel the difference between the two. Naruto are the two participants about ready for the experiment?
Naruto: They look the same. I spun them around so much that I do not know which one is which by looking at them. I am not sure if they know which one is which at this point.
Catharsis: That was very thoughtful of you Naruto. Now if you can have them take their seats in front of the audience with a neutral look on their faces.
Naruto: Will do Catharsis. You two have seat here and no smiling, no frowning, no nothing. Just pretend you are clothes dummy in store window.
Catharsis: Are they ready?
Naruto: Let me look into their faces again and see. Remember, no smiling, no frowning, no nothing. Just be clothes dummy.
Catharsis: Okay, Naruto pick someone from the audience to attempt feeling the disposition of these two.
Naruto: Sir, you with the green hair come on up here. Okay, remember one rule when feeling the disposition of these two women. You no touch them with any part of your body. If you touch I take care of you real quick, got it?
[Back to the present moment]
Addison: The identical-looking women were either too disoriented, or laughing at Naruto’s antics. And the audience was wary of Naruto taking care of them if they accidentally touched the two women. Okay, please read the last line in the article.
I say we are all beautiful in spirit, although we may at times not have a beautiful intent or disposition.
Catharsis: I noticed that one of the key statements in your definition section is that beauty exalts the mind and spirit. Isn’t it true that while it exalts the mind and spirit of the perceiver, beauty may also activate some negative traits such as greed, lust, etc.?
Addison: Yes, it is always possible for one to try to own or control beauty for his or her own purposes. Some people make quite a good living at this type of thing. I suggest it is one’s own development that influences how one perceives beauty and how it can be appreciated.
Catharsis: Understood. Some things in nature, such as a rainbow perhaps, strike most people with a since of beauty and awe. However, I see many people taking many beautiful expressions of spirit for granted or not noticing them at all. The life force acts in a very subtle manner and can easily be overlooked.
Addison: True enough. I suggest that the finer one’s ability to feel and perceive is, the more the life force is noticed.
Catharsis: With that in mind it seems that many people are feeling and perceiving in a coarse manner, and that would probably explain why something quite out of the ordinary takes place on occasion to help inspire or wake people up to something different. I can think of one excellent example that many are claiming to see.
Takeaway to the skit:
[Sound of UFO landing]
[Crowd gasping. Lasers being fired.]
{Back to the present moment]
Addison: Didn’t you just watch the movie War of the Worlds? That may explain part of your vision there. I do not recall any of the sightings of UFOs having such a grand effect on the masses. However, you do raise a good point and we will leave it for our listeners to ponder upon.
Catharsis: Well, that is the end of our current show. Please feel free to suggest a topic or guest for the show and we will catch you next time. And, as we like to say here, “May you be the Light, and resonate Unconditional Love.”
[End of Show]