Contemplating Space and the Empty

Something which has been at the fore of my mind of late is the contemplation of space. A vast word, space, appropriate for the reality which it is tasked to represent regardless of how it is couched for a situation. How we manipulate it and are consequently shaped in return is utterly fascinating.

As the concept is almost literally infinite in scope, I will try to set the tone by starting this exploration through the world of music. There are many selections that serve as gateways for me, and I will sprinkle one or two more through this post, but I feel as though this might be appropriate for a beginning:

Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan" is awarded first representation due in some part to a direct connection to space as a physical place - Space with a capital "S". The lyrics depict floating through the universe with a lover, remarking on life below them and the visions surrounding. However, driving the performance is not the content of the words themselves, but the atmosphere that it contributes to creating. Vocals are projected through a rotating Leslie speaker, creating an illusion of sounding distant yet entirely surrounding the listener. Augmenting this eerie spot of studio engineering is the remainder of the band: the psychedelic strum of an acoustic guitar, the low thrum of bass notes, and gentle conga beats. Tiny gaps between instrumental phrasings serve to explode the moment they have created beyond a physical room - sparse and minimal, the final product is unmistakable in its capturing of an expansive black dimension, with small points of light to illuminate the darkness. And so the caravan proceeds, with this particular listener undoubtedly in tow each time.

I want to emphasize how notes in "Planet Caravan" seem to hang in the air, creating the aforementioned tiny gaps. Emptiness. To me, it manifests almost paradoxically with the density of a black hole, however momentary before the void fills with the next note.

As I sit and think on this more, how we relate to the inseparability of space and emptiness seems to be the natural direction to move in from here. Adding emptiness into the mix complicates matters some, in part because there are significant portions of our human collective that are bred to meet emptiness as the culmination of Nothingness, or emptiness as the manifestation of that which is Meaningless. Within the context of Space, imagine Planet Caravan on a bad trip. Within that vacuum, there is no sound, no life - one can float on forever seemingly without the chance of ever meeting another life-form. The only thing that fills such an emptiness are paranoid and fearful thoughts. One can become lost. Taken in metaphorical contexts, space and emptiness affects us as the distance between ourselves and those whom we hold in highest regard or sincere love. For creatures that thrive upon social interaction and shared emotional bonds, confusion and apprehension comes natural after the statement "I need space." Why jettison off into the unknown cosmos to discover yourself alone when it is safer and more comforting to make the passage together? Feelings are marched through the deserted cities of our hearts, led in chains by conquering cohorts of self-doubt and uncertainty. Above all we reject and loathe death, the daily reminder that our existence can become totally meaningless instantaneously. Consciousness is replaced by emptiness for eternity, and we have no control over this. This serves to cast these concepts as the natural opposition to what we endeavor to achieve in life, in that we seek to fill it with people and objects that hopefully distract from the paralyzing, debilitating truth surrounding us.

Should life be defined by this inherently negative, fearful perspective of emptiness, however? Not necessarily. Alternatively, why not understand emptiness as that singular factor which unites the universe and provides meaning instead of destroying it, as the force which moves through all life?

Consider this passage from the Laozi, also known as the Tao Te Ching:

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.

This section of the text is an immensely powerful philosophical offering, one that could only emerge from a part of the world where materialism has never been the chiefest of concerns (therefore it is no coincidence that most of those who fear what emptiness implies are Westerners leading highly-material, individualized lives). That which is intangible and supposedly lacking can be manipulated in order to create meaning in all aspects of living. Implied is the need to experience and become imbued with emptiness - the type of empirical engagement which serves as the launching point for this very blog. We too are vessels longing to be filled with something greater than ourselves. Within emptiness there is room for self-discovery, creation, and limitless sharing...

...which leads me back to my gateway of music, where I will leave off on this discussion until next time. Its manipulation and shaping of emptiness through the exploration of space brings me to a place where I feel my spirit to be a part of everything and nothing simultaneously. Two final examples to share which I believe highlight my process:

The sacred music of Gregorian Chant capitalizes upon favorable acoustics created by the cavernous interiors of glorious cathedrals. Empty space magnifies the melismatic technique of the male voices, transforming mortal expression into divine messages traversing across astral planes. Even for those of a secular mind such as myself, the innate power built into the form of the chant is one that draws my soul into the sensation of existing within something. Alternatively, Erik Satie's "Uspud", as a precursor of minimalism, heavily incorporates silence and empty spaces into the composition. None of the silences are uniform, lasting for variable lengths of time throughout the work. Within these pregnant pauses, the composer has not only found a way to underscore the previous and coming measures, but allows the listener to fill them with thought, feeling, to create their own spiritual music. Those moments then transcend their boundaries and become timeless, infinite, and beautiful. Those moments are our own, yet each other's.

Initial Monologue

It is paramount that any future audience of this blog be addressed directly before we embark together on what ideally will be an enlightening journey for all involved. I wish to first capture the ethos that contributed to the naming of this series "Marking the Tabula Rasa", and expanding upon the succinct description that appears beneath it so as to clarify any potential confusion or skepticism.

The concept of the "blank slate" traces a long lineage back to the earliest thinkers. At a most general understanding, it serves as a keystone of epistemology and empiricism, offering the idea that at birth, the human mind is devoid of impressions and influences that shape both worldly perceptions and conceptualizations of our own identities. Proponents of this "field" state that through growth and observing the evidence of life around us, humanity then develops "a posteriori" comprehension of objects, events, and people. To paraphrase an old adage, a man who works with his hands knows his world. Take, for instance, a carpenter: in order to build a cabinet, he must have an understanding of wood-working. He must know what type of wood would suit the job; if he cuts down the trees he uses to work with, he must know where to find the appropriate trees; he must know how to cut either with or against the natural grain, and to incorporate knots into his product; he must utilize geometry and mathematical skills to correctly size the cabinet; he must sand the wood until it is smooth; ultimately, he must be able to see his vision as he works through each step in the process. Man is not born with the innate knowledge to build cabinets, nor is man endowed with the ability to exit the womb with infallible understanding of a vast, ever-changing world. As the carpenter learns his craft through his physical experience working with wood, so through sensory experience and subsequent processing of thoughts into cohesive ideas, humanity carves markings into its slate.

From the description and the choice of language in translating tabula rasa to "blank slate", it may appear that once the process of experiencing begins, what we decide to inscribe implies a state of permanence - that is, our thoughts and observations are set in stone. It is crucial to remember that empiricism, which this concept helps to inform, doubles as a science as well as philosophical school. Theories built upon falsifiable hypotheses are challenged daily: society has acted as witness while the most touted theories of yesterday succumb to the onslaught of today's new interpretations of facts. Therefore, it is better to think of our minds not as once-and-done stone carvings, but made of wax. If we choose to, we can choose to remold ourselves, resetting to a state of being where we are without preconception and predispositions to think one way or another. I believe this to be an essential aspect of living healthily with ourselves and within this universe.

That is the ethos of this blog - this is a place where I will attempt to share my own quest to probe my surroundings in a way that presents it as though it were the first time. In fact, there may be many instances where I face unknowns; there will also be many episodes that will fall on the familiar side.

I have no intention of limiting the scope of content that passes before my scrutiny, aside from taking all steps to dispel with harmful words. To place a boundary on what is seen, touched, or heard is an impediment against the subsequent attempt to rationalize and come to terms with such sensory exploration. Additionally, while I encourage thoughtful feedback and responses from this audience, I cannot promise that this journey, once undertaken, will produce answers of any concrete fashion - after all, the impermanence of answers was established earlier. I will do my best to guide you through these sensations, be it through providing photographs, music, or even literature to help understand me if I do a poor job of explaining myself. What I can promise, however, is the honesty and the integrity of my written word. To present myself otherwise defeats the entire purpose of what we together can accomplish.

The time has come to embark. Will you come along, whither the path may wind?

(Postscript: for additional information on the concept of the tabula rasa, please reference John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding).