Prisms of light

When we look at the world, we think we see it.

But in fact, we see the tiniest fraction of it.  Out of an equivalent of 10 billion bits of information per second arriving on the retina at the back of the eye, just six million bits leave the retina through the optical nerve, and only 10,000 bits per second make it to the visual cortex.  Then, once we’ve processed the information for our conscious perception, we’re using less than 100 bits per second.[1]

So we perceive one bit of information for every 100 million bits that hit our eye.

When we experience a moment of enlightenment, I think the same kind of ratio applies.  Once we start to become conscious of it, try to make sense of it, only the tiniest portion of our experience makes it through.  And then, if we have the temerity to try to communicate anything about it… well maybe we should just “fuggedaboutit”!

Still, from time to time, my good sense leaves me, and I try to put words around something that maybe I shouldn’t.   That’s why I call this page “Prisms of Light”.  We each make our own rainbow out of what we perceive.

Here are some beams:

A Moment to Touch the Li (poem)

The Three Boxes of Enlightenment (short story)

I give thanks… (litany)

Finding the li?  It’s easy!  You see… (poem)

Rhythms of Joy (poem)

Trust (poem)

What’s The Point (poem)

When I Die (poem)

---

[1] Marcus E. Raichle, “The Brain’s Dark Energy,” Scientific American, March 2010, 44-49.

Advertisement