So good to read, be reminded of some past thought journeys and, as an adjunct, witness the strength and possibility of AI, which in this case, generated a remarkably real and believable representation of how Alan Watts may have responded to you - though, perhaps, with minor reservations.
I very much enjoyed reading this and it has triggered several paths of thought in my mind, none of which, of course, have I had the time or opportunity to yet explore. As a nullifidian but informal student of religions for 6 decades, the piece particularly interested me.
Thank you for an excellent post. So refreshing to read, among the dross of social media. So invigorating to thought and investigation - in several respects - not least, that of the power and potential for positive and negative influence of AI.
I commend you for this effort - not that I have any status to support my recommendation - for it is one of the better examples of the use of the Internet and its platforms, quite apart from the useful and thoughtful nature of its content. - At least in my opinion.
Take care. Stay safe. - Your post just made my day, so to speak.
To the rise of whiskey vapors immaterial essence into the zen moment that distills the atmosphere with enhanced dreams. Dominus vobiscum. Ecce spirits, Tu tuum. Pax te cum.
Haha! This was a delightful read. I adore Alan Watts, and the themes you skimmed over in the exchange were right up my alley. Like chatbot AW, I also found your likening of organized religion to the fish farm quite striking. What an image that is to consider!
Wow, what a great conversation! And impressed that "Alan" asks as many questions as he answers....
reminds me of what he (or someone similar?) said about how during the missing 17(?) years of Jesus' life he went to India (or Tibet or somewhere like that?) and there announced that He was God. His fellow gurus there said, "of course, you are silly: we all are, don't let it go to your head!!" or somesuch....
Another wonderful and thoughtful conversation with AI, this time with the ghost/energy/data-model of Watts, whose writing has profoundly influenced me over the past few years, long after his death.
Jonathan, you're changing the way I think about AI. I think in my own little cottage of a mind, diving into poetry on the one hand and letting go of my quick knee-jerk judgments of AI on the other (born not of ignorance but of a prior fairly deep involvement in AI research myself, up until about a decade ago, and of a knowing that, yes, it's "just stupid parroting" at its core)...these ventures are showing me over and over that it's about the art itself, first and foremost. It is foolish to criticize the artist merely for which particular subset of self-organizing matter and energy seem to comprise that artist.
The universe, or God, or machines, or digitally resurrected puppets of Alan Watts, or warmly insightful poets of the daily sunrise...all these "things" (which we all know aren't really separate "things" at all) want to create. Let them create! Let there be light! Let our temporary, fleshly, metallic, ever-changing bodies be aspects of the great Vessel of creation! What could be more joyful!
Even in times of inexplicable and deeply tragic bloodshed, poetry lives on.
I loved this. Maybe the most charming use of AI I have run across. Thank you, Jonathan. Great questions and super nostalgic. I will be driving right past My. Tamalpais and Sausalito this morning. Maybe I will spin a session or two just for fun.
I live in Burlingame these days, Jonathan... Driving up to see friends. I stayed with them for half a year in 2022, so Petaluma is home away from home for me. I think of AW every time I drive by Mt. Tam.
Good day, Jonathan. Funny you should ask. Mike and I almost immediately stumbled into a vortex of coincidence that found us pretty quickly sharing pizza and beer in a Hayward strip mall. (Was very good pizza).
I imagine you and I might find ourselves in similar circumstance if I happened to live in the suburbs of Montreal. But, Montreal is a destination for me. With good fortune, that day will come.
Would love to meet up with you in either place — not to mention our mutual old PNW stomping grounds. I’ll be in SF with family in March and won’t have much time on my own, but maybe you and I and Mike could orchestrate a meet-up.
So good to read, be reminded of some past thought journeys and, as an adjunct, witness the strength and possibility of AI, which in this case, generated a remarkably real and believable representation of how Alan Watts may have responded to you - though, perhaps, with minor reservations.
I very much enjoyed reading this and it has triggered several paths of thought in my mind, none of which, of course, have I had the time or opportunity to yet explore. As a nullifidian but informal student of religions for 6 decades, the piece particularly interested me.
Thank you for an excellent post. So refreshing to read, among the dross of social media. So invigorating to thought and investigation - in several respects - not least, that of the power and potential for positive and negative influence of AI.
I commend you for this effort - not that I have any status to support my recommendation - for it is one of the better examples of the use of the Internet and its platforms, quite apart from the useful and thoughtful nature of its content. - At least in my opinion.
Take care. Stay safe. - Your post just made my day, so to speak.
☮️
Thank you. I appreciate your comments, and I'm glad to learn a new word -- nullifidian. Which is a great one.
To the rise of whiskey vapors immaterial essence into the zen moment that distills the atmosphere with enhanced dreams. Dominus vobiscum. Ecce spirits, Tu tuum. Pax te cum.
Thank you for blazing a path through my dell, Mr. Blaisedell. Pax back atcha!
Haha! This was a delightful read. I adore Alan Watts, and the themes you skimmed over in the exchange were right up my alley. Like chatbot AW, I also found your likening of organized religion to the fish farm quite striking. What an image that is to consider!
Thanks for sharing.
Cool, thank you, sir. Yeah that fish farm metaphor was the best thing that came out of the conversation. Great, weird fun.
Fun indeed. You've got me wondering who chatbot will channel next...
Wow, what a great conversation! And impressed that "Alan" asks as many questions as he answers....
reminds me of what he (or someone similar?) said about how during the missing 17(?) years of Jesus' life he went to India (or Tibet or somewhere like that?) and there announced that He was God. His fellow gurus there said, "of course, you are silly: we all are, don't let it go to your head!!" or somesuch....
Yes!
Another wonderful and thoughtful conversation with AI, this time with the ghost/energy/data-model of Watts, whose writing has profoundly influenced me over the past few years, long after his death.
Jonathan, you're changing the way I think about AI. I think in my own little cottage of a mind, diving into poetry on the one hand and letting go of my quick knee-jerk judgments of AI on the other (born not of ignorance but of a prior fairly deep involvement in AI research myself, up until about a decade ago, and of a knowing that, yes, it's "just stupid parroting" at its core)...these ventures are showing me over and over that it's about the art itself, first and foremost. It is foolish to criticize the artist merely for which particular subset of self-organizing matter and energy seem to comprise that artist.
The universe, or God, or machines, or digitally resurrected puppets of Alan Watts, or warmly insightful poets of the daily sunrise...all these "things" (which we all know aren't really separate "things" at all) want to create. Let them create! Let there be light! Let our temporary, fleshly, metallic, ever-changing bodies be aspects of the great Vessel of creation! What could be more joyful!
Even in times of inexplicable and deeply tragic bloodshed, poetry lives on.
I enjoyed this clever presentation of your interesting journey. :) Thank you for sharing.
Thank you
Excellent images. The Sea i have found is Love.
I like that
I loved this. Maybe the most charming use of AI I have run across. Thank you, Jonathan. Great questions and super nostalgic. I will be driving right past My. Tamalpais and Sausalito this morning. Maybe I will spin a session or two just for fun.
Whoa! Just visiting or did you move there?
I live in Burlingame these days, Jonathan... Driving up to see friends. I stayed with them for half a year in 2022, so Petaluma is home away from home for me. I think of AW every time I drive by Mt. Tam.
If you are ever visiting SF... There is a room and a good meal here for you
Have you crossed paths with Mike Speriosu?
Good day, Jonathan. Funny you should ask. Mike and I almost immediately stumbled into a vortex of coincidence that found us pretty quickly sharing pizza and beer in a Hayward strip mall. (Was very good pizza).
I imagine you and I might find ourselves in similar circumstance if I happened to live in the suburbs of Montreal. But, Montreal is a destination for me. With good fortune, that day will come.
Would love to meet up with you in either place — not to mention our mutual old PNW stomping grounds. I’ll be in SF with family in March and won’t have much time on my own, but maybe you and I and Mike could orchestrate a meet-up.