記憶の場所

10年以上前に書いた英作文です。考え方や文法に間違いが存在する可能性が高いです。

 (The followings are not based on firm evidences but a result of my intuition.)

(And I'm sorry that my English is sometimes wrong or too poor to describe abstract affairs such as the followings.)

(Here I mean by the word Memory not memorizing but memorized contents.)

Generally, scientists and modern people under their theories think of Memories as contents being stored in each Brain, but I don't think that. I think, though a brain have the function of taking in the images of things which the nervous system perceived and the function of recalling these images, it don't mean having the function of a storehouse. Likening memories into water, a brain have roles of watercourses and valves but don't have the function of a water tank.

Well then, Where are memories stored. But there is a nonsense in this question. That is the fact that we apply memories to the concept "where" Naturally, and Actually memories have no places in the sense of our ordinary thinking. And our tendency to allot memories to Place, Brain the firm material realm, is involuntary wrong application due to the fact that we live experiencing the three-dimensional space ordinarily, that is our unconsciously confusing spirit with matter, I suspect.

Fundamentally speaking, regarding three-dimensional space, it have not been varified perfectly as actual existence, or some people say that it is no more than a tool or a concept through which we human beings feel the outer world. Adopting this theory here, three-dimensional space is the concept which spirit invented for life to live in this world conveniently. By the way, Memory is a such thing that is more fundamental and essential than a tool to live, I think. That is to say, memory is not a thing that spirit have invented but the tracks of spirit itself, process of life. Then returning to the earlier problem, applying perfectly the concept, that is no more than a tool to grasp, to memory, that is essential movement and tracks of spirit itself, is obviously false if we think that way. To say, memories don't exist in a brain that is physical and three-dimensional space. Spatial places don't correspond to memory, but memory exist at a Place which we are hard to call as Place. Boldly speaking, even if a brain vanish, it can be possible for memories to exist Somewhere. Merely, it is difficult to indicate the Somewhere by a clear concept of Place, which is often haunted by three-dimensional space. Anyway, if only we separate memory from the physical concept, three-dimensional space, it is obvious to us that memory exist somewhere but the brain.

一般的に、科学者やその理論の影響下にある現代人にとって、記憶は脳に保存されていると見なされているが、私はそうではないと思っている。思うに、脳は神経系が知覚した事象の印象を取り込む機能や、その印象を思い出す機能は持っているが、記憶の保存庫としての機能は持っていない。記憶を水に喩えるなら、脳は水路やバルブの役割を持っていても、貯水の機能は持っていない。

では記憶は何処に保存されているのか。しかしこの問いには一つのナンセンスが含まれている。すなわち、記憶に「何処」という概念をあたりまえに当てはめてしまっているということであり、実際のところは記憶には私たちが一般に思っている様な意味での場所など存在しなく、私たちが記憶に対して、場所、脳という確固たる物質的領域をあてがいたくなるのは、私たちが日常で三次元空間を体験しながら生きていることに依る無意識の間違った適用であり、精神と物質の無意識的な混同なのではないのだろうか。

もともと、三次元空間だって、それが確固たる実在として完璧には立証されていない、いわば人間が外界を感じるときのための道具や概念でしかないという説もよく見受けられる。その説を採用して、三次元空間も生命が世界を便利に生きるために精神が開発したものでしかないとしよう。ところで、記憶というのは、生存のための道具というよりも、もっと根源的で本質的なものではないだろうか、すなわち精神が開発したものではなく、精神の軌跡そのものなの、生命の過程そのものなのだ。そこでさっきの問題に立ち返ってみると、精神の本質的運動そのものとその過程である記憶に、精神が生み出した単に生存のための一種の捉え方でしかない三次元空間という概念を、ぴったり当てはめることは、こう考えてみると明らかな誤謬になる。すなわち記憶は脳という物的三次元空間には存在しない。空間的な場所が対応しているのではなく、場所とは呼びにくい場所に存在している。大胆に言ってしまえば、脳が消滅したとしても、記憶は何処かにある可能性がある。ただ、その何処かというのが、はっきりとした場所という概念で示しにくい。場所という概念には三次元空間という概念が普通はよくつきまとっているから。とにかく、記憶を三次元空間という物的概念から引き離せば、その場所は脳ではない何処かだということは明らかだろう。

Sirius and Nommo

We see from the earth Sirius, the Dog-star, move in a bit disorder, of which earlier scientists inferred there would be an invisible companion star, whose gravitation might make Sirius move on elliptical orbit in the Universe. Several decades after it, owing to development of science and technology, scientists found the star's companion Sirius B, the Pup, which has mass roughly equal to the Sun though has only the size roughly equal to the Earth, then which has large density and gravity but is invisible to the naked eyes, whose color is white and whose gravitation they verified effects on the orbit of Sirius. This discovery was in 19th century.

By the way, there is an African tribe who have a mythology about Sirius. The Dogon in Mali. The fact that Sirius is an important star for the Dogon is not amazing because that is explained by the prominent brightness of Sirius, but according to French anthropologists, astonishingly, the Dogon knew already the existence of the companion star in far earlier than 19th, ancient times. Furthermore they described in detail the fact that the Sirius B was very heavy in spite of its small size and was white, and the fact that Sirius A and B moved on elliptical orbit. The Dogon is a tribe who doesn't have the science and technology such as telescopes or advanced astronomy. That Dogon have the amazing knowledge about Sirius from ancient times, and moreover they knew that Jupiter had four large satellites, which is invisible to the naked eyes.

When the Dogon are asked why they knew these astronomic facts, they explain that the Nommo, the spirit who live in outer space, taught them the facts. And they describe the situation in which a spacecraft carrying the Nommo were landing with spin before them.

How do we interpret this. In my personal observation, it is more real that we understand it as delusions or paranormal perception common to the Dogon, than that we interpret it as aliens' invading, that is pretty occultic. At this point I associate words of an American writer, who has a certain-degree grounding in science and philosophy. Aldous Huxley says that, though we human beings perceive events which happened far away in the universe, a brain and nervous system function as restriction or as the regulating valve so that all perceived contents don't appear on consciousness, because if appear all of perceived contents that may disorder our ordinary life. This view he reach by his mystical experience using drags, but if his view is true, we can explain the knowledge Dogon have about astronomy. To say, those in Dogon who have constitution of hallucination perceived directly things about Sirius or Jupiter in trance, I guess. And Nommo appeared as the vision of symbol that told the truth of the universe in trance.

According to Aldous Huxley, we experience as visions various things of the universe, which involve matters concerning religion or mysticism and things which are useless to or harmful to our daily life, due to disordered conditions of brain, for example a brain's trouble in fasting or dyschylia in taking in drugs, rather than due to our higher function of brains or advanced technology. If that's the case, we can say that the normal function of a brain is to select useful perceived contents out of all ones (rather than to perceive things purely) and to make nerves concerning these images work then make tissues move so as for us to live accommodating ourselves to daily life and reality. And that when this function's order is broken we perceive events of the universe which don't concern our reality is not astonishing nor mysterious, if we think that way.

It is true that we may not perceive in any paranormal situation things which don't concern human reality in any degree, but the Dogons, to whom mythology of the universe is important in living, place more direct importance on things about Sirius than we do, so when the valve relax in a trance the companion of Sirius appeared before them. To civilized people Sirius is no more than a scientific concern, but to the Dogons it is important to live. To say, useful perception was selected out. A brain and nerves can be said to be tools to select perceived contents useful to reality out of innumerable ones which life perceives unconsciously and to make use of these selected for our acting and living. A brain only select useful perception, and if I was allowed to say boldly, perception itself happen neither at a brains nor nerves......

Alchemy and Psychology

 Such words as "sublimate" and "solution" are those alchemists of the Medieval ages preferred to use, each of which has double meanings, one of which is physical or chemical sense, the other of which is mental or psychological sense. The word "sublimate" were often used as a term meaning the chemical process of solid's vaporization represented by dry ice after modern age in which science has advanced, but because of the following circumstances that Nietzsche used the word to mean aspects concerning mind and Freud to express his theory of "sublimating" libido, at the present time people again have come to use this word to mean psychology more often than before. Tracing its origin to ages before the Modern age, far earlier alchemists used this word not to mean one of this two senses, but to "mean both matter and mentality simultaneously". Originally alchemy had been both chemistry and mysticism, according to advances of science and diversification of knowledge, in alchemy there appeared two schools one of which pursued understanding of chemical phenomenon the other of which placed importance on contemplation of mysticism, then according to this progress, the meaning and usage of alchemical words such as "sublimate" and "solution" have separated into two directions to physical expression and mental expression.

By the way, what does it mean that alchemists used words concerning chemical experimentation with implication of mentality? It is that on trying chemical experimentation alchemists "projected their mind on the process in which a new matter was made" from two matters because of a chemical reaction. Saying minutely, to Medieval alchemists who had little knowledge about science, the fact that a whole new matter has been made from a reaction of two matter was very mysterious phenomenon, and that acted on their hearts. In addition to this mysterious feeling, considering their ignorance of science, they might have stated this mysterious phenomenon by their mentality rather than theories or knowledge, and in that process their sprits might have effected on their course of explanation, then for that causes they might have had to explain phenomenon with projecting unconsciously their own mental contents on matters. To alchemists not only there occurred phenomenon before their eyes, but their inner heart, realm of unconsciousness, were activated, and in those inspired mental states they projected mental contents including unconscious ones on chemical phenomenon. Then chemical phenomenon become a metaphor implying contents in unconsciousness, which obtains clear concreteness. To say, they found "symbolism" in chemical phenomenon. All substances might have been symbols that inspired their depth of mind. (Incidentally, the origin of the word "inspire" concerns "breathe")

In alchemy there are those mental process. Therefore, we cannot deny its value, saying such absurd superstition is nonsense because it is impossible to make gold, but (in addition to scientific contribution of finding basis which relates modern chemistry) in a material process of trying to make a new matter there occurred a mental progress at the same time, in which mental constituents important to their life were symbolized in chemical phenomenon and then appeared as embodiment, and by those concrete cognition to unconscious contents they deepened cognition to life and heart, so we thinking, it can be said that alchemy has very big spiritual values. We also, dispelling from alchemy the superstitions of seeking gold or precious stones, and seeing the mental aspect rather than material aspect, our unconscious drive and fear may be "sublimed" and be in states of "solution" with our hearts "inspired" by documents alchemists bequeathed.

「sublimate(昇華する、固体が気化する、崇高にする)」や「solution(溶解、解決)」などの言葉は、中世の錬金術師が好んで使った言葉なのですが、それぞれが二重の意味をもっていて、一方は物理的または化学的な意味でありもう一方は心理的または精神的な意味です。「昇華するsublimete」という言葉は、科学が発展した近代以降ではドライアイスの気化に代表される個体が気体になるという化学的プロセスを意味する言葉として使われることの方が多かったのですが、ニーチェが頻繁に精神的なことに関する意味で使ったり、フロイトがリビドーの「昇華」の理論として使ったりしたようなことがあって、現代では再び心理的な意味で用いることがかなり多くなった言葉です。近代以前の起源を辿れば、ずっと昔の錬金術師はどちらかの意味で使っているのではなく、「同時に物質的かつ精神的な意味で」使っていたようです。そしてもともと錬金術というのは最初は化学でありながら神秘主義であったのですが、科学の進歩と知識の多様化とともに、錬金術においてはっきりと科学的な現象理解へ向かっていく錬金術師と神秘主義的な内観を重視する錬金術師とに二つに分流していき、その過程にあわせて、「sublimate」や「solution」などの錬金術的言語の意味や用法も、一方は物質的表現へもう一方は精神的表現へと分かれていったようです。

ところで、錬金術師が精神的な意味合いで化学実験に関する言葉を使っていたということはどういうことか。それは、錬金術師が、化学実験をするにおいて、化学反応によって物質と物質から「新しい物質ができる過程に、自分の心理を投影していた」ということです。詳しく述べてみると、科学的な知識のほとんどなかった中世の錬金術師にとっては、2つの物質の反応から全く新しい第3のものができるというのはとても神秘的な現象であり、錬金術師の心にも強く作用したでしょう。その神秘感に加えて、現象を科学的な知識もたないことも考えると、彼らはその神秘的現象を理論や知識より自分の見方によって述べることになり、その際に自身の精神が説明過程に影響を及ぼしている、そういうわけで彼らは自分の心理的内容を無意識的に物質に投影しながら現象を説明しなければならなかったということになります。 錬金術師においては眼前に化学的な反応が現象しているだけではなく、心の内面、無意識の領域が活性化されている、そしてそういうインスパイアーされた精神状態で化学現象に対する無意識の心理を含めた心理の投影の過程がおこっていた。化学現象は無意識の内容の隠喩になり、その心的内容は鮮明な具体性をもつ。つまり化学現象に「象徴性」を見出しているということです。物質全てが彼らの心の深みをインスパイアーする象徴だったのかもしれません。(ちなみに、インスパイアーinspireという言葉は呼吸に関わる由来をもっています)

練金術においてはそういう心理的過程が起こっているのです。だから、金を生み出すなんていうことは不可能であるからそんな馬鹿げた迷信的なことは無意味だ、と私たちはその価値を安易に否定してしまってよいものではなく、（実際に近代化学に通じるもの基礎となるものを発見した科学的功績に加えて）、新しい物質を生み出そうとする物質的過程の中で心理的過程も同時に起こっていて、術師の生命にとって重要な心的要素が化学現象に象徴されていた、つまり具現物として現象していた、そしてこういう無意識の内容の具現的認識によって彼らは生命・心に対する精神的な認識を深めていた、そう考えると錬金術は大きな精神的価値をもってるのです。私たちも、金や宝石を求めるという馬鹿げた迷信を錬金術から払いのけ、物質的な面より精神的な面をみるのなら、錬金術師の残した文献に心が「inspire」されて無意識の欲動や不安などが「sublime」されたり「solution」な状態になったりするかもしれません。