Adam Blatner

Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner

September, 2017

Dimensionality as New Perception

It has occured  to me that “Dimensionality,” might be thought of as a new angle on metaphysics, or what people used to call  “religion,” though of course I seek no converts. It notes that just as the third dimension adds dimensionality to the second dimension, and the fourth—time— adds dimensions of duration to space, so […]

Posted in Art (Mandalas, Doodles, Scripts), Psychology, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »

Dream!

Dare to dream new dreams! This is not in the sense of the night-dreams that come to you, but rather in the sense of daring to envision possibilities for your life, even if only fantasy.   At the end of the Muppet Movie around 1979, Kermit sings, “Life’s like a movie, write your own ending! […]

Posted in Essays and Papers, My Favorite Things, Play and Spontaneity, Wisdom-ing | 1 Comment »

Synchronicity

An acquaintance of mine, Dr. Bernard Beitman, wrote a book recently titled Connecting with Coincidence. Beitman is a forward-looking psychiatrist who investigates synchronicity —better known as coincidence, but taken more seriously. The book recalls to mind the passing notion that we are not at the top of the hierarchy of mental prowess, but more somewhere […]

Posted in Book Reviews, Mind-Spectrums, Psychology, Spirituality and Philosophy | No Comments »

Pre-Hallowe’en (2017)

It’s late September and already I saw displays of spooky sculptures and candy and such at the local drug store! It’s a time to be something other than who most people think you are. Your dark side—just kidding! But it’s true that the mind is multi-dimensional and evil as well as good is accessible and […]

Posted in Autobiographical, Current Events, Play and Spontaneity, Psychological Literacy | No Comments »

Life Improv(-isation)

There is improv (short for mainly dramatiic improvisation) for psychotherapy, also known as psychodrama, pioneered by Jacob Moreno. This has been given new life by professionals who have also done improv for therapy. There’s also comedy improv, done by people associated mainly with the theatre arts—though some few have glimpsed at improv as a way […]

Posted in Play and Spontaneity, Psychodrama, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »

The Impossible Dream

I was singing this song to myself, from the Broadway play of the 1960s, Man of La Mancha—, revealing my private dreams of grandiosity. These betray the mind’s capacity to think in terms of superlatives. Each is paradoxical, a way of dramatizing ambition, such as dreaming an impossible dream or fighting an unbeatable foe. They […]

Posted in Autobiographical, Essays and Papers, Follies, My Favorite Things | 1 Comment »

Age-ing (Growing Older)

I’m age 80 now. My wife and I are reading an intriguing book about ageing titled Aging: An Apprenticeship, edited by Nan Narboe. This book’s goal is to help us think about the finitude of our living and to prepares us for our dying, our mortality, our limitedness. The book got me thinking about my […]

Posted in Autobiographical, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | 2 Comments »

Popular Songs (1940-1980 plus or minus)

I realize that I have not kept up with modern music, with a few exceptions. I’ve found the lyrics before that period a bit insipid and after that interval bewildering. That means I’m dated, I fear. I’m reconciled to that, though I am always open to being invited to reconsider a piece. I was looking […]

Posted in Autobiographical, Foolin Around, My Favorite Things | 1 Comment »

Improvisational Theology

I disrupt the tradition of theology in several ways: I am not a member of any school of theology, much less even a member of the clergy. I am not building on anyone else’s theology, and indeed, I am somewhere between apophatic—which means I acknowledge that we cannot know much if anything about God—and improvisa-tional. […]

Posted in Autobiographical, Spirituality and Philosophy | 1 Comment »

The Higher “I”

I’ve become increasingly aware that I’m only part-way between me and not-me. There are parts of me that are spontaneous, and realistically speaking I should not take credit for these parts or their products. I’m tempted to say, like Jack Horner in the nursery rhyme, “Oh, what a good boy am I!” But a couple […]

Posted in Autobiographical, Psychological Literacy, Psychology, Wisdom-ing | 1 Comment »

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