ENG 2150 Gimme Shelter: the spaces we live in

This video speaks to some of the issues Colson Whitehead brings up in the first section of The Colossus of New York relating to authenticity and ownership in urban environments.  We will discuss it in class because I’m curious to hear what you think.  In particular, what is it about the “Harlem Shake” videos they’re shown that upsets the people interviewed here?  Can you relate to their sense of offense, or does it seem like they’re making too much of a silly meme?

The phrase “Stream of Consciousness” explains the thoughts and feelings that constantly and infinitely passes through our mind. I related this idea of the Stream of Consciousness literally to a drawing of a Stream of Consciousness that I have found on Google. As I looked through the pictures of examples of stream of consciousness, this drawing “The Stream of Consciousness” by Jayzuck (I guess a nickname) looked the most fitting. The drawing is of an individual flowing along with the fish in a river/stream.

When I think, I just don’t think of one thing, I am constantly thinking of random or thought of things. It is not thought of bit by bit but rather feels as if it is a continuation of one thought to another, meaning we never ever stop thinking when we are conscious and our thoughts flow like water. That is why I believe the idea of stream of consciousness is depicted by this drawing. The fish in the stream of consciousness is our feelings and thoughts that can change with the individual since everyone thinks and feels differently. However, the fact that the state of consciousness flows like a river, changes constantly and is infinite is a fact.

The main idea in William James’ The Stream of Consciousness is that thinking is an ongoing, complex process that involves all of a human’s abilities. It is more than just feeling and sensing; it is how we analyze and interpret surrounding issues. James heavily emphasizes that our thought process is in constant motion – we are never not thinking. Even if there are gaps between our thoughts, such as during sleep, we still join previous thoughts to our next conscious thoughts. Although there are many things in our world to think about, we choose to focus on a specific subject. James proposes that we view our consciousness as a whole, rather than in bits and pieces leading up to complex thought. It is impossible for us to imagine simple thoughts because our daily routines are composed of complex thoughts. That is the foundations for which he builds his concept that consciousness is a consistent, ongoing stream.

I think that doodles in notebooks during class are the ideal example for James’ chapter. Although our notes are fixed on whatever is written on the board or what is being discussed, our mind still wanders. These wanderings, many times, result in doodles that have nothing to do with the class topic. This is a prime example of how our consciousness is always on the go and very complex. If our mind is able to linger on different thoughts at once, it proves that humans are incapable of visualizing simple thoughts. This proves James’ theory of a stream of consciousness and that it is better to think of consciousness as a whole, rather than puzzle pieces that build up to it.

Below are some doodles that I believe represent dual thinking processes at once.

“Everything (he kept saying) is something it isn’t. And everybody is always somewhere else. Maybe it was the city, being in the city, that made him feel how queer everything was and that it was something else. Maybe (he kept thinking) it was the names of the things. The names were tex and frequently koid. Or they were flex and oid or they were duroid (sani) or flexsan (duro), but everything was glass (but not quite glass) and the thing that you touched (the surface, washable, crease-resistant) was rubber, only it wasn’t quite rubber and you didn’t quite touch it but almost. The wall, which was glass but turned out on being approached not to be a wall, it was something else, it was an opening or doorway–and the doorway (through which he saw himself approaching) turned out to be something else, it was a wall. And what he had eaten not having agreed with him.”
(E. B. White, The Door, 1939)

I am indeed always thinking about my conscious and did always realize how one thought became another. The transitions so subtle that we don’t notice the ongoing thought processes. I will literally stop and try track down how I got from thinking about tanning to the cookie monster (“Oh I look so dark, the sand is so hot and lucky to be under the sun all the time, at least sand can’t get fat, look at me, ew, it’s the chocolate chip cookies, oh remember the cookie monster from sesame street, yes, they made it the veggie monster now for a reason!). That’s probably what I would stir up if I were laying under the sun in Florida! Well that’s what minds do. We see that in the short passage above, how ones imagination is in fact always building on and on. The mind is constantly stirring up something up, an emotion, and observation, etc. We can see that in the passage, he is jumping from one idea to another. First he is thinking about the city, and then he connects it to names, consequently thinks about different names, onto rubber and so forth. It is all his perception and his way of identifying.

The way we identify things, or the way we perceive them, is what makes everyone’s conscious special. As William James also tries to explain, these thoughts are always personal. Our conscious creates our experience; it’s personal. This is what makes our experiences unique. I may look at a table just think oh it needs to be cleaned, there are crumbs, whereas my sister will look at it and just think yes, there’s the table, I can sit and do homework. We both see a table but think different things. One may block out everything they see, and just focus on one thing that is meaningful to him or her and build on from there. Thoughts shape our experiences and our experiences may also shape them.

The man in this picture in on a quest for everlasting knowledge. He is going through thoughts and ideas that the unfocused and untrained mind cannot comprehend. In the picture, you can see that he is thinking of many things at once which requires intense concentration. William James describes the stream of consciousness as a concept in which the person is in a state in which he/she is able to experience the ”analytic method”. ” The analytic method will discover in due time the elementary parts, if such exist, without danger of precipitate assumption.” To me this picture shows what the person is undergoing in during a stream of consciousness. They are constantly searching for greater knowledge and purpose and their search never reaches an end, only rest stops. The person is more focused and is able to ”analyze” simple rudimentary elementary parts to form a greater complex picture.

Syed Hannan

When I first saw this image, I thought it was a simple picture of monkeys. Then, I realized that they were saying something to us. This image of three wise monkeys is known throughout the world. It means “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.  In my country, people say that is the best way to live because they explain the gestures by “I don’t hear anything, I don’t see anything and I don’t say anything”.  By looking at the image, I have the intension that a better life supposed to be this way. As we know consciousness is connected with awareness so we can say the three wise monkeys try to tell us how to be aware in the world.

Consciousness is a topic that truly gave birth to the field of psychology from the already established field of philosophy. As William James put it, consciousness is in fact not a brick wall. It is not a single whole thought comprised of many small thoughts. Instead, a more appropriate metaphor is it being a stream. One thought flows into another thought which flows into yet another thought. Although each idea is traveling, it remains still a stream or a entire body of water while constantly moving.

Even now, you are reading my blog post and thinking whatever thought possesses your mind at the present time. Whatever this idea in your head may be, it will soon be gone. If not now, then in ten minutes. If not in ten minutes, then in an hour. All thoughts come and go, yet they are still a part of your entire consciousness. Surely, in an hour or perhaps even tomorrow, you will be able to recall these thoughts that you possess currently, for your consciousness, although moving, is comprised of all thoughts that have come and gone in your life.

I used the following passage of J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye”:

“And the band started playing one of those really slow songs, like “Stairway to Heaven” or “Freebird” that probably have really great lyrics or something but the song itself just is awful-just awful. Then this real phony guy, with the hair all slicked back on the top of his head stood up with the Sax and did a solo. I almost died. I mean, almost completely died right there. It had to be the cheesiest solo I had ever heard. I mean he was swaying back and forth and he closed his eyes like he was really getting into it and all, but it was the fakest thing you ever heard. It was like something out of a bad Howard Johnson’s. I swear, he must record Muzak for a living or drive a forklift or something.

Old Jean was getting into it, though. She was humming along and swaying to the song and practically just swaying her own dance out there. I mean I’m a pretty good dancer but I hate slow songs. There’s nothing you can do except just sit there and hold her and move her around and wait for the song to end. I would have rather just sat down and ordered another drink and waited for something else but not old Jean. She wanted to dance everything. Up real close to, so I could smell her breath. She didn’t smell bad or anything. Don’t get me wrong, she just didn’t smell quite right. I mean girls should smell a certain way-like baby powder, new clothes and perfume. Something that was girlish, y’know. Jean, I swear, smelled like a fruit salad or Old Spice. I hate Old Spice. I mean I like Jean fine, y’know. She’s great, but I just couldn’t smell her.

Christ, I must be nuts. All of a sudden I start to imagine myself as the old sailor in the Old Spice commercial. Right out there on the dance floor. I start to think about coming home from the sea and bringing in the duffel and that song. It must have been the goddammed saxophone because that goddam song is running through my head “Dum dum de dum dum, dum di de dum dum da di dum dum” I see myself coming home to this really cute girl and wearing a sailor suit or something. I’m crazy. I mean, I’m really nuts sometimes.”

Holden’s internal monologue is the epitome of William James idea of stream of consciousness.  While Holden’s original reaction to the song being played is to critique the absurd reactions of others in the crowd, he inevitably ends on the thought of his own insanity.  William James argues that we all fall victim to constant thought, “like a bird in flight.”  Holden’s thoughts, like a bird in flight, are continuous and often unconnected, one thought leading to another and then another and so on.  This is not only apparent in the passage above, but in the entire novel.

James also argues that stimuli may not extract the same feelings from different people.  This is quite apparent from the reactions to others’ reactions to the song.  While Holden views the music to be horrible and associates it with nothing but bad feelings, people around him sway to the music.  Although we cannot hear the thoughts of the others, we can assume, from their body language, that they are enjoying it.

The American’T Dream

This lengthy, but overall very powerful spoken word speech represents the ‘stream of consciousness’ of Americans across the country. It is a satire on the rags to riches notion that is commonly associated with the American Dream and effectively persuades the listeners into thinking on the speaker’s train of thought. His clever use of word association and word play create an easily understandable speech which listeners can tune into with little difficulty. He accurately dissects the mindset of many Americans and immigrants who come to America seeking the various opportunities available. This speech could be an example of James’ idea of substantive and transitive states of mind; the word play building as a transition to the punchlines, the substantive state. He establishes his individual thoughts and proceeds to bring the listeners into his ‘stream of consciousness’. He breaks the idea of my thought is mine and your thought is yours, combining the two into a single flow. Just like thought, his speech is logically continuous and rational in its entirety.

After three long hours, your thighs are burning, your throat is parched, your shirt is drenched with sweat but you finally made it.  You completed the uphill trek and now, as you stand on the very top of the mountain you look down to the most breathtaking, astonishing view you’ve ever witnessed in your entire life.  The waterfalls, the lush greenery, and the sun kissing the top of the hills that surround you.  The beautiful crisp wind blows across your face and instantaneously your thighs seem at ease, your throat is a little less dry and the wind cools the sweat that drips down your back.

You look down to the abyss of scenery, you look up to the clouds, you look to your right and then to your left and for a split second you question the reality of the presence that surrounds you.  That very view at the top of the mountain is direct representation of the type of consciousness that William James refers to.  Consciousness, so personal and unique to everyone individually, is as personal and unique as that very view from the top.  To me, the view from the top of the mountain is my personal slice of heaven.  Consciousness will never be experienced the same exact way by two people and one’s thoughts only belongs to themselves the same way how that view only belongs me to.  You and I can both be standing on the very same mountain at the very same time and experience two completely different experiences.  You can be complaining about the dirt under your fingernails and the ache in you lower back while I breathe in and digest the world that surrounds me.

Numerous emotions run wildly through my head as I stand and admire the world’s natural beauty while wishing I never have to leave.  This view represents our way of being conscious of several different things all at one time.  As I stand on the top of the mountain and ponder about life, where it has taken me and where I plan to go, I am unaware of all the conscious feelings and senses that engulf not only my head but my body as well.