Are you in search of meaning?
Finding Out Why We Write
Probably I’m not the only one who begins writing not knowing exactly why I am writing. We find the creative process appealing but determine that there is inspiration and discovery.
The question of genre keeps coming up. When I have to choose a genre at publication speculative fiction often doesn’t seem to be an option. But, I prefer that term over fantasy. The word speculative describes the process for me. I find as I go along that I am exploring things and the words “what if” hang in the air.
Alternative Life Forms
The world of humankind is heavy with alternatives as regards our understanding of life forms. We deal in gods, less often goddesses, and weave in beliefs in other life forms in our religions. It is so interesting that we have little if any concrete evidence for the existence of such things as angels and evil spirits but we believe anyway.
Some of our insistence seems to relate to our vivid imaginations. Is that shadow over there a being?
Intriguing Explorations
What I have found is that the exploration of what might be is, in itself, intriguing. And it has no doubt been important in human history. Our exploration of what might be has led us to amazing inventions in such things as information technology. Sitting here in this room, it is quiet (aside from the fact that the furnace just turned on). But I know the room is alive. I can pick up my smart phone and the world comes pouring in. It is in the air! And I can’t see it. Why would anyone seek to investigate the possibility of such a means of communication? What nonsense to even think it possible.
Psychologists like to consider themselves scientists and some of them are. Those of us in the clinical arena have other attributes. In psychotherapy we have to probe the intangibles of the human mind and all the bits and pieces which make up our emotional and cognitive existence.
Leaving the Question Open
From time to time I find myself considering the possibility that there may be other life forms amongst us even if we can’t see, touch or communicate with them. In general, if such beings exist, we have no need to relate to them. Our senses are attuned for specific purposes. But what if one day we found that new levels of being opened to us? Might it happen if there was a new purpose where we had achieved a new level of development? In the history of earth it was not so long ago that we didn’t have language or culture. We found our voice and our systems. We might still find a deeper and more diverse form of life coexisting with us. And these types of thoughts are why I forage in the land of speculative fiction.
Where have you chosen to forage?