II. Divisions and Classifications…
the breaking up of the whole
"Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols."
- Thomas Mann
DIVISIONS & CLASSIFICATIONS are for mortals; the whole is for the gods. For what if one were to become a god? How much would you be able to perceive and know at any one given moment in time? What if you could know everything that was going on in Los Angeles, London, Delhi, and Tokyo all at the same time; for that matter, what about everywhere else, including what's occurring beneath your feet in the Earth's core as well as the exact position of every single atom in the universe?
Of course, human beings with our current knowledge and technology cannot even begin to approach such abilities. Some studies suggest that human beings are able to concentrate on only one stimulus, whether it is external or internal, at any particular moment. Now you may be thinking, "I'm aware of much more than one stimulus at a time," and in a way you would be correct, for our consciousness takes in several items at any one time. However, it is believed that even if you have six items in your consciousness that are almost immediately retrievable, your focused attention can be directed to only one of these items.
For example, try to think of a square and a circle at the same time. Notice that although you have the conception of both a square and a circle in your mind, in order to perceive both of them, your mind has to quickly switch back and forth between them. At any given moment, both cannot exist within your mind.
Schizophrenics' fundamental problem arises