Artificial vs Divine Intelligence

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has announced that it will be co-hosting four public workshops over the coming months on topics in Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is a field showing rapid growth. It’s been around since the advent of computers. I remember when the calculator came into being and I was able to use it in my algebra class in high school. My bulky calculator was definitely quicker than me when working through complicated mathematical equations.

Despite the benefits. Many people are concerned that AI can be taken too far. AI has opponents. Machines would replace people in jobs. And, what if the machine backlashes human beings? Can a machine become more intelligent than its creator?

It comes across as robots against human beings. But, let’s look at this closer.

Human beings exhibit the same template as artificial intelligence.

Usually, I feel as though my mind is in charge. I tell my body to get out of bed and enter each glorious day. But sometimes, my body overrules. Is my human intelligence only artificial?

Maybe, maybe not, but I do know that it is only spiritual truths that are able to overrule the overruling.

Positive thinking or “mentally getting after my body” work unreliably. My human intelligence isn’t up to the task of governing my body. And, maybe human beings aren’t up to the task of governing more sophisticated artificial intelligence either.

At times when conflict arises, this is when I pray to be aware of my spiritual consciousness. Of course, I wish I could always be aware of my spiritual consciousness, but it requires effort and time. The results though are fantastic. Spiritual truths, such as one divine Mind, always maintaining useful, health, or, that substance is purely spiritual can enlighten my mind and invigorate my body. It also reminds me my human intelligence, no matter how smart, is still secondary to divine intelligence.

While society investigates artificial intelligence, let’s investigate spiritual intelligence, which is in control.

 

 

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Valuable percpetions

Our perceptions affect our thoughts and actions.

How do we tell the difference between material perceptions and spiritual perceptions?

Then, how do we value spiritual perceptions?

I came up with a few examples:

A material perception of the weather is a “nice, sunny day.” A spiritual perception is “symbols of movement and life.”

A material perception of my cat is “shedding hair.” A spiritual perception is “radiating calm and relaxed.”

A material perception of my job is “writing newspaper articles and editing words.” A spiritual perception is “expressing honesty and insight.”

To value the spiritual perceptions, I acknowledge them first, then take the attributes of movement, life, calmness, honesty, and insight and see them when cleaning the house and cooking dinner and running errands.

Wind blows in peace

Walking in the woods is a favorite past-time for me. I listen to the trees and birds. I pick up litter.

The other day it was windy. Urgh. The wind kept blowing off my hat. It felt as though my mind was being blown into despair, until I remembered God has power over my human mind.

I re-thought wind.

Rather than coming from the standpoint that wind is annoying, I took a metaphysical approach to looking at wind.

It symbolizes stirring stagnate thought.

It renews the atmosphere.

It shows movement, progress.

I cinched on my hat and my walk went much better.

In my new book, from science & religion to God, we can read, “Spiritual consciousness requires a mental effort. We start with thought and work patiently to conquer all that is unlike God. We have to begin at the highest standpoint possible. Start with mind instead of brain. Start with humanity instead of egotism. Start with spiritual history rather than mortal history. Start with God instead of many creators.

“Giving our attention to spiritual interpretations should move us to new standpoints.

“…Understanding comes through spiritual logic and revelation. Following the signposts of divine law, we comprehend the Truth that is changing the world for the better. In this path we find progress attended by life and peace.”

 

Thought Experimentaton

A professor, Sheldon Solomon, Ph.D., at Skidmore College in New York has been collecting evidence that thoughts affect behavior. For thirty years.

Solomon pointed out in a Soul Beliefs class that our thoughts are also influenced by the cultural milieu.

After World War II, the general population believed integrity and dignity defined a person. Solomon said that today, money and being skinny define men and women. “America has ten times more depressed people today than there was after World War II,” said Solomon.

He collected evidence by experimenting. Volunteers would be asked to think different thoughts, even of death, while their vitals were being measured.

The data shows that fear of death causes anxiety. And more anxiety is caused when your mind is believing that you need money and a certain body type to be happy. The anxiety leads to terrorists like thinking. “People get defensive,” said Solomon.

Solomon’s data is convincing the field of psychology. But what was really interesting about the whole thing was the experimentation.

The experiments occurred all around the nation and included many people. Solomon had volunteers come in and they were hooked up the machines that measured their inner reactions. Solomon would ask them to think a certain way and they would.

So, why don’t we experiment ourselves? On our own?

If our day is going badly, why can’t we sit down and change our thinking, just to experiment?

If our relationship is going sour, why not experiment? Why not look at good images, happy images? Why not surround ourselves with positive and courageous people? They’ve been shown to affect us positively.

We can change unsatisfied thoughts into satisfied thoughts. We can always find something to be satisfied about, even it if our pet’s love, or the sun shiny day.

Experimentation is valuable. We will find that good thoughts are related to good behaviors.

I’ve found though, that when I think I’m running out of good thoughts, I have to go further, to God, infinite Mind, having no lack of good thoughts.

Mind has a universal outlook, an inclusive spirit, and pure unselfish goals. We can take those thoughts and make them ours. They are ours.

 

What are you watching?

Human beings become so determined to make THEIR reality, THE reality. We get indignant when someone tells us our reality is all in our head.

Most of us have had our realities change, so we come around to the idea that maybe our reality isn’t THE reality of the universe.

I read a lot of history. Our concept of reality does keep changing. I also watch movies. I can’t help but ask…

Think of all the people in the world, somewhere around 7 billion. Well, there was only 2 billion people 100 years ago.

But 100 years ago, there was no television to speak of. Today, there are billions of people watching what?

Unreality.

Paid actors. Written scripts. Rehearsed scenes.

Some of the movies depict true stories, but all the other stuff, unreal. Fake.

Are we watching more unreality, than reality?

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ESV

The green in the woods

Green ferns linger in the woods, although its winter. The green color sticks out because everything around it is brown. Decaying leaves, dormant trees and bushes. The green looks so vibrant that I can’t help but think about the scene.

From plant science class, I know the fern isn’t green itself, but that chlorophyll inside the plant leaves actually reflect the green ray of light from the sun.

In my belief of a God, a good God that shines with strength, peace, and wisdom, I use this knowledge to my benefit.

When I’m feeling weary, I shift my attitude and instead of trying to squeeze more energy out of my mind and body, I reflect. I reflect on the strength of love, truth, and life, attributes of God.

Taking it apart

The noise was annoying. The noise was coming from one of the old fashioned cassette tapes in a stereo system. I clicked the OFF button, but the noise kept coming. I got a screw-driver and took apart the player. The noise kept coming.

I finally woke up enough to realize I was dreaming.

I have an iPOD near my bed that I use to listen to recorded books when I can’t sleep. Apparently, the book I was listening to put me sleep alright.

I think back on life and some of my experiences seem like dreams. Even the bad experiences feel like dreams. Why didn’t they at the time? I wouldn’t have gotten so stressed out. I wouldn’t have tried to take everything apart to fix it. I would have agreed that harmony would prevail, because I do believe in a God that produces harmony.

My relationship with pain

Most human beings invest time and money in the endeavor to get rid of physical pain.

Is that like getting rid of a rotten spouse?

Some people take pain better than others. I’ve often marveled at those people who follow through on extreme sports, immersing their bodies in harsh conditions (e.g. racing the Iditarod, climbing the 8,000 meter peaks). They don’t seem to notice pain even though their bodies are assaulted by severe weather or lack of nutrients.

For us normal people going about a daily life of family and work, we sometimes resort to psychology, massage, or medicine to try to manage or control pain.

But alas, pain still racks human beings.

CHINA – AUGUST 16: Digging out a tent after a summer snow storm. China. (Photo by Tommy Heinrich/National Geographic/Getty Images)

On a personal level, pain doesn’t bother me too much. I’ve had pain, but it doesn’t scare me and when I calm myself down and focus on spiritual good, eventually the pain goes away.

One day, I thought about my relationship with my husband. It’s a good relationship. We’ve been married more than 30 years and the way it works is when we don’t try to get rid of one another. “Getting rid” of one another isn’t even an option.

We also don’t try to manage or control one another. Doing so only produces a disaster of hurt feelings, sloth, or anger.

We don’t love one another so much that we don’t love others. We just love the goodness each of us expresses.

Do I have a relationship with pain?

Pain doesn’t express too much goodness, except when it tells me, “Don’t stick your finger in moving bike wheel spokes again.”

I don’t try to manage or control pain. I don’t love pain, but I don’t hate it either. I can respect it enough to listen to it. And, this relationship with pain seems to work for me in that it doesn’t take over my consciousness and it doesn’t dictate my future.

Finding those oases

Spiritual power can sometimes be oases in the middle of the big desert of birth, maturity, decay, death, fear, gain, and loss.

Our life journey takes us from one oasis to another as we look for that heightened consciousness that controls the physical world with goodness, healing, and strength.

It’s a letdown when moving toward an oasis, only to find it is a mirage.

This is when we can tap into our reserves. Like the body. It starts breaking down fat when famine is the case.

My reserves can come in the form of memories. Because I don’t want to live in the past, my memories aren’t necessarily brought up often. But when I feel desolate, I can choose to remember when I felt forces of love.

As much as I’m convinced I love my children, I can apply that conviction to a God who loves me. A God who can do anything for me to make my life full of grace. I find an oasis and am revived to move on in the infinite.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.

—Isaiah 35: 1-2

Lessons from wildlife

We had lunch with our neighbors last Sunday and learned about a PBS film, My life as a turkey.

After a local farmer left a bowl of eggs on Joe Hutto’s front porch, his life was forever changed. Hutto, possessing a broad background in the natural sciences and an interest in imprinting young animals, incubated the eggs and waited for them to hatch. As the chicks emerged from their shells, they locked eyes with an unusual but dedicated mother. One man’s remarkable experience of raising a group of wild turkey hatchlings to adulthood.

Hutto learned to make 30 different turkey noises to communicate with his brood.

He learned the turkeys have feelings.

The turkeys tried to understand their surroundings.

The turkeys were born with an innate understanding about other animals. They knew to stay away from venomous snakes.

The film reminded me of the oneness of our world. In divine Science, there is one Mind, one intelligence, and all inhabitants apparently can image this forth.

From 21st Century Science and Health: When we admit that matter (hormones, DNA, neurons, etc.), acting through the five physical senses, constitutes a person, we fail to see how physiology can distinguish between humanity and animals. Animals also have hormones, DNA, and neurons. Do some pets act more humane than people? Physiology and anatomy have a difficult time determining when people are really people.