Navigating the Unknowable: Understanding the Limitations of Human Comprehension

Have you ever paused to ponder the mysteries that lie beyond your understanding? From the origin of consciousness to the deepest layers of the cosmic dance, there are countless phenomena that challenge the limits of our comprehension. This article delves into why comprehending the unknowable is beyond us, offering insights and examples to illustrate these profound limitations.

The Limitations of Human Comprehension

Our journey into understanding begins with the most fundamental question: How can we comprehend things that are beyond our understanding? We start with a foundational notion that the source of consciousness is inherently unknowable. "I," the experiencer manifest in consciousness, cannot grasp the origin or prior state before its own manifestation. This leads to a profound limitation in our cognitive capabilities.

The Role of Belief vs. Skepticism in Understanding the Unknowable

Religion often uses belief as a framework to explain the mysteries of the universe. However, when faced with the unknown, it may resort to a simple response of "I don’t know." This underscores the inherent gap between what we can comprehend and what remains beyond our grasp. The question here is: Can we truly comprehend things that are beyond our understanding, and if not, what are some examples?

Examples of Things Beyond Our Comprehension

One common example is the nature of consciousness itself. We can experience consciousness, but we cannot fully understand its origin or the mechanisms that govern it. Here are a few other examples:

Understanding the Nature of Perception

Let's start with a basic question: Is sensing the same as knowing or comprehending? For instance, when we see a tree, do we truly "know" the tree or merely sense its physical attributes? Science textbooks provide secondary knowledge about the tree, but this does not equate to a fundamental understanding of it.

The Role of Sensation and Perception

Consider our senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. When we sense something, we are merely receiving information about the external world, filtered through our body and brain. We do not directly perceive the essence of the tree or the cosmos. For example, the color of the sky is not a substance but a sensation created by our body/brain responding to a specific wavelength of electromagnetic waves.

Our vision is a great example. We don’t feel our eyes adjusting to light and distance, or our retina and neurons processing signals. We don’t feel our brain interpreting these signals. In essence, we say the brain interprets, but what does that even mean? Does that convey any substantive information about the process?

The Core of the Cosmic Dance

Ultimately, we are left with the undeniable and intimate sensation of aliveness, associated with intelligence and consciousness. We experience a constant stream of thoughts and sensations, yet we do not comprehend the mechanism behind these experiences. We are witnesses to the cosmic dance but cannot grasp its essence.

Secondary Knowledge vs. Direct Comprehension

It is crucial to distinguish between secondary knowledge from scientific texts and direct comprehension. Secondary knowledge provides us with factual information, but it does not equate to a profound understanding of the fundamental aspects of the universe.

Take the example of seeing a bright blue sky during the daytime. We perceive it as reality, but our intelligence tells us that color is merely a sensation. There is no color out there except in our mind's interpretation. Similarly, sound is our body's reaction to vibrations in the air. There is no sound out there; it is all in our heads. Apply this logic to the remaining three senses, and you will begin to understand the degree to which our perception is a projection of our body and mind.

In a nutshell, the cosmos we perceive is a construct of our senses and cognition. It is not an objective reality but a subjective experience. This means that anything we understand as the cosmos is essentially within our heads. We sense, but we do not always understand how; we think, but we do not always grasp the process; we memorize, but we do not always know how.

Conclusion

While we can study and understand the mechanisms behind our sensations and perceptions, we cannot comprehend the true essence of these phenomena. The known and the unknown coexist, and the more we learn, the more we realize the extent of our limitations. Understanding the unknowable is a fascinating and ongoing journey, one that continually challenges and expands our horizons.