056 - Is There a Storehouse of Memory? Exploring Plato, Hegel, and Jung

Is it easier to do Sunday's crossword puzzle on Monday morning?  If so, the Collective Memory may be the reason.  

Many believe minds are joined at a very deep level.  Hegel taught that "Substance is Subject."  Not only minds but matter as well.  But Hegel's project is more:  subject is also Spirit, and Spirit is an historical process.  Enter Memory.

This episode explores memory from several standpoints in addition to Hegel 's - Plato's reincarnation and anamnesis, Jung's collective unconscious, Theosophy's Akashic records, and Rupert Sheldrake's morphic resonance.  

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Gregory Novak 0:01

Hello, this is Gregory Nowak. This is the cunning of Geist episode 56. Welcome back. The purpose of this podcast is to explore philosophy. Uh, psychology and science. With an emphasis on the great 19th century philosopher, George William Friedrich Hagle. The central tenants of this podcast are one that there's more going on in the world than blind materialism to that evolution is central to the universe. Three, that there's a higher realm than the finite plane of existence working within us, all which is called spirit or Geist and German. And for that, we are all part of an historical evolutionary process of increasing consciousness and comprehension of spirit. And this episode of the cunning of Geist. We'll be exploring the broad topic of memory and particularly whether or not there's such a thing as a collective memory. And if there is, do we have the ability to tap into it? And if so, does it actively influence us? Uh, collective memory is a concept that's been around for a very, very long time. Going back at least to Plato. In more recent times, it has been given new life by Carl Young and his notion of the collective unconscious. And also notably sociologists Emile Durkheim, Mrs. Hel vacs use this notion of a collective memory and their work. Philosopher Charles Pierce did as well. And we've talked about him a lot here. Pierce built on Hegel's work and believe that an inherent memory exists in the natural world, which plays a critical role in the formation of the universal laws of nature. And we now take as a constant. This is a very big topic, so let's get into it. Before though. I'd like to address one point. In the beginning of each episode, I stayed the primary tenants of this podcast. And number three, is that. There is a higher realm than the finite planet existence working within us all. And I believe the same is true regarding a collective memory. If it does exist, it exists as part of us. And it's manifested through a connection we have with others as sort of mental field that we are part of that we help maintain and add to. It does not exist separately from us, like some kind of force field. But it that's because it connects us. We are part of it, part of this great web of memory with others. It's beyond our physical bodies, but we. Are connected to it in a broader sense than just our bodies. This is a big unifying idea. That, although we may appear separate and our bodies are certainly separate, but on a different level, part of us is joined to this collective memory, which we'll be getting into. Bottom line. There is one mind and one spirit in which we all take part. Now. There's an interesting. Aspect of this. And that is that this mental connection is stronger with groups that we most associate with. And it's weaker with more foreign groups. It's closest with our families and friends. And, next with the people we most identify with usually an ethnic group. That is why we're not all the same in our life expression. That's why we tend to form groups and join groups of like-minded individuals. Our family, our friends, our society, or nation can all contribute this to. To this as well. And it is ongoing. Is what the evolution of life here on earth is all about the full picture of evolution beyond blind naturalistic materialism. But in addition to our group, our society, our age, there's one other important factor. As human beings, we're born with the ability to connect to the collective memory. It's part of our consciousness, albeit unconscious, but it's there indeed. The collective memory is not imprinted on our DNA. If this were so it could never increase as DNA is inherited as is. It doesn't increase with each person. But as we develop our own minds, as we be come socialized, we tap into this collective unconscious, and it taps into us. We add to it and we take from it. Now, although our shared collective memory is more attuned to the groups and cultures we associate with. At the deepest levels, there are memories, archetypes that we share with all humanity, all across the globe. In other words, there's more going on within us than our material bodies and brains, which is tenant. Number one that this podcast. I just wanted to get this out there before we've been. Now more than just talk about the collective memory. There is a key point I want to get across, and that is that. The collective memory plays an important role in the historical evolutionary process of increasing consciousness and comprehension of spirit. Which is, you know, by now is tenant number four of this podcast. And this episode, I will be exploring this very important concept from several different standpoints. So let's begin with Hagle. As Hagle himself puts it. Quote. We find that what informer age is engage. The attention of men of mature mind has been reduced to the level of facts, exercises, and even games for children. And in the child's progress through school, we show recognize the history of the cultural development of the world traced as, or in a silhouette. This past existence. Is the already acquired property of the universal spirit, which constitutes the substance at the individual. And quote. When ankle is saying. Is that universal spirit has. The acquired knowledge and memory of the ages, and this process continues. It's what allows spirit to evolve. Without this memory, it could never evolve. All the current experiences, awareness, and knowledge that we experienced. Add to this acquired knowledge. Some call this the storehouse of memory. And it's precisely this memory that allows for the construction of a better future and the ways to accomplish it. It's not just habitual learning, but it's a creative, spiritual process. Which we'll be discussing. Contemporary Haydel scholar, Angelica NUSO has written extensively. On the importance of memory and haggles project. Let me quote her now. Quote memory is dialectical is an act of spiritual activity and creativity, as much as it is a state of passivity and dependence, it constitutes one's identity as much as it changes. And it distorts such identity memory seems to be the act of retrieving something buried in the past, but it is instead the action coming from the present that is. To, to something pass for the first time in quote. She's saying here that we are essentially the tour guide of our memories and this could be a creative process. It's a living process that changes us and changes how we view the past. It is also dialectical our memories. At first are separate from us, but we must re-integrate the memory into a higher whole of our whole identity. Which obviously includes our past and our present nutso goes on to suggest that memory is not only dialectical, but that is the fundamental process of dialectical thought itself. Let me quote her again. Quote memory is also the fundamental methodological function. To which dialectic articulates his processes, its formal thought processes as well as the real historical processes taking place in the social collective and institutional world of Geist or spirit in quote. The way it works is like this. Our memories have both an objective side. What happened in a subjective side, our interpretation of what happened. And what this means for our own conception. Of ourselves. Henkel expresses this point. Quote. History combines in our language, the objective, as well as the subjective side, this connection to the two meanings must be regarded as highly significant and not merely accidental. We must hold that the narration of history and historical deeds that advance appear at the same time, a common inner principle brings them forth together in. This is a dialectical process. And that the actuality of what occurred, it's a bladed with the meaning. We ascribed to that memory. And this brings them forth together as hago states. And of course thinking dialectically incorporates memory. Cause we have to remember the original notion that is being negated in order to subplate it. Now let's move forward and take a historical review of our collective memory has been viewed through the ages. But again, let me make a important point before we proceed. We've known to hear often that Hegel's famous saying from the phenomenon, the gift spirit is substance is subject. Quote. And my view, which must be justified by the exposition of the system itself. Everything hangs on apprehending and expressing the truth, not merely as substance, but also equally as subject and quote. When angel goes on to show in the phenomenology is that subject is also spirit and spirit. Is also historical. This is the essence of Hegel's philosophy to me. And being historical implies a collective memory for spirit. That it uses to advance its purpose to know itself. It's part of it. Okay. Let's travel back to the past and begin with Plato. Plato first wrote about the theory of recollection or. And I'm Nissa in the Mino. This is the notion that we do not ever actually learn anything new because we already learned it in a past life. And what we take for our learning is in fact, just remembering. When we are disinvited after death, we come in touch with the eternal forms, such as justice equality. And then our incarnate life as a body, we actually did not learn anything. We just remember it from our immortal and eternal existence is assault. Plato later, double down in this concept and is FETO writing about the death of Socrates. Socrates is trying to convince his friends that he has an immortal soul, so they will not be so sad. It is passing. Plato through the voice of Socrates explains that. The notion of equality is something we know, not through our finite earthly existence, but only through our eternal soul, which is experienced as true form when the soul was apart from the body. It's an interesting concept. And these works, Plato's putting forth his view that learning anything is in fact, mean the act of remembering. But there's a concept here, which we need to dig in further. And that is the concept of reincarnation. Play-Doh. Believed in reincarnation in the Fado. Socrates delivers an excellent speech on, on this topic. Quote. I am confident in the belief that there truly is such a thing as living again, and that the living spring from the dead and that the souls of the dead are in existence and that the good souls have a better portion than the evil and quote. Plato also addresses reincarnation and several other dialogues, including the Republic Phaedra's Timaeus and laws. Where he presses the point that good deeds are rewarded in the next life and evil deeds punished. With the possibility of reincarnating even as an animal and not a human exist. Now let's step back for a moment and take a look at reincarnation. We covered reincarnation in detail in episode 40. So if you want to go back and listen, there's more there. Reincarnation is a widely held belief today, particularly in the east. It's a key belief of, of Hinduism, but interestingly, a recent poll in the United States showed a full one-third of adults. Believe in reincarnation. One of the reasons for the popularity of reincarnation, I believe is that it provides at least on the surface justification for doing good in this life and not doing evil. And as it will lead to punishment and reward in the next life. However, I see a major problem with this few, at least for me. A baby is born. I just cannot believe that the baby would carry some kind of curse from previous life to be punished. I do not believe that a child that suffers in thighs. Is the result of payback from a previous life. It just doesn't seem to be how the cosmic would work. It doesn't seem fair to me. There's another problem. The growing world population means that new souls would have to be created to account for the growing population. It can not be just a one-to-one transference. As an aside, an interesting factoid, did you know that about 7% of people that have ever lived on planet earth are alive today? Pretty astounding. Now allow me to share something personal. When I read Plato as a young man. The whole notion of reincarnation turned me off for the reasons I just stated. As a result. I unfortunately disregarded Plato's whole philosophy. Because I did not believe in reincarnation. If I thought he was, he was wrong about reincarnation. He probably was wrong about other things as well. Hence my rejection. Yeah. Unfortunately, my rejection of Play-Doh had the effect of turning me off to traditional philosophy in general for quite a long time. It took several decades of searching before I returned to traditional philosophy. And, I guess the lesson here is that it can be a big mistake to pick out one thing you disagree with. With a philosopher or anything for that matter, and then reject everything else about that person or their. their philosophy. Few people are 100% right on everything. Probably no one. And even Hagle envisioned improvements could be made to a system at some future time. Now, let me explain what is really going on here. With reincarnation, what I believe. And as much as you with memory in the storehouse of memory, we've been talking about. When a baby is born and starts to grow is connected to its parents, its community. And it begins to connect. To the storehouse of memory, the collective unconscious. And this connection can help fuel its psychological growth. It may even tap into specific memories of one person that lived before. And I don't believe that that's actually the reincarnated soul of that person. But some of the deceased person's memories while they are alive, may come to light in the infant. And this can explain a number of the remarkable re remembrances of some children, of, of someone else's past life. I do not believe they are a reincarnated soul personality. But I do believe that they have tapped into certain. Certain memories that are contained in the store has a memory. In fact, these past memories that shouldn't have. Occur practically. Well, very frequently in the east where there is a common belief in reincarnation. Let's so. In the, in the west. But there still are examples in the west end. Interestingly, there's a department at the university of Virginia in the United States. That study's past life memories and children, you can check it out. It's the UVA division of perceptual studies headed by Jim Tucker MD. You're just one, one example. Soon after his second birthday, young child began having nightmares about an airplane crash. He told his parents he was dreaming. He was a pilot and his plane had been shot down. He had incredibly accurate details about this crash, including the name of the aircraft carrier he took off from, and the exact names of some of the people with him. His parents checked out the details. And they were amazed to find that. It was very similar to a pilot that had died 50 years earlier in world war two. Now do I believe this shiny child was the reincarnated pilot? No. Do I believe that the young child tapped into this specific memory? That the pilot had. Yes. There are many of these stories. And I said, this really gives credence to the notion of storehouse of memory. Let's move on now to curl Young's collective unconscious. Youngs. Collective unconscious expresses a similar theme and we discussed this. Frequently, but most directly in episode 34. Basically, this is the notion that we come into the world, not just as a biological organism, but that we are. Also born with the ability to connect to deep psychological symbols and archetypes. Uh, deep knowledge and instincts. That are not physical traits, but psychological underpinnings. Of course individuals will vary in their ability to connect with a collective unconscious and also one's biological makeup, their DNA and their epigenetic gene expression will play a role here as well as the physical foundation to allow the psychological traits to manifest. In other words. Our genetic makeup that we have inherited along with the culture in society, we are born into all fine tune. The part of the collective unconscious. That calls on us from the past, the mind and body worked together on this. Now young was not the only one to posit such a theory. Uh, early 20th century, French philosopher, Maurice, how VAX. Who was a student by the way of French philosopher, Henri Bergson. And Berkson by the way, had much to say and memory time and duration. Hopefully we can get into his philosophy in a future episode. Very interesting. But how vacs held that societies as a whole can have a collective memory. And this memory is a function of the situation, which one finds themselves in society. That there's both an individual memory and a group memory. And individual contributes to the group memory and the group contributes to the individual's memory. And since our different groups and even groups within groups, there are obviously different memories, different collective histories and different group narratives. Another interesting fact. Is the storehouse of memory is a key teaching of most new age groups. Those of you that have been exposed to esoteric or new age teachings have probably heard of the Akashic records. The term Akashic records was introduced by Helena Blavatsky, founder of the theosophical society. Which is fine to back in 1875. And many of the early members of the theosophical society refer to it. So almost like a vast cloud computer that contains every thought, feeling an encounter that all of humanity. And all those, whoever lived in the universe, if experienced. The German occultist in social reformer, Rudolph Steiner also referred to it. Steiner was initially a member and leader of the. Theosophical society and later started his own group, the anthropic plus ethical society. Interestingly, the Waldorf schools, which are private schools run here in American, maybe elsewhere. we're starting in the early 20th century and they're based on the teachings of Steiner and they're quite popular here. As a matter of fact, my own grandson went to a Waldorf school for one year during COVID. Now importantly, the storehouse of memory is also claimed to be the source of clairvoyant abilities, probably the greatest known clairvoyant of all time. Ed, your Casey 20 century famed American clairvoyant claimed it was the source of all his readings. The Rosa Crucian order revitalized in America in the early 20th century also puts prominence. On the storehouse of memory. More recently, biologist Rupert Sheldrake has developed the idea of morphic resonance. We discussed Sheldrake and his work in some detail in episode 40. So I won't repeat it all here. Other than to say that. This theory holds that groups of people share a common memory. The more close to group, the more common the memory. Which members of that group can tap into. And Sheldrake takes the collective memory to new and interesting places such as. It being easier to do the Sunday crossword puzzle on Monday morning, because one can tap into the memory of those that completed. On Sunday or so he claims. It's also found that. Animals are the same species. Once one animal somewhere learns a new adaptive tree. The other animals are the same species. Even if they're continents away will then learn the same. Uh, adaptive trade very quickly following. Which is pretty interesting stuff. Now. There's another. Uh, factor that is, shall drink. believes in. He supports trust Pearson, this. And even quotes Pierce. Sean Drake believes that the so-called laws of nature may in fact be memories of situations. That worked in the past and became codified. You can check him out. Rupert Sheldrake and it's fascinating work. At his web site, sheldrake.org. And I mentioned Pierce. That he also held this view. that, memory plays a key role in establishing the laws of the universe, even before there were human beings. That the universe itself is alive with memory. And if you want more information on that, we go back to episode 46. So, let me conclude. Well, Hagle does not refer to the collective unconscious per se. Or the collective memory or morphic residents? I do believe his concept of Geist of the evolution of spirit is one and the same thing. In fact, it goes a step further than young, how VAX or Sheldrake, and then it gives a purpose behind this one, collective unconscious. In fact, if spirit is evolving, it must build on the past. just like physical biological evolution builds more complicated creatures spirit also evolves within us to learn, to know, to be hold more things. Memory plays a key role in the cunning of guys without it, there can be no progress. Every one of our thoughts, our learnings, our conclusions, our experiences are reaching for higher goals. Our plans, our achievements contributes to it. Well, That's it for this episode. No, we covered a lot. Thank you so much for listening. Please follow the podcast. Facebook page at cunning of Geist. Where I will be. Listing all the references cited here shortly. Hopefully I'll get them up tomorrow. And I'll be posting a written transcript of the episode there a few days from now. And please check it out. Cause they also post relevant comments in between episodes on this page. if you're interested. You can also follow me on Twitter at cunning of Geist. And please be sure to tell your like-minded friends about the cunning of Geist and, and share episodes on social media. It really helps spread the word. And also, as I say, check out the Hagle study group on Facebook. If you're not already a member, we'd love to have you join us. This is Gregory Nowak. This is the cunning of Geist. See you next time.