Define Religion…

For sure, happenings around the world has agitated many consciences as terrorism often misread and misunderstood as “war for religion” is subject matter of many of my friend’s blogs. One of my friend, Gajju, described this as “religion at its cost” in his recent post. All these have sent me into a spin about the whole concept of religion. Lets try to look at these issues one by one:

1. What is religion? How is it defined?

As per dictionary, religion is defined as “A strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny” or “An institution to express belief in a divine power”. That is, religion is a “faith” or its an organization to show “faith”, faith in something we cannot sense.

2. Why it originated at the first place?

To answer the questions of who are we? Why are we here? Who created us? Well may be these were some of the questions which lead to the various religious institutions. But today, because of science we have answers to these. A combinations of various atoms combined together in a way producing life along with a complex structure of DNA made up of nitrogen to keep our existence, that’s what we are and well atoms are all around in the universe since big-bang. Why big-bang occurred? Because of imbalance / excess energy accumulation. Everything is in place according to science. Energy and entropy are the answers.

Still we have doubts because of the psychological thinking / excess conscious thinking. Wonder may be this is the reason animals do not have any religion!! So, basically as I understand it, religion was a product of human mind where all the unanswered questions of agitated mind can rest.

3. Why do we need religion?

The answer is clear now, to calm self, to rest in peace by having faith in an imaginative power which has all the answers.

Now when religion is a subset of “faith” i.e. a specific kind of faith, what all I am confused about is how can anyone else threaten your faith as people feel their religion been attacked? How can a religion die when it is a faith which lies in you? And how does it matter you have faith in which GOD, after all what all you know in reality does exist is only “faith”.

4. Why complications of being related to one religion or other?

Over time, people have mixed up things to complicate them. There existed different communities in various parts of the world disconnected with each other because of lack of technology. They developed a specific name, specific food-habits, language, rituals, dressing sense etc and religion i.e. “faith in whom and what way” was also a part of it. It was the community which defined a religion and not the religion which defined a community. But overemphasis on religion ( I am unaware of the reason, why) has led to this flip flop giving the perception of religion as an identity.

5. What is real Identity?

This question draws its answer in many ways from “Identity and Violence” by Amartya Sen. What is my identity? Khushboo Maheshwari, an IITian, Chemical Engineer, dual degree, Hostel 10 resident, Mumbaite, female, Rajasthani, Marawari, hindu, vegetarian, dancer, poet, athlete, gazal lover, rock hater, Indian, Asian, Human. These are only a few of the diverse categories to each of which I may simultaneously belong. Then how can only religion answer the quest of who i am?

Belonging to a community definitely has its advantages and its in a way intuitive, for example I can associate myself more with my hostel and hostilities than to any other hostel. But this association in anyway cannot harm anyone in other hostel. After all we share other things in common like being IITians, make be chemical engineers, Mumbaities, Indians, Asians etc. Same stands for being associated with a particular religion.

6. What’s the reason for “religion at its cost ” then?

It is the excessive importance given to this “mystic product of our mind to satisfy our conscience from unanswered question” ( read religion) and “unawareness of what this mystery actually is” the root cause of any of the religious war.

If I attach myself with feminism to the extent that I perceive it as my only identity, make all females on the world feel the same then there could be a “gender war”! or may be I can convince all vegetarian to hate non-vegetarians and excite a “food habits war”. Is there much difference between the the identities I have used in examples above and religion. For me, No! They are way or part of my life. I believe in being a vegetarian as I believe in my religion. Infact, to me the identity of being a female makes more sense as I often have fights with my male friends on “girls-boys” difference issue! I hardly remember telling someone as being a “Hindu” as a part of my identity.

7. What is this all fuss about then?

This reminds me of a dialogue from movie “beautiful mind”. ” What all people in power desire for? Answer is simple. More Power!” Its actually a power war where bullets are fired by keeping gun on shoulder of religion as we, people do not understand it. All we understand is that it is our identity, which it actually is not! Then how a threat to religion could be a threat to our identity? Infact how can one threaten your belief? Think about it!

Media has cooked this issue for so long, everyone is fooled in the name of religion because of ignorance by everyone in power. And what is that a common man has gained? Fear of uncertainty/ death! What they have lost? Peace of mind! Is it worth it? High time to realise what we have in common than to emphasise on differences.

PS: I do not posses much know-how about the subject of origin of religion and its importance. Everything written above is how I perceive things around.

 

Identity Clash?

Has something changed? After Tuesday’s blasts will you board the local trains?

Ofcourse I will do and so will everyone. May be with the fear of long arm of terror reaching out to grab me any moment (which it is often doing in my dreams), may be with more precaution to look out for any luggage without owner or may be with full confidence on the saying that lightening doesn’t stuck a place twice! Does it?

Since the day I came to know the meaning of terrorism, I am seeing it in news headlines in a way or other. Since then, numerous lives have changes, countless people have lost their close ones. People learned, adapted and blast after blast, they have reacted more maturely. Since 1993 black Friday to 2006 terror Tuesday; popular opinion has come a long way.

But still somethings havn’t changed. The way media show dead bodies, mutilated bodies of the victims incessantly (should mention that “The Time of India” was an exception this time), the way political statements of “foreign hands” comes in, the issue of India-Pakistan peace process, the government security apparatus or the law enforcement machinery. Cases of 1993 bomb blasts have not yet resolved and there are hundreds piled up after that.

All this has led to many doubts, many questions. Is India – Pakistan peace process actually tenable? Are the intelligence services of India failing? Has the continuous resilience of people made the Indian government lethargic and relaxed about the issue? Has the Kashmir issue not solved from last 55 years because of vote-bank politics?

Is there any end to all this? Will the problem of terrorism simply vanish into thin air through pronouncements of rhetorical statements as india’s policy makers are hoping from decades? Or is it in developing the capabilities to trace and smash the networks of terror which are established in India without much of hindrance in past years? Is it in giving away Kashmir against our constitution as demanded again and again or making it an independent country? Or is it in announcing a war for killing the roots of the terrorism? Do we have potential for all this?

As often said, in order to have a discussion, one must come from a position of conviction. I lack conviction about all this talk of terrorism. But as everyone does, I am desperate for these answers. Anyone has any answer? Or should we come in terms with the fact that terrorism is no longer merely the morning headline; it has infiltrated our world to become a permanent companion in our everyday lives. And lives lost in any terrorist attack should be taken analogous to one lost in a car accident?

Meanwhile I have put my hands on “Identity and Violence – The Illusion of Destiny” by Amartya Sen to understand his approach to peace. If its identity clash…

 

Future predictions!

Even worst things have something good in them! Watched “Krishh” yesterday and finally it turned into a good discussion with my friend Chawley, “Can we predict future?”

From pre-scientific times to till date, predictions have often been made, by resorting to paranormal or supernatural means. Disciplines such as astrology, numerology, and fortune telling, along with many other forms of divination, have been used for centuries or even millenia to predict or attempt to predict the future. So far none of these means of prediction have been proved under controlled conditions and are heavily criticised by scientists and skeptics. So, in this world of computation, can we predict future now?

Both Chawley and I had different models in mind, both unable to understand each other clearly! I request Chawley to post what he was thinking. Here’s what I was saying. Those who know advanced control theory surely understand the “model predictive control (MPC)“. You make a window in the future time, the time for which predictions are required. Then a model of the actual process is taken. The inputs given to process is given to the model too, and a second model identifying the process-model mismatch feeds the error signal to the first model so that correction in the right direction can be taken for a more accurate prediction.

The problem lies in identifying the input / variables affecting the process. If we are here talking about prediction of future of a particular human being, as Chawley pointed out, “The butterfly effect” theory, that every change in the world affect us in a way or other. So all the events which took place since “big bang” anywhere in the universe till date should be accounted. This means that number of variables are may be not infinite as some may argue, but indefinitely large and thus accurate prediction ( i.e 100% real) is impossible.

I agree to the butterfly effect theory, but for me the bottleneck is not number of variables. As suggested by MPC, as we go back in time or increase the distance from a process, effect of variables not closely related can be ignored for the time being. The strong variables can be accounted by analytical modeling and the disturbances caused can be accounted by stochastic models! Main hinge is accumulating data for each and every person, and even if such a model is made, the computational power to run that model!

Since we are talking about humans (complex system)here, it is sounding fictitious may be! Now if we take a simple system, for example control of a simple distillation column, then this technique is working just too fine. It was first developed by Shell in 1979. This technique can be extended to weather forecasting, stock market predictions, financial market predictions, political predictions etc.

There are mathematical models used now a days for the processes I mentioned above but I am unable to gather details of them. Weather forecasting to the best of my knowledge is done by Initial value problem solving techniques where initial value is provided by satellites. Stock markets are using some kind of neural networks. Let me know if you know these prediction methods in detail.

On philosophical side, do we really want to have complete knowledge of our future?

I would like to quote Prof. Langer, professor of psychology at Harvard University here:

It is ironic that freedom and control are important to us and yet we still seek predictability. On the face of it, it would seem that the two are related. If I can predict, I can control. A deeper analysis, however, reveals quite a different picture. When we want light, we mindlessly flip the light switch. We have no doubt that it will work, so we don’t have to think about it. Without doubt, there is no choice. Without choice there is no feeling of control. Complete predictability would leave us with no need to pay attention to anything any longer. And when would we like to “know” everything completely so we could stop paying attention? When we are 15, 30 or 60 years old? At what point do we want to close the future and live in the past?

Just think about it: If we are aware of the uncertainty of going forward, we’re unlikely to blame ourselves for our failures of prediction when looking back. If we allow for uncertainty, we’re likely to stay mindful and in the present, and, personally, that’s where I want to be!!

 

Dreams of reality!!

I always wonder, what are dreams??

According to the scientific discipline of dream research, oneirology, dreams are typically associated with REM ( rapid eye movement) sleep, a phase of brain activity which occurs towards the end of the sleep cycle. REM sleep is characterized by rapid horizontal eye movements, stimulation of the pons, increased respiratory and heart rate, and temporary paralysis of the body. There are exceptions to this and no universally agreed-upon definition of dreaming is there till date.

But is that all? An experience of envisioned images, voices, or other sensations during sleep which are impossible and unlikely in reality? Or is it something more? Well, people often don’t have time to think about these “unproductive” happenings of their daily lives to provide a concrete answer. But there are few who think otherwise.

They believe, if earth once considered flat is round, once considered centre of universe is revolving around sun, journeys of Columbus once considered crazy discovered the world as we see today, may be dreams in a way, encompass yet another entire dimension of experience, a world as yet unexplored by most, where a fascinating sphere of activity awaits investigation and possible harvest for greater fulfillment in walking life. I don’t know which side I belong to, I guess midway between the two!!

Every organ in our body has its own power and functions to perform. If we are a computer machine, happenings around are the programs running on it, some of them are those we run and some are system defined!! When we are operating this machine ( i.e. our-self) we have total control over the programs, but when we leave the machine to itself, the inbuilt mechanism operating on these programs, running all the programs simultaneously starts providing an output – a combination of these simultaneous operations!!

Ok! I guess, its getting confusing! What all i simply wanna say is that in subconscious, an overlapping of emotions, feelings, daily happening occur and what we see in dreams is a compiled version of all these! But can our subconscious access the future?? I am not sure though many a times I have felt this happening to me and have heard my friends saying that they had witnessed this in their dream which is happening now!

A week back, I had two dreams ( won’t use word weired here, as dreams are meant to be !!) which I still remember clearly. If I leave behind the story and dramatics involved and just pick up the key words from the first dream, they will be evening, marriage / party, crowd, bomb, terror, running for life, crowded roads, trucks / buses, search. Bell’s ringing?? If yes, then you should be interested in key words of the second one. They are one of my close friend, fun / party, water, drowning, safe, black out, a saint, haphazard, back to normal.

If you think that 7/11 was first dream then 26th July is again on its way! If I go more into these words, it should be after 17th July for sure; somewhere around 23rd – 25th. If you believe in what I wrote above, then do watch out!!!

Conscious trying to interpret subconscious here!!! Must warn you, I have little confidence on my conscious!!

 

Sunrise or sunset?

Few days back, one of my friend Vikram, posted a sunrise picture on his photoblog shutterbug wondering if someone can distinguish between a sunrise and a sunset picture on some logical basis. You may think that’s easy! Just figure out the place and see the direction in which picture is being taken!! Well, this is something which hit my mind as very first thought but it’s not at all a brilliant answer as knowledge of the place of any sunrise/ sunset picture will not be readily available. Since then, I was wondering about this particular question. After browsing through lots of articles, I was convinced by the following observations:

The major differences between the two situations are:

1. Atmosphere is cooler during a sunrise as compared to sunset.
2. Smog, dust and pollution levels low at sunrise as compared to sunset.

Because of the above two reasons, you may observe that:

1. A sunrise picture is yellowish around sun, yellow turning to red
2. A sunset picture is orange around sun, Orange turning to brownish orange.
3. A sunrise picture is more fresh and clear than a sunset picture.

The difference will be quite visible in the sunrise and sunsets near a city, though they may appear similar where the air is cleaner. Also, sunrise and sunset of two different places may look similar as the atmosphere around will be different. Views presented here are from personal observations. Any comments would be appreciated!

Compare the sunrise and sunset pictures taken by Vikram. Know more about the colors of sky and atmosphere’s effect.