We all create our own realities, through our actions, choices, and beliefs. Of course, there is some co-creation going on--realities do overlap, particularly when one is dependant on others for mundane stuff like food and shelter. But our worlds, for better or for worse, are pretty much what we choose to make them.

Robert Anton Wilson coined the useful phrase "reality tunnel" to refer to our created world. It implicitly reminds us, with echoes of "tunnel vision" and "light at the end of the tunnel", that all beliefs are limiting beliefs. For instance, in the reality tunnel of an indoctrinated Republican, Bush is a strong and faith-based leader--in my R.T., he is a draft-dodging, lying, all-hat no cattle buffoon. In the reality tunnel of a right-wing Christian, gay marriage is an abomination and a threat to the foundations of our society; in my R.T., gay marriage is simply people exercising a civil right that has nothing to do with me.

If you accept, as I do, that "the more you know and the less you believe, the better off you are", and that you have a desire to improve your lot, it follows that the wider your reality tunnel is, and the more inclusive and all-embracing it is, the better off you are.

There are many ways to widen your R.T., many of which are unpleasant in the extremis. The young woman who had her arm bitten off by a shark got her tunnel widened in a hurry, you may be sure. Likewise, cancer survivors, and POWs who are tortured by the enemy and live to tell about it have wider R.T.s than most of us. Dropping acid is another dandy way to accomplish this, as is checking into an ashram for a few years. But I wish to suggest a fairly simple, quick, and easy way of widening your R.T.--magazines.

To be specific, specialty magazines for folks who are interested in a specialty you have no interest in. Reading these gives you a wonderful glimpse into someone else's R.T., and hence perforce widens your own. For instance, I once read a magazine for and about horse-lovers, folks who own and care for and ride the critters. They are vitally interested in things I never heard of. Interesting to me, just to get a glimpse of a world previously unknown to me. Another time, I read a Christian music magazine--kind of creepy, but still enlightening. Most recently, I read a magazine entitled "Alaska Weddings." Why people invest so much money and energy into an enterprise that has maybe only a fifty-fifty chance of success is beyond me, but then that was the whole point of reading the thing in the first place.

So the next time you get a chance, pick up a magazine you would ordinarily never dream of reading--discard boxes at local libraries are a great source. If you care nothing about celebrities, read "People"--if you are a male chauvinist, try "Cosmopolitan." Or a technical mag, like "Aviation Week." Or "Boston" magazine, if you live in the South. You get the idea. You will even learn something

What a marvelous idea!!

Last year I subscribed to two magazines (admittedly just to placate the Girl Scouts who continually knocked on my door) - National Geographic and Time.

I'd been a Time subscriber before, and always enjoyed reading the stories about the third-world cultures. I always found it to be presented from an off-the-cuff journalist perspective, and was delighted to find new articles in National Geo that were actually about the PEOPLE, not necessarily the places and political plunder therein.

The most joy I took from National Geo were the remarkable photos that depicted children of impoverished countries. To see a small child's face absolutely light up with glee when a bowl of rice and a simple, wilted orange was presented to him was very moving.

I don't have any offspring myself, but if I ever breed, I'd sure like to share with my kids what the difference between "wanting" and "needing" is.

My next Widen the RT focus point will be on Popular Mechanics. I'd like to learn what motorheadding is all about, and how this cult of *grease monkeys* interact with each other. For once, I'd like to walk into an auto repair shop and be able to speak their lingo.

^Boy, do I relate. I go to the mechanic, and he hitches up his overalls and says something like "Well, yer frammis is a few degrees off skim, and the flux in yer greedlebox is low. . . ."

And I do not have the slightest idea what the guy is talking about, so I just nod, and ask how much it'll cost me.

I spent most of my time in college just reading books at random from the library instead of going to lectures.

They had some good ones too, Sagan and Huxley were in there, I read about the history and politics of policing in britain, organisational ergonomics, a 3 binder set of how TV programs are directed and produced, anthropometry and picked around a large selection on social science, as well as everything else that looked good. I'm still pissed they had nothing on game theory though :(

So much more fun than sitting being talked at about the same thing for a year.

pro bono bump.

I spent most of my time in college just reading books at random from the library instead of going to lectures.


Good idea. Don't EVER let school interefere with your education.

Good idea. Don't EVER let school interefere with your education.

A-fucking-men. I have 5 classes this semester and only need 2 of them(possibly 1). I had to take minimum 4 high school classes because it's required(I'm also taking 1 college class that I need to graduate). Fuck that, I'm gonna ask the counselor if I actually need to pass my English class, because, according to a printout he gave me, I don't. The rest are electives which are simply a waste of time. I'm not gonna do any work, I'm just gonna spend my time reading classic books. I've also decided not to participate in the graduation ceremony because you need a minimum 2.0 GPA and it costs 130 dollars or so. Screw that, I'm gonna save the money instead, hopefully my parents won't be illogical idiots. You wear a blue robe &stupid hat, walk across a stage, shake the principals hand, and get a diploma(possibly not a real one, might get it after). That's worth $130 dollars?! Fuck that, I'm not gonna be financially irresponsible just because I'm expected to.

*ahem* /rant. Yes, I certainly understand why you went to Alaska...

I'll widen YOUR 'reality tunnel'... ;)

Think I'll just drop acid

Probably won't help you.

Probably won't help you.

I'm sure you'd know.