Grateful Dead Music Forum

when you say "me", and gesture to yourself, where do you envision and gesture to?

to me its my heart, I feel like that is where the source of "me" comes from and most people naturally do the same.

its an interesting phenomenon that even atheists seem to do this....

how about you?

Usually center mass

I don't believe in an "I" of any sort--there's a core of nothingness at the center of being and outside stimulus fills it up.

Anyway, I point at the upper part of my chest when I gesture to myself. The metaphor of the heart in emotional matters probably derived from its sensitivity to our emotional state; thus linking the psychological and physiological, there isn't a duality. I guess this raises the question is the heart's (physiological) reaction from emotion (psychological), or is the psychological from the physiological? My personal experience would be toward the latter.

Deep man..... I think it is the easiest way for our arms to point to ourselves, also considering pointing to your crotch would be inappropriate (has meaning), and pointing to anywhere else may assume a different meaning also. I think pointing to your chest is as much a language as the words you speak, aside from it being the area in which your heart resides; its body language. When we point at others it is in the same area of the body also. I don't know if our ancestors had the heart in mind when this was established, but it is what it is and I guess you can assume the heart is involved in the meaning. I will say this, it would make a good priests sermon no matter what the meaning really is...

I'll play

I think you read more into a gesture predominently meant to convey "ownership" by thinking more than that is inferred - and the movement to the chest is more a convenience/center mass motion that does more to steer clear of miscommunication that may be conveyed by pointing somewhere else as has been noted.

I'll say this though, as a "believer", though thoroughly non affiliated and non traditional -

Most who believe in the concept of Soul when referencing their soul will say 'I have a soul' thus the inference that they're a person (body) that has a soul.

I think of myself as a soul that has a body.

A bit off topic but it made me think of this.

I AM HE
AS YOU ARE HE
AS YOU ARE ME
AND WE ARE ALL TOGETHER!!!
Goo goo ga joob Mrs.Robinson!

PRAYER wrote:when you say "me", and gesture to yourself, where do you envision and gesture to?

to me its my heart, I feel like that is where the source of "me" comes from and most people naturally do the same.

its an interesting phenomenon that even atheists seem to do this....

how about you?

Well when I say "me" and "gesture" to myself it's usually 'cause I fucked up (played a wrong note/chord, missed a cue or lyric, or forgot to take out something from the freezer to defrost for dinner.....)

However if you want to discuss gestures of believers vs. athiests I think you should follow the rule (spoken or unspoken) of never discussing politics or religion in a bar or on rukind. Never liked mixing music with politics and religion. Music can bring together people despite their varying philosophical/spiritual/religious differences while politics and religion inevitably lead to wars, more wars, genocide, famine, bar fights, and other ill feelings among groups and individuals. I always respected the manner in which Jerry Garcia stayed out of the religious/political fray and let his music be his statement.

I usually grab my crotch.

I think of myself as a soul that has a body.

me too.

the soul resides within, and transfers life to, the heart. so its still applicable that most people refer there.


i'm just saying that this happens. if referring to an atheist breaks the rules of rukind i'll edit the post Grateful Dad.


in any light it is interesting that when I think of "me" as just a little word up in my head the world seems unusually worthless.

PRAYER wrote:

I think of myself as a soul that has a body.

me too.

the soul resides within, and transfers life to, the heart. so its still applicable that most people refer there.


i'm just saying that this happens. if referring to an atheist breaks the rules of rukind i'll edit the post Grateful Dad.

in any light it is interesting that when I think of "me" as just a little word up in my head the world seems unusually worthless.

No need to edit, I don't hold myself out as an arbitrator of rules by any means. Your question is a good one. You may even proselytize if you wish, I don't care. However rukind (for me) is a refuge from all the political and religious arguments that separate people. The phenomenon of the Grateful Dead is that all Deadheads from all facets of political and religious/non-religious (athiestic/agnostic) beliefs can come together for the same purpose regardless of personal beliefs and for several moments in time we are "one" without the material trappings of the outside world, where "statements just seem vain at last". A good thing indeed.

Grateful Dad wrote:

PRAYER wrote:

I think of myself as a soul that has a body.

me too.

the soul resides within, and transfers life to, the heart. so its still applicable that most people refer there.


i'm just saying that this happens. if referring to an atheist breaks the rules of rukind i'll edit the post Grateful Dad.

in any light it is interesting that when I think of "me" as just a little word up in my head the world seems unusually worthless.

No need to edit, I don't hold myself out as an arbitrator of rules by any means. Your question is a good one. You may even proselytize if you wish, I don't care. However rukind (for me) is a refuge from all the political and religious arguments that separate people. The phenomenon of the Grateful Dead is that all Deadheads from all facets of political and religious/non-religious (athiestic/agnostic) beliefs can come together for the same purpose regardless of personal beliefs and for several moments in time we are "one" without the material trappings of the outside world, where "statements just seem vain at last". A good thing indeed.

G-Dad, I too see the GD's music as something that transcends religious and political beliefs. Almost as if what transcends, the music, is the exact target of the 2 factions which it eliminates!

+ 1 strumminsix!

That's what I'm talking about!

Transcending religion and politics......let Jah be praised!

Oh wow man, it looks like I'm the only one who points to his ass. Freaky.