Absence of Reality

Blog #8

Oliver Sacks' TED talk was very interesting. He spoke about the Charles Bonnet syndrome and what hallucinations really mean. He spoke kindly and heartfelt about his patients and explained that they are not crazy or going mad like society today would easily think. I thought his talk was interesting because the Charles Bonnet syndrome is a syndrome that causes people with blindness or impaired vision to hallucinate things like faces, landscapes, cartoons and things like movies. He also said that  the hearing impaired can hallucinate music.

I found this subject interesting to think about. Beethoven was completely deaf by his 20's, so was his beautiful music due to the absence of his actual hearing? I think this should be a significant marker of human behavior because it shows the reality of human capability. The absence of something we once knew altogether can be replaced by a better or equal element. In hearing there is a definite example of  Beethoven and his music, as well as the woman who has Charles Bonnet that Oliver talks about.

Now maybe hallucinations should be viewed as the absence of an element that our minds desire, rather than going crazy (well if it fits certain circumstances). But what happens when you relate this concept to education? Well, an absolute contradiction. No school could mean better kids for the future? That doesn't work. I personally don't think it could work, but theoretically speaking maybe the absence of education could push students to do better than the social norms. Maybe an absence of lacking of education could spark a overflowing amount of creativity that could accommodate for a Conceptual Age that our class and Daniel Pink has pondered for so long. So could less and less education mean a step up in quality it is lacking today because of the overbearing amount of modern education? I don't think this concept would pass in any education system, but yes is something very captivating to think about. Although, I don't think this concept could work, could a smaller amount of education push students to realize its importance; therefore pushing them to work harder in its absence. Interesting, isn't it?

This is my last TED talk post and I would like to take to time to say that every TED talk I have watched with curiosity and intent. I respect every speaker and the difference they are making in the world. I find it absolutely astonishing. I think TED is a great program and I hope that people continue to share What Matters? to the world and them. I enjoyed this opportunity to reflect on these talks and the opportunity our class gets to share what matters to us. I hope everyone in this broad world gets to reflect on what matters to them.