| Three Steps to the Fountain Truth simplified, but not too much! |
| Three Steps to the Fountain Truth simplified, but not too much! |
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| "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope..." - 1 Pet 3:15 |
| "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope..." - 1 Pet 3:15 |
| What is "Truth" anyway? |
| What is "Truth" anyway? |
It's the age-old question, "What is truth?" Have you ever thought about exactly how it is that we come to know
whether something is "true" or "false"?
This section is a brief study in what is called "epistemology" - a brief study of how we come to acquire
knowledge of any kind. This topic may at first glance seem to be too basic or irrelevant for some, but please
seriously consider, or reconsider, exactly how it is that we really acquire any pieces of knowledge - and how we
can really know, for certain, what "Truth" is.
whether something is "true" or "false"?
This section is a brief study in what is called "epistemology" - a brief study of how we come to acquire
knowledge of any kind. This topic may at first glance seem to be too basic or irrelevant for some, but please
seriously consider, or reconsider, exactly how it is that we really acquire any pieces of knowledge - and how we
can really know, for certain, what "Truth" is.
Imagine if you will, that each and every one of us has, hidden somewhere within our minds and/or our bodies, an
internal "Truth Meter" that was "pre-installed from the factory", so to speak. Although there may have never been
any doctor or scientist that has ever found our internal Truth Meter physically, there is ample evidence that it exists
nonetheless. I will now present just a couple of fairly simple bits of evidence for this:
1. When someone tells us something, then moments later they, or someone else, tell us something completely
contrary to what we were first told, our brain and emotions immediately give us a warning message. If we could
read it, it might say something like this:
internal "Truth Meter" that was "pre-installed from the factory", so to speak. Although there may have never been
any doctor or scientist that has ever found our internal Truth Meter physically, there is ample evidence that it exists
nonetheless. I will now present just a couple of fairly simple bits of evidence for this:
1. When someone tells us something, then moments later they, or someone else, tell us something completely
contrary to what we were first told, our brain and emotions immediately give us a warning message. If we could
read it, it might say something like this:
| Our Internal "Truth Meter" |
| "Warning! Information does not compute! Latest received data does not accurately match with previously stored data!" |
Or, it may simply say:
| "Hold on just a minute here, pal! Two plus two is not equalling four! Stop the presses until this issue is resolved satisfactorily!" |
Or, if you watched too many old sci-fi programs in the 70's, it might say:
| "That is illogical, Captain!" |
Anyway, I think you get the picture.
2. Another way we can prove to ourselves that this "Truth Meter" does in fact exist, is to read and contemplate on
the following statement, for just a moment:
2. Another way we can prove to ourselves that this "Truth Meter" does in fact exist, is to read and contemplate on
the following statement, for just a moment:
| "Nothing is true." |
Again, as soon as we read it, we will probably notice that our brain immediately starts to go in circles, or to
pause for a moment and reflect...
"Nothing is true? Hmm... Can that statement be true? Hey, wait a minute! That statement can't possibly be true,
because if it were true that "nothing is true", that would mean that statement isn't true either!". It cancels itself out!
Make sense? That is what is called an "erroneous" statement. It contradicts itself. It doesn't make sense. It is,
literally, non-sense!
Or, again, as I mentioned before, we may just notice that we are struggling with a little bit of confusion, anxiety,
a slight feeling of being under attack maybe. Unless we remind ourselves that there are such things as
"self-contradicting", or "nonsensical", or "erroneous" statements in the world, we may be tempted to get confused,
or worse yet, me might wonder if there is such a thing as "truth".
If you ever remember a time of feeling stuck in that circle of wondering what to believe, or who to believe, or
why to believe anything - join the club! But, rest assured, there really is a way to break out of the circle - for good!
OK, hopefully we've considered enough evidence pointing to the fact that we all have a sort of
internal "Truth Meter" - in other words, we are "wired" to know the truth. If you need more
evidence, just allow your mind and heart to open up and acknowledge the truth that it naturally seeks, and you will
soon realize that all the evidence you'll ever need is always right under your nose! But if you could use just a little
help "sniffing it out" along the way, that's why this website exists!
pause for a moment and reflect...
"Nothing is true? Hmm... Can that statement be true? Hey, wait a minute! That statement can't possibly be true,
because if it were true that "nothing is true", that would mean that statement isn't true either!". It cancels itself out!
Make sense? That is what is called an "erroneous" statement. It contradicts itself. It doesn't make sense. It is,
literally, non-sense!
Or, again, as I mentioned before, we may just notice that we are struggling with a little bit of confusion, anxiety,
a slight feeling of being under attack maybe. Unless we remind ourselves that there are such things as
"self-contradicting", or "nonsensical", or "erroneous" statements in the world, we may be tempted to get confused,
or worse yet, me might wonder if there is such a thing as "truth".
If you ever remember a time of feeling stuck in that circle of wondering what to believe, or who to believe, or
why to believe anything - join the club! But, rest assured, there really is a way to break out of the circle - for good!
OK, hopefully we've considered enough evidence pointing to the fact that we all have a sort of
internal "Truth Meter" - in other words, we are "wired" to know the truth. If you need more
evidence, just allow your mind and heart to open up and acknowledge the truth that it naturally seeks, and you will
soon realize that all the evidence you'll ever need is always right under your nose! But if you could use just a little
help "sniffing it out" along the way, that's why this website exists!
The next step in better understanding our "Truth Meter", and how we come to know anything for certain, is to
contemplate how our amazing internal "high-speed super-computer" - our brain - constantly receives, stores,
organizes, and cross-references large quantities of extremely detailed data input from our five physical senses:
1. Our eyes: sight
2. Our ears: sound
3. Our nose: smell
4. Our mouth: taste
5. Our whole body: touch
Let's imagine our "Truth Meter" being a simple row of red lights. Maybe this will help...
contemplate how our amazing internal "high-speed super-computer" - our brain - constantly receives, stores,
organizes, and cross-references large quantities of extremely detailed data input from our five physical senses:
1. Our eyes: sight
2. Our ears: sound
3. Our nose: smell
4. Our mouth: taste
5. Our whole body: touch
Let's imagine our "Truth Meter" being a simple row of red lights. Maybe this will help...
| Sight Sound Smell Taste Touch ? |
Now, let's imagine that there is a bright, shiny, red apple sitting on the table directly in front of us. If we were to
look at the apple, our eyes would immediately capture many different types of information or "sensory input data":
size, shape, depth, texture, color, reflection, refraction, translucency, transparency, opacity, etc. The very moment
our eyes look at the apple, the signal is immediately sent to our brain, which stores the data in a mental "file" under
the reference name of "apple".
If we could intercept that signal transmission that our eyes were sending to our brain, it might read something
like this:
1. Color = bright red
2. Shape = 92.45% round/spherical
3. Height (tallest point) = 3.256 inches
4. Width (widest point) = 3.132 inches
5. Depth (thickest point) = 3.023 inches
6. Distance from eyes (nearest point) = 3 feet, 4.372 inches
7. Transparency = 0.00%
8. Reflectivity = 75.72%
9. Texture = 87.85% smooth
Of course our eyes, and our brains, are far more complex than that, but you get the basic idea. Our eyes
capture, and our brain records, a wide variety of visual sensory input that is being experienced whenever our eyes
are open, and possibly even while we're dreaming at night.
look at the apple, our eyes would immediately capture many different types of information or "sensory input data":
size, shape, depth, texture, color, reflection, refraction, translucency, transparency, opacity, etc. The very moment
our eyes look at the apple, the signal is immediately sent to our brain, which stores the data in a mental "file" under
the reference name of "apple".
If we could intercept that signal transmission that our eyes were sending to our brain, it might read something
like this:
1. Color = bright red
2. Shape = 92.45% round/spherical
3. Height (tallest point) = 3.256 inches
4. Width (widest point) = 3.132 inches
5. Depth (thickest point) = 3.023 inches
6. Distance from eyes (nearest point) = 3 feet, 4.372 inches
7. Transparency = 0.00%
8. Reflectivity = 75.72%
9. Texture = 87.85% smooth
Of course our eyes, and our brains, are far more complex than that, but you get the basic idea. Our eyes
capture, and our brain records, a wide variety of visual sensory input that is being experienced whenever our eyes
are open, and possibly even while we're dreaming at night.
Now, back to our Truth Meter, with the red lights on it. Since one of our five senses (our eyes) has
registered a certain amount of visual information about the apple, one light on our Truth Meter is
activated, indicating a certain "truth" of the apple's existence, like this...
registered a certain amount of visual information about the apple, one light on our Truth Meter is
activated, indicating a certain "truth" of the apple's existence, like this...
| Sight Sound Smell Taste Touch ? |
Our sense of sight activated our first green light on the Truth Meter. Now, imagine that apple on the table again,
and imagine stretching out your index finger and barely touching the tip of it to the surface, or skin, of the apple.
The exact moment your fingertip makes contact, you activate another sensory system - your sense of touch - and
your brain again records all the data information being experienced through your fingertip. This may seem like an
oversimplification of something we've known our whole lives, but please be patient, and try to see this from a new,
different perspective - like experiencing the world for the very first time, through the wondrous eyes of a tiny,
new-born infant.
At the very moment your fingertip makes contact with the surface of the apple, your brain records a "positive
confirmation" signal that tells us that there really is something in that "occupied space" where our eyes told us there
was "some sort of object" that is registered in our brain under the title of "apple".
Next, just as our eyes registered the visual information, causing the first light to be activated, our sense of touch
being activated sends a signal to the second light on our Truth Meter, causing it to light up also.
and imagine stretching out your index finger and barely touching the tip of it to the surface, or skin, of the apple.
The exact moment your fingertip makes contact, you activate another sensory system - your sense of touch - and
your brain again records all the data information being experienced through your fingertip. This may seem like an
oversimplification of something we've known our whole lives, but please be patient, and try to see this from a new,
different perspective - like experiencing the world for the very first time, through the wondrous eyes of a tiny,
new-born infant.
At the very moment your fingertip makes contact with the surface of the apple, your brain records a "positive
confirmation" signal that tells us that there really is something in that "occupied space" where our eyes told us there
was "some sort of object" that is registered in our brain under the title of "apple".
Next, just as our eyes registered the visual information, causing the first light to be activated, our sense of touch
being activated sends a signal to the second light on our Truth Meter, causing it to light up also.
| Sight Sound Smell Taste Touch ? |
Five green lights lit up on the Truth Meter tells us that all five senses are in agreement. Our eyes, ears, mouth,
nose, and our whole body and mind tells us that the apple must really exist - assuming we're talking about a real
apple instead of our imaginary one, that is!
But wait! There is still one red light left on the right end of the Truth Meter! Why isn't that one activated? And
what activates it?
The last light on our Truth Meter reveals that there is yet another way to come to know things to be "true"
besides just through our five senses. This last method that we also constantly utilize to know "truth" may be called
a number of different things. It may be called our "6th sense", our ability to use logic or rational thought, instinct,
intuition, a "hunch", E.S.P., "infused knowledge", "faith", "enlightenment", a "revelation" from God, the "Holy
Spirit", an angel, etc.
But how exactly do we know for sure what "it" (our "6th sense") is, or where it comes from, or how to utilize it
in the best, most effective, most consistently "successful" way? And what is "true success" anyway? How do we
really define it? What really is best for me? How successful should I really strive to be, and in what ways, or areas
of my life should I strive to be successful? Is it even possible for us to know any of this for sure? Can there really
be an "absolute, objective Truth" in these areas as well? Are answers really available to each and every one of us
about our "true purpose" in life, if there even is such a thing?
Again, as we established earlier, there must be an absolute, objective Truth in what the purpose or meaning of
life really is, or we will be forced to try to believe that big, contradictory lie that "Nothing is True"!
We also know that sometimes our senses are not accurate, or they "play tricks with our mind". An example is a
mirage, or an optical illusion.
Most people have probably been driving down a long, flat stretch of highway one afternoon and saw what
appeared to be pools of water standing in the road ahead, but as you drive up closer to that point in the road the
water quickly and mysteriously vanishes! What happened? Did your eyes lie to you? Were you hallucinating? Or
did your eyes really see something at that moment that you just could not logically explain, or that you somehow
know is not really there?
We know from experience, and from science, that water just doesn't normally evaporate that quickly in the
natural world, so we know that we sometimes can't trust our senses. In other words, we can't always trust our
sensory perception of the physical, material world to be completely accurate.
For more fun evidence, reminders, about how our senses can sometimes mislead us, visit here: Optical Illusions.
Fortunately for us, the very biggest majority of the time, our senses are accurate - they are just not infallible
(incapable of error). But still, if we can't always trust our five physical senses, which greatly influence our "world
view", how certain can we be that our view or understanding of the world is all that accurate, healthy or
productive? How do we know when to trust our senses and when not to? How do we really know what to
believe, and who or what to trust, and why? What about that "6th sense", is that the key to "true knowledge"?
What should be our ultimate authority to determine what "Truth" is?
Wow, even more questions than we started with! But please be encouraged to know that there are answers to
all of these questions, and many more that you may not have even thought of yet!
This is where, and why, we come to the
First Step to the Fountain!
nose, and our whole body and mind tells us that the apple must really exist - assuming we're talking about a real
apple instead of our imaginary one, that is!
But wait! There is still one red light left on the right end of the Truth Meter! Why isn't that one activated? And
what activates it?
The last light on our Truth Meter reveals that there is yet another way to come to know things to be "true"
besides just through our five senses. This last method that we also constantly utilize to know "truth" may be called
a number of different things. It may be called our "6th sense", our ability to use logic or rational thought, instinct,
intuition, a "hunch", E.S.P., "infused knowledge", "faith", "enlightenment", a "revelation" from God, the "Holy
Spirit", an angel, etc.
But how exactly do we know for sure what "it" (our "6th sense") is, or where it comes from, or how to utilize it
in the best, most effective, most consistently "successful" way? And what is "true success" anyway? How do we
really define it? What really is best for me? How successful should I really strive to be, and in what ways, or areas
of my life should I strive to be successful? Is it even possible for us to know any of this for sure? Can there really
be an "absolute, objective Truth" in these areas as well? Are answers really available to each and every one of us
about our "true purpose" in life, if there even is such a thing?
Again, as we established earlier, there must be an absolute, objective Truth in what the purpose or meaning of
life really is, or we will be forced to try to believe that big, contradictory lie that "Nothing is True"!
We also know that sometimes our senses are not accurate, or they "play tricks with our mind". An example is a
mirage, or an optical illusion.
Most people have probably been driving down a long, flat stretch of highway one afternoon and saw what
appeared to be pools of water standing in the road ahead, but as you drive up closer to that point in the road the
water quickly and mysteriously vanishes! What happened? Did your eyes lie to you? Were you hallucinating? Or
did your eyes really see something at that moment that you just could not logically explain, or that you somehow
know is not really there?
We know from experience, and from science, that water just doesn't normally evaporate that quickly in the
natural world, so we know that we sometimes can't trust our senses. In other words, we can't always trust our
sensory perception of the physical, material world to be completely accurate.
For more fun evidence, reminders, about how our senses can sometimes mislead us, visit here: Optical Illusions.
Fortunately for us, the very biggest majority of the time, our senses are accurate - they are just not infallible
(incapable of error). But still, if we can't always trust our five physical senses, which greatly influence our "world
view", how certain can we be that our view or understanding of the world is all that accurate, healthy or
productive? How do we know when to trust our senses and when not to? How do we really know what to
believe, and who or what to trust, and why? What about that "6th sense", is that the key to "true knowledge"?
What should be our ultimate authority to determine what "Truth" is?
Wow, even more questions than we started with! But please be encouraged to know that there are answers to
all of these questions, and many more that you may not have even thought of yet!
This is where, and why, we come to the
First Step to the Fountain!
Now all five senses, and all five lights should be activated on our Truth Meter - telling us with certainty, from our
five different, but integrated "input sources", that the apple really does exist. In essence, you have determined that
the existence of the apple is "objectively true", at least as far as we can determine with all our five senses, because
all five senses "agree" with one another. In other words, the truth of the existence of the apple is not just
determined by one or two of our senses, but it was strongly confirmed, verified, by all five senses. Our five senses
are "integrated" to our brains, to give us a bigger, fuller, more coherent picture of the Truth that exists around us.
Of course, we still have what is called "free will", and we could still try to say that the apple doesn't really exist,
or that it isn't really red, but we would be blatantly denying the facts, the truth of the matter, and the red apple
would just go on existing - whether we choose to accept it's existence or not! That is "objective truth"! It is the
reality of the way the world is. No matter what we might want to think it is, that doesn't change the reality of it one
bit!
If someone tries to disagree that there is an Absolute Truth (reality) that exists, whether we accept it or not, then
what they are attempting to do (for various possible reasons) is to convince, or delude, themselves into believing
that "Nothing is true." - i.e., that there is no "absolute truth" in this world. And as we've seen above, that is just
plain non-sensical, and the more strongly (absolutely) someone tries to deny that truth, the more firmly they are
actually proving the point there is such a thing as absolute truth!
In short, as we will see, the only way to true peace - within ourselves, our families, our communities, and
throughout the world - is to exercise humility, honesty, and enough courage to look at the truth, the reality of the
world, squarely, and accept it for what it really is - not what we think, or would like to think it is! I believe it was
CS Lewis who once said, "Show me a man who says he doesn't believe in 'moral absolutes' and show you a man
who will complain if you steal his orange!"
And speaking of fruit, back to that apple! Assuming we have fully accepted the reality of the world as it is right
now, and we can also hopefully imagine that, from the demonstration above, all five senses and the five
corresponding lights should be activated, confirming a strong sense of"Truth" about the apple's existence, our
internal Truth Meter should now look like this:
five different, but integrated "input sources", that the apple really does exist. In essence, you have determined that
the existence of the apple is "objectively true", at least as far as we can determine with all our five senses, because
all five senses "agree" with one another. In other words, the truth of the existence of the apple is not just
determined by one or two of our senses, but it was strongly confirmed, verified, by all five senses. Our five senses
are "integrated" to our brains, to give us a bigger, fuller, more coherent picture of the Truth that exists around us.
Of course, we still have what is called "free will", and we could still try to say that the apple doesn't really exist,
or that it isn't really red, but we would be blatantly denying the facts, the truth of the matter, and the red apple
would just go on existing - whether we choose to accept it's existence or not! That is "objective truth"! It is the
reality of the way the world is. No matter what we might want to think it is, that doesn't change the reality of it one
bit!
If someone tries to disagree that there is an Absolute Truth (reality) that exists, whether we accept it or not, then
what they are attempting to do (for various possible reasons) is to convince, or delude, themselves into believing
that "Nothing is true." - i.e., that there is no "absolute truth" in this world. And as we've seen above, that is just
plain non-sensical, and the more strongly (absolutely) someone tries to deny that truth, the more firmly they are
actually proving the point there is such a thing as absolute truth!
In short, as we will see, the only way to true peace - within ourselves, our families, our communities, and
throughout the world - is to exercise humility, honesty, and enough courage to look at the truth, the reality of the
world, squarely, and accept it for what it really is - not what we think, or would like to think it is! I believe it was
CS Lewis who once said, "Show me a man who says he doesn't believe in 'moral absolutes' and show you a man
who will complain if you steal his orange!"
And speaking of fruit, back to that apple! Assuming we have fully accepted the reality of the world as it is right
now, and we can also hopefully imagine that, from the demonstration above, all five senses and the five
corresponding lights should be activated, confirming a strong sense of"Truth" about the apple's existence, our
internal Truth Meter should now look like this:
If we noticed a certain internal attraction or desire for
this object (hunger), and we pick it up and we take a bite
out of it, we activate the other three senses and the other
three lights on our Truth Meter simultaneously: our ears
hear the "crunch" as our teeth penetrate the skin of the
apple. Our mouth and especially our tongue records
information about what the apple tastes like, and our nose
smells the aroma of fresh apple juice. Are you hungry
yet?
this object (hunger), and we pick it up and we take a bite
out of it, we activate the other three senses and the other
three lights on our Truth Meter simultaneously: our ears
hear the "crunch" as our teeth penetrate the skin of the
apple. Our mouth and especially our tongue records
information about what the apple tastes like, and our nose
smells the aroma of fresh apple juice. Are you hungry
yet?
