TrueLife - The Square Root of Yellow: Perception, Synesthesia, and the Hidden Geometry of Experience

Episode Date: October 8, 2021

One on One Video Call W/George https://tidycal.com/georgepmonty/60-minute-meetingSupport the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_US🚨🚨Curious about the future of psychedelics? Imagine if Alan Watts started a secret society with Ram Dass and Hunter S. Thompson… now open the door. Use Promocode TRUELIFE for Get 25% off monthly or 30% off the annual plan For the first yearhttps://www.district216.com/What does it mean to take the square root of a color? In this episode, George Monty dives into synesthesia, perception, and the hidden geometry underlying our sensory experience. From mathematical abstraction to artistic insight, this episode explores how reality can be read, felt, and interpreted in unexpected ways.In this episode:The connection between color, math, and perceptionSynesthesia as a gateway to novel consciousnessHow abstraction informs creativity, intuition, and insightPhilosophical reflections on patterns and hidden orderExperiential exercises to explore perception beyond the ordinaryhttps://app.podscribe.ai/static/js/embed.jsSpeaker 0 (0s): Hello, my friends, ladies, gentlemen, my brothers and sisters, my nieces and my nephews and my aunts and uncles. Thank you for taking a moment to hang out for a minute. Salvation. It's a pretty big concept. Isn't it? It's something that if you just take a few minutes to think about it can be totally mind blowing. It can be mind numbing. It can be something that you could think about for hours on end. There's a lot of different ways to describe it. There's a lot of different ways to think about it. The older you get, I believe the more time you spend trying to define this crazy concept we call Salvation. What do you think about when I say the word salvation? When you close your eyes, do you see streaks of light? Is that your salvation? How about music? Do you find Salvation and music? Maybe you find salvation in the kind words whispered by your lover. Maybe you find Salvation in the eyes of your children. Maybe you find it in a moment of quietness. If one finds it somewhere different, Salvation speaks to all of us. And there's plenty of definitions. I'm working on a new book and I'm thinking about this particular concept and how it fits in. How, how is it that people will identify with Salvation? What can I say to you to make you think of salvation? So I've got a little passage right here. I want to share with you. I'm kind of working out some materials. Let me see what you think. Salvation only after you have had an intimate, passionate relationship with death. Can you awaken to your own ideas? The realization that everything is your creation. I've seen it Salvation. I've seen it a few times. It's fleeting, just a passing glance. Once was when I was young at salvation mountain. For those of you that don't know in California, there's a place called salvation mountain. It seems like the furthest thing from Salvation. It's way out in the desert, close to Arizona in a place called slab city. One of the last free places on earth. Think of scorching desert with nothing, not even CAC. This really just pure dirt. A man in the sixties moved out there. He had a vision. He had a dream and it's when you look Speaker 1 (2m 59s): Salvation mountain, if you Google salvation mountain, you'll see this area that looks like nothing in this big mound of dirt that doesn't really look like a mountain. However, it's a pretty unbelievable story about a man that moved out of the desert and started building a mountain. It reminds me of the literature in, I believe it's Mohammed. That has a quote that says, if the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. This guy built a mountain with all kinds of paint and debris. He turned, he made a mountain. It's pretty fascinating to look at and think about it. I recommend everybody check it out. It's called salvation mountain. And it's pretty amazing. The more that I think about it. So back to where I was here on my idea of Salvation, I've seen it a few times. Salvation it's fleeting, just a passing glance is all I saw once when I was young at salvation mountain in slab city, while walking through the tunnels of the second mountain, not the one that collapsed once I saw it somewhere between the ideas of Viktor Frankl and Marshall McLuhan. I tried to leave a bookmark. I tried to create a memory that I could always return to somewhere, which when Viktor Frankl and Marshall McLuhan, the idea of finding the meaningful message and the medium. But when I returned to my bookshelf, when I returned to the place that I left the bookmark in my mind, it had been snatched away by a thief in the night. I found nothing but monotonous dribble left in the spot where I left it from time to time, I can see it even pull up next to it, engage with it on high dose, the siliciden. But when I look, when I really look for it, it always alludes me. It is in times of quiet, contemplation that I can see it out of the corner of my eye. Like one of those little floaters, the more you try to focus on it, the more it runs away from you. It's true with a lot things in life. Isn't it. Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we once had shoulders sharp as Raven clause. So in my book, I'm talking quite a bit about Neuroplasticity in the mind of a child. And I am trying to explain both functional and structural Neuroplasticity. I don't know what you're thinking. Okay. Well, why don't you just explain it then is to use your words to do it well, I'm trying to do it in a different way and the book I want to show what could possibly be happening inside my head in real time. Right? I want to explain the thought process of structural and functional Neuroplasticity. I know what you're thinking. Like how the fuck you going to do that? Well, thanks. First off. It's a great question. Thanks for asking. I'm going to give you a little shot here of what, what it is here. Okay. So I've gone down quite a bit in the story. Okay. That will take too long. So the process of structural plasticity of I should fix that. The process of in Neuroplasticity, the process of structural plasticity may have begun by the engine of traumatic necessity to process relevant information in alternative locations. However, the new highway, the new connection of neural networks, retraction regeneration, and remodeling of synopses, spines, and axons was made possible by the Renton relentless pursuit of meaning. If it makes sense to you guys, should I try to read it again? Okay. Let me read that again. Does this make any sense? I think it does, but I need to work it out on my head. The process of structural plasticity may have begun by the engine of traumatic necessity to process relevant information in alternative locations. You know what I mean by that? So what I'm trying to really get across is that in the process of functional Neuroplasticity, so I need to change it. That's not functional. Plasticity is when you process information in a part of the brain that you normally, so let's say I try and process. I try and process equations in, in the visual cortex. You know, do you think you can do that? Do you think, do you listening to this right...

Darkness struck, a gut-punched theft, Sun ripped away, her health bereft. I roar at the void. This ain't just fate, a cosmic scam I spit my hate. The games rigged tight, shadows deal, blood on their hands, I'll never kneel. Yet in the rage, a crack ignites, occulted sparks cut through the nights. The scars my key, hermetic and stark. To see, to rise, I hunt in the dark, fumbling, fear. Hears through ruins maze, lights my war cry, born from the blaze.

The poem is Angels with Rifles. The track, I Am Sorrow, I Am Lust by Codex Serafini. Check out the entire song at the end of the cast. Hello, my friends, ladies, gentlemen, my brothers and sisters, my nieces and my nephews and my aunts and uncles. Thank you for taking a moment to hang out for a minute. Salvation. It's a pretty big concept, isn't it?

It's something that if you just take a few minutes to think about, it can be totally mind-blowing. It could be mind-numbing. It can be something that you could think about for hours on end. There's a lot of different ways to describe it. There's a lot of different ways to think about it. The older you get, I believe, the more time you spend trying to define this crazy concept we call salvation.

What do you think about when I say the word salvation? When you close your eyes, do you see streaks of light? Is that your salvation? How about music? Do you find salvation in music? Maybe you find salvation in the kind words whispered by your lover. Maybe you find salvation in the eyes of your children. if you find it in a moment of quietness.

Everyone finds it somewhere different. Salvation speaks to all of us. And there's plenty of definitions. I'm working on a new book and I'm thinking about this particular concept and how it fits in. How is it that people will identify with salvation? What can I say to you to make you think of salvation? So I've got a little passage right here. I want to share with you.

I'm kind of working out some materials. Let me see what you think. Salvation. Only after you have had an intimate, passionate relationship with death. Can you awaken to your own ideas? The realization that everything is your creation. I've seen it, salvation. I've seen it a few times.

It's fleeting. Just a passing glance. Once was when I was young at Salvation Mountain. For those of you that don't know, in California, there's a place called Salvation Mountain. It seems like the furthest thing from salvation. It's way out in the desert, close to Arizona, in a place called Slab City, one of the last free place. on earth think of scorching desert with nothing not even cactus really just pure dirt a man in the 60s moved out there he had a vision he had a dream and it's when you look at salvation

mountain if you Google Salvation Mountain you'll see this area that looks like nothing in this big mound of dirt that doesn't really look like a mountain however it's a pretty unbelievable story about a man that moved out to the desert and started building a mountain. It reminds me of the literature in... I believe it's Mohammed that has a quote

that says, if the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. This guy built a mountain with all kinds of paint and debris. He turned, he made a mountain. It's pretty fascinating to look at and think about it.

I recommend everybody check it out. It's called Salvation Mountain. And it's pretty amazing, the more that I think about it. So, back to where I was here, on my idea of salvation, I've seen it a few times, salvation. It's fleeting. Just a passing glance is all I saw. once when I was young at Salvation Mountain

and Slab City while walking through the tunnels of the second mountain not the one that collapsed once I saw it somewhere between the ideas of Victor Frankel and Marshall McLuhan I tried to leave a bookmark I tried to create a memory

that I could always return to somewhere between Victor Frankel and Marshall McLuhan. The idea of finding the meaningful message in the medium. But when I returned to my bookshelf, when I return

to the place that I left the bookmark in my mind, it had been snatched away by a thief in the night. I found nothing but monotonous dribble left in the spot where I left it. From time to time, I can see it, even pull up next to it,

engage with it on high doses of psilocybin. But when I look at it, Look, when I really look for it, it always eludes me. It is in times of quiet contemplation that I can see it out of the corner of my eye. Like one of those little floaters. The more you try to focus on it, the more it runs away from you. It's true with a lot of things in life, isn't it? Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we once had shoulders sharp as Ravenclaw.

So in my book, I'm talking quite a bit about neural plasticity in the mind of a child, and I am trying to explain both functional and structural neural plasticity. And I know what you're thinking. Okay, well, why do you used to explain it then, George? You used to use your words to do it. Well, I'm trying to do it in a different way. In the book, I want to. show what could possibly be happening inside my head in real time. Right?

I want to explain the thought process of structural and functional neural plasticity. I know what you're thinking. Like, how the fuck are you going to do that? Well, thanks. First off, it's a great question. Thanks for asking. I'm going to give you a little shot here of what it is here. Okay.

So I've gone down quite a bit in the story. Okay, that will take too long. So the process of structural plasticity of, I should fix that. The process of in neuroplasticity, the process of structural plasticity may have begun by the engine of traumatic necessity to process relevant information in alternative locations. However, the new highway, the new connection of neural networks, retraction, regeneration, and remodeling of synapses, spines, and axons was made possible by the relentless pursuit of meaning. Does that make sense to you guys? Should I try to read it again?

Okay, let me read that again. Does this make any sense? I think it does that I need to work it out in my head. The process of structural plasticity may have begun by the engine of traumatic necessity to process relevant information in alternative locations. You know what I mean by that? So I'm what I'm trying to really get across is that in the process of functional neural plasticity, so I need to change it. That's not functional plasticity is when you process information, and a part of the brain that you normally wouldn't. So let's say I try and process... I try and process equations in the visual cortex.

Do you think you can do that? Do you think... Do you listening to this right now, do you believe that you can choose to interpret information in different parts of your brain than where it... immediately goes to. Like you're all wired up, right? Like you got Broca's area for speech. You got the visual cortex. You have this thing called the default, the default mode network that just

sends everything where it's supposed to go is then wired up a certain way. I believe that you can change that process. I think that through quiet contemplation and a sort of forced synesthesia, that you can begin to process stuff in one part of the brain that you normally don't. It's a lot like, you know, if you're right-handed, it's a lot like writing with your left-hand. And if you're left-handed, it's a lot like writing with your right-hand. You know, it's very obtuse in the beginning. However, if you continue to do it, you can begin to get better at it. And I think it's the same thing for processing information in your brain.

I think you can send it to different spots. I know you're thinking like, no, you can't, George. Why not? You just have to, you have to understand the world different. You have to choose to see it different. Let me give you an example. What's the square root of yellow? Right?

What is the square root of yellow? What does the rough, what a rough texture smell like? See, there's all kinds of these, these particular types of mental exercises that you can begin doing and focus. on that will train your brain to interpret different ideas and different parts of the brain. I just think for a minute. The first one is a good starter. What is the square root of yellow? Are you with me?

Like, how would you do that? How would you begin to use not only your words, but the category of algebra? How would you begin to use the mathematic process to find out about a color? Well, one way you might do it is by understanding at what frequency yellow is. If it's on a spectrum and each color is a different wave, if every has a different wavelength, you could find out what wavelength yellow is. And then you could put that in. into like a, like a, you could break it down into numbers, right?

Like, let's say it's, I don't know, I should probably look that up and tell you, but since I don't have a way to do that, and I'm kind of free-flowing right here, let's just say that, let's just say that yellow is five on the spectrum. Okay, well, now we have a number, right? So, you know, what would be the square root of five? That's probably not the total equation, but you can see the process you're on. You start breaking down the color yellow into it, the algebraic ingredients.

And now once you have these ingredients, you can put those ingredients into the formula and solve the formula. And now you have come up with a number and you can find the square root of that. Well, what would that mean? What would it mean once you figured out the square root of yellow? I don't know. Maybe you have to figure out the square root of orange and red. Maybe you got to look at the square root of every primary color. Maybe once you figured out the square root of every primary color,

maybe once you did that, you start seeing patterns. And wouldn't it be interesting if those patterns, wouldn't it be interesting if there was a relationship in those patterns? Right? What if the, what if those numbers, what if the, like a light yellow, like the tone? of yellow has the same frequency as the sound when you say yellow what if I when I say yellow that frequency is the same frequency as the color yellow on

the light wave right what about that what if all primary colors are the same what happens when you mix primary colors are the tones the same see that's that's part of this idea this bigger picture I have about our language. Like, that's all connected. We're just not seeing it that way. This is why I recommend, like, really high doses of psilocybin. You can see colors at that level, like at 7 or 8 or, you know, 10 grams of a really

strong psilocybin trip. You can see frequencies and you can hear colors. It's just the problem is that those high doses, it's really difficult to bring anything back. But if you're really focused and you have your notes in front of you, you can, or better yet, you can record what you're talking about. You know, I think that in that state, you can receive information from somewhere else. I mean, that's, don't take that from me.

Take that from Terrence McKenna. Take that from Jimmy, you know, Jimmy, who's the greatest guitarist of all times? Come on, man. Come on, man, you know what I'm talking about. Yeah. So, yes, that's where I was going. I started with salvation, and then we moved into plasticity. Okay, and that I believe that that's functional plasticity.

Functional plasticity is when you are, you are analyzing information and, you are, you are, analyzing information. different parts of your brain than you usually would. Structural plasticity, that's when you actually change the shape of your brain. Right? And I know what you're thinking. Like, what? You can't change the shape of your brain,

you big dummy? No, you can. You don't change the outside shape of your brain. Which really, let me just take a quick tangent here. You know, the picture of, uh,

I think it was by Michael Angelo and it's in Gosh, I should know this But it's the picture of Michael Angelo Where God is in the cloud and he's reaching his finger down and he's touching Adam Okay, go look at that picture The cloud

In which God Who is reaching out his hand The That photo Are you with me? You know what I'm talking about? The two hands are touching fingers? You know what I mean? By Michelangelo and one of those Roman cathedrals

Okay, in that picture just look at the cloud in which God is floating. It's a brain. There's no mistaking it. It's not even possible to be a mistake. It's the unbelievable undenial symbolism that was in the great art of the past that we're never taught about.

Imagine one of the greatest painters of all times defying the church by painting a picture in the most holiest of holies that claims everything about it is wrong. It's like the ultimate Banksy. Michelangelo was the ultimate Banksy. That's pretty funny. It's pretty funny if you think about it.

Okay, so back to structural plasticity. Now, I don't mean you would change the shape of your brain from like a half an oval that with like a mullet you wouldn't change it from that into a square like your brain doesn't change that way that's not structural plasticity structural plasticity would be like

inside your brain all the you know maybe the synaps the synapses which is the synaptic gap which is the space between the two dendrites like maybe those dendrites get longer and they get shorter and they get short

order and they change spines and they get closer and they see when they change their shape they secrete different types of neurotransmitters and those neurotransmitters maybe change their shape i think it i read that in one of the books i was i should be documenting that but that's what i mean like the the the death and rebirth of dendritic spines the closing off of and the narrowing and the widening of the synaptic gap, the continued folding of white matter, the new neural pathways that are being carved like fresh tracks on an early January ski trip. You see, this is how structural plasticity works. And what happens when your brain is changing its shape? Like, what the fuck are you thinking when your brain is changing its fucking shape?

Well, the question is, I mean, that's the good question. Like, what the fuck are you thinking when that happens? In my book, I addressed that. Like, I believe that that is, in fact, the process of learning. When you learn something, but more importantly, when you have like an epiphany or an insight, boom. at that moment snap the moment you have that insight

is the moment a new dendritic spine is born or when you soon as you have that insight it's the first time the neurotransmitter has been received in the synaptic gap of the new dendrite you know what I think there's something to be said about that

and if that's the case and that's my hypothesis, then you can facilitate that. You can create that. And more than that, you can begin to imagine it. You know, and it's like a, it's like a loop. Once you begin to understand that and notice it, you can create it. Does that kind of make sense? That's where I'm going with this.

I know it's kind of getting out there, but I mean, who else am I going to tell? Who the fucking else am I going to tell? In the middle of the goddamn night, who else am I going to tell? I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you. Because I love you. By the way, if you're listening to this,

you're such an amazing person. I bet you're all handsome, or I bet you're beautiful. But you have all kinds of friends. Let's get yourself a little pat on the back right now. Oh, George. I'm serious. You're amazing.

Are you smiling? Look in the mirror and tell yourself how awesome you are. All right? Just do it because you are amazing. Don't ever forget that. Okay. So conscious functional neuroplasticity. This is achieved by overriding the default mode network through practiced, abstract, thought.

I believe that we can choose to process information in different parts of the brain with a series of mental exercises such as what is the square root of yellow. How many different colors can you see when you listen to someone recite your favorite poem? How did you create all the books in your library? And why is there the letter A in the title of all the blue ones? What texture smells the same as it sounds, but taste the opposite? Okay, just focus on a few of those bad boys for a minute, all right? It is a bit like using the opposite hand to write. obtuse, meticulous, at times a bit ridiculous.

However, practice will be rewarded with the experience of congruent harmony. If the tones of music and color can be synonymous, does that not make them interchangeable? The same algebraic ingredients in the primary colors are the same ingredients used by the blind men, each touching a different part of them. the elephant. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps a better example is to examine the way in which the cuttlefish can radically change its shape to be absorbed into the surrounding environment. Have you guys seen that? It's fucking amazing. Look it up. It'll blow your mind. How does it do that? Why does it do that? It can change into almost anything. I've seen one change into a checkerboard. Like, think about that.

It's like an alien. But this is, this fits right in here to my, look. I'm going off script here. Let me, let me just, let me back it up. Okay. Perhaps a better example is to examine the way in which the cuddlefish

can radically change its shape, to be absorbed in the surrounding environment. So can we change the shape of our, brain to better fit ourselves in our surrounding environment. You guys think that's true? Okay, so imagine the cuttlefish coming down onto the reef being threatened and boom, changing its shape into what looks like a giant snail shell, right? If it's good, then the

shark that passes it won't eat it. But if it's a shitty rendition, audio's cuddlfish, you didn't camouflage yourself good enough. Is that not what we do? Do we not try to change ourselves to fit into the environment so we don't get hit by the hammer?

Right? Tall poppy syndrome. Like a lot of people don't want to stand up because they don't want to be eaten. They don't want to say something because they're afraid. The same way the cuddlyfish is afraid. It just wants to cuddle.

You know what I mean? See, I would argue that the Cuddlefish is the closest we can get to watching neuroplasticity in real time. It changes its color, shape, and even texture. In doing so, it transforms itself as well as the environment around it. Is that not what we as humans do, increasing blood flow, retracting, extending dendretic spines, changing shapes of neurotransmitters as well as the receptors. Our brain manipulates color, shape, and texture, both within us, as well as what we see in our environment, that that is around us.

It does this in order for us to transform ourselves as well as the environment around us. I think, therefore, I am. Crazy. well that's what I got for now like I said I'm trying to work it out thank you for taking a moment to listen to this if any part of this was interesting to you

if any part of this was something that you agree with or disagree with let me know let me know reach out to me and tell me George that's fucking bullshit you dummy or be like you know what George is crazy I never thought about that but regardless of what you think of me know this

there's a stranger sitting in a truck in the middle of nowhere in Hawaii and I'm talking to you right now I love you god damn it I don't know who you are or what you're up to but I love you

and you are capable of doing amazing things people need you the world needs you to be better The world needs you to stand up for yourself and the people around you that love you. All right, I'm thinking about you. Have a great night alone.