75. Is The Matrix Real?
Webster's New World paperback Dictionary defines "matrix" as "that within which something originates, takes form, etc., as a mold for a printing plate." Hmm, yes, this means that indeed our society is a matrix in which we live.
Obviously I have just seen the film called The Matrix Reloaded and can't get some of the concepts out of my mind. The idea that our entire existence is all an illusion is a very profound suggestion. To a certain extent, illusion is a fact of life. Illusion is defined as "a false idea or concept; an unreal or misleading appearance or image."
Each of us absolutely starts out in life with pictures of what we may consider ideal. Who is to say that these early pictures do not create false ideas or concepts? Isn't it oftentimes true that the grandiose homes and extravagant life styles do not insure happiness for the people who live "the picture?" What about how many choose their companions based upon appearance or "idea of perfection?"
I went to see the film with one of my best and oldest friends, oldest in the sense of knowing one another since college days in the 1960s. She is three years younger than me but probably looks about twenty years younger. I attribute her appearance to good genes and the fact that she eats a very strict diet of healthy, organic foods, and lives on the island of Kauai. She has zero fat on her body and is constantly trying to gain weight. Her upper arms look like that of a twenty year old and though she says she has some white hair, I see none.
On the other hand, her physical appearance is quite deceptive. She has a multitude of problems, one is from what she thinks is the beginning of cataracts, then there is her very delicate metabolism, thyroid, liver and kidney problems, in addition to the irritation of frequent and urgent peeing. She is constantly doing cleanses, and absolutely takes the best care of herself, more than anyone else with whom I am acquainted. Yet, she "knows" she has these problems because she is physically affected. She makes self-deprecating jokes saying "you can't judge a book by its cover" every time someone makes a comment about how great she looks.
After seeing Matrix together, I suggested to her that she has created a negative illusion about her health, in opposition to the reality of her appearance. Based upon her poor health record as a child and teenager, perhaps she has merely fallen into a "mental program" that is comfortable only because it is what she is accustomed to and how she knew when people cared about her.
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