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Difference exist because thought develops like a stream that happens to go one way here and another way there. Once it develops it produces real physical results that people are looking at, but they don't see where these results are coming from - that's one of the basic features of fragmentation. When they have produced these divisions they see that real things have happened, so they'll start with these real things as if they just suddenly got there by themselves, or evolved in nature by themselves.

David Bohm#15

ThinkingRealityCausalityPerception

About this quote

What does it mean?
Thought creates fragmentation by flowing in different directions, producing physical divisions that people see as independent realities rather than results of thinking.
In plain terms
Thought divides things up, and we forget these divisions come from our own thinking.
What can you take from it?
Recognize that mental divisions often create perceived physical separations.

Where it applies

  • analyzing social conflicts
  • understanding perception
  • self-reflection

Putting it to work

  • trace origins of divisions
  • examine thought processes

Questions to consider

  • Where do your perceived divisions originate?
  • How does thought shape what you see as real?

Another view

Not all physical divisions stem directly from thought processes.

More from David Bohm

  1. Suppose you have two religions. Thought defines religion - the thought about the nature of God and various questions like that. Such thought is very important …

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  2. We often find that we cannot easily give up the tendency to hold rigidly to patterns of thought built up over a long time. We are then caught up in what may be…

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  3. For both the rich and the poor, life is dominated by an ever growing current of problems, most of which seem to have no real and lasting solution. Clearly we h…

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