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May Alzheimer's / dementia increase perception and wisdom?
The above question may seem strange to, supposedly, normal and clear minded, non-dementees. However, it is something that occurs to me this day.
I witnessed - live for a number of hours on tv yesterday evening - the hurricane making landfall in Florida. I learnt so much from the meteorologist reporting the event, detail of the scientific and meteorological formation and patterns of such natural occurrences, and can, today, still recall much of the live, visual process of the unfolding event and the associated instruction.
The first thing that struck me was the link between what was unfolding in Naples, Florida, from where the event was being transmitted, and its similarity with the Biblical narrative of Moses crossing the Red Sea and the, reported, parting of the waves. The link I made, was as the reporter commented on how the sea water had mysteriously left the dockside and disappeared out into the ocean far beyond normal tidal changes experienced. So much so that even the fish had been caught unawares and many had been left stranded on the, previously never exposed, beaches. However, the locals had been warned not to venture out nor on to the beaches as in approximately an hour or so not only would the warm waters that the hurricane had sucked out to sea return in force, but they would be joined by far greater quantities, in volume, as the velocity of the outer edge of the hurricane created a vast tidal surge to return and engulf the the land going inshore too.
Maybe the reported Biblical event, referred to above, if it occurred, could possibly have been caused by a similar happening - just a thought / possible insight!
Now this link I make may seem to the reader as logical, fanciful, or maybe, irrelevant. So what! It doesnt matter, not to me anyway. I am just sharing my thoughts of the time and my recollections a day later. Not saying I am right in my analysis, but just providing an alternative viewpoint / insight gained.
Moving on now - using alternative "view" and "insight" as a basis of a sharing. Expression of alternative viewpoint and insight, nowadays, I find, has to be made, not sure why, in a more forceful and in less than politically correct manner, possibly than I would have done in the past.
Why is this? I consider it, maybe, that I have to seize the opportunity while there is clarity of thought, to quickly express what thought has formulated either, briefly, or over a longer period of time.
This of course, can and does, pose communication problems and embarrassment in some instances, particularly where people previously unknown to me, and me them, may be involved. Not their fault - in fact not anyone's fault, just the way things are now!
A view and and insight, while similar, are not I believe the same. One can formulate a view from reading and learning from other's insights.
An "insight" is, I today, consider, to be the result of the mysterious formulation, by the brain / mind, through the intellect, of a thesis, possibly, influenced by previous learning / experience of some sort.
A "view", on the other hand, is, possibly, subtly different in formulation. Often more quickly reached and without the full comprehensive detail necessary for it to be ultimately the correct one.
What is the relevance of the above to one's dementing state, one could ask? Well, I believe the relevance is, that as far as I am concerned, while still formulating speedy, maybe too speedy "viewpoints" of people and subjects / situations, I am still, and maybe more readily, able to form "insights" than in the past. Now of course this could be explained by change of lifestyle post 10 years of retirement. However, it may also have links with the progression of the disease. Whatever, on balance, I find the development of "insights" more conducive to a peaceful harmonious life than that of "view", though, for me, both are an essential feature for the continued development of "A Good Life with Dementia".
Joe
Blogger and person with dementiaA Good Life With Dementia
Joe is a person with a dementia and an active blogger. His blogsite is called “A Good Life With Dementia”.