# The kangaroo, the pogo stick, and the Chusan palm tree

‘I hope that things are clear by now. But, let us just say a little more on the subject of movement patterns! Think of a kangaroo. If you were in the motionless observed Universe you would not have a clue what a kangaroo is. In order to know what a kangaroo is, all that you need to do is to observe its magnificent movements. This movement pattern is what a kangaroo is! When you have observed the enormous jumps, then you know what a kangaroo is.

Envision a pogo stick and a Chusan palm tree. I have selected these two parts in my observed Universe because they can conceivably very closely resemble each other. One can easily imagine a pogo stick that is designed to appear like a Chusan palm tree. And one can easily imagine a Chusan palm tree that resembles this pogo stick; for, the pogo stick has been designed to look like a Chusan palm tree! So, we have two parts which visually very closely resemble each other, but which are actually very different in terms of their nodes of feeling, their movement patterns, and their potential movement patterns. In the motionless observed Universe one could not meaningfully distinguish these two parts.

In my observed Universe I attempt to distinguish these two parts. I do this through observing their movement patterns. I observe a human body standing on some entity and I see them springing off the surface of the Earth, lurching upwards, returning to the ground, only to lurch upwards once more; lurch and return; lurch and return. I see the human body get off the entity, and I conclude: that object is a pogo stick. I boundary the movement, conceptually mould the segment, and assign a label. I also observe the movement patterns of what appears to be a Chusan palm tree. I observe an entity that has leaves swaying in the wind, but which never springs off the surface of the Earth. I conclude that: this object is a tree. I could be wrong; perhaps, if I had observed for longer, then I would have observed different movement patterns.

The important point is that in the absence of any movement one cannot distinguish these two parts. Indeed, in the absence of springing, lurching, and returning, one could very easily believe that the pogo stick is actually a Chusan palm tree. Furthermore, one could also come to believe that the Chusan palm tree is actually a pogo stick! Imagine that one is visually perceiving a particular segment of the Universe – our Chusan palm tree that resembles a pogo stick – then one could imagine that if one stood on this part that one would joyously bounce off the surface of the Earth, as the object detached itself from the surface and propelled one upwards away from the ground. How disappointed one would be, when one came to realise that one was standing on a tree.’

Dr C Our Feeling Universe: An exploration of the Universal Feeling Body

Sept 2024 pp. 190-191