The Art of Lost & Found (or Forgetting & Remembering)

I was writing a speculative quasi-sci-fi article about the possible futures of AI, Transcendence, and Earth becoming a Celestial Cyborg (view article here). I was completely lost in the task until my laptop died, cuing me to take a break and realize that 5 hours had passed and it was now 1:45 AM. This kind of thing happens to me fairly frequently. I get completely lost in a project. I become so wrapt in what I’m doing that everything else falls away: plans, responsibilities, people, time...even thirst, hunger and exhaustion - sometimes for days. It’s unbelievable to me. I surface from whatever world I’m in, back real world, often to find that I’ve neglected one or many of the things listed above and an immediate need to take care of them.

On this particular night, Tao seeped into my consciousness through an old saying, “Not all who wander are lost” (J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of The Ring). I immediately remembered how frustratingly ambiguous that saying has been for me. I’ve seen and heard it in many times and places. It always seemed to be a cheap way for hippies to justify being aimless in life and bypass any guilt for not knowing what the hell you’re supposed to be doing (I still think it is). I mean, beyond a bullshit ticket to bypass, what does it even mean? How is it at ALL logical or practical advice? Can you be intentionally lost? Should you intentionally go wander around until you “find yourself”? Are there people who already have found themselves and decided the best thing to do is just wander around?

Starting on my midnight stroll, I felt I tapped into the true wisdom of the expression: being “lost” doesn’t mean feeling lost. I personally understood in that moment that while I was writing that article, I was lost in my passion, wandering through whatever interested me. And in being lost in the moment, I was completely found. But it was beyond just lost and found, by not looking for anything, I found everything. By not wondering what I wanted or needed, I was simply being and doing what I wanted and needed, no searching, wondering, or wandering necessary.

Being lost in the moment is finding yourself. Being completely consumed by passion, dedication, love - that is what it is to be found.

I was completely lost in and in love with what I was doing.

Feeling lost is being lost

Losing feeling lost is finding being found

Losing your self in the moment is finding your eternal self

Lose the past and find the future

Lose the future and find the past

Lose them both and find the present

Lose the present and find eternity

Lose your body and find your mind

Lose your mind and find your heart

Lose your heart and find your spirit

Lose your spirit and find God

Lose God and find the Void

Lose your strength and find your weakness

Lose your weakness and find your power

Lose your power and find surrender

Lose intelligence and find ignorance

Lose ignorance and find wisdom

Lose wisdom and find foolishness

Lose foolishness and find peace