Enchantment

Enchantment separates us from the beasts and everything else in the universe. Enchantment is a state of being in which one is carried beyond the bounds of merely living. It may be best distilled in the common experiences of being in love, the religious impulse, or an overwhelming sense of wonder.

It is barely possible to imagine a cat or elephant being enchanted. It is impossible to consider anything else, including the machines we have labeled artificial intelligence, being so. Without enchantment, we are empty and depressed.

Enchantment can be evoked by strong emotions. Or by beautiful environment. Or by a lovely network of logical ideas. Or by stories, or poetry, or science, or other people…. 

Enchantment can also blind us, turn us Inward and obsessive, usually in a good way but sometimes towards evil. Our saving grace is that any given focus of enchantment is fractal and fragile, easily lost, easily fixated on something else. But still the most important attribute our mind possesses.

I try to cultivate it all the time, and should I find it dimming, I usually stop and pause to let the wonder of the universe once more saturate my soul.