human nature

[torth]

To me, this song is about how we, as humans, are prone to look for comfort in the opposite sex. Especially in bad times, we tend to cling to others and get a false sense of security from being physically close to someone. By using "form" to describe the other person, this woman, or man, is depersonalized, showing that the physical sense, not the identity of, the person reminds [him] that [he] is not alone. Physical companionship only temporarily "makes [him] feel eternal." "[We] barely know what came before this precious moment...hold on.. stay inside." A sense of anticipation and longing to stay in that one place is felt throughout the song; [He] knows that once he is alone or away from this body, [he] will be alone again and [his] pain will come back.
This doesn't relate to the above, but I would like to comment on the lyric, "wide eyed and hopeful..wide eyed and hopefully wild." I, for one, absolutely love this vivid description. Come on, everyone knows this look. You're with a guy (or girl) and his/her pupils are just springing out at you. You can tell they like you so much, expect so much out of you, and want to please you. Most of the time, this look is unrequited and comes from the more shy and self-concious. There is really no point to this paragraph, I just thought it was a very cool lyric.

[Secrets&Stilettos]

I like to take the optimistic, hopeful, and possibly even "romantic" route on this/these two songs. Aside from Ticks and Leeches, this album as a whole is very positive. I'd like to think this song is about the coming together (no pun intended) of two people, two energies, two souls, two forms of infinite light. It really is an amazing, verging on holy, experience to be so incredibly connected to someone to that extent. Everyone seems to feel that we are alone in this world; that we came into rather than came from. Most every self-aware individual feels alone in their head constantly weaving through the traffic in their mind. However, when you are able, for just a moment, to connect with someone so much to lose yourself, your physical, mental, and emotional self to this greater thing. It's pure (when done right). Think of the chemical reactions that are going on inside/around you. It's really amazing. I suggest looking at one of the paintings by Alex Grey that shows a man and a woman making love, however, you cannot really make out the bodies/faces..etcs. The title escapes me at the moment...

On another level, this song is as simple as being alive.
The image I get is someone coming to this realization of how amazing it is that we are here, right now, in this form, in this moment in time and just opening their arms, looking up, and bathing in the warmth of the sun. The reference to "this body" can be the universal body, our physical form, a body of light (the sun/ourselves)...etc. We are more than the nerve endings, neurochemicals, muscles, and tissue that trasfer the signals of pain. We are a part of the great whole of things....in this sense we are eternal. We came from this world/universe/life...we didn't just fall into it. It is us and we are it. Always.

So familiar and overwhelmingly warm
This one, this form I hold now.
Embracing you, this reality here,
This one, this form I hold now, so
Wide eyed and hopeful.
Wide eyed and hopefully wild.

We barely remember what came before this precious moment,
Choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside...
This body holding me, reminding me that I am not alone in
This body makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion.

[JTCrace]

Torth, an enlightening post. I have to admit I have never given the lyrical "content" of this song a thorough examination. But now you're inspiring post has told me, "It's time."

You said that this tune is about how humans seek other humans of the opposite sex: for comfort, for security, for safety; basically to try and overcome that dreadful feeling that everyone seems to have.

You know that feeling you get just as you begin to wake up from a nightmare. Those existential questions start drifting in through the fog..."Who am I?"..."Where am I?"..."How did I get here?". And probably the most important question of all: "How do I get out?"

I know there have been many times in my life when all I needed was another body to hold on to; all I needed was something warm and fleshy, to bring me back from the depths of hell. That body is like an anchor, a reminder that there might other beings just as confused as I am. In those times, it wouldn't have mattered whether it was my mom, brother, best friend, or ex-girlfriend (well, maybe not the ex-girlfriend).

I have read that both the hellish realms and the blissful realms are formless realms, where beings do not have "bodies." I have also read (and experienced) that a human being can interact with both the upper and lower realms. I know I have been to hell. It's a complete loss of control. It's when a being is continually recieving terrifying, dreadful, evil, negative impressions--without being able to stop them. It begins with a trigger, and then turns into a vicious cycle. Each thought seems to be worse than the last, and soon you find yourself stumbling around your neighborhood around midnight, praying that if there is a God, that he strike you dead right here on the wet pavement. Of course, the whole while you know that death is not an end, in fact it would the the beginning of yet a worse, more intense, hellish experience.

But something happens. Revealing the fractal nature of the universe, just like your lives over the aeons go up and down, your life right now reflects that cyclic process. You don't stay in hell forever. A week later, you're back on top of things, pushing the envelope again and that awful experience a week ago becomes a fleeting image, like a dream you once had.

Each day I wake up a little more, each day brings a little less mystery, a little more peace and knowledge. Each day presents itself as a question, "What are you willing to sacrifice today?" Today I sacrifice the love affair I have with pain, and today I sacrifice that false sense of security that a meat body can give me.

[AllforUnity]

That was a great post. Thank you for that.

[torth]

JTCrace - I received a text message from a random number the other day reading "The secret to happiness is letting other people know they are the cause of it." I blew it off at first, but since then, I've realized how true it is. I know I am not the cause of your happiness, but it does feel nice to know that I helped out some, even though the role was minimal.

I, too, have been in that awful pendulum-like existence, going from complete hell to feeling like nothing bad ever happened to me. As you described, an "anchor" is the perfect word for the body one seeks comfort from. Once I realized that a persons' touch, whether it be family, friend, or boyfriend, merely gave me temporary comfort, I stopped depending on the physical, and started depending on myself. After a period of time where the extremes were coming and going more harshly and frequently, I made a decision to put myself out of the misery. Suicide? hell no. I chose the other extreme. I wanted a gratifying life, so I made one for myself. And now I am the happiest I've ever been. Sure I have some up and downs like everyone else, but I no longer feel like my life is in sections.

I mean in NO way to sound like a mentor or an inspirational speaker. I'm just putting it out there because I wish someone would have told me during my bad times that changing wasn't impossible.

[Triangular_Vision]

I like to think of this song as where when you truly are alone by yourself, it is helpful to remind yourself that you still have your body (your mind atleast does) so in that sense, you truly aren't alone... It always brings me comfort even times of my worst dispair.

I enjoyed your post because i can see the truth hidden behind your words. If they were not based of a ruled society with no appreciation for the unknown they might read something like this...

Maynard starts out describing his body with a somewhat forgien sense about it as if he is exploring it for the first time.

He embraces the reality that surrounds him and the creator of it with true love and constant anticipation of what is to come of it. He is wide eyed and hopeful for his dreams to become reality, he remebers that he must remeber what we are and where we came from. He realizes that time is non existant and we exist at one time, one instant, one mind seperated and in between stages. He realizes that this is a holy gift and embraces it with love. He dwells on the present and feels alive rather than always wanting the future and not taking it for granted for it will end. This body holding him and keeping him alive and warm reminds him that he is not alone in existance for he is alive and breathing.

Pain is an illusion - this comes from the realization that the brain and mind has no feeling or senses at all. Pain and comfort come from sensory organs converting touch into bioelectric signals and transmitting them to the brain in the only way it can percieve anything. Which happens to be the same exact way we dream. So are we sleep walking, or walk sleeping?

[Espionage]

This song has probably some of my favorite lyrics of any tool song (probably any artist as well).
this is a testament to JMK's peotic writing style, i am dumbfounded why he doesnt get the level of respect from people that dont read on this great site.
This is a great thread, great ideas