Minds that shape the world

My friend Heidi and I were talking about it when she was here a few weeks ago, the weird phenomena here in Iceland where things somehow, almost magically, work out. You bump into someone at a party that is just the person you need to talk to about a project, etc. The anecdotal evidence is overwhelming that these things happen MUCH more often in Iceland than anywhere in the U.S. Heidi and I contemplated whether this had something to do with Iceland's four guardian spirits. I have also considered that maybe all that lysi affects something in the brains of Icelanders, such that they all become partially empathic. Or maybe there is enough left of the old pagan beliefs, where dreams and signs and the other world could intermingle with this world, to let Icelanders understand what is happening around them in a more wholistic  sense. Iceland may also be a small enough society where certain individuals, with enough will power, can wordlessly get things to fall into place for themselves. I do not know for sure, but whatever it is, it is impressive.

Comments

Lissy said…
In fact, I think it is rather possible that all of these things are different ways of explaining the same phenomena, some using neurological science, some using social science, some using psuedo-science.
September 18, 2010 at 3:59 PM
William said…
In a close knit society there might just be a higher degree of mutual awareness. Iceland falls into that category along with bee colonies. As an example, from the minute bees are able to fly they have the amazing ability to understand their role in the hive, and how to home in on their hive from afar! Not much of a learning curve here, they are born with a sixth sense. Without alot of diversity, their closely knit gene pools may have developed some extraordinary ways to communicate with one another. Can you think of any other species as diverse as humans? This diversity may well be why most of us have have lost this sixth sense.
September 18, 2010 at 9:54 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dett í, ofan á, úr, út

I´m not sure if someone had dett í (gotten drunk), or if það bara dett ofan á (it just sort of happened), or if some dett úr (forgot), but at any rate, my household goods dett út (have disappeared). Let's review the chronology here. Early August packers from the shipping company arrive at the apartment in Moraga. They load my 4 large plastic containers and 8 cardboard boxes, plus one baby crib, into their truck. I watch my things depart. In September, I ask the friendly girl (Magie is her name) if she happens to know when I might expect my stuff. Late September she tells me. I am most impressed. Extremely so. Mid October rolls around, and I have not gotten a call. And it occurs to me that I am going to be traveling through November. Hmm. So I call again. Well, yes, she tells me, looks like your shipment should arrive on the 31st of October. Now here I admit that maybe I was a little lacks. I had a lot to do before my trip, and so when they did not call me, I did not follow ...
Read more

On Icelandic doctors

My friends and family here in Iceland were very enthusiastic about me going to the krabbameinsfélag for an exam. I was really impressed how easy it was to get an appointment--booked online even! And when I got there this afternoon, the efficiency continued: they have a well oiled operation in place there, all very organized with computers asking questions and keyed lockers to keep one's personal belongings in. Then when it came time to see the doctor, well, that lasted all of 2 minutes. And I paid 3420 kroner. So I was overall a little disappointed. When I mentioned to the front desk clerks that I was wondering if it was possible to actually get an appointment where I could speak to a doctor, I was given a variety of phone numbers. None of the ones I called had appointments within the next 6 weeks. In the United States, when I want a doctor's appointment, I can usually get it within a week of calling, though sometimes I have had to wait 10 days or so. The highest co-pay I hav...
Read more

Cultural tourism in Iceland

I just finished writing a chapter of my dissertation, which resulted in a much larger discussion of cultural tourism in Iceland than I had intended. But the fact is, this is an issue I have been extremely interested and concerned about for at least 15 years, if not 20. I have never, ever liked the way Iceland is marketed to tourists in the U.S. Everything from the unspoiled nature to the crazy city life in Reykavik. It has always left the part of Iceland I loved--the simple joy of being in a relaxing and lovely place with my family--completely out of the picture. In 2001, I went to Hvollsvöllur to examine the Saga Centre as part of a study commissioned by the National Park's service to look into cultural landscapes as heritage tourism. I thought that endeavor might represent a change in how Iceland was presented to tourists. But in the last 10 years, and especially while working at Vikingaheimar, and at meetings with the Saga Trails Association, I came to see just how completel...
Read more