Jan Höglund's Blog

Category: Reflections

  • A Critique of Iain McGilchrist

    McGilchrist says that attention is a moral act, but what if he doesn’t see what he doesn’t see? He has replaced one formula (it’s not either/or but both/and) with another more complicated, and, notably, more subtle, one (it’s not either/or or both/and, but either/or and both/and). He loves it! He’s very good at this kind…

  • Zak Stein on Values

    The following is from Zak Stein’s contribution to the Metaphysics and the Matter with Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist conference in March 2024. Zak Stein said (my emphasis in italics): “…the perception of intrinsic value is a basic human capability. Just as our nervous system has evolved to perceive space and time, So it has…

  • Retrospective 2024-37

    This is a retrospective of week 37, 2024 (2024-09-09–2024-09-15). This week I’ve viewed recordings and read transcripts from the Metaphysics and the Matter with Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist conference put on by the Center for Process Studies (CPS) and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in March of 2024. I’ve read McGilchrist’s books…

  • Retrospective 2024-10

    This is a retrospective of week 10, 2024 (2024-03-04–2024-03-10). I finished reading Anticipatory Systems by Robert Rosen last week. I am currently working on a review of this book. Here is my review of Rosen’s book Essays on Life Itself for those who might be interested. I listened to a podcast with Dean Radin this…

  • What is my meaning?

    I just finished re-reading Freedom to Live by Robert S. Hartman. Hartman challenges the reader with questions for reflection on the meaning of one’s life and work. So, what am I here for in the world? I wrote in my 10 year summary that: My focus was initially on finding systemic answers…, but I ended…

  • My 10 Year Summary: What I Have Learned

    Contents 1. Introduction2. Background3. My Journey 3.1. The initial years (2012–2015) 3.2. The middle years (2016–2018) 3.3. The final years (2019–2022)4. Conclusions5. Afterword6. Acknowledgments7. Recommended Books 1. Introduction I started blogging ten years ago today (Sept 26, 2012). At the same time, I started searching for life-giving ways of working. This is a summary of my journey and…

  • Retrospective 2019-45

    This is a look back at this week’s reading and painting. Reading Blogs Recently, I have discovered Carolyn J Roberts’s – Fine Artist blog. Carolyn Roberts (@CRJFineArtist) took the decision six years ago to re-ignite her passion for art. I enjoy both her art and writing. Another blog which has caught my interest is Vogel…

  • Retrospective 2019-26

    This is a look back at my reading and painting during the week, including some reflections. Reflections I made the following notes to myself this month: Life is self-creating in a dynamically alive universe. Generative organizing is autopoietic. Allopoietic operating principles are “poisonous” for living systems. Organizing between and beyond is about moving beyond the…

  • Retrospective 2019-22

    This is a look back at my reading and painting during the week. Painting I enjoy painting trees and flowers, water and sky! It’s meditative. Reading I’ve read David Abram’s The Spell of the Sensuous this week. I’ve also read, or rather re-read, Elisabet Sahtouris’ EarthDance during week. I was reminded that what Elisabet Sahtouris…

  • Retrospective 2019-18

    Introduction The purpose of this post is to summarize the week. First, a short background. I have done weekly retrospectives since 2016. However, this is the first retrospective this year which I write in English. So much of what I read is in English, and it feels akward having to translate it into Swedish while…