Thought as a System

Dr David Bohm was a respected physicist and was also interested in the nature of thought.  This book is a transcription of a seminar held in Ojai, California in 1990.

This review concerns only one issue that he discussed, the issue of thought, but it is the one that is central to his ideas.  In fact this is less a review than an attempt to highlight some of the concepts that Bohm identified.  This reviewer is of the opinion that this is an important book and should be read by everyone who is searching for truth in this world.  For some this may form an important part of their “homework”.  Bohm’s key work in this field is “Wholeness and the Implicate Order”, which will be the subject of a later review in PS Magazine.

Bohm outlined the various problems that he saw as being present in the world and asked “What is the source of all this trouble?” .His answer was that – “I’m saying that the source [of the various problems] is basically in thought.”

Bohm noted the distinction between “thinking” and “thought” – thinking implies the present tense, and thought is the past participle.

Books: Systemic Concepts & Complexity

"Complexity has always been a part of our environment, and therefore many scientific fields have dealt with complex systems and phenomena. Indeed, some would say that only what is somehow complex—what displays variation without being random—is worthy of interest. The use of the term complex is often confused with the term complicated... This means that complex is the opposite of independent, while complicated is the opposite of simple." Wikkipedia

Thought as a System, by David Bohm, pub. Routledge, London 1992.
Explores the role of thought and knowledge at every level of human affairs, from our private reflections on personal identity to our collective efforts to fashion a tolerable civilization. The late David Bohm was Emeritus Professor of Physics at Birbeck College, University of London. He was the author of numerous articles and books, including Wholeness and the Implicate Order and The Undivided Universe (with Basil Hiley).
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Read book review in PS Magazine.

Wholeness and the Implicate Order, by David Bohm, pub. Routledge, London, reprinted 2002.
In this classic work David Bohm, writing clearly and without technical jargon, develops a theory of quantum physics which treats the totality of existence as an unbroken whole.
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The Limits of Thought: Discussions, by Jiddy Krishnamurti, David Bohm (Editor), Routledge, London reprinted 1998.
is a series of penetrating dialogues between the great spiritual leader, J. Krishnamurti and the renowned physicist, David Bohm. The starting point of their engaging exchange is the question: If truth is something different than reality, then what place has action in daily life in relation to truth and reality? We see Bohm and Krishnamurti explore the nature of consciousness and the condition of humanity. These enlightening dialogues address issues of truth, desire awareness, tradition, and love.Limits of Thought is an important book by two very respected and important thinkers.
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Thinking goes into the brain and leaves a trace which becomes thought, and thought then acts automatically. 

Thus our thinking puts thought into our system which programs non-reflective actions.

Thus if I am English and have been taught to distrust all French people, the instruction to distrust French people becomes internalized and I will behave as if this is a logical statement.  This concept is mirrored in the idea of memetics, where ideas are seen as mind-viruses.

This is a core concept and you may see it as an important protection against the false conceptions that plague our view of the world.   

In Bohm’s analysis thought is at the root of all these problems.

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