Tunnel Syndrome

brickworktu6

“I’m a victim of 400 years of conditioning. The man has programmed my condition. Even my conditioning has been conditioned.” – Blackstar


Exploring the deep dark depths of one’s memory is very similar to the act of walking into a seemingly endless pitch black tunnel. While there are certain aspects of our memories that can be revived by mere touch, scent, or sound (at times certain songs take me back to a particular place in time and I can almost feel myself being back there, reliving it all), there are other aspects that require serious probing.

Our behavior is to a certain extent conditioned by our upbringing; what I like to call the “elbows off the table” years. But what happens after we emerge from the proverbial nest is something that is in large part a product of memory and experience. The way we react and behave in situations is in itself a product of previous situations and events. The whole notion of sensory perception and the Pavlovian dog syndrome is very much alive in human behavior today.

We are conditioned by our experiences as well as our environments. Having been hurt in love will make one reluctant to truly love again, being burnt by fire will for sure induce one to shy away from heat, and purging profusely after eating a certain breed of crustacean will inevitably leave one wary of any such food varieties. Our feelings, emotional and physical are rarely borne in a vacuum. Which is why, I believe, venturing to explore those deep dark depths of memory can truly provide enlightenment at the end of the tunnel.


"Bint Warraq"