Orkney forum 49 room
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Think the less we know, the more we appreciate the mystery of the stones and of nature. The question is of course, does it come from ourselves the feeling of sheer joy in the world or is it something that is emanating from the world around us, a slow pulse of life.....

Totally disagree Moss .Greater understanding is more likely to lead to greater appreciation .What was previously considered mundane or dismissed , from members of our own species to all other species , from large monuments to the piece of bone in a cist ,to the dirt around the cist , all now more generally given a respect unthinkable even a few decades ago .

The source of our aesthetic appreciation/joy of phenomena , e.g. stars or ancient monuments or collectively is due to their presence but the quality of the experience is due to our filtering of the experience . Others may be offended by the monument , seeing it as an example of pagan beliefs or an obstacle to provision of much needed food or homes . Our contemporary understanding (huge distances , possible other inhabited worlds , not believing they influence our lives etc ) of the stars would underpin a different experience from someone who would have perceived them as having an impact on their lives . Seeing a comet over Stonehenge would not be a delight if you thought it would bring bad luck .