Being in Time: A Metaphysical History of the World and Existence

By Mark Megna

Being in Time is a metaphysical history of the world and existence. It explores some of the biggest philosophical questions such as does God exist, why does evil exist, what is reality, what is death, and why is there anything at all? This is uniquely done through the use of dialogue by some of the greatest minds in the history of the world. The characters come to life in a hidden sanctuary of perfection located in the Glass Bead Game at the House on the Hill.





Mark Megna is the author of three other books called Metaphysics of Being, House on the Hill, and The Ontology Dialogues. All of them expand on the study of reality and existence through a unique philosophical system which glorifies the artistic self.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479739998

Mark Megna

Mark Megna is the author of 3 sports history books. "The Greatest" ranks the greatest baseball players in history by using an "absolute adjusting slugging percentage" relative to the era in which they played. It is considered the greatest formula ever invented for objectively ranking players. "All Net" ranks the greatest basketball players in history by using an objective "production per minute" formula. Controversy arose when it was determined that Charles Barkley produced more per minute than LeBron James and was therefore greater and ranked higher in history. "Leatherheads" ranked the greatest football players in history by using a subjective formula necessary for ranking skill players verse non skill players.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Mark Megna. 124978-MEGN

ISBN: Softcover    978-1-4797-3998-1

ISBN: Ebook         978-1-4797-3999-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Being in Time

A metaphysical history of the world and existence

Dedication to Richard Gerald Megna

Foreword

What does it mean to be truly free?

Richard Bach’s Jonathon Livingston Seagull described how the limits of existence can be transcended. Being in Time is a story of trying to exceed limits through the use of one’s wings. In final analysis Perfection is attained by the mere fact that we have the freedom of our minds.

The Self is the Source of Everything!

Table of Contents

Before Time

Worms Love to Dig

A trip to Mount Everest

Alexander the Great

The Crucifixion

The Colosseum – Let’s have some fun!

The Crusades – A time to kill

The Renaissance and the Beauty of Art

The Age of Science

The Elegy for Brahms

Auschwitz

Ayn Rand and Realism

Timeless Time

The School of Athens - Raphael

The Ontology Dialogues

Why is there anything at all?

Mind

Time

Space

Quantum Mechanics

Metaphysical Freedom

Atomism, Void, and Waves

Purpose and Nihilism

Reality

Who created the greatest Mathematical equations of all time?

Does God Exist?

Being

Non-Being

Immanuel Kant’s Four Antimonies

Zeno—Paradoxes

Metaphysics of Being

The Glass Bead Game Player Rankings

House On The Hill

Art

The Self is the Source of Everything!

References

Before Time              15 Billion BC

God      It’s getting kind of boring around here living in this state of perfect existence don’t you think?

Shiva      I don’t mind it. It’s peaceful.

Zeus      There’s not a lot to do since space and time doesn’t exist yet.

Cathion      I have been having these strange dreams lately where I meet a handsome man named Marcrodrite who rides a big black horse named Mercedes.

Shiva      They say that every dream is a wish.

Cathion      I didn’t want to say anything because everything is perfect but if that dream came true it might make things more interesting.

Zeus      Are you saying that you and Marcorodite could then each share a perfect existence together?

Cathion      Yes, plus I was thinking that maybe we could have 3 children as well and name them Jessonyusus, Anchilles, and Githena. It would be so wonderful to have 3 little Italian Roman Godlits running around the universe. Then everything really would be perfect for sure.

Shiva      I got an idea why don’t we have a fire work show to amuse ourselves. Maybe we wouldn’t realize then that we’re so bored with nothing to do.

God      Good Idea. Flair, Flair, Flair, Wizz, Wizz, Flair, Wizz, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Flair, Bang.

Zeus      This is awesome.

Shiva      Woa, that was a Big Bang.

God      Heads up something just happened!

Shiva      What, What? What just happened?

God      I just created a universe by accident I think!

Shiva      You what?

God      I think I may have just created the beginnings of an entire universe.

Shiva      Holy cow! You mean you really created a universe out of nothing by mere chance without giving any thought to it at all?

God      I think so.

Shiva      What if it doesn’t turn out to be perfect like us?

God      I don’t know what’s going to happen. It just was a random grand accident. We’ll just have to see what happens I guess.

Worms Love to Dig              1 Billion BC

Heimlich      Did you ever wonder what the self is?

Inch Worm      What do you mean?

Corey Taylor      Yea, what’s a self?

Heimlich      I mean are we more than just worms and caterpillars crawling around doing our daily chores or is this the extent of our existence?

Inch Worm      You mean more in some sort of metaphysical sense or something like that?

Heimlich      Exactly. I was thinking that yea it’s awesome to be so advanced the way we are and so forth but I wonder what we can ultimately become on the one hand and on the other hand I wonder why we’re even here to begin with.

Maggot      That’s funny. I was thinking that someday maybe I could become a Hollywood movie actor and star in something called maybe the Dirty Dozen or something really interesting like that.

Heimlich      Me too. I could go to Hollywood with you and star in a Bug’s Life. Or, maybe even beyond that I could even transform into a beautiful butterfly and just fly around while people could adore my beauty and talents.

Corey Taylor      I could start a band called Slipknot and have all of my maggot fans come and listen to me scream.

Inch Worm      You guys are crazy. What’s wrong with just digging around in the dirt like we always do? We have a perfect existence here already since we don’t realize that we may die someday. I mean something may come and eat me someday but due to the fact that I am not aware of that fact means it doesn’t exist in some way. Not being aware that you’re going to die someday almost puts you into an immortal state. Do you know what I mean?

Maggot      Yea, that’s awesome too but it’s fun to dream of something bigger to do even though it’s probably impossible.

Group      You’re probably right. Just forget it.

1.tif

The creation of a new beautiful day!

A trip to Mount Everest              500 BC

Leucippus      This was a good idea to try to climb Mount Everest today.

Democritus      Yea, this is really exciting to try to get to the top.I should be tired from our walk here from Rome but for some reason I’m not tired since I am so exuberated by our quest. It’s almost like I don’t exist in time in some way. I am becoming one with this event we are doing. It’s almost like a religious experience.

Zeno      This must be that experience of oneness that Buddha talks about where an ego can get lost into a state of non-ego. It’s a transcendent state of being.

Thales      Yes, Buddha was right when he said that we would experience reality in a higher state of consciousness by doing this.

Anaxagoras     I wonder why we couldn’t experience the fullness of reality by just sitting in the Pantheon like we always do.

Heraclitus     Could it be that we get bored or something and we stop seeing reality in some way? I mean if all we ever do is see that same unchanging reality everyday doesn’t it get stale somehow the same way that the Gods got bored in the beginning of time. They were just sitting around as well in their perfect existence and, then, decided that it was time to create something else. It’s almost like the act of creation itself is a higher state of existence. Art must always be changing and undefined by definition. It must be infinite the same way that being is.

Buddha     Wow! We made it to the top of Mount Everest. Look at that view!

Group     Awesome! This is great!

Leucippus     The sky looks like it is merging with the distance landscape almost like a grand painting.

Democritus     There’s the Great Wall of China way over there. Can you imagine how long it took for them to build that?

Leucippus     This is awesome to be able to see so far and clearly.