Why Does a predictable cycle exist?

[Monk]

My thoughts on this matter are as follows.

Humanity and events that unfold seem to follow patterns and cycles.There are certain individuals throughout history who have been able to see both the patterns and actual future events.Perhaps all time exists within the instant and that makes everything predictable,but that still doesnt explain why a certain cycle exists.

With humans usually there are golden ages followed by decay,collapse,anarchy,rebuilding and a new golden age.Perhaps through wisdom and insight,spiritual beings have discerned the simple nature of beings as being inherantly the same,and the problems and actions they generally take as being predictable,so that a dark age would create the conditions for the accepting of a more enlightened way among communities and nations,eventually resulting in a peak of prosperity and good views,before degenerating through eventual corruption and lack of wisdom from those that didnt live through the darker times to a collapse and new dark age,where the lessons are learned anew,perhaps by new souls or those that didnt learn the first time around.

The whole universe is connected and cycles of one thing seem to effect the other.

Maybe cycles exist because there is no such thing as chaos,complete randomness would be anthema to all existance stands for.

The reality of subtle consciousness is all that exists.

The awakened mind percieves the path to awaken the sleeping mind.

The cycle exists because of the unawakened mind and impermanence,karma.

Predictable because of insight into the karmic cycle.

Anyway those are some thoughts,would like to hear others.

[Ben Gruagach]

One comment I'd like to make:

It is very rare for a "golden age" to be perceived as such by people who are actually in that moment. Most of the time, what is perceived of as a "golden age" is usually based on nostalgia for what is idealized about a previous era.

For instance, it is pretty common for political conservatives ("right wingers") to talk about the 1950s as being a "golden age" in North American society. Funny, but it wasn't much of a "golden age" if you might have been gay, or a woman, or non-white, or non-Christian.

Another comment:

The human mind is a pattern-finding machine. And where it doesn't find pattern, it will often impose one because we seem to crave pattern. Try looking at the clouds, and you'll see faces or animals or familiar shapes.

Apparently a part of the brain called the "recticular activation system" might be a key to recognizing pattern. I read once about a guy who had a head injury which affected his "recticular activation system," causing him to see patterns non-stop in things, with the overwhelming feeling of certainty that this all meant something terribly important. He would say things like, "that's the fifth yellow thing I've seen today! It must be a sign for SOMETHING!!!"