I have paraphrased the first meditations
in order that I might understand them
better for myself. I decided to post them
so that they might help someone else. I
AM NOT POSTING THEM TO BE
STUDIED, THEY ARE JUST MY
PARAPHRASING AND SUBJECT TO MY
MISREPRESENTATIONS AND
MISUNDERSTANDINGS. With that said I
hope that they can be of some help. I
plan on finishing up Meditations II at
some time and I will post them.
Notes on Desecrates meditation I.

1. I have known for several years that
many of the things that I have thought to
be true were false, and as a result, many
of my opinions formed from the principals
were dubious; I have decided to rid
myself of these false opinions and build a
foundation on which to build a structure of
sciences. I have waited until I have
reached an age where I can sift through
the ideas and choose the ones to keep. I
am old and retired and can reconstruct
reality.

2. It is not possible to examine each
Idea, it would take too long. Instead it
would be enough to reject a category if
part of the basis of the category is false.
A falsehood at the base of a group of
ideas will cause the whole group to be
suspect an so discarded.

3. All of the things that I have taken for
true I have sensed. Senses sometimes
mislead, so they are suspect.

4. The senses often mislead about
remote or tiny things, things on the edge
of perception. There are some things that
are obvious, how do I deny them without
tripping into insanity? In other words
what is delusion and what is not?

5. I dream, how do I know when I am
dreaming and when I am awake?

6. Suppose I am dreaming, then the
things I dream are illusions. The things
that are dreamt are composites of the
things that I know when awake, there is
some basis in reality. Therefore it is
necessary to admit the reality of some
objects.

7. These things are classified as
corporeal in nature; they are suspect
because they are not wholly real.

8. Physics, astronomy, medicine and all
the other sciences that are built from the
corporeal are suspect. Arithmetic,
geometry and other sciences of the class
which regard the simplest objects may be
true. Three plus two equals to five awake
or asleep. A square has four sides.[[[one
is equal to zero]]] these truths are so
apparent that they can’t be doubted.

9. The belief in god is on my mind. It is
great. How do I know that he made the
earth and the sky? He has made it
possible for me to be deceived. If god is
good he does not fool me, if he is not
good??

10. If this is true there is nothing that I
knew that is not in doubt. As the power of
god and my own power come closer the
chance of me being fooled increases.
The greater that god is the less of the
chance that I am fooled.

11. It is not enough to think these
thoughts. I must remember them and
apply them. This is not dangerous for me
as I am old and applying these to
knowledge and not the real world.

12. If is is not god, but some demon that
is fooling me then I will keep the same
path and if I do not find truth than I will not
spread falseness. I will not have it
imposed upon me. But being human I
will tend to backslide.