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This is such a great point to make, Michael. Mind's are not capable of being open to everything, but it is a great learning experience to try and see the world through someone else's culture or worldview. I went through a period of atheistic materialism and it helped to cure me of western religious dogma. I have now a more spiritual path and it feels right, but can be at bit scary at times.
Options, live and dead
Somewhere in his lectures, William James discourses on the topic of live options. As I recall, he told his classroom of British university students that for many of them, whether or not they were religious, the resurrection of Jesus was a live option - meaning that they would at least take the i...
I think I confused this book with the one Roger Knights mentions. Anyway, it doesn't change my thoughts. I don't like it when people try to use NDEs to promote their particular religious views. However, I try to keep an open mind about peoples deeply felt stories. Who am I to say what they experienced wasn't true.
A lot of malarkey?
Though I'd never heard of it, a book called The Boy who Came Back from Heaven has apparently been a popular title in Christian circles since 2010. It recounts the near-death experience of Alex Malarkey, who suffered a crippling accident when he was six years old. Here's part of the book descript...
I heard about this in the media and came here to see if you had commented. As you know, a lot of fundamentalist Christians don't like NDE stories because of the reasons stated here. I had heard of this book and always suspected that it was somehow manipulated to prove Christian doctrine, instead of just relating an amazing experience. That the boy now is recanting, confirms those suspicions to me. I don't think it casts any pall over other NDEs at all. The vast majority of NDEers aren't trying to make a buck in the Christian book market.
A lot of malarkey?
Though I'd never heard of it, a book called The Boy who Came Back from Heaven has apparently been a popular title in Christian circles since 2010. It recounts the near-death experience of Alex Malarkey, who suffered a crippling accident when he was six years old. Here's part of the book descript...
Great post Michael! As a college-educated person, I see over-intellectualizing spiritual matters as something of a temptation, but I've come to appreciate a simpler and more direct understanding of spiritual reality (that's what it is!). Philosophy has value, but definitely can lead to over-thinking. It probably can be defined as over-thinking. Knowledge does not need to be hard to understand to be true. Even the Gnostics' "knowledge" is more like a realization or experience, than figuring something out to be "true" in an intellectual sense.
I love that Jesus quote BTW.
Overthinking it
When it comes the question of life after death, sometimes I think it's possible to lose sight of the forest for the trees. It's all too easy to get caught up in the minutiae of particular cases or to become involved in endless speculation about theoretical models. It may be worthwhile to step ba...
Reading your post, Michael, I can't help but think about the squabbles between psychedelic explorers and Buddhist or Hindu meditation practitioners about which is the real path to enlightenment. I think using the term "shortcut" is kind of derogatory, considering the long history of human experience with what are considered plant teachers by non-European cultures. I suppose the long chanting and dancing ordeals done by African tribes (without any drug use) are also "shortcuts" as well, in your opinion. The bottom line is that humans have a desire to experience something transcendent. To some, it may be a rock concert, or sleeping out under the stars in the mountains. To others it may be participating in a Native American Church Peyote ceremony, or going to a catholic mass. I think we need to be careful about judging others spiritual experiences too harshly. You don't really know, unless you've experienced something yourself.
Persistence of visions
Here's a thought experiment. Suppose that, millennia ago, a handful of people had genuine mystical insights as a result of near-death experiences, deathbed visions, or states of extreme physical or emotional distress. As word of these experiences spread, other people tried various ways to induce...
On the climate science example. I'm sorry, but like in the case with the tobacco companies, money buys the science it wants and energy companies don't want science to say global warming is true.
The rule of the Airmen
We all know about power. It is said to be an aphrodisiac. It tends to corrupt (and absolute power corrupts absolutely). Most people want power in at least some areas of their lives. To be powerless - helpless - is a bad feeling. To feel powerful is intoxicating, addictive. The temptations of pow...
"I think you misunderstand the meaning of the quote. It was not about keeping the truth from anybody (indeed, his last commandment to his followers was to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation") - it was more about "don't kill yourself trying to convince somebody who has already made up his mind against you and won't listen""
Remember Jesus also said something to the effect that he spoke in parables, so that those who were not ready to understand wouldn't. I have a different view of Jesus than most. I believe he was way more in the gnostic tradition than conventionally thought.
The rule of the Airmen
We all know about power. It is said to be an aphrodisiac. It tends to corrupt (and absolute power corrupts absolutely). Most people want power in at least some areas of their lives. To be powerless - helpless - is a bad feeling. To feel powerful is intoxicating, addictive. The temptations of pow...
This reminds me of Plato's "Noble Lie"
"In "The Republic," Plato described a city whose inhabitant were
organized into categories: The Rulers, Auxiliaries, Farmers, etc. The
Rulers, he said, would be chosen from the military elite (called
Guardians) because they were good at shepherding and caring for the
interest of the community. The Auxiliaries would be Guardians in
training.
The Rulers, Plato said, must tell the people of the city “The Noble
Lie“--that the categories of Rules, Auxiliaries, Farmers, etc. was not
due to circumstances within the people's control, upbringing, or
education, but because of God's intervention. God, the Lie went, had
put gold, silver, and iron into each person’s soul, and those metals
determined where a person's station was in life was.
The Rulers told the people of the city that if their own children were
found with bronze or iron in their soul, the child would drop down the
ranks accordingly. And if a farmer’s child was born with gold in his
soul, he would rise up to the Guardian level. The Rulers also said,
people had different metals in their bloodstream, and therefore could
not intermarry.
The Lie is necessary, Plato argues, in order to keep a stable social
structure. In Plato’s mind, The Noble Lie is a religious lie that’s
fed to the masses to keep them under control and happy with their
situation in life.
Plato did not believe most people were smart enough to look after
their own and society’s best interest. The few smart people of the
world needed to lead the rest of the flock, Plato said. And The Noble
Lie had to continue."
The basic idea is that most people can't be trusted to have any power and need superior folks to run things. This same thinking applies to spiritual teaching as well. Didn't Jesus say "don't cast your pearls before swine?" Mystics have always kept secrets away from those not ready for them.
The rule of the Airmen
We all know about power. It is said to be an aphrodisiac. It tends to corrupt (and absolute power corrupts absolutely). Most people want power in at least some areas of their lives. To be powerless - helpless - is a bad feeling. To feel powerful is intoxicating, addictive. The temptations of pow...
The cultist mindset of these folks is very obvious. It must be a tremendous burden to be the chosen truth-keepers they see themselves to be. The concept of open minded inquiry is lost on them, since they already know the answers to the important questions. The important work they pursue is the closing of minds.
Guerrillas in our midst
Michael Tymn points me to this interview with the founder of the "guerrilla skepticism" movement, which rewrites Wikipedia pages to remove "woo" and related abominations. I don't think these efforts amount to much; to the extent that Wiki becomes known for the one-sided presentation of controver...
Hey Michael!
I have only known about this blog for a year or so, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I vote for you to keep going, but expand the subject matter, just don't let it get political, mostly because I know there's more than a few here I don't line up with in that way.
Like you, I'm getting bored with the "is psi/NDE/spirit true" conversation, and am more interested in the ramifications of spiritual reality, like reincarnation.
Hope you stick around!
-Steve Smith in Escondido CA
Bored now
Among the many memorable contributions to American popular culture made by the late and much lamented TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the immortal phrase: "Bored now." In two words, the show managed to sum up the anomie and ennui of teenagers the world over – or at least teenagers in pros...
As someone who has worked in digital hardware design for years, I have thought the idea that logic circuits, or any other kind of circuit for that matter, could somehow "hold" your mind as completely stupid. Computers appear to be smart only because someone cleverly made them appear that way. They are not ever going to be an entity of any sort and could not design other computers smarter than themselves. They couldn't even design computers DUMBER that themselves. We are not smart enough to understand ourselves, let alone make something smarter than us.
BTW, thanks for the link and comments Michael!
Rise of the robots
Roger Knights pointed me to a piece by David Gelernter that's been receiving quite a bit of attention online. It's "The Closing of the Scientific Mind," and it covers the rise of a philosophy Gelernter characterizes as "roboticism," a sort of transhumanism that aims to dispense with all distinct...
I think the idea of "GOD" can definitely be a mirror of ourselves. Not in the sense that there isn't an ultimate divine source, but in the sense that we can only perceive and understand "GOD" as one of us, a man. To the Gnostics, and to the Jewish Kabbalists, God is not really knowable in our current state, but can only be partially perceived at best.
Those gnarly Gnostics
Gnosticism is a very old and complicated spiritual tradition, and I don't claim to be well-versed in it. But as I understand it, the essence of the Gnostic position is that our universe was not created by the one true God, but by a lower-level deity, the demiurge, who messed things up. This expl...
Michael, I get it that there are people who should be stopped from imposing horrible things on others.. that's why we have laws and law enforcement. However, the world is not neatly divided between the good guys and the bad guys, or those who have it right and those who don't. We are all learning here… eventually.
Our culture has become more and more militaristic to the point where those who speak of peace are ridiculed and considered somehow unpatriotic. The original plan for america was not to have a standing army in peacetime. That's the real reason for the 2nd amendment, so citizen's could be ready to fight if needed. War is just normal for us now and takes a huge amount our resources. I think we have lost our way.
Random noodlings
I've been a little distracted lately and haven't been focused on blogging. But for what it's worth, here are some random tidbits of wisdom, or if not wisdom, at least thought-provoking stupidity. First, this science article claims new support for the theory of a holographic universe. Note that t...
"We actually are right and they actually are wrong." - no one
Okay, I'm glad you are being honest. So, in your view, it' just fine to kill people who are less "spiritually advanced" than yourself. Judge, jury and executioner for "God". I guess I needed to be enlightened to the way things really are, and stop being such a liberal.
All I can say is WOW!
Random noodlings
I've been a little distracted lately and haven't been focused on blogging. But for what it's worth, here are some random tidbits of wisdom, or if not wisdom, at least thought-provoking stupidity. First, this science article claims new support for the theory of a holographic universe. Note that t...
"Some people need to be killed so that others can advance."
-no one
Please explain to me how this is different than the Taliban Jihadist position? Isn't your post a matter of "US vs. Them"? You seem to misunderstand my position as sympathetic to Islamic violence. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Random noodlings
I've been a little distracted lately and haven't been focused on blogging. But for what it's worth, here are some random tidbits of wisdom, or if not wisdom, at least thought-provoking stupidity. First, this science article claims new support for the theory of a holographic universe. Note that t...
"If you think a mass awakening to your idea of spiritual love is in progress, I would respectfully ask you for evidence that this is happening."
-Votary
What I wrote was maybe a reaction to the idea that war can somehow be "spiritual". No, I don't think a "New Age revolution" is happening, but I do believe that we as spiritually evolving beings must answer to our violent actions, in some way, and learn to love. Otherwise, this world just belongs to the strongest who can get rid of all that get in their way. This world is both wonderful and cruel at the same time.
Random noodlings
I've been a little distracted lately and haven't been focused on blogging. But for what it's worth, here are some random tidbits of wisdom, or if not wisdom, at least thought-provoking stupidity. First, this science article claims new support for the theory of a holographic universe. Note that t...
I think that the materialist position is comforting in the way it gives some certainty to people who are scared by the great mystery of conscious experience. When every strange experience can be attributed only to ordinary physical phenomena, there is nothing spooky to be afraid of. Non-physical reality is not for cowards.
Running in circles
One of the problems with arguing about psychic phenomena, and particularly evidence for life after death, is that critics often come at the subject from the standpoint of hard-and-fast preconceived notions that create a sort of mental box. They are so accustomed to viewing the world from inside ...
I think it is hard to reconcile violence and spirituality. The reason that jumps out at me is that the great spiritual teachers seem to point to love as the greatest thing of all. It's hard to see inflicting violence of any kind as spiritual, unless your definition of spiritual includes demonic activity (they are supposed to be spiritual beings after all). My opinion is that killing the "others" is a tribal activity, so it's only good for the tribe. True spirituality expands the definition of who is in your "tribe" to all living things.
Random noodlings
I've been a little distracted lately and haven't been focused on blogging. But for what it's worth, here are some random tidbits of wisdom, or if not wisdom, at least thought-provoking stupidity. First, this science article claims new support for the theory of a holographic universe. Note that t...
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