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02-12-2004, 05:24 PM
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#76 (permalink) | |
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"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand." |vonnegut
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02-13-2004, 12:17 AM
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#77 (permalink) |
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1 thing leads to another.
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Not trying to trap you into anything, answer this question honestly.
Would you find comfort in finding someone with the same views as yourself? |
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02-13-2004, 01:09 AM
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#78 (permalink) |
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I'm not sure if I'd consider it comforting. I'd be more impressed or something along those lines, but I don't think I'd find comfort in it. It'd be one of those, "No shit? That's how I feel too. Nifty." If that makes sense.
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"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand." |vonnegut
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02-13-2004, 01:18 AM
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#79 (permalink) |
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1 thing leads to another.
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Alright, I have no where to go from there.
edit: I'll just let you know where I was going to go, if you would have said yes--and you can tell me if you want me to continue with my bullshit. Basically I was going to ask if you would agree--that there is a specific part of the brain that deals directly with whole idea of 'existence'. [ February 12, 2004, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: AcTivE ] |
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02-13-2004, 06:24 AM
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#80 (permalink) |
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Active:
I wasn't exactly saying that I was "searching" for a certain religion to believe in. Sure, thats the way it started, but then I thought to myself, "What exactly is religion?". The only answer I could give is that it's the understanding of why we live. Whether I jump on the train of Christianity, that of an eastern religion, or of any other organized religion and then try and figure out what everyone else believes or I trip off a lot of hallucinogenic drugs and try to find out on my own; it doesnt matter. As long as I believe something. That is what seems to be important to everyone. I think it's kind of sad that some Christians say, "i'd rather die and find out there is no god, then die and find out there is, and go to hell." That just doesn't seem like a realistic existance. Hell, it doesn't make any sense. These are the same people that talk about faith as if it were this intense spiritual experience. I just don't get how you can first refer to your beliefs as a form of insurance and then turn it into a way of life. It just seems too greedy and self centered to be divine. Now, I'm not badmouthing Christians, I think you guys are great. But it seems anymore,most christians with which I have serious conversations with in regards to their religious beliefs, are those who become immediately offended once someone presents an idea that contradicts theirs. And I know the feeling because I used to do the same thing. What I dont understand is why some people immediately become offended. The only way to find out the truth is to share ideas, experiences and then build on that. Sure, you can put all of your faith into a single book, and live by it and probably be happy. Or, you can question religion and try to find out something for yourself. I myself have reasoned that almost every religion out there touches base with a similar idea. There's something out there, be it god, or just a greater form of consciousness that we are a part of and will transcend to upon dying. I know this though; in regards to Christianity,I don't believe that I can truly love a god that I fear. One that judges me and tells me to love him or die, I'm sorry but thats just not possible. I can never truly love something that I fear will kill me or that threatens me with everlasting damnation. Sure you can argue that God is "saving" me from damnation, but how can that be if he created me in the first place? I don't believe in creation. I believe that we are creatures of reason. Within ourselves there lies a trinity, three parts of a whole. There is awareness, the state of understanding the things around you. Being aware of yourself within your surroundings. There is the state of consciousness, the part within you that reasons. And then there is the spiritual, emotional part of one's self that controls the more instinctive parts of one's life. For you Christian's out there, you can compare these three states of being with that of the father, son and holy ghost. Perfect harmony and peace, enlightenment as it may, exists when these three levels of being are in balance with one another. I believe it is in this aspect that Christianity is very close to the truth. I could seroiusly go on and on and on about this but I really don't feel like typing it all out. For those of you who love talking about stuff like this and are curious to learn a little more I suggest some readings: "Nothing In This Book Is True, But It Is Exactly How Things Are." By Bob Fissel. It's a very good read. I wouldn't study it or anything, but its a good read for those with an open mind. The title explains the book pretty well. Anything from Alex Grey is good, some of my favorites are: Mission of Art The Sacred Mirrors and Transfigurations If you're into novels, The Da Vinci Code is really good. I know of a lot of people that are studying that book right now for classes here at IU. Speaking of which, for all of you in high school, I'd encourage you to come to college with an even more open mind than the one you have now. I've already had like 3 classes where the professor told us that what we learned in high school wasn't exactly true. I'll end this post quoting Pliedes in a drunken conversation we had a while back. "Reality can be a scary thing. But once you get past that fear, its a whole lot of fun." |
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02-13-2004, 09:51 AM
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#81 (permalink) |
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A specific part of the brain that deals directly with the whole idea of existence? Wow, that's quite the concept, and in the broadest sense, yes, I do believe there is. I think that the thought of your own existence comes from people's desire to find their own purpose in life. While they're in that search for their purpose they begin to think about and question almost everything around them or that's ever happened to them. It's that drive to find their niche that leads people to question why they're here in the first place to have to find what their niche is. Basically the thought of existence is reached by questions like; What makes me me? What's my purpose? leading to Why am I here? How'd I get to be here?
I'm not sure if that makes any sense, it's still pretty early, so I'll probably just get back on later today and edit it so that it makes more sense and I'm actually awake. |
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"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand." |vonnegut
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02-13-2004, 02:27 PM
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#82 (permalink) |
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1 thing leads to another.
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Anky:
If you do not believe in creation, would it be safe to assume you believe in evolution? ...or did everything just exist all of a sudden? Do you believe what science tells you...just about things in general--electricity, growth, atoms, cells, etc? It seems to me there is something in people that make them question why things are the way they are. I'm not saying it's a specific piece of the brain--like the right top of a lobe or something...but just that it's there. Would you agree? It explains why there have been so many religions...and it has existed for so long. Finally, do you believe any other creature would have feelings like this--say a turtle? [ February 13, 2004, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: AcTivE ] |
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02-13-2004, 02:33 PM
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#85 (permalink) |
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1 thing leads to another.
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Anky:
Say there is a God, and he is saving you from damnation. Is damnation really all that bad?... [img]smile.gif[/img] What I mean is, if there is an all powerful being, creator of the universe, do you not think that the reason everything is happening--is for a reason? |
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02-13-2004, 02:34 PM
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#86 (permalink) | |
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1 thing leads to another.
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02-13-2004, 02:42 PM
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#87 (permalink) |
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From what I've come to understand, science is just a way of abstracting reality onto a lawful medium. As humans, it our way of measuring reality.
Ever heard of the drug DMT? supposedly the brain produces this substance, but only at two points in your entire life. At birth, and at death. Many people have taken the drug and experience the most intense "trip" possible. They say, while the drug is in your brain, you experience death. When I refer to the pineal gland, also called "the third eye", I speak of a gland in your brain that is responsible for the regulation and control of dreams. This is also believed to be the gland that secretes the substance DMT. Anyways, the pineal gland is built very similarly to an eyeball, without the lens; hence the term "third eye". It is believed that upon evolving, this gland will eventually become active and receptive, like an eyeball, thus leading to a higher consciousness. Damn, all of this shit is crazy. Like I said, we could talk about this forever. If you ask me, this is how I explain my existance. I hand the mic to Alex Grey. The Vast Expanse "I acknowledge the privilege of being alive in a human body at this moment, endowed with senses, memories, emotions, thoughts, and the space of mind in its wisdom aspect. It is the prayer of my innermost being to realize my supreme identity in the liberated play of consciousness, the Vast Expanse. Now is the moment, Here is the place of Liberation. Witness the contents of mind, the visions and sounds, the thoughts, as clouds passing through the vast expanse - the sky-like nature of mind. The rootedness of Being is in emptiness, clarity and awareness: unborn, unspoilt, stainlessly pure. The infinite vibratory levels, the dimensions of interconnectedness are without end. There is nothing independent. All beings and things are residents in your awareness. I subject my awareness to the perfection of being, the perfection of wisdom and perfection of love, all of these being co-present in the Vast Expanse. I share this panorama of Being and appreciate all I can share it with...the seamless interweaving of consciousness with each moment. Create perfection wherever you go with your awareness. That is why this teaching is admired by artists--they sense the correctness of the response to life as creative. Life is infinite creative play. Enjoyment and participation in this creative play is the artists profound joy. We co-author every moment with universal creativity. To bare our souls is all we ask, to give all we have to life and the beings surrounding us. Here the nature spirits are intense and we appreciate them, make offerings to them--these nature spirits who call us here--sealing our fate with each other, celebrating our love. I am an intersecting kaleidoscope of Being in a rainbow refractive wave pattern: a corpuscle of light on the ocean...the transparency of my body with the rocks...sometimes the only way to summarize my feelings is to draw--to collapse the frenzy in my limbs enough to make a mark out of profound appreciation for my existence. Share your presence with others, no boundaries, completely openly lovingly. Love is what makes us alive, that is why we feel so alive when we love. Service is being available to love. Life is the combustion of love. That we love ourselves here, that is the true magnificence in the mountains of being. We are constantly drawing the line between love and not love--enter into the Non-duality Zone, and all judgements dissolve in the Vast Expanse. It's as though we are co-conspirators of consciousness--everyone, everywhere, everywhen, mixing up our openable minds. It's as though we could gather clouds in the sky and people into our lives. Like an eruption of consciousness, we discover the most important force is love. Experience yourself as the Source and appreciate every moment as perfection. Sunrise--Sunset. Thank you, Thank you, Creator, profound unstoppable connectedness of all beings, pattern to everything, most radical no-thing, the Vast Expanse." -Alex Grey |
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02-13-2004, 03:33 PM
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#88 (permalink) |
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1 thing leads to another.
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Yes I've heard of it before.
I don't believe anything meaningful 'spiritual' experiences can come from using any drugs. All it is is your brain responding to a chemical, and all of a sudden you think you know a lot more than you really do...but you don't--you just experienced something |
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3:o) horned creatures...wat wat ___________________ |
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02-13-2004, 05:14 PM
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#89 (permalink) | |
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Bokononist
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Quote:
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"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand." |vonnegut
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02-13-2004, 06:36 PM
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#91 (permalink) | |
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1 thing leads to another.
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02-23-2004, 01:37 AM
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#92 (permalink) |
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Senior Member
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"If I were a Rich Man... Diga Diga deega dehga Deehga dega Dam
If I were a -dega dega Rich... Dega dega dehga diga Man If I were rich I'd have the time that I lack, to sit in the synagoge and Pray..." [Fiddler on the Roof, for those who didn't recognize the... ah, quote] So for the 95% of the world that does believe in *some* form of higher being... Why is it that we can't sit around and do what would be supremely divine in God's eyes? (ie- spend all day [aside from basic necessities] praying and basking in God's brilliance?). (from the results of the poll, I'm sticking with the Jeudo-Christian idea here). And what about this 'evil' thing? If God is all powerful, how the Hell did Lucifer [inescapable pun] get to the point where he could actually challenge God, and influence God's creation Man? Is it just some Divine Joke that only God gets? Is he 'up there laughing his sick head off'? (quote from "The Devil's Advocate"). Yeah, I think it is a Divine Joke. I think sometimes I get it. And in reference to the original question I posed, Maybe some of us can. But the Divine Joke isn't at the expense of the Christian Right. But, not at the expense of New-Age Psychadelic left-wing fringe religions either. How? Because we're all Both and Neither Hovercrafts (n)or Holograms. Food for thought: Main Entry: par·a·dox Pronunciation: 'par-&-"däks 2 c : an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises [ February 22, 2004, 10:39 PM: Message edited by: Percipere'Chan ] |
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Dead, death, grim on a pale horse, empty, hollow, inanimate, fataled, black curtained, annihilated.
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02-23-2004, 02:03 AM
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#94 (permalink) |
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Active, Drumkideric, others:
1) Is it possible for a person who's not Christian to just live a happy ignorant life and just peacefully go to Hell when they're done? 2) Could we still content ourselves as being friends or even verbally abusive adversaries during life if I were such a person? ps- Thanks, good to be back [img]tongue.gif[/img] [ February 23, 2004, 12:00 AM: Message edited by: Percipere'Chan ] |
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Dead, death, grim on a pale horse, empty, hollow, inanimate, fataled, black curtained, annihilated.
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02-23-2004, 02:50 AM
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#96 (permalink) |
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[*Note - "Ignore-ant", not dumb. And I did Not specify the cause, as either Willful or UnAware.]
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Dead, death, grim on a pale horse, empty, hollow, inanimate, fataled, black curtained, annihilated.
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