Deja Vu isn't really like thinking, "Hey...this has happened before!" at all. It's more like a sudden feeling of familiarity that passes as quickly as it approached. Afterwards, you're left wondering what it was that MADE everything seem so familiar all of a sudden.
But obviously that exact event only took place at that exact time. Why was there confusion as to WHEN it took place (the past or the present)? It seems that such a confusion would be impossible, because we all know that events ONLY occur in the present. But sure enough, there is this occasional fleeting moment of uncertainty.
Anybody who has experienced deja vu (most people I've met) can tell you that there is a single moment when there is quite a bit of certainty that the exact event (not a re-enactment) has taken place before...but that moment of certainty passes through the current of time the precise moment proceeding it.
How is this possible? If we assume that time is constant and unchanging, there is simply no chance we experienced that moment twice. In order to be confused about your reality, you need an alternate reality to compare it to. If there is nothing to compare to, there could be no confusion. What if we ARE comparing to an alternate reality?
...or...
What if we assume that time is NOT constant and unchanging? Perhaps it can expand and contract, making an accurate detection of its passing difficult to measure.
What if is IS constant, but we are not strictly bound to it? Similar to floating with the current of a river and suddenly deciding to swim against it, or perpendicular to it.
Actually, a river isn't a bad analogy at all. Think of up-river as your past and down-river as your future. You create a smaller path within the river because you are so much smaller...meaning that the width of the river contains the entire scope your destiny, yet you can control which "side" of that destiny you will end up on (veering left or right [good or evil]). The mouth of the river can represent what lies beyond this life (the river). What about after the mouth of the river?
Evaporation.
Condensation.
Precipitation.
Do it all over again (dum-dum!) :-)
I think I'll call this idea "CHURCH OF WATER CYCLE". Maybe I could get a motorcycle that is for "official church use only!" I could put a sticker on it that says: CHURCH OF WATER-CYCLE MOTOR-CYCLE!
Brilliant!
Okay...back to deja vu...
WHAT IF the momentary confusion is caused be being suddenly removed from that reality, and then replaced back in to exactly the same moment (well...maybe slightly off - thus the confusion)? What happened while your consciousness wasn't in this reality? In this "time". Maybe somebody was talking to you. Maybe you were somewhere else ENTIRELY for eons while this reality stood still and waited for you to come back.
I don't think time passes at strict intervals. If I hold a stop watch for 30 seconds and ask 30 random people how much time had passed (without looking at the stopwatch, of course), how many different answers do you think I would get? People conducting this test in the past have gotten results ranging from 15 seconds to 4 minutes. Supposing the stop watch is an accurate representative of time, then this should show that we are NOT bound by time. 15 seconds go by for some, 4 minutes go by for others, while time maintains its own separate course. But suppose that the people being subjected to the test had the REAL accurate perception of time, and the watch was wrong.
Who knows? Fun to think about!
________________
Question Everything
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A conversation about "Knowing Stuff"
This conversation was the result of my facebook status (names appearing between |brackets| have been changed):
Kenny doesn't know anything...about anything. 8:16pm - 9 Comments
|Gordon| at 8:29pm January 7
That's true. You're only fairly sure about the most obvious of things. Certainty is simply stupidity.
Kenny Taylor at 8:42pm January 7
Yeah...but even beyond that. I just don't even know what I think today.
|Jane| at 8:55pm January 7
Everyone has those days. No matter how much you question things. Sometimes you just don't know anything at all. It's okay. You'll feel better soon.
Kenny Taylor at 8:59pm January 7
Haha. Well, not many people know what they think they know anyway.
|Gordon| at 9:09pm January 7
Nobody knows what they think they know. Knowledge is a technical impossibility, as there's no way to define the thing in a way that does not involve faith.
|Jane| at 11:14pm January 7
Well, you can't say you no absolutely nothing about anything. Why question everything you do. That's like saying" What if CAT really means DOG" ha ha. Revenge of the Nerds.
Kenny Taylor at 11:29pm January 7
Right. We are all in basic agreement that certain things seem to be true. Such as: We do exist. The sky is blue. There are 5 senses...etc. That's assuming that I'm not just imagining this entire thing I call my life, and not really a giant interdimensional octopus that shoots universes instead of ink, with eyes made of time and tentacles of light. My real name cannot be comprehended by the human mind. If you were to hear it, you would go insane with madness, because you would understand the true nature of the universe IN WHICH YOU LIVE...which is just one of the many I have excreted as a defense mechanism which allows me to elude my predators.
Holy crap! I think I just invented a religion!
Anyway, yeah. There are things we (humans) seem to agree on. It's in my favor to choose to believe that you're all real, rather than my consciousness being some cosmic irregularity that is the result of some chain reaction that I couldn't possibly comprehend...
Wait...IS that what consciousness is?
Whoooooaoaaaaaaa duuuude.
Oh and I forgot to say this about the octopus: I'm having a dream, and the dream is my consciousness. When I wake up, I'll be the interdimensional octopus again, and i'll be telling my interdimensional octopus friends about this WEIRD ASS dream I had, in which I started out extremely confused, but gradually learned more and more. I learned a language. I fell in love. I had been in fights. I got high. I nearly drowned. I created art. I hurt people's feelings. I got lost in a forrest.
I could outline every detail of my entire life, which isn't really my life at all...but just a dream.
And maybe my interdimensional octopus friend would reply, "Wow! All of that? You were only asleep for like 25 years!"
--------------------------
"...but just a dream."
But is a consciousness less valid if it is the result of a dream rather than biology or a divine force? Suppose your consciousness (aka "YOU") really is the result of a dream. The consciousness still happens. It is experienced. So it's still real. Even if it's not real ;-) Ha ha.
Kenny doesn't know anything...about anything. 8:16pm - 9 Comments
|Gordon| at 8:29pm January 7
That's true. You're only fairly sure about the most obvious of things. Certainty is simply stupidity.
Kenny Taylor at 8:42pm January 7
Yeah...but even beyond that. I just don't even know what I think today.
|Jane| at 8:55pm January 7
Everyone has those days. No matter how much you question things. Sometimes you just don't know anything at all. It's okay. You'll feel better soon.
Kenny Taylor at 8:59pm January 7
Haha. Well, not many people know what they think they know anyway.
|Gordon| at 9:09pm January 7
Nobody knows what they think they know. Knowledge is a technical impossibility, as there's no way to define the thing in a way that does not involve faith.
|Jane| at 11:14pm January 7
Well, you can't say you no absolutely nothing about anything. Why question everything you do. That's like saying" What if CAT really means DOG" ha ha. Revenge of the Nerds.
Kenny Taylor at 11:29pm January 7
Right. We are all in basic agreement that certain things seem to be true. Such as: We do exist. The sky is blue. There are 5 senses...etc. That's assuming that I'm not just imagining this entire thing I call my life, and not really a giant interdimensional octopus that shoots universes instead of ink, with eyes made of time and tentacles of light. My real name cannot be comprehended by the human mind. If you were to hear it, you would go insane with madness, because you would understand the true nature of the universe IN WHICH YOU LIVE...which is just one of the many I have excreted as a defense mechanism which allows me to elude my predators.
Holy crap! I think I just invented a religion!
Anyway, yeah. There are things we (humans) seem to agree on. It's in my favor to choose to believe that you're all real, rather than my consciousness being some cosmic irregularity that is the result of some chain reaction that I couldn't possibly comprehend...
Wait...IS that what consciousness is?
Whoooooaoaaaaaaa duuuude.
Oh and I forgot to say this about the octopus: I'm having a dream, and the dream is my consciousness. When I wake up, I'll be the interdimensional octopus again, and i'll be telling my interdimensional octopus friends about this WEIRD ASS dream I had, in which I started out extremely confused, but gradually learned more and more. I learned a language. I fell in love. I had been in fights. I got high. I nearly drowned. I created art. I hurt people's feelings. I got lost in a forrest.
I could outline every detail of my entire life, which isn't really my life at all...but just a dream.
And maybe my interdimensional octopus friend would reply, "Wow! All of that? You were only asleep for like 25 years!"
--------------------------
"...but just a dream."
But is a consciousness less valid if it is the result of a dream rather than biology or a divine force? Suppose your consciousness (aka "YOU") really is the result of a dream. The consciousness still happens. It is experienced. So it's still real. Even if it's not real ;-) Ha ha.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Do other people think like this? If so, please lie to me about it...
I was on an anti gay marriage forum on facebook and I read some pretty disturbing stuff. I wanted to comment on the forum, but I was required to join the group before I could post...and I didn't want to do that, so I just sent a message to one particular person I had a disagreement with. If you are the person I had this conversation with and you don't want your words posted on here, then have the words copy-written and I will remove them.
I changed this person's name to Glenn so that he may remain anonymous. However, his discussions can be found on several facebook cuases having anything to do with gay marriage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|ME|
[excerpt from an anti gay marriage forum]
"The Bible has always been proven to be a solid source of historical evidence."
[end excerpt]
This is a false statement. The Bible rarely (if ever at all) makes any reference to any dates that these alleged events took place. How can this be an accurate historical record?
No credible historian that I know of would ever reference the Bible alone when citing history. The story of Cain and Abel is a fable. It was meant to teach a lesson, not to be interpreted literally. The same is true for countless other Old Testament stories.
Christianity does not rely on these stories being literally interpreted. The message remains the same whether the events actually took place or not.
The historical accuracy of the Bible has been discounted over and over. The sources that maintain the idea that the Bible is accurate are more often than not Biblical experts...not historical experts.
Making claims that "The Bible has always been proven to be a solid source of historical evidence" does nothing but damage your cause. It completely invalidates any credibility you could have possibly had to begin with. In this case, you are effectively helping the atheists more than you are the theists.
|GLENN|
mmm... not really. But that's alright, I don't expect you to agree with me. Take care!
|ME|
[excerpt from an anti marriage forum]
"Well, I have to say that your arguments really don't make any sense. And your application of old testament law shows that you really don't understand the Bible. I really suggest finding a pastor from a good, Bible believing church and asking him about old testament law and if/how it applies today. He'll be able to explain it without being confined to the number of characters in a comment as I am here.
Cheers!"
[end excerpt]
Specifically to the part about the application of Old Testament law...
You DO understand that the 10 commandments are found in the Old Testament, don't you? Are you suggesting that we can pay attention to this portion of the Old Testament, but ignore the other laws found therein?
|GLENN|
There were different types of laws. Ceremonial, Social, and Moral. Again, I would recommend talking to a pastor about this as they would be able to explain it much better than I.
Again, take care!
|ME|
I don't rely on people to spoon feed me what they say is true. I do my own research. I've read the Bible in its entirety many times, and have had countless philosophical discussions with theists and non-theists alike in regards to the Bible.
The same is true with science. If a scientist claims something as fact, that doesn't necessarily mean it IS a fact. It is up to us to double check their statements.
|GLENN|
That's fine. Like I said, I don't expect you to agree with me. People who don't want to be accountable to a higher source won't ever admit to any biblical truth. The fact that you're still debating via email tells me that you want our discussion to affirm your beliefs, or lack therof. You will continue to refer to your Bible reading and discussions as proof of your credibility, but that is just looking to yourself for truth.
I hope you'll stand back and take a look outside of your own knowledge. We're only human.
Later,
|ME|
"The fact that you're still debating via email tells me that you want our discussion to affirm your beliefs, or lack therof."
I strive to affirm my beliefs or lack thereof every moment of every day. I am constantly changing my mind about things as I gain new knowledge. I think everyone should do this. Who knows? Maybe you can change my mind ;-)
"You will continue to refer to your Bible reading and discussions as proof of your credibility, but that is just looking to yourself for truth."
That statement makes no sense at all. Credibility and truth are not the same thing. However, I AM on a constant search for truth. Christianity is one of the many places I have searched, and I'll be the first to admit that SOME good things come from Christianity...but it isn't the only source for answers. Not by a long shot. Buddhists have more (practical) answers than the Bible does (no, I am not a Buddhist).
"I hope you'll stand back and take a look outside of your own knowledge. We're only human."
Does "look outside of your own knowledge" mean to accept something that ISN'T knowledge as though it WERE knowledge?
I'm not an emotionless atheist with no sense of spirituality. There are all kinds of fascinating mysteries shrouding our existence. Science only explains so much, and what lies beyond those explanations COULD be God...but it could be something else entirely. Who knows? It is fun to speculate, and I do it often. But to hold firm that one source contains all the truth we need just isn't healthy...intellectually or spiritually.
One last thing - I hope you don't think of me as an antagonist. When you said that I was trying to affirm my beliefs, you were half-way right. I am not opposed to changing my mind about anything. Discussions such as these give me (and you) the opportunity to make our beliefs stronger by making good points...while at the same time giving us the opportunity to reconsider what we believe. I am in no way saying that atheism is the only answer, and that anyone who isn't an atheist is wrong. All I'm trying to say is that maybe we should think about what we believe in...and why we believe in it. Then be willing to talk about it. If you're not even willing to consider the possibility that Christianity could be wrong...that isn't faith. That is ignorance.
|GLENN|
I'm always willing to talk about Christianity. That's why I post on walls in the first place. I do think about what I believe in all the time. People spout a lot of facts without the evidence to back them up, and most of them are anti-god. When I look into them, I find their "facts" to be plain wrong. After any discussion, I play devil's advocate to myself and ask "What if I'm wrong about all this," but these basics always bring me back.
There is nothing to explain our world but a higher power... nothing.
If I accept that there is a higher power, who is He?
The Bible IS flawless dispite what people may try to convince me of. The scriptures are infallible and like I've said before, never proven wrong. If they were, it would be an easy task to crumble the Christian faith. Prophecies fulfilled, parallel historical accounts, archaeology (sp?), philosophy... so on... they all point to the Bible and God as true.
What kills me is that people who don't accept the Bible claim that all truth is relative. They have to... unless they point to the Koran or some other writing as their objective source. Without an objective source for morality, there is no right or wrong. Debating what is right and wrong when you don't have an objective source for right and wrong is pointless and defeats the purpose.
|ME|
" People spout a lot of facts without the evidence to back them up, and most of them are anti-god."
This is absolutely false. The only way you could come to that conclusion is if you received your information from a very biased source. You can believe that Moses carried every species of every animal on Earth on a boat for over a month, and then redistributed them to their appropriate habitats (camels in the desert, penguins in the antarctic, etc.) if you want to. But those of us who observe the laws of physics know that couldn't have possibly happened.
Bring me the top professionals in America in the field of any typical university core-curriculum subject, and let's tally up how many are theists, how many are non-theists, and how many are agnostic.
Also, I hope you aren't talking about evolution not being a matter of fact. Because we've observed that within our own recorded history. The domestication of cattle completely transformed the anatomy of the animal. Dog breeding has made dogs evolve (with the guidance of humans) in countless ways (ranging from chihuahuas to great danes). Those animals didn't exist 5000 years ago. They didn't exist until after human-guided animal breeding became common practice. That's exactly how evolution works.
Now, obviously the question begs to be asked: "So who's hands are guiding OUR evolution?"
Believe me, I want to know the answer to that question myself! It's something I think about constantly! I just think it's naive to use just one source of ideas when there are lots and lots of others to consider.
"When I look into them, I find their 'facts' to be plain wrong."
I'd like an example of this.
"There is nothing to explain our world but a higher power... nothing."
Well, there are lots of people who disagree. It is quite fascinating that we ARE here, though! Lucky us! Out of all of the other planets revolving around all of the other other stars, we had the right combination! We get to have this great experience we call "life", and who knows? Maybe our consciousness doesn't die when our bodies die. I wonder what kind of world we'd be able to perceive without the restraints of these 5 senses our bodies are limited to!
As I said before, it's fun to speculate. But anyway, the fact is that there are lots of other possible explanations as to how life began. They don't all agree with eachother, and I personally am happy about that...because it allows me to hear it from a lot of different perspectives. If you don't agree with what someone is saying, that's fine. But to ONLY agree with what ONLY ONE PERSON is saying is just foolish. Not to mention lazy.
"The Bible IS flawless dispite what people may try to convince me of. The scriptures are infallible and like I've said before, never proven wrong. If they were, it would be an easy task to crumble the Christian faith. "
It is an easy task. It's been done countless times. You don't want to believe the Bible isn't true, so you don't seek out that sort of information. The only thing you'll open your ears to are things that tell you that what you believe is true...is true. Don't make the mistake of generalizing atheists as people who purposely seek information that negates the Bible. In almost every case, it is quite the opposite...most are seeking information to support it, and they're not coming up with much.
If you believe the scriptures are infallible, then it simply isn't POSSIBLE for you to believe anything contrary. I remember what that was like. I remember how difficult it was when I was dealing with the fact that I had questions that weren't being answered. Religion surrounded me and my family my entire life...and even helped shaped who I am...and when I started asking the "wrong kinds of questions" at Bible school, it was simply ignored and they said they'd pray for me.
So I started looking for answers myself. I talked to every pastor/preist/holy-person in my town trying to find answers to my questions, and all I ever got was the same answer: "You just have to have faith."
To which I would reply: "Okay! How do I do that?"
- "Just believe."
- "Well, that's what I'm TRYING to do. How can I make myself believe? Where's the 'I-BELIEVE-IN-SOMETHING-THAT-CANNOT-BE-PERCEIVED' button? Because I swear I will push it RIGHT NOW!"
- "There is no button. You just need faith."
Eventually I had to give up.
Okay, back to things that you've said:
"Prophecies fulfilled, parallel historical accounts, archaeology (sp?), philosophy... so on... they all point to the Bible and God as true."
Again, I'm going to need examples.
"Without an objective source for morality, there is no right or wrong. Debating what is right and wrong when you don't have an objective source for right and wrong is pointless and defeats the purpose."
If a presidential candidate were saying that it is wrong for you to ever read the Bible or say the word "Jesus" in public...and they were trying to make it a law... and if I am arguing against them, saying that you should be allowed to read the Bible and say Jesus in public as much as you want...then I bet it wouldn't be pointless to you.
I bet that victims of the Spanish Inquisition (inspired by the Bible) wouldn't find it pointless to argue that torturing people is morally wrong.
Whew! That was a long one!!
I changed this person's name to Glenn so that he may remain anonymous. However, his discussions can be found on several facebook cuases having anything to do with gay marriage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|ME|
[excerpt from an anti gay marriage forum]
"The Bible has always been proven to be a solid source of historical evidence."
[end excerpt]
This is a false statement. The Bible rarely (if ever at all) makes any reference to any dates that these alleged events took place. How can this be an accurate historical record?
No credible historian that I know of would ever reference the Bible alone when citing history. The story of Cain and Abel is a fable. It was meant to teach a lesson, not to be interpreted literally. The same is true for countless other Old Testament stories.
Christianity does not rely on these stories being literally interpreted. The message remains the same whether the events actually took place or not.
The historical accuracy of the Bible has been discounted over and over. The sources that maintain the idea that the Bible is accurate are more often than not Biblical experts...not historical experts.
Making claims that "The Bible has always been proven to be a solid source of historical evidence" does nothing but damage your cause. It completely invalidates any credibility you could have possibly had to begin with. In this case, you are effectively helping the atheists more than you are the theists.
|GLENN|
mmm... not really. But that's alright, I don't expect you to agree with me. Take care!
|ME|
[excerpt from an anti marriage forum]
"Well, I have to say that your arguments really don't make any sense. And your application of old testament law shows that you really don't understand the Bible. I really suggest finding a pastor from a good, Bible believing church and asking him about old testament law and if/how it applies today. He'll be able to explain it without being confined to the number of characters in a comment as I am here.
Cheers!"
[end excerpt]
Specifically to the part about the application of Old Testament law...
You DO understand that the 10 commandments are found in the Old Testament, don't you? Are you suggesting that we can pay attention to this portion of the Old Testament, but ignore the other laws found therein?
|GLENN|
There were different types of laws. Ceremonial, Social, and Moral. Again, I would recommend talking to a pastor about this as they would be able to explain it much better than I.
Again, take care!
|ME|
I don't rely on people to spoon feed me what they say is true. I do my own research. I've read the Bible in its entirety many times, and have had countless philosophical discussions with theists and non-theists alike in regards to the Bible.
The same is true with science. If a scientist claims something as fact, that doesn't necessarily mean it IS a fact. It is up to us to double check their statements.
|GLENN|
That's fine. Like I said, I don't expect you to agree with me. People who don't want to be accountable to a higher source won't ever admit to any biblical truth. The fact that you're still debating via email tells me that you want our discussion to affirm your beliefs, or lack therof. You will continue to refer to your Bible reading and discussions as proof of your credibility, but that is just looking to yourself for truth.
I hope you'll stand back and take a look outside of your own knowledge. We're only human.
Later,
|ME|
"The fact that you're still debating via email tells me that you want our discussion to affirm your beliefs, or lack therof."
I strive to affirm my beliefs or lack thereof every moment of every day. I am constantly changing my mind about things as I gain new knowledge. I think everyone should do this. Who knows? Maybe you can change my mind ;-)
"You will continue to refer to your Bible reading and discussions as proof of your credibility, but that is just looking to yourself for truth."
That statement makes no sense at all. Credibility and truth are not the same thing. However, I AM on a constant search for truth. Christianity is one of the many places I have searched, and I'll be the first to admit that SOME good things come from Christianity...but it isn't the only source for answers. Not by a long shot. Buddhists have more (practical) answers than the Bible does (no, I am not a Buddhist).
"I hope you'll stand back and take a look outside of your own knowledge. We're only human."
Does "look outside of your own knowledge" mean to accept something that ISN'T knowledge as though it WERE knowledge?
I'm not an emotionless atheist with no sense of spirituality. There are all kinds of fascinating mysteries shrouding our existence. Science only explains so much, and what lies beyond those explanations COULD be God...but it could be something else entirely. Who knows? It is fun to speculate, and I do it often. But to hold firm that one source contains all the truth we need just isn't healthy...intellectually or spiritually.
One last thing - I hope you don't think of me as an antagonist. When you said that I was trying to affirm my beliefs, you were half-way right. I am not opposed to changing my mind about anything. Discussions such as these give me (and you) the opportunity to make our beliefs stronger by making good points...while at the same time giving us the opportunity to reconsider what we believe. I am in no way saying that atheism is the only answer, and that anyone who isn't an atheist is wrong. All I'm trying to say is that maybe we should think about what we believe in...and why we believe in it. Then be willing to talk about it. If you're not even willing to consider the possibility that Christianity could be wrong...that isn't faith. That is ignorance.
|GLENN|
I'm always willing to talk about Christianity. That's why I post on walls in the first place. I do think about what I believe in all the time. People spout a lot of facts without the evidence to back them up, and most of them are anti-god. When I look into them, I find their "facts" to be plain wrong. After any discussion, I play devil's advocate to myself and ask "What if I'm wrong about all this," but these basics always bring me back.
There is nothing to explain our world but a higher power... nothing.
If I accept that there is a higher power, who is He?
The Bible IS flawless dispite what people may try to convince me of. The scriptures are infallible and like I've said before, never proven wrong. If they were, it would be an easy task to crumble the Christian faith. Prophecies fulfilled, parallel historical accounts, archaeology (sp?), philosophy... so on... they all point to the Bible and God as true.
What kills me is that people who don't accept the Bible claim that all truth is relative. They have to... unless they point to the Koran or some other writing as their objective source. Without an objective source for morality, there is no right or wrong. Debating what is right and wrong when you don't have an objective source for right and wrong is pointless and defeats the purpose.
|ME|
" People spout a lot of facts without the evidence to back them up, and most of them are anti-god."
This is absolutely false. The only way you could come to that conclusion is if you received your information from a very biased source. You can believe that Moses carried every species of every animal on Earth on a boat for over a month, and then redistributed them to their appropriate habitats (camels in the desert, penguins in the antarctic, etc.) if you want to. But those of us who observe the laws of physics know that couldn't have possibly happened.
Bring me the top professionals in America in the field of any typical university core-curriculum subject, and let's tally up how many are theists, how many are non-theists, and how many are agnostic.
Also, I hope you aren't talking about evolution not being a matter of fact. Because we've observed that within our own recorded history. The domestication of cattle completely transformed the anatomy of the animal. Dog breeding has made dogs evolve (with the guidance of humans) in countless ways (ranging from chihuahuas to great danes). Those animals didn't exist 5000 years ago. They didn't exist until after human-guided animal breeding became common practice. That's exactly how evolution works.
Now, obviously the question begs to be asked: "So who's hands are guiding OUR evolution?"
Believe me, I want to know the answer to that question myself! It's something I think about constantly! I just think it's naive to use just one source of ideas when there are lots and lots of others to consider.
"When I look into them, I find their 'facts' to be plain wrong."
I'd like an example of this.
"There is nothing to explain our world but a higher power... nothing."
Well, there are lots of people who disagree. It is quite fascinating that we ARE here, though! Lucky us! Out of all of the other planets revolving around all of the other other stars, we had the right combination! We get to have this great experience we call "life", and who knows? Maybe our consciousness doesn't die when our bodies die. I wonder what kind of world we'd be able to perceive without the restraints of these 5 senses our bodies are limited to!
As I said before, it's fun to speculate. But anyway, the fact is that there are lots of other possible explanations as to how life began. They don't all agree with eachother, and I personally am happy about that...because it allows me to hear it from a lot of different perspectives. If you don't agree with what someone is saying, that's fine. But to ONLY agree with what ONLY ONE PERSON is saying is just foolish. Not to mention lazy.
"The Bible IS flawless dispite what people may try to convince me of. The scriptures are infallible and like I've said before, never proven wrong. If they were, it would be an easy task to crumble the Christian faith. "
It is an easy task. It's been done countless times. You don't want to believe the Bible isn't true, so you don't seek out that sort of information. The only thing you'll open your ears to are things that tell you that what you believe is true...is true. Don't make the mistake of generalizing atheists as people who purposely seek information that negates the Bible. In almost every case, it is quite the opposite...most are seeking information to support it, and they're not coming up with much.
If you believe the scriptures are infallible, then it simply isn't POSSIBLE for you to believe anything contrary. I remember what that was like. I remember how difficult it was when I was dealing with the fact that I had questions that weren't being answered. Religion surrounded me and my family my entire life...and even helped shaped who I am...and when I started asking the "wrong kinds of questions" at Bible school, it was simply ignored and they said they'd pray for me.
So I started looking for answers myself. I talked to every pastor/preist/holy-person in my town trying to find answers to my questions, and all I ever got was the same answer: "You just have to have faith."
To which I would reply: "Okay! How do I do that?"
- "Just believe."
- "Well, that's what I'm TRYING to do. How can I make myself believe? Where's the 'I-BELIEVE-IN-SOMETHING-THAT-CANNOT-BE-PERCEIVED' button? Because I swear I will push it RIGHT NOW!"
- "There is no button. You just need faith."
Eventually I had to give up.
Okay, back to things that you've said:
"Prophecies fulfilled, parallel historical accounts, archaeology (sp?), philosophy... so on... they all point to the Bible and God as true."
Again, I'm going to need examples.
"Without an objective source for morality, there is no right or wrong. Debating what is right and wrong when you don't have an objective source for right and wrong is pointless and defeats the purpose."
If a presidential candidate were saying that it is wrong for you to ever read the Bible or say the word "Jesus" in public...and they were trying to make it a law... and if I am arguing against them, saying that you should be allowed to read the Bible and say Jesus in public as much as you want...then I bet it wouldn't be pointless to you.
I bet that victims of the Spanish Inquisition (inspired by the Bible) wouldn't find it pointless to argue that torturing people is morally wrong.
Whew! That was a long one!!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
WHEN THE DIGITAL AGE IS IN THE PAST...?
So Clint Jacob was at my house tonight, and he had this to say...
"What if a thousand years from now, our current level of technology is labeled as 'the digital age?'"
HO - LY - SHIT! CLINT!
That just blew my mind. It's really difficult to think of technology as anything other than "digital" these days, isn't it? Isn't it funny to think that there was a time when light-bulbs were the latest-breaking technology?
What about the Bronze Era?
The Stone-Age?
And look at us now! We have already put so many labels on the different sections of history, each one a little more advanced...a little more sophisticated than the last. And now we're at the point to where technology sometimes seems unable to meet our demands. Whereas before it seems we almost feared technology (old people), now it seems we can't possibly get enough. Surely there will come a time when this "fad" of digitization will become a part of history just as the Renaissance did. And perhaps as basic of an intellectual evolutionary step as the advent of the wheel.
It's fun to speculate about when technology will cease to be sufficient to meet our needs. One day in the future humans will look back at the year 2009 and try to understand what it was like to live as intellectually deprived as we are now. After only roughly 160 (of the roughly 5000 on record) years of using electricity and we've already figured out just about everything you can do with it.
So what's next?
Well, maybe technology has figured out a loop-hole. Maybe it figured out a way to ensure that we remain dependent on it. All it would have to do is figure out something that we cannot get enough of, and that it (technology) would be equipped to satisfy.
Well it seems we cannot get enough of entertainment. We need it! So much so that we make recordings of it so we can watch it later...just in case you are called away for work, or two of your favorite shows air at the same time. Could we ever fully satiate our appetite to be entertained? Today, a relaxing evening means laying around in sweat pants and Just Watching TV. This is how we choose to spend our precious leisure time. If it doesn't occupy your leisure times, often times it inspires it (ex: saw somebody on TV go bun-gee jumping and decided "Why not? I'll give it a try!").
It's obvious that technology has a huge influence on our lives. It doesn't merely dictate what we do, it dictates what we WANT to do. If anybody ever got control of such a dangerous thing as technology...
...oh...right. Technology IS being controlled. Dammit.
By who? Well...everyone smart enough to take advantage of it. Primarily businesses (restaurants, jewelers, clothing designers, music labels, BANKS, professional wrestling, sporting franchises, auto manufacturers, toy designers...you get the idea). How can these people best take advantage of this?
How wealthy can you get before money is insubstantial? If our capacity for greed is (as far as we know) infinite, couldn't even the absolute wealthiest people desire more still? What more could they possibly demand out of their lives?
What is it that THEY would want? I just can't imagine. They've made it difficult to imagine happiness as meaning anything other than "financial freedom" (more like en-slavery). We spend our entire lives striving to accumulate as much of these monetary "credits" as possible, and while we're occupied doing that...what are the people who don't NEED to occupy their time doing that up to?
Rest assured, there exist MANY who live their entire lives with money being as trivial a necessity as toothpaste.
I really have no idea what any of this has to do with the "Digital Age". But getting back to that...
I don't think it's a good idea to watch too much TV. Or really, any at all. That's the point I'm making. If you're concerned about being "out of touch" with the world, the internet does a great job of as a resource for the most recent of happenings...as well as remaining a fairly accurate account for history (via the sharing of nearly any video footage that exists thanks to YouTube). You may argue that there are advertisers on the internet as well...but they're not nearly as obtrusive. TV ads force you to sit through them patiently while you wait for your show to commence. (Tasteful) Internet ads do not impede your contact with the content you seek. This of course excludes pop-ups, but most people I know just close the window without reading it...so i don't see it as much of an influence. I'm not presuming that internet advertising couldn't become more of a problem in the future, though.
So, reviewing...you probably shouldn't watch [much] TV.
Think if the media didn't bring other people's personal lives into your living room. Most of our social issues would disappear. Because the bottom line is that most of the issues that we're fighting about (ex: gay marriage & drug use) do not affect the lives of anyone other than those who are directly involved in the act/incident/whatever. Suddenly our problems disappear.
If we could achieve a non-TV- watching society, AND implement more of a small-community-based society... well that would be awesome. TV nationalizes everything. An incident that only directly affects a small community of people is suddenly subject to the scrutiny of people (the rest of the TV-watching American public) who aren't affected by the event what-so-ever.
----------
Technology is great. It improves our quality of life and allows us the time to ponder greater mysteries...like where did we come from? and, What is our future? But a side-affect of technology is mass-media. I think it's wise to be cautious of the effect it has on you...and in particular any younger, more impressionable minds..
________________________
Question everything! :-)
"What if a thousand years from now, our current level of technology is labeled as 'the digital age?'"
HO - LY - SHIT! CLINT!
That just blew my mind. It's really difficult to think of technology as anything other than "digital" these days, isn't it? Isn't it funny to think that there was a time when light-bulbs were the latest-breaking technology?
What about the Bronze Era?
The Stone-Age?
And look at us now! We have already put so many labels on the different sections of history, each one a little more advanced...a little more sophisticated than the last. And now we're at the point to where technology sometimes seems unable to meet our demands. Whereas before it seems we almost feared technology (old people), now it seems we can't possibly get enough. Surely there will come a time when this "fad" of digitization will become a part of history just as the Renaissance did. And perhaps as basic of an intellectual evolutionary step as the advent of the wheel.
It's fun to speculate about when technology will cease to be sufficient to meet our needs. One day in the future humans will look back at the year 2009 and try to understand what it was like to live as intellectually deprived as we are now. After only roughly 160 (of the roughly 5000 on record) years of using electricity and we've already figured out just about everything you can do with it.
So what's next?
Well, maybe technology has figured out a loop-hole. Maybe it figured out a way to ensure that we remain dependent on it. All it would have to do is figure out something that we cannot get enough of, and that it (technology) would be equipped to satisfy.
Well it seems we cannot get enough of entertainment. We need it! So much so that we make recordings of it so we can watch it later...just in case you are called away for work, or two of your favorite shows air at the same time. Could we ever fully satiate our appetite to be entertained? Today, a relaxing evening means laying around in sweat pants and Just Watching TV. This is how we choose to spend our precious leisure time. If it doesn't occupy your leisure times, often times it inspires it (ex: saw somebody on TV go bun-gee jumping and decided "Why not? I'll give it a try!").
It's obvious that technology has a huge influence on our lives. It doesn't merely dictate what we do, it dictates what we WANT to do. If anybody ever got control of such a dangerous thing as technology...
...oh...right. Technology IS being controlled. Dammit.
By who? Well...everyone smart enough to take advantage of it. Primarily businesses (restaurants, jewelers, clothing designers, music labels, BANKS, professional wrestling, sporting franchises, auto manufacturers, toy designers...you get the idea). How can these people best take advantage of this?
How wealthy can you get before money is insubstantial? If our capacity for greed is (as far as we know) infinite, couldn't even the absolute wealthiest people desire more still? What more could they possibly demand out of their lives?
What is it that THEY would want? I just can't imagine. They've made it difficult to imagine happiness as meaning anything other than "financial freedom" (more like en-slavery). We spend our entire lives striving to accumulate as much of these monetary "credits" as possible, and while we're occupied doing that...what are the people who don't NEED to occupy their time doing that up to?
Rest assured, there exist MANY who live their entire lives with money being as trivial a necessity as toothpaste.
I really have no idea what any of this has to do with the "Digital Age". But getting back to that...
I don't think it's a good idea to watch too much TV. Or really, any at all. That's the point I'm making. If you're concerned about being "out of touch" with the world, the internet does a great job of as a resource for the most recent of happenings...as well as remaining a fairly accurate account for history (via the sharing of nearly any video footage that exists thanks to YouTube). You may argue that there are advertisers on the internet as well...but they're not nearly as obtrusive. TV ads force you to sit through them patiently while you wait for your show to commence. (Tasteful) Internet ads do not impede your contact with the content you seek. This of course excludes pop-ups, but most people I know just close the window without reading it...so i don't see it as much of an influence. I'm not presuming that internet advertising couldn't become more of a problem in the future, though.
So, reviewing...you probably shouldn't watch [much] TV.
Think if the media didn't bring other people's personal lives into your living room. Most of our social issues would disappear. Because the bottom line is that most of the issues that we're fighting about (ex: gay marriage & drug use) do not affect the lives of anyone other than those who are directly involved in the act/incident/whatever. Suddenly our problems disappear.
If we could achieve a non-TV- watching society, AND implement more of a small-community-based society... well that would be awesome. TV nationalizes everything. An incident that only directly affects a small community of people is suddenly subject to the scrutiny of people (the rest of the TV-watching American public) who aren't affected by the event what-so-ever.
----------
Technology is great. It improves our quality of life and allows us the time to ponder greater mysteries...like where did we come from? and, What is our future? But a side-affect of technology is mass-media. I think it's wise to be cautious of the effect it has on you...and in particular any younger, more impressionable minds..
________________________
Question everything! :-)
THE FORGOTTEN 9TH AMENDMENT
"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
Granted, I had to read it about 50 times before I understood it. But if somebody stopped me on the street and asked me what my favorite US Constitutional Amendment was, I think I'd have to say the 9th. It is a perfect reminder that the Bill of Rights only refers to limitations to the government...not to the people it governs.
I'm really surprised that this amendment is overlooked. It speaks directly to numerous social issues... including gay marriage, abortion, right to die, and drug use to name a few. I think this is a shining example of the amazing vision our founders had for this country. The rest of the world thought it was an amazing vision as well. France gave us a statue, for crying out loud!
You can call me a raving, left-wing, liberal hippie if you want. This isn't even about politics. How many constitutional rights can you name? Freedom of Speech, Right to Bear Arms, Right to not witness against oneself... without looking them up, how many more can you name?
Most of us aren't even aware of the freedoms we're entitled to, resulting in those freedoms being taken away without us even putting up any resistance what-so-ever. One example that comes to mind is the Patriot Act. HOW WERE WE EVER OKAY WITH THIS!? Because of a terrorist threat? Come on...you're smarter than that. Once the foot is in the door, it's never leaving. Just like the income tax (which isn't required by any known law).
The 9th Amendment protects our right to privacy (amongst many others), and we are allowing that privacy to be taken from us. Even those who speak against the Patriot Act do it meekly and give up after a short while.
Just SUPPOSE a tyrannical government WANTED to monitor what you were doing in your homes? Do you think they'd ask nicely? Do you think they'd make it OBVIOUS that that is what they are doing? No way. That couldn't possibly work. You see, any good car sales me can tell you that the trick is to make them think that it is THEIR IDEA. Or at the very least, make them believe that it is a GOOD idea.
Right to privacy is gone. Kiss it goodbye. It's too late. The foot is in the door and now the door will remain open. We've squandered this one by being extremely gullible, naive, and rash.
The future of America is not one of freedom, I'm afraid. There are some great voices of reason out there...but nobody can hear them for all the white noise made by the mass media.
Horrible things are ahead unless we begin to FULLY understand the things that we think we feel so strongly about. You wouldn't feel so strongly about a lot of things if you knew everything there is to know about it...and I'm not just talking to Conservatives. It's EVERYONE! Please use your brain. Please!
One other thing:
I think a lot of people think about the Bill of Rights in the wrong way. This document does NOT create these rights. It merely acknowledges them. They are a "given". And the 9th Amendment makes it clear that there are OTHER FREEDOMS that OTHER PEOPLE may feel are important...and that those freedoms are protected as well.
Most of the people that I hear raving about how great America is have no idea what the idea of this country was in the first place. They're all just repeating propaganda. They don't "get it". I suggest reading up on early American history... but do the research YOURSELF! Don't rely on a textbook or a professor to tell you what did or didn't happen. They may be right...but they may be wrong. Please, for all of us, look into it yourself.
Granted, I had to read it about 50 times before I understood it. But if somebody stopped me on the street and asked me what my favorite US Constitutional Amendment was, I think I'd have to say the 9th. It is a perfect reminder that the Bill of Rights only refers to limitations to the government...not to the people it governs.
I'm really surprised that this amendment is overlooked. It speaks directly to numerous social issues... including gay marriage, abortion, right to die, and drug use to name a few. I think this is a shining example of the amazing vision our founders had for this country. The rest of the world thought it was an amazing vision as well. France gave us a statue, for crying out loud!
You can call me a raving, left-wing, liberal hippie if you want. This isn't even about politics. How many constitutional rights can you name? Freedom of Speech, Right to Bear Arms, Right to not witness against oneself... without looking them up, how many more can you name?
Most of us aren't even aware of the freedoms we're entitled to, resulting in those freedoms being taken away without us even putting up any resistance what-so-ever. One example that comes to mind is the Patriot Act. HOW WERE WE EVER OKAY WITH THIS!? Because of a terrorist threat? Come on...you're smarter than that. Once the foot is in the door, it's never leaving. Just like the income tax (which isn't required by any known law).
The 9th Amendment protects our right to privacy (amongst many others), and we are allowing that privacy to be taken from us. Even those who speak against the Patriot Act do it meekly and give up after a short while.
Just SUPPOSE a tyrannical government WANTED to monitor what you were doing in your homes? Do you think they'd ask nicely? Do you think they'd make it OBVIOUS that that is what they are doing? No way. That couldn't possibly work. You see, any good car sales me can tell you that the trick is to make them think that it is THEIR IDEA. Or at the very least, make them believe that it is a GOOD idea.
Right to privacy is gone. Kiss it goodbye. It's too late. The foot is in the door and now the door will remain open. We've squandered this one by being extremely gullible, naive, and rash.
The future of America is not one of freedom, I'm afraid. There are some great voices of reason out there...but nobody can hear them for all the white noise made by the mass media.
Horrible things are ahead unless we begin to FULLY understand the things that we think we feel so strongly about. You wouldn't feel so strongly about a lot of things if you knew everything there is to know about it...and I'm not just talking to Conservatives. It's EVERYONE! Please use your brain. Please!
One other thing:
I think a lot of people think about the Bill of Rights in the wrong way. This document does NOT create these rights. It merely acknowledges them. They are a "given". And the 9th Amendment makes it clear that there are OTHER FREEDOMS that OTHER PEOPLE may feel are important...and that those freedoms are protected as well.
Most of the people that I hear raving about how great America is have no idea what the idea of this country was in the first place. They're all just repeating propaganda. They don't "get it". I suggest reading up on early American history... but do the research YOURSELF! Don't rely on a textbook or a professor to tell you what did or didn't happen. They may be right...but they may be wrong. Please, for all of us, look into it yourself.
Monday, January 12, 2009
DO-IT-YOURSELF SUBLIMINAL IMPLANTS!
Do you ever ask yourself why we're at war, and then when you come to the conclusion that you have no idea, you decide to research the matter, only to find that the only reason given by any source what-so-ever amounts to "Terrorism"?
Well, I do.
Anyway, how about something up-lifting today?
It turns out that the human mind is a problem solver by nature. This seems evident in everything we've accomplished in such a short amount of time as a species*. So suppose you were to give your subconscious a puzzle to work out while your conscious deals with the day-to-day routine of every-day life. What kind of puzzle would you give it? What kind of problems would you like your subconscious to solve for you while you wait for the results?
Complex mathematical equations?
The form of a Beethoven symphony?
How to rebuild a car engine?
The answer to all of our global problems (a lot of good it would do you)?
How to find the path to personal fulfillment and happiness?
Well, I have good news for you. Your subconscious already does this. All the time. Every day.
[the end]
You want more? Well, okay...
So how do your thoughts get into your subconscious? Well, usually they pass through your conscious. Most subconscious thoughts begin life as something you were COMPLETELY aware of. So, I would advise against being too pessimistic. It IS true that negative thoughts lead to negative events.
So, why don't we take this in a different direction for a moment?
For a refresher on the concept of our minds creating our own reality, please read my post titled WHO IS THE MASTER WHO MAKES THE GRASS GREEN? Then continue.
Okay, so we understand how our own minds create reality. A reality that ONLY belongs to you. It exists INSIDE your head...not outside of it. Keeping this in mind, consider the following:
"If you can imagine it, you can BE it."
We've heard this since childhood. But perhaps a better way to say it is this: "If you ARE imagining it, you ARE experiencing it." And what is reality besides something one "experiences"?
Okay, so that's cool. But how can I have any affect on the random events that happen to take place from moment to moment? Can I really be expected to control my own mind on THAT level? Well, some new-age thinkers feel that just maybe we can.
Assuming that everyone I've ever come in contact with shares a similar reality to mine, and that my reality is something entirely constructed inside my mind...can I then be removed from everyone else's reality, if I imagine (create) a new reality for myself? Would I suddenly blink out of existence? The conclusion I draw would be that the reality you escaped from would compensate for your absence and remove you from record (memory) so to speak. I don't cease to exist in that reality. Suddenly, I never existed there at all.
Perhaps.
A sigil is something that a lot of people believe has the ability to help us create a new reality for ourselves. The idea is to implant a symbol of whatever it is you "desire" into your subconscious, which will surface to your conscious, thus becoming your reality. How can such a subliminal implant be placed?
Some say this will work:
Think of something that you desire, and write that scenario down as though it were currently true. Example: If my desire is to be happy, then I write the sentence, "I AM HAPPY." I then remove all vowels, as well as any duplicate letters, so that I am left with, "MHP." After that, I get really stoned and "space out" for a while with a pencil and paper. I use the letters "MHP" as elements with which to design a "symbol". This process should never be rushed, and could possibly take hours. The end result doesn't necessarily bear any resemblance to the letters I originally started with, although their presence is implied. I memorize the symbol I have created. Perhaps even get it tattood somewhere that I am bound to look at least once a day (the top of my right hand?).
This symbol acts as a puzzle for my subconscious to solve. Since I took my time creating it, and even enjoyed the process, it is burned into my memory...and some part of me remembers that my symbol evolved from the sentence, "I AM HAPPY." The letters used to write that sentence are nothing more than symbols themselves. We use them to describe our reality. Without them, we'd be no more able to understand our world than an ape.
Most psychologists will tell you that our subconscious is certainly represented in our conscious in ways that we don't always understand.
So suppose that your subconscious uses the symbol you implanted into it to describe reality.
If you are imagining it, you are experiencing it.
Hey, it's worth a shot!
* "This seems evident in everything we've accomplished in such a short amount of time as a species." I don't think enough emphasis is ever put on this. We have been in existence for such an incredibly short amount of time, and we have already come this far. I imagine we would be quite revered by other-worldly civilizations of an equal age. Although I do think those civilizations might form some concerns over some of our social/cultural practices. This even happens on Earth between differing countries. One country may seem very technically advanced yet socially ignorant, whereas another appears technologically inferior yet philosophically sophisticated.
Well, I do.
Anyway, how about something up-lifting today?
It turns out that the human mind is a problem solver by nature. This seems evident in everything we've accomplished in such a short amount of time as a species*. So suppose you were to give your subconscious a puzzle to work out while your conscious deals with the day-to-day routine of every-day life. What kind of puzzle would you give it? What kind of problems would you like your subconscious to solve for you while you wait for the results?
Complex mathematical equations?
The form of a Beethoven symphony?
How to rebuild a car engine?
The answer to all of our global problems (a lot of good it would do you)?
How to find the path to personal fulfillment and happiness?
Well, I have good news for you. Your subconscious already does this. All the time. Every day.
[the end]
You want more? Well, okay...
So how do your thoughts get into your subconscious? Well, usually they pass through your conscious. Most subconscious thoughts begin life as something you were COMPLETELY aware of. So, I would advise against being too pessimistic. It IS true that negative thoughts lead to negative events.
So, why don't we take this in a different direction for a moment?
For a refresher on the concept of our minds creating our own reality, please read my post titled WHO IS THE MASTER WHO MAKES THE GRASS GREEN? Then continue.
Okay, so we understand how our own minds create reality. A reality that ONLY belongs to you. It exists INSIDE your head...not outside of it. Keeping this in mind, consider the following:
"If you can imagine it, you can BE it."
We've heard this since childhood. But perhaps a better way to say it is this: "If you ARE imagining it, you ARE experiencing it." And what is reality besides something one "experiences"?
Okay, so that's cool. But how can I have any affect on the random events that happen to take place from moment to moment? Can I really be expected to control my own mind on THAT level? Well, some new-age thinkers feel that just maybe we can.
Assuming that everyone I've ever come in contact with shares a similar reality to mine, and that my reality is something entirely constructed inside my mind...can I then be removed from everyone else's reality, if I imagine (create) a new reality for myself? Would I suddenly blink out of existence? The conclusion I draw would be that the reality you escaped from would compensate for your absence and remove you from record (memory) so to speak. I don't cease to exist in that reality. Suddenly, I never existed there at all.
Perhaps.
A sigil is something that a lot of people believe has the ability to help us create a new reality for ourselves. The idea is to implant a symbol of whatever it is you "desire" into your subconscious, which will surface to your conscious, thus becoming your reality. How can such a subliminal implant be placed?
Some say this will work:
Think of something that you desire, and write that scenario down as though it were currently true. Example: If my desire is to be happy, then I write the sentence, "I AM HAPPY." I then remove all vowels, as well as any duplicate letters, so that I am left with, "MHP." After that, I get really stoned and "space out" for a while with a pencil and paper. I use the letters "MHP" as elements with which to design a "symbol". This process should never be rushed, and could possibly take hours. The end result doesn't necessarily bear any resemblance to the letters I originally started with, although their presence is implied. I memorize the symbol I have created. Perhaps even get it tattood somewhere that I am bound to look at least once a day (the top of my right hand?).
This symbol acts as a puzzle for my subconscious to solve. Since I took my time creating it, and even enjoyed the process, it is burned into my memory...and some part of me remembers that my symbol evolved from the sentence, "I AM HAPPY." The letters used to write that sentence are nothing more than symbols themselves. We use them to describe our reality. Without them, we'd be no more able to understand our world than an ape.
Most psychologists will tell you that our subconscious is certainly represented in our conscious in ways that we don't always understand.
So suppose that your subconscious uses the symbol you implanted into it to describe reality.
If you are imagining it, you are experiencing it.
Hey, it's worth a shot!
* "This seems evident in everything we've accomplished in such a short amount of time as a species." I don't think enough emphasis is ever put on this. We have been in existence for such an incredibly short amount of time, and we have already come this far. I imagine we would be quite revered by other-worldly civilizations of an equal age. Although I do think those civilizations might form some concerns over some of our social/cultural practices. This even happens on Earth between differing countries. One country may seem very technically advanced yet socially ignorant, whereas another appears technologically inferior yet philosophically sophisticated.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL VIRUS PROTECTION
In keeping with comparing human consciousness to technology: Could it be that culture is merely an operating system? One filled with viruses and an extremely difficult to use interface?
What makes life worth living? The answer, of course, is different between everyone. But I think most people can agree (at least on a conscious level) that the things that make us happy are things that appeal to our sense of aesthetics. Yet monetary success remains the focus of most of our ambitions. If someone discovers that they have a talent for art, often times the next question is one of how to profit from their talents. Of course, this is not always the case.
By use of the human cerebral cortex, we can observe patterns and make predictions of the future based on those patterns. To species who don't have a cerebral cortex (or an otherwise-developed capability of predicting future events), we are making impossible prophecies that couldn't possibly be explained by anything they're able to understand. "Supernatural" wouldn't be an unreasonable term to use, because what is happening is unexplainable based on the available knowledge (knowledge that is comprehend-able to this particular organism).
We owe a lot to our cerebral cortex. It's the only thing that allows us to rule our lives by reason and not by simple survival instinct (which is what the rest of the brain is dedicated to). The cerebral cortex was built on top of this "animal brain".
You might consider things like written language, math, logic, and even art to be different "dimensions" (although not in a literal sense) that we as humans have a unique ability to understand thanks to our cerebral cortex. Other species' simply cannot comprehend such concepts.
And yet...we're the ones killing ourselves. We're the ones who continually manipulate one-another for our own selfish profit that doesn't benefit our ability to survive or reach happiness what-so-ever. We're the ones that, despite the ability to use "mental tools" such as logic & reason, refuse to demand evidence for what is claimed to be true...making us more vulnerable to manipulation.
These are but samples of the buffet of corruption (in the same way that a computer file may become corrupt) present in our current society. Let's go back to thinking of our culture as an operating system. These flaws in the way the operating system works are merely viruses. There are viruses that cause illness in animals, there are computer viruses, and there are social/cultural viruses. In essence, they all do the same thing: Disrupt the intended function of the "program".
So where's the anti-virus software? Well sadly, those of us who are able to recognize such weaknesses in our social structure aren't in a position to remove the source of the problem. What's worse...they're not even an option amongst candidates to choose from. The current people in charge are well-suited to solve social issues of 60 years ago. But it's time for a software up-grade; ours is out-dated. Our current software simply isn't able to detect the flaws in the system.
We can learn a lot from our own creations, I think. You wouldn't use anti-virus software from 5 years ago, would you? We have different KINDS of problems now, but we're still using out-dated problem-solving techniques that don't even address the root(s) of our problems.
It is time to stop relying on politics to create the world we want for ourselves. If this is a country governed by its people, then the people in office are governed by us. We are not governed by them. Each one of us has an extremely powerful brain EVERY BIT as capable of providing solutions to issues as ANYBODY who is currently in charge of ANYTHING.
WE grant the OUR government permission to do what WE tell it to do. Things like how to spend our budget or whether or not we should go to war with a foreign country are decisions that WE ARE LEAVING UP TO SOMEBODY ELSE!!! Sure, you can vote for the politician that you agree with the most...but are three or four options REALLY good enough when NONE of them really fix anything? DEMAND better. If you pay taxes, make SURE you know exactly what YOUR money is being used for. If you don't want to financially support something...you shouldn't have to.
What makes life worth living? The answer, of course, is different between everyone. But I think most people can agree (at least on a conscious level) that the things that make us happy are things that appeal to our sense of aesthetics. Yet monetary success remains the focus of most of our ambitions. If someone discovers that they have a talent for art, often times the next question is one of how to profit from their talents. Of course, this is not always the case.
By use of the human cerebral cortex, we can observe patterns and make predictions of the future based on those patterns. To species who don't have a cerebral cortex (or an otherwise-developed capability of predicting future events), we are making impossible prophecies that couldn't possibly be explained by anything they're able to understand. "Supernatural" wouldn't be an unreasonable term to use, because what is happening is unexplainable based on the available knowledge (knowledge that is comprehend-able to this particular organism).
We owe a lot to our cerebral cortex. It's the only thing that allows us to rule our lives by reason and not by simple survival instinct (which is what the rest of the brain is dedicated to). The cerebral cortex was built on top of this "animal brain".
You might consider things like written language, math, logic, and even art to be different "dimensions" (although not in a literal sense) that we as humans have a unique ability to understand thanks to our cerebral cortex. Other species' simply cannot comprehend such concepts.
And yet...we're the ones killing ourselves. We're the ones who continually manipulate one-another for our own selfish profit that doesn't benefit our ability to survive or reach happiness what-so-ever. We're the ones that, despite the ability to use "mental tools" such as logic & reason, refuse to demand evidence for what is claimed to be true...making us more vulnerable to manipulation.
These are but samples of the buffet of corruption (in the same way that a computer file may become corrupt) present in our current society. Let's go back to thinking of our culture as an operating system. These flaws in the way the operating system works are merely viruses. There are viruses that cause illness in animals, there are computer viruses, and there are social/cultural viruses. In essence, they all do the same thing: Disrupt the intended function of the "program".
So where's the anti-virus software? Well sadly, those of us who are able to recognize such weaknesses in our social structure aren't in a position to remove the source of the problem. What's worse...they're not even an option amongst candidates to choose from. The current people in charge are well-suited to solve social issues of 60 years ago. But it's time for a software up-grade; ours is out-dated. Our current software simply isn't able to detect the flaws in the system.
We can learn a lot from our own creations, I think. You wouldn't use anti-virus software from 5 years ago, would you? We have different KINDS of problems now, but we're still using out-dated problem-solving techniques that don't even address the root(s) of our problems.
It is time to stop relying on politics to create the world we want for ourselves. If this is a country governed by its people, then the people in office are governed by us. We are not governed by them. Each one of us has an extremely powerful brain EVERY BIT as capable of providing solutions to issues as ANYBODY who is currently in charge of ANYTHING.
WE grant the OUR government permission to do what WE tell it to do. Things like how to spend our budget or whether or not we should go to war with a foreign country are decisions that WE ARE LEAVING UP TO SOMEBODY ELSE!!! Sure, you can vote for the politician that you agree with the most...but are three or four options REALLY good enough when NONE of them really fix anything? DEMAND better. If you pay taxes, make SURE you know exactly what YOUR money is being used for. If you don't want to financially support something...you shouldn't have to.
THINKING DIFFERENTLY & LIFE EXPERIENCE
Today I had a conversation with a good friend of mine, and during that conversation at one point she told me about how a friend of hers once helped her through a situation by pointing out things that she (my friend) already knew. Now, take a moment to read that entirely-too-long sentence again, and continue...
Oh silly, you already knew that. Why did you need someone to remind you? But is this really that silly of a thing? I think that most human brains carry more-or-less the same amount of capacity (as in the capacity of a hard-drive) in which to store information. What separates people from one-another is their varying abilities to connect that information in relevant ways. Connecting this information (such as the ringing of a bell being connected to the act of you striking said bell) is something that every human learns how to do ON THEIR OWN. There is no tour guide inside our minds showing us how all this different information is connected. We have to figure it out ourselves. And we never figure it ALL out, but different people are better at forming certain connections than other people, and vice verse, and so on...
So when you're faced with a dilemma that you just don't quite know how to work out, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask a friend for advice. Because chances are they have a different method of connecting the information in their mind than you do, and then can QUITE LITERALLY making you think differently about the situation. Suddenly, the solution seems so clear...but you never could have known without that person showing you a different way to think. And that doesn't mean that person is smarter than you, they've just had a different life-experience than you. That's all.
-------------------------------
Expanding on Life-Experience:
I think a lot of people tend to think of life-experience as being comprised of major life events such as weddings, funerals, births, tragedies, triumphs, etc. But in reality, a lot more of a persons life takes place when major events aren't taking place at all. Life-experience refers to your unique experience from the moment of consciousness to the present. I'm willing to bet that your toy collection and TV played a bigger role in the development of your psyche than your grandfather's funeral did. Or even your high-school graduation. Your mind had already been developed by that point. You were an adult (by scientific standards).
Just something to keep in mind if you ever find yourself doing something like...say...raise a kid? It's the mundane, boring, every-day that takes up the majority of this person's life. How this time is spent is going to determine what KIND of person this child is going to be.
Of course, I don't have a child. So I'm no expert. But this is just common sense. And yet TV is still the world's greatest babysitter. Parents neglect to give their children the attention and support they crave due to a long day at work. And you can't really even blame the parents entirely, can you? I mean, a long day at work DOES suck. So the employer is partially to blame, isn't it? Yeah sure, why not? But does the blame stop there?
Not even close. Employers have numbers to hit and deadlines to meet. If they don't perform to those standards, then they get beaten out of the free market by a business who WILL.
I know I know I know...it sounds like I'm blaming capitalism. But actually, no. Not at all. I love the free market. You can blame capitalism for all sorts of social problems, and sure, it does deserve it's fair share of blame. But the only blame capitalism deserves is for taking advantage of result of a MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. If that problem didn't exist, capitalism wouldn't even have the temptation of corruption.
The problem is our monetary system. There is no limit as to how much money can potentially be in circulation. There is no limit to how many dollars can BE SPENT in one day in America. Our money comes from a Xerox machine. We just make as much as we want.
Has anybody ever read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series? Which one was it where the beings from another part of the galaxy were exiled into space, and they happened to find Earth? Do you remember? Well, these people are buffoons. They crash land on Earth in some jungle, and start using leaves as currency. Of course this was hilarious. And Douglas Adams was an extremely hilarious author.
And yet...our money literally DOES grow on trees. We were taken off the gold standard in the 70s. All of the REAL money was sealed in Ft. Knox and heavily protected, to ensure that the only actual capital (aka "actual money") was never compromised (aka "put in danger's way").
Man...I sure hope our money's still in there. How long has it been since somebody's double checked?
Anybody know?
Oh silly, you already knew that. Why did you need someone to remind you? But is this really that silly of a thing? I think that most human brains carry more-or-less the same amount of capacity (as in the capacity of a hard-drive) in which to store information. What separates people from one-another is their varying abilities to connect that information in relevant ways. Connecting this information (such as the ringing of a bell being connected to the act of you striking said bell) is something that every human learns how to do ON THEIR OWN. There is no tour guide inside our minds showing us how all this different information is connected. We have to figure it out ourselves. And we never figure it ALL out, but different people are better at forming certain connections than other people, and vice verse, and so on...
So when you're faced with a dilemma that you just don't quite know how to work out, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask a friend for advice. Because chances are they have a different method of connecting the information in their mind than you do, and then can QUITE LITERALLY making you think differently about the situation. Suddenly, the solution seems so clear...but you never could have known without that person showing you a different way to think. And that doesn't mean that person is smarter than you, they've just had a different life-experience than you. That's all.
-------------------------------
Expanding on Life-Experience:
I think a lot of people tend to think of life-experience as being comprised of major life events such as weddings, funerals, births, tragedies, triumphs, etc. But in reality, a lot more of a persons life takes place when major events aren't taking place at all. Life-experience refers to your unique experience from the moment of consciousness to the present. I'm willing to bet that your toy collection and TV played a bigger role in the development of your psyche than your grandfather's funeral did. Or even your high-school graduation. Your mind had already been developed by that point. You were an adult (by scientific standards).
Just something to keep in mind if you ever find yourself doing something like...say...raise a kid? It's the mundane, boring, every-day that takes up the majority of this person's life. How this time is spent is going to determine what KIND of person this child is going to be.
Of course, I don't have a child. So I'm no expert. But this is just common sense. And yet TV is still the world's greatest babysitter. Parents neglect to give their children the attention and support they crave due to a long day at work. And you can't really even blame the parents entirely, can you? I mean, a long day at work DOES suck. So the employer is partially to blame, isn't it? Yeah sure, why not? But does the blame stop there?
Not even close. Employers have numbers to hit and deadlines to meet. If they don't perform to those standards, then they get beaten out of the free market by a business who WILL.
I know I know I know...it sounds like I'm blaming capitalism. But actually, no. Not at all. I love the free market. You can blame capitalism for all sorts of social problems, and sure, it does deserve it's fair share of blame. But the only blame capitalism deserves is for taking advantage of result of a MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. If that problem didn't exist, capitalism wouldn't even have the temptation of corruption.
The problem is our monetary system. There is no limit as to how much money can potentially be in circulation. There is no limit to how many dollars can BE SPENT in one day in America. Our money comes from a Xerox machine. We just make as much as we want.
Has anybody ever read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series? Which one was it where the beings from another part of the galaxy were exiled into space, and they happened to find Earth? Do you remember? Well, these people are buffoons. They crash land on Earth in some jungle, and start using leaves as currency. Of course this was hilarious. And Douglas Adams was an extremely hilarious author.
And yet...our money literally DOES grow on trees. We were taken off the gold standard in the 70s. All of the REAL money was sealed in Ft. Knox and heavily protected, to ensure that the only actual capital (aka "actual money") was never compromised (aka "put in danger's way").
Man...I sure hope our money's still in there. How long has it been since somebody's double checked?
Anybody know?
WHO IS THE MASTER WHO MAKES THE GRASS GREEN?
My last post contained this sentence: "We know we're right, but can we blame them for being ignorant?"
I don't think I put enough emphasis on this.
Think about this: do you think a deep sea creature realizes that there is a WORLD of information they know nothing about? I doubt it. Thoughts that complexes most likely don't even enter into their minds. They are simply surviving. We as humans, on the other hand, carry the burden of this giant brain of ours. We have the capacity to answer SO MANY THINGS...and we think that the universe MUST be comprehensible to our minds.
Much like our lives are far too complex for a fish to understand, the universe is much too complex for us to understand.
Reality is something that exists whether you're here or not. But the reality YOU PERCEIVE only exists if YOU exist. And what is reality without perception? The age-old question about the tree in the woods. It still baffles me.
Robert Anton Wilson talks about our connection with the world around us. About how difficult it seems to reach this state of "nirvana", when you suddenly are aware of your "one-ness" with the world around you. But really, we are engaging in this one-ness at ALL TIMES. He talks about the Buddhist search for the "Master who makes the grass green". When you realize that without the grass, there would be no green...and also without YOUR EYES, there would be no green, then it becomes quite a bit easier. You see, the green-ness is a "transaction" between you and the grass. The moment you close your eyes, the green goes away...even though you and the grass both still exist. And that's just ONE FACET of ONE SENSE that we have.
Here's the truth: the grass isn't green at all. The grass simply IS. "Green" is something WE GIVE IT. And who knows what green really is? What if I stole your eyeballs and substituted them for my own, and suddenly I realized that through YOUR eyes, things that look green to me now look pink? How could we ever know without making such an exchange? We know that dogs don't see pigments the way humans do. But does one human eye see exactly what another human eye sees?
We use all kinds of instruments to perceive. But perhaps the most over-looked is the instrument of oneself. You can't describe the world around you without FIRST describing the instrument used to examine the data. Well, you are the instrument. And reality only exists because you are creating it with your own mind, using data that you input into your brain through these channels, or "senses". Our brain processes all this information in a very complex, yet instant, way...and when it's done, the result is the world around you. Uniquely yours and nobody else's.
This isn't to demean human existence into a mathematical formula, or a series of chemical reactions. Quite the contrary. I think this realization makes the universe a lot more interesting and full of wonder than is even possible to imagine. I think that if the general population simply went about their lives with this understanding in their minds, society would gradually move in the direction of an enlightened public...without much coercive action.
This is what I hope, anyway.
I don't think I put enough emphasis on this.
Think about this: do you think a deep sea creature realizes that there is a WORLD of information they know nothing about? I doubt it. Thoughts that complexes most likely don't even enter into their minds. They are simply surviving. We as humans, on the other hand, carry the burden of this giant brain of ours. We have the capacity to answer SO MANY THINGS...and we think that the universe MUST be comprehensible to our minds.
Much like our lives are far too complex for a fish to understand, the universe is much too complex for us to understand.
Reality is something that exists whether you're here or not. But the reality YOU PERCEIVE only exists if YOU exist. And what is reality without perception? The age-old question about the tree in the woods. It still baffles me.
Robert Anton Wilson talks about our connection with the world around us. About how difficult it seems to reach this state of "nirvana", when you suddenly are aware of your "one-ness" with the world around you. But really, we are engaging in this one-ness at ALL TIMES. He talks about the Buddhist search for the "Master who makes the grass green". When you realize that without the grass, there would be no green...and also without YOUR EYES, there would be no green, then it becomes quite a bit easier. You see, the green-ness is a "transaction" between you and the grass. The moment you close your eyes, the green goes away...even though you and the grass both still exist. And that's just ONE FACET of ONE SENSE that we have.
Here's the truth: the grass isn't green at all. The grass simply IS. "Green" is something WE GIVE IT. And who knows what green really is? What if I stole your eyeballs and substituted them for my own, and suddenly I realized that through YOUR eyes, things that look green to me now look pink? How could we ever know without making such an exchange? We know that dogs don't see pigments the way humans do. But does one human eye see exactly what another human eye sees?
We use all kinds of instruments to perceive. But perhaps the most over-looked is the instrument of oneself. You can't describe the world around you without FIRST describing the instrument used to examine the data. Well, you are the instrument. And reality only exists because you are creating it with your own mind, using data that you input into your brain through these channels, or "senses". Our brain processes all this information in a very complex, yet instant, way...and when it's done, the result is the world around you. Uniquely yours and nobody else's.
This isn't to demean human existence into a mathematical formula, or a series of chemical reactions. Quite the contrary. I think this realization makes the universe a lot more interesting and full of wonder than is even possible to imagine. I think that if the general population simply went about their lives with this understanding in their minds, society would gradually move in the direction of an enlightened public...without much coercive action.
This is what I hope, anyway.
PREPARING THE MIND TO BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE
In the deap sea, far beyond the depths that even light from the sun can penetrate, exist creatures without eyes. They exist in a world where you do not “see” things. If these creatures had a language, the word “see” would not exist at all because it is not a concept that they would have any ability at all to grasp. So how do they perceive the world around them? Well they use what they have. They don’t “wish” they had eyes…because first, someone would have to explain to them what eyes were. And to explain that, you’d first have to (try to) explain what “sight” is. What it means to actually see something. These creatures would probably be pretty confused. They wouldn’t have any idea what you’re talking about, and they’d probably end up getting pretty bored/annoyed and say, “There’s no proof that such a thing exists, as far as I can tell.”
But obviously, we know better.
So, we know about the sense of sight. We know that sight is something that can be used to perceive the world around us, and the tools necessary in order to HAVE sight are something we call Eyes.
Let’s pretend that there is a TRUE 6th sense. Let’s call it the sense of “gnoosh” (just a word I made up). Gnoosh is something that can be used to perceive the world around us. And let’s say that the tools necessary to HAVE gnoosh is something called a “gnoosher”. So, obviously, you don’t have a gnoosher, so you don’t have gnoosh. But suppose somebody DID have a gnoosher, and they were trying to explain to you what gnooshing was…? How would they describe it in terms you can understand? Much like our inability to describe to creatures of the deep sea what it means to see something.
The problem, of course, is that we could prove to a deep sea creature that what we say is true. We could point out that we can judge distance without having to actually move that distance. We could have 3 sea creatures line up in a row, and point out which was on the left, center, and right of the group. So many tests could be conducted. So many, in fact, that I think at some point the sea creatures would have no CHOICE but to admit that although they are unable to understand it, such a thing as sight DOES exist. The ones who are unwilling to admit it, you would just understand them to be ignorant or unwilling to accept what is obviously true.
Yet another problem…we don’t know how to communicate with creatures of the deep sea. In order to explain to them the concept of sight, you’d first have to teach them your language. In order to teach them our language, you would have to give them the capacity to understand spoken language. In order to give them that understanding, you would have to alter their brain…give them the necessary components to form THOSE kinds of thoughts. They’d be trying to communicate with us too. Using things like sonar and pheromones. And of course, we wouldn’t be able to make any sense of it…because we don’t communicate that way (not consciously anyway).
So, now we’re really getting to the heart of the problem, aren’t we? How can we even worry about the problem of deep sea creatures not understanding the concept of sight until we solve the problem of us and them being able to communicate? We know we’re right, but can we BLAME them for being ignorant?
Can you imagine getting into an argument with an angler fish about the existence of the sense of sight? How stupid would it be to argue with an animal of the deep sea that sight DOES exist…when the creature doesn’t even know what you’re saying, or even that you’re “saying” anything at all. My bet is that you’d look pretty silly.
So what’s the point already? Well, the point I’m making is that if you’re going to argue about something, sometimes it is necessary to PREPARE the person with which you are arguing with the necessary information and cognitive skills to take part in the conversation.
An example: If you want to convince somebody that there is a God, you first need to prepare that person by giving them the CAPACITY to believe in such a thing. How do you do that? The best way would probably be classical conditioning. I suppose you’d have to start at childhood…right when a person is old enough to understand spoken words. You could tell the child that somewhere in the world there exists this incredibly generous and happy old man who lives in a fantastical winter wonderland where he employs magical elves who make everything you could ever want. Just believe this is true, wish for whatever you want, and he’ll have one of his magic elves make it especially for you…and he’ll even hand deliver it.
Repeat this year after year, as necessary. Almost every child falls for this. Why wouldn’t they? All you have to do is believe in this guy, and you get whatever you want. Pretty sweet deal. The funny thing is…the gifts themselves are reinforcement. If another child says, “proove there is a Santa Clause”, you could reply, “This present is my proof. It even says ‘from Santa’ on it.” Honestly…that’s fairly rock-solid evidence, is it not? But of course, the evidence had been planted, hadn’t it? Santa was set up. And by the time the child realizes this, it’s too late. Their mind has been perfectly conditioned to believe in something that simply isn’t true without any desire to question the validity of what they’re told. Just believe it, and good things will happen.
Can you imagine how much poison a mind like that could soak up? How many things a mind like that has the ability to believe…without any regard to reality. And then we send these minds through the “process” of public schools. Basically programming them to perform their future tasks. Which is what? To perpetuate this? This life that we’ve created for ourselves?
Do you think that things work like this on accident?
Did I just equate God to Santa Clause?
Well I’m definitely not the first one. And we certainly have more evidence of Santa Clause. I have personally seen his signature, as well as gifts that my Mother assured me we could not afford, and an empty plate that used to have cookies on it. Despite all of that, I know Santa isn’t real.
————————–————————–——-
Okay, so that was a fun mental journey, was it not?
How about this:
Deep-sea explorers have found “lakes” on the ocean floor. Pools of liquid more dense than water that form yet another ocean. Compared to the consistency of this pools of liquid, water feels like air. Creatures live in this liquid and it changes how biologists understand what “life” is made of.*
————————–————————–——–
The point I’m making here is that we learn stuff ALL THE TIME. We are constantly learning that we were wrong about something in the past and now we know better (Example: We now know that Pluto isn’t “technically” a planet by our definition of the word).
We should really guard against being like the deep sea creatures. There are things that we are simply incapable of understanding…but that doesn’t mean we should close our eyes to evidence of those things. If somebody who has a gnoosher proves to me through a series of tests that gnooshing is real, in terms that I (not having a gnoosher) can understand (within the realm of touching, tasting, seeing, hearing, and smelling), then surely I would have to admit that they’re right…right?
And that’s really what we’re doing, as human beings. There is this insanely chaotic universe around us that is impossible to understand. We’re taking what we are able to perceive through our senses and ability to think, and creating a reality based on that information. What else can we do? We know that there are things that we don’t understand. We don’t have to understand them…but we can’t deny that they’re there when there is substantial evidence (for instance: I have no clue how radio waves work…but my radio works, so I assume that the radio waves are there…despite my ability to perceive them [maybe if I had a gnoosher?]).
If you think about it, what reason would a deep sea creature have for not believing what we’re saying is true when there is a ton of evidence supporting it? Any reason they could come up with, we would just dismiss as irrelevant because we KNOW we’re right. Sight DOES exist. Those deep sea creatures are just stupid.
Perhaps that was mean. I apologize.
Are you a deep sea creature?
But obviously, we know better.
So, we know about the sense of sight. We know that sight is something that can be used to perceive the world around us, and the tools necessary in order to HAVE sight are something we call Eyes.
Let’s pretend that there is a TRUE 6th sense. Let’s call it the sense of “gnoosh” (just a word I made up). Gnoosh is something that can be used to perceive the world around us. And let’s say that the tools necessary to HAVE gnoosh is something called a “gnoosher”. So, obviously, you don’t have a gnoosher, so you don’t have gnoosh. But suppose somebody DID have a gnoosher, and they were trying to explain to you what gnooshing was…? How would they describe it in terms you can understand? Much like our inability to describe to creatures of the deep sea what it means to see something.
The problem, of course, is that we could prove to a deep sea creature that what we say is true. We could point out that we can judge distance without having to actually move that distance. We could have 3 sea creatures line up in a row, and point out which was on the left, center, and right of the group. So many tests could be conducted. So many, in fact, that I think at some point the sea creatures would have no CHOICE but to admit that although they are unable to understand it, such a thing as sight DOES exist. The ones who are unwilling to admit it, you would just understand them to be ignorant or unwilling to accept what is obviously true.
Yet another problem…we don’t know how to communicate with creatures of the deep sea. In order to explain to them the concept of sight, you’d first have to teach them your language. In order to teach them our language, you would have to give them the capacity to understand spoken language. In order to give them that understanding, you would have to alter their brain…give them the necessary components to form THOSE kinds of thoughts. They’d be trying to communicate with us too. Using things like sonar and pheromones. And of course, we wouldn’t be able to make any sense of it…because we don’t communicate that way (not consciously anyway).
So, now we’re really getting to the heart of the problem, aren’t we? How can we even worry about the problem of deep sea creatures not understanding the concept of sight until we solve the problem of us and them being able to communicate? We know we’re right, but can we BLAME them for being ignorant?
Can you imagine getting into an argument with an angler fish about the existence of the sense of sight? How stupid would it be to argue with an animal of the deep sea that sight DOES exist…when the creature doesn’t even know what you’re saying, or even that you’re “saying” anything at all. My bet is that you’d look pretty silly.
So what’s the point already? Well, the point I’m making is that if you’re going to argue about something, sometimes it is necessary to PREPARE the person with which you are arguing with the necessary information and cognitive skills to take part in the conversation.
An example: If you want to convince somebody that there is a God, you first need to prepare that person by giving them the CAPACITY to believe in such a thing. How do you do that? The best way would probably be classical conditioning. I suppose you’d have to start at childhood…right when a person is old enough to understand spoken words. You could tell the child that somewhere in the world there exists this incredibly generous and happy old man who lives in a fantastical winter wonderland where he employs magical elves who make everything you could ever want. Just believe this is true, wish for whatever you want, and he’ll have one of his magic elves make it especially for you…and he’ll even hand deliver it.
Repeat this year after year, as necessary. Almost every child falls for this. Why wouldn’t they? All you have to do is believe in this guy, and you get whatever you want. Pretty sweet deal. The funny thing is…the gifts themselves are reinforcement. If another child says, “proove there is a Santa Clause”, you could reply, “This present is my proof. It even says ‘from Santa’ on it.” Honestly…that’s fairly rock-solid evidence, is it not? But of course, the evidence had been planted, hadn’t it? Santa was set up. And by the time the child realizes this, it’s too late. Their mind has been perfectly conditioned to believe in something that simply isn’t true without any desire to question the validity of what they’re told. Just believe it, and good things will happen.
Can you imagine how much poison a mind like that could soak up? How many things a mind like that has the ability to believe…without any regard to reality. And then we send these minds through the “process” of public schools. Basically programming them to perform their future tasks. Which is what? To perpetuate this? This life that we’ve created for ourselves?
Do you think that things work like this on accident?
Did I just equate God to Santa Clause?
Well I’m definitely not the first one. And we certainly have more evidence of Santa Clause. I have personally seen his signature, as well as gifts that my Mother assured me we could not afford, and an empty plate that used to have cookies on it. Despite all of that, I know Santa isn’t real.
————————–————————–——-
Okay, so that was a fun mental journey, was it not?
How about this:
Deep-sea explorers have found “lakes” on the ocean floor. Pools of liquid more dense than water that form yet another ocean. Compared to the consistency of this pools of liquid, water feels like air. Creatures live in this liquid and it changes how biologists understand what “life” is made of.*
————————–————————–——–
The point I’m making here is that we learn stuff ALL THE TIME. We are constantly learning that we were wrong about something in the past and now we know better (Example: We now know that Pluto isn’t “technically” a planet by our definition of the word).
We should really guard against being like the deep sea creatures. There are things that we are simply incapable of understanding…but that doesn’t mean we should close our eyes to evidence of those things. If somebody who has a gnoosher proves to me through a series of tests that gnooshing is real, in terms that I (not having a gnoosher) can understand (within the realm of touching, tasting, seeing, hearing, and smelling), then surely I would have to admit that they’re right…right?
And that’s really what we’re doing, as human beings. There is this insanely chaotic universe around us that is impossible to understand. We’re taking what we are able to perceive through our senses and ability to think, and creating a reality based on that information. What else can we do? We know that there are things that we don’t understand. We don’t have to understand them…but we can’t deny that they’re there when there is substantial evidence (for instance: I have no clue how radio waves work…but my radio works, so I assume that the radio waves are there…despite my ability to perceive them [maybe if I had a gnoosher?]).
If you think about it, what reason would a deep sea creature have for not believing what we’re saying is true when there is a ton of evidence supporting it? Any reason they could come up with, we would just dismiss as irrelevant because we KNOW we’re right. Sight DOES exist. Those deep sea creatures are just stupid.
Perhaps that was mean. I apologize.
Are you a deep sea creature?
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