On 05/13/2013 12:58 PM, Xenophaneros Anartaxius wrote: > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu <noozguru@...> wrote: >> On 05/13/2013 11:50 AM, Xenophaneros Anartaxius wrote: >>> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: >>>> If anyone has wondered why I've been fairly silent this >>>> week, it's because I've been suffering from Eyeroll >>>> Overload. I mean, we've had people spouting supposedly >>>> scientific theories to justify their homophobia, and >>>> other people spouting supposedly scientific research to >>>> justify their unfounded elitism about TM, and others >>>> just spouting nonsense about aliens, Buddhism, Hare >>>> Krishna, and other subjects they know nothing about. >>>> >>>> While I may admire Xeno's tenacity in actually trying >>>> to engage Nabby over the ludicrousnessitude of Benny >>>> Creme, I just don't have the energy. I also don't have >>>> the energy to deal with people spouting stuff they've >>>> been told about other techniques of meditation *that >>>> they have never learned, never practiced, and obviously >>>> know nothing about* simply because MMY or some initiator >>>> he taught to parrot him or some researcher who *also* >>>> never learned the techniques told it to them. >>>> >>>> My eyes hurt from all the eyerolling. Let Xeno and >>>> Michael and Salyavin and whoever else try to deal with >>>> this stuff if they want. From my point of view, some >>>> levels of ignorance are just too ingrained and too >>>> well-established to even bother trying to dispel. >>>> >>> I was traveling yesterday and stopped at a MacDonald's to get some >>> coffee. Very strong and bitter - Newman's Own Organics so they said. I >>> did not sleep a wink last night. After getting home, I mostly meditated >>> (various techniques or just sitting quietly) until dawn. Maybe it was a >>> caffeine overload. There is a certain joy in taking on nonsense, if it >>> is not a steady diet. The amount of nonsense in the world is so >>> staggering though, you have to be very uptight about it to constantly >>> try to battle with it. >> Keep some cardamom seeds on hand and suck on one when you get a caffeine >> overload. Cardamom is an antidote for caffeine. Oh, that's some >> ayurveda though so it must be metaphysical. :-D > Not necessarily. If in fact it is the case that cardamom can have this > effect, the effect is independent of ayurvedic mythology. The ayurvedic > system is an attempt to explain certain facts and predict the results of > those explanations. Since we are dealing with medicinal effects, the truth or > falsity of those predicted effects could in principle be tested. Even if the > system is metaphysical at one level of its explanation, factual information > derived from the mythology can be tested. The method of science is to do this > testing. There is actually a lot of psychological resistance to having one's > theory proved wrong. Even scientists grapple with this. But in religion the > resistance has incredible endurance, people will go to > amazing lengths to keep a belief intact. > > I have such beliefs. I believe that at Earth atmospheric pressure of 1.0, H20 > boils at 100 degrees C. But I can in principle at least approximately test > this hypothesis everyday. > > Now here is a poem by Cleanthes (331-232 B.C.) He was a student of Zeno the > Stoic. (note Zeno is a name that does not seem to have any other meaning than > it's a name. My name, Xenophaneros means Xeno: alien or stranger and > phaneros: visible or manifest. How I got that name is a mystery. Could I be > from... Outer Space? My mother thought so. > > The following is mythological. It does not deal with facts, it deals with > subjective experience, what in Windows computer lingo would be called > 'sysinternals'. To my mind this sort of thing is not metaphysical - the > process that we label the ego would like it to be metaphysical, so that in > invoking such language the ego can parade upon the illusion of grandiosity by > association. It is a story that gets us, if we are inclined to rummage around > in our experience, to more consciously notice what is there. This poem is no > different than what the Hindus or the Christians do with their similarly > flowery language, and as far as I am concerned, has the same import. With > unity you cannot say in any seriousness that there is a physical and > non-physical since these aspects of experience are amalgamated, so throughly > mixed together that they cannot be separated, there is just experience > period. If you are imaginative you can deal with this poetically or > mythologically, and if you are more the earth-bound type, you can express it > physically as in science. But either way you are just creating a point of > view about the same phenomenon. > > HYMN TO ZEUS > Most glorious of the immortals, invoked by many names, ever all-powerful, > Zeus, the First Cause of Nature, who rules all things with Law, > Hail! It is right for mortals to call upon you, > since from you we have our being, we whose lot it is to be God's image, > we alone of all mortal creatures that live and move upon the earth. > Accordingly, I will praise you with my hymn and ever sing of your might. > The whole universe, spinning around the earth, > goes wherever you lead it and is willingly guided by you. > So great is the servant which you hold in your invincible hands, > your eternal, two-edged, lightning-forked thunderbolt. > By its strokes all the works of nature came to be established, > and with it you guide the universal Word of Reason which moves through all > creation, > mingling with the great sun and the small stars. > O God, without you nothing comes to be on earth, > neither in the region of the heavenly poles, nor in the sea, > except what evil men do in their folly. > But you know how to make extraordinary things suitable, > and how to bring order forth from chaos; and even that which is unlovely is > lovely to you. > For thus you have joined all things, the good with the bad, into one, > so that the eternal Word of all came to be one. > This Word, however, evil mortals flee, poor wretches; > though they are desirous of good things for their possession, > they neither see nor listen to God's universal Law; > and yet, if they obey it intelligently, they would have the good life. > But they are senselessly driven to one evil after another: > some are eager for fame, no matter how godlessly it is acquired; > others are set on making money without any orderly principles in their lives; > and others are bent on ease and on the pleasures and delights of the body. > They do these foolish things, time and again, > and are swept along, eagerly defeating all they really wish for. > O Zeus, giver of all, shrouded in dark clouds and holding the vivid bright > lightning, > rescue men from painful ignorance. > Scatter that ignorance far from their hearts. > and deign to rule all things in justice. > so that, honored in this way, we may render honor to you in return, > and sing your deeds unceasingly, as befits mortals; > for there is no greater glory for men > or for gods than to justly praise the universal Word of Reason. > By the way I do like cardamom. Maybe I will try this, though some references > on the web indicate cardamom is a mild stimulant by way of a chemical called > cineole which stimulates the central nervous system. So perhaps because it is > pleasantly fragrant, there is a placebo effect if you believe it is going to > calm you down if taken with coffee. Maybe it actually, under double-blind > conditions will make it worse! > > 'Related to its claim as a stimulant, Ancient Romans, Greeks, Arabs and > Egyptians touted cardamom’s aphrodisiac powers. The spice was incorporated > into love potions and mentioned in the Arabian Nights. Some Eastern cultures > still regard cardamom as a defense against impotence.' > >
You take stuff way too seriously. I was kidding you based on what you said the other day. Indeed I have experienced cardamom diminishing the effect of caffeine and a bunch of us where I worked kept it around to tone down any extra caffeination. I don't think it's placebo, it's a chemical reaction. And actually we we're using it that way to begin with but more as an after dinner thing which Dr. Robert Svoboda had mentioned on one of his workshops I attended. I noticed later in a list of antidotes that it is good for caffeine. ------------------------------------ To subscribe, send a message to: fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: fairfieldlife-dig...@yahoogroups.com fairfieldlife-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: fairfieldlife-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
