So you're proposing the use of astrology as a kind of trigger for the placebo
effect? That's an interesting idea, and it casts astrology more in the category
of Dumbo's feather ("You can fly if you hold this magic feather in your trunk")
than as an actual predictive device. The astrologer is planting subconscious
suggestions that the client then acts upon subconsciously, creating a
self-fulfilling prophecy.
There are actually people doing research -- in a medical context -- into how to
"aim" the placebo effect and use it to better control the reactions patients
have to a placebo. The researchers already know that a certain (high)
percentage of people already are more susceptible to the placebo effect, and
have found ways to detect those people. Thus the new experiments have to do
with trying different ways of presenting or describing the placebos to make
them work better. Which is pretty amazing stuff if you think about it, because
they don't "work" in the first place -- we do. By believing in the placebo, we
do something with our brains that causes the predicted results to take place.
No one in medicine fully understands the placebo effect, but its effects cannot
be denied, so now they are literally working to find ways to harness them.
The astrology scenario you suggest sound similar in intent IMO, but more
dangerous. For astrology to have a consistently positive benefit as a tool for
creating longer marriages, someone has to be trusted to know when to "predict"
a happy marriage, and when not to. For example, if the astrologer predicts a
long, happy, and in fact cosmically-blessed-by-the-gods marriage to a woman who
then proceeds to be beaten nearly every day for 30 years by her abusive
husband, has the astrologer really done this woman a service? The very measure
he (in my scenario) was using as a measure of "good marriage" was "long
marriage." But that's not valid. Long marriage to a wife beater is a form of
Hell, not a good marriage.
From: "[email protected] [FairfieldLife]"
<[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, March 7, 2015 1:28 AM
Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Maybe this is why things get so screwed up?
.
Another area in which I think astrology could be useful is this . . .
It's a commonplace amongst psychotherapists that the Unconscious is more
powerful (Freudians) and wiser (Jungians) than the surface ego. Is that true? I
have no idea, but let's assume it is true.
The question then becomes how do we communicate with our unconscious. The
tricky issue is that words/language are how the surface self communicates with
both itself in inner dialogue and with others; the deeper self uses imagery.
So how do we interpret the images arising from the unconscious. We could go to
an "expert" - an analyst say. But it's always struck me that these occult types
who immerse themselves in kabbalistic correspondences; and Tarot attributions,
and astrology are really training themselves to say to their deeper selves: "in
dreams [or whatever technique they utilise] please get into the habit of using
this imagery that I can relate to and make sense of."
Once again, the truth or falsity of astrology is irrelevant; astrology just
helps provide an "arbitrary vocabulary" (any more arbitrary than French or
German?) for the unconscious to use. If that is an aid to self-understanding
doesn't that justify the use of astrology? In this admittedly limited
application there's nothing irrational or illogical about it.
#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022 -- #yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp {border:1px solid
#d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;margin:10px 0;padding:0 10px;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp hr {border:1px solid #d8d8d8;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp #yiv4516697022hd
{color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:700;line-height:122%;margin:10px
0;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp #yiv4516697022ads
{margin-bottom:10px;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp .yiv4516697022ad
{padding:0 0;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp .yiv4516697022ad p
{margin:0;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mkp .yiv4516697022ad a
{color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-sponsor
#yiv4516697022ygrp-lc {font-family:Arial;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-sponsor #yiv4516697022ygrp-lc #yiv4516697022hd {margin:10px
0px;font-weight:700;font-size:78%;line-height:122%;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-sponsor #yiv4516697022ygrp-lc .yiv4516697022ad
{margin-bottom:10px;padding:0 0;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022actions
{font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;padding:10px 0;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022activity
{background-color:#e0ecee;float:left;font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;padding:10px;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022activity span {font-weight:700;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022activity span:first-child
{text-transform:uppercase;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022activity span a
{color:#5085b6;text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022activity span
span {color:#ff7900;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022activity span
.yiv4516697022underline {text-decoration:underline;}#yiv4516697022
.yiv4516697022attach
{clear:both;display:table;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;padding:10px
0;width:400px;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022attach div a
{text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022attach img
{border:none;padding-right:5px;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022attach label
{display:block;margin-bottom:5px;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022attach label a
{text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 blockquote {margin:0 0 0
4px;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022bold
{font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;}#yiv4516697022
.yiv4516697022bold a {text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 dd.yiv4516697022last
p a {font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}#yiv4516697022 dd.yiv4516697022last p
span {margin-right:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}#yiv4516697022
dd.yiv4516697022last p span.yiv4516697022yshortcuts
{margin-right:0;}#yiv4516697022 div.yiv4516697022attach-table div div a
{text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 div.yiv4516697022attach-table
{width:400px;}#yiv4516697022 div.yiv4516697022file-title a, #yiv4516697022
div.yiv4516697022file-title a:active, #yiv4516697022
div.yiv4516697022file-title a:hover, #yiv4516697022 div.yiv4516697022file-title
a:visited {text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022 div.yiv4516697022photo-title a,
#yiv4516697022 div.yiv4516697022photo-title a:active, #yiv4516697022
div.yiv4516697022photo-title a:hover, #yiv4516697022
div.yiv4516697022photo-title a:visited {text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022
div#yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg #yiv4516697022ygrp-msg p a
span.yiv4516697022yshortcuts
{font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;font-weight:normal;}#yiv4516697022
.yiv4516697022green {color:#628c2a;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022MsoNormal
{margin:0 0 0 0;}#yiv4516697022 o {font-size:0;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022photos div {float:left;width:72px;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022photos div div {border:1px solid
#666666;height:62px;overflow:hidden;width:62px;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022photos div label
{color:#666666;font-size:10px;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;width:64px;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022reco-category {font-size:77%;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022reco-desc {font-size:77%;}#yiv4516697022 .yiv4516697022replbq
{margin:4px;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-actbar div a:first-child
{margin-right:2px;padding-right:5px;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg
{font-size:13px;font-family:Arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg table {font-size:inherit;font:100%;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg select, #yiv4516697022 input, #yiv4516697022 textarea
{font:99% Arial, Helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg pre, #yiv4516697022 code {font:115%
monospace;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg *
{line-height:1.22em;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-mlmsg #yiv4516697022logo
{padding-bottom:10px;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-msg p a
{font-family:Verdana;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-msg
p#yiv4516697022attach-count span {color:#1E66AE;font-weight:700;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-reco #yiv4516697022reco-head
{color:#ff7900;font-weight:700;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-reco
{margin-bottom:20px;padding:0px;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-sponsor
#yiv4516697022ov li a {font-size:130%;text-decoration:none;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-sponsor #yiv4516697022ov li
{font-size:77%;list-style-type:square;padding:6px 0;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-sponsor #yiv4516697022ov ul {margin:0;padding:0 0 0
8px;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-text
{font-family:Georgia;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-text p {margin:0 0 1em
0;}#yiv4516697022 #yiv4516697022ygrp-text tt {font-size:120%;}#yiv4516697022
#yiv4516697022ygrp-vital ul li:last-child {border-right:none
!important;}#yiv4516697022
