From: "Santosh Helekar" <[email protected]>
Fr. Ivo wrote:
Religion has a scientific basis in universe and human being. This is >what
Dr.Santosh will not be able to understand...
I explain below exactly how Fr. Ivo raises the scientific illiteracy of
Goanetters who are unfortunate enough to read his posts in this thread.
***It is so disgusting to read Dr.Santosh harping on the same note of
harmful scientism. He is only confirming what I said about his pedantry and
illiteracy. Our human existence cannot be reduced to scientific verification
alone. It is much more than that. Religion is born with humankind. Questions
on origins of universe and humankind are religious and scientific. Religion
is in the heart of man, it is a deep human dimension. Religiosity is
attested by observation and confirmed by experimentation. History records
it.
The absurdity in this statement becomes apparent when one asks the
question "Which religion?"
***This is itself absurd. The question is not "Which religion?", but the
need to answer the deep existential needs. Religion basically is the
relationship with the Absolute, whatever may be the modality of the answer.
This book is not "religious" or "philosophical". It is scientific. It is
based on neuroscientific experiments. I can challenge Dr.Santosh on this
point.
***Dr. Mario Beauregard is a professional neuroscientist. His books have
been peer-reviewed and internationally accepted. His authority is being
accepted everywhere. His authority lies in the experiments and the solutions
that he is trying to give to the phenomenon of healthy mystical experiences
and the problem of consciousness.
I would say that the best preparation for the challenge would be to read
a high school textbook on science.
***I do not need to read any "high school textbook on science". It is enough
the preparation that I have to see how absurd the statements of Dr.Santosh
are. On the contrary, Dr.Santosh needs to give a holiday to neuroscience and
study all other sciences, including history, anthropology, philosophy,
theology, so as to have a holistic, interdisciplinary approach.
"I do not doubt in principle that a contemplative might contact a reality
outside herself during a mystical experience."
***From the experiments conducted by Dr.Mario Beauregard it is clear that
(1) religious experiences were
normal types of experiences, not aberrations that suggested a pathology and
that (2) the mental states involved
were unusual; and (3)most mental processes are mediated. The religious,
spiritual experiences are mediated, not created by the brain.
This is enough for us to accept the reality of the processes.
The point that Dr.Mario makes is that the mystical experiences are
created by a reality outside the brain.
This is a great example of an unscientific claim because it cannot be
verified or falsified by a scientific observation or experiment. The
supernatural reality outside the brain cannot be objectively detected or
measured by independent means. The belief that it does or does not exist
is therefore a religious or philosophical belief.
***Again he is committing the same blunder. The experiment shows that it is
a relationship to a reality. Otherwise, it will be hallucination. The people
are healthy.
We Christians believe with reasons in the living presence of the living God.
Are the Christians hallucinated? This is the absurd scientific truth that
Dr.Santosh is teaching the Goanetters. The presence of God is not detected
here by scientific test, but the Christian Revelation is the source of this
knowledge for the Christians. The basic scientific experiment only confirms
it. Let the neuroscientist not mislead the "scientifically illiterate" in
the name of false science!
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
