Hi Dave,
I think both Buddha and RMP have suggested you find out for yourself. Skip the hypothetical. Marsha Sent from my iPad On Nov 30, 2011, at 9:12 AM, David Thomas <[email protected]> wrote: > On 11/30/11 2:42 AM, "MarshaV" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> "We conceive hyperia as a physiological function of the central nervous >> system >> thanks to which certain neuronal circuits in our brain fire >> hypersynchronically, giving rise to paroxysmal psychic experiences ..." > > > >> Are you suggesting that such experiences can be reduced to firing neurons? > > Dave, > Nope. > > Certain patterns of electrical discharges in the brain help researchers > predict certain patterns of psychic experiences. Now if you are one who is > subject to violent epileptic seizures I'm pretty sure you will think it's a > good thing if researchers find by interrupting those patterns your seizures > stop. Whether or not your experiences can be said to be ultimately "caused" > by the firing of neurons or the hand of God make little difference to you. > > In a nutshell what interests me is this from page 8 of the Introduction: > > "Indeed, it is not just that the experiences in question are due to an > excess of neuronal synchrony, but that, furthermore, the experiences > themselves are always excessive, in such a way that during the moments that > this hypersynchrony lasts, the mind is occupied by a psychic product with an > overwhelmingly intense content: sudden and highly intense experiences of > depersonalization or déjà vu, panic attacks, very clear hallucinations, very > penetrating feelings of sadness or joy, often alternating with each > other, ......" > > IN PATICULAR THIS NEXT PHRASE. > > ".......extremely strong ideas that appear suddenly in the consciousness and > which impose themselves on it with the strength and feeling of absolute > conviction,...." > > Let's look at a brief history of three men. (OK, I understand that as a > women this in and of itself may be troubling but bear with me.) > > Though they lived in different times and places they all had some similar > qualities that we find good. They were all intelligent, compassionate, > articulate, inquisitive, etc and all came to believe that there's something > wrong with the human condition, and they were going to look for a solution. > All spent several years intensively studying the problem. Each finally > settled on what the problem was. Then they all spent considerable more time > investigating possible solutions and then each settled on a promising one. > One thought the problem was love, one suffering, and one metaphysics. Deep > into their investigations they all had extraordinary (mystic? epileptic? > psychotic?) experiences which gave them insight into both the problem and > solutions. These experiences " impose[d] themselves on [them] with the > strength and feeling of absolute conviction," that their previously > identified problems and solutions were correct and they spent the rest of > their lives clarifying, articulating, and promoting their ideas. Though all > their sets of ideas have some similarity all also radically conflict with > one another in many basic ways. They all cannot be right. But each is > absolutely convinced they are. Jesus says not only is their a God but I'm > his Son and you should do thus and such. Buddha says whether there's Gods or > not it's immaterial to human existence so forgetaboutit and do a different > set of thus and such. Pirsig says there are no Gods but quality has all its > characteristics except for the name and another set of thus and suchs. This > is what I find problematic with using "mystic" experience as a foundation > for belief. > > Not that the investigation is uninteresting. > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org/md/archives.html Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
