One thing I'd like to point out Ajna, Is that I don't necassarily disagree with you, I'm playing devils advocate to test the strengths of your argument and the quality of your character. Your character Impresses me, your arguments certainly seem to be based on investigation in eastern mysticism (and not just some passing read of the latest Deepak Chopra book ). So you get my respect on both counts.
Whether your conclusions are correct, I really have no idea, I'm certainly sure that modern science hasn't got all the answers (but not because it cannot know all the answers, just because it's very critical self correcting nature takes time and detailed research - and the universe is a very very big place). Does that mean eastern mystcism can fill the gaps or is even right? I have no idea. I would assume possibly not but not definitely not (although I do think that it is a conciet to believe that with even a lifetime of meditation and spirituality, that any human could understand a universe as ancient and as vast as our own... we could maybe understand ourselves in that time, but the entire universe? surely not.). Certainly in my experience a huge amount of eastern mystcism has been warped and abused for the sake of making cash (Sai Baba, Osho etc.)
But also in my experience (such as DMT, Meditations, Lucid Dreams etc.) I have experienced things that have transformed my personal beliefs about the Universe. Things such as loosing all sense of self (whilst using DMT), and experiencing directly (what felt like) the essential wild, thunderous eternity of the universe, as a matrix of awareness in which all things could arise. Not some loving god, but an ancient, almost cold "being" (if that world even fits) of which i was eternally a part, wild and untamed like the ocean. Realsing that I forever was that eternity, but also a dew drop in its ocean. Realising that personality was like wearing clothing (it can be taken of discarded and changed) but that awareness was the essential spark of "life."
(Actually If i stop playing devils advocate and go with this experience alone as a source of information, I would answer my own question by saying that the brain is where human experience, personality, and memories are processed.... but that all time and space is in fact built upon a canvas of awareness. This is not my belief (well i try not to believe, its certainly one of my "possible theorys of the universe"), but what I would conclude if i took this experience completly on face value)
So was that experience genuine? certainly felt like the most vividly real, "more real than now" experience of my entire life (does vividness of an experience make it any more genuine? im not convinced it does, i could be knifed to death whilst in deep sleep, would be a completley unvivid experience for me, but would be very much genuine!). I felt as if I had remembered what had been forgoton. On a private level (i'm breaking with my own code of ethics of keeping spirituality private here) I wil cherish the experience as part of the eternal mystery of existence. I will hold onto my experiences as a reminder that there is more to this universe than mine, or any human mind could ever personaly concieve. On an outward level, I will continue to study all avenues of possibility, and i'll continue to play devils advocate and use critical arguments to see if these "ships of thought" are strong enough to ride upon. I would love to believe that my experience was based on the hidden realities of our Universe, I think the truth is I'll never know for sure. That however I feel, Is part of the beauty. It keeps us all striving for answers and in doing so finding deeper levels of beauty and truth to the world. Any honest, open, thourough and critical research of the universe has my respect. I believe you are trying to do the same, as I and understand your place in this mystery. And I wish you all the joy of adventure that you can have. All I hope is that you, like me, are willing to discard even your most cherished notions of the universe, should the evidence prove them false.
Also to clear things up, I use the term Polyatheist because I think it helps make a point that Christianity isnt the centre of the universe. In actual fact, I'd call myself a Pantheist (well probably more realistically a Scientific Pantheist), which I do believe means you and I are probably closer on a philosophical level than my devils-advocate arguments would have lead you to believe.
|
|
Bookmarks