-----Original Message----- From: Gordon Fitch
>Dace:
>> Platonism is indeed a religious belief. Newton believed that universal,
>> eternal laws were thoughts in the mind of God. His mechanistic synthesis
of
>> matter and the ideal hinged on the notion that God was the master
mechanic
>> who designed the universe and all the living things in the world
according
>> to his Ideas. This view permeates modern thinking, despite the fact that
>> God is gone, and evolution has replaced not only the mechanistic creation
of
>> life on earth but even the development of the cosmos. Whether cosmic or
>> biological, evolution depends on habit, not ideal laws.
>>
>> Superstition does not explain experiences. It just prevents us from
>> searching for the real explanation.
>
>And "real" is what? In 25 words or less, please.
>
Reality is whatever is left over when we stop believing in it. What is real
is what exists intrinsically, regardless of whether we imagine it.
>But even assuming we know the real like a brick, why should
>a search for it be impeded by religious ideas?
There is no such as a brick. What exists intrinsically is molecules and
electromagnetic bonds. The "brick" exists only insofar as we imagine this
set of molecules to be a "brick." There is no "brickness" in the world.
>
>Compared to our little brains, the universe is very large and
>very deep. We almost certainly don't know much of what's
>going on. The astonishing discoveries of the last few hundred
>years should give us at least a hint that we are in for many
>more, and perhaps some that will make the likes of the Copernican
>revolution small potatoes.
>
Amen!
>Hence, it does not seem reasonable to tell people who have
>direct experience of ghosts, gods, or higher realms, that they
>should reject these in favor of a contrary and equally unprovable
>religious position (that there are no ghosts, gods, or higher
>realms), which they do not experience.
>
The problem is that we don't always know how to interpret our experiences.
Just as a brick is really just an interpretation of matter, a ghost is an
interpretation of experience. While "brick" is a pretty solid
interpretation, "ghost" is not. Let's take the example of "higher realms."
Now, I am not inexperienced in these matters, and I can *totally* understand
why people would think they had experienced another "realm" of existence
altogether. In my view, though, the "altered state" of consciousness
results from a memory. Consciousness has evolved. It has been refined. As
abstract intelligence developed, we lost a great deal of the power of
consciousness. I like to use TV as a metaphor. At first the brightness
(consciousness) was all the way up. Over time, we lowered the brightness in
order to establish contrast (intellect). There are certain neurological
events which can trigger this memory. Though my interpretation may not be
correct, the same could be said of the "higher realms" interpretation.
Ted