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Karma?

Posted on: January 30, 2009 - 4:05am
IamChappy
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Karma?

Hello everyone!

OK. So here is a question that I would like to have some opinions on (or maybe even answers?)

I am sure all of you are aware of the saying about if you do good things then good things will happen to you. Of course, if you do bad things then bad things will happen to your sinful ass. Yes, I am talking about Earl’s worse enemy, karma. So whenever something “good” happens to me, I sometimes feel like it is because of something I did good in the past (vice versa as well).

I try to think rationally about this and say “hey, shit happens no matter how good or bad you are!” But I guess I am looking for a better answer than that. Could karma be really true? Have there been any studies done about this? Could it just be human instinct or the way we were raised when we think about karma?

I can see where “believers” can argue about this and say that this is proof of a, I hate to say this but, “supernatural” higher power being involved.

The reason why I am asking this is because I was screwed over by a girl (who was a really good friend of mine and a Mormon of all religions!) who I loaned $300 to. Now, a year has passed by with no money back and no way to contact her either. So I really do hope karma (if there is such a thing) bites her hard right in the ass cheek for what she did to me!

Could my feelings just be human instinct? Or could it be my rational and irrational thinking at war with one another? LOL I don’t know but I would love to read some input about this and what are rational thinking people’s beliefs or thoughts of karma?

Then of course there is the contradicting saying that nice guys always finish last…

Damn it, now I am even more confused!
 

Life can be hilariously cruel...

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Posted on: March 7, 2009 - 2:15am #101
Paisley
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IamChappy wrote:Hello

IamChappy wrote:
Hello everyone!

OK. So here is a question that I would like to have some opinions on (or maybe even answers?)

I am sure all of you are aware of the saying about if you do good things then good things will happen to you. Of course, if you do bad things then bad things will happen to your sinful ass. Yes, I am talking about Earl’s worse enemy, karma. So whenever something “good” happens to me, I sometimes feel like it is because of something I did good in the past (vice versa as well).

I try to think rationally about this and say “hey, shit happens no matter how good or bad you are!” But I guess I am looking for a better answer than that. Could karma be really true? Have there been any studies done about this? Could it just be human instinct or the way we were raised when we think about karma?

I can see where “believers” can argue about this and say that this is proof of a, I hate to say this but, “supernatural” higher power being involved.

The reason why I am asking this is because I was screwed over by a girl (who was a really good friend of mine and a Mormon of all religions!) who I loaned $300 to. Now, a year has passed by with no money back and no way to contact her either. So I really do hope karma (if there is such a thing) bites her hard right in the ass cheek for what she did to me!

Could my feelings just be human instinct? Or could it be my rational and irrational thinking at war with one another? LOL I don’t know but I would love to read some input about this and what are rational thinking people’s beliefs or thoughts of karma?

Then of course there is the contradicting saying that nice guys always finish last…

Damn it, now I am even more confused! 

Karma...the law of cause and effect....for every action there is a reaction....."what goes around, comes around"......biblically...."you'll reap what you sow"

I guess the spiritually correct answer is that if you attempt to "get even" or wish her ill you will only reap more bad karma. But don't sweat it...you have an indefinite number of lives to work it out.

"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead


Posted on: March 7, 2009 - 12:06pm #102
Luminon
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spike.barnett wrote:I don't

spike.barnett wrote:
I don't think this one has any esoteric root to it. Your body heats up naturally when you vibrate, that's why we shiver when we're cold. This example is just suggestion. You are told something will happen and then you make it happen. It's a self-fulfilling prediction and therefor not science.
I'm not sure if you understood the point. There is written "Put your attention on your right foot" and not "vibrate, and thus heat up your right foot". The body heats up naturally when we vibrate, that's a fact. But we don't know if the body heats up, if we put an attention there. The thing to verify is a relationship between the focused thought, and the described response of the body.
I included this little experiment, because it's something anyone can try immediately and easily, perhaps except of people with too many missing limbs.

spike.barnett wrote:
This one however, I like. It is completely objective and quantifiable. I think I could get two friends to help me out with this. The test would go as follows:

A list of 52 randomly generated English letters will be given to the two friends. They will visualize and send me the image of each letter in the order of the list. I will attempt to guess each letter as they send it. I will record each letter as I guess. The two list will be compared for accuracy after the last test by on of the friends. To add an element of control a randomly selected letter will appear no less then 20 times in every list. I will have no knowledge of any of the list until after the completion of the last test. The tests will be conducted over a span of time to allow for possible development of telepathy.

If the example you've given is true, there should be an increase in accuracy over time along with a much better success rate than expected based on probability near the end of the experiment, and the control letter should be guessed substantially more than any other letter. There are 26 letters in the English language so the expected result without telepathy would be 2 correct guesses per session. How long should the experiment run to account for development of telepathy?

Does this sound like a reasonable test to you? I'd like other opinions as well.

Yes, this sounds very reasonably. I have no objections I can think of right now, I can only emphasize following the instructions from the book. For example, look where the two needed chakras are and use them, and keep the state of mind as described. Perhaps the results should not be compared, until all the tests are done, or half-way through. Your part would be rather passive, you're not there to guess, but to readily write any letter which appears in your consciousness, even the most "improbable" one. (rarely used in English language, like X, Z, Q, etc) Also, alternating the sender-recipient sides could be helpful.

Nordmann wrote:

And if your test produces data indicating that thoughts cannot be transmitted? Luminon-type morons put it down to "tension". You're on a loser here Spike trying to get someone so mentally ill to see reason. Good luck.

I'm not afraid that this test produces data indicating that thoughts cannot be transmitted. It may, at worst, produce data indicating that thoughts were not transmitted in the experiment. At best, it may show so much of success, that you will be tested - as for how much can you accept the new facts.
It's a truism, that stress and mental tension acts against a calm, focused but relaxed mind. However, I did my best - I wrote down the instructions from the book precisely. Now it's up to Spike and his friends how correctly will they perform them. I can't know that, this is why I must assume that they performed them well.

Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.


Posted on: March 7, 2009 - 2:14pm #103
Nordmann
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I hate being fucking lied

I hate being fucking lied to.

 

Please stop addressing remarks to me, luminon. You can say what you want about me but don't insult my intelligence by shovelling your shit in my direction personally. Go off and get better. Please.

I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy


Posted on: March 26, 2009 - 3:06pm #104
spike.barnett
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As it turns out I'm not

As it turns out I'm not really going to get the sample size I feel is necessary. I've only done the test 4 times. The results were as follows:

2/52  2/52  1/52  1/52

This is slightly lower than expected by probability. All of the correct guesses but 1 were the control letter, which makes perfect sense as it covered about half of the combined lists.

The control letter was L, it was guessed 9 times, only one higher than would be expected by probability.

After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him.

The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
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Posted on: March 26, 2009 - 6:20pm #105
Luminon
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spike.barnett wrote:As it

spike.barnett wrote:

As it turns out I'm not really going to get the sample size I feel is necessary. I've only done the test 4 times. The results were as follows:

2/52  2/52  1/52  1/52

This is slightly lower than expected by probability. All of the correct guesses but 1 were the control letter, which makes perfect sense as it covered about half of the combined lists.

The control letter was L, it was guessed 9 times, only one higher than would be expected by probability.

Thanks a lot for your effort. How did it go? Did you guys start with tests, or did you try to train it before testing? An informal training sessions might help to raise the skills and make it a routine, so that the actual testing would be just a confirmation of results.
Such an experiments are done with esotericists' groups of friends rather commonly when they go together on vacations or courses, but it's interesting to see how a different sort of people handles this. So far, I see an emphasis on a flawless scientific method, while the friends rather enjoys the results informally, without much of records and statistics.

 

 

Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.


Posted on: March 27, 2009 - 1:12am #106
spike.barnett
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Luminon wrote:Thanks a lot

Luminon wrote:

Thanks a lot for your effort. How did it go? Did you guys start with tests, or did you try to train it before testing? An informal training sessions might help to raise the skills and make it a routine, so that the actual testing would be just a confirmation of results.
Such an experiments are done with esotericists' groups of friends rather commonly when they go together on vacations or courses, but it's interesting to see how a different sort of people handles this. So far, I see an emphasis on a flawless scientific method, while the friends rather enjoys the results informally, without much of records and statistics.

There was no training. I did describe the process and show them your previous posts in this topic to insure proper technique. I was hoping to do more test, thus showing progress or lack thereof in developing the skill. But with only 4 tests the conclusion is anything but conclusive. The results were close to what probability would dictate, but the sample size is just to small to favor either side. If there were any way to develop such a skill, it would certainly be unfair to base it's growth on 4 sessions. While I still hold firmly to the idea that it is not possible, I'll have to consider the study a failure due to lack of participation.

After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him.

The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
MySpace


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