Life/Spirit force
Offline I have yet another question:
Does an atheist, who for example, doesn't believe in Gods, but still believes in a "life/spirit force" or a "force create from mass consciousnes" "defy reality checks" much like a fundamentalist Christian or Muslim?
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Offline I believe in a life force, it's called electrodynamics
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Offline I believe in a life force, it's called electrodynamics
That is not unique to 'life' of course.
And doesn't remotely correspond to the ideas of "Life Force" referred to in the OP.
FWIW it was a core subject of my training as an Electrical Engineer.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
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Offline fishpaste wrote:I believe in a life force, it's called electrodynamics
That is not unique to 'life' of course.
And doesn't remotely correspond to the ideas of "Life Force" referred to in the OP.
FWIW it was a core subject of my training as an Electrical Engineer.
You have to learn quantum electrodynamics to be an electrical engineer? Christ they don't play around these days.
In a sense I think it does quite relate. Pretty much everything that's made out of anything corresponds to it's rules, and understanding any even mildly "spiritual phenomena" will inevitably end up in a discussion about electrodynamics and how the brain interacts with reality on the quantum scale. Essentially, it's the "force" that ties us to to the world and unifies everything within it. One could argue this applies to chromodynamics or quantum gravity as well, but I don't think it's as related given our brains operate and process information via electrodynamics rather then gravitational "impulses".
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Offline BobSpence1 wrote:fishpaste wrote:I believe in a life force, it's called electrodynamics
That is not unique to 'life' of course.
And doesn't remotely correspond to the ideas of "Life Force" referred to in the OP.
FWIW it was a core subject of my training as an Electrical Engineer.
You have to learn quantum electrodynamics to be an electrical engineer? Christ they don't play around these days.
Not really, it was basically classical electrodynamics, not quantum electrodynamics. They are two branches of the subject.
In a sense I think it does quite relate. Pretty much everything that's made out of anything corresponds to it's rules, and understanding any even mildly "spiritual phenomena" will inevitably end up in a discussion about electrodynamics and how the brain interacts with reality on the quantum scale. Essentially, it's the "force" that ties us to to the world and unifies everything within it. One could argue this applies to chromodynamics or quantum gravity as well, but I don't think it's as related given our brains operate and process information via electrodynamics rather then gravitational "impulses".
Quantum level phenomena are not really necessary to understand the processes in the brain. If anything, quantum phenomena are more relevant to computers, since semiconductors quite specifically rely on quantum-scale effects.
But actually, whether the brain or a computer, the high-level behaviour is a function of the way the bits are connected and organised, not so much what particular low-level physics they rely on for their functioning.
And the world is not all that 'unified'. Most of the Universe is totally beyond our reach, retreating from us at greater than the speed of light due to the accelerating expansion of space-time.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
).
I meditate a lot. It helps to relieve stress and to keep me focused on my goals. I can't imagine life without meditation.
Liberate your mind. Fuck religion.
I'm not sure this is as hard as you seem to think -- many people achieve this all day long.
"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers
The state without thinking, but with total concentration is blissful. People achieve it in extreme sports, some also when they drive, dance or have sex. But all these activities require something, a bungee rope, a car or a horny girlfriend. But with meditation there is a chance to keep this state much longer and much deeper. Eventually, after many years of meditation (or lifetimes, better said) this blissful state becomes permanent and such an "enlightened" person can do whatever people do, (and much more) without being distracted.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
I'm with you on this. I meditate all day, everyday and my brain activity does not stop even when I go to sleep.
People who think there is something they refer to as god don't ask enough questions.
Every conscious movement is 'mind over matter'. No 'woo' involved.
A particular thought, which is a manifestation of a particular pattern of neuron firing, causes nerve impulses to be sent to the appropriate muscles and move some part of the body.
Our mental states have all sorts of effects on our body, due to all the nerve connections between the brain and every part of our body, some accessible by 'conscious' processes, most controlled by processes in the brain not directly involved in consciousness.
It is the idea of mind causing physical effects on objects not connected with our body, and without any sort of physical action by us, that is the domain of magicians.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
http://www.livescience.com/health/050317_brain_interface.html
Wireless transmitters that allow you to control technology?
Theism is why we can't have nice things.
Ha Ha!
Of course, depends whether you classify radio transmission as a 'physical' connection - it is certainly a part of 'physics', as distinct from the 'esoteric'.
But yes, that is remote 'mind over matter', but I suspect not in the sense someone like Luminon would be considering....
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
A'hem. That is only a determination of ones connection to the Force, not a measurement of how much of the Force resides within a being, which is equal across all life. A mosquito and a blue whale are equal in the Force.
"Ok let me steer this question a little...Do any of you believe that if you put positive energy into the world, the world will give you back positive energy? Do you believe what goes around comes around?"
Yes, though not in any kind of mystical way. People are a bit less likely to screw you over when you're nice to them.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Actually, I don't even make a naked assertion. I don't assert it to be true, I just consider the idea now and again, so chill. (I'm suprised you managed to hold back your oft-used "fart a lamborghini" response.)
-Triften
I don't know a lot about meditation but I don't know of any reason to think that there's anything paranormal happening when someone meditates.
I've used my mind to remove pain from time to time. I find that, for me, it works best with certain kinds of headaches. I have to be in a very quiet place where I can be comfortable and undisturbed. Then I close my eyes and focus on the pain. In my imagination, it's as if the pain is somewhere inside me and my conscious moves toward it. When I find the pain, I enfold it and feel it fully. Then, when I am the pain and the pain is me (remember, I'm imagining all this), I calm it, quiet it, and it is gone while I remain.
It's a neat trick but it takes some practice. I don't think there's anything "weird" happening there. I think it's just a matter of finding ways of controlling one's body more effectively.
I'd need something more specific in order to comment on that.
Reality is the graveyard of the gods.