Parlour Tricks of the Mind (page 6)

deeskis

I'm posting this again because for some reason it didn't go to the end of the threads.

So i just got back from dropping my kids off at the beach for a surf. Beautiful morning, it got me thinking about times when I've gone to church and had that sense of joy, but I also get that same feeling when walking along the beach.

Nothing mystical. It's just a book of rules, some cards, and a random element to shake them up. Could as easily be Yahtzee dice or patterns of ice cream drippings.

so, does that feeling come from within, or is there something more contributing to it.

nothing mystical?!, is prayer interchangable with meditation?

LittleToe

I just awoke from a 2 hour nap full of vivid dreams. It's been a hectic week, and my subconscious mind needed to tackle some stuff. More food for thought:

The disbelieving rational mind speaks loud in the ear of the actively conscious being. It covers up every instance of the subconscious interaction by an iron-fast stranglehold that subdues all passion. Numbed of it's outlet, the ego feeds itself, resulting in holistic harm.

Like it or not we are greater than the sum of our parts. When we intentionally disable part of a perfectly functioning machine, the results may not been seen for some time, but eventually chaos results. Have you ever seen the result of bad sectors high up on a harddrive, that are never noticed until you finally fill the disk that far?

It's far more subtle than ice-cream droppings, much as that might exasperate. Our brains have evolved to seek patterns in things. When we see certain arrangements of symbols we automatically go on a quest at the subconscious level to find meaning. In the case of Tarot cards the right archetypes are drawn out and we respond according to a mix of pre-programming and conditioned response.

Much of religion has been designed to inspire. Where does that "feeling" of inspiration come from if not the subconscious mind? We can't look at a sunset and say "that's a perfect combination of red hues therefore it must be beautiful", and feel inspired - it must be "felt". And so religion mimics nature, and allows our subconscious to behold something deeper than our rational minds are designed to consider.

On another note, I'm going to suggest that the WTS conditioning suggests and reinforces a pattern of "taking in accurate knowledge" that impedes people from "feeling" in touch with anything other than themselves and a bunch of mechanistic actions, or "works". It stiffles passion to the detriment of the soul. Ultimately it is crippling, resulting in feelings of incompleteness and a reduced ability to rise above a series of programmes. Sure extra rules may be overlaid and some may be exchanged, but the basic ability to be whole is overlooked.

I'll pour out some more musings as they rise to the surface. Meanwhile my rational side is trying to make sense of what I just said

MerryMagdalene

I love to see what comes pouring out during moments like these....

I never thought about religion imitating nature in this way and for this purpose before, but I think it's spot on. And I totally agree about the WTS in that regard--stifling, crippling. That's why I had to leave...my soul cried out, "It's them or me," so I had to save my soul.

~Merry

LittleToe

Van Til's leaves me "feeling" that he's missed the boat somehow, for that reason I'll concentrate on the second (longer) paper, rather than the summary of Van Til. Bahnsen's paper is excellent, IMHO, and I mostly agree with it.

Ex hypothesi self-deception - now there's a concept!

I do have some qualms about how he refers to "belief". I believe that true "belief" is a marriage of conscious and subconscious minds. For this reason some folks remain in a state of "doubt", even while they maintain certain claims. The Romans pasage emphasises this.

Gregor

This thread wasn't making any sense but now that I've burned some good Oregon green bud it's starting to become clear!

cool dude!...(cough, cough)

LittleToe

Don't bogart, ya b*st*rd!

deeskis

To be sure, all men have faith. Unbelievers have faith as well as believers. But that is due to the fact that they too are creatures of God. Faith therefore always has content. It is against the content of faith as belief in God that man has become an unbeliever. As such he tries to suppress the content of his original faith.... And thus there is no foundation for man's knowledge of himself or of the world at all.... When this faith turns into unbelief this unbelief cannot succeed in suppressing fully the original faith in God. Man as man is inherently and inescapably a believer in God. Thus he can contribute to true knowledge in the universe (The Defense of the Faith, pp.385-386).

can't argue with that

For this reason some folks remain in a state of "doubt", even while they maintain certain claims.

I've seen that with my parents and the org.

Numbed of it's outlet, the ego feeds itself, resulting in holistic harm

In what way would the ego feed itself?

Deputy Dog

LT

I do have some qualms about how he refers to "belief". I believe that true "belief" is a marriage of conscious and subconscious minds.

Could you be more specific? Having read and listened to much of his stuff, you guys are probably closer than you think. I have found what he teaches to be true in every area of life, at least at some level. I guess we are greedy (I include myself in this), we only want to see truth that benefits us, or makes us feel good. Knowing this to be true, offers me a whole new perspective. I truly see people differently (and I don't mean in a judgmental way). I'm a little more willing to walk in another man shoes. D Dog

SixofNine

The arrogance of the mysties upsets my constitution beyond it's mortal frame.

*sunglasses icon*

unclebruce

This thread wasn't making any sense but now that I've burned some good Oregon green bud it's starting to become clear!
cool dude!...(cough, cough)

LMAO at Gregor.

Too much typical JW type crap here for me - trying to de-mystify the magical indeed - shame on you so called "rationalists"

.. you gotta get out more..

uncle taoist

Parlour Tricks of the Mind

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