Comments on: When Scientist and Mystic Meet http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/ Exploring consciousness, lucid dreams, and mind enhancement Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:48:36 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Rachel http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-476 Rachel Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:20:43 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-476 I'm so glad you shared this. I too find myself trying to walk a line in balance between science and mystism. I have an odd history with faith. I was raised semi-conservative Baptist, but after experiencing very closely the ridiculous screaming style christians who gave me ulcers and illness and emotional pain at the same time I began a very long process of examining how I viewed the world and found christianity inappropriate for me. I'm now at the stage of being mostly agnostic with mystical leanings that closely resemble shinto beliefs but not exactly. While experimenting with new-agey type energy work as old as the earth itself I often wonder if I'm simply having a mild case of losing my mind when I experience the odd things I do everything from a sensing a ghost to the feelings in my palm when I touch certain rocks. The thing is I sense things in precisely the same ways that so many others before me and around me do. So are we all slightly mad then and what exactly are we experiencing? My boyfriend is a hard core atheist and likes to tease me about my unexplainable unpinnable experiences. He likes to say that it is merely chemicals in the brain and nothing else. But there is something else going on I'm sure. I like to think the things I experience simply have not been explained by science yet and saying it is only chemicals is a gross simplification. I'm so glad you shared this. I too find myself trying to walk a line in balance between science and mystism. I have an odd history with faith. I was raised semi-conservative Baptist, but after experiencing very closely the ridiculous screaming style christians who gave me ulcers and illness and emotional pain at the same time I began a very long process of examining how I viewed the world and found christianity inappropriate for me. I'm now at the stage of being mostly agnostic with mystical leanings that closely resemble shinto beliefs but not exactly.

While experimenting with new-agey type energy work as old as the earth itself I often wonder if I'm simply having a mild case of losing my mind when I experience the odd things I do everything from a sensing a ghost to the feelings in my palm when I touch certain rocks. The thing is I sense things in precisely the same ways that so many others before me and around me do. So are we all slightly mad then and what exactly are we experiencing?

My boyfriend is a hard core atheist and likes to tease me about my unexplainable unpinnable experiences. He likes to say that it is merely chemicals in the brain and nothing else. But there is something else going on I'm sure. I like to think the things I experience simply have not been explained by science yet and saying it is only chemicals is a gross simplification.

]]> By: Ben http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-221 Ben Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:48:51 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-221 I struggle a lot with that gray area between science and spirituality, and where I fit in between the two in my search for truth, understanding and meaning. Sometimes it feels like an identity crisis, and I become close to siding with one side (science) over the other, permanently. This is still a struggle for me. Fantastic post. Thanks for sharing. I struggle a lot with that gray area between science and spirituality, and where I fit in between the two in my search for truth, understanding and meaning. Sometimes it feels like an identity crisis, and I become close to siding with one side (science) over the other, permanently.

This is still a struggle for me.

Fantastic post. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: reality shifter http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-191 reality shifter Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:19:26 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-191 Hi Rob, "I had a Peter Gabriel song pop into my head (Shock the Monkey — first video clip I saw of his work). I am REALLY hoping it's not as much a message as yours was/is. : ) " Please don't hurt the monkey. :-) Hi Rob,

"I had a Peter Gabriel song pop into my head (Shock the Monkey — first video clip I saw of his work). I am REALLY hoping it's not as much a message as yours was/is. : ) "

Please don't hurt the monkey. :-)

]]> By: reality shifter http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-190 reality shifter Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:16:54 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-190 Hi Jacob, That's a very good point about the lack of accountability in mysticism. It gives the entire area of study a bad name. It's difficult to assess claims in a field that relies so much on subjective reports as sole evidence, so people are usually forced to rely on a combination of common sense and gut feeling. One thing I have noticed is that the internet seems to be changing that situation (though very slowly) by making information more accessible. People are able to go online and find reports from other people about the legitimacy, or lack thereof, of such-and-such claims. It hasn't halted the false claims by any means, but now that information is so readily available, people seem to be more willing to dig further to verify the claims. Hi Jacob,
That's a very good point about the lack of accountability in mysticism. It gives the entire area of study a bad name. It's difficult to assess claims in a field that relies so much on subjective reports as sole evidence, so people are usually forced to rely on a combination of common sense and gut feeling.

One thing I have noticed is that the internet seems to be changing that situation (though very slowly) by making information more accessible. People are able to go online and find reports from other people about the legitimacy, or lack thereof, of such-and-such claims. It hasn't halted the false claims by any means, but now that information is so readily available, people seem to be more willing to dig further to verify the claims.

]]> By: Mind-Energy.net http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-180 Mind-Energy.net Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:07:43 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-180 Interesting story, I, too, find myself drifting from belief to skepticism along my path. Interesting story,

I, too, find myself drifting from belief to skepticism along my path.

]]> By: Robert http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-165 Robert Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:22:15 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-165 Most excellent post! I had to laugh though... recently, I had a Peter Gabriel song pop into my head (Shock the Monkey -- first video clip I saw of his work). I am REALLY hoping it's not as much a message as yours was/is. : ) Most excellent post!

I had to laugh though… recently, I had a Peter Gabriel song pop into my head (Shock the Monkey — first video clip I saw of his work). I am REALLY hoping it's not as much a message as yours was/is. : )

]]> By: Jacob Haqq-Misra http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Jacob Haqq-Misra Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:44:21 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/when-scientist-and-mystic-meet/#comment-163 Great post--thanks for sharing. I am a scientist by trade, although I consider myself a mystic as well. Part of the problem in viewing the two domains comes from credibility. A fraudulent or irresponsible scientist is usually identified fairly quickly, and since science is built on the peer-review process, such scientists cease to contribute to the body of science. With mysticism, though, there is less of a sense of community (in terms of accountability, that is). Along with the true mystics who have something to teach and share are a plethora of false mystics with a wide range of motivations. Fraudulent mystics continue spreading information longer than fraudulent scientists, though, which can lead to an unrepresentative image of a mystic perspective. Great post–thanks for sharing.

I am a scientist by trade, although I consider myself a mystic as well. Part of the problem in viewing the two domains comes from credibility. A fraudulent or irresponsible scientist is usually identified fairly quickly, and since science is built on the peer-review process, such scientists cease to contribute to the body of science.

With mysticism, though, there is less of a sense of community (in terms of accountability, that is). Along with the true mystics who have something to teach and share are a plethora of false mystics with a wide range of motivations. Fraudulent mystics continue spreading information longer than fraudulent scientists, though, which can lead to an unrepresentative image of a mystic perspective.

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