Happy Atheist Forum

General => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Arturo on March 13, 2017, 06:13:11 PM

Title: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Arturo on March 13, 2017, 06:13:11 PM
Again I wasn't sure where to put this. It probably goes in the religious section but eh.

https://youtu.be/LY_83_wnk20

Also I wonder if this relates to Ecurb at all as I can see some equals to when I had my psychotic episodes. I'm also curious about what xspx has to say being in neuroscience and all
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Davin on March 13, 2017, 07:19:38 PM
When I was a believer, that's not what sustained my beliefs.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Dragonia on March 14, 2017, 01:01:27 PM
That's not what sustained my belief either, but it did strengthen my belief.
Learning that other belief systems experience very similar "altered states" is also what helped me to come to my senses and was another push on my path to deconversion.
There's no experience exclusive to Christianity.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Arturo on March 14, 2017, 05:26:44 PM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 14, 2017, 01:01:27 PM
There's no experience exclusive to Christianity.

Right but some would say that there are reminders of christian thought all over the world. Like how you said in the other thread that god or something lives in everyone's heart.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Dave on March 14, 2017, 05:56:07 PM
Quote from: Arturo on March 14, 2017, 05:26:44 PM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 14, 2017, 01:01:27 PM
There's no experience exclusive to Christianity.

Right but some would say that there are reminders of christian thought all over the world. Like how you said in the other thread that god or something lives in everyone's heart.

More likely that there is a framework of "thought all over the world" that christians, and many other belief systems, have latched onto and then hung their own particular baubles all over it and claimed it as their own.

Even Humanism shares things with christianity, once all the woo is stripped off the latter.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Ecurb Noselrub on March 14, 2017, 08:46:33 PM
The only thing that sustains my faith is my personal experiences.  I would have abandoned the dogma, the traditions, the ritual, my upbringing, and everything else if not for a handful of experiences that I just can't shake.  Since they affected me fundamentally, I suppose I'll always have faith, even though I've cast off a lot of the baggage.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Arturo on March 14, 2017, 11:31:51 PM
Everyone has interesting responses. I appreciate all of them.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Icarus on March 15, 2017, 12:11:15 AM
I too appreciate and respect Ecurbs response.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Dragonia on March 15, 2017, 02:25:18 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 14, 2017, 08:46:33 PM
The only thing that sustains my faith is my personal experiences.  I would have abandoned the dogma, the traditions, the ritual, my upbringing, and everything else if not for a handful of experiences that I just can't shake.  Since they affected me fundamentally, I suppose I'll always have faith, even though I've cast off a lot of the baggage.
Have you talked about any of those experiences on this forum? I am very curious about them. Don't want to be nosy, but that is very intriguing.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Dave on March 15, 2017, 07:26:22 AM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 15, 2017, 02:25:18 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 14, 2017, 08:46:33 PM
The only thing that sustains my faith is my personal experiences.  I would have abandoned the dogma, the traditions, the ritual, my upbringing, and everything else if not for a handful of experiences that I just can't shake.  Since they affected me fundamentally, I suppose I'll always have faith, even though I've cast off a lot of the baggage.
Have you talked about any of those experiences on this forum? I am very curious about them. Don't want to be nosy, but that is very intriguing.
That was in my thoughts as well, Eburb.

There is nothing in my experience of life that I do not feel is traceable to human nature or psychology and the physical laws of the universe. I cannot even conceive of an experience that cannot be explained in thst way.

Currently I see that as a positive rather than a negative. Not as a "loss".
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Ecurb Noselrub on March 15, 2017, 11:45:33 PM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 15, 2017, 02:25:18 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 14, 2017, 08:46:33 PM
The only thing that sustains my faith is my personal experiences.  I would have abandoned the dogma, the traditions, the ritual, my upbringing, and everything else if not for a handful of experiences that I just can't shake.  Since they affected me fundamentally, I suppose I'll always have faith, even though I've cast off a lot of the baggage.
Have you talked about any of those experiences on this forum? I am very curious about them. Don't want to be nosy, but that is very intriguing.

A long time ago I did.  But I don't want to repeat them.  It never comes across well.  It's harder than describing the taste of an apple.  Suffice it to say that one of them was the most intense experience of my life.  Hard to pass it off as all in my mind.  But not enuf to claim absolute knowledge.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: xSilverPhinx on March 16, 2017, 12:50:51 AM
Interesting vid. :smilenod: I don't know all that much about altered states of consciousness (I study memory :P ) so I'm afraid I can't add anything really substantial to this conversation, but it has piqued my curiosity.

It is interesting that, according to him, there is overlap between such a state and flow.

Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Arturo on March 16, 2017, 01:45:26 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on March 16, 2017, 12:50:51 AM
Interesting vid. :smilenod: I don't know all that much about altered states of consciousness (I study memory :P ) so I'm afraid I can't add anything really substantial to this conversation, but it has piqued my curiosity.

It is interesting that, according to him, there is overlap between such a state and flow.

So what is flow? I just looked it up on Wikipedia but you might have a more precise definition.

Anyways, going with what I looked up, if you start to put flow states in the category of altered states of mind then I start to wonder what an unaltered state of mind is.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Dragonia on March 16, 2017, 02:37:35 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 15, 2017, 11:45:33 PM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 15, 2017, 02:25:18 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 14, 2017, 08:46:33 PM
The only thing that sustains my faith is my personal experiences.  I would have abandoned the dogma, the traditions, the ritual, my upbringing, and everything else if not for a handful of experiences that I just can't shake.  Since they affected me fundamentally, I suppose I'll always have faith, even though I've cast off a lot of the baggage.
Have you talked about any of those experiences on this forum? I am very curious about them. Don't want to be nosy, but that is very intriguing.

A long time ago I did.  But I don't want to repeat them.  It never comes across well.  It's harder than describing the taste of an apple.  Suffice it to say that one of them was the most intense experience of my life.  Hard to pass it off as all in my mind.  But not enuf to claim absolute knowledge.
Yeah, I know how that can be frustrating to try to explain. I have one such experience and still to this day, no rational explanation comes to my mind. So I just stuff it in that back, dark corner of my memory and don't worry too much about it.
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Ecurb Noselrub on March 17, 2017, 02:27:38 PM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 16, 2017, 02:37:35 PM
Yeah, I know how that can be frustrating to try to explain. I have one such experience and still to this day, no rational explanation comes to my mind. So I just stuff it in that back, dark corner of my memory and don't worry too much about it.

Yes, I know a number of people who have had experiences that they cannot explain. 
Title: Re: Altered States Of Consciousness
Post by: Tank on March 29, 2017, 01:20:19 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 17, 2017, 02:27:38 PM
Quote from: Dragonia on March 16, 2017, 02:37:35 PM
Yeah, I know how that can be frustrating to try to explain. I have one such experience and still to this day, no rational explanation comes to my mind. So I just stuff it in that back, dark corner of my memory and don't worry too much about it.

Yes, I know a number of people who have had experiences that they cannot explain.

:tapemouth: