The question then becomes if Man is capable of more than just blind reaction and its expressions of associative thought? Simone and much of esoteric thought says we are. As we are we are just performing mechanical necessities in response to universal laws.
J'C: Your last statement is just flat wrong. Once a stimulus is presented to the mind it is evaluated and integrated into the complex reality of the self, and the response is conditioned not only by the needs of the self but the evaluation of the situation presented. There are internal stimuli from the more primitive parts of the brain, but the mind is capable of overriding even basic instinctive responses. We might sweat a bit but neither fight or flee.
This intelligent reaction to all stimuli is the birthright of all humans, and most higher animals. There is no esoteric input needed from God or Guru, unless of course the individual is conditioned like a dog to obey the smarter and more powerful Alpha. This conditioning is common and perhaps instinctual as a transferal of parental obedience to others as the child matures, but it is subject to manipulation by the mind as are all instinctual responses. If, as the Jesuits claim, a child is conditioned to transfer this parental obedience by the time hesh is 10 it is fixed for life. Not strictly true, but the loss of the parental surrogate is traumatic. Simone had to reject religion entirely and become an atheist before she could transfer the surrogacy to God. Others may stop at nihilism when God dies, others may proceed to a rational atheism. Some may attempt to find a more esoteric path to the Alpha. A few never get the conditioning in the first place and take their place in their society as a rational purposeful, moral contributor. No external controls are necessary as the internal controls are built in which are, as Fulghum via Exploringinside showed us elsewhere, learned and reinforced in kindergarten. God plays in the same sandbox which is why Herm rules are generally similar except for the Alpha dominance rules.
3 comments:
J'C: Your last statement is just flat wrong. Once a stimulus is presented to the mind it is evaluated and integrated into the complex reality of the self, and the response is conditioned not only by the needs of the self but the evaluation of the situation presented. There are internal stimuli from the more primitive parts of the brain, but the mind is capable of overriding even basic instinctive responses. We might sweat a bit but neither fight or flee.
*********************
This may be true for the moment but what about tomorrow? Say for example a person wants to diet and everything you explained occurs to begin the diet.
Now suppose in a week, this and that happens and the person goes on a binge and gains back all the weight lost. The intelligent reaction you explained happens again but with a different result. Why?
**********************
This intelligent reaction to all stimuli is the birthright of all humans, and most higher animals.
******************
These intelligent reactions that keep the world turning in circles and performing its function of the transformation of substances is our birthright. Like other animals we are like unique machines that serves the earth through the results of our bodily processes.
The question is then if we have the potential for a higher conscious purpose in addition to this mechanical purpose our bodily processes serve.
It is true now, and tomorrow and for all tomorrows as long as we live. Since that is all we need worry about, it is TRUE. Certainly we make bad choices, but they are not malicious or self-destructive, they are bad choices to learn from and perhaps try again next week with the bad choice and learning behind us.
Your scatological obsession not withstanding, the question is not whether we have the potential for a higher conscious purpose to rise above the shit? We do. The question is whether God helps or hinders the process? I think we agree that religion is the bomb in the outhouse.
Post a Comment