Ted wrote:
Do you, at least, conclude that all of these anomalies must have a scientific explanation (even if current science is not able to answer them) and thus, should have the capability of being repeated in a controlled environment?
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Science can only go as far as it's tools allows. If we make a better telescope, we can see "outwards" better and gain new knowledge, if we make a better microscope we can see better "inwards" and the same happens. The question is where do we place extrasensory perception, experiences of higher states of consciousness, paranormal phenomena, intuition and the existence of God? If we can place these accurately then we can start to move in the direction of making tools that can start to unravel all this mess. And I say mess, not because the above don't exist but because there's a whole lot of extra baggage that doesn't belong there in the first place. I refer to cultural influences and religious beliefs.
There is one underlying common denominator and that is that these experiences are experienced by people of all religions, all philosofical attitudes, all personal beliefs, level of education of the individual, race, sex, cultural origins and a long etc. In other words a Budhist cauld experience what a Christian experiences and if you "distill" or "precipitate" the experience, i.e. strip it of it's baggage, I think you'll find that the experiences are almost identical. What confuses the story is our deep attachment to our particular beliefs, and if it ain't so it ain't so!
This obviously won't work if you just take a couple of people, but if one studies these type of experiences in many people of all different backgrounds, patterns will start emerging. Experiences will be able to start being classified and the information that results will point towards the
universal nature of these phenomena. Everyone loves, cries, laughs, feels rough sometimes, why not also have God experiences, clear intuition and visions? Nature works the same way everywhere, why any exeptions? Once you start having patterns you can start thinking of systematizing and repeatability, two of the backbones of science. For me all this is not unscientific, it's just that mainstream science hasn't found the handle on the frying pan yet and is getting constantly burned.
If culture, education and religion aren't the common denominator what is? Well, it's simple, everybody has a brain and a nervous system! So many people are picking up on something that's just out of range of the normal sensory apparatus we have. In fact, the only tool we have at the moment is the brain, because it's only with the brain that we are experiencing these rather extraordinary events. Science so far can not offer any other alternative tool to explore the finer levels of existence.
You can say that only unbalanced people will have these experiences because of faulty brain functioning. High wired synapses running amok, especially during freediving
Nope, faulty or stressed physiology can give rise to halucinations and unreal projections, but generally will not express experiences that make you end up feeling great, heal some disease one has had, provide knowledge intuitively or telepathically or simply make you understand your place in this whole cosmic dance. Just to mention a few...
One of the first humanistic psychologists, Abraham Maslow, decided to study people who were healthy and succesful instead of people who were ill. Summarizing, he found that one in 3000 people are extremely succesful and that they also have a much larger capacity to have what he called "peak experiences" - experiences that go beyond the ordinary, in short what the yogis have been talking about for years. These people are healthy succesful individuals, and it seems thay have
more paranormal experiences?
Either Maslow is nuts or there is some heavy truth somewhere. But we have an example right here, in DB. Who do we know that is a world class freediver, succesfully experimenting and developing new theories and practices, posting valuable information-packed posts, and also has paranormal experiences, as well as being brave enough to talk about them openly? Eric Fattah, I point me finger at thee! Guilty as charged!
Brain wave coherence is very important and definitely an important indicator for factoring in the phenomenological/ empirical nature of these experiences as opposed to the subjective/psychologial deviations that most mainstream scientists consider them to be.
When brain waves from different parts of the brain are coherent it also means that the different parts of the brain (responsible for the different functionings of our body) are working better together. There is much more efficiency between the parts and this contributes to a much better functioning whole/individual, psychologically as well.
Studies show that when we are asleep, there is almost no coherence, when we wake up there generally is around 30% coherence. Now here comes the interesting part, when we have that important flash of inspiration, you know, when we say "Ah Ha" or the lightbulb over our head turns on in the comics, we have 100% coherence at that moment. This is a moment of great inspiration, energy or fulfillment. The same thing happens when one "transcends" or goes into samadhi in meditation. This is measurable. One can not measure the Absolute, pure consciousness or pure existence or Being, whatever you want to call it, but you
can measure it's effects on the physiology.
I argue for an empirical approach towards all these metaphysical considerations and experiences. It's not out of the realm of science. If something is really true, you should be able to take any angle and find that it holds. My own personal experiences of intuitions are completely empirical, in other words they happen when I least expect them and definitely any psychologial predisposition to them is inexistent at the moment.
The other day I wanted to go down to the gallery to do some work, but something said I should stay home. There was no intellectual justification that I could imagine for staying home but recognizing the "feeling" for what it was I decided to stay. A couple of hours later someone rings the bell, - we live in an isolated seven house village - no one was expected and it turned out to be the electric company wanting to check out the state of some electric lines that run over part of our property, making sure the tree branches were not to close etc. So we agree over which branches to cut, the guy was really nice and somehow I felt he had something to do with freediving! So I steered the subject to sports and apnea and he lit up saying he was just starting in spearfishing and freediving so now I have another buddy!
In this case, my "psychological disposition" i.e. ego was a little bothered and opposed to having this intuition at this time because I wanted to be at the gallery! I only stayed because I have learnt the value of listening to one's inner voice. This is just a small example, and one could call it coincidence. But what do you call it when it happens again and again and you learn to recognize the symptoms of a genuine intuition? You have no choice but to accept it as a repeatable systematic empirical experience far from the realm of any belief system.
I think I should title this email:
God has nothing to do with religion. Thank God!
Thinking again I'll substitute "religion" for "belief"
I respect all religions, their prophets and their saints - I may not agree with some of the details, or some of the more unfortunate behaviours of religious instiutions, but the essence is there, in the hearts of all men and women, no matter if they are or not religious. I mention God, but this is so private that I'll just say: don't belive in God, experience God! How to do is up to you, that is if you even want to do it. It's not important, being yourself is important. Reality is universal and you won't escape for long anyway.
Adrian
