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Tags bible , buddhism , christianity , god , hinduism , islam , jesus

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Old 9th June 2011, 09:34 PM   #401
bruto
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
Yeah I can see how that would be a problem!

When I first started fasting I almost lost my job because I had such a huge headache for four days. A disclaimer, if this were an advice thread, would be, "Danger, don't attempt unless you are stubborn! Also, having Faith in unprovable things is almost a necessity! Don't attempt if you enjoy defining things and/or critically think often!"
Yes indeed, I see pretty clearly where we diverge. The very things you discard on your path are the ones I would pick up if I were seeking enlightenment.
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Old 10th June 2011, 03:38 AM   #402
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
Quote:
If there were toxins which harmed the body, and fasting was the easiest and healthiest overall way to do it, and there was evidence for that, I'd certainly feel differently about it, and might try it.

I'm surprised I can sway your opinion so easily.
You're surprised that you could sway someone's opinion by presenting actual evidence?

Um, okay...

You realize this is a skeptic's forum, right? Evidence is not only the easiest way, it's about the only way to sway most people's opinion here, and I think that's a good thing. Being given solid evidence and ignoring it is just as bad as believing things based on vague or weak evidence.
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Old 10th June 2011, 08:41 AM   #403
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Originally Posted by Hokulele View Post
I thought you originally stated that you took vitamins as well. Most multi-vitamins do contain a fair amount of iron.
In addition to iron supplements and bismuth(pepto-bismol), black tarry stools can result from bleeding in the GI tract, as in bleeding peptic ulcers. This can be life threatening, and if you experienced this while fasting for many days it should be investigated by a physician.
Without intake of bulky material by mouth there is no reason why the colon should produce black tar like stools, or any stool at all for tgat matter. The body does not excrete "toxins" with enough bulk to form stool into the colon. There are electrolyte secretions into the Colon, and prolonged diarrhea for instance can result in electrolyte imbalances, but not stool formation. Fasting for as little as 2 days in a healthy person should completely empty the colon.
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Old 10th June 2011, 08:59 AM   #404
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IOW, they (we) (I).... pay attention to what's going on around us...
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Old 10th June 2011, 09:16 AM   #405
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Originally Posted by MuDPhuD View Post
In addition to iron supplements and bismuth(pepto-bismol), black tarry stools can result from bleeding in the GI tract, as in bleeding peptic ulcers. This can be life threatening, and if you experienced this while fasting for many days it should be investigated by a physician.
Without intake of bulky material by mouth there is no reason why the colon should produce black tar like stools, or any stool at all for tgat matter. The body does not excrete "toxins" with enough bulk to form stool into the colon. There are electrolyte secretions into the Colon, and prolonged diarrhea for instance can result in electrolyte imbalances, but not stool formation. Fasting for as little as 2 days in a healthy person should completely empty the colon.
Very good point. Persistent black (as in containing blood) stool is also a classic symtom of intestinal tumours.
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Old 10th June 2011, 10:00 AM   #406
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Originally Posted by Pup View Post
You're surprised that you could sway someone's opinion by presenting actual evidence?

Um, okay...

You realize this is a skeptic's forum, right?
You misunderstood the quote. I was referring to the ease in which Pup implied that by reading that I smoke changed his mind about evidence being able to sway his opinion; which was sarcasm due to the snarkiness. [But then I read this...]

Originally Posted by Pup View Post
Evidence is not only the easiest way, it's about the only way to sway most people's opinion here, and I think that's a good thing. Being given solid evidence and ignoring it is just as bad as believing things based on vague or weak evidence.
I agree. My intentions when posting about fasting, as I've stated previously, was to give my opinions on my experiences; and not to alter anyone's opinion.

Just because I am willing to test things for my own conclusions doesn't mean that I'm advocating the results to anyone else. I'm just informing you of what I observed.

Again, next month I'll come back to the discussion with more observations, and, if I can manage, a stool analysis if the tarry-poo occurs again.

Originally Posted by Sawbones79 View Post
Very good point. Persistent black (as in containing blood) stool is also a classic symtom of intestinal tumours.
Unfortunately, I'm aware of that, as well
I got myself checked out by physicians, though, and, while they didn't offer an opinion on fasting besides, "that is unhealthy," they ensured that it wasn't due to blood.

eta
Originally Posted by bruto View Post
Yes indeed, I see pretty clearly where we diverge. The very things you discard on your path are the ones I would pick up if I were seeking enlightenment.
From what I've learned [largely in part due to being a practitioner of Kouryuu arts], "enlightenment," to a degree, is somewhat blocked from having a defining personality. In saying, "having Faith in unprovable things," I implied the rationale of not needing to define it, or prove it to others. It does not mean that I believe any old thing that can't be disproven; because in that case I'd believe almost everything

Ultimately, "Enlightenment" stems from the ability to live outside the mind in everyday life; as in, just be aware of what's going on around you, but in a much more sensitive way than the words 'be aware' imply regularly. It doesn't have anything to do with fasting, beliefs, jobs, identities, self, other people, direct contact with nature, or anything else that involves definition, including dubunking things. Those are just side-notes. The only thing that really matters is growth and happiness, which every human is attempting to attain or sustain. Creating friendships with those you encounter is also very important.

And, just so we don't continue the, "where's your evidence for this?" tea party, these words, not ver batum, are found in almost every enlightening book or practice ever written. [ie. the bible, plato, confucius, tao te ching, ekhart tolle, dan millman, socrates, etc.]

My Kouryu sorces are the Shoninki and books by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi.

Last edited by Larechar; 10th June 2011 at 10:18 AM. Reason: forgot to quote a response
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Old 10th June 2011, 11:03 AM   #407
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...that creative people possess little to no "latent inhibition," the unconscious ability to reject unimportant or irrelevant stimuli.
I have no idea what this could possibly mean.
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Old 10th June 2011, 11:18 AM   #408
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Originally Posted by Kopji View Post
I have no idea what this could possibly mean.
At any given moment in time, there are hundreds, thousands, possibly millions of things going on around you, providing sensory stimulation.

A certain number of people can, with little or no conscious thought, ignore much of it. A certain, and probably much smaller, number of people cannot ignore much of it, without a strong effort, or perhaps not at all.

For them, a constant stream of largely useless information is coming at them all the time, impinging on their awareness. They have fewer or no "distraction filters."

We know the human brain tries to make patterns out of, to make sense of, the data it receives. If you were one who received a copious amount of data, the mind could get pretty creative in making sense out of it, forming what seem to be pretty creative ideas.

At least, that's how I interpret that.
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Old 10th June 2011, 11:23 AM   #409
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Say what you will, as far as I'm concerned awareness without discernment is a lost weekend.
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Old 10th June 2011, 11:33 AM   #410
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
... Those are just side-notes. The only thing that really matters is growth and happiness, which every human is attempting to attain or sustain. Creating friendships with those you encounter is also very important.

...
Since you said this, and put it baldly, I have to disagree.

Some of us believe that it's better not to aim directly at happiness. To put it a little parodoxically, some of us are happier not being happy.

Also, I find I'm better off avoiding "friendships" with most of the people that I encounter, although getting along with them is necessary. Friendship implies an engaged, thoughtful relationship, with caring, commitment, etc. That would be quite impossible goal and an undesirable one for both me and the people I see in my everyday life. It's better that we're not friends. We would bore each other to tears, and irritate each other if we engaged.

Oh, and I forgot "growth", which is either meaningless or impossible beyond a certain point.

Last edited by calebprime; 10th June 2011 at 01:06 PM.
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Old 10th June 2011, 12:43 PM   #411
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Originally Posted by calebprime View Post
Since you said this, and put it baldly, I have to disagree.

Some of us believe that it better not to aim directly at happiness. To put it a little parodoxically, some of us are happier not being happy.

Also, I find I'm better off avoiding "friendships" with most of the people that I encounter, although getting along with them is necessary. Friendship implies an engaged, thoughtful relationship, with caring, commitment, etc. That would be quite impossible goal and an undesirable one for both me and the people I see in my everyday life. It's better that we're not friends. We would bore each other to tears, and irritate each other if we engaged.

Oh, and I forgot "growth", which is either meaningless or impossible beyond a certain point.

Happiness: I didn't say, 'aim for happiness,' I said, 'sustain happiness.' Aiming implies striving toward feeling the definition of happiness. Obviously if you are happy doing whatever you're doing then you are going to repeat those values, and in doing so, be happy doing it. When it doesn't make you happy anymore, you're going to change what you're doing into something else that makes you happy.

Friendship: Does not imply any of those things as I meant it. Being a 'friend' to someone while you are near them is what I intended to imply. I have more thoughts on this matter, but it falls under, "unprovable," so I won't mention them. Obviously, though, if you go around creating enemies it will be bad for you later, was the most basic sense of what I meant.

Growth: That's just silly; there's infinite knowledge in the Universe, and hence infinite opportunity for growth. "Beyond a certain point," meaning, "too old to do anything but vegetize," I can agree with, but anything before that portrays that one can know everything. Obviously that's arrogant.

And with this sentence forming its own paragraph, I've officially written, "Obviously," in every paragraph; a redundant accident.
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Old 10th June 2011, 12:53 PM   #412
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Originally Posted by bruto View Post
Say what you will, as far as I'm concerned awareness without discernment is a lost weekend.
I never insinuated a lack of discernment. I said,

Originally Posted by Larechar
be aware of what's going on around you
which solely means live in the present moment without thought of future or past in your mind. You can still be aware of future and past, but the focus is on the present now [used as a noun].
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Old 10th June 2011, 07:41 PM   #413
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Now I've got that Don McLean song stuck in my head: "Tarry Tarry *****"
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Old 10th June 2011, 09:17 PM   #414
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
I never insinuated a lack of discernment. I said,


which solely means live in the present moment without thought of future or past in your mind. You can still be aware of future and past, but the focus is on the present now [used as a noun].
Funny thing, but every time someone picks up on something you say, it turns out not to have been what you meant. Maybe getting your meaning requires more enlightenment than we can muster up, but somehow the light you absorb is not being reflected very well.
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Old 10th June 2011, 10:07 PM   #415
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Originally Posted by bruto View Post
Funny thing, but every time someone picks up on something you say, it turns out not to have been what you meant. Maybe getting your meaning requires more enlightenment than we can muster up, but somehow the light you absorb is not being reflected very well.
Then I suppose they didn't pick up on what I said in the first place, huh?
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Old 10th June 2011, 10:31 PM   #416
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Originally Posted by Myriad View Post
Based on past experience, that would give me kidney stones.




That's pretty easy to achieve, in fact difficult to avoid, once a kidney stone starts hurting.




Does "Ow ow ow this kidney stone hurts like hell" count as a thought? If so, it's going to be an obstacle.




That, on the other hand, will happen pretty automatically after one or two sleepless nights of kidney stone pain.




Thinking "how could I have been so stupid as to dehydrate myself and inflict this awful kidney stone pain on myself?" would probably be accompanied by my eyes rolling upward in the manner you describe. But then again that's thinking. On the other hand directing my eyes on purpose also implies intention which requires thinking. So this will not work as prescribed.




Does "Ow ow ow" count as an external sound if I'm saying it out loud?




Not my favorite Webber & Rice. Would "Jellicle Cats come out tonight, Jellicle Cats come one come all" do instead? It does have a part about going to the Heaviside Layer and being reborn into a different Jellicle life. Though maybe that only applies to cats? What was Nietzche's opinion on the Heaviside Layer?




Actually, when I have a kidney stone and I'm concentrating intently on the pain it causes, my desire is the opposite of becoming one with it. I want me and it to become two as promptly as possible.

Respectfully,
Myriad
I see what you did there.
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Old 11th June 2011, 12:47 AM   #417
Joey McGee
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post


Yes, I do, but...

How do you know?
How do I know you don't have the knowledge? If you're willing to believe doctors aren't taught nutrition, I'm assuming you uncritically accept nearly everything
Quote:
I'm saying, "I believe it was tar because it seemed to have the consistancy and attributes of tar to me,"
Which is incredibly naive. Put it this way if you could prove it was tar this would become a famous event in medical history and I would want to know but it's like saying you saw bigfoot, this is not a new claim.
Quote:
however, you're taking my meaning as, "It was tar and there's no way it could be anything else
No I'm not, whether you believe it on your intuition, limited evidence or 100% conviction, it's still wrong. Like someone else said, every time you get nailed down on something you change what you supposedly meant without really changing anything.
Quote:
I'm incredibly open to the idea that I could be wrong. My Point is that neither of us can be conclusive, so the material is inconclusive, and that's that.
Nope, the best available evidence which is everything we know about medicine plus everything we know about quack fasting claims means that in all likelihood, it's a delusion. Just like in all likelihood, claims of healing from homoeopathy are delusion. Just because we can't say for sure if homeopathy has cured someone for the first time in history, doesn't mean it's an equally valid hypothesis.
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At this time proof is of no importance to me. After I conduct the 14-day fast I will get back to you, but until then my thoughts were merely meant to be there for the masses as one who has fasted.
And what will your thoughts have to say about anything? Anecdotal reports in science are almost worthless.
Quote:
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" comes to mind when interpreting either of our proofs from the other's POV.
I reject your lack of need for evidence and demand evidence for these claims is more like it!

Last edited by Joey McGee; 11th June 2011 at 12:49 AM.
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Old 11th June 2011, 01:19 AM   #418
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Originally Posted by Joey McGee View Post
How do I know you don't have the knowledge? If you're willing to believe doctors aren't taught nutrition, I'm assuming you uncritically accept nearly everything
That doesn't propagate lacking knowledge of human biology necessary to know what caused it, that just means I accept woo.

You're correct about me not having the knowledge, but I asked how you knew, not what distant train of thought made you assume that.

Regardless, it's also meaningless. You're right.

Quote:
Like someone else said, every time you get nailed down on something you change what you supposedly meant without really changing anything.
I haven't been nailed down on anything. Depending on the subject matter, it's not my fault if my words are misinterpreted.

Quote:
And what will your thoughts have to say about anything? Anecdotal reports in science are almost worthless.
I'm not sure! I haven't started yet.
Quote:
I reject your lack of need for evidence and demand evidence for these claims is more like it!
Well, you gotta wait 'til I can give you some anecdotal accounts!

Again, tarry poo occurred during a fast; so I can't have it analyzed til I get some more!

If I don't have the monies necessary I'll PM you for a shipping address if you'd like to prove me wrong personally.
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Old 11th June 2011, 01:28 AM   #419
Joey McGee
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
That doesn't propagate lacking knowledge of human biology necessary to know what caused it, that just means I accept woo.
If you accept woo you lack knowledge of human biology...
Quote:
You're correct about me not having the knowledge, but I asked how you knew, not what distant train of thought made you assume that.
Your rebutalls are all appeals to semantics. You're splitting hairs on the word "know"...
Quote:
I haven't been nailed down on anything.
Sure you have for two you said doctors don't get nutrition training and you excreted tar.
Quote:
Depending on the subject matter, it's not my fault if my words are misinterpreted
It's not that you were misinterpreted, it's just that you're not used to discussing things skeptically.
Quote:
If I don't have the monies necessary I'll PM you for a shipping address if you'd like to prove me wrong personally.
You're the one making dangerous claims that gullible people will accept uncritically as fact. Your "appeal to semantics" is just a shirking of your responsibility to the facts. The responsibility is yours to prove your claims, I'm just pointing out the immorality of them.
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Old 11th June 2011, 01:54 AM   #420
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Originally Posted by Joey McGee View Post
If you accept woo you lack knowledge of human biology...
What's the common definition of, "woo," then? I took it as accepting something that couldn't be proven.
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Your rebutalls are all appeals to semantics. You're splitting hairs on the word "know"...
Yes, I am, because the point is moot 'til I actually have some tar-poo to test!
Quote:
Sure you have for two you said doctors don't get nutrition training and you excreted tar.
I left both of those statements open [incredibly open in regards to the nutrition statement] so that I could squeeze out from underneath the nail.
Quote:
It's not that you were misinterpreted, it's just that you're not used to discussing things skeptically.
That may be true with the tar-poo bit; I think I'm getting the hang of it, though.

I've definitely been misinterpreted in regards to the, "enlightenment," bit, however.
Quote:
You're the one making dangerous claims that gullible people will accept uncritically as fact. Your "appeal to semantics" is just a shirking of your responsibility to the facts. The responsibility is yours to prove your claims, I'm just pointing out the immorality of them.
I'm not shirking, I'm procrastinating. I can't even begin with new anecdotes until I fast again, let alone skeptically/scientifically prove them.
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Old 11th June 2011, 02:09 AM   #421
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
What's the common definition of, "woo," then? I took it as accepting something that couldn't be proven.
Accepting something that has been disproven, is logically impossible, pseudoscientific, truly bizarre etc,

"Sometimes woo-woo is used by skeptics as a synonym for pseudoscience, true-believer, or quackery. But mostly the term is used for its emotive content and is an emotive synonym for such terms as nonsense, irrational, nutter, nut, or crazy."

Skeptic's Dictionary
Quote:
Yes, I am, because the point is moot 'til I actually have some tar-poo to test!
You have to accept the point that the null hypothesis is fantastically more likely than yours because that is what they evidence says. Some doctors have already commented as to why it's unlikely and what the alternatives are, and there is no documented cases parallel to what you're talking about, so your hypothesis has almost zero weight. That doesn't mean it's wrong, but it's necessary for you to include these other factors in your exploration of the subject.
Quote:
I left both of those statements open [incredibly open in regards to the nutrition statement]
I see. Yeah you we'rent' just "led to believe" you were lied to, marketed to and propagandized! And a quick search would have totally debunked that notion. It's almost as bright as "mushrooms spores are from space"
Quote:
so that I could squeeze out from underneath the nail.That may be true with the tar-poo bit; I think I'm getting the hang of it, though.
Yeah that's one of the genius things about posting, is you realize that the way you say things can mislead people. We don't want to have to add endless caveats and explain the obvious but we have to strike a balance so we can communicate effectively. You should see how science journalists criticize their peers.
Quote:
I'm not shirking, I'm procrastinating. I can't even begin with new anecdotes until I fast again, let alone skeptically/scientifically prove them.
Once you understand why the null hypothesis is important, you'll see where I'm coming from. It's fine to come up with radical axioms and explore the most bizarre anecdotes, but if you ignore the null hypothesis, you'll waste a lot of time, and if you ignore the body of knowledge that should be contributing to the null hypothesis, you'll be exploring already debunked notions. This is why I recommended looking through the history of skepticism and medicine which Novella is a good guide for.

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Old 11th June 2011, 08:59 AM   #422
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
What's the common definition of, "woo," then? I took it as accepting something that couldn't be proven.Yes, I am, because the point is moot 'til I actually have some tar-poo to test!I left both of those statements open [incredibly open in regards to the nutrition statement] so that I could squeeze out from underneath the nail.That may be true with the tar-poo bit; I think I'm getting the hang of it, though.

I've definitely been misinterpreted in regards to the, "enlightenment," bit, however.

I'm not shirking, I'm procrastinating. I can't even begin with new anecdotes until I fast again, let alone skeptically/scientifically prove them.
I hope you're on vacation when you attempt this experiment in extreme malnutrition, as by your own account I believe you said you were almost fired during one of your previous fasts.
In contrast to these dangerous attempts at reaching some higher plane of consciousness by starving your brain of fuel,
my own recipe for reaching enlightenment would be as follows:
1: eat a healthy diet, with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and little red meat.
2: stay physically fit.
3: get plenty of sleep, 8 hours a night is the average requirement.
4: engage every day in some stimulating intellectual exercise, like learning a new language, or learning to play a musical instrument.
5: maintain positive interpersonal relationships with a variety of friends and family.
Oh I almost forgot, 6: have a nice glass of red wine with dinner every night...
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Old 11th June 2011, 10:14 AM   #423
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so all the world's famous texts of philosophy & religion are rubbish? (and if you think these "religion" texts are unrelated to philosophy, you are very much mistaken)
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Old 11th June 2011, 10:17 AM   #424
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Originally Posted by I Ratant View Post
Wouldn't Billy Ockham opine that with all these widely different ideas on the subject from minds both great and small, that it's only an individual perception for any of us?
there is quite a consensus for the identification of virtue with love, isn't there? Look for similarities, not just differences.
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Old 11th June 2011, 10:19 AM   #425
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Originally Posted by gjpogiatzis View Post
there is quite a consensus for the identification of virtue with love, isn't there? Look for similarities, not just differences.
Except love is also just a concept, and not all love is virtuous.
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Old 11th June 2011, 10:23 AM   #426
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Philosophies are the excrement of unstructured minds that natter on and on about silly things, whose possessors have the ability to be paid for mindless drivel on all subjects.
Cliffie and Frasier on "Cheers" are the archetypes of the disease.
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Old 11th June 2011, 10:35 AM   #427
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gj,

Just what exactley do you think an "Out of body experience" is? What IS "it" that you think is "Out", and how is that possible?

Do you except that minds influenced by things like drugs, starvation, thirst and sleep deprevation have halucinations that are in no way representative of anything real?
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Old 11th June 2011, 11:23 AM   #428
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Originally Posted by gjpogiatzis View Post
so all the world's famous texts of philosophy & religion are rubbish? (and if you think these "religion" texts are unrelated to philosophy, you are very much mistaken)
They contain some good advice,but the supernatural beings and amazing powers they refer to do not exist. That is the rubbish part. "Ninety percent of everything is crud."-Theodore Sturgeon.
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Old 11th June 2011, 12:06 PM   #429
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Marx came up with a (not original) idea.
It's imposition was horrific.
In the Jamestown Colony, Capt John Smith centuries earlier had a practical imposition... considering the "gentlemen adventurers" who infested the place, while searching for gold, and expecting special handling due to their status, Smith said... "If you don't work, you don't eat".
Leaving the choice to the individual.. it wasn't "if you don't work, we'll kill you", so typical of most of the philosophies the bottom-feeders like Marx come up with, when actually tried in real life.
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Old 11th June 2011, 02:44 PM   #430
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Originally Posted by I Ratant View Post
Marx came up with a (not original) idea.
It's imposition was horrific.
In the Jamestown Colony, Capt John Smith centuries earlier had a practical imposition... considering the "gentlemen adventurers" who infested the place, while searching for gold, and expecting special handling due to their status, Smith said... "If you don't work, you don't eat".
Leaving the choice to the individual.. it wasn't "if you don't work, we'll kill you", so typical of most of the philosophies the bottom-feeders like Marx come up with, when actually tried in real life.
Marx lived off others for most of life,while championing the workers.
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Old 11th June 2011, 03:29 PM   #431
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Originally Posted by MuDPhuD View Post
reaching some higher plane of consciousness by starving your brain of fuel,
This entire thread may have been derailed, actually. My bad. I was referring to fasting as a means to prolong one's life and detoxify the body.
In an earlier post I mentioned fasting has nothing to do with enlightenment.

eta
Originally Posted by Joey McGee View Post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction
Quote:
Caloric restriction is one of the few dietary interventions shown to increase both median and maximum lifespan in a variety of species, among them yeast, fish, rodents and dogs. There are ongoing studies on whether CR works in nonhuman primates, on its effects on human health, and on the metabolic parameters associated with CR in other species. The results so far are positive, but the studies are not yet complete, due to the long lifespan of the species.

It's a whole fad now. People are seriously following CR diets and blogging about them. It's a very interesting phenomenon which much promise.
I understand why the null hypothesis is important; while there are ongoing studies, however, I will remain neutral verging on woo, as a null hypothesis is just a null hypothesis.

That said, I will conduct my own studies, as well.

Last edited by Larechar; 11th June 2011 at 03:43 PM.
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Old 11th June 2011, 03:39 PM   #432
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
This entire thread may have been derailed, actually. My bad. I was referring to fasting as a means to prolong one's life and detoxify the body.
In an earlier post I mentioned fasting has nothing to do with enlightenment.
People do all of the exact type things for the purposes of enlightenment so it's still good.
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Old 11th June 2011, 03:45 PM   #433
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Originally Posted by Joey McGee View Post
People do all of the exact type things for the purposes of enlightenment so it's still good.
Okay, cool. I'm still fairly new to the whole, "forum," thing, barring an anime forum I used to visit half a decade ago.

There's an eta to the post you quoted, fyi.
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Old 11th June 2011, 03:53 PM   #434
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Originally Posted by dafydd View Post
Marx lived off others for most of life,while championing the workers with an unworkable "filosofy".

.
ftfy
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Old 11th June 2011, 04:21 PM   #435
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Originally Posted by Larechar View Post
Okay, cool. I'm still fairly new to the whole, "forum," thing, barring an anime forum I used to visit half a decade ago.
When I first came to this forum I was talking to the dead and divining the future. It has a certain effect on you if you stick around.

Quote:
There's an eta to the post you quoted, fyi.
Nice. If you conduct any studies, it's a very interesting subject.
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Old 11th June 2011, 10:11 PM   #436
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Originally Posted by Joey McGee View Post
When I first came to this forum I was talking to the dead and divining the future. It has a certain effect on you if you stick around.
I don't doubt it.
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Old 12th June 2011, 02:35 AM   #437
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Originally Posted by MuDPhuD View Post
I hope you're on vacation when you attempt this experiment in extreme malnutrition, as by your own account I believe you said you were almost fired during one of your previous fasts.
In contrast to these dangerous attempts at reaching some higher plane of consciousness by starving your brain of fuel,
my own recipe for reaching enlightenment would be as follows:
1: eat a healthy diet, with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and little red meat.
2: stay physically fit.
3: get plenty of sleep, 8 hours a night is the average requirement.
4: engage every day in some stimulating intellectual exercise, like learning a new language, or learning to play a musical instrument.
5: maintain positive interpersonal relationships with a variety of friends and family.
Oh I almost forgot, 6: have a nice glass of red wine with dinner every night...
Sounds like my policy, oh apart from point 7: practice mysticism.
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Old 12th June 2011, 04:46 AM   #438
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Originally Posted by MuDPhuD View Post
I hope you're on vacation when you attempt this experiment in extreme malnutrition, as by your own account I believe you said you were almost fired during one of your previous fasts.
In contrast to these dangerous attempts at reaching some higher plane of consciousness by starving your brain of fuel,
my own recipe for reaching enlightenment would be as follows:
1: eat a healthy diet, with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and little red meat.
2: stay physically fit.
3: get plenty of sleep, 8 hours a night is the average requirement.
4: engage every day in some stimulating intellectual exercise, like learning a new language, or learning to play a musical instrument.
5: maintain positive interpersonal relationships with a variety of friends and family.
Oh I almost forgot, 6: have a nice glass of red wine with dinner every night...
Sound advice for a healthy life, except of course for point 6. Good pale ales are far more conductive to enlightment than beer, and goes with a wider variety of food IMHO.
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Old 12th June 2011, 04:51 AM   #439
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Originally Posted by punshhh View Post
Sounds like my policy, oh apart from point 7: practice mysticism.
You need more practice.
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Old 12th June 2011, 04:57 AM   #440
Joey McGee
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Originally Posted by punshhh View Post
Sounds like my policy, oh apart from point 7: practice mysticism.
Your mysticism seems to be clouding your judgement on policy. For context
Originally Posted by punshhh View Post
I've had no direct experience with the Sai Baba organisation. However what I've heard over the years has lead me to consider it a pieceful moderate group.They produce some very good insence. I've been using it for twenty years, you can't get anything better outside India.
Originally Posted by Joey McGee View Post
Someone should at least mention the serious allegations of rape and murder.
Originally Posted by dafydd View Post
But he makes rocking incense! I'm as pleased as punch.
I don't mean to single you out, I'm just saying that accepting things on feeling or intuition which is the extent of mysticism has it's drawbacks.

Last edited by Joey McGee; 12th June 2011 at 05:12 AM.
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