Re: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic

From: Ron Winchester (phaedruswolff@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Feb 19 2005 - 02:09:25 GMT

  • Next message: Ron Winchester: "RE: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic"

    Hi Ian,

    I was just trying to decide what I might like to read next. Would you
    recommend Talbot's "Mysticism and the New Physics"?

    -Ron

    >From: "Ian Glendinning" <ian@psybertron.org>
    >Reply-To: moq_discuss@moq.org
    >To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    >Subject: Re: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic
    >Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 10:09:22 -0000
    >
    >Ron, I lose the thread here, but when you say ...
    >
    >"Let's just say that Quantum Physics leads us to think a bit closer toward
    >Eastern philosophy, or what can be termed as spirituality ... I don't see
    >religion and spirituality meaning the same thing."
    >
    >I completely identify with your view. It was Michael Talbot's "Mysticism
    >and the New Physics", contemporary with but better than Capra's "Tao of
    >Physics", that made me think I should read Pirsig in fact, and I've not
    >been disappointed since.
    >
    >Ian.
    >----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Winchester"
    ><phaedruswolff@hotmail.com>
    >To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    >Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 8:12 PM
    >Subject: Re: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic
    >
    >
    >>Scott:
    >>I disagree. We know a lot about subatomic activity. What we cannot do is
    >>visualize it. But the mathematics does allow us to make predictions. Of
    >>course the theory may be overthrown and replaced by another, but the
    >>predictive ability we have will not go away, same with relativity
    >>replacing Newton. NASA still uses Newtonian physics to direct its
    >>spacecraft.
    >>
    >>Hi Scott,
    >>
    >>The thing is, we can't predict the movements of electrons. It is more a
    >>shell game we are playing with the subatomic particles and waves.
    >>
    >>Ron said:
    >>Let's just say that Quantum Physics leads us to think a bit closer
    >>toward Eastern philosophy, or what can be termed as spirituality.
    >>
    >>Scott:
    >>I agree, but there are many books out there which disagree, so this
    >>statement can be questioned. Is it a case, for example, that we have
    >>read spiritual meanings into QM only because we are inclined to do so
    >>because of prior leanings toward the spiritual? (Also, there is plenty
    >>of spirituality in Western philosophy as well.)
    >>
    >>Ron:
    >>I don't see religion and spirituality meaning the same thing.
    >>
    >>Ron said:
    >>The difference between enlightenment and the Christian Mystical
    >>Experience is that you know prior to the experience what you are going
    >>to experience when you are looking for the Virgin Mary. An Enlightened
    >>Mystical Experience is something that comes to you from what I would
    >>call 'Within.'
    >>
    >>Scott:
    >>I would say that saying "Enlightened Mystical Experience is something
    >>that comes to you from what I would call 'Within.'" is just as
    >>misleading as saying it comes from 'without'. In both cases there is a
    >>SOM presupposition: that something gets experienced, for example,
    >>knowledge of "how the world is".
    >>
    >>Ron:
    >>This knowledge simply does not depend on anyone or anything besides
    >>yourself.
    >>
    >>Scott continues;
    >>I also question your characterization of "Christian Mystical Experience"
    >>as if it were all visions. Eckhart, the author of the Cloud of
    >>Unknowing, and the contemporary mystic Bernadette Roberts are all
    >>counter-examples. And of course, visions occur in all other traditions
    >>as well.
    >>
    >>Ron:
    >>Bernadette Roberts does not stick to the 'Christian' mystical
    >>experience. If you are speaking in terms of Christianity evolving, I do
    >>believe it will, but hasn't yet to accept this idea of 'No-Self'.
    >>
    >>Would you not agree?
    >>
    >>Ron said:
    >>Thinking of Quantum Soup brings me to some thoughts about 'Emprical Data.'
    >>It seems to me that in most fields, the use of the term 'Empirical Data'
    >>is
    >>more of an insult thrown toward the Empiricists, or those who depend too
    >>much on what is considered emprical data.
    >>
    >>Scott:
    >>I'm not at all clear on who you think is using 'Empirical Data' as an
    >>insult. Could you give an example?
    >>
    >>Ron;
    >>I'll save this Scott, and see what I can do about finding some examples.
    >>
    >>It is mainly in the finance and science journals.
    >>
    >>>From: "Scott Roberts" <jse885@localnet.com>
    >>>Reply-To: moq_discuss@moq.org
    >>>To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    >>>Subject: Re: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic
    >>>Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 11:58:58 -0700
    >>>
    >>>Ron,
    >>>
    >>>Ron said:
    >>>The word 'Proven' is a gross overstatement, and should be excluded from
    >>>philosophical language. :o)
    >>>
    >>>Scott:
    >>>I agree. Proof only works in mathematics.
    >>>
    >>>As I see it, the nothingness of non-deity Zen is the same as the void,
    >>>nothingness, or 'Quantum Soup.' It is all theory, and as like every
    >>>theory
    >>>we have had prior, such as Aether have been 'Reconsidered' (as opposed to
    >>>disproven:)
    >>>
    >>>The only compliment of Quantum Physics to Nothingness of Zen is that both
    >>>Quantum Physics and Zen have realized that they do not 'Know' what this
    >>>nothingness consists of. Any knowledge we have is temporary. All we think
    >>>we
    >>>know is that everything came from this Nothingness for lack of a word
    >>>because it cannot be described.
    >>>
    >>>Scott:
    >>>I disagree. We know a lot about subatomic activity. What we cannot do is
    >>>visualize it. But the mathematics does allow us to make predictions. Of
    >>>course the theory may be overthrown and replaced by another, but the
    >>>predictive ability we have will not go away, same with relativity
    >>>replacing
    >>>Newton. NASA still uses Newtonian physics to direct its spacecraft.
    >>>
    >>>Ron said:
    >>>Let's just say that Quantum Physics leads us to think a bit closer toward
    >>>Eastern philosophy, or what can be termed as spirituality.
    >>>
    >>>Scott:
    >>>I agree, but there are many books out there which disagree, so this
    >>>statement can be questioned. Is it a case, for example, that we have read
    >>>spiritual meanings into QM only because we are inclined to do so because
    >>>of
    >>>prior leanings toward the spiritual? (Also, there is plenty of
    >>>spirituality
    >>>in Western philosophy as well.)
    >>>
    >>>Ron said:
    >>>On empirical and SOM, and the MOQ being stuck on SOM in its use of the
    >>>word
    >>>empirical, is that I see you accepting, or being confused that a Mystic
    >>>Experience is something other than enlightenment as to how the world is,
    >>>that does not come from some 'Out There' field or force.
    >>>
    >>>Scott:
    >>>I think both characterizations of mysticism given here are misleading,
    >>>and
    >>>subscribe to neither.
    >>>
    >>>Ron said:
    >>>The difference between enlightenment and the Christian Mystical
    >>>Experience
    >>>is that you know prior to the experience what you are going to experience
    >>>when you are looking for the Virgin Mary. An Enlightened Mystical
    >>>Experience
    >>>is something that comes to you from what I would call 'Within.'
    >>>
    >>>Scott:
    >>>I would say that saying "Enlightened Mystical Experience is something
    >>>that
    >>>comes to you from what I would call 'Within.'" is just as misleading as
    >>>saying it comes from 'without'. In both cases there is a SOM
    >>>presupposition:
    >>>that something gets experienced, for example, knowledge of "how the world
    >>>is".
    >>>
    >>>I also question your characterization of "Christian Mystical Experience"
    >>>as
    >>>if it were all visions. Eckhart, the author of the Cloud of Unknowing,
    >>>and
    >>>the contemporary mystic Bernadette Roberts are all counter-examples. And
    >>>of
    >>>course, visions occur in all other traditions as well.
    >>>
    >>>Ron said:
    >>>Thinking of Quantum Soup brings me to some thoughts about 'Emprical
    >>>Data.'
    >>>It seems to me that in most fields, the use of the term 'Empirical Data'
    >>>is
    >>>more of an insult thrown toward the Empiricists, or those who depend too
    >>>much on what is considered emprical data.
    >>>
    >>>Scott:
    >>>I'm not at all clear on who you think is using 'Empirical Data' as an
    >>>insult. Could you give an example?
    >>>
    >>>- Scott
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
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    >>>
    >>
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    >
    >
    >
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