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socrates44online today!socrates44 Blog (144)

1,088 Blog Comments156 Poems156 Poetry144 Blog144 Blogs12 Articles4 Tags2 Forums2 Quizzes2 Videos1 Threads

Mystical Experience - The Interconnection of Everything: Spiritual versus Religious

(I have modified the Blog title to focus on the Mystical Experience which I view as being Spiritual)


On October 24, 2013, I posted a poem entitled “Spiritual but not Religious” on CS Poetry Corner:
https://www.connectingsingles.com/poem39812/spiritual-but-not-religious.htm


I also posted it as a blog on December 20. 2013:
https://www.connectingsingles.com/blog_58381_1/spiritual_but_not_religious.htm


In my view, there is a clear distinction “Spiritual” and “Religious” that I wish to express in this blog.

I am aware that some may not agree with my interpretation of the terms which is as follows:

Spiritual

The term “spirit” suggests an active living force or energy which may be termed “life energy”. This energy pervades all living things, whether animal or plant. Some may wish to restrict the use of spirit to human beings only. Yet, what is the justification, if any, for such an anthropocentric view?

Spirituality entails a personal awareness of one's connection with the life energy of all living things, whether plant or animal. This awareness is based on direct experience or insight, independent of any dogma or religious teaching.

Such an experience may occur as a mystical feeling somewhat similar to Jane Goodall's experience as mentioned in her Earth Day 2018 message:

“There was a moment when I was in Gombe National Park and it began to pour rain, and then the rain stopped and I could smell the smell of wet hair on the chimpanzees and I could hear the insects singing loudly, and I just felt absolutely at one and it was a sense of awe and wonder.
Out in the rainforest you learn how everything is interconnected and each little species, even though it may seem insignificant has a role to play in the tapestry of life.”
(courtesy of Google)


Religious

The conventional view of religion is a system of beliefs or dogma pertaining to a supernatural deity or deities, referred to as a god or gods.
God is viewed as an anthropomorphism.

Anthropomorphism -
an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics.
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)

To be religious is to have an understanding of certain concepts and the relationship between them as espoused by religion. This is the backbone of theology. One may attempt to seek a deeper experience beyond the conceptual level but it must be firmly tied to the relevant belief system or dogma.


The term “religion” may be viewed in a general sense and in a specific sense.

In the general sense, it is viewed as an aspect of culture, regardless of its specific details. I think that it is from such a perspective that some nonanthropomorphic systems like Buddhism, particularly Zen, may be classified as religion.

However, in the specific sense, Zen goes beyond any dogma or belief system which is a characteristic of religion:
“No dependence on words and letters. Directly pointing to one’s heart, Seeing into one’s own true nature and thus attaining Spiritual Awakening.”
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Anthropomorphism, Theism and Atheism

When the term “God” is mentioned, it seems it is generally assumed that everyone has a clear and common understanding of what it refers to.
But is this really so?

Could it be that there are significant differences in what different persons perceive as God?

I think that it is very important to closely examine the answer to this question in fairness to those who consider themselves to be atheists, and also theists, since these terms are both related to the notion of God.

We define ourselves as beings, that is, human beings. A being is a living entity, endowed with some type of life force which may be termed spirit. Each human being is said to have such a spirit (or soul). God is also normally perceived as a spirit.
A human is viewed as a being at the natural level whereas God is viewed as a being at a higher level, referred to as the Supernatural level.

I wonder if viewing a human being as an entity at the natural or human level and viewing God as an entity at a higher or supernatural level somehow seems to suggest that God may be viewed as a superhuman being. In other words, God is viewed as having human-like attributes, but at a higher or superhuman level. Essentially, this is an anthropomorphism.

Anthropomorphism (Merriam Webster Dictionary):
an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics.

In the Bible, the book of Genesis states that God created man in his own image. George Bernard Shaw said: “God created man in his own image and man has returned the compliment”. That is, man has created God in his own image, with human-like attributes.

Is it possible that one can have a direct apprehension of that spirit (or force) which religion (theology) refers to as God, without viewing it in terms of human or superhuman attributes, that is, natural or supernatural? One simply views it directly as some phenomenon and is contented to apprehend it at that level.

I think most persons would agree that there is some sort of order or principle in the working of the cosmos. Perhaps having a direct awareness of this principle in action is having a realization of the very “essence” of what is commonly termed God. Scriptures or religious teachings attempt to put a “form” to this "essence" and view the essence and form as being synonymous and co-existing with each other. Both are essential from the religious perspective.

If a person has such a direct awareness, that is, of the “essence” without having an interest in the teachings or dogma of any religion, is such a person an atheist or “godless” - a term which, to many, has negative connotations such as evil-mindedness and an uncaring attitude towards others, etc.?

Does one need to believe in God as defined in the dogma of religion in order to love others and to have a caring attitude toward them and, more importantly, to express this attitude in action?

Some of the world's notable philanthropists are atheists. These include Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.
There are several well-to-do theists who profess a caring attitude toward others but do little or nothing to express it in action.

Do you view the term “God” as an anthropomorphism?

I have seen comments by some individuals mentioning the term “higher power” in this regard.

What is your personal understanding, if any, of the term “God”?
Post Comment

Love Is A Decision

I wrote and posted the following piece on Poetry Corner on Jan 7, 2016:

Love Is A Decision
(Author: socrates44)

Love is not based on a feeling only
There must also be a clear decision
Passionate feelings may die off early
Showing it was just infatuation

One should not need another as a crutch
But be able to stand on one's feet
This will allow each other space as such
And enrichen the sharing when both meet

A love relationship has its demands
It does not ensure smooth sailing always
Be mindful of this in each circumstance
And it will help you survive the rough days

The one that you love should be your best friend
Someone with whom you can share everything
A person upon whom you can depend
In situations that can be trying

As time passes, both of you will change
For change is inevitable in life
Do not consider this as something strange
Learn to adjust and avoid any strife

True love is the most precious emotion
That a person can engage in sharing
It fills the heart with blissful elation
Giving one's life a rich sense of meaning
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Posted: Jan 7, 2016

About this poem:

"Love is a decision, it is a judgement, it is a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act does not involve judgement and decision."

- Erich Fromm - (The Art of Loving)


"But let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow."

Kahlil Gibran – (The Prophet)
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Disabled Comments Blogs

A lot has been written about “Disabled Comments Blogs” lately.

My suggestion re the same is that the viewer should be informed up front that such blogs do not allow comments, and not at the end of the blog as is the case currently.

I think that persons may be attracted to the blog based on its title and accompanying introductory statement(s), and may wish to comment on it only to find out at the end of the blog that it does not allow comments.

One way of doing this is to put “Comments Disallowed” or a similar phrase in brackets just after the title of the blog on the blog listing page.
This will require the input of CS staff.
Perhaps the system can be programmed in such a way so that when the blog poster ticks off the “comments disallowed” button before posting the blog, this will automatically trigger the action to add “Comments Disallowed” or a similar phrase in brackets just after the title of the blog on the blog listing page.

Anyone who chooses to open and view the contents of the blog is free to do so, knowing fully well that it does not allow comments.

If a blog poster may not be available for a period of time to “mind” the blog by responding to comments soon after they are posted, I do not see the need to disallow comments during this time. Such comments will still be there waiting for responses when the poster returns.


What do you think?
All comments, including other suggestions, welcome!
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Party Time

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was a university student in Canada. There were several other students from the Caribbean during that period. Occasionally, we got together to “party” as a break from our studies and to enjoy ourselves. Those are some of my fondest memories from my university student days.

Please allow me to take you on a trip back in time to such a party.
The music is in three parts.
Yours truly will be the DJ!

Part 1
We'll begin with upbeat music to get you moving and “working it” on the dance floor.

Part 2
Then we'll cool down the tempo , still swaying a bit.

Part 3
Finally, we'll slow things down for close dancing to put you in a romantic mood.

Here we go!


Part 1











Part 2








Part 3





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Hypnotism

In 1982, I was enrolled as an evening class student in a Psychology 120 course at the University of Manitoba, Canada. The lecturer mentioned the topic of hypnotism. He said he had some experience with it. He requested our permission to participate in an exercise in hypnotism. There were over 100 students in the lecture room.

He asked us to remain in our seats and to interlock the fingers of both hands in front of our bodies and to keep them in that position. I do not recall his exact words after that but I think it was a statement that our fingers would remain interlocked. Then he asked us to “unlock”our fingers.

I can vividly recall my surprise and amazement at what transpired after that. About seven or eight students, still in their seats, and with alarm in their voices, stated they were unable to “unlock” their fingers. The lecturer requested them to come to him at the front of the class. Then he touched their interlocked fingers and they became free.
He did mention that some persons are more susceptible to hypnotism than others.

Have you or anyone that you know personally ever been hypnotized by someone else, similar to what happened to the students as described above?


I know that hypnosis is also used as a form of therapy to treat anxiety and depression.

It is used in regression, where persons are “taken back” to some past stage in their lives, and are able to describe certain past events that they experienced; this may be part of their therapy.

Some are taken as far back as “previous lives”. Several books have been written that claim to describe past lives of various persons. Some sources quote this as evidence of reincarnation.

What do you think of hypnotism?
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How Big Pharma's Money Is Affecting Our Health And

Turning down a prescription from your doctor might not seem like a smart decision. However, recent research revealing the influence of pharmaceutical companies on doctors in many disciplines makes it clear that your prescription may have less to do with your health and more to do with a paycheck.

The most powerful pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. are paying doctors, teaching hospitals and other organizations to sell their products. In fact, in just over a year, these companies spent $3.49 billion in disclosed payments.

Even more, common names like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer spent significantly more on marketing than they did on research and development of their drugs, with the former spending more than double, and the latter spending 72% the difference – and these companies aren’t alone, 90% of pharmaceutical companies are prioritizing marketing.

“Big pharma” is going above and beyond to ensure their products are being consumed by Americans, and their efforts have been successful. The U.S. spends $1,112 per capita on prescription drugs – more than any other country, and four times more than Mexico.

As well, in 2010, the U.S. consumed 99% of the world’s hydrocodone and 88% of oxycodone – two common painkillers – when only accounting for 5% of the world’s population.

Dr. Gordon Schiff suggests that doctors and hospitals should take a “conservative prescribing” approach which recommends prevention and lifestyle changes as opposed to prescription drugs. As well, education on the adverse effects of these drugs will help to prevent the influence of these companies.


For further details, see:

https://article.wn.com/view/2016/10/17/

How_Big_Pharmas_Money_Is_Affecting_Our_Health_And_Our_Wallet/
Post Comment

Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)

The lyrics of the song “Danny Boy” were written by an English lawyer Frederic Weatherly in 1910. The melody or tune, however, existed centuries before as an old Irish air.

“Ayre, also spelled air, genre of solo song with lute accompaniment that flourished in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Weatherly modified his lyrics to fit the rhyme and metre of this air which was named Londonderry Air in 1894 by Katherine Tynan Hinkson who set the words of her “Irish Love Song” to it.

Irish Love Song

Would God I were the tender apple blossom
That floats and falls from off the twisted bough
To lie and faint within your silken bosom
Within your silken bosom as that does now.
Or would I were a little burnish'd apple
For you to pluck me, gliding by so cold,
While sun and shade your robe of lawn will dapple,
Your robe of lawn and your hair of spun gold.


Londonderry Air

The original air is believed to date back to Rory Dall O'Cahan, a blind Irish harpist who lived in Scotland in the late 17th century.
Folk legend says that Rory, having collapsed drunk one night by the riverside, heard fairies performing a melody on his harp. He then performed the tune as O'Cahan's Lament.


It originated from County Londonderry in Ireland (now in Northern Ireland).
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire (Modern Irish Doire), meaning "oak-grove" or "oak-wood".
As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form "Londonderry" generally preferred by unionists and "Derry" by nationalists. British authorities use the name "Londonderry", while "Derry" is used by the Republic of Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Boy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londonderry_Air



Here is a harp version of the air, probably similar to that played by Rory Dall O'Cahan:




Although I have never been to Ireland and it is unlikely that I ever will, “Danny Boy” holds a very special place in my heart because of the sheer impact of its enchanting melody. Listening to it on the radio as a boy was an experience that captivated my attention and virtually took me to the scene where I could hear the haunting sound of the pipes calling in the glens and down the mountainsides.

My favourite version of it is one in which the focus is on the intonation and nuances of the singer's voice and not on any musical accompaniment.

It has been recorded by multiple artistes.

My favourite version by a male singer is by Johnny Mathis:




My favourite version by a female singer is by Deanna Durbin:




What is the original message and meaning of song?
Here are some meanings attributed to it:
–a parent sending a son off to war
–a mother/father saying goodbye to a son
–a girl saying goodbye to her sweetheart

What are your thoughts on “Danny Boy”?

Do you have a favourite singer's version of it?
Please share it with others by posting the video.
Or just state the singer. Others can post the video for you.

I welcome input, particularly from our Irish friends, of any additional information, including historical details, re “Danny Boy”.
Post Comment

Tribute To Karen

Karen Carpenter has been called one of the best female vocalists of the 20th Century by a number of influential publications as diverse as Rolling Stone Magazine and National Public Radio.

Sir Paul McCartney called her the best female vocalist ever, saying that she was "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive."

She performed with her brother Richard as the group, "The Carpenters".
She was also a very talented drummer.

It is very sad that she died at the young age of 32 on Feb. 4, 1983 after she became anorexic.

She had a velvety contralto voice, pitch perfect on every note and never missed a beat.

Her voice was rich, full-bodied, silky smooth and pure.

She had a quality to her voice that no one can lay claim to. So expressive and lush with a deep and soulful sophistication, while at the same time sounding casual and effortless.


Enjoy !





1. Yesterday Once More
2. Top Of The World
3. (They Long To Be) Close To You
4. There's A Kind Of Hush
5. A Song For You
6. Only Yesterday
7. We've Only Just Begun
8. I Need To Be In Love
9. Goodbye To Love
10. Rainy Days And Mondays
11. Superstar
12. Touch Me When We're Dancing
13. Sing
14. Sweet, Sweet Smile
Post Comment

The Privatization of Water

The Privatization of Water:
Nestlé Denies that Water is a Fundamental Human Right

The current Chairman and former CEO of Nestlé, the largest producer of food products in the world, believes that the answer to global water issues is privatization. This statement is on record from the wonderful company that has peddled junk food in the Amazon, has invested money to thwart the labeling of GMO-filled products, has a disturbing health and ethics record for its infant formula, and has deployed a cyber army to monitor Internet criticism and shape discussions in social media.

This is apparently the company we should trust to manage our water, despite the record of large bottling companies like Nestlé having a track record of creating shortages:

Large multinational beverage companies are usually given water-well privileges (and even tax breaks) over citizens because they create jobs, which is apparently more important to the local governments than water rights to other taxpaying citizens. These companies such as Coca Cola and Nestlé (which bottles suburban Michigan well-water and calls it Poland Spring) suck up millions of gallons of water, leaving the public to suffer with any shortages. (source)

But Chairman, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, believes that “access to water is not a public right.” Nor is it a human right. So if privatization is the answer, is this the company in which the public should place its trust?

Here is just one example, among many, of his company’s concern for the public thus far:

In the small Pakistani community of Bhati Dilwan, a former village councilor says children are being sickened by filthy water. Who’s to blame? He says it’s bottled water-maker Nestlé, which dug a deep well that is depriving locals of potable water. “The water is not only very dirty, but the water level sank from 100 to 300 to 400 feet,” Dilwan says. (source)

Why? Because if the community had fresh water piped in, it would deprive Nestlé of its lucrative market in water bottled under the Pure Life brand.

In the subtitled video below, from several years back, Brabeck discusses his views on water, as well as some interesting comments concerning his view of Nature — that it is “pitiless” — and, of course, the obligatory statement that organic food is bad and GM is great. In fact, according to Brabeck, you are essentially an extremist to hold views opposite to his own. His statements are important to review as we continue to see the world around us become reshaped into a more mechanized environment in order to stave off that pitiless Nature to which he refers.



The conclusion to this segment is perhaps the most revealing about Brabeck’s worldview, as he highlights a clip of one of his factory operations. Evidently, the savior-like role of the Nestlé Group in ensuring the health of the global population should be graciously welcomed. Are you convinced?

Open Discussion Welcome!


http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-privatisation-of-water-nestle-denies-that-water-is-a-fundamental-human-right/5332238
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Frequency Dimensions, Multi-Universes, Paranormal

(Recently, two interesting blogs were posted on ESP and After-Death experience. The following is from one of my previous blogs on those subjects. I prefer to post it as a separate blog rather than a comment due to its length.)

The electromagnetic spectrum is the distribution of electromagnetic radiation according to frequency or wavelength, and energy.
Frequency is defined as the number of cycles per second (Hertz)
Wavelength is the length of a single wave or cycle.

The energy of a frequency is proportional to its magnitude, i.e.,
low frequencies have low energies and high frequencies have high energies.

All these frequencies can be present together and occupy the same space simultaneously. This is demonstrated by the presence of frequencies from the various radio and television stations being present in space. We can select a particular station by tuning in our radio or television receiver to its frequency which enables us to receive its broadcast only.

A band of frequencies constitute a dimension.
There are a multiple number of dimensions.

Your consciousness is tuned to the 3D wavelength, which determines what you physically see and how you interact with objects. The 4th dimension has a different set of properties, hence you cannot see anything from the 4D reality, unless you change the frequency of your body to correspond to the frequency of the 4th dimension. Each dimension has its own specific frequencies and wavelengths. Life in the universe is not limited to the 3rd dimension; it is just that we cannot see the other realities that exist, because those realities have different frequencies and wavelengths that do not correspond to our 3D senses. Therefore, our physical existence on Earth is simply one of many infinite realities in the “Multidimensional Universe.”

I believe that when we die, our consciousness, soul, spirit or whatever, enters into a different dimension with a different frequency or vibration from that which we can normally feel or sense in ordinary day-to-day life. If someone is able to tune in to that frequency range, they may receive messages or signals from that dimension. This is similar to the reception of broadcasts from various radio stations or television channels, where we need to tune in to the operating frequency of a particular station or channel.

Signals from these different dimensions or frequencies are always present around us. I think that certain people like a “medium” in a séance, or a shaman, may be able to tune in to those other frequencies or dimensions and to communicate with others who exist in those dimensions. However, I prefer to confine such interactions with those dimensions to different frequencies, within the electromagnetic spectrum, which can be experienced right here on Earth. I cannot quite grasp the idea of an individual, or part of an individual actually travelling in outer space to some distant planet, star or galaxy as some persons claim.

However, I can see how the idea could have originated. Shamanism was first practised thousands of years ago among aboriginal or indigenous peoples, who had no knowledge of science regarding frequencies and dimensions. In fact, such science was not even developed at that time in the Western world where it originated,(I think). Such an experience certainly must have felt like an "out of this world" experience, (which, in fact, it is, if one considers it involved a frequency dimension that is different from that of ordinary day-to-day experience). It seems natural to me that those shamans would have associated those experiences with the distant planets, stars and galaxies that are literally out of this world, i.e., planet Earth.

Paranormal experiences, such as ESP, probably occur when there is an interaction of the reality of some other dimension with that of our ordinary day-to-day world.
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Normality Is an Endangered Species: Psychiatric Fa

In posting this blog, I wish to state that I believe that there are genuine cases that need psychiatric intervention but in a lot of instances, what are termed “mental ilnesses” are “manufactured” by the psychiatric profession and Big Pharma.


Normality Is an Endangered Species: Psychiatric Fads and Overdiagnosis


Fads in psychiatric diagnosis come and go and have been with us as long as there has been psychiatry. The fads meet a deeply felt need to explain, or at least to label, what would otherwise be unexplainable human suffering and deviance. In recent years the pace has picked up and false “epidemics” have come in bunches involving an ever-increasing proportion of the population. We are now in the midst of at least 3 such epidemics—of autism, attention deficit, and childhood bipolar disorder. And unless it comes to its senses, DSM-5 threatens to provoke several more (hypersexuality, binge eating, mixed anxiety depression, minor neurocognitive, and others).

Fads punctuate what has become a basic background of overdiagnosis. Normality is an endangered species. The NIMH estimates that, in any given year, 25 percent of the population (that’s almost 60 million people) has a diagnosable mental disorder. A prospective study found that, by age thirty-two, 50 percent of the general population had qualified for an anxiety disorder, 40 percent for depression, and 30 percent for alcohol abuse or dependence. Imagine what the rates will be like by the time these people hit fifty, or sixty-five, or eighty. In this brave new world of psychiatric overdiagnosis, will anyone get through life without a mental disorder?

What accounts for the recent upsurge in diagnosis? I feel quite confident we can’t blame it on our brains. Human physiology and human nature change slowly if at all. Could it be that the surge in mental disorders is caused by our stressful society? I think not. There is no particular reason to believe that life is any harder now than it has always been—more likely we are the most pampered and protected generation ever to face its inevitable challenges. It is also tempting to find environmental (eg toxins) or iatrogenic causes (eg vaccinations), but there is no credible evidence supporting either of these. There is really only one viable environmental candidate to explain the growth of mental disorder—the widespread recreational use of psychotropic substances. But this cannot account for the extent of the “epidemics," particularly since most have centered on children.

No. The “epidemics” in psychiatry are caused by changing diagnostic fashions—the people don’t change, the labels do. There are no objective tests in psychiatry—no X-ray, laboratory, or exam that says definitively that someone does or does not have a mental disorder. What is diagnosed as mental disorder is very sensitive to professional and social contextual forces. Rates of disorder rise easily because mental disorder has such fluid boundaries with normality.

Note:
DSM - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA)

(Cont'd in Comments Section)
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