Normal, Crackpot or Prophet?

[AdvaitaZen]

Without mind, there is only love.

Love cannot arise for the mind, the mind surrenders to love.

The mind is only a very particular love, it is self love.

Perfectly good, it is a part, and a very intimate part.

We favor it over everything else though, that is a part too.

Love must be for the whole, else it is only obsession.

Love is all there is.

 

[AdvaitaZen]

It is called energy objectively.

It is called love subjectively.

In truth it is just this.

The closest we come here in language is contentment.

Bliss means the same, but is a more beautiful way of saying.

 

[Etu Malku]

There are many studies about this.

For instance:

If a person is shown an item, it is taken away, then later he is asked to say what it was...

Whether he actually knows or not, whether he answers correctly initially or not, he will change his answer to match the majority.

It is a basic survival instinct, we do not want to be outsiders, it is harder to find food and propagate when you're alone. Working together, nothing is impossible, but we have to trust each other to work together efficiently.

Camaraderie is a core desire to this end.

I'm not quite understanding how this relates to what I quoted above?
The point behind my question was that culturally people condone hearing the voice of 'god' whereas the same person hearing 'other' voices would be condemned as crazy. It's a double-standard that has been attached to religion for aeons, and is the very double-standard that enables religious-based hate and violence.

Religion provides two, and only two things . . . comfort and community
Whether it is a false sense of comfort and community is another matter
None of us should need religion to express love
None of us should need religion to conduct themselves ethically and morally

 

[AdvaitaZen]

I'm not quite understanding how this relates to what I quoted above?
The point behind my question was that culturally people condone hearing the voice of 'god' whereas the same person hearing 'other' voices would be condemned as crazy. It's a double-standard that has been attached to religion for aeons, and is the very double-standard that enables religious-based hate and violence.

Religion provides two, and only two things . . . comfort and community
Whether it is a false sense of comfort and community is another matter
None of us should need religion to express love
None of us should need religion to conduct themselves ethically and morally

I am suggesting that people say they talk to God because it makes them more part of their community. I am suggesting that memory can be misled by this need for camaraderie. The person that knew the correct answer, despite being sure at first, changed their minds to align with the group, and each subsequent time they will uphold the group answer even alone. A new memory has formed for them, they have altered what happened in their mind.

If, in a similar situation, a group each says "God talks to me", it is not outside the realm of possibility that others will claim the same, and actually generate a memory of this happening so they can be even more accepted - the thing is the memory will be believed to be a real experience, they will not afterwards be aware that it didn't happen.

So much of what we consider ourselves to be stems from memory, it is where all our identifications really come from. It is quite eye opening to realize how whimsical memory is.

 

[Etu Malku]

I am suggesting that people say they talk to God because it makes them more part of their community. I am suggesting that memory can be misled by this need for camaraderie. The person that knew the correct answer, despite being sure at first, changed their minds to align with the group, and each subsequent time they will uphold the group answer even alone. A new memory has formed for them, they have altered what happened in their mind.

If, in a similar situation, a group each says "God talks to me", it is not outside the realm of possibility that others will claim the same, and actually generate a memory of this happening so they can be even more accepted - the thing is the memory will be believed to be a real experience, they will not afterwards be aware that it didn't happen.

So much of what we consider ourselves to be stems from memory, it is where all our identifications really come from. It is quite eye opening to realize how whimsical memory is.

Ahh, thank you for clarifying
Interesting is that we on the Left Hand Path (LHP) don't deal with any of this, we are not communal in that respect. Isolate individuality is the norm, perhaps it can be a very lonely and confusing path, but it avoids the Dance of Maya.

The only voices we hear are our own!

 

[AdvaitaZen]

Ahh, thank you for clarifying
Interesting is that we on the Left Hand Path (LHP) don't deal with any of this, we are not communal in that respect. Isolate individuality is the norm, perhaps it can be a very lonely and confusing path, but it avoids the Dance of Maya.

The only voices we hear are our own!

It need not be something in religion.

Society has much of this going on, we will often guilt trip each other into conformance.

Do not think that because you don't go to Church you are immune to basic human nature, we are talking about something that is fundamentally about survival here.

How often through history has a man been killed for not believing the same thing?

Whether it is democracy or Jesus, man is quick to kill his brother for any reason.

To believe the same is safe.

 

[AdvaitaZen]

Man is not very much evolved from the animal.

Just enough that he needn't see.

Not yet enough to meet his potential.

 

[seattlegal]

Religion provides two, and only two things . . . comfort and community
Whether it is a false sense of comfort and community is another matter
None of us should need religion to express love
None of us should need religion to conduct themselves ethically and morally

What about symbolism and concepts in religions which can be useful in communicating with/opening up different aspects of your own psyche?

 

[Etu Malku]

What about symbolism and concepts in religions which can be useful in communicating with/opening up different aspects of your own psyche?

I find the Symbology in religion to do just the opposite . . . close down the unconsciousness, stifle individualism, create herd-mentality and nourishes lower aspects of the Self. None of which is any benefit to anyone seeking spiritual progress. But that's just me . . .

 

[seattlegal]

I find the Symbology in religion to do just the opposite . . . close down the unconsciousness, stifle individualism, create herd-mentality and nourishes lower aspects of the Self. None of which is any benefit to anyone seeking spiritual progress. But that's just me . . .

Aversion can be just as an effective means of manipulation as attachment.