Re: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic

From: Ian Glendinning (ian@psybertron.org)
Date: Sun Feb 20 2005 - 22:03:36 GMT

  • Next message: Joseph Maurer: "Re: ID, again (was Re: MD Pure experience and the Kantian problematic)"

    Ron,
    Yes, I would recommend it.
    For anyone who's read Fritjof Capra's Tao of Physics, it covers much of the
    same ground, but I think it's a better read.
    Ian

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Ron Winchester" <phaedruswolff@hotmail.com>
    To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 2:09 AM
    Subject: 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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