David L.,
Walter wrote:
> "Though Reality can be experienced fuller and can be 'understood'
> better by mystic experiences, it stays a big question to me if the
> final understanding and direct experience of the universe won't always
> be LIMITED to the very structure in which it all happens: the brain.
> But that's beside the point."
David Lind responded:
> Does it all happen in the brain? This seems an
> assumption dressed up as fact. It's also quite possible that the
> brain isn't the structure where it all happens - that the "direct
> experience of the universe" you speak of happens in the spirit or soul.
I didn't (mean to) say all "direct experience of the universe" happens in
the brain. It is an ongoing many miljard year old proces, by which
in only the last seconds brainlike structures are formed. Mysticism to
me is the human path of getting in touch with this direct experience or
soul or spirit. This I see as a human proces.
I'm very in favour of the demystification of mysticism. It's not something
only Buddhist moncks can achieve after years and years of meditation. Mystic
experiences are 'available' to everyone of us. In fact I see it as a path
you are involved in from the moment you're born. A path of ever growing
moral awareness, happening in stages. Of course there are differences
between
humans in how far the path is followed.
I'm currently reading "Zen and the Brain" (recommanded by Rich Pretti). It's
a voluminous book and I've read only a few chapters yet, but I already love
it.
Austin writes of studies in which 'normal people' are asked questions about
there mystic experiences. In several studies more 33-50% of the adult
population
acknowledged having a mystical experience at some time in their lives. Funny
thing
is that, though we speak of the mystical experience as one, he notes and
makes a
distinction in more subtypes of mystic experience.
I leave you with this great quote:
"The mystical experience is a natural form of knowledge in the sense that
one
need postulate no special intervention of the deity to explain it.
Nevertheless,
in the mystic experience, the person makes contact with the Way Things Are."
Andrew Greely
in 'Zen and the Brain' (Austin).
Dtchgtngs,
Walter.
PS Platt: If you followed this to down here, thanks for your kind words. And
I was even thinking about asking for a "Go-easy-on-me"-card, which of course
can come in handy for other occasions too.
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@wasted.demon.nl
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:00:42 BST