Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA00805 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 4 Oct 2000 14:04:31 +0100 Message-ID: <A4400389479FD3118C9400508B0FF230040FF5@DELTA.newhouse.akzonobel.nl> From: "Gatherer, D. (Derek)" <D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: Re: mysticism Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 15:00:08 +0200 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Imagine there was once a population on an isolated island, totally out of
touch with the rest of the world, and by a quirk of population genetics an
allele for congenital blindness had run to fixation in that population.
None of these people could see anything, and in their isolation they evolved
a sophisticated but totally non-visual culture. However, this genetic
blindness has a peculiarity. Occasionally one of the people can suddenly
have a brief flash of vision. Those people that have had this experience
tend to get very over-excited about it, and try to tell everyone about it in
extravagant language. But most of the people are skeptical of this alleged
'sight' thing and tend to think it is a load of old rubbish. After all,
they know that there are only 4 senses.
So how do we know if alleged mystical experiences really do constitute an
'expansion of consciouness' (was it Huxley?) or alternatively, how do we
know if they are a load of old rubbish?
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