Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA02494 (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 19:35:52 +0100 Subject: RE: mysticism Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 14:32:49 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas est veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20001004183252.AAA14748@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 10/04/00 10:17, Gatherer, D. (Derek) said this-
>"No [allegedly seeing person] has ever created an instrument [technology]
>that shows us what they 'see'. Although they've supplied us with a myriad
>of stories and fables and yarns."
>
>So are we out of the problem yet?
Well, to put this problem away, since it really weren't a problem, for
me, in the first place, we can, as sighted people, create a machine that
reacts to light and supplies a pinch, or a poke, or even some pleasant
input to the sense of touch, say, in the same way a photocell circuit can
move a needle.
In essence, we can 'change' the sensory input, as long as we can sense
the original with some instrumentation, and so far, we have not been able
to supply a human sense that some instrumentation cannot also duplicate,
and in most cases, greatly surpass.
>* I think this may actually not be strictly correct, as brain stimulation by
>magnetic fields can recreate mystical experiences (as indeed can certain
>drugs) - so maybe there is a technology of mysticism....
I would not call this a technology of mystics at all, quite the contrary,
unless mystical knowledge was necessary to make this machine that uses
stimulating magnetic fields. Much more the case, I see this as a real
universe explanation of mystical experience, providing us with empirical
proof that such experiences are totally subjective.
There is no technology of mysticism, just as there is no technology of
astrology.
- Wade
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