Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA00751 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 5 Oct 2000 12:32:55 +0100 Subject: RE: mysticism Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 07:29:34 -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 Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20001005112932.AAA21403@camailp.harvard.edu@[204.96.32.171]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Gatherer, D. (Derek) --
>How then could _they_ interpret the occasional flash of 'sight'
>as anything other than subjectivity and fevered imagination?
Ah, well, yes, in your example, you are assuming they have developed _no_
extrasensory apparatus at all, yes? And there is a physical process _in
their universe_ which, for some reason, their evolution has not developed
any biological apparatus for....
I must say, I don't totally grant you your conditions, but this is a
fable, after all.
So- I say they would interpret these flashes, perhaps, magically. Perhaps
they would not interpret them subjectively at all, but offer up gods and
forces to explain them. And create fables and myths to explain them to
others.
I am not saying that there are experiences for which few if any of us
could provide complete explanations, but, we have developed apparatus to
detect things that, for all we know at present, are not detected by our
own biological senses. I would have said, that in your example, that it
would merely be a matter of time before the not-seeing developed
apparatus that would detect light, as a matter of exploration in the
arena of scientific curiosity. But, yes, there would be a long period of
religiousness surrounding this physical reality for which no natural
detector had been evolved. (Although that's asking a supreme incompetence
of nature- one which I will not supply to it....)
So, yes, we can, as you paraphrased-
>>as mysticating people, create a machine that
>>reacts to mystical experience and supplies a pinch, or a poke, or even some
>>pleasant input after sensing light, say, in the same way a
>>mystitransmission circuit can
>>move a needle.
- and indeed, we have, several times. But the mystics have always refused
to make the connection between these scientific explanations and their
prideful lust that they are sensing secret wonders. It is the real
explanations that are refused by the religious.
Science is the first sin.
- Wade
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