There is a set of beliefs and viewpoints which seem to be increasingly common in these times. Many of these ideas have been floating around the intellectual/religious underground for years but it seems that in this age of zeitgeist and information overload it has become much more acceptable to express them openly. Things like auras, chakras, spirit guides, shamanism, mediumship, various alternative healing methods, premonitions, channelling, kirilian photography, crystals etc. There are many,many more im sure im forgetting here but you get the idea. So where do you stand on these or any others you can think of? Is your mind open to the idea of any of them? If so why? And if not, why not?
It's fashionable to believe in stuff without any evidence to support it. Perhaps people perceive it as brave to have faith in something that they have no proof exists. It's kind of hip. Then again a lot of the things you mentioned relate to a lot of religions.
I think it's new age concepts, and they've been around for a long time. Personally I feel there is probably some truth in some of the concepts, but I don't know if you should mess around with them, if that makes sense. I think those things will ultimately open you up for evil to come into your life. It's like the devil is showing you a little tempting bait, and if you take it, you won't like how it turns out. For example, reiki. That stuff seems to work pretty well. But the deeper into it you get, it actually instructs you to open yourself up and invite a spirit to inhabit you. Don't know what any of you guy's beliefs are, but that sounds like a bad thing to me.
It's all bullshit, first of all, and I don't think it's more acceptable nowadays. I think bashing all that shit is more acceptable. And that's a good thing.
Interesting point of view. By that logic though, praying to a higher power could be considered dangerous as could the catholic process of intaking the "body and blood of christ". Both of those processes theoretically open you up for other energies.
This. And oftentimes its people that don't want to look anywhere because of family/societal pressure.
That dude's worried about black-eyed children knocking on his door. So, he's bound to have an interesting point of view.
it's like a damn spider web man, you can't escape i still do the whole religious christmas thing just to keep the old ones happy
An open mind is vital in all aspects of life. Its true that these ideas consistently fail when the scientific method is applied, but I find some of them fascinating nonetheless and I do believe the fact that science is expanding to even consider them worthy of trial to be interesting in its own right.
You can see the problem of these pseudo-religious beliefs right in your description of them. Most people take a very lazy approach to them, and don't gain more than a surface understanding of what they are and what they're rooted in. As someone else said, it's hip. And hip is just another word for lazy and lacking creativity. There are 7 billion people on the planet now, there didn't use to be, so sure, there are more suckers and lazy people than there used to be. And it's easier to disseminate any information today versus even ten years ago, let alone 30 or 40 years ago. But I think you're trying to say that more suckers and better information sharing someone lends validity to the subject matter, and that just isn't the case.
Where I do I stand? It's all BULLSHIT. Every single thing that you mentioned has as much scientific validity (and effectiveness - i. e. that of a placebo) as orgone energy crystals... Then again, mainstream religion isn't much better - two hands at work can achieve far more than a billion clasped in prayer. People are stupid.
I absolutely was NOT trying to say it lends validity to these notions, I was merely saying that they have become more widespread and trying to promote some discussion on the topic. Nothing more.
I dont see how mainstream religion is better at all. At least the majority of these mentioned are relatively harmless, mainstream religion is a whole different beast. But I could envision a day when this new spirituality becomes a quasi religion(s) in its own right.
Watched the Zeitgeist movie, and I think what it showed me, is that people are quick to connect dots that don't necessitate connecting. Like its so assumed that because se prior peoples and societies had Christlike deities with similar origins, that this automatically nullifies Christianity. Where in fact throughout the Bible, you have various "types" of Christs that preceded the antitype. For instance the prophecy, "Out of Egypt I have called my son" originally refered to Judah and the nation of Israel. Both Joseph and David are considered "types" of Christs. Furthermore, the prophecy that the woman in travail for 30 years refered to, was a very seemingly-obscure reference to the coming Christ (I believe in Malachi, saying, "the Son will come with healing in his wings." The wings refered to the corner tassels that were common in robes in those days. The woman believed that if she would only touch one of them she would be healed - and was instantly (according to the Biblical account). I find that in the scientific world, most leading-edge anthropologists, archaeologists and Biologists live counter-evolutionary in their practical lives. Very few procreate - the essence and instinctual demand of the organism for the survival and evolution of the species - and make scientific jumps based on a philosophical disposition. Again, the fact that so few are well-rounded individuals able to properly care for offspring and a marriage relationship causes me to be dubious of the premise which is espoused.
Most of those things you mention are not new in the slightest but we have begun to see an increase in watered down versions of them in 'respectable' western society (whereas in earlier decades such as the 60s & 70s these ideas were found almost exclusively in counter-cultural circles).
