Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It would take time and discipline to awaken your right-brain sensitivities. Our education focuses on the left brain disciplines . . . language and mathematics and generally ignores or downplays the right brain disciplines.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pleroo
This is another old thread, but a good one. I enjoyed reading through it again. When this thread started, I also hadn't had any experiences of feeling a "supernatural" (for lack of a better term) presence, and that hasn't changed. Reason tells me that God exists, and being curious, I'd be very interested in experiencing that God in some way out of what is ordinary to me and says beyond a shadow of a doubt, "I'm God and I'm here!". But I haven't.
For me, personally, while "out of the ordinary" would be a very interesting thing to experience and I'm not closed off to the possibility, I don't spend much time or effort seeking it. Love (caring and compassion) is real and it matters in this life, so that's what I seek ... Both the feeling and the practical application of loving others. I think that is what ultimately connects us all to God and allows us to experience God. If that's not true then, imo, God really doesn't matter other than as a point of curiosity.
There is nothing supernatural about it, Pleroo. Every time I have explained what is needed to "naturally" experience it to others they simply brush it off as "too much work and it shouldn't be necessary." While most do not see the parallel . . . this is like saying learning to read and do mathematics is "too much work and it shouldn't be necessary." The ONLY reason we can investigate and understand anything about our reality is because we develop the left-brain disciplines mentioned to do so. A similar nexus exists between developing the right-brain disciplines and investigating and understanding our reality. Just as we have different abilities for developing our left brain disciplines . . . the same is true for the right-brain disciplines. We don't expect our understanding to be automatic without developing the left-brain disciplines . . . so why do we expect it with the right-brain?
Your identification of love (especially agape or maitri in Buddhism) as a central trigger is correct, Pleroo . . . but it is only the beginning. Realistically, I do not expect anyone to engage in the effort that I expended . . . but there are other paths that can ultimately lead to similar results (silence, devout prayer, exercising our empathy and compassion, etc.). The thing to understand is that the brain is NOT limited to the information available from our typical senses. We have evidence that the brain also interprets information from fields in the environment directly. It is the brain sensing stimuli and interpreting them that constitutes our experience of reality. The evidence that the brain interprets artificially produced EM fields as a presence or an OBE is instructive. There is no such thing as "outside" within the unified field . . . it is only a sense experience interpreted by our physical brain. I will let you intuit the implications.
Every time I have explained what is needed to "naturally" experience it to others they simply brush it off as "too much work and it shouldn't be necessary."
Maybe, but for me it isn't about the effort or time required. I get that some things take time and effort. No, for me the problem is that you have not been able to define what it should take to get to that state. If I was understanding you correctly, you essentially said that one must train in meditation until one gets the same result you did, otherwise you have done it wrong.
That simply isn't a testable methodology. You of all people with your training in testing and statistics should recognize that. If you could explain the steps that should enable one to reach the same result, then others could test it, but defining the experimental procedure as reaching the same result you did is simply tautological, a useless, un-testable assertion.
Maybe, but for me it isn't about the effort or time required. I get that some things take time and effort. No, for me the problem is that you have not been able to define what it should take to get to that state. If I was understanding you correctly, you essentially said that one must train in meditation until one gets the same result you did, otherwise you have done it wrong.
That simply isn't a testable methodology. You of all people with your training in testing and statistics should recognize that. If you could explain the steps that should enable one to reach the same result, then others could test it, but defining the experimental procedure as reaching the same result you did is simply tautological, a useless, un-testable assertion.
-NoCapo
He has, elsewhere. I could search around a bit (probably will*), but I'm not sure I could find the post again. For me, I freely admit, it's about not being willing to spend the time or effort required, partly because I don't know if it's worth it to me. Don't know what that says about me, but there you have it.
*ETA: Yeah, sorry, couldn't find the post I was thinking of.
connection. You all of a sudden feel connected. For us that didn't know, it's like walking out into a warm rain. Those that are already out there are wondering what gives. The ones that remain sleeping inside, they think you are crazy. Ignorance is bliss. I wish I couldn't see it. I want to go back inside.
This is another old thread, but a good one. I enjoyed reading through it again. When this thread started, I also hadn't had any experiences of feeling a "supernatural" (for lack of a better term) presence, and that hasn't changed. Reason tells me that God exists, and being curious, I'd be very interested in experiencing that God in some way out of what is ordinary to me and says beyond a shadow of a doubt, "I'm God and I'm here!". But I haven't.
I came to a similar conclusion as Craig.
For me, personally, while "out of the ordinary" would be a very interesting thing to experience and I'm not closed off to the possibility, I don't spend much time or effort seeking it. Love (caring and compassion) is real and it matters in this life, so that's what I seek ... Both the feeling and the practical application of loving others. I think that is what ultimately connects us all to God and allows us to experience God. If that's not true then, imo, God really doesn't matter other than as a point of curiosity.
yup again. But for me its not emotional.
For me it is just an understanding how the universe works. That's why I can't dismiss it based on "of no use to me". I could say the same thing about the ort cloud, but its way cool knowing it is out there. I can't be a true anti-ort cloud, when the data suggest something is out there surrounding our solor sytem. not no-nothing.
That simply isn't a testable methodology. You of all people with your training in testing and statistics should recognize that. If you could explain the steps that should enable one to reach the same result, then others could test it, but defining the experimental procedure as reaching the same result you did is simply tautological, a useless, un-testable assertion.
-NoCapo
acutally it is testable and verifiable
but a whole host of human character traits keep a person from being their own kitchen table laboratory
there is a story of scientists who went to the amazon to meet with medicine men, they were wanting to know and gather which plants cured what, and use these plants in modern medicine. the indigenous tribes confirmed yes, there are plants that cure any disease. the scientists got excited, sure they were close to success. show us the plants and tell us what each cures. they had their notebooks and pens ready. the medicine men said first you get quiet and you pray and you talk to the plants and ask for their healing, and they tell you which plant to use for which disease. the scientists said no, no, skip that part, just show us the plants. they were unwilling to do what it took to get the results they wanted.
it doesn't work unless the person is involved in the process. it has to be personal and individual.
the first step would be to suspend disbelief. many people are unwilling to even do that.
I am spiritual, not religious. As a spiritual person, I "believe" in a power greater than myself . . .don't have a clue what it is, but I believe there is a divine power of some kind . . .
And I pray to that divine power and believe my prayers have some effect on changing "reality."
But my faith is intellectual - and maybe spiritual, but not emotional or physical . . .I can't FEEL anything coming back in terms of reciprocation . . .
So this post is for those of you who FEEL a spiritual presence . . .what can you say about that?
I am not sure why my spiritual/emotional senses are blocked (I perceive that there is a block) . . .It is very frustrating. I think my whole life would be different if I could actually FEEL a divine presence in my life.
This thread is strictly about FEELING DIVINE PRESENCE, NOT ABOUT RELIGION. I would love to hear people's experiences.
Feel?
Sometimes our 'feelings' are not great indicators to the truth. Personal bias and beliefs can get in the way and cause emotional disturbances which promote the bending of what is into something it isn't.
There is nothing supernatural about it, Pleroo. Every time I have explained what is needed to "naturally" experience it to others they simply brush it off as "too much work and it shouldn't be necessary." While most do not see the parallel . . . this is like saying learning to read and do mathematics is "too much work and it shouldn't be necessary." The ONLY reason we can investigate and understand anything about our reality is because we develop the left-brain disciplines mentioned to do so. A similar nexus exists between developing the right-brain disciplines and investigating and understanding our reality. Just as we have different abilities for developing our left brain disciplines . . . the same is true for the right-brain disciplines. We don't expect our understanding to be automatic without developing the left-brain disciplines . . . so why do we expect it with the right-brain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoCapo
Maybe, but for me it isn't about the effort or time required. I get that some things take time and effort. No, for me the problem is that you have not been able to define what it should take to get to that state. If I was understanding you correctly, you essentially said that one must train in meditation until one gets the same result you did, otherwise you have done it wrong.
That simply isn't a testable methodology. You of all people with your training in testing and statistics should recognize that. If you could explain the steps that should enable one to reach the same result, then others could test it, but defining the experimental procedure as reaching the same result you did is simply tautological, a useless, un-testable assertion.
-NoCapo
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pleroo
He has, elsewhere. I could search around a bit (probably will*), but I'm not sure I could find the post again. For me, I freely admit, it's about not being willing to spend the time or effort required, partly because I don't know if it's worth it to me. Don't know what that says about me, but there you have it.
*ETA: Yeah, sorry, couldn't find the post I was thinking of.
I have more than once, Pleroo . . . but with over 25,000 posts even I would have trouble locating any of them. It took me 18+ years experimenting and altering techniques to eventually and unexpectedly achieve success. I only began to have greater and greater success by adopting biofeedback techniques to the other methods of achieving focus. Back then it was new and there were not a lot of sophisticated aids as there are today. It was largely diligence, trial and error. I think the use of biofeedback is what helped me to retain conscious control as I achieved deeper altered states. Perhaps that is what accounts for my certainty about the reality of what I encountered.
Sometimes our 'feelings' are not great indicators to the truth. Personal bias and beliefs can get in the way and cause emotional disturbances which promote the bending of what is into something it isn't.
Be that as it may...while drowning when a youngster, I felt a sense of semi-grateful resignation - with gusts up to relief - when I realized I was in the process of dying at 10 years of age. The experience left me with many lasting impressions, not the least of which is that feelings can register as truth as much as verifiable evidence.
Maybe, but for me it isn't about the effort or time required. I get that some things take time and effort. No, for me the problem is that you have not been able to define what it should take to get to that state. If I was understanding you correctly, you essentially said that one must train in meditation until one gets the same result you did, otherwise you have done it wrong.
Putting it another way, a means to a desired outcome has to be reproducible and reasonably predictable, and the more costly it is in time and effort, the more certain the outcome has to be. That is just reality.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I enjoyed reading through it again. When this thread started, I also hadn't had any experiences of feeling a "supernatural" (for lack of a better term) presence, and that hasn't changed. Reason tells me that God exists, and being curious, I'd be very interested in experiencing that God in some way out of what is ordinary to me and says beyond a shadow of a doubt, "I'm God and I'm here!". But I haven't. 
