Altered states Ancient and Modern

[ritchtbiscuit]

"There once was a time when priests were scientists who understood why god had made the universe, and they built their theology around knowledge. But over the last 2000 years, religion has forgotten science to become an empty husk or mantra and baseless superstition. The priesthood once led humankind's search for the hidden mysteries of nature and science, but today clings to a remote relevance trying to be guardians of an assumed social morality in a changing world".... Uriels Machine

[i11]

"There once was a time when priests were scientists who understood why god had made the universe,

I for one certainly rue the knowledge we have lost, I believe that here in Ireland at least we'd have done better to burn St. Patrick than allow him to burn all the books that he did. What can we do but carry on, science always pushes forward, i hope.

[Boojum]

I don't necessarily think we have lost knowledge. I think what we lost with the arrival of first the Romans and then Christianity and the patriarchal culture they brought with them was a way of living, a way that society worked that wasn't all about the big (male) "I am.", the big bloke at the top. Pre-Roman and pre-Christian society in Europe (the so-called barbarians) was far more equal - women were allowed to own land, become leaders of their tribes (Boudicca is such a big figure in the history of Roman Britain not so much because of what she did, but because she was a strong female leader, something that was anathema to the Romans male-dominated society) and that male-dominated view of the world was built upon by the Christian church - God is he, Jesus was a man, Eve was the cause of the fall of humanity and original sin etc. Two thousand years of a male dominated culture in which women were at best second class citizens and at worst the cause of all the evil in the world, replacing a culture of relative equality. I think that's the most important knowledge that we lost, the knowledge that men are not better than women, that although we are obviously not the same we are equal and deserve an equal say. We also lost the power of a spiritual experience based on the revelatory powers of hallucinogenic plants and fungi. I wouldn't say that such experiences give you knowledge in the sense of how the world works, but I would say that they give you knowledge in the sense of how you work, how your mind works, and I'd say understanding yourself is one of the keys to understanding your place in the world. Everything is perception, there is no objective reality as far as our existence is concerned, everything is subjective, so hallucinogens (which break down the subjective view, turn perception on its head and make you realise that it's all just what your brain tells you it is, and that your brain can lie) help you understand the truth of reality, and that truth is that there is no truth.

And I'm talking utter bollocks. I started this post with such good intentions but all day drinking has hijacked me yet again. I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about As you were, nothing to see here

[GreenVision]

And I'm talking utter bollocks. I started this post with such good intentions but all day drinking has hijacked me yet again. I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about As you were, nothing to see here

Don't start so early, ...

Edited December 24, 2014 by GreenVision

[Boojum]

It's Christmas, it's the one time of year I have an excuse It would be foolish to waste it

[retro2807]

Can you imagine if today's priests were the figure heads of scientific exploration. .???

Some views and opinions of the clergy are truly mind boggling and highly regressive. If they were to find something ground breaking which went against their views it would get binned.

Oh wait. That kind of happens now, I've heard of a few discoveries which have been swept under the carpet so to speak. The true history of Native America is a good one. I can't recall the others. I'm far to wasted . Merry Xmas to all and to all a baked night.