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Apparently among the other things it develops are a contempt for most of humanity?

by jrochkind1 4y ago

zozbot234 4y ago
[flagged]
- NikolaNovak 4y ago
  Have you read the post you are defending? Calling anybody who needs some evidence for psychic abilities a football-watching mindless drone is... Kind of a canonical insulting contempt.
  - zozbot234 4y ago
    Yes, if the only reason you're ever interested in meditation and spirituality is the hope that it might some day give you special superpowers, I'd call that a bit childish and immature. These things exist as a trivial correlate of deep altered states of consciousness, but they're the least interesting part. Focusing on them to the exclusion of everything else is quite unhealthy.
pessimizer 4y ago
Saying that science done in Europe and the US about ancient Asian breathing techniques is embarrassing is way less offensive than thinking that Europe and the US are most of humanity.
- elefanten 4y ago
  Or perhaps your assumption that “western ‘science’” is only valued in “Europe and the US” is the offensive perspective? Searching for the strawman doesn’t make your point stronger.
- jrochkind1 4y ago
  I didn't say anything involved was "offensive"! I am ambivalent about "western science", it's very useful, there are also other modes of inquiry and discovery that are useful. However, it's funny to think that one might do lots of meditation and consciousness altering meditation, which some people say can lead to some form of enlightenment, spiritual calm, and/or compassion for humanity, and instead it leads you to sum up those who don't follow your directions as "mindlessly scrolling, eating hamburgers and watching football" in a generally contemptuous screed.
  - zozbot234 4y ago
    That was not a reference to "those who don't follow your directions". As stated in OP's comment, it was clearly aimed at those who would outright laugh about these spiritual matters, simply because OP pointed out that such practices might also develop special abilities at some point. It's absolutely a fair remark.

Apparently among the other things it develops are a contempt for most of humanity?

zozbot234 4y ago

[flagged]

NikolaNovak 4y ago
Have you read the post you are defending? Calling anybody who needs some evidence for psychic abilities a football-watching mindless drone is... Kind of a canonical insulting contempt.
- zozbot234 4y ago
  Yes, if the only reason you're ever interested in meditation and spirituality is the hope that it might some day give you special superpowers, I'd call that a bit childish and immature. These things exist as a trivial correlate of deep altered states of consciousness, but they're the least interesting part. Focusing on them to the exclusion of everything else is quite unhealthy.

pessimizer 4y ago

Saying that science done in Europe and the US about ancient Asian breathing techniques is embarrassing is way less offensive than thinking that Europe and the US are most of humanity.

elefanten 4y ago
Or perhaps your assumption that “western ‘science’” is only valued in “Europe and the US” is the offensive perspective? Searching for the strawman doesn’t make your point stronger.
jrochkind1 4y ago
I didn't say anything involved was "offensive"! I am ambivalent about "western science", it's very useful, there are also other modes of inquiry and discovery that are useful. However, it's funny to think that one might do lots of meditation and consciousness altering meditation, which some people say can lead to some form of enlightenment, spiritual calm, and/or compassion for humanity, and instead it leads you to sum up those who don't follow your directions as "mindlessly scrolling, eating hamburgers and watching football" in a generally contemptuous screed.
- zozbot234 4y ago
  That was not a reference to "those who don't follow your directions". As stated in OP's comment, it was clearly aimed at those who would outright laugh about these spiritual matters, simply because OP pointed out that such practices might also develop special abilities at some point. It's absolutely a fair remark.