4 ms·
People on HN are for the most part in awe of this vision(colonizing Mars). I find interesting to confront this vision with a mystic's opinion. Why? Because both
by throwaway5426 14y ago
People on HN are for the most part in awe of this vision(colonizing Mars). I find interesting to confront this vision with a mystic's opinion.
Why?
Because both scientists and mystics seek to acquire knowledge, although the path undertaken is of a significantly different nature. One seeks outside himself, the other inside.
Here is a rephrasing of a quote of Meher Baba (a respected spiritual master):
What will man find on mars? nothing but himself. (He said it about the moon)
I am genuinely curious to know the opinion of the HN crowd about the fundamental disagreement between these two visions?
- mercurial 14y agoIt's not necessarily contradictory. Such an experience would change the life of the participants. While not the goal of the experience, the end result might be the same.
- mburns 14y agoThat is a bunch of unhelpful babbling. The answer to "why?" is just as easily given: "why not?" No more need be justified. >Because both scientists and mystics seek to acquire knowledge, although the path undertaken is of a significantly different nature. One has a testable process that can be shared with other people, the other doesn't. You can call your search for truth whatever you like, but the process makes all the difference. Alchemists sought truth, etc, etc. >"What will man find on mars? nothing but himself." So what? How should that at all influence whether it happens or not? It is like saying "Wherever you go, that is where you are". True, but unhelpful. You can use it to justify or not justify undertaking whatever action, depending on how you choose to interpret it at the time. "Finding myself" (on whatever level you choose to define 'Find' and 'myself') on Mars sounds awesome, not disappointing.