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> [...] convinced that a council of invisible cosmic entities governed reality. Kind of odd to throw that out as an affirmation of this man's eccentricity, whe

by hbosch 11y ago

> [...] convinced that a council of invisible cosmic entities governed reality. Kind of odd to throw that out as an affirmation of this man's eccentricity, when billions of human beings consider this absolutely normal.

lsaferite 11y ago
It's all about how many other people share your belief. If it just you or a small handful of people, you're crazy or eccentric. If it's a few hundred you start getting into the cultist region. Pass a few thousand and you become religious. Yes, those number were pulled out of thin air, but the sentiment remains.
JohnBooty 11y ago
Perhaps somewhat related. The other day I read that DMT produces psychedelic experiences that often involve a common thread that is somewhat similar to a "council of invisible cosmic entities:" multiple technologically advanced entities. Strassman (2001) reported that “about half” of the 60 volunteers entered what he described as “freestanding, independent levels of existence” of a highly unusual nature. These places were inhabited by what volunteers described as intelligent “beings”, “entities”, “aliens”, “guides”, and “helpers”... ...Strangely enough, reports of these kinds of beings seem to be unique to DMT, as Strassman was unable to find anything similar in the research literature on other psychedelic drugs. There were some consistent themes in experiences of entity contact. Participants frequently reported that the beings seemed to be waiting for them. Volunteers were subjected to an examination by these beings in what appeared to be a technologically advanced setting. Volunteers felt like their mind and body was probed and tested, or even modified in some unexplained way. The beings communicated with the user through gestures ...Strassman noted the striking parallels between these entity contact experiences and accounts of alien abduction. Intriguingly, many volunteers refused to believe that these experiences were hallucinations or dreams, as they seemed too real. Strassman reported being initially quite baffled by and unprepared for the frequency of these entity experiences among his volunteers... As an atheist and somebody who has never used psychedelics I find this fascinating.

by hbosch 11y ago

lsaferite 11y ago

It's all about how many other people share your belief. If it just you or a small handful of people, you're crazy or eccentric. If it's a few hundred you start getting into the cultist region. Pass a few thousand and you become religious. Yes, those number were pulled out of thin air, but the sentiment remains.

JohnBooty 11y ago

Perhaps somewhat related. The other day I read that DMT produces psychedelic experiences that often involve a common thread that is somewhat similar to a "council of invisible cosmic entities:" multiple technologically advanced entities. Strassman (2001) reported that “about half” of the 60 volunteers entered what he described as “freestanding, independent levels of existence” of a highly unusual nature. These places were inhabited by what volunteers described as intelligent “beings”, “entities”, “aliens”, “guides”, and “helpers”... ...Strangely enough, reports of these kinds of beings seem to be unique to DMT, as Strassman was unable to find anything similar in the research literature on other psychedelic drugs. There were some consistent themes in experiences of entity contact. Participants frequently reported that the beings seemed to be waiting for them. Volunteers were subjected to an examination by these beings in what appeared to be a technologically advanced setting. Volunteers felt like their mind and body was probed and tested, or even modified in some unexplained way. The beings communicated with the user through gestures ...Strassman noted the striking parallels between these entity contact experiences and accounts of alien abduction. Intriguingly, many volunteers refused to believe that these experiences were hallucinations or dreams, as they seemed too real. Strassman reported being initially quite baffled by and unprepared for the frequency of these entity experiences among his volunteers... As an atheist and somebody who has never used psychedelics I find this fascinating.