Posted on 01/08/2024 1:40:14 AM PST by spirited irish
“Where there are no gods, ghosts reign….” Novalis, 1798
We have a myth in Western society. It is that the world was once magic and religious and that now it has become (with a few hold outs) largely secular and atheistic. But some historians have pointed out that this narrative doesn’t exactly hold. Poll after poll shows that populations, even in supposedly secular societies, tend to hold views in direct contrast with scientific materialism. If those populations don’t explicitly affirm belief in an organized religion or theology (such as Christianity) the people nonetheless tend to believe in ghosts, spirits, the eternity of the soul, prayer, and etc. “Church attendance may be low in Europe, but unconventional supernaturalism is thriving,” Sociologist, Rodney Stark writes. Taking Iceland as an example, Stark writes,
(Excerpt) Read more at patriotandliberty.com ...
ping
This is 1/2 true only. The author cherry picks his examples.
Yesterday’s article from the same sourcen was all about how Generation Z is amazingly secular, non religious, and atheist.
I think that’s correct.
The author also doesn’t name any real atheist p philosophers. In the recent past we had “the four horseman of the new atheism” - Dawkins. Sam Harris, Dan Dennett and the late Christopher Hitchrns.
They all explicitly reject and oppose roll- your-own mysticism.
As for the so-called atheist philosophers, they too reject the Christian worldview. However, their own metaphysical worldview is firmly grounded in occult paganism. specifically Atomism:
"The Greek Atomist Epicurus (341-270 BC) is the father of contemporary scientific materialism. The principle tenet of Atomism teaches that the world was not created by any deity, or with any design, but came about by a chance movement of physical atoms of various sizes and magnitude that cemented together and so formed the world.
The world and everything in it were not created but instead the accidental emergent or evolved products of a great cosmic event (exploding Cosmic Egg/Big Bang) that spontaneously generated animated physical matter from nothing. This way of thinking excludes everything unseen, such as the human soul, mind, angels and demons, and holds that humans are aggregates of physical matter in motion in a human form and the human mind an active principle of grey matter.
This ancient pagan way of thinking forms the basis of the materialist psychology of Sigmund Freud, Darwin's evolutionary conception, modern evolutionary biology, secular humanism, secular trans-humanism and Marxist quasi-pantheist and animist dialectical materialism.
Though modern materialism originated in the metaphysics of ancient Ionians and Stoics during the sixth century BC it was the Atomists (Leucippus/Democritus, 460-357 BC; Epicurus, 342-270 BC; and Lucretius, 96-55 BC) who methodically developed Atomism, the root and source of modern scientific evolutionary materialism." The Modern Pagan and Pantheist Antithesis of the Word of God
There is nothing empirical about so-called scientific materialism and evolution. Metaphysical? Yes. Occult? Absolutely.
Where there are no external Gods, one finds and experiences the true God within themselves.
John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Luke 24:32
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
John 14:
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Luke 17:
20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
I so pray that people understand these scriptures. You can only find and experience Jesus and God by searching WITHIN YOU.
If you allow your consciousness to grow and shift beyond the “Flat Consciousness Society” on earth, you will perceive and experience an entirely new reality.
Empirical Science works at this level to bring hard science and religion together in one body of knowledge that can be both directly observed and directly experienced. Miracles are merely science that is not currently understood as people’s souls have not grown sufficient to experience and understand them. People in the “Flat Consciousness Society “ do not have the intellectual capacity or consciousness processing speeds to grasp the higher level of understanding. That’s why Jesus spoke in parables.
The higher knowledge is very powerful as if you have the power to heal, you also have the power to kill, as Jesus displayed when He cursed the fig tree. Thus, it cannot be taught to people at the lower levels of consciousness where they would tend to use it and destroy.
Thus, you must grow to find, experience and understand it.
This is why Jesus dhared knowledge in private with His disciples that He asked them not to share with others.
I’m not discounting Jesus’s teachings one bit. They are very accurate. But they are the basic level or beginning levels as people were not ready for the higher knowledge.
My advice to all who are truly seeking God, read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to enter you, and pray for greater understanding.
John 14 is my favorite chapter of the Bible as it has great wisdom and truth.
I’ve noticed a surge in occult books and Facebook forums. I hangout on the angel forums. I find occultists to be much more spiritual with deeper faith than those who congregate. Lots of mental health issues that I now believe to be spiritually based. Like many of us, they’re noticing unusual sudden deaths in society. For a group that supposedly has many “seers,” some seemed alarmed they didn’t see it coming. And right around the same time, I noticed prominent people on an occult forum go back to their Catholic faith. Many, many posts about the Virgin Mary popping up in forums that were originally created by occultists. I find it amusing. (And no, they’re not try to pervert her. Nothing but respect for Our Lady.) Just some observations, but it feels like a great change is coming.
Materialism rejects free-will, self-awareness as evidence of a self, right and wrong thoughts and behaviors, meaning, purpose, beauty, and love. People claim materialism, but hardly ever practice it. Perhaps a few psychopaths, with no conception of right and wrong, may actually live up to the materialist label.
Scientific reasoning is reasoning with a reliance on hypothesis testing.
“Scientific materialism” is a marketing term. It’s materialism (philosophy) claiming the prestige of science. Scientific materialism is taught to all, including those in the sciences.
There are two extremes that are easy to articulate but not credible. One is that every event is purposeful. The other is that no event is purposeful.
I think he’s describing hopes rather than beliefs
Excellent response.
Working to understand how God accomplishes miracles (and all things) is not contrary to Jesus's teaching at all.
It is simply working for a deeper understanding over and above everyday consciousness.
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
I have a question.
What is your view of people who use mind-altering ingredients like mushrooms or Ayahuasca? Is this a way to achieve a higher level of consciousness? Some people think it to be true.
Drugs do not facilitate spiritual growth. Drugs serve to create a consciousness disconnect that allows for the feminine aspect of consciousness to go into wild swings. (we all have combinations of both no matter our actual gender)
The ego or masculine aspect of consciousness is linear and provides the structural framework for the soul, while feminine consciousness is non-linear or circular and it attaches to the masculine aspect for stability, either in a relationship or within self.
I have worked with two different cases of young women who used Ayahuasca one time and developed schizophrenia for life. This happened as they had not yet developed a sense of self identity which is masculine consciousness and the drug blocked their ability to do so in the future.
Drugs are never the answer for spiritual consciousness as they destabilizes consciousness by creating a disconnect. True soul growth comes only by embracing both aspects and stabilizing them by binding thrm together with Love.
I had several meetings with the Dr’s that performed the LSD research studies on the military back in the early 1960’s. They had a msjor problem pre-screening the subjects that were prone to bad trips. They did this by creating hypoxia. Hypoxia tended to create bad trips in subjects who had bad trips with LSD.
Hypnosis also creates a disconnect and is potentially very dangerous as it removes logical discernment. I used it extensively 30+ years ago and abandoned it as I don’t want control over people, which is how hypnosis works.
Prayerful meditation is the best practice. The key is where you focus your consciousness. Like the headlights on a car, wherever consciousness is directed, it goes no matter if it’s good or bad. Thus the Bible directs consciousness toward a higher level.
I fully agree with that statement.
My interest is if the use of these, in particular, mushrooms, Ayahuasca, or other similar substances, invoke a movement into a higher realm and/or another dimension?
I have never used any drug except alcohol in my many, many years on this planet and certainly have absolutely no plans to begin now.
Fertile minds want to know :-).
I have an acquaintance, a young person, who does this on a regular basis. His drug of choice is mushrooms. He grows his own and can tell you in excruciating detail the ingredients that make them what they are. I'm not sure how long he has done this, but it has been for a few years. He holds down a job but is just flawed in this way.
The author, Graham Hancock (Magician of The Gods), talks about his travels to South America to partake of Ayahuasca. He describes it as entering another realm.
You probably know that Johns Hopkins has conducted studies on these drugs.
It is clear that they alter consciousness, but exactly what is happening to the mind or soul under the influence of these substances? Does it move one to a higher level than “Flat Consciousness“?
Just curious.
Some move to a higher level temporarily, but then crash.
I know a very intelligent programmer that told me that he dis Ayahuasca 14 times in 2022. I could see the effect on his consciousness and his disconnect from reality. He was addicted to it. Headed toward a crash and burn.
Gnosticism is big in the world today. Small groups of elite people have special, advanced knowledge which allows them to realize that evils that defy the natural law, sodomy, abortion, etc, are actually advanced, superior, “progressive” ways of life. Gnosticism is shaking the Catholic Church with Francis allowing blessings on sodomy and Holy Communion for adulterers.
Very interesting beliefs info on those scientists and philosophers. I’m amazed.
Perhaps more interesting because insightful is that demonic forces (the occult) choose unstable people. The corollary is seen in sexual psychopaths and that ilk who also choose for their prey unstable, needy people.
I never thought of that but you’re right. It seems unstable, needy people are that way because they need Jesus.
“exactly what is happening to the mind or soul under the influence of these substances?”
My view is that the brain excels at filtering out “useless” data.
Psychedelics shut off some of those filters. This is supported by brain studies of psychedelic users that show brain activity decreasing under their influence.
This is a stunning finding—totally at variance with common myths of both pro and anti psychedelic folks.
Great podcast on the “mind” and what it is—and is not:
https://podbay.fm/p/where-is-my-mind
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