When I gave up on religion I didn’t realize I’d need to give up on many assumptions as well or I’d never be happy. Assumptions about some of the most basic things as one does when formulating opinions based on established abstract memories that have become detached from physical sensation memories.
For example when I was in the military I didn’t know a single person that liked anything about the experience. Now when I go to the VA I hear people that even went to war that remanence about their good times in the service. Most people remember the good because it’s better for them.
It’s about everything as I was reminded this morning when I was asked about human existence external to the human body. Their terms were more heaven hell and souls, so I mentioned reincarnation as it seemed related which got them upset since it’s not part of their religion.
I realized (again) that there has never been and never will be a human mind that experiences death. You can experience dying but not death. Anticipating what it’ll be like after you’re gone is like trying to remember what you were like before you were born. That’s why I want a fulfilling life, it is its own reward. I can’t be irresponsible about it either, after you’re gone all your secrets will probably be exposed.
Sorry, just another Willow blog.
Moving my skeletons from the closet to a deep grave in the woods in preparation.
We humans have faulty memories about our experiences and normally we end up dwelling on the good parts of any experience. This is maybe good for us, but it also keeps religion going in my opinion. As a one time believer I also believed in spirits and everything like it that the bible mentioned. I was also a horror film buff. Today I cannot watch a horror film. I try but I think they are stupid and idiotic. They seem like a comedy to me and I laugh at them. Since becoming an atheist I cannot take any nonsense seriously. I'm serious and that ain't no joke. LOL
I think our assumptions often present unexamined points in our own thinking, and the weak points of other’s thought. I like the mental exercise of digging deeper: it’s kind of “chess-like.”
Personally, I find it comforting to know I came with an “off switch.” The thought of just going on and on is tedious to me. As far as my secrets being exposed later, I try to silence any witnesses and also invested in a Medic-Alert bracelet.
The human as n mind seems to create its own reality. It’s our nature to be self protective so difficult and painful memories are often required in our brains. The Mandela effect is an example of memory playing tricks.
Cognitive dissonance is another. Let’s face it, humans are great storytellers with bad memories! Lol
Oh yea, my ego has no trouble subtlety confirming statements by others that I think are flattering even when I know they aren’t technically true.
Ego is the event horizon of self, there to protect us from the truth of ourselves, that self is delusion.
Delusion is the bedrock for motivation, conflict, presentation, competition etc…
For better presentation I need more props!
LOL
Stuff
Much more fulfilling to ruminate on concrete thoughts, than abstract ones. Unless you’re in the throes of creative pursuits.
To know what something is you have to become it empathy wise. It’s easy to forget to limit your perspective. Just take a moment to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and do it right you might get an accurate read on their emotions with enough situational information it can be almost like reading a mind.
@Willow_Wisp empathy is the great responsible way
Feel free to type away. There's always a few of us reading.
Thank you
When I was in the Army, all I can say is that it was the best of times and it was the worst of times, the same goes for the religions I was in. I like Buddhism because you live in the present and you make your future for however long you have from this point in time, now.
In the original New Testament Jesus talked about reincarnation but it was edited out
Yes, in the Gospels somewhere Jesus claims that John the Baptist was, “If you can bare it this is Elias”
In the 700’s a Pope was confined for a couple of weeks to make him sign a document that declared reincarnation a heresy. The Gnostics believed in reincarnation and some denominations lived as humanitarian mystics with views similar to Buddhism with vegetarianism and meditation a practice that’s not elaborated on in biblical scriptures. The Cathars were a Gnostic faith that was quite popular in France the Inquisition against the Heretics in 1300’s came before the Spanish Inquisition that started in the 1500’s.
I could actually write a book about the history of western mysticism.
Including deleted and distorted history and how we know.
@Willow_Wisp By the time Constantine made the cano nization of the New Testament there were hundreds of variations
of Christianity. This video goes into details
@abyers1970 like I know
I just had to comment on not knowing anyone who had good experiences in the military. I, for one, had a blast. My 4 years was one joke and unbelievable situation after another. I could write a book. The things that happened one could not make up.
One tiny example, when we started basic in Ft. Ord, CA our platoon was told we had no DI. The one slated for us was sent to lead DI school as he was so good and a replacement had not been found. We hung around other platoons but were just excess baggage for the other DI's. Once, we heard some noise at 3 AM and looked outside to see a bunch of guys standing at attention in their skivvies in front of their foot lockers. There had been a surprise inspection, someone messed up and the whole platoon had to take their lockers downstairs and stand at attention for 1/2 hour. This was November. I can't remember us even having an inspection. Ft. Ord was a closed base due to meningitis. No one could leave. There were two big guys who worked in Disneyland as cartoon figures (one was goofy and one Mickey Mouse). They would get high on pot and it actually made them better at their jobs but they could not get their drugs at the base. I had very poor eyesight and had a pair of rose colored sunglasses. When these guys wanted to get high they would borrow my sunglasses, sit in a corner and see everything distorted and pretend they were on pot. For the rest of my service things got even crazier as time went on.
I remember everyone complained the same while carrying that little ID card. Those of us that were introverts really lived in hell with little to no privacy aboard ship. I spent a lot of time looking for places to hide for some alone time to just read or daydream on my off hours.
@Willow_Wisp Sorry it was so bad. When I first received my notice I tried to enlist and the Navy was my first choice. Took a standardized aptitude test and did well. Was told (at that time) the Navy had a quota and it was filled and I had to wait until next month. When the draft call-in was sent at the end of that month I then went to the army recruiter and offered to enlist and was given the same test (I did even better the 2nd time). At least I got a choice of military career and avoided Viet Nam. I had originally wanted to serve aboard a sub but after your comments perhaps that would have also been miserable for me, whew.
After you are gone there is the possibility that at least some of your secrets will be expose but most people are too mentally stunted to understand the complexity of those secrets and (Blessed Be ) it won't matter to you one little bit because you'll be in the big dirt nap. lol