IS there a spiritual realm, what are its properties, have you experienced it?

[Dick Sirloin]

Not a theological question per se, but the idea of another realm above material reality has been the subject of countless philosophical and literary works, not to mention theosophy, arcane texts, ancient religions, the Kabbalah, etc.

Here are the questions to ponder first: does spirit exist IN and AS all material matter, or is it a dual realm? Is it stratified, like Dante? How many levels of "spirit" are there? Is the dream world a glimpse into the realm where time and space fuse? What does altered consciousness and the frontal lobe have to do with it?

Now the real question: have you ever had a "spiritual experience" or had a glimpse at the "sublime" (as the poets called it), whether through drugs, meditation, music, or just suddenly/randomly (as many people have reported)?

If not, is it something that you think CAN and DOES happen to everyone at some point? And do you think there is such a thing as a "spiritual experience" as opposed to just products of the frontal lobe?




We haven't had a good philosophical thread in a while.

 

[JayKeeley]

 

[NAD]

Hey, Chavez, how come they ain't killing us?
Because we're in the spirit world, asshole. They can't see us.

Something like this it's hard to get a real solid answer, unless of course you just want to have no fun at all and say NO. So I'll just say that reality is overrated.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

The bourgeois need not reply... [/snide]

 

[Conspicuously Absent]

I honestly don't know, I have more important stuff to think about usually. Sometimes I hope there is something, but I honestly am too pessimistic to believe in anything other than what I can see and touch

 

[lizard]

I think spirituality, be it a belief in a deity or simply the power of a forest or mountains is a matter of your mind believing and therefore able to create a place within your own mind where you are more tranquil, less prone to anxiety and life's outrageous slings and arrows...there are simply too many unexplainable mind over matter happenstances to believe otherwise.

How much of our brain is used? Isn't it some small percent of the whole? The rest of it is there for some sort of reason. I think (and this is kind of a pet theory/fantasy of mine) that if man were able to continually evolve, we would develop some pretty amazing abilities, whether it be mind to mind communication or astral projection, whatever.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I know i had some astral projections (or how is that called) and some "leaving body and then coming back" experiences, but maybe there were just dreams. Didn't look/feel like dreams though.

 

[lizard]

see that's what I'm saying, maybe some of our dreams are harbringers of things to come.

course non of us will ever live to see it, so the point is moot.

but maybe if I write this all down, someday like 1500 years from now, some guys will be mentally communicating, and one of them will say, "I was reviewing some ancient texts the other day and came across this most amazing primitive being named Lizardstradamus..."

uh oh UM is farting out again

 

[Dick Sirloin]

I know i had some astral projections (or how is that called) and some "leaving body and then coming back" experiences, but maybe there were just dreams. Didn't look/feel like dreams though.

Many esoterics believe that the dream world is the "next" world... that would probably mean that astral projection would be the next step in consciousness expansion, theoretically. That said, I've had some pretty fucking weird dreams and terrible frights of sitting up and seeing my sleeping self. Scariest shit ever. But then I have dreams about NAD and they make me all better.

I've also met people (not hippies, not young/stupid people) who claim to be able to travel in the "astral realm." Sounds like hippie spookie crap, I know. But, like Lizard said, we have no idea how much potential the brain actually has.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

but maybe if I write this all down, someday like 1500 years from now, some guys will be mentally communicating, and one of them will say, "I was reviewing some ancient texts the other day and came across this most amazing primitive being named Lizardstradamus..."

LOL

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Many esoterics believe that the dream world is the "next" world... that would probably mean that astral projection would be the next step in consciousness expansion, theoretically. That said, I've had some pretty fucking weird dreams and terrible frights of sitting up and seeing my sleeping self. Scariest shit ever. But then I have dreams about NAD and they make me all better.

For me, what was really scary while it lasted was the "trying to get back in the body" sequence. But generally the whole experience was outstanding.

 

[NAD]

Last night I had a dream I cut my hair and started wearing shiny shirts. I forced myself awake, it sucked. My right arm was asleep still, I should've done the Stranger but all I could think about was how bad I had to whiz.

The only thing that has caused me to truly transcend existence is music and books, although those occasions were more getting lost in myself than anything else I believe. Sleep deprivation worked once, but that was just me being weird I think.

 

[JayKeeley]

"done the Stranger", haha. That's an old sailor's trick, don't ya know.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Whatever happened to speed?

 

[unhinged]

sleep depravation has led to some pretty weirdshit in my head
I think the halucinations are like dreaming awake
its pretty weird, not like acid or mushrooms

 

[unhinged]

Whatever happened to speed?

after some drinking in mates house I indulged in a couple of lines of speed
shit must have been cut with something vile my legs went dead for about 2 hours
thought i was paralysed

 

[NAD]

hahahaha

My answer is that he ditched the forum to go hang out at the Philosophy forum. I think he thought everyone hated him here, but I never did. It was mostly Erik, who now defends his particular take on downloading.

 

[unhinged]

I actually thought you were talking about the decline of the drug speed with the growing availability of cocaine.....duh

 

[lizard]

understandable mistake.

speed was actually from Ohio, but down by Cincitucky.

 

[unhinged]

don't worry I've made a lot of drug ,mistakes in my time uke: :zombie: