Do you believe in God and why

[Sunmaster]

12 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

You would need to be careful in the interpretation of that experience, and what it left you with, in terms of knowledge and belief and differentiating between the two. 

I let that run through my mind...
I think that's an excellent question that we should all ask ourselves. 

It's human nature to add items to whatever framework we are working with. How much of what is in that framework comes from your own experience and how much derives from other sources? What are the conditions for those other sources to be accepted in your framework? 

For me, there must be a degree of trust, and trust has to be earned. I think it's safe to say that we all have some beliefs that are based on info from the outside. People usually don't go to verify the math behind gravitational attraction. They trust that the source has done its homework and that the results are valid. 

The same goes for more metaphysical data. Take Paramhansa Yogananda for example. Throughout his life he was consistent between what he said and what he did. No students abuse, no sexual misconduct, no amassing of luxury goods or power. All he ever did was to point out the divine within each of us and give practical tools on how to reconnect with it. What he said about the divine matched my own experience, but went a lot further than that. Given that condition (info consistent with my framework) and trust in the source (judged by actions rather than words), the info that goes beyond my personal experience was adopted safely in the framework as well. 

The biggest problem I see, is that some may not have the discerning tools to evaluate whether a source is reliable or not. They go by overall consensus. "Most people say it's like that, so it's probably true". Info gets added to the framework unchecked.

And this is exactly what my main point has been in the past years on this forum. From the very beginning I pointed out that true knowledge comes from the inside. You can read a million self-help books or holy books and it won't change you much. Yet, one instant of deep insight can change everything. 

Practice is the key to reconnect with your inner world. 
Practice strengthens and expands the framework.

Practice is the fuel that powers the BS detector.
Practice is transformative.
Practice is the key to go from believing to knowing.
Practice is the Antivirus in the USB drive.

 

[mauGR1]

21 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I see God as a force that energizes everything in the universe, which at it's most minute is ( far as I understand it ) electricity.

 

That's actually been proven on a biological level ... all living things have the same amino acids, or something like that, in their DNA strand, that binds us together and proves evolution.

 

That's a quite anodyne definition of God, and i think that evolution is an intelligent design by definition. 

Why some folks think that consciousness, awareness, intelligence belong just to humans is the real mystery to me.

[KhunLA]

3 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Why some folks think that consciousness, awareness, intelligence belong just to humans is the real mystery to me.

Just taking my dog as example, she's constantly thinking.  If I get out of bed 3 times during the night, she doesn't move.   If I put my robe on, she knows she's going out for a <deleted>.  Jumps off the bed before I tell her.

[mauGR1]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Just taking my dog as example, she's constantly thinking.  If I get out of bed 3 times during the night, she doesn't move.   If I put my robe on, she knows she's going out for a <deleted>.  Jumps off the bed before I tell her.

Actually a dog, or another mammal, who's living in the proximity of loving humans,  can develop unexpected levels of intelligence. 

Once i witnessed a dog singing a jazz tune ( well, singing as a dog, but quite in tune) together with a couple of friends. 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

9 hours ago, Sunmaster said:

I let that run through my mind...
I think that's an excellent question that we should all ask ourselves. 

It's human nature to add items to whatever framework we are working with. How much of what is in that framework comes from your own experience and how much derives from other sources? What are the conditions for those other sources to be accepted in your framework? 

For me, there must be a degree of trust, and trust has to be earned. I think it's safe to say that we all have some beliefs that are based on info from the outside. People usually don't go to verify the math behind gravitational attraction. They trust that the source has done its homework and that the results are valid. 

The same goes for more metaphysical data. Take Paramhansa Yogananda for example. Throughout his life he was consistent between what he said and what he did. No students abuse, no sexual misconduct, no amassing of luxury goods or power. All he ever did was to point out the divine within each of us and give practical tools on how to reconnect with it. What he said about the divine matched my own experience, but went a lot further than that. Given that condition (info consistent with my framework) and trust in the source (judged by actions rather than words), the info that goes beyond my personal experience was adopted safely in the framework as well. 

The biggest problem I see, is that some may not have the discerning tools to evaluate whether a source is reliable or not. They go by overall consensus. "Most people say it's like that, so it's probably true". Info gets added to the framework unchecked.

And this is exactly what my main point has been in the past years on this forum. From the very beginning I pointed out that true knowledge comes from the inside. You can read a million self-help books or holy books and it won't change you much. Yet, one instant of deep insight can change everything. 

Practice is the key to reconnect with your inner world. 
Practice strengthens and expands the framework.

Practice is the fuel that powers the BS detector.
Practice is transformative.
Practice is the key to go from believing to knowing.
Practice is the Antivirus in the USB drive.

 

So you have to experience the truth direct. At the risk of repeating myself, on that basis, the best shot at honesty is to pare away all ideas of the religious and spiritual, be it karma or reincarnation or a spiritual plane or any concept of god, since our best opportunity at learning about ourselves comes from one thing. The human body. 

You can draw conclusions about what experiences and thoughts and feelings say about your body and mind, to a much higher degree, than about what you can conclude about outside your body. 

In that sense, though some ideas about god or spirituality may seem to fit better than others, such concepts are much more distant from what can be known, as they are a step beyond our feelings thoughts and senses.

Therefore as much as belief is tempting there must be doubt. The doubt is lessened if we focus on the mind and body and not the concepts of god and spirit. 

[Sunmaster]

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

So you have to experience the truth direct. At the risk of repeating myself, on that basis, the best shot at honesty is to pare away all ideas of the religious and spiritual, be it karma or reincarnation or a spiritual plane or any concept of god, since our best opportunity at learning about ourselves comes from one thing. The human body. 

Yes, the truth in a direct manner.
And yes, the human body is a great tool for truth finding, if you know how to use it. When you start to listen within, any kind of concept is a barrier, be it spiritual or materialistic. Concepts are mental constructs. When you listen within however, the goal is to shake off such concepts, like onion skins. And then you work yourself inwards, towards the heart of it, peeling off layers as you go. Just ask yourself: Who am I? Are you the body? Are you the mind? Your feelings and emotions? Your memories? Your name? Layer after discarded layer, you become lighter, more free, more yourself. So you continue as far as you can go. 
The onion skins closest to the heart are the most stubborn. They've been there for a long time. They were put there when we were very young. 
But once those have been peeled off too, what is left?? Who were you before you were given a name? 
You could call it "the heart of the onion", or "Divine Onion" or "The Onioness" or many other cool names.

 

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

You can draw conclusions about what experiences and thoughts and feelings say about your body and mind, to a much higher degree, than about what you can conclude about outside your body. 

In that sense, though some ideas about god or spirituality may seem to fit better than others, such concepts are much more distant from what can be known, as they are a step beyond our feelings thoughts and senses.

I wouldn't say that they are beyond our senses at all. It depends on which senses you're talking about. The internal senses are very adequate to know the inner world. That's their job. And it's not distant at all. How far are you from you?

 

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Therefore as much as belief is tempting there must be doubt. The doubt is lessened if we focus on the mind and body and not the concepts of god and spirit. 

No need to take on a complete belief system. The only thing you need is a healthy curiosity to find out if there is more to you than what you've been told. What is there to believe? Nothing. Believing is replaced by knowing. What do you have to lose?
We are made of 3 fundamental parts (or onion layers): body, mind and spirit. Leaving any one of them out would only increase the doubt, because you would be trying to hide something... to yourself. And that won't work to your advantage.

Edited March 25, 2023 by Sunmaster

[Fat is a type of crazy]

27 minutes ago, Sunmaster said:

Yes, the truth in a direct manner.
And yes, the human body is a great tool for truth finding, if you know how to use it. When you start to listen within, any kind of concept is a barrier, be it spiritual or materialistic. Concepts are mental constructs. When you listen within however, the goal is to shake off such concepts, like onion skins. And then you work yourself inwards, towards the heart of it, peeling off layers as you go. Just ask yourself: Who am I? Are you the body? Are you the mind? Your feelings and emotions? Your memories? Your name? Layer after discarded layer, you become lighter, more free, more yourself. So you continue as far as you can go. 
The onion skins closest to the heart are the most stubborn. They've been there for a long time. They were put there when we were very young. 
But once those have been peeled off too, what is left?? Who were you before you were given a name? 
You could call it "the heart of the onion", or "Divine Onion" or "The Onioness" or many other cool names.

 

I wouldn't say that they are beyond our senses at all. It depends on which senses you're talking about. The internal senses are very adequate to know the inner world. That's their job. And it's not distant at all. How far are you from you?

 

No need to take on a complete belief system. The only thing you need is a healthy curiosity to find out if there is more to you than what you've been told. What is there to believe? Nothing. Believing is replaced by knowing. What do you have to lose?
We are made of 3 fundamental parts (or onion layers): body, mind and spirit. Leaving any one of them out would only increase the doubt, because you would be trying to hide something... to yourself. And that won't work to your advantage.

Interesting. Could be obvious but I think at birth we are freer in some ways and more limited in some ways that at an older age. As we age, we get limited in ways we were free, and free in ways we were limited. I don't simply mean in terms of mobility but how we think and feel. 

A practical example is if you return to your childhood home, or smell a smell from the past, you feel some things open up, like your smile is broader and you are more relaxed and possibly more sensible in that you don't care about a lot of stuff you care about later. 

So before I had a name I had characteristics of me but a different configuration. Put together slightly differently. 

I don't sense an inner onion as that suggests something other than me like digging for gold. Maybe you mean that you have become disconnected and need to reconnect and feel as you did before you had a name. That makes sense. 

But what could you know? Why couldn't that reconnection still be the physical you. It might feel special but is it necessarily a sign of a different plane or something since you can in fact sense and feel it on this plane. Drugs can have the effect and they are 100 per cent physical. 

So is the only thing you know that you have an inner onion? What else do you know? Seth for example might resonate with you but surely you doubt. 

I focus a bit on the doubt aspect as I see doubt as a strength rather than a weakness. It might get to a point where you can say that you need to experience what you have experienced and that's fine. 

[Sunmaster]

8 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

So before I had a name I had characteristics of me but a different configuration. Put together slightly differently. 

The "I" identity is added much later (around age 2) though, it is not something we were born with. Therefore the identity "I" who is speaking now and writing this can not be the same as before that age. 

[Sunmaster]

47 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Maybe you mean that you have become disconnected and need to reconnect and feel as you did before you had a name. That makes sense. 

 

 

I think we are all disconnected. We all have forgotten who we really are. If we are lucky, we may feel a few moments in our lives when we feel really connected. But you can also help that luck by putting in some effort.

 

47 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

But what could you know? Why couldn't that reconnection still be the physical you. It might feel special but is it necessarily a sign of a different plane or something since you can in fact sense and feel it on this plane. Drugs can have the effect and they are 100 per cent physical. 

 

Do you mean reconnecting by using your body as a vehicle? Like extreme sports? Physical disciplines like swimming, fighting, long distance running...? Yes, they definitely help focusing, clearing the mind and being "in the zone". But even then, when you reach that zone, there will also be a mental aspect and a spiritual aspect. As long as there is an observer and the observed, there is a mental aspect. And the spiritual aspect is always there and here and everywhere and every time. 

 

47 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

So is the only thing you know that you have an inner onion? What else do you know? Seth for example might resonate with you but surely you doubt. 

You're trying to quantify knowledge. Knowledge is infinite, so compared to that, I know nothing. What else could I say?
 

47 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I focus a bit on the doubt aspect as I see doubt as a strength rather than a weakness. It might get to a point where you can say that you need to experience what you have experienced and that's fine. 

Yes, doubt is a strength when it strengthens you and a weakness when it weakens you. So it's good to doubt as long as it serves you.
No, I don't think I will say that. 


 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Sunmaster

[save the frogs]

12 hours ago, Sunmaster said:

Take Paramhansa Yogananda for example.

yeah, ok. 

i did.

i looked up some of his quotes.

 

here's a real doozy.

"cosmic energy enters the body through the medulla and then passes through the cerebrum, in which it is stored".

 

holy cow! so since you are a devotee of this person, you must have a lot of "cosmic energy" stored in you?

how many kilojoules of "cosmic energy" do you have stored in you?

give me a number.

2 million kilojoules?

 

you're using this FAKE spiritual nonsense to try to show that you are "MORE SPIRITUAL" than others.

just like the guy who has more money and a fancier car likes to show off his wealth. 

it's NONSENSE.

you're a DELUDED FAKE. 

 

[Sunmaster]

16 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

yeah, ok. 

i did.

i looked up some of his quotes.

 

here's a real doozy.

"cosmic energy enters the body through the medulla and then passes through the cerebrum, in which it is stored".

 

holy cow! so since you are a devotee of this person, you must have a lot of "cosmic energy" stored in you?

how many kilojoules of "cosmic energy" do you have stored in you?

give me a number.

2 million kilojoules?

 

you're using this FAKE spiritual nonsense to try to show that you are "MORE SPIRITUAL" than others.

just like the guy who has more money and a fancier car likes to show off his wealth. 

it's NONSENSE.

you're a DELUDED FAKE. 

 

You never disappoint. ????

[save the frogs]

I think Yogananda claimed his body survived 40 days after physical death. Ha ha.

 

Why do you want to join the ashram?

I want to become a guru so girls will like me.

 

 

 

 

[Tippaporn]

[Elad]

On 3/24/2023 at 2:20 PM, Acharn said:

I don't know what the current consensus of astronomers is for the "end" of the universe. I gather they don't expect a real ending, just that eventually entropy is maximized everywhere and things just sit there with the universe expanding forever. Myself, I believe it will all contract to create a new monoblock and a new Big Bang, but I gather most astronomers believe there is not enough mass (I think they include "dark matter" and "dark energy") in the universe to bring about a contraction.

To determine how the universe evolves in terms of the expansion/contraction, we need to know the energy density values for radiation, matter and dark energy. All current models show that the universe is dominated by dark energy and that the universe will continue in its accelerated expansion forever. See below

 

Radiation (blue) was dominant in the very early universe, to then cross over to a matter (red) dominated universe, this actually slowed the expansion until around 4 billion years ago when dark energy (green) takes over. Notice how the dark energy density remains constant throughout, while matter and radiation dilute as the universe gets bigger. Also note that the matter density (red) includes dark matter + normal matter. 

[Tippaporn]

On 3/24/2023 at 5:23 AM, Elad said:

I was being generous using light cause it gets even worse for sound ????

 

Since we're on the subject of seeing events I just want you to know that in physics there's a difference between 'seeing' and 'observing'. Seeing an event (like we just discussed) is when the light from that event reaches your eyes or scientific instrument, whereas observing an event is the exact time and place the event happened. So for example if I see the explosion of a distant star tonight that was 10 lightyears away, then I would report the time of the explosion as ten years ago.

 

In special relativity we are only interested in observing events NOT seeing events, so when we assign coordinates to events its when and where those events actually occurred in a particular reference frame. Just wanted to make that clear since its very important in understanding how time works in relativity.

 

There's a common misconception in SR which is 'moving clocks tick slowly' and although its true that you will observe a moving clock to run more slowly than your own, there's actually more to it than that and the relativity of simultaneity shows us that its time itself that changes from one frame to another where observers take different paths through spacetime.

 

 I'll try to explain using two reference frames. Imagine yourself (Tippaporn) on Earth and me (Elad) travelling at some speed V relative to you. Since speed is relative then I could say that I'm at rest, and you, on Earth, is travelling at speed V, it makes no difference in relativity. Due to this symmetry not only will you observe my clock running slow, but I will also observe your clock to be running slow, sounds like a paradox but its not when you take the relativity of simultaneity into account.

 

If you observe and assign coordinates to two events that occur simultaneous but at different locations in your frame, and remember this is observing so those events really do happen at the same time in your reference frame. Then in my frame, I will observe the same two events at different times lets say two seconds between each event. How can this be because if time was just slowing down then the two Events would still be simultaneous in any frame. Time changes on different paths through spacetime.

 

In SR when we do the transformations of coordinates from one reference frame to another, the math shows us that the time coordinate depends on the space coordinates, and space depends on time, there's a mixing of space and time into one spacetime and this is how the universe seems to work. The condition of two events being simultaneous is a relative one not an absolute one.

 

I'm finding it very hard getting this across, and I'm not the best science communicator ????but I hope it helps you to understand that time is not absolute, it make no sense to say "I wonder what aliens are doing right now in the Andromeda galaxy" because our now is not the same as theirs, if they exist.

 

I would've liked to add some 2D spacetime diagrams to illustrate better how it works but I'm not sure you'd appreciate them.

Instead of searching the thread would it be possible to send me a link on Seth's definition of time, I'd like to have a look at it.

A most excellent and thoughtful post, Elad.  BTW, I'm the poster who gave you the "thank you" reaction.  I have no idea why the powers that be decided to hide the identity of those who give a reaction.  I'm not afraid to let it be known what my opinion is via a reaction.  I gave you the "thank you" reaction for a number of reasons.  Your genuine curiosity is perhaps the foremost.

Unfortunately I have to divert my full attentions elsewhere for at minimum two weeks.  But I thoroughly enjoy this discussion and have much more to say.  Also, I look very much forward to honouring your request to take a look at Seth's concepts of time.  That is something I will put together for you and I promise it will be very thorough.  Until then . . .

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, Sunmaster said:

Practice is the key to reconnect with your inner world. 
Practice strengthens and expands the framework.

Practice is the fuel that powers the BS detector.
Practice is transformative.
Practice is the key to go from believing to knowing.
Practice is the Antivirus in the USB drive.

I always appreciate what you write, but to be honest that requires dedication and the will to "practice", which I lack, which is probably why I ended up where I am, rather than living the life of Riley in Thailand.

I see myself as a visitor just passing through this life, so as long as I know the destination, I'm not that exercised as to how I get there.

 

????

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, mauGR1 said:

Actually a dog, or another mammal, who's living in the proximity of loving humans,  can develop unexpected levels of intelligence. 

Once i witnessed a dog singing a jazz tune ( well, singing as a dog, but quite in tune) together with a couple of friends. 

It's actually not unusual for dogs to be trained to sing. Pink Floyd when younger made a movie which includes a dog singing a song.

[Tippaporn]

On 3/17/2023 at 7:22 PM, Tippaporn said:

On 3/17/2023 at 5:45 PM, Sunmaster said:

Yes, I agree with most of what you say. But being a practical person, I wanted to know how you make that shift. 
I want to know what you do in practical terms. 
It's of no use to tell people "This is how it is, how it works" and expect them to take your word for it. 
So, what do you think people should do to validate what you're saying? 

No doubt there's some prep work to be done.

First of all there must be a willingness to suspend one's current beliefs while entertaining other ideas.  What I mean by this is that of course new ideas will clash in direct opposition to currently held ideas.  That's to be expected.  So current beliefs must be set aside temporarily while pursing fresh ideas.  Temporarily suspending currently held beliefs does not mean giving them up to never to return to them again.  It merely means setting them aside long enough to consider other ideas.  For you cannot consider new ideas while at the same time filtering new information through current beliefs.  It ain't gonna happen.

Another way of putting it is that you play with ideas.  No different than a child plays with building blocks.  Build them up and if your construction doesn't please you then tear it down.  Children treat building blocks as play.  Fresh ideas should be treated the same.  That is how it's meant to be.  Discard the deadly seriousness.  Don't fear that some unfamiliar idea, if followed, will take control of you and you'll forever get lost in some maze from which you are eternally trapped and can never find your way out.  By all means, retain your common sense.  Do not, I repeat, do not leave it at home.

That initial approach is a must.

I would recommend discarding any limiting beliefs which directly prevent one from any successful exploration of new ideas.  Chief amongst these is the idea that no one can know who we are or what the true nature of reality is.  That will quickly kill any exploration one undertakes.  For if your journey is to acquire true knowledge and yet you believe that no one, especially yourself, is capable of doing so then you've just defeated yourself.  Pack it up and go home.  Save yourself the time and trouble.

Another limiting belief which will ensure failure in your exploration is the idea that you are unworthy.  That heavy baggage will weigh you down to a standstill after only your first few steps.  It's a false idea and a severely limiting one.  Unload it.

I'll continue tomorrow in reply to your great post, Sunmaster.

This post is another which I want very much to continue with as Sunmaster's question is a vitally important one because the answers are very broad in their sweep.  But one which I've allowed to fall by the wayside as I get distracted with newer posts.  I'll continue on this as well when I get some downtime again shortly.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Sunmaster said:

You're trying to quantify knowledge. Knowledge is infinite, so compared to that, I know nothing. What else could I say?

So true. They say we only use a part of our brain, so if we can equate it to a computer, which is getting smaller and able to process larger amounts of input, the capacity of our brain to learn must be exceedingly vast.

Sadly, as we get older, the ability to utilize all that knowledge recedes, till we get to where I am and I can't remember so much of my life.

[Tippaporn]

On 3/17/2023 at 8:12 PM, Tippaporn said:

On 3/17/2023 at 7:15 PM, Sunmaster said:

Many years ago, shortly after that shift in perception, I was filled with a new hope and idealism that I could just tell my friends and the world what I had experienced and that would be enough to change their ways. I didn't work.

 

I also believed that a bushman could jump from his pre-modern development straight to a post-modern stage, given the right information, set and setting. I soon realised that it doesn't work that way.

 

People and societies have their own momentum when it comes to development. It's not possible to present them with knowledge they're not ready for, and expect them to take it in and change accordingly. All the logic in the world will not change that. 

 

This became even clearer for me during my 5-6 years of teaching English here. 

It was me who had to change, meet my students at their own level and gently show them the way by feeding them small bits at a time, in a manner they could understand. Through repetition they would then internalise the teachings, gain in confidence and learn to use what they had learned in real life. 

 

This is what I try to do here as well. I'm not interested in confrontation, because that hinders real communication. True communication is only possible when you can accept the other party as it is. Its not up to me to change them and make the world a better place. 

My only responsibility is towards the Self and to materialise it as best as I can in the material world, be it through my drawings, my writings or simply the way I interact with the world.

Some people may find the questions I pose interesting and of value. Others won't. This is beyond my control and I have no problem with that.

 

Take from this what you will. ????

You are truly a gentle soul, Sunmaster.  You could have addressed your post specifically to me, as it is obviously in response to how you perceive my approach and you wish to comment on my approach by contrasting it with yours.  Of course as long as you don't name me then there can be no confrontation.  No worries if you directly name me or even call me out.  I enjoy criticism.  As long as it's constructive and not given for the sole purpose of denigrating.  I agree with what you say but I also disagree.  But you'll have to wait on my peculiar perspective until tomorrow.

And another post which I very much want to get back to.

I'm leaving reminders to myself for when I come back.  Bookmarks, if you will.

[mauGR1]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's actually not unusual for dogs to be trained to sing. Pink Floyd when younger made a movie which includes a dog singing a song.

Yes, i heard that song, and surely there are many similar cases of animals learning from humans different shades of behavior. 

There's a similar pattern in behavior of humans..

How many of our actions and thoughts are derived from outer influences?

And how many thoughts can be truly recognized as our free, independent thoughts?

 

[Elad]

On 3/24/2023 at 1:56 AM, Sunmaster said:

>>>repost<<<

 

I imagine a rotating disc, the "disc of creation". As we know, the edges of the disc will rotate much faster than the center. The closer we get to the center, the lower the speed. Imagining the center being close to infinite (say

1×10−a gazillion), makes time at that point close to zero (timeless/NOW). 

I also imagine there to be a slope, with the highest point in the center. That way, the center has a 360 degree view of the whole disc at all times. The closer you get to the edge, the less of the disc is visible to the observer.
 

An observer on the edge of the disc will experience time very differently from an observer on other points of the disc, closer to the center. For the observer on the edge, time seems to be linear, with a past, a present and a future, but for the observer closer to the center, those 3 points are observable and coexist all at the same time. 

This model explains the paradox Tippaporn was talking about. Time exists, is relative to the distance from the center, becomes less binding the closer we get to the center, and ceases to exist at the center.

So, where is God in this model? "God" is the center of the "disc of creation", all seeing, all knowing, timeless. But God is also the disc itself. There is nothing in creation that is not God. 

I like this scientific side to ya Sunmaster, keep it up ????

A rotating solid disc like that is quite complicated, there's a lot of forces going on including accelerations and its not easy to explain. However, it seems a little backwards to me because time slows down with increasing radius so I would put CC at infinity where time comes to a stop on your diagram. At the center time should be flowing faster ???? 

[thaibeachlovers]

26 minutes ago, Elad said:

To determine how the universe evolves in terms of the expansion/contraction, we need to know the energy density values for radiation, matter and dark energy. All current models show that the universe is dominated by dark energy and that the universe will continue in its accelerated expansion forever. See below

 

Radiation (blue) was dominant in the very early universe, to then cross over to a matter (red) dominated universe, this actually slowed the expansion until around 4 billion years ago when dark energy (green) takes over. Notice how the dark energy density remains constant throughout, while matter and radiation dilute as the universe gets bigger. Also note that the matter density (red) includes dark matter + normal matter. 

Soooo, is the contention that the universe will eventually be a vast collection of dead stars and dead planets just moving outwards forever?

What about black holes? Do they have any thoughts about them?

 

Anyway, as I believe in a creator that knew what it was doing, I believe that when the universe dies, all the matter is compressed to form the next big bang.

The idea that the universe just carries on for ever as a collection of dead matter is rather sad.

However, I accept that in the infinity of God it may not matter if the universe remains as a dead thing, as in infinity there is room enough for an infinite number of universes, is there not?

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Yes, i heard that song, and surely there are many similar cases of animals learning from humans different shades of behavior. 

There's a similar pattern in behavior of humans..

How many of our actions and thoughts are derived from outer influences?

And how many thoughts can be truly recognized as our free, independent thoughts?

 

I just remembered an example of dogs singing that didn't learn it from humans.

When I was stationed in Antarctica I was on a base with huskies, and they "sang" in unison quite often at night. I really loved listening to them. They were even able to co ordinate their "song", as while one would start and the others join in, they would all stop at the same time.

If one wants to see intelligent dogs, just observe huskies- amazing animals.

[mauGR1]

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I just remembered an example of dogs singing that didn't learn it from humans.

When I was stationed in Antarctica I was on a base with huskies, and they "sang" in unison quite often at night. I really loved listening to them. They were even able to co ordinate their "song", as while one would start and the others join in, they would all stop at the same time.

If one wants to see intelligent dogs, just observe huskies- amazing animals.

Good story, and i guess that a quiet environment is an advantage for the development of music in general. 

Interesting experience you had there, even if i guess that you had to spend most if not all of your time in the building. 

Some say there are many mysteries in largely unexplored Antarctica ????

[Sunmaster]

4 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I think Yogananda claimed his body survived 40 days after physical death. Ha ha.

 

Please do me a favour.

Read this sentence again and then give yourself a smack on the head for me.

One should be enough, but if you like to keep going, ain't nobody gonna stop you.

Ha ha

[save the frogs]

25 minutes ago, Sunmaster said:

Please do me a favour.

Read this sentence again and then give yourself a smack on the head for me.

One should be enough, but if you like to keep going, ain't nobody gonna stop you.

Ha ha

I've been digging up a bit more dirt on this yogananda dude.

seems like he was indeed quite the womanizer, as all cult leaders are.

here's the quote at 12:06 of the video.

"If a woman doesn't want sex, tell her she is not like other women."

 

 

[mauGR1]

9 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

I've been digging up a bit more dirt on this yogananda dude.

seems like he was indeed quite the womanizer, as all cult leaders are.

here's the quote at 12:06 of the video.

"If a woman doesn't want sex, tell her she is not like other women."

 

 

Perhaps i should ignore this post, but i feel the moral duty to say something. 

By throwing pretty unfounded accusations to a great master, even all spiritual masters, you are just showing everyone some rather dark side of you.

By engaging in gossip you are not doing yourself any favour.

Even if what you say is true, and most probably it's not, many great men had dark sides, and so what ?

[Red Phoenix]

13 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

I've been digging up a bit more dirt on this yogananda dude.

seems like he was indeed quite the womanizer, as all cult leaders are.

here's the quote at 12:06 of the video.

"If a woman doesn't want sex, tell her she is not like other women."

 

 

Being spiritually inclined does not mean that you have to give up your sexuality.

On the contrary, it means fully embracing and enjoying it.

Seeing it as 'dirt' indicates that you have not yet come to terms with that part of being human.

[Sunmaster]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I always appreciate what you write, but to be honest that requires dedication and the will to "practice", which I lack, which is probably why I ended up where I am, rather than living the life of Riley in Thailand.

I see myself as a visitor just passing through this life, so as long as I know the destination, I'm not that exercised as to how I get there.

 

????

Yes, just like exercising your muscles, exercising your inner senses requires practice and dedication. But I think it's much easier than what you think it is. 20-30 minutes in the morning will help greatly, and once you notice the subtle changes, you will want to increase that time spontaneously. The benefits gained far outweigh the effort you put in.