Save Katie Holmes!

[Silent]

http://www.tomcruiseiscrazy.com/

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

Ah, I see your confusion.

That's why I prefaced the definition with this statement,

I wasn't trying to tie the definition of the word cult down, so much as I was clarifying the origin of the word, a shortened usage of the word occult, so that the context of the prevalent meaning of "hidden" would be more apparent.

Nice try but they are not from the same source nor is cult a cut down version of occult.
Cult comes from [Latin cultus, worship, from past participle of colere, to cultivate; see kwel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Occult comes from [Latin occultus, secret, past participle of occulere, to cover over; see kel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Apples and oranges or at least tangerines and oranges.

[cowhead]

hmmm.. all I know is that the bulk of organized religions exist to acquire money and power/political/social control from the 'unwashed' masses, which is more or less fine by me, if you want to believe in that. fine, great, groovy*. it's not for me. I fall squarely into the agnostic camp.. I don't know. I'll find out when I die. until which time however I will endevour to try to be a decent human being, for no other reason than I think that is what we (as a collective) should do. I wonder if David Brin ever got around to building a religion? (talk about a humanist!)

*although I must say I don't want those people to have that much control over my life, which is why I am rather disturbed about the way this country is going.

ps. screw her (Katie Holmes)! if she's going to get suckered into this whole cult thing.. bye! good riddance!

[Urbane Guerrilla]

The nice thing about an organized religion is you've got a frame to work with and your mental tools in order. The end to attain is to live a better life, to be an all-around better human being. Organization helps this, in that you needn't reinvent the wheel.

I spent a long time not practicing any religion. I was raised Unitarian if anything, and am now baptised Episcopalian -- and reconcile these two brands of religious thinking by saying that it doesn't seem to matter to God whether He is seen as a unitary circle or as a triangle. Communing with that which is greater than one's own rather petty self aids not only perspective, but kindliness also. What one (and many) gets from religion is societal glue -- a centripetal pull that resists the centrifugal ones that can break a society and a nation into collapse.

I read two biographies of L. Ron Hubbard back to back -- Scientology has nothing to teach me, for nothing good would come from that man. I am immune to the whole bunch, from Miscavidge on down.

[Griff]

Nice thoughts UG.

[bargalunan]

I know nothing about Scientology

Thanks to a friend of mine I'm learning notions of esoterism : "Power of thought"

One year before I would have call the police to denounce a sect.
The problem is that it's really efficient IN SOME CASE and makes you automatically reconsider what you've learned about the world because you've always learned it's impossible.
But you're making yourself TRUE experiments that prove it's true.
Some high level adepts of Tai Chi Chuan, acupuncturists, monks,… already know that but can’t tell it, they would be qualified as mad, or members of sects !
“One’s who knows says nothing, one’s who’s ignorant speaks” (translation ??)

In this case it's VERY EASY for bad intentioned associations which teach you such real and hidden things to control you. So did and do sects, perhaps Scientology.
Religions do as well in a softer way because they don’t teach us all what we should know about ourselves and about the world.

Leaders already know that, thanks to such associations like “Francs maçons”, “Rose Croix”…
New Testament can be understood as an esoteric book.

There are reasons why religions have exterminated traditional cultures and witchcraft.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by bargalunan

But you're making yourself TRUE experiments that prove it's true.

Prove that what is true? And what is the experiment?

[wolf]

Originally Posted by bargalunan

Thanks to a friend of mine I'm learning notions of esoterism : "Power of thought"

Like this?

There are reasons why religions have exterminated traditional cultures and witchcraft.

That was pretty much about economics, rather than concern about the traditional ways and folk magics. The more folks you got coming to your church, the more folks you got donating.

Money = power > spirituality

[bargalunan]

Originally Posted by wolf

That was pretty much about economics, rather than concern about the traditional ways and folk magics. The more folks you got coming to your church, the more folks you got donating.
Money = power > spirituality

I think both are true. But it's still not a humanist behaviour.
I shouldn't have said that without an example : I will translate one, you'll try yourself. Otherwise we can't talk about.

Later

[bargalunan]

It can be easy to discredit the system in demonstrating ideas that are received like crazy fantasy. In this case people who discover them can ask themselves about what else is hidden.

Here’s a technique to change the taste of a liquid thanks to strength of thought. It’s a method really easy to use. Everybody can succeed. Strength of thought is another thing hidden (in France) (maybe people still don’t want to know it).
Our leaders surely know a lot more than us. It’s the reason why they use means to influence our way of thinking. As every knowledge it’s a source of power.

Because it’s something we can only talk about after having experimented it, here’s the technique I invite you to try.

Fill half of two glass of water coming from the faucet (with awful taste of chlorine), per person.
Keep the first one as your reference, you’ll work on the second one.
You can succeed in staying alone but we’ve got more energy in doing it when we’re more numerous. It’s more funny and very interesting to compare the different results of your friends with yours.

First step) Close your eyes. IMAGINE a flood, fresh and clear, coming from the sky, that enters into you through the back top of your head (sinciput where Jewish wear their kippa), and go out by the perineum. You’ll feel this fresh flood from your neck and stronger along your spinal column. Strengthen it during each breathing out (expiration) for1 to 2 minutes. Just make normal expirations. Begin the exercise when you can feel this fresh flood.

Second step) You’re sitting with the second glass set on the table. Take it in your hands. You can touch it (better) or stay at 1 / 2 cm. Concentrate your mind.

Open your eyes. Think intensely, non-stop, “I purify the water in this glass”, “I remove its chemicals”.
At every expiration, always go with the flood charged with your thought. The flood comes out through your hands and your chest and reach the glass. Always keep this glass as objective in your mind.

Your result is proportional to your ability to concentrate yourself.

When you’re alone this technique needs about 10 minutes, always keeping full concentration on this flood charged with your thought of purifying the water in this glass.

You can already taste the difference.

PS :
- If during this exercise, you THINK “it’s bullshit, that will never work!” (if you only think that one second it’s not important) you will realise this negative thought : of course you’ll get no result. So make this experiment when you’re ready to get a positive result.
- It works very well with half a glass of Coca, Fanta,…that really need to be purified.
- It’s faster when practising in group. (increase with the square of the number of people = n x n )
- Techniques exist in order to increase one’s energy.

Third step) Change the taste

Always keep full concentration on the flood and the normal expiration, but now think about
source water, the purer, the fresher, the most “crystalline” and mineral water you’ve ever drunk. If you can’t remember, taste mineral water coming from a bottle.
You’re going to give your glass of purified water the “FEELINGS” of this source water.

You MUST concentrate yourself on the “FEELINGS” you felt before : taste, freshness, pricking of the minerals on your tongue…
The flood goes down through your hands and your chest to the glass.

When you’re alone this technique needs about 10 minutes, always keeping full concentration on this flood charged with your “FEELINGS”, and on the water in the glass.

Taste the difference.

PS :
- Girls, more sensitive, are usually better
- It’s possible to apply this technique with different wines : (example : transform Bordeaux into Porto). I made once Bordeaux to white dry wine (the color and the taste changed a little) meanwhile a friend transformed his Bordeaux into Porto. Tasting the new difference was fantastic !
- Very, very difficult to realise big changes like water into wine, orange juice into coca…
- Of course your result is proportional to your ability to concentrate yourself and to believe in the result.
- You don’t have to get drunk !

Hoping that this exercise brings you something, and that you desire to send it to other people.

That made me reconsider what school, religion and society had taught me before.


Bye

Cheers !

[Happy Monkey]

OK, that's true. You can, to a degree, change the way you experience things through force of will.

As long as you don't start thinking that you're actually changing things.

[bargalunan]

I've forgotten : We can discuss about it only after trying.

[Troubleshooter]

This is one of the points where Kant and I disagree. He says your senses lie.

It's not your sensory input that is lying to you, it is, in this case, a willful misinterpretation of the data. In other cases it could be delusion or denial.

Wolf can attest to the power of hallucinations, be they auditory, visual, or in this case, gustatory.

[bargalunan]

TRY !
TRY alone : Make several different experiments and compare.
TRY with friends. Don't tell the others in what kind of liquid you’re trying to transform your liquid.
Mark the glasses, hide and change their disposition, wait one hour playing football…... Be scientific but TRY SINCERELY !!
Check the differences and after that the marks.
PLEASE TRY SINCERELY. It’s TOO EASY to say it’s false and find explanations without trying.
We can’t always explain new experiments with old theories. Look at science history.
You can do it yourself. Where’s the risk !

Cheer up !

[Troubleshooter]

I didn't say it was false. I said that you are changing your perception of the water unless proven otherwise to some extent.

Falsification would come about by testing the chemical makeup of each glass of water.

An object isn't real until its actuality has be perceived.

Reality is the internal construct created by our interpretation of the actuality of an event, environment, or object.

And don't worry, cheerfulness is not a problem. It cheers me being right all of the time.