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© 2012 Sanjeev Sabhlok's revolutionary blog
Many decades ago I used to write and publish poetry in national magazines in India (Don't worry, I won't impose it on you – but if you search my website hard enough you'll find some of it). Even today I sometimes write a poem or two, although time for such interesting pursuits has become scarcer.
The point being that just like anyone else, I have a fertile imagination that permits me to "see" faces in clouds, a face on the moon, to talk to thin air (namely, God) in prayer, to imagine beautiful emotional things. I am also capable of meditation, of imagining that I have a soul, and even out-of-body experience (this last only to an extent – lest you start getting ideas about my sanity!). It is also quite likely that I can be hypnotised very easily and fooled by the most petty magician.
Our mid-brain is uniquely imaginative. I can confirm this both from experience and readings on this subject – that most human beings do have a capacity to imagine things very easily. We enjoy make-believe and drama. We can put ourselves in the minds of actors and 'experience' what they are allegedly experiencing.
Poetry, self-delusion, spiritualism, metaphysics – have significant overlaps. Not for nothing do many scriptures, e.g. the Vedas, take the form of poetry and incantation. Witches usually intone magical poems. Which is all good fun, distinctly human, and keeps us singing in the bathroom.
Despite these interesting diversions we don't normally lose sight of the fact that all this is pleasant self-delusion. When, however, we take these experiences seriously, then trouble begins.
The other day an acquaintance told me that she hears voices, and wanted my opinion on "life". Indeed, a few weeks ago I found that even Gandhi wrote about hearing voices, which immediately lowered his status, in my mind, as a sensible man. I politely suggested to this friend that her experience was likely to be a form of self-delusion, even hallucination. She was upset but thanked me for my analysis. I suggested that if she wished, she could go to James Randi or similar rational thinker and prove her case. To my knowledge, NOT A SINGLE case of extra-sensory perception or human rebirth or any miracle – of a replicable sort – has been detected or proven conclusively – at the standard of proof expected of science. Science, being very meticulous, does not tolerate loose talk, poetry, or other fertile imagination.
It is important that we enjoy human creativity – our art, music, story, religion, voices in thin air, faces in clouds, poetry - without losing our head.
The only way we can do that is to distrust our imagination and trust our critical thinking apparatus: our reason.
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Poetry, spiritualism and other pleasant self-delusions: Many decades ago I used to write and… http://goo.gl/fb/i5zsv
Hi
I may not completely agree regarding Spiritualism..Though have all the rights not to believe in this.
I strongly feel that there is something called spirituality…. based upon my reading of Vivekananda
Vivekanand a strong critical thinker didn't believe in Spirituality..God.. and doubted Paramhansa for Hallunications and suggested him treatment also.., but paramhansa was happy that Vivekananda didnt believe him.He liked and enjoyed Vivekanada logical and questioning ability..
But there comes a time that even Vivekananda was convinced of some power called Spirituality.. If you read him and his experiences with spirituality and paramhansa.. You shall be bound to think and think further.
Just as an example .. he mentioned in his letters about leaving his body on particular date at a particular place… and he could do that ….(No doubt about that , you have his letters and his passing date)
same is the case with paramhansa..
Thanks
Vijay
Dear Vijay
Thanks for this. My rule is: Just because someone venerable (even who I admire – and I do admire Vivekananda – and Gandhi despite his hearing voices) says something I do not believe it. I need 100% ROCK SOLID proof, and my standard of proof is that which applies to any truth.
I’m comfortable in someone who believes in spirituality and so on – by all means do so. It is a different domain to that of the truth. It is based on emotion, our mid-brain. I draw a line, however, when the standard of proof is lowered for spirituality. The truth is unique and evident to ANYONE. It can be subject to extremely rigorous tests 10000s of times and will NEVER fail the test.
S
Poetry, spiritualism and other pleasant self-delusions: India can do TEN times better. This blog shows how. It a… http://bit.ly/j8VWQI
Hi Sanjeev
I absolutely agree with you on that truth can undergo rigorous of tests without fail. I wondered back 2-3 years ago and after reading/experiencing about spirituality and meditation I still agree with you without taking anything away from spirituality/meditation/self realization. Science wants proofs in the form of something that can be measured/recreated in precise manner again and again in different circumstances and if the thing stands the test of time/tests etc science validates it as true. Now for example http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8093699829364187229#, they connect wires to Mathieu Ricard's head, who happens to be an ex french Scientist(Molecular Biologist), to test what happens in the brain when a person is in deep meditation and they come up with some results that are in accordance with the peace and joy one gets while the act of meditation. I said, well they still weren't able to come up with, how do i put it, something like a Law Of Meditation so as to convince me(a non practicing meditationist! if you may ;) that it is not a self delusion as you put it. But then I realised two things: one, what if the scientific measuring device that was connected to his head did not know what it had to measure/wasn't supposed to measure what was happening in his head. Maybe like measuring temperature with a crescograph! Two, I would never be able to know it myself till I gave meditation a try myself. So I gave it a try and after one hour of meditation I was vibrating literally with peace. Now, did I care about the scientific tests? Well maybe yes still. But I would rather be meditating :) So that's my take on it and i guess one should leave it at personal experiences, the reason i shared it with you is cz I guess true freedom is not doing whatever you may want….it is actually knowing what you want to do and then doing it and after 'self-delusional' meditation many have found out what they want to do. So why the hell not, I say :) :)
Dear Kshitij
I am not denying the existence of simple experiences like meditation (I myself practice it when time permits, with reasonable success), but that these things do not necessarily lead to other deductions we may make as a result of such experience.
Induction of a theory from experience can be highly flawed. That’s what 99% of spirituality is. It is not content to note the existence of simple truths like meditative peace and content. It seeks to extrapolate into a theory of the universe – e.g. Tantric theory, Vedanta, etc. etc. That’s when the data that was used to make the induction is insufficient and the theory falls to pieces.
Simple things like telepathy are a case in point. Yes, coincidental ‘telepathic’ experience is feasible, but that is pure coincidence. It cannot be replicated in any meaningful way. On the other hand there is definitely some sensory capacity in some animals to ‘hear’ the onset of earthquakes, etc. That can be replicated and must therefore be real (although we don’t have instruments to measure it yet).
S
Topic of "free will vs predestination" has been debated since ages and no clear winner has emerged. Winston Churchil said both are same. According to him they are 2 sides of the same coin
and depends on which side you see first or like those pictures which look red from one angle
and blue (opposite ends of the colour spectrum) from another angle. I am very much confused regarding this and unable to make my view. Sometimes it disturbs me. Many associate Karmic theory with it. So I will take your word on this issue and live my life accordingly. Do you have a final position on this issue or are you confused like others?You are my ideal and I trust you 100 % percent. I never find any conflicting argument against your views which is not the case with any other person in the world. So I don't mind your bluntness too.
And what does spiritualism actually mean? I haven't yet understood its meaning. I understand materialism very well but I don't get spiritualism. Is it the way to find GOD?
One last thing on personal matters: My well wishers(family,teachers & friends) tell me to stop reading your blogs immediately. They say that I am a student and I should concentrate only on bread earning. According to them "Religion and Politics" are only for well-fed people. Without having food in stomach, all these things are waste.Middle Class person can ill-afford it.
Sir, I am looking forward for your response.
Dear Manish
If there is one thing I teach that is critical thinking. So that means thinking for yourself. So please don't be in a rush to decide on things. Read widely. But most importantly don't trust in ANYONE BUT YOURSELF. What you find is logical, coherent, and sensible counts. Critical thinking is what is needed. Think about what I write but don't accept it blindly.
I don't waste much time on philosophical questions which are often sterile. I agree with the Buddha that there are urgent things we need in this life which must be addressed first, and then other issues become relevant. Buddha refused to answer questions about God on the ground that these are irrelevant.
Having said that, all logic, reason and experience tells me that after a little bit of our biological nature is controlled for, virtually everything we do is within our conscious control. That means we retain an enormous, almost unlimited capacity for free will. At least on important things that matter to us most.
And yes, your teachers are right to the extent that "Without having food in stomach, all these things are waste.Middle Class person can ill-afford it". That's a nice practical approach to life, and I like it.
God may or may not exist, but you DO. So look after yourself and your family FIRST. For there is no one else who is obliged to do so. You must therefore ensure your career and that can only be done by developing skills that are useful to someone else. You are not paid a salary out of charity but because you provide a service that is worth a certain amount in the marketplace.
Maximising your wealth (through such service to others) is an excellent way to maximise your contributions to society.
There is no conflict between 'materialism' and 'spiritualism'. I'm not spiritual but I find a lot of sense in advaita. Do consider the lectures of Swami Suddhananda some of which are freely available on his website/ youtube. He says it clearly: ONLY BY LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF FIRST CAN YOU DEVELOP THE CAPACITY TO LOOK AFTER OTHERS. There is no wiser sentiment than that.
What is your view on Psychic ability?