Re: Ley Lines | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

The Sea Cat wrote:

Mustard wrote:

There may be that which is scientifically unmeasurable and unprovable. Such a thing doesn't require god, since it's perfectly feasible that the universe isn't laid out in its entirety in a form that we can observe and label. Therefore personal experience would become more significant that science in these areas - theoretically speaking.

On the other hand, once you start to give weight to "personal sentient experience" when attempting to arrive at objective truths, you hit the problem that "personal sentient experience" is different for every human being, and our minds are capable of quite gargantuan feats of... well, self-delusion.

Many Christians, for example, are convinced that they've been visited by the Virgin Mary, or that they've spoken to Jesus. I don't believe that they're lying or mentally ill, and I don't believe in God. So that would tend to suggest that objective, real experiences are filtered through the lens of personal belief in such a way that allows the mind to frame them in a personally meaningful fashion. Put simply, "personal sentient experience" is real but subjective, and it can't be relied upon when attempting to extrapolate objective truths. In my personal, sentient opinion, of course. ;)

Well my own personal experinces have not been 'filtered', and many can be corroborated as they were witnessed by completely detached third parties.
If something is unproven, it is just that, unproven, and therefore warranting further expploration before any classification can be made. The case thus remains open. To therefore dismiss it as 'mumbo jumbo' is a sweeping statement to say the least, and completely unscientific.

:-)

Two clearly argued points well made here .. I think we cannot help but carry our early influences through some of our life, if not all of it. Anyone brought up within the confines a set religion, even if they reject it, will probably be seeking an alternative 'spiritual way' - that was my experience. Until one day I reached a point in life when realised, it was as Mustard said, 'self-delusion'.

Its important to keep an open mind though - total belief in everything having a rational, scientific explanation can also be a delusion. There are phenomena that happen in the universe that are as yet beyond our understanding (I first heard the word phenomenology on this forum). John Michell and Robert JM Rickard wrote a fascinating book on the subject giving many examples. Jane and Moth themselves recently visited the Nazca lines - another example of something that cannot be explained.