Yamaha Rider
Gold Member
That's a relief - my ex GF's father is a geologist and civil engineer - and he apparently found Eric Von Daniken's drivel convincing. So did I, but grew out of it by the time I was 16!
Robots
- Thread starter MrInsanePolack
- Start date
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
I think the possibilities of current MRI research into the human brain are awe-inspiring. Advanced meditators have a much larger prefrontal cortex than average people (the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, higher thought, compassion, etc.). What if we could develop a pill that would let you become enlightened, or at least a much wiser/calmer version of yourself?
THAT’S the most exciting thing about technology right now, for me.
THAT’S the most exciting thing about technology right now, for me.
Yamaha Rider
Gold Member
If they are more advanced than us, they'll probably destroy us anyway: visitations from other cultures tend to have negative outcomes for the natives if earth history is anything to go by...
(And more advanced SPECIES too - pray we get treated better than a poor pig born into a brief life in a dark metal stall in a meat production factory facility, for instance.)
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NouveauCliche
Senior Member
ahhh - but we aren't talking about Earthlings are we ;-)
C.M. Jones
Diamond Member
I tried a similar pharmaceutical once, but the introspective state it induced overwhelmed me, and I became paranoid and soiled myself.
Just kidding.
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
“Cocaine is a hell of a drug”—-Rick James
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
"Enlightenment" comes when you quit all the mind altering substances-least that was my experience. I figure enlightenment happens when you die-which sucks cause you can't tell anyone. I prefer being an idiot to enlightenment-that way there are no expectations and who wants a bunch of people waiting for you to say something profound-and if you're an idiot who on occasion does say something profound-well that's a hell of lot more impressive that coming from someone enlightened. Get real.
johnwesley
Silver Member
We had that "pill" during the 60s in Berkeley CA.
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
Yesh, older people tend to think anything new is something they themselves have already experienced. Often that’s true. Occasionally, it isn’t.
C.M. Jones
Diamond Member
I wouldn't know from firsthand experience, but I never question the wisdom of Rick James.
MrInsanePolack
Platinum Member
Yes but here on earth, enemies quickly become friends to battle even greater enemies that invade their soil.
I'm pretty sure the Taliban and US Military would put their differences aside to fight the ray gun toting purple octopus from outer space.
Once it's dead they can go back to killing each other. Same for every other waring faction across the planet.
C.M. Jones
Diamond Member
That's one thing I don't like about earth. I want my enemies to stay my enemies. All of this side-switching gets confusing.
Yamaha Rider
Gold Member
Actually - the Founders of the Taliban WERE best buddies in the 1980s when fighting the Russians. The rest is history - or 'blowback' as it's known.
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
Oh yeah and our best buds. Then since the 70s one hand of US govt has assisted opium poppy industry in Turkey, Afghanistan, etc. and the other eradicate the fields. It's like a shell game with the issue moving it around. ROFL That happens a lot actually.it seems -I reckon. And that too-a reckon can grow into a "reckoning". Oh nooooo! in my best Mr Bill voice. Makes me think of Cee Lo Green singing Crazy (with Daryl Hall) and then this scene:
Dr_Watso
Platinum Member
Not to rain on the parade, but almost anything you eat/drink/consume can "alter your mind". Even stuff we don't think about much like caffeine, for example, or having low blood sugar.
A great many people would disagree completely and say they found enlightenment through mind alteration, going back thousands of years, as well.
Not to say your experience was false... Probably, "enlightenment" is a different concept, and different journey for us all.
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
Oh man I turn into a bear with low blood sugar. I get you what you're saying-you are what you eat and limitations in certain amino acids, etc impact neurotransmitter levels-since precursors. But given that argument and well over 50 such experiences (more like close to 75 or more) I must have experienced "enlightenment" but neither I nor anyone else noticed ROFL. I think one hypothesis for the Oracle of Delphi was hallucinations from Hydrogen sulfide from volcanism.
Anyways I do personally attest those experiences, out of all the other classes of stuff I abused, with helping reset my brain to functionality and out of the clouds-well as much as possible anyways. My son-in-law was telling people are microdosing now with some benefits.
But I really have no idea what "enlightenment" means except historically, cultural, and philosophically but I see it as an appeal for authority fallacy argument. Now I do think our ability to reason and sciences can help us understand reality, as much as the process will reveal and as much as we can likely comprehend it, but I wouldn't call that enlightenment. We are biologically limited. Evolutionary biologists have some really interesting ideas and evidence for thousands of years of cannabis, opioid, alcohol, and hallucinatory compounds from various sources use and I have to wonder how that impacted our species as well as lower animals too. The power of myths (or hallucinations) is they don’t have to be real to influence our behaviors and have real consequences so that makes me more inclined to agree with you and they can alter our reality. (Still not calling it enlightenment per se) So that’s one convoluted argument in final agreement Doc. Thanks Doc I feel enlightened already - I think that’s half the battle. This conversation reminds me of William Hurt in "Altered States" -an awesome movie!
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wraub
Silver Member
NouveauCliche
Senior Member
I watched that at like 3am once night - I just couldn't turn it off.
Any movie where you have to fight devolving into a primordial energy and taking your wife with you is winner.
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
Well , of course, my scientific curiosity got the better f me and I tried it to see if I could go back in time to assassinate our violent ancestors so now we all be peaceful and less aggressive like Bonobos. Needless to say I couldn’t do it- the Catch 22 of having to violently kill them all.
But I did manage to go back pre- written history to destroy any evidence , to be found by future archaeologist, of all ghe advanced civilizations greater than our own that has deceased. A Herculean feat Which I could have never accomplished without the help of “the Grey’s” and their zap ray in their spaceship.
I think my month off from drumming is taking a toll on me-I got them set up and played a couple times quietly waiting to see if neighbors protest, and wife been working at home. But woohoo she’s leaving to see a kid bad off, it’s middle of day, time to go drum to save what little sanity I got left. I bet when I return I’ll be back to normal with no paragraphs etc. just streaming anddreaming - a great name for my book I think.
But I did manage to go back pre- written history to destroy any evidence , to be found by future archaeologist, of all ghe advanced civilizations greater than our own that has deceased. A Herculean feat Which I could have never accomplished without the help of “the Grey’s” and their zap ray in their spaceship.
I think my month off from drumming is taking a toll on me-I got them set up and played a couple times quietly waiting to see if neighbors protest, and wife been working at home. But woohoo she’s leaving to see a kid bad off, it’s middle of day, time to go drum to save what little sanity I got left. I bet when I return I’ll be back to normal with no paragraphs etc. just streaming anddreaming - a great name for my book I think.