The Power of Positive Thinking to Reverse Aging!

[countryboy]

Offensive is in the eyes of the beholder, counrtyboy. There should be no personal insults, we can all agree upon that. Other than that, who decides what is offensive?

Suppose I say that Harper is doing a terrible job of governing. Suppose you claim that you are offended by it? Does that mean that I should not say it?

If every time I say something I have worry about offending somebody, I wouldn’t say anything. If I attack Christianity, Christians will be offended, if I attack Islam, Muslims will be offended, if I attack Communism, Communists will be offended, if I attack Nazism, Nazis will be offended and so on.

If somebody has such a thin skin that they get offended by somebody criticizing their worldview, their philosophy, they don’t really belong in this forum.

Dang! There I go again, missing details. When I signed on, I missed the one about being offended by certain behaviours disqualfies a person from belonging to this forum. I must go back and check the rules to see where I goofed.

Thanks for bringing that up. I will endeavour to do better in the future by ceasing to be offended by certain remarks and/or subjects. And if I can't manage that, I shall withdraw.

After all, I need to remain positive in my thinking so I can keep my aging process on schedule. That is the topic, right?

 

[Cliffy]

If you believe in reincarnation, what does longevity have to do with anything?

 

[darkbeaver]

I seriously doubt that majority of people believe in reincarnation, Cliffy. Christians don’t believe in reincarnation, neither do Muslims (or Buddhists). I think that makes a majority of population in the world.

The first christians certainly did believe in reincarnation, that is in part why they were exterminated. Can you think of any reason why the universe would not follow the laws of conservation and recycle your little spark back into another bag of bones for you to continue the real purpose of life? Take a little time to consider that death may be an illusion. Sure the bone bag eventually disintegrates in this caustic atmosphere under the staggering weight but has anyone actually buried a corpses mind? I don't think so myself. What is your hurry to decompose? Besides it gives us something to look forward to, doing it all over again and again until you're complete. I don't think death is an escape from that SJP.

 

[countryboy]

That is your Gospel truth, and you are entitled to it. Incidentally, at one time many people believed that earth was flat, so according to you,r logic presumably that was true (and I assume earth became round all of a sudden, after people started believing that it was round)

That's a strange assumption. I'm assuming it always was round. Oh well, to each his own.

Really? Science cannot prove that there is no Santa Clause; does that mean that there is a Santa Claus? Nobody can prove that I haven’t been to Jupiter in the past 20 years. Does that mean that I have been to Jupiter?

SirJP - Have you never seen the movie "Miracle on 34th St.?" It proved there is a Santa Claus!

As far as your trip to Jupiter goes, if you have been there in the past 20 years, I believe you. Why would I doubt your word? You are right all the time, are you not?

You have inadequate understanding as to how science works.

Man, ain't that the truth?

If somebody makes a positive statement, the burden of proof is upon them to prove it, not upon somebody who doubts the statement. Thus if somebody claims that there is an afterlife, it is up to him to prove it, not somebody who doubts its existence.

OK, without the burden of science mucking things up and adding confusion, prove there is no afterlife. In a spiritual sense, of course.

I have an open mind on it, and I believe there could well be "something" after this physical life. I'm not sure if that qualifies as a "scientific" statement, but the very possibility of it makes it a very positive statement, at least to me.

 

[countryboy]

If you believe in reincarnation, what does longevity have to do with anything?

Well for one thing, you can never be sure what the next life will bring. Might as well stretch this one out as long as possible in case the next one isn't quite as nice. At least, that's what my Buddhist friends tell me.

 

[AnnaG]

Mind is a construct of the functions of the brain. The brain dies, the mind dies with it, IMO.

"Most modern philosophers of mind adopt either a reductive or non-reductive physicalist position, maintaining in their different ways that the mind is not something separate from the body".

Philosophy of mind - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[countryboy]

Mind is a construct of the functions of the brain. The brain dies, the mind dies with it, IMO.

"Most modern philosophers of mind adopt either a reductive or non-reductive physicalist position, maintaining in their different ways that the mind is not something separate from the body".

Which of course, blows away another old question, "Have you lost your mind?" :?:

The answer has to be, "Of course not. I'm still breathing." :-|

 

[talloola]

There is an afterlife of some sort(s). It's true because many people believe it's true. Any other position - such as the absence of an afterlife - will be considered nonsense and not worth bothering about. That is the gospel truth and nothing but the truth, according to Countryboy. And to science, which cannot disprove the fact that there is an afterlife.

why would anyone have to disprove there is an afterlife,
accept for your satisfaction.
We know people die, we see that, we know that we bury
people, we see that, or throw their ashes or 'whatever'.
No one has ever proven that anything happens after that,
except that all people spend eternity in the ground, that
usually is where we leave them, so that is what we know.
nothing has ever happened to prove there is an afterlife,
so why do you say those, who don't believe there is an
afterlife 'have' to prove there isn't one, doesn't make
any sense.
Now, if we actually saw people's parts going out into the
'wherever' into the afterlife, and saw the results of that
happening, and we all knew it happened, then I would have to prove
that it didn't, if I didn't believe it.
no one ever sees anything of the kind.

 

[darkbeaver]

People don't go in the ground, just bodies. Why would anyone want to prove there is no afterlife?

 

[talloola]

People don't go in the ground, just bodies. Why would anyone want to prove there is no afterlife?

you mean when you die, you cease to be a person?
We don't want, nor do we have to prove such a thing,
we are being challenged to prove it.

 

[AnnaG]

Which of course, blows away another old question, "Have you lost your mind?" :?:

The answer has to be, "Of course not. I'm still breathing." :-|

lol Awfully good point, CB. I don't lose mine, fersher. I just misplace it now & then.

 

[countryboy]

why would anyone have to disprove there is an afterlife,
accept for your satisfaction.
We know people die, we see that, we know that we bury
people, we see that, or throw their ashes or 'whatever'.
No one has ever proven that anything happens after that,
except that all people spend eternity in the ground, that
usually is where we leave them, so that is what we know.
nothing has ever happened to prove there is an afterlife,
so why do you say those, who don't believe there is an
afterlife 'have' to prove there isn't one, doesn't make
any sense.

Of course it doesn't, which makes it fairly consistent with the scientific foks that think I should have to prove that it "does exist."

Neither one can be proven so it really doesn't matter. Keep in mind that "proving it" wasn't raised by me...in fact, I'm not 100% sure there is an afterlife...I think it would be nice if there is. Just an opinion.

Now what exactly does this have to do with the power of positive thinking to reverse aging? Oh yeah, believing that there is an afterlife (something to look forward to) is a positive thing for many people, and perhaps it slows down their own aging process. Or maybe not. That is likely where the arguments would be better focused, wouldn't you agree?

 

[TenPenny]

I Christians don’t believe in reincarnation, neither do Muslims (or Buddhists).

Well, for Buddhists, there's rebirth, which is not quite the same, but is conceptually very close for the purposes of this discussion.
Many Sufi Moslems believe in reincarnation.
Hindus believe that the soul is immortal, while the body is born and dies.
In Jainism, particular reference is given to how devas (gods) also reincarnate after they die.
Sikhs believe that every creature has a Soul; on death, the Soul is passed from one body to another until Liberation
Taoist documents from as early as the Han Dynasty claimed that Lao Tzu appeared on earth as different persons in different times beginning in the legendary era of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The (ca. 3rd century BCE) Chuang Tzu states: "Birth is not a beginning; death is not an end. There is existence without limitation; there is continuity without a starting-point
The belief is common in Orthodox Judaism. Indeed there is an entire volume of work called Sha'ar Ha'Gilgulim[36] (The Gate of Reincarnations),[37] based on the work of Rabbi Isaac Luria (and compiled by his disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital). It describes the deep, complex laws of reincarnation.
Reincarnation is an intrinsic part of many Native American and Inuit traditions. In the now heavily Christian Polar North (now mainly parts of Greenland and Nunavut), the concept of reincarnation is enshrined in the Inuit language.

etc etc

 

[darkbeaver]

you mean when you die, you cease to be a person?
We don't want, nor do we have to prove such a thing,
we are being challenged to prove it.

The personality does not go in the hole. The energy that animates the body does not go in the hole. The personalities/spirits/minds accumulated experience does not go in the hole, it is used elsewhere I think.

 

[Cliffy]

Mind is a construct of the functions of the brain. The brain dies, the mind dies with it, IMO.

"Most modern philosophers of mind adopt either a reductive or non-reductive physicalist position, maintaining in their different ways that the mind is not something separate from the body".

Philosophy of mind - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most modern philosophists are academics and have brain freeze. They remind me of Carlos Castaneda who was fed vast amounts of peyote and psilocybin to breakdown his socially conditioned mind. The mind is far more than the flashing synapses in the brain. The brain is more like a hard drive than a CPU. The mind has many layers of thought processes: conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious to name a few. The personality may die with the body but as far as I'm concerned, it is of little use anyway.

 

[AnnaG]

I just found this: New Scientific Evidence Shows Soul In and Leaving Body - The Rant - WHNT Community Message Board -

Interesting but it doesn't seem to indicate what happens after this "lifeforce" leaves the body. Does it eventually dissipate into eanassir's ether? Or space? Happy Hunting Grounds? lol

 

[countryboy]

The personality does not go in the hole. The energy that animates the body does not go in the hole. The personalities/spirits/minds accumulated experience does not go in the hole, it is used elsewhere I think.

Yep, I think so too. I believe some refer to it as "the soul" but I'm sure there are many other words used to describe the same thing.

By the way, can you prove this? (Jeez, just kidding!)...:lol:

 

[AnnaG]

Most modern philosophists are academics and have brain freeze. They remind me of Carlos Castaneda who was fed vast amounts of peyote and psilocybin to breakdown his socially conditioned mind. The mind is far more than the flashing synapses in the brain. The brain is more like a hard drive than a CPU. The mind has many layers of thought processes: conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious to name a few. The personality may die with the body but as far as I'm concerned.it is of little use anyway.

I'm pretty sure that Wiki said "philosophers" not "philosophists". There's a big difference. Merriam-Webster says a philosophist is

Phi`los´o`phist (fĭ`lǒs´ô`fĭst)
n.1.A pretender in philosophy.

At any rate, judging from what most people perceive that love is, science has a different story, so I am not averse to thinking that most people are misinformed, uninformed, etc. about what "soul", "spirit", and that sort of thing are.

The science of love

 

[darkbeaver]

Yep, I think so too. I believe some refer to it as "the soul" but I'm sure there are many other words used to describe the same thing.

By the way, can you prove this? (Jeez, just kidding!)...:lol:

Faith is stronger than proof anyway, where proof can not exist faith reigns supreme.:lol:

 

[china]

countryboy:

I was responding to the fact that many people (including scientists) claim there is no afterlife. All I'm saying is, prove it.

I Think you'll agree that death occurs when the brain ceases to register activity.
So the difference between being alive and being dead is activity in the brain ,right? . We are our brain. What is the very essence of us, what makes me and you is our brain.The human brain is a collection of cells that for the typical adult weighs about 3 lbs.I've bin told that it contains 100 billion neurons. These neurons form connections to each other called synapses but you already know hat ,right? . These synapses produce chemicals called neurotransmitters. There are 1,000,000,000,000,000 synapses in the brain. A neuron is activated and the synapses connects to another neuron via a neurotransmitter through its synapses. Every thought you have, every movement you take, every memory you possess, is nothing more than a particular sequence of synapses. This is what we are, a collection of neurons sparking off a chain reaction to other neurons. When the brain is no longer activating neurons, we cease to exist.The rest of our body serves no other purpose than to keep the brain alive and to reproduce.So if that's all we are, then to answer the question 'is there afterlife' the answer would have to be no.