Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Deepak Chopra: Mystibabelarian
(1)
I should clarify my use of the word, 'customs' in (1) below: there was no actual customs process because Hawaii was a state at the time. But we thought we would be asked questions at the airport as we departed. This was because on our arrival in Hawaii there seemed to be some official interest in what we were bringing into Hawaii. This was back in the good old days before the International Culture Wars began to affect air travel in a significant way.
And concerning the term, 'eternal life,' I use it in the sense that since you are by definition unable to pinpoint either the beginning or the end of your personal consciousness that consciousness is 'eternal' from your perspective. Others will have a different view.
And on this general subject, Today had an interesting interview with Deepak Chopra, the well-known 'Mystibabelarian.' (The word is derived from 'mystical' and describes one who babels about mystical ideas. 'Mystibabel is akin to 'psychobabel.' Both terms are somewhat derisive and refer to those individual 'disciplines' from the exasperated point of view of the layman.) The discussion was about 'the soul' and whether there is a portion of us which survives death. Chopra thinks so. But to the question, 'Isn't it a matter of faith?' Chopra replied in the negative: '...Where we are now, in science, it says: consciousness is not a product of our biology; our biology is a product of our consciousness...' This is high class mystibabel at best, and a simple lie at worst: Most scientistists would disagree.
I should clarify my use of the word, 'customs' in (1) below: there was no actual customs process because Hawaii was a state at the time. But we thought we would be asked questions at the airport as we departed. This was because on our arrival in Hawaii there seemed to be some official interest in what we were bringing into Hawaii. This was back in the good old days before the International Culture Wars began to affect air travel in a significant way.
And concerning the term, 'eternal life,' I use it in the sense that since you are by definition unable to pinpoint either the beginning or the end of your personal consciousness that consciousness is 'eternal' from your perspective. Others will have a different view.
And on this general subject, Today had an interesting interview with Deepak Chopra, the well-known 'Mystibabelarian.' (The word is derived from 'mystical' and describes one who babels about mystical ideas. 'Mystibabel is akin to 'psychobabel.' Both terms are somewhat derisive and refer to those individual 'disciplines' from the exasperated point of view of the layman.) The discussion was about 'the soul' and whether there is a portion of us which survives death. Chopra thinks so. But to the question, 'Isn't it a matter of faith?' Chopra replied in the negative: '...Where we are now, in science, it says: consciousness is not a product of our biology; our biology is a product of our consciousness...' This is high class mystibabel at best, and a simple lie at worst: Most scientistists would disagree.
