Materialism (A mad world)

by romansh , Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 15:01 (4538 days ago) @ dhw

Yes indeed, nebulous consciousness may be the key to those elements of life that we do not understand. Although matter is energy, that doesn't mean that energy is only matter as we know it. Supposing it can take other forms? Supposing the solid matter of the brain is only a receptacle for a different energy of the mind? -Are you suggesting there might be a form of energy that we have not discovered yet, but reacts sufficiently strongly to shape molecules which in turn shape our consciousnesses? I'll await your evidence?-> For me, there is no avoiding the problem of NDEs, OBEs, and every kind of psychic experience that appears to defy material explanation. Materialists choose either to dismiss these out of hand, or to assume that eventually an explanation will be found. But since consciousness itself and its manifestations remain an unexplained mystery, I can do neither. And so nebulous consciousness is the reason why I accept that there MAY be forms of energy that are quite different from the materialized energy we know. -NDEs OBEs etc are not a problem. Take for example our NDEs are simply a reflection of of our culture. Christian NDEs are Christian in aspect, Hindu NDEs are Hindu in aspect. The problem withe psychic phenomena is that they are nigh on impossible to observe under controlled conditions. -> My point was that we all think we have a balanced view. I doubt if anyone ... theist, atheist or agnostic ... would dispute that the world is in a mess.-This particular agnostic vehemently disagrees here. the world is not a mess. Rhetoric like our food is poisonous firmly belongs in the sky is falling camp.-I could be described as a philosophical materialist; to suggest this makes me more materialistic in a worldly hedonistic sense is pure unsupported nonsense. (I understand you are not suggesting this).