Brain Chemistry Can Produce Jesus
Add to her story the endless successful books written by people who had near death experiences where they saw Jesus or God or a portal to heaven. I watched Benny Hinn one night describing how Jesus spoke to him in a dream.
These contemporary experiences pale compared to what is in the Bible. Paul talked to Jesus several times after Jesus was supposed to be dead. There are the "revealed" stories. These are taken by believers to be historical events even though obvious fiction to non believers.
The big one is the Resurrection. No one writing or quoted in the Bible claimed to have seen Jesus alive after he was supposed to have been dead. Yet, the story, like that of Obama being born in Kenya, goes on and on.
The source of the Resurrection story is not known. There are a couple of logical explanations. One is that it was made up and based on previous heroes who "came back to life." Another is someone saw the alive Jesus in a dream or hallucination.
New research has shown the experiences described in near death experiences is nearly identical to those of people who have taken hallucinogenic drugs. To reduce the subjectivity, researchers compared computer generated comparisons of the words used to describe the experiences. The similarity was persuasive.
The evidence is that past and present conversations with Jesus were/are produced by brain chemistry. Perhaps instead of reading the Bible I can take some LSD and talk to Jesus myself.
And then; I read there are also bad trips with LSD. Demons or some such things.
ReplyDeletehelper "Demons and some such things." You mean like the ones in the Bible?
ReplyDeleteNo, the ones reported as a result of LSD (On the internet).
Delete"No, the ones reported as a result of LSD." My link suggests the ones that appear from LSD and the ones in the Bible are the same. They come from the same place, an altered mind.
DeleteJon; remember the internet? That source you so admire. Only a closed mind would selectively use sources that agrees with him.
DeleteInteresting article Jon. After Jesus was baptized I guess he went into the desert and fasted for 40 days and nights. Forty days without food should have some neurochemical effect on the brain, like going on walk-about with the devil. I suspect he may have found some water somewhere in the arid desert. Maybe an oasis. There are some cacti that could have quenched his thirst. Some species also provide a psychedelic experience. By the way the number 40 is pretty common in the bible. The tribes of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness. I read Acts 1:2 speaks of Jesus teaching and preaching to the 11 disciples for 40 days after the resurrection, before the he ascended. Now that's some heady stuff. The nature of humankind includes how we "perpetually perish", i.e. die. After billions of human death events it's possible evolution gradually provided some neurochemical distraction on our way out. Endogenous DMT would be a candidate.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there is any animal that can persuade itself it will never die. Probably it's only the amazing human mind that can do that.
DeleteLet's hear it for hyper literalism.
Deletelittle helper: "Let's hear it for hyper literalism." Let me try to be a bit more creative. The post baptismal fast and trip to the wilderness by Jesus is about self-discipline, commitment to faith, and resisting temptation. Acts 1:2 is a lesson in the power and glory of a holy spirit. Neither have anything to do with the topic at hand. I guess I was seduced once again by that whore Reason.
DeleteWell since you introduced the elements in your 1;35 pm, I don't see the connection with Jon's topic. You will have to figure out the connection on your own. Good luck with that.
DeleteTry chewing a few kernels of ergot for the answer.
little helper: “Try chewing a few kernels of ergot for the answer.” That’s so very Christian of you to recommend I go poison myself and with a rye fungus of all things. A wee dram of rye whiskey now and then and a nice Shiitake stir fry on occasion will do. Fallibility can be an asset. Try some.
DeleteArdy Ardy Ardy ; Just using an obvious hyperbole to help you make the connection of your 1;35 and Jon's topic. If you are so stupid to think it was a prescription to poison yourself, you are indeed a victim / proponent of hyper literalism yourself, while at the same time accusing everyone else of the same. Not to exclude Hebraisms. I've read native Americans smoked dried cat-nip for a mild mind expanding experience. Try that. Beware though, you may roll on the floor, purr, get a runny nose and chase mice. You and Jon could buddy up and have a group puff, and chase the other around the room, and up the walls.
Delete"Fallibility can be an asset." Beautiful sentence and appropriate. Unfortunately, it is not available to the true believer like Little Helper--it is a death sentence: "And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee." Deuteronomy 13:5
ReplyDelete@ 7;28; Spoken like a teacher to the teacher's pet. Using the "poor little old me" as a victimology. And an out of context quote at that. The way of a "professor", and not becoming such a position.
Delete