Re: Mind's Eye UFO's: Fact or Fantasy?

There is an area of the brain that stores certain memories. Also, I
think memories can be provoked through associations (Proust).But this
is an individual journey- not an explanation of our existence as a
species. Since we are derived from fish I am hoping I was once a wily
rainbow trout.:-) Anyway- I think memory makes sense of the past.
Beliefs are wishful thoughts that will reward our behavior until
proven otherwise- in this life and after death- but it does not
successfully explain what has happened to all those anonymous
millions.

On Oct 7, 5:01 pm, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I believe in the possibility of something god-like.  I doubt this has
> much to do with meeting it second left past the burning bush.  Even
> the prophet we dare not mention seems to have been created in retro to
> control the new empire.  Origin is endlessly deferred or nachtraglich
> and it is interesting we don't carry the memories on our journey and
> yet respond to fellowship and wider demands of the extended
> phenotype.  Memory, false or otherwise, seems to be about making sense
> of the future.  UFOs may be about of concerns, as in religion, as to
> why we are here.  I am protestant by inclination, finding organised
> religion a control fraud.  It could be our memories are unpacking when
> our god-spots do their thing.  It's interesting in general that we see
> things that don't exist like demons, UFOs and visions.
>
> On 4 Oct, 16:34, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > I do not think the schools are looking for the brightest  but rather they
> > are deliberately dumbing students down. Guess it is to keep them from
> > learning to think for themselves.
> > Allan
>
> > On Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 4:37 PM, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > Not many are willing to put up with the chaos and violence of public
> > > schools plus those who can afford it are thinking of the future
> > > contacts and colleges they want for their children. Parents are sick
> > > of the cultural garbage.
>
> > > On Oct 4, 3:51 am, gabbydott <gabbyd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Roughly the same thing going on here with confessional schools. The
> > > > avoidance motif is where I see the problem begins.
>
> > > > On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 1:20 PM, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > > > Catholic schools are rebounding to avoid public schools and are
> > > > > attended by several faiths. The tuition is adjusted if one is a
> > > > > parishoner, i.e. less tuition since you are expected to tithe, so it
> > > > > probably works out to the same amount.
>
> > > > >> > Hello Gabby --it's great to meet you too.  I don't know what
> > > happened with
> > > > >> > the name thing --I'm sure one William L. Houts is enough for anyone.
>
> > > > >> > --Bill
>
> > > > >> > On 10/1/2012 10:02 AM, gabbydott wrote:
>
> > > > >> > Hello Bill, I noticed that your screen name on the group website is
> > > rather
> > > > >> > long. It reads: William L. Houts William L. Houts Lukaeon William
> > > L. Houts.
> > > > >> > I was wondering if this was your intention.
>
> > > > >> > Maybe yes. Just so much, I do differentiate between heaven and
> > > afterlifeand their individual usability for corruption. Both terms are
> > > somehow
> > > > >> > related to the future, but the access is different. Sorry, I forgot
> > > to
> > > > >> > introduce myself. My name is Gabby (short for Gabriele), I am a
> > > Protestant,
> > > > >> > my first language is German, and I believe in God. I like to listen
> > > to
> > > > >> > other people's stories which is why I have learned to keep my own
> > > very
> > > > >> > short. Nice meeting you. :)
>
> > > > >> > On Friday, September 28, 2012 7:17:08 AM UTC+2, William L. Houts
> > > William
> > > > >> > L. Houts Lukaeon William L. Houts wrote:
>
> > > > >> >> I wonder if humans do dream of uncorrupted worlds, in general.
> > > You'd
> > > > >> >> think that would be universal, and it does seem to be borne out by
> > > > >> >> Western mythologies, with some exceptions.  For instance, the
> > > Greeks had
> > > > >> >> Olympus, but except for Heracles no one got to go there; everyone
> > > else
> > > > >> >> went to Hades, which was gloomy and boring if you were lucky
> > > enough to
> > > > >> >> land there in general population, and terrifying if the gods put
> > > you in
> > > > >> >> Tartarus.  And the Romans didn't seem to place faith in any sort of
> > > > >> >> afterlife at all, which is one of the main reasons whyChristianity
> > > sold
> > > > >> >> like hotcakes.  Eastern religions such as Buddhism had various
> > > hells and
> > > > >> >> heavens, but they were sort of besides the point:  your karma is /
> > > was
> > > > >> >> supposed to boil down to nothing and liberate you from the Wheel of
> > > > >> >> Rebirth, which was supposed to put you  in Nirvana, which was less
> > > a
> > > > >> >> Heaven than it was a Nowhere. And Taoism doesn't have much to say
> > > about
> > > > >> >> heavenly afterworlds;  its whole point is to make this world more
> > > just
> > > > >> >> and balanced and leaves heavens to the individual to figure out.
>
> > > > >> >> But as to your question of whether humans long for uncorrupted
> > > worlds, I
> > > > >> >> think that besides the Abrahamic religions noone takes them very
> > > > >> >> seriously.  And I think they've got a point:  I mean, if you're
> > > taking
> > > > >> >> your present existence at all seriously, then just what is an
> > > afterlife
> > > > >> >> supposed to be about?  Are we supposed to be eating bonbons all
> > > day and
> > > > >> >> living in some version of American luxury?  I'd like to believe in
> > > > >> >> Heaven  --which for me looks like a kind of liberal college town,
> > > with
> > > > >> >> libraries and funky old cinema houses-- but all of that seems kind
> > > of
> > > > >> >> empty if there's no gravitas, no seriousness.   Without death,
> > > without a
> > > > >> >> final marker which howls at us, Do what you must do NOW and die
> > > knowing
> > > > >> >> that you've used your life well--without that, I think heaven would
> > > > >> >> become kind of slouchy and boring, or worse.  Unless, of course,
> > > what's
> > > > >> >> waiting for us on the other side is something superrational but
> > > > >> >> beautiful, like being absorbed into the godhead, if such there be.
>
> > > > >> >> So in answer to your question, I think we do dream of uncorrupt
> > > worlds,
> > > > >> >> but if we examine them too closely, they tend to be bustable soap
> > > > >> >> bubbles. And maybe I lack imagination, but I wonder, how could it
> > > be any
> > > > >> >> other way?  Frankly, I'd like to be told how. I sound sensible
> > > about all
> > > > >> >> of this if a little pessimistic, but in reality I'm a scared
> > > ex-Catholic
> > > > >> >> who is terrified  of death and wants to solve the Big Question
> > > before
> > > > >> >> they're performing Last Rites on his sorry ass.
>
> > > > >> >> --Bill
>
> > > > >> >> On 9/27/2012 7:20 PM, rigsy03 wrote:
> > > > >> >> > I wonder where you put the mythological and religious
> > > other-worldlies-
> > > > >> >> > from gods to guardian angels, etc.? Or the construct of Dante's
> > > > >> >> > "Divine Comedy", for instance. Do humans long for uncorrupted
> > > worlds?
>
> > > > >> >> > On Sep 27, 6:23 pm, William L Houts <luka...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >> >> >> I'm with the pragmatists on the question of intelligent alien
> > > species.
> > > > >> >> >> Many scientists who speculate on this sort of thing --though
> > > there
> > > > >> >> >> really aren't that many of them-- say that such species wouldn't
> > > > >> >> >> resemble anything so comforting as a humanoid physiology, but I
> > > think
> > > > >> >> >> they're partly mistaken.  Surely there would be surprises in
> > > the way
> > > > >> >> >> nature cooks up life on other planets with radically different
> > > > >> >> >> chemistries than our dear old Mama Earth.  But I think there's
> > > reason
> > > > >> >> to
> > > > >> >> >> suppose that many alien species would resemble us.  After all,
> > > any
> > > > >> >> >> species we might imagine has to cope with gravity as it
> > > evolves.  So
> > > > >> >> >> they're much more likely to evolve some form of locomotion which
> > > > >> >> >> involves  two, four or six pedal extremities (as Fats Waller
> > > calls
> > > > >> >> them)
> > > > >> >> >> rather than three or five:  even-numbered legs are less wobbly
> > > and
> > > > >> >> more
> > > > >> >> >> amenable to balanced movement which consumes fewer calories. .
> > > Also,
> > > > >> >> >> sense organs like eyes and ears are likely to be located in or
> > > close
> > > > >> >> to
> > > > >> >> >> a head, as there is survival value in having sense organs
> > > located
> > > > >> >> close
> > > > >> >> >> to a brain, or whatever such species might use for brains.
> > > Finally,
> > > > >> >> >> everyone in the cosmos requires energy to get going, so they're
> > > > >> >> either
> > > > >> >> >> going to evolve photosynthesis and take their energy directly
> > > from
> > > > >> >> their
> > > > >> >> >> sun or suns, or they're going to take their sunbeams indirectly
> > > by
> > > > >> >> >> consuming something lower in the food chain.  I'm sure there
> > > are lots
> > > > >> >> of
> > > > >> >> >> evolution pathways I'm leaving out, seeing as I'm a curious
> > > poetrather
> > > > >> >> >> than a serious scientist type of guy, but I think these notions
> > > are,
> > > > >> >> as
> > > > >> >> >> Allan named other ideas of mine, sensible provisos.
>
> > > > >> >> >> PS.  I left out centipedes and millipedes with their scores of
> > > legs,
> > > > >> >> but
> > > > >> >> >> I think y'all's get what I'm saying here.
>
> > > > >> >> >> --Bill
>
> > > > >> >> >> On 9/27/2012 3:57 PM, archytas wrote:
>
> > > > >> >> >>> I haven't seen any UFOs and tend not to be much interested in
> > > people
> > > > >> >> >>> who claim to have - at least without Bill's sensible provisos.
> > >  The
> > > > >> >> >>> speed of thought as a brain process is slower than light-speed
> > > - but
> > > > >> >> >>> then I'm basically a tropical fish realist.  I'd have a bet
> > > that no
> > > > >> >> >>> one in this group would really have much of a definition of
> > > light-
> > > > >> >> >>> speed and the Ricel curvature tensor, Euler Langrangian and
> > > the rest
> > > > >> >> >>> of Einstein's field equations.  I mean no offence and don't do
> > > much
> > > > >> >> of
> > > > >> >> >>> this science myself.
> > > > >> >> >>> If you point out to a physicist that the people from the
> > > future who
> > > > >> >> >>> have invented the time machine are in extraordinarily short
> > > supply
>
> ...
>
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