From: spike66 (spike66@attbi.com)
Date: Thu Apr 03 2003 - 21:22:38 MST
> spike66 wrote: I would settle for a good halucination...
>
>> Samantha Atkins wrote:
>>
> Are you sure that a hallucination would be sufficient for you? As one
> who is subject to occassional mystical experiences I ask the question.
> In my experience such things are quite overwhelming and very difficult
> to not take as big T Truth. But they are ultimately not convincing to
> the intellect.
Ja I think so, but I see where you are going with
this argument. The halucination would need to be
a really good one, like Dr. Arroway's, with lotsa
feeling and insight. It would need good qualia.
Whatever that is. {8^D
The god I could be convinced of is a Bradburian
god (Robert, not Ray), an advanced lifeform that
had mastered nanotech and interstellar travel, a
wispy nanobot arm of a distant MBrain. I don't know
what it would take to convince me of an Old-Testament-
style yahwey or allah who creates universes. A lot
more than even a good or repeatable halucination
methinks.
> Well, if we are talking about God vs some other more advanced species
> which had no real creative role in this mess I think we are talking
> about something a bit different than what A.C. had in mind. Any being
> claiming to be the Creator is subject to questions... - samantha
Ja, and that is why I found the god-experience in
Contact so very satisfying. The advanced alien
who imitated Dr.Arroway's father was so humble,
yet still so technologically capable, while never
claiming to be universe creators. That last part where
he said "We don't know who built it," that really got
me. One would hafta love the guy. Or thing.
I could be convinced that somewhere in the stellar
neighborhood, something like that exists, since it
would be explainable via evolution: an advanced,
perhaps humanlike species managed to merge intelligences
the way humankind is struggling to do today. This
primitive planet is standing on the threshold, perhaps
only fifty to a couple hundred years from spawning a
god. Could we really be the very first planet since
the Big Bang to get this far?
spike
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Apr 03 2003 - 21:30:13 MST