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undefinedreference In reply to Piarvi-Recherreen [2016-01-03 14:17:37 +0000 UTC]

And the Promises factor in between. I saw a woman on TV claiming that "mindfulness can also cure all sorts of diseases, including cancer". That's a pretty bold statement! "Show us the figures..". If an actual, real doctor would make a claim like that they would be sliced to pieces by the public for losing just a single patient out of 10,000, but in Vagueland one can apparently get away with anything. Because after all it's a matter of BELIEF, not fact. Humans acting irrational in the face of disillusionment and despair is very understandable and excusable, making such claims isn't though, and a childishly gullible and selectively indignant ("emo") society allowing people to do so even less. These people do kill in their infinite "wisdom".

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Piarvi-Recherreen In reply to undefinedreference [2016-01-03 17:17:03 +0000 UTC]

well, i have to admit that even though i share your point of view, my only experience with chinese medicine was rather a good one

i once went to see an acupuncturist who had been really efficient (it was just to cure a slight temporary tiredness)

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undefinedreference In reply to Piarvi-Recherreen [2016-01-03 18:30:27 +0000 UTC]

Visiting a Catholic priest in order to confess your "sins" might have had the exact same effect. Note that there's a lot going on here: taking a decision (to visit the healer/priest), acting on that decision (the visit itself). These two combined should already yield a sense of taking matters in your own hand, of taking action rather than sit passively and wait. That's energy boost No. 1. Then there's the factor of receiving personal care and attention, which should come with a sense you actually matter, something of which there's quite a shortage in modern everyday life. That's energy boost No. 2. Al this combined will almost invariably lead to an immediate revitalization, provided that the underlying disease isn't really bad (and even when it is, temporarily perhaps). It triggers a sense of perspective, which in turn may trigger the self-healing capacities of the body. And even if it doesn't take the illness away, it may give you just enough energy to simply ignore it and move on.

To be honest, I the "victims" of our natural healers don't really keep me awake at night. What really annoys me about these people is the fact that "new age" seems to be a place where people with no discernible real talents (apart from speaking in a soft and mesmerizing voice) find ways to exert power over others with their quasi-wisdom. And moreover, anyone who teaches their children to believe in the healing power of crystals and stuff like that is robbing them of a very valuable human property, which is a capacity for critical thought. Later in life such kids typically fall prey to the wildest conspiracy theories and may very well end up voting the worst total bastards into power, simply because they're well-prepared to swallow any amount of unfounded bullshit. I live in the Netherlands and I've seen it happening "live" over the past 15 years or so. The populist far right of today largely consist of the new age hippies of the 90s. But then, Nazi Germany itself was deeply rooted in "Atlantis Society"-type new age crap, complete with the same blind adoration of Tibetan Buddhism which is so ubiquitous today.

I hope I'm not being too outspoken here

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Piarvi-Recherreen In reply to undefinedreference [2016-01-04 08:55:50 +0000 UTC]

come on, you're absolutely right to tell things how you see them, and i can only reasonably agree with everything you say

i don't reject eastern philosophy, i find it interesting in many aspects, how it incites people to find harmony, peace with themselves, how it tries to divert them from materialism

but well, fundamentalism and lack of critical mind can easily change good into bad

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undefinedreference In reply to Piarvi-Recherreen [2016-01-05 17:15:15 +0000 UTC]

I'm struggling to come up with a place that's more materialistic than the part of planet Earth that's traditionally Buddist (East Asia). If one can judge the tree by its fruits, there you are, not to mention social inequality, despotic feudalism and what seems to be a total lack of sensitivity for fellow human beings (Elie Wiesel once had to leave India because he could no longer bear having to step over the beggars each morning while leaving his hotel; but then he didn't get the idea of "karma", did he?). It appears that the whole idea of western materialism is mostly a Buddhist invention in order to sell their stuff: survivorbb.rapeutation.com/vie… (very interesting reading btw. It never seems to occur to those "enlightened" Easterlings that maybe they could learn a thing or two from us. But then, since they already know everything, they obviously don't feel they need to). As for inner peace and harmony, either I lack a craving for it, or I have already managed to reach it (though I'm extremely easily distracted and annoyed by nature). An aunt of mine who was into yoga once told me that I already seemed to be in the state she was struggling to achieve. In my opinion harmony is an existential impossibility anyway. Note that as far as materialism is concerned, you'd be much better off with Christianity, which in its bare essence isn't just a-materialistic, it is indeed anti-materialistic. The idea being for its followers to relinquish private property (called worldly possessions in religious terms) and go live in communes, share everything with each other (hmm, I'd swear I heard Karl Marx talking) and trust upon the fact that their god will feed them just like He feeds the birds. I did take some yoga classes once, to see what it was like, and it did have an effect on me (it mostly left me horny as hell because the pregnant girl next to me and I were obviously very much interested in each other), but I also felt I was being manipulated, brainwashed, hypnotized and robbed of my critical thought (I asked lots of questions which seemed to annoy a few people). And I couldn't stand the endless repetition, that was the main reason why I quit. Btw when people feel they're not in harmony with themselves and their surroundings, I think it's more often than not because they're constantly trying to live up to other people's expectations, which pulls them "out of themselves". For such people yoga can probably be a good thing. I don't think I've personally lived up to anyone's expectations, but I'm not exactly a success either

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Piarvi-Recherreen In reply to undefinedreference [2016-01-05 21:34:22 +0000 UTC]

oh you seem to be so much more aware than me about all these things ... my legendary oriental wisdom tells me to just shut up and listen to the master

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