ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (06/22/85)
>> In general, I find that the strongest conclusion I can draw from the >> mystical experience is that there is some supernatural order which shows >> some unification of the natural order. [Charley] > >Why does that sound like a conclusion you've already presumed in order to >reach that conclusion? You speak of the limits of language. "Supernatural" >is a word, a piece of language conceived and invoked by humans. What does >it mean? From the structure of the word parts, and from the nature of the >way the word is used, "beyond the natural" sounds like the intended meaning. >How do we define natural? What are the limits of what is natural? Where are >the boundaries between "natural" and "supernatural"? Are they anything more >than arbitrary demarcations that facilitate the conclusions we want to draw >about the universe and about the nature of the supernatural? Charley is not >alone is not having answered these questions. [Rich Rosen] Consciousness, the subjective experience of existing, pure awareness, is supernatural, since it is in principle not objectively verifiable. -michael