[net.origins] A home for discussions on the esoteric, the occult, etc.

dobro@ulowell.UUCP (Chet Dobro) (05/12/86)

Hi out there,

It's me again.

The time has come when I have stopped asking for a "net.psi" and are going
to do something about it.

For too long have I listened to various complaints, both at myself and
others that net.such-and-such is not the appropriate place to discuss
certain topics.

As it turns out, there is no appropriate place.
SO I am making one.

Anyone interested in the following topics, listen up:

		Ritual Magic
		The esoteric
		psychic phenomena
		reincarnation
		psionics
		Other Planes
		[anything else we feel like talking about]

I am forming a mail group "MAIL.PSI" for discussion of these and other
topics. If you are interested in joining, please reply (via mail) to me.
I will be coordinating it (at least for the present).

I have tried for the past three monthes to form a net-group "NET.PSI"
It has been shot down each time. Reason: No proof of sufficent volume of
material.

Well, my site supervisor said that if a mailing group has enough members
and enough volume, a new newsgroup may be started.

Thus I am starting said mailing-group.
It is open to anyone who wants to **seriously** discuss the above topics.
Skeptics and questioners are welcome, but no hecklers please.
Also, I would like to keep flames to a minimum.
One thing I have learned in my long time on this topic is that everyone
has different definitions for things, even if they agree on what's actually
being said! Anyway, I think this is a much needed place for us to talk
about all those topics no-one else wants us to talk about.



Please reply to me (via mail) ASAP. I will compile names and get the group
mailing list started.

Thanx for your attention.


							Gryphon

steves@tektools.UUCP (05/15/86)

In article <319@ulowell.UUCP> dobro@ulowell.UUCP (Chet Dobro) writes:
>
>The time has come when I have stopped asking for a "net.psi" and are going
>to do something about it.
>

I don't have a path for you so I'm replying to the net.

Count me in.

ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (05/17/86)

In article <1045@tektools.UUCP> steves@tektools.UUCP (steve shellans) writes:
>In article <319@ulowell.UUCP> dobro@ulowell.UUCP (Chet Dobro) writes:
>>The time has come when I have stopped asking for a "net.psi" and are going
>>to do something about it.
>Count me in.

    This might as well go to net.news.group too, since that's how such
    matters are done.

    The DrivelNet has needed a net.psi for years. How do you suppose
    Mr. Gwyn feels having net.sci filled with parapsychology debates?
    We must purge heretical doctrines from techie sanctuaries so that
    scientismo-behaviorrhea may wax eternally!

    Would you expose your Science fearing, calculator wielding progeny
    to the influence of mystics, psychokineticists, 60's burnouts, 
    astral geometers, Seth enthusiasts, Santa Cruz metaphysicians,
    Bohmian holists, and psychotronic vibrationists? Of course not!

    Here are three votes for net.psi -- counting Sunny, that's four.

-michael

    Kierkegaard identified faith with "subjectivity", a subjectivity
    that is the dialectical negation of the "objectivity" that has 
    progressively and decisively evolved in history. The act of faith
    is a reversal of profane history.

-Thomas Altizer

bzs@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) (05/19/86)

I'd be glad to see net.psi or whatever have a home. I would just
like to comment that from what I have seen in net.sci etc on the topic
notes like Michael Ellis':

>    Would you expose your Science fearing, calculator wielding progeny
>    to the influence of mystics, psychokineticists, 60's burnouts, 
>    astral geometers, Seth enthusiasts, Santa Cruz metaphysicians,
>    Bohmian holists, and psychotronic vibrationists? Of course not!

Are typical of what has been seen, contentless rhetoric that's hard
to take seriously.

Has it ever occurred to some of the PSI folks that you've been derided
not because the readers are unreasonable but because most of the notes
you present to the audience constitute completely incompetent drivel
and most of us have seen far better on the subject that we have disagreed
with (or agreed with?) Presuming oppression or parochialism is such
a comfortable and puerile position to create for yourself (Hey, look MA!
we're misunderstood! We *must* be right!)

I for one am sympathetic to PSI, I just think a discussion of even the
most minimal quality has yet to get started, as far as I can see all we
get is a bunch of defensive psycho-babble with a few laced together
buzzwords all of a distinctly adolescent bent (like the above quote.)

I've spent years speaking with people and reading about subjects like
Crowley, the Kabbala (I was raised by "Kabbalists"), PSI etc, nah, I
haven't seen anything yet on these lists worthy of discussion, the quality
is zip.

You has met the enemy...and it is youse...

	-Barry Shein, Boston University

Lorre: You know Rick, sometimes I think you don't like me
Bogey: If I ever thought about you I probably wouldn't

zippy@percival.UUCP (05/20/86)

I don't have your path either, but please include me as well...
     Michael Zenner
...!tektronix!reed!percival!zippy

dobro@ulowell.UUCP (Chet Dobro) (05/31/86)

In article <639@bu-cs.UUCP> bzs@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) writes:
>
>Has it ever occurred to some of the PSI folks that you've been derided
>not because the readers are unreasonable but because most of the notes
>you present to the audience constitute completely incompetent drivel
>and most of us have seen far better on the subject that we have disagreed
>with (or agreed with?) Presuming oppression or parochialism is such
>a comfortable and puerile position to create for yourself (Hey, look MA!
>we're misunderstood! We *must* be right!)

That's one of the points that I plan to bring up in my first posting.

>
>I for one am sympathetic to PSI, I just think a discussion of even the
>most minimal quality has yet to get started, as far as I can see all we
>get is a bunch of defensive psycho-babble with a few laced together
>buzzwords all of a distinctly adolescent bent (like the above quote.)

That is going to be one of the major uses for the group: the comparison
and finalizing of defintions. The determining of criterion, etc.

>
>I've spent years speaking with people and reading about subjects like
>Crowley, the Kabbala (I was raised by "Kabbalists"), PSI etc, nah, I
>haven't seen anything yet on these lists worthy of discussion, the quality
>is zip.
>

Well, we'll see...


						Gryphon