mod-psi@ulowell.UUCP (01/05/87)
[] > I hope that readers of this newsgroup realize that there is a vast > difference between academic parapsychology and the practice of > witchcraft and other occult arts. The former is a scientific discipline, > no different in principle than experimental psychology or physics; the latter > is essentially a belief system. > > Whether there are any legitimate connections between occult beliefs > and claims and the small magnitude, statistical psi effects as revealed > in the laboratory, remains to be seen. It is not at all clear to me that academic parapsychology has very much to do with psychic phenomena (psi). It is not at all clear to me that those who practice withcraft do NOT engage in psychic phenomena. It is not at all clear to me that witchcraft is ESSENTIALLY a belief system. So, let me begin: Witchcraft is both a belief system (as is ANY religion) and an occult art. Both aspects of this are spiritual. Science is a belief system (as is ANY religion). The scientific approach to the study of paranormal, occult, metaphysical, psychic, psi, extrasensory perception, or parapsychology is doomed to failure. Why? Because the religion of science is an atheistic religion, and these phenomena are spiritual. OK... how to untangle this mess? First is the issue of belief in the existance of GOD. Witchcraft = Yes Occult = Yes Science = No Second is the issue of spirit (human spirit) independent of the existance of "GOD" Witchcraft = Yes Occult = Yes Science = No Third is the issue of whether actions of the spirit (prayer, invocation, etc) can affect the physical world our bodies live in Witchcraft = Yes Occult = Yes Science = No Fourth is the issue of whether these actions should/may invoke spirits other than one's own personal human spirit either into one's own personal body, or into the immediate vicinity, or to assist in performing some occult operation Witchcraft = Yes Occult = No Science = No way, Jose. The only thing Science has in common with most Occult phenomena, is a lack of invocation of spirits. NOTE, I have NOT claimed that the practice of Witchcraft must NECESSARILY involve the invocation of spirits other than those human spirits present in the bodies of those practicing it, nor have I made any claims as to what other spirits might/should/would/could (not) be so invoked. Let it suffice to say that many witchcraft rituals do involve the invocation of at least the 4 elements (fire, earth, air, water), the 4 directions (N,E,S,W), and THE GODDESS, (which other religions call GOD). But then, any good bible thumping Christian preacher will also be sure to invoke not only Satan, but Hell, Brimstone, and the element Fire. WHILE a witch circle has protected itself from outside intrusion (usually by witch buring Christians) by the invocation of the Guardians of the directions and elements, they may then get down to the business at hand: prayer to the God(dess) of their hearts, as is common in any religion, and occult activities. There is no difference between prayer and occult operation, save whether you ask "God" to act as an intermediary. That is, you may pray to God to do something FOR you, or you may pray that something happen based on your own power. Since we were all created in His/Her divine image, we are all divine ourselves, and we all have the power to accomplish things directly ourselves. Witchraft and Occult arts share this in common: the belief that you don't need God as a go-fer. Christian religions on the other hand, insist that you need to go through either God or the Church to get what you want, and even then you'll get it only if the collection plate is full. So, what are psychic phenomena? They are those spiritual operations which allow you to exercise YOUR own divine powers. They don't require the assistance of other humans or of other spirits (as MAY be done in witchcraft), nor do they require the assistance of some special human (rabbi,priest,father, etc), nor do they necessarily involve GOD itself. Therefore, we may observe that MOST religions, including witchcraft, tend to be based on the concept that you can't do it alone. You can. However, it should also be noted that anything done in a group, and the larger the group, is many more times powerful than the factor of how many people there are. Thus the World Planetary Healing Hour held at the end of the calendar year, involving the simultaneous prayers of some 50 million people, of all different races, religions, cultures, etc, was a MASSIVE occult operation, simply because so many people focussed at the same time on altering the world in the same way. PSI is not scientific (it must admit of spiritual involvement). PSI is not witchcraft, though witchcraft may include psychic phenomena. NOW... what underlies the question, is PSI = WitchCraft? FEAR! False Evidence Appearing Real The fact is that what you think and what you believe and what you fear ALL create the reality you live in. And if we all believe the same thing, we collectively create that as OUR reality. So, do you believe that the world will be blown up in nuclear holocaust? Please don't! Instead, have faith in the positive. There is nothing more powerful than a positive affirmation. Sunny
mod-psi@ulowell.UUCP (01/05/87)
< Nonesense! There's no such thing as line eaters! I'll show y* > In article <907@ulowell.UUCP> sunny@hoptoad.UUCP (Sunny Kirsten) writes: >Witchcraft is both a belief system (as is ANY religion) and an occult >art. Both aspects of this are spiritual. > >Science is a belief system (as is ANY religion). The scientific >approach to the study of paranormal, occult, metaphysical, psychic, >psi, extrasensory perception, or parapsychology is doomed to failure. >Why? Because the religion of science is an atheistic religion, and >these phenomena are spiritual. Science is a belief system only in the strictest sense. There is one scientific belief: Things can be understood. It is _not_ a religion. Religion is based upon faith; faith that things not understandable are true. The chief "spell" of science, the 'scientific method' is known to the rest of the world as 'trial and error'. It is only in the public mind that a scientist is a Scientist (read 'priest') of Science, the all-knowing. Science, though, as a method and as a body of knowledge, are perfectly well applicable to the problems and questions of spiritual phenomena. Why shouldn't it be? Granted the phenomena in question tend to be ephemeral and difficult to reproduce (especially in the emotionally negative enviroment a biased observer creates) but these things can be overcome--they have, in other areas of study. Why hasn't science been brought to bear succesfully on psi? Elementary. Proper investigation of psi could take lifetimes. Your typical scientist (who has to eat, too) isn't willing to risk his credibility and career on something that far out in left field. Why is it so far out? Because scientists are all believed to be hopeless Mundanes (the term used by my Gifted friends) who couldn't understand spiritual matters if they tried. The blade cuts both ways, Sunny. Incidentally, though it's none of my business, which particular Goddess are are you referring to? Astarte? Britomartis,Rhea,Dictynna (the Triple Goddess)? Eris? Just idle monkey curiosity (or scientific curiosity, if you prefer) a lesser Power of Darkness UUCP: ...!wanginst!ulowell!rickheit : USnail: Erich Rickheit May you have the knowledge of a sage and : 85 Gershom Ave, #2 the wisdom of a child-Principia Discordia: Lowell, MA 01854
mod-psi@ulowell.UUCP (01/12/87)
[] > In article <907@ulowell.UUCP> sunny@hoptoad.UUCP (Sunny Kirsten) writes: > >Witchcraft is both a belief system (as is ANY religion) and an occult > >art. Both aspects of this are spiritual. > > > >Science is a belief system (as is ANY religion). The scientific > >approach to the study of paranormal, occult, metaphysical, psychic, > >psi, extrasensory perception, or parapsychology is doomed to failure. > >Why? Because the religion of science is an atheistic religion, and > >these phenomena are spiritual. > > Science is a belief system only in the strictest sense. There is one > scientific belief: Things can be understood. It is _not_ a religion. Religion > is based upon faith; faith that things not understandable are true. Science is a religion based on the belief that things which cannot be repeatably modelled are false. > The chief "spell" of science, the 'scientific method' is known to the rest of > the world as 'trial and error'. It is only in the public mind that a scientist > is a Scientist (read 'priest') of Science, the all-knowing. > > Why hasn't science been brought to bear succesfully on psi? Elementary. > Proper investigation of psi could take lifetimes. Your typical scientist (who > has to eat, too) isn't willing to risk his credibility and career on something > that far out in left field. Why is it so far out? Because scientists are all > believed to be hopeless Mundanes (the term used by my Gifted friends) who > couldn't understand spiritual matters if they tried. The blade cuts both ways, > Sunny. I am a scientist. (Does B.S. Engineering count as scientist?) I am a psychic healer, and will attain my Reverend title in March. Psychic phenomena DOES bear up to the scientific method. I have repeatedly seen spiritual (psychic) healing techniques work in a repeatable manner. ANYONE who WANTS to find evidence of PSI phenomena, can go to the Berkeley Psychic Institute ministry of the Church of Divine Man, and see such. You want to believe there is no evidence, don't go there. I TOO started out as a total disbeliever, following the scientific method. I have seen the light. > Incidentally, though it's none of my business, which particular Goddess are > are you referring to? Astarte? Britomartis,Rhea,Dictynna (the Triple Goddess)? > Eris? Just idle monkey curiosity (or scientific curiosity, if you prefer) THE Goddess (as referred to by witches) IS everything. The divine spirit infusing EVERYTHING That is the Goddes to which I referred. Sunny (These lines included to make inews happy. Please ignore )