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When God cast Satan out of heaven many angels went with him.
They had sex with men and women and animals
The of spring were powerful creatures.

King James kept it out when he copied the bible.

Look it up very interesting.
It was in the original scrolls that were used to write the bible.
Or something like that.
It was my understanding that the earliest complete copy of Enoch known to man is the “K-9” manuscript dated in the 14-15th century? If this is the case, I can see why it wasn’t included. That doesn’t mean it’s not legit scripture, just that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove it was authentic. I think I read that a fragment of Enoch was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but not the whole thing. I think perhaps the most logical/safe assumption is to say that there likely was then a book of Enoch, but the oldest known manuscripts are quite recent, so we may have to read/interpret them with a grain of salt, as we’re re-translating an already translated version that may have itself been changed/edited in the 1500+ years since it was written to the earliest known text we have.

The topic of Biblical canon is very interesting though, particularly things like the history of the synoptic Gospels and what sources they drew from (like “Q” and potentially Thomas). Very interesting stuff.
 
Please tell me it’s not the “we only use 10% of our brain” thing lol. As if the other 90% doesn’t do anything and we could just cut it out and be fine.
We know so little about the brain
Not even the tip of the ice burg.

And when people say 10% that's not what they mean .
At least I don't think intelligent people can possibly think that
 
We know so little about the brain
Not even the tip of the ice burg.

And when people say 10% that's not what they mean .
At least I don't think intelligent people can possibly think that

So, I don't like to play this card, but I have a PhD in neuroscience. I believe you've either been horribly misled or misunderstood what you've been told. Prayer may help some select people through some very select things through a placebo effect or possibly psychosocial benefit, but it's not opening up any dormant parts of the brain. Normal, healthy people don't have dormant parts of their brain. If somebody has dormant parts of their brain, that's the result of injury or disease and they're going to need cutting/drilling, not prayer.
 
So, I don't like to play this card, but I have a PhD in neuroscience. I believe you've either been horribly misled or misunderstood what you've been told. Prayer may help some select people through some very select things through a placebo effect or possibly psychosocial benefit, but it's not opening up any dormant parts of the brain. Normal, healthy people don't have dormant parts of their brain. If somebody has dormant parts of their brain, that's the result of injury or disease and they're going to need cutting/drilling, not prayer.
I said not like a portion being off.
The 10% thing I said most intelligent people don't believe that.

I believe prayer can allow you to use your brain in a more productive and profound way.

Yes prayer does allow you to memorize
Things better.


Il
 
So, I don't like to play this card, but I have a PhD in neuroscience. I believe you've either been horribly misled or misunderstood what you've been told. Prayer may help some select people through some very select things through a placebo effect or possibly psychosocial benefit, but it's not opening up any dormant parts of the brain. Normal, healthy people don't have dormant parts of their brain. If somebody has dormant parts of their brain, that's the result of injury or disease and they're going to need cutting/drilling, not prayer.
Where did you get your PhD from?
 
A majority of doctors prayer in the west pray before surgery

I know quite a few surgeons, so I would like to know where your source on that is. Listen, I'm not denying that prayer might have benefits or knocking anybody that prays. I'm saying prayer doesn't awaken any dormant parts of the brain and questioning where you're getting some of your statements from.
 
Can anyone recommend some of these? I’ve been in a slump of slight depression, low motivation, drinking more than I’d like when I go out. I figured reading is one of the only things I haven’t tried yet.

I just started Mind Hacking by Sir John Hargrave, not sure if it’s a good one but it sounded interesting and I was able to download it for free. Lol

I’m not religious so I’d prefer no books directly based on that. I don’t care if the author is as long as it isn’t biased towards a religion.

Personally, I think that a "Self improvement book" improves foremost the writers economical situation.
Realizing and admitting own flaws comes first. Getting free of them can only start after that. IMHO, no book -or video can change you -BUT may inspire you to change.
I adhere to teachings of J. Krishnamurti. Following his monologues can be a bit tiring -but he is very powerful.
Look up his videos on youtube.
 
So, I don't like to play this card, but I have a PhD in neuroscience. I believe you've either been horribly misled or misunderstood what you've been told. Prayer may help some select people through some very select things through a placebo effect or possibly psychosocial benefit, but it's not opening up any dormant parts of the brain. Normal, healthy people don't have dormant parts of their brain. If somebody has dormant parts of their brain, that's the result of injury or disease and they're going to need cutting/drilling, not prayer.
I actually can't even name parts of the brain.
Hahaha.
I can see how a dark unused part of the brain is ridiculous.

But as far as pray it helps lots of people with their mind.
 
An alien encounter is not the most plausible or logical explanation for the events of the Bible. For one, it’s arguable that not everything is intended to be taken literally at face value. I’m not saying it’s impossible, just that Occam’s would suggest that they theory with the least amount of assumptions is probably correct, and throwing aliens into the mix, as something we can’t really prove right now, on top of divine intervention and the presence of God, which we may never be able to “prove” seems less likely than “normal” divine intervention, as an Omnipotent/Omnipresent God is necessary in either case; also having aliens would be another step or assumption that we just don’t know, which makes it less likely IMO. Not impossible, just not likely. If God is omniscient and omnipresent, the simplest explanation is he can just send manifestations and/or communicate directly with people without a physical form/presence. Having God communicate through aliens is another added layer of complexity that further convolutes things IMO. What do these aliens do when they’re not communicating with us? Do they always do God’s will, or just sometimes? Etc. I’m not saying aliens don’t exist, as given infinite time and space, they almost certainly do, or did, or will exist, it’s just I don’t know if they’re messengers of God.

TL;DR; We haven’t “proven” the existence of aliens or God; I’d be wary of saying that they’re so closely linked and interdependent.
Something interacting with humans that are not from earth is an alien encounter.

The stories in the bible regarding God and angels are alien encounters.

That's all I'm saying.
I have no idea what angels do when they are not doing gods will.....I assume sing or something.
 
I actually can't even name parts of the brain.
Hahaha.
I can see how a dark unused part of the brain is ridiculous.

But as far as pray it helps lots of people with their mind.
It's a way to keep people on track, out of trouble.

When you go through hard times, you will eventually seek a higher power
 
Impressive

How much do you believe humans understand about the brain?

Hard to put a percentage on it, but personally I believe we know a great deal about its physiology down to a molecular level. There aren't really any big question marks on parts of the brain as to what it does. The big unknowns though are still how parts work together to create our minds, how things go wrong and how that translates into complex diseases/conditions, and how to actually control or modify parts to help people without causing more harm.

We always have more to learn, but there are not any parts just sitting there.
 
Hard to put a percentage on it, but personally I believe we know a great deal about its physiology down to a molecular level. There aren't really any big question marks on parts of the brain as to what it does. The big unknowns though are still how parts work together to create our minds, how things go wrong and how that translates into complex diseases/conditions, and how to actually control or modify parts to help people without causing more harm.

We always have more to learn, but there are not any parts just sitting there.
That's where science comes in!
 
I know quite a few surgeons, so I would like to know where your source on that is. Listen, I'm not denying that prayer might have benefits or knocking anybody that prays. I'm saying prayer doesn't awaken any dormant parts of the brain and questioning where you're getting some of your statements from.
I concede about the dormant part I said that wrong.
But the percentage of doctors who believes in God is about the same as the general public.
Can remember the exact news source.
 
This thread is wayy out there lol.

To the religious... Do you believe in hell?

I'm a religious Christian. Unfortunately, I haven't researched enough about my own religion yet. I don't know if a literal hell exists or not.

Opinions about hell varies among Christians...
 
I have this theory, that people who are not spiritual, in touch with a higher power, simply have not been through hard enough times.

It can go both ways. A lot of people do find religion after going through hard times, but some eventually get convinced that there is no way a loving higher power could exist with the stuff they've been through.
 
This thread got a lot of religious undertone going.

Personally, I'm free of beliefs -but full of reasonable expectations. :)
 
Hard to put a percentage on it, but personally I believe we know a great deal about its physiology down to a molecular level. There aren't really any big question marks on parts of the brain as to what it does. The big unknowns though are still how parts work together to create our minds, how things go wrong and how that translates into complex diseases/conditions, and how to actually control or modify parts to help people without causing more harm.

We always have more to learn, but there are not any parts just sitting there.
But how it works not so much.
Person to person the brain effects people completely different.
 
Hard to put a percentage on it, but personally I believe we know a great deal about its physiology down to a molecular level. There aren't really any big question marks on parts of the brain as to what it does. The big unknowns though are still how parts work together to create our minds, how things go wrong and how that translates into complex diseases/conditions, and how to actually control or modify parts to help people without causing more harm.

We always have more to learn, but there are not any parts just sitting there.
Every thought can lead to a million outcomes.
I get you know what the brain is made from.
But why an incident can destroy one person and make another stronger that's still a mystery.....or do you know why?
 
Something interacting with humans that are not from earth is an alien encounter.

The stories in the bible regarding God and angels are alien encounters.

That's all I'm saying.
I have no idea what angels do when they are not doing gods will.....I assume sing or something.
Come on. Don’t be pedantic; extraterrestrials, what we all mean when we say “aliens” are implied to still obey the laws of physics and this universe; God/Angels/etc are supernatural in nature. Aliens from Mars =/= an omniscient God or Angels.
 
Hard to put a percentage on it, but personally I believe we know a great deal about its physiology down to a molecular level. There aren't really any big question marks on parts of the brain as to what it does. The big unknowns though are still how parts work together to create our minds, how things go wrong and how that translates into complex diseases/conditions, and how to actually control or modify parts to help people without causing more harm.

We always have more to learn, but there are not any parts just sitting there.
So I'm not talking about the actual brain makeup in the molecules in the brain when I'm talking about is prayer can help the psyche and the parts they affect our lives.
Prayer can help organize one's thoughts and stop them from going into a negative direction to a positive direction
 
It's a way to keep people on track, out of trouble.

When you go through hard times, you will eventually seek a higher power

This is unfortunately true. It is my opinion that people should seek God even on good times.

But I will say this... It was the reverse in my situation. I became an atheist when I experienced hard times. It made me lose faith in God in those times.
 
Hard to put a percentage on it, but personally I believe we know a great deal about its physiology down to a molecular level. There aren't really any big question marks on parts of the brain as to what it does. The big unknowns though are still how parts work together to create our minds, how things go wrong and how that translates into complex diseases/conditions, and how to actually control or modify parts to help people without causing more harm.

We always have more to learn, but there are not any parts just sitting there.
So as far as what u just said....the deep stuff
Considering the variety of minds and the thousands of different ways the mind can react and respond and determine our existance.
We probably understand < 10% of how the mind operates.

Thanks for the info
 
This is unfortunately true. It is my opinion that people should seek God even on good times.

But I will say this... It was the reverse in my situation. I became an atheist when I experienced hard times. It made me lose faith in God in those times.
That's what God wants I'm sure.
Seek him just because you get to exist.
 
Every thought can lead to a million outcomes.
I get you know what the brain is made from.
But why an incident can destroy one person and make another stronger that's still a mystery.....or do you know why?

There are a lot of factors that go into that. Person A sees somebody get shot and reacts one way while person B reacts a different way or person A smokes a joint and follows one path while person B does the same, but ends up in a different direction. That's all going to come down to nature and nurture. What did their parents pass on to them genetically, what life experiences have they had up to that point, what current stresses are they dealing with, what did they have for breakfast that morning...that list can go on forever.
 
There are a lot of factors that go into that. Person A sees somebody get shot and reacts one way while person B reacts a different way or person A smokes a joint and follows one path while person B does the same, but ends up in a different direction. That's all going to come down to nature and nurture. What did their parents pass on to them genetically, what life experiences have they had up to that point, what current stresses are they dealing with, what did they have for breakfast that morning...that list can go on forever.
So if you had to put a % on our understanding of the mind what would you guess.?
 
Come on. Don’t be pedantic; extraterrestrials, what we all mean when we say “aliens” are implied to still obey the laws of physics and this universe; God/Angels/etc are supernatural in nature. Aliens from Mars =/= an omniscient God or Angels.

This is exactly what I said a while ago! More reps please! LOL
 
So as far as what u just said....the deep stuff
Considering the variety of minds and the thousands of different ways the mind can react and respond and determine our existance.
We probably understand < 10% of how the mind operates.

Thanks for the info

Lol, ok we're just gonna have to agree to disagree.
 
Come on. Don’t be pedantic; extraterrestrials, what we all mean when we say “aliens” are implied to still obey the laws of physics and this universe; God/Angels/etc are supernatural in nature. Aliens from Mars =/= an omniscient God or Angels.
Not at all
I believe what people saw in the biblical stories could have been very well aliens.
What makes more sense
An advanced race of beings that traveled to earth to interact with humans to steer us in the right direction.
OR
A supernatural being sends other supernatural beings from a different realm into ours .
 
Come on. Don’t be pedantic; extraterrestrials, what we all mean when we say “aliens” are implied to still obey the laws of physics and this universe; God/Angels/etc are supernatural in nature. Aliens from Mars =/= an omniscient God or Angels.
No aliens don't obey the laws of physics if they travel at the speed of light.

They know something we don't and therefore defy the laws of physics....right?
 
This thread is wayy out there lol.

To the religious... Do you believe in hell?
I've done a fair bit of research on this, including the Jewish and Christian perspectives (which aren't really the same, at least not completely), Hindu and Buddhist perspective (again, not always entirely the same), Plato's perspective (which seems closest to the Hindu belief, but ironically came to influence the Christian concept of the afterlife), the Stoics views, etc.

Old Testament Jews didn't really talk much about the afterlife, with their focus being mostly on this life on earth, with doing good and pleasing God not aiming to get to heaven, but to get to and continue to stay in the promised land, and to have their descendants stay in the promised land, and aiming not to do bad not in fear of going to Hell, but in suffering on this earth, being killed or expelled from the promised land which would lead to suffering. Some Jews arguably believed in some form of afterlife, but it wasn't a very common theme or focus really.

The Christian view of the afterlife and Hell is probably what most people think of when they hear "Hell." I read several very interesting papers, analysis, and studies on this, and it seems that the original translation/text regarding Hell seemed to indicate that while Hell itself is eternal and everlasting, that the people in it are not. The fire is unquenchable and everlasting, but that does not mean those who are subject to it are. The word we often translate as "everlasting" seems to be more accurately "age lasting." The Bible seems to pretty explicitly state the Hell results in a second death, which would suggest that the punishment in Hell can't be everlasting, but I suppose the consequences of it are eternal. The Bible mentions burning like chaff, which actually burns quickly and is extinguished. So it seems possible that the Christian perspective of Hell was once that it wasn't a "eternal torment" but torment and a second death in an everlasting Hell (the Hell is everlasting, not the people in it).

It seems that Plato's concept of an immortal soul may have influenced Christians to believe that the soul can't be destroyed in Hell, so now Hell had to become everlasting punishment, not a second death. Ironically, Plato seems to have believed in the "Un-Christian" idea of reincarnation; that worldly temptations (what Christians would call sin) are like nails that bind the soul to the body, and that they can be strong enough that they will compel us to come back to satisfy these desires after we die (reincarnation). He believed that we could only be free from this cycle of birth and death by removing these nails; only then could we go on to be with God after we die.

Plato's view is quite similar to the Hindu view, almost surprisingly so. Hindus seem to believe that we forget our true nature by the illusory nature of worldly things, and that we can only be free from the cycle of birth and death by seeing past these illusions and temptations and coming back to God and our true nature. This is actually quite similar to the Christian view that man was created good (in God's image), but was tempted and corrupted by worldly things, and we can only be reunited with God in Heaven by returning to our true, original nature.

Buddhism branched off of Hinduism, and originally didn't seem to talk too much about heaven or hell, and I've read some Buddhist monks saying that the Buddha didn't spend too much time talking about abstract things like the afterlife because it would distract us from focusing on the current, present moment that we live in now, which is the only thing we are guaranteed and in control of.

I've heard some Jews say that they believe Hell is real, but is temporary, and intended not to punish us for the sake of punishing us, but to cleanse us of our sins; a "cosmic dishwasher" of sorts. If we die clean, if we have removed the nails (as Plato put it) before we die, we don't need to be subject to this painful cleansing, and some people may need more cleansing than others. This view seems similar to the Hindu view of Hell, that it' a real thing, a potential place of suffering one can be born into as a result of negative karma from past lives, but that it's not permanent. I've read the Dalai Lama (Buddhist) say, talking to Christians, that we can perhaps view Hell mostly as a separation from God, so if we choose to act in an ungodly way, and shun God, we are essentially putting ourselves in Hell. This works oddly well with Jesus saying that anyone who is angry at a brother or sister will be subject to hell; can they be putting themselves in Hell, that is separated from God, by shunning God and acting in a way that is not true to God or our true nature?

TL;DR: I'd say my personal view, influenced by all of the above beliefs, would be that Hell is a real thing, but that people are not tormented for eternity in it. I believe that it is intended not purely as vengeful punishment, but as a way to cleanse us from our sins, which would by why people who have managed to remove the "nails of sin" as Plato puts it, don't have to go through this "cosmic washing machine" as a Rabbi put it. I believe we can't be in the presence of God for eternity (what we would call heaven) if we don't manage to return to our original nature and free ourselves from the corruption/nails we accumulate during our time on earth. How we choose to return to this original nature, how we choose to remove these nails and seek God is up to us, and I can't personally say that there's only one "correct/true" way/path.
 
Come on. Don’t be pedantic; extraterrestrials, what we all mean when we say “aliens” are implied to still obey the laws of physics and this universe; God/Angels/etc are supernatural in nature. Aliens from Mars =/= an omniscient God or Angels.
So people 5000 years ago would very well believe a being that could operate a vehicle at light speed would be a god.
They thought the phero was a god.
So if an advanced being was able to use some type technology.

So if they say something crash to earth
A mile away and later somebody came from that way they would think they came from heaven.

Just a theory brother.
 
I've done a fair bit of research on this, including the Jewish and Christian perspectives (which aren't really the same, at least not completely), Hindu and Buddhist perspective (again, not always entirely the same), Plato's perspective (which seems closest to the Hindu belief, but ironically came to influence the Christian concept of the afterlife), the Stoics views, etc.

Old Testament Jews didn't really talk much about the afterlife, with their focus being mostly on this life on earth, with doing good and pleasing God not aiming to get to heaven, but to get to and continue to stay in the promised land, and to have their descendants stay in the promised land, and aiming not to do bad not in fear of going to Hell, but in suffering on this earth, being killed or expelled from the promised land which would lead to suffering. Some Jews arguably believed in some form of afterlife, but it wasn't a very common theme or focus really.

The Christian view of the afterlife and Hell is probably what most people think of when they hear "Hell." I read several very interesting papers, analysis, and studies on this, and it seems that the original translation/text regarding Hell seemed to indicate that while Hell itself is eternal and everlasting, that the people in it are not. The fire is unquenchable and everlasting, but that does not mean those who are subject to it are. The word we often translate as "everlasting" seems to be more accurately "age lasting." The Bible seems to pretty explicitly state the Hell results in a second death, which would suggest that the punishment in Hell can't be everlasting, but I suppose the consequences of it are eternal. The Bible mentions burning like chaff, which actually burns quickly and is extinguished. So it seems possible that the Christian perspective of Hell was once that it wasn't a "eternal torment" but torment and a second death in an everlasting Hell (the Hell is everlasting, not the people in it).

It seems that Plato's concept of an immortal soul may have influenced Christians to believe that the soul can't be destroyed in Hell, so now Hell had to become everlasting punishment, not a second death. Ironically, Plato seems to have believed in the "Un-Christian" idea of reincarnation; that worldly temptations (what Christians would call sin) are like nails that bind the soul to the body, and that they can be strong enough that they will compel us to come back to satisfy these desires after we die (reincarnation). He believed that we could only be free from this cycle of birth and death by removing these nails; only then could we go on to be with God after we die.

Plato's view is quite similar to the Hindu view, almost surprisingly so. Hindus seem to believe that we forget our true nature by the illusory nature of worldly things, and that we can only be free from the cycle of birth and death by seeing past these illusions and temptations and coming back to God and our true nature. This is actually quite similar to the Christian view that man was created good (in God's image), but was tempted and corrupted by worldly things, and we can only be reunited with God in Heaven by returning to our true, original nature.

Buddhism branched off of Hinduism, and originally didn't seem to talk too much about heaven or hell, and I've read some Buddhist monks saying that the Buddha didn't spend too much time talking about abstract things like the afterlife because it would distract us from focusing on the current, present moment that we live in now, which is the only thing we are guaranteed and in control of.

I've heard some Jews say that they believe Hell is real, but is temporary, and intended not to punish us for the sake of punishing us, but to cleanse us of our sins; a "cosmic dishwasher" of sorts. If we die clean, if we have removed the nails (as Plato put it) before we die, we don't need to be subject to this painful cleansing, and some people may need more cleansing than others. This view seems similar to the Hindu view of Hell, that it' a real thing, a potential place of suffering one can be born into as a result of negative karma from past lives, but that it's not permanent. I've read the Dalai Lama (Buddhist) say, talking to Christians, that we can perhaps view Hell mostly as a separation from God, so if we choose to act in an ungodly way, and shun God, we are essentially putting ourselves in Hell. This works oddly well with Jesus saying that anyone who is angry at a brother or sister will be subject to hell; can they be putting themselves in Hell, that is separated from God, by shunning God and acting in a way that is not true to God or our true nature?

TL;DR: I'd say my personal view, influenced by all of the above beliefs, would be that Hell is a real thing, but that people are not tormented for eternity in it. I believe that it is intended not purely as vengeful punishment, but as a way to cleanse us from our sins, which would by why people who have managed to remove the "nails of sin" as Plato puts it, don't have to go through this "cosmic washing machine" as a Rabbi put it. I believe we can't be in the presence of God for eternity (what we would call heaven) if we don't manage to return to our original nature and free ourselves from the corruption/nails we accumulate during our time on earth. How we choose to return to this original nature, how we choose to remove these nails and seek God is up to us, and I can't personally say that there's only one "correct/true" way/path.
Interesting

I once heard it that not being with God in the afterlife is hell
 
No aliens don't obey the laws of physics if they travel at the speed of light.

They know something we don't and therefore defy the laws of physics....right?
You don't even know that extraterrestrials exist, yet alone the methods of travel they would hypothetically use, or even the speed they travel at. You're talking about hypothetical creatures that travel using hypothetical means; how on earth, or any other planet, can you say that they don't obey the laws of physics when you have not even the faintest clue what they are or how the do what they do, if they exist and do anything at all.
You just officially made this thread extraordinarily complicated. LOL
He's just changing definitions and the goals to suit his argument. He keeps introducing a plethora of new variables that are entirely hypothetical and impossible to even attempt to prove or disprove. God Himself is impossible to prove or disprove; throwing aliens on top of it, which we are also currently unable to prove or disprove, and claiming that they are so closely interconnected and work together, is just a crazy theory IMO. Now, it may be true, we have no idea, and, frankly, no way to even try to begin trying to figure it out now.
 
Shower thought:
-lets assume prayer works
-I need more muscles
-wouldn't it be wise to pray to goddess kali on arms day?

Invalid Link Removed
 
So people 5000 years ago would very well believe a being that could operate a vehicle at light speed would be a god.
They thought the phero was a god.
So if an advanced being was able to use some type technology.

So if they say something crash to earth
A mile away and later somebody came from that way they would think they came from heaven.

Just a theory brother.
I know it's just a theory, but you're presenting it as if it's true. It's a theory with an incredibly large amount of incredibly profound and unsolvable variables, as the existence of God and aliens are both independently two of the biggest unanswered questions facing humanity; proposing that the two are so interconnected is likely impossible to even attempt to solve.

This most recent post of yours seems to suggest that there is no God, only highly advanced aliens. Where does the omniscient and omnipresent God come in?

I can much more easily discuss/evaluate separate theories of the omniscient God and "aliens viewed as Gods," but proposing that the aliens are messengers of the omnipresent God is just so far beyond even thinking about thinking about that all I can say is "yes, it's a theory."
 
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