[vision-master]

But remember, to believe is to wish it to be true...............

-> Neil Young - "Walk like a Giant"

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', 'S')o much is unknowable. Why not carry the unkowable as an open inquiry of mystery when pondering such questions.

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'T')he meaning of Elohim is "The Shining Ones", "The Elevated Ones" or "The Powerful Ones".
The Elohim were certainly powerful but not omnipotent, they had advanced scientific knowledge and technology but they were not omniscient, they had an extended lifespan compared to humans but they were not Immortal, neither eternal.

[ColossalContrarian]

Smoking or ingesting DMT is supposed to create some pretty fantastic experiences. I think doing so could make an atheist believe in something -at or near death at least...

I would say that for anyone who is atheist or doesn't believe in god or some greater power, they will when they die and I don't believe they'll have a choice because of the power of DMT.

Believe what you want now but if you get a surge of DMT before you die it might not be such a bad thing!

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')r. Rick Strassman, while conducting DMT research in the 1990s at the University of New Mexico, advanced the theory that a massive release of DMT from the pineal gland prior to death or near death was the cause of the near death experience (NDE) phenomenon. Several of his test subjects reported NDE-like audio or visual hallucinations. His explanation for this was the possible lack of panic involved in the clinical setting and possible dosage differences between those administered and those encountered in actual NDE cases.

Several subjects also reported contact with 'other beings', alien like, insectoid or reptilian in nature, in highly advanced technological environments[6] where the subjects were 'carried', 'probed', 'tested', 'manipulated', 'dismembered', 'taught', 'loved' and even 'raped' by these 'beings'. Those could be the same beings, that some of the ancient cultures that consumed DMT rich beverages, like ayahuasca, considered their gods. Also, this leads to the idea that the alien abduction phenomenon could be produced by high levels of endogenous DMT in the human body, and that it might be a physiological condition that could pass genetically to the descendants of such people. (see Abduction phenomenon). Strassman noted though, that the experience might be highly influenced by the actual user's life, showing what the person needs, given their personal story of the moment, more than what is wanted, and also that the setting could play a partial role too (ex: in a waking dream state).

In the 1950s, the endogenous production of psychoactive agents was considered to be a potential explanation for the hallucinatory symptoms of some psychiatric diseases as the transmethylation hypothesis.[13] (see also adrenochrome). Unfortunately, this hypothesis does not account for the natural presence of endogenous DMT in otherwise normal humans, rats and other laboratory animals. The proposal by Dr. Callaway was, however, the first to suggest a useful function for the endogenous production of DMT: to facilitate the visual phenomenon of normal dreaming.

Ethical concerns do not allow for the testing of this hypothesis in humans, as the biological samples must come from the living human brain.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Beery1', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'T')he meaning of Elohim is "The Shining Ones", "The Elevated Ones" or "The Powerful Ones".
The Elohim were certainly powerful but not omnipotent, they had advanced scientific knowledge and technology but they were not omniscient, they had an extended lifespan compared to humans but they were not Immortal, neither eternal.

[SilentRunning]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', 'O')ur religious instinct is as real as anger - we don't pretend anger does not exist simply because it s not physical, and people express it in different ways or deny they feel it, but "wrath" is a sin not a manifestation of god. Our religious instinct, like anger, is real and universal and we each interpret it differently. But, unlike anger, we tend to use supernatural explanations.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SilentRunning', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', 'O')ur religious instinct is as real as anger - we don't pretend anger does not exist simply because it s not physical, and people express it in different ways or deny they feel it, but "wrath" is a sin not a manifestation of god. Our religious instinct, like anger, is real and universal and we each interpret it differently. But, unlike anger, we tend to use supernatural explanations.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fact that most people believe in some sort of god is a disgusting embarrassment.

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fact that most people believe in some sort of god is a disgusting embarrassment.

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'H')ow was this built?

[lper100km]

Who/what created the creator?

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Beery1', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fact that most people believe in some sort of god is a disgusting embarrassment.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lper100km', 'W')ho/what created the creator?

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Beery1', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'H')ow was this built?

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '.')..the EVIDENCE points to Intervention. We were created as Molly the sheep was. We are NOT from this Earth....

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'l')ol - stone hammers and copper chisels.

[CTL]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Beery1', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fact that most people believe in some sort of god is a disgusting embarrassment.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fact that most people believe in some sort of god is a disgusting embarrassment.

[CTL]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fact that most people believe in some sort of god is a disgusting embarrassment.

[Rod_Cloutier]

I think the obvious thing to do, when rebutting a controversial book, would prudently be to actually read the book first!

Dr. Eben alexander is a highly experienced and well educated neurosurgeon. Himself a rigorous atheist until his near death experience. He himself went through every alternative possible scenario in his book to make sure HE had no alternative explanation as to what happened. DMT, ect. at length were discussed.

When confronted with patients who said 'I had a NDE experience' in his own medical practice; he would say Oh really... and not look any further due to medically trained skepticism. His own near death experience changed all that.

It was an excellent read, and very well researched book. Please read the book before lamenting this honest fellow as a kook!