I haven’t.
The Church of Scientology says that a human is an immortal, spiritual being (thetan) that is resident in a physical body. The thetan has had innumerable past lives and it is observed in advanced Scientology texts that lives preceding the thetan's arrival on Earth were lived in extraterrestrial cultures. Based on case studies at advanced levels, it is predicted that any Scientologist undergoing auditing will eventually come across and recount a common series of events.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
Well personally I like Descartes’ Brain in a Vat. The one remaining mystery is why and how part of the brain is self-aware (conscious), whereas other parts of the brain are functional but not consciously aware.
I know little about Scientology and have never considered joining them.
Well personally I like Descartes’ Brain in a Vat. The one remaining mystery is why and how part of the brain is self-aware (conscious), whereas other parts of the brain are functional but not consciously aware.That does not seem to be such a "mystery" to me.
Conscious behavior is just a composite of various cognitive behaviors, manifested by the neurological correlates that produce them.
Conversely, some neurological actions, take care of autonomic functions. It would not be efficient to be constantly aware of those. Just like we don’t need to be constantly aware of our movement behaviors. They can most often go on automatic pilot, so to speak.
It is not necessary, or generally, functional, I would think, for neurological activity that correlates with conscious behaviors to always overlap with other neurological activities.
Neither have it. IMHO it’s a cult. If you get in it, good luck getting out without getting killed. Of course, if you stay you could die too.
Why would someone want to join Scientology? What’s it offer?
Aren’t they the one’s that claim God came from some planet somewhere way out there in the unknown?
Yeah, way out there.
No, I’ve never considered it and I never will.
Aren’t they the one’s that claim God came from some planet somewhere way out there in the unknown?Oh yeah, I looked deep into that one. Seen a couple movies, read a few websites. My ex-wife (while we were a young married couple) suggested we might go downtown and check them out. They had regular TV commercials at the time. Glad I didn't do it.
So, yeah, some aliens put all these evil souls into volcanoes on earth then they blew up all over the planet and continue to inhabit humans to this day, so you have to get “cleared” of them to get them out. Basically, that means telling someone all your deepest darkest fears, which they then use to manipulate you and take all your money.
Well personally I like Descartes’ Brain in a Vat. The one remaining mystery is why and how part of the brain is self-aware (conscious), whereas other parts of the brain are functional but not consciously aware.I think you mean the "evil demon". His thought experiment was what if everything you are experiencing is not what you really are, but an evil demon is controlling your thoughts. The conclusion was, if you can think that, then there is still a you that is having that thought. But that still left you on a sort of island, where nothing could be proven, so he solved it by considering that if we can conceive of a perfect being, then it must exist, and that perfect being will be benevolent, and it's God. Hume finally came up with the better solution of skepticism, but we're still working that out.
In answer to the question, no, but my sister did. She went in for the initial check up, where they connect a thing that puts a small charge through your body that makes a needle jump around as they ask you questions. She said they got pretty personal, then told her they could help her with these techniques, which are basically just saying it’s all going to be okay. She didn’t go back.
If you want a really fun way to hear how they work and some history, try “Great Men of Genius” by Mike Daisy. I got it on Audible, and it’s a presentation, so I’m not sure it would translate to written very well. He mixes stories about himself with stories about historical figures, L. Ron Hubbard being one of them.
My Stepfather (not Occam) was heavy into Scientology since as far as I could remember. Back in the early 80’s I wandered their halls when it wasn’t prohibited and what I saw blew my mind. I took the elevator to the upper floors and saw what looked to be multiple rooms designed as though they were in a ship. I kid you not, oval doors with stacked beds and all.