You are viewing a single comment's thread from:

RE: The Art Of Debate - Why it's okay to have a different opinion

in #steemit7 years ago

I apologise for my delay in responding. Unfortunately Steemit does not afford us with the luxury of notifications yet! I believe you have articulated that rather wonderfully. Honing in upon your conditioning point, I agree. We certainly have the ability to consciously condition (create) ourselves. Be that through education, habit-building or life experience. However I would suggest that the majority of society today is conditioned unconsciously. We are shaped and moulded during our most malleable years by those who often do not have our own interests at heart. Be that at school, work, by parents or friends. I see people talk of 'waking up' or 'escaping the matrix'. I believe these are just analogies for finally becoming conscious and seeing how our perceptions have been shaped. I believe, once we become aware of this, we put ourselves in a position to pro-actively 'create' ourselves. This duality you speak of. It seems to be a fundamental teaching of some religions. Whether that be the two pillars of the Kabbalah, As Above So Below in Hermetics or the 'divine male and female'. I know these descriptions tend to fall within the realm of 'pseudo-science' or 'new age'. But I do believe there is perhaps something fundamental we can discover within esoteric teachings...... if approached with a critical mind. I studied one teaching that proposed the duality as the left and right brain hemisphere. Whether that holds any substance I'm not sure, but neuroscience is certainly opening doors to a deeper understanding. I'm also aware that in Alchemy, the Alchemists were not only practicing Science, but focusing on a development of consciousness. "Aurum nostrum non est Aurum Vulgi" - Translates as "Our gold is not a common gold". Suggesting it was not the physical lead into gold the alchemists desired. Instead within the mental/consciousness plane is where they sought their 'gold'. I don't believe Science and 'Religion' have to be opposites. Instead if approached correctly could form a symbiotic relationship revealing a deeper understanding of the human condition. Unfortunately Religion has such a terrible past and Science has become dogmatic, in many aspects similar to a Religion. What are your thoughts on this, do you believe Esoteric Teachings hold substance to them ?