From: jdavis@netlink.cts.com (James Davis)
Subject: Brain and Beyond
Organization: ----
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 18:31:41 GMT


>From: plains!sivaram@uunet.UU.NET (Sivaram Hariharan )

>Even thought is nothing but the play of the neurotrasmitters
>in the brain. The concept of the individual soul is becoming
>more and more moot and so also the concept of life after
>death. Whether non-living matter, which be become on death,
>has any awareness of existence is a question yet to be
>answered by science.

---------------  :)
The light in my library is but the play of electrons in the
circuitry of my house.  The concept of a power station source is
becoming more and more moot and so also the concept of a mythical
engineer who created the supposed power source.  The existence of
a power station creator is a question yet to be answered by
science.
---------------  :)

"Recently a Standord neuroscientist, Karl Pribram, proposed an
all-encompassing paradigm that marries brain research to
theoretical physics; it accounts for normal perception and
simultaneously takes the 'paranormal' and transcendental
experiences out of the supernatural by demonstrating that they
are part of nature."
                      The Aquarian Conspiracy, 
                      Marilyn Ferguson, (Editor of
                      Brain/Mind Bulletin)


Anyone who has had even one even one paranormal experience is apt
to view the brain in a different light.  More than one Yogi has
smiled at the Western brain-explanations.

Those married to people with special faculties, or who have
intimate friends with paranormal experiences will are surely more
skeptical of brain based explanations.

Those to whom ESP experiences are common (whether they are
scientist or non-scientists) will inevitably disagree with the
conclusions Sirvaram's expresses above. 

Most anyone one who studies, with an open mind, the last 60 years
of parapsychological research will be compelled to take a
different view of the brain than that expressed by Sirvaram.
Let the adventurer begin with Marilyn Ferguson's book mentioned
above, especially the chapter "Liberating Knowledge:  News from
the Frontiers of Science."  The bibliography of this source is a
good starting point.

Another good text and associated bibliography is:

"Mind-Reach, Scientists Look at Psychic Ability," by Russell Tag
& Harold Puthoff.
Tag and Puthoff are physicists with reputations in the fields of
ultra-high vacuum technology, optics, lasers, plasma, and quantum
physics research.  They are senior researches in the Electronics
and Bioengineering Laboratory at Standord Research Institute.

Science is an essentially unlimited field and faculty, limited by
contemporary thinking.  Margaret Mead in her Introduction to Tag
and Puthoff's book says:

"Because science expands one type of knowledge, it need not
denigrate another.  All great scientists have understood this. 
but those who hold a slavish belief in "scientific facts" and who
do not understand the glorious uncertainties of modern science
are likely to come to small conclusions...  As I understand
contemporary trends in physical science, there is increasing
recognition of vast unknown areas which science may explore and
assist in ordering.  Such exploration, however, should greatly
expand our present paradigms."


Also of interest from a brain/mind standpoint is "Psychic
Exploration, A Challenge for Science," Edgar D. Mitchell--
particularly chapter 3 on the paraphysics and "Emergence of a new
Natural Science."
--------------------
Another good eye-opening bibliography can be found in "Dream
Telepathy," the "...first book to present and analyze the results
of scientifically controlled experiments in telepathic dreaming."
Authors:  Montague Ullman, M.D. and Stanley Krippner, PhD.

"During the development of the centers a man feels
incomprehensible symptoms, which science, in ignorance, will
attribute to the most unrelated ailments.  Therefore the time has
come to write the book of observations regarding the fires of
life.  I advise against delay, because it is necessary to explain
to the to world the manifestations of the reality of the unity of
existence.

New combinations of concepts are entering imperceptibly into
life.  These signs, visible to few, constitute the foundation of
life, penetrating all its structures.  Only the blind fail to
perceive how life is filled with new conceptions.  Therefore
scientists should be called to cast light on the evidence."

                AGNI YOGA, #170



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