HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: smith@ctron.com (Lawrence C Smith)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Past Life regression - the proof (was GSI Day)
Date: 20 Nov 92 17:53:55 GMT
Reply-To: smith@ctron.com
Followup-To: talk.religion.newage
Distribution: world,local
Organization: Cabletron Systems, Inc.

In article <20NOV199208014661@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu>, lippard@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu (James J. Lippard) writes:

>>:    Mike Stackpole of the Phoenix Skeptics was on a radio show with a
>>: woman who did a hypnotic regression on the air of another woman, who
>>: recalled a past life in China under some specific name I forget.
>>: Mike pointed out that what the woman had just described was an episode
>>: of the TV show "Kung Fu," at which point the hypnotic subject realized
>>: that she had indeed seen that episode.

>>So?  What does that prove?  That reincarnation and past lives research
>>is just so much bullshit?  I think not.

>No.  It demonstrates that cryptomnesia is something that does occur
>in hypnotic regression and needs to be taken into consideration.

>cough< >cough<

I'd say it proves that "reincarnation and past lives research
is just so much bullshit".  No one, in all of history, has
come forth with a provable, demonstrable case of reincarnation,
with associated evidence.  It has been claimed so often, and
then rebutted so thoroughly, as in the paragraph above, that
most reasonable people would, I think, feel quite comfortable
in claiming that it was, in fact, so much bullshit.  There is
probably more doubt about gravity than reincarnation.

But like most bastions of pseudo-science, the believers will
always believe, and will continue to search out new examples
that will "confirm" their idea.  In the process, they will
subject themselves and their loved ones to many gallons of
snake oil and more hokum than you can shake a stick at, but
it _does_ all serve a purpose.  If they ever _do_ come up
with irrefutable evidence, then we'll have to re-examine some
real science.  But I feel pretty comfortable that science
shows that life is in the "hardware", as it were.  No one
has suggested or demonstrated any sort of mechanism for
transmission of life experience from one dead body to another
without dropping into the muzzy-headed world of religion.
Which is, I guess, as it should be, for clearly anyone who
continues to believe in reincarnation in the face of all the
evidence to the contrary _must_ be taking it as an article
of religious faith, whether they call it that or not.

Sometimes Occam's razor is the cruelest cut of all...

Larry Smith (smith@ctron.com)  No, I don't speak for Cabletron.  Need you ask?
-
Liberty is not the freedom to do whatever we want,
it is the freedom to do whatever we are able.
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Subject: Re: Greys, Good, Bad, or Kibozotic
From: mcirvin@husc8.harvard.edu (Mcirvin)
Date: 19 Nov 92 22:24:33 GMT

pashley@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Montykins) writes:

>It's his login name. John_-_Winston. As far as I can tell, he told
>the computer his full, legal name was "John-Winston", and it
>dutifully separated the punctuation out with underlines.

Sorry to tell you, but it's simpler than that.  John_-_Winston
accesses Usenet via Portal, and Portal assigns a middle initial of
"-" to people who specify none.  Seek and ye shall find others who
have the infamous _-_ in their names.

(I have yet to figure out how to change my own login name!  I'm
getting sick of being identified as "Mcirvin" but not sick enough
to remember to find out how to modify it.)

-- 
Matt McIrvin
From: HCM100@psuvm.psu.edu (Sleight of Hans)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Subject: Looking for OLD book.
Date: 16 Nov 92 23:15:10 GMT
Organization: Penn State University
Supersedes: <92321.164615HCM100@psuvm.psu.edu>

I am looking for a book published by the London Spiritualist Alliance
in 1894 entitled "Spirit Teachings."  It is by William Stainton Moses
(subtitled M.A., OXON).  It is currently in the rare books collection
here at Penn State, but they are (rightfully so) picky about photocopying
of old books.

I would like to find it ideally in an electronic form, or if that's not
possible (most likely), then a paperback or good condition hardback.

Any input??

| O |                                                                   | O |
|   | Hans C. Masing          "By all means marry: If you get a good    |   |
| O | HCM100 @ PSUVM.psu.edu   wife, you'll become happy; if you get    | O |
|   | HCM100 @ CBA1.psu.edu    a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." |   |
| O | Penn State MIS Dept.                           - Socrates         | O |
|   |                                                                   |   |
Xref: sparky talk.religion.newage:5379 alt.alien.visitors:8463 sci.skeptic:19919
From: John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: July 4, 1992 - Global Spiritual Independence Day
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 18:11:44 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

Dear People: I hope you people don't blow a fuse. Take it easy.
John Winston.
From: rjp1@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (be here now)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Subject: Re: Revised SIQ test
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:34:04 GMT


)> Ha-ha!  Thanks for making me laugh.  There really are no excuses.
)>
)> rjp1

)You're welcome. We just had to do something to make it look like people
)really know what's happening. Maybe on "judgement day" we can all just
)hand in our test papers and hope nobody asks us to defend them!
)
)Sincerely,
)Kalki "Uh, sorry, um...my dog ate it" Dasa

Alright, dialog!  You know, laughter is fun!  A really good time.
Transcend illusion with the laughter of a blissful vision.  It takes
what is dark and heavy and makes it light; it is the movement of
the mountain and the pure joy of El Nino rampaging along the coast.
What?  Where's your detachment??  I am so happy for your doggie!

Now, this "judgement day" business.  If I may make some comments...
First I have to say, why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
I say this because imho, "judgement day" is illusory.  It's part of
a larger, somewhat grand death wish.  People have death wishes all 
of the time.  Some are simply more grandiose than others.  No problem
there, if that's what you want/believe.

To me, all things are circular, ie, everything returns.  You either
face and integrate your Self each and every day or you put off facing
and integrating your Self until the day your body expires.  This imho,
is not at all "judgement day" as defined by various religious dogma.
Each day you become integrated, not just on the day your body dies.
But do you also realize this each and every day?

The clue here is that our conscience does not and can not wait until
tomorrow.  The journey we make is always today.  I know, this is all
very easy to say but difficult to put into practice.  However, this
is not and should not be a deterent.  One has to learn how to let go
and be detached to the things that will hold him/her back or prevent
you from being the clean slate to be written upon with each and every
new dawn.  These things I say are not new.  I make no claims.


--
Bob Pietkivitch     | "Moon, my long lost friend, is smiling from above."
rjp1@ihspa.att.com  |  -- Genesis, Stagnation 1970
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic,alt.religion.kibology
From: kibo@world.std.com (James "Kibo" Parry)
Subject: Re: Dolphin-Aliens?
Organization: Two rooms filled with typography, in downtown Boston
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 06:04:16 GMT

In article <69833@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:
>Dear Spellers: I confess. You've caught me. I spelled this like thit.
>I've obviously caught Kiboitis.
>John Winston.

Yes, but I've caught John_-_Winstonitis.  It's very painful.  And worse,
now I have to go through and add "_-_"s all over my .signature.

						-- Ki_-_Bo
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic
From: erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp)
Subject: Re: Space Craft Without Pants
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 01:00:00 GMT

The Magician (esi102@cck.coventry.ac.uk) wrote:

: Solar Max ??? that does'nt have anything to do with Fantastic Max does it ?
: you know.. that cartoon kid who travels the cosmos in a toy space ship 
: to save the galaxy, with his teddy bear robot ?

I thought Solar Max was a satellite...
--
Ed Carp			erc@apple.com, erc@saturn.upl.com	801/538-0177

"There is nothing to seek and nothing to find.  You're already enlightened, and
all the words in the world won't give you what you already have.  The wise
seeker, therefore, is concerned with one thing only: to become aware of what
he already is, of the True Self within."  -- Zen maxim
-- 
Ed Carp			erc@apple.com, erc@saturn.upl.com	801/538-0177

"There is nothing to seek and nothing to find.  You're already enlightened, and
all the words in the world won't give you what you already have.  The wise
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic
From: rdnelson@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Roger D. Nelson)
Subject: Re: Astral 2
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:10:59 GMT

In article <69635@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:

On the order of 40 lines, twice as much as usual, of the standard
"halb-starke" flummery he apparently composes for some talk.xxx
newsgroup.  Since this is my day to complain about things that strike me
as inappropriate, I'm going to lengthen his thread against my SOP.
This, despite that most responses to Winston nowadays seem to be jovial
and short comments that indicate some of us are entertained or at least
have _nothing_ better to do than read John Winston, improbable as that
sounds.  

Now to the point:  sci.skeptic is not intended as an entertainment, and
mere entertainment is not welcome, especially and importantly because
it devalues the newsgroup, and deters serious and interesting
participants.  All of us welcome a sense of humor, or an entertaining
anecdote to leaven and enliven the group, but repetitive, adolescent
stories don't make it.

John, Please consider taking sci.skeptic out of your header.

Roger


Xref: sparky talk.religion.newage:5444 sci.skeptic:20067
From: davidh@cascade.ens.tek.com (David Hatcher)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Invisible Baby
Date: 22 Nov 1992 15:07:01 -0800
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cascade.ens.tek.com

In article <70029@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:
>Subject: Invisible Baby.

<  Story deleted  >


  For work, as a post election gag I bought the December 1st issue of
_Weekly World News_. It says on the front cover "President Clinton
Rides in UFO's". Being that I'm the only one in my area who voted
for Clinton, and I'm pretty liberal minded, I get lot of kidding at
work. Thought I'd help the other guy's out by putting the front 
page of _Weekly World News_ on our political board at work.

  Now guess what's on page 9 of that issue of _Weekly World News_?
What I found, word for word, is this very article that John just posted
on the invisible baby. Only in that rag the title is "Invisible Baby
Stuns Docs!" 

  I wouldn't take anything John says personally. I have a feeling that 
he is just messing with us and having some fun. Actually, I'm suprised
that he did not post the part about Clinton's UFO ride on page 17 and
that Clinton knew that his elections was wrapped up when the Alien endorsed
him back in July.

  Now, for your amusement, on the same page, here is a poll that the 
_Weekly World News is taking:

YES [ ]
	President Clinton should reward the Space Alien for his 
	help in winning the elections!
NO [ ]
	I wouldn't trust this Alien as far as I could throw him.
	Mr. Clinton should dump the E.T now, before it's too late!



  Have fun with this, I'm sure that John is.



	Love is the life force breathed
	into the Heart/Mind flower center
	of harmonious human relationships.
			Al Huang

	David Hatcher


Xref: sparky talk.religion.newage:5464 alt.alien.visitors:8570 alt.religion.kibology:4888
From: csquared@coos.dartmouth.edu (C Squared)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,alt.religion.kibology
Subject: Re: Big Bird
Date: 23 Nov 92 18:28:21 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Originator: csquared@coos.dartmouth.edu

In article <70104@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:
>Dear People: Can anyone enlighten me on the proper spelling of the 
>word Forengi, the type of people who are shown on Star Trek the Next
>Generation who are traders. For some reason or another when I hear the 
>comment from the Kiboites I think of these type people.
>John Winston.

That would be Forengif.

C Squared                    |                Whatf dof If knowf?
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
From: serb@polisci.umn.edu (Scott Erb)
Subject: Re: Big Bird
Organization: Department of Political Science, University of Minnesota
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 13:32:01 GMT

In article <69886@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:

>Subject; Big Bird.
>   I glad you are reading this rather than me. If I were reading it I wouldn't 
>believe it and it happened to me. 
>  It all started when a friend of mine told me about a time when she and her 
>teen age daughter (who is a changeling) with a few of her friends were in a 
>very scary place on the sides of some mountain near Fremont, Calif. (Mission 
>Peak).  They were all having a good time when they started hearing something 
>make a lot of noise.  As they got close they could see that something was 
>growling like a dinosaur and knocking the brush down with it's wings but 
>they couldn't see anything. They said the found a large nest about 20 feet 
>across that looked like it was made by a very large bird. They left the area.
>  I checked with my psychic advisor and he said that reports of Big Bird had 
>been in the newspapers lately and he didn't mean Big Bird of Sesame Street 
>on TV.  He advised me not  to go in alone and not go in at dark.
>End Part 1.
>John Winston.

I recently read that the Sesame Street Big Bird escaped, and due to 
contract negotiations is engaging in terror to try to bring the government 
to put pressure on Sesame Street, Inc. to give in to Big Bird's demands.  
You can go in alone at dark, despite the appearance, Big Bird is as gentle 
and friendly as she appears on TV.   -- scott
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
From: erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp)
Subject: Re: John MegaMan Winston
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 04:55:58 GMT

Dean Joseph Sanvitale (mirage@leland.Stanford.EDU) wrote:

: You sir are no NASRUDIN.  

I think he *is*! :) :)
--
Ed Carp			erc@apple.com, erc@saturn.upl.com	801/538-0177

"There is nothing to seek and nothing to find.  You're already enlightened, and
all the words in the world won't give you what you already have.  The wise
seeker, therefore, is concerned with one thing only: to become aware of what
he already is, of the True Self within."  -- Zen maxim
-- 
Ed Carp			erc@apple.com, erc@saturn.upl.com	801/538-0177

"There is nothing to seek and nothing to find.  You're already enlightened, and
all the words in the world won't give you what you already have.  The wise
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic
From: sorgatz@avatar.tti.com (sorgatz)
Subject: Re: Tea.
Organization: Transaction Technology Inc.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 18:10:53 GMT

In article <69757@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:
>Dear Deep Thinkers: How about all of you people coming over to my
>house 100,000 years from now. We'll laugh about all of this and 
>drink some bubble up and eat some rainbow stew?
>John Winston.

 THAT'S IT! NOW I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! "John Winston"...HA!  "Rainbow stew"??
..don't you mean venison chili?!! Ok Ok...in case the rest of you haven't 
yet caught on...he's actually KEN KESEY!! NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE...sure!

Never trust a Prankster...

..hey Ken, pass that IT-290 would ya?


-Avatar-> (aka: Erik K. Sorgatz) KB6LUY           +-------------------------+
TTI(sorgatz@soldev.tti.com)                       *   Think Eco, not EGO!   *
3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA  90405     +-------------------------+
(OPINIONS EXPRESSED DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF CITICORP OR ITS MANAGEMENT!)
From: farris@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Lorenzo Farris)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Subject: Re: Where is the navel chakra
Date: 16 Nov 92 01:44:25 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <1992Nov13.233417.3970@wkuvx1.bitnet>, pierccm@wkuvx1.bitnet writes:
:In article <1992Nov13.180637.8517@linus.mitre.org>, tucker@mitre.org (William Tucker) writes:
::
::I (William Tucker) think:
::
::That the Hara and the 3rd chakra or solar plexus chakra are not the 
::same thing. I have a book specifically on the Hara, and it's spoken 
::of more in the way that Aikido masters speak of the center of balance
::and intent or purpose.
:
:The solar plexus is just below the sternum, where you get "gut
:feelings".  The Tan T'ien (also called the Hara) is about two inches
:below the naval.  The Tan T'ien is the main center of focus in Chinese
:Kung Fu (and other martial arts as well, such as Aikido).  They are
:not the same centers.
:
Let me clarify my question a little more. I was told by some persons
that are supposedly teaching tantric buddhism that the third chakra is
below the navel. This didn't jibe with a lot of other material that I
had read. 

Then (sychronicity kicks in once again) I came across a book about
Tantra which placed the third chakra below the navel. I have another
book here, _Tools for Tantra_, by Harish Johari, that names both the
solar plexus and the navel as being associated with the third chakra.

These tantric buddhist also taught that there are three bodies. The
physical, the energy body, and the causal body. Again, this didn't
agree with previous work, such as Brennan's, and others.

Finally (for an extra bit of controversy) there is the system
Castaneda describes, with the three attentions, which would seem to
correspond to the three bodies. And it the navel area as the focus of
practice, which would seem to correspond more to what I know of the
Chinese/Japanese systems.

So I am getting a broad range of overlap/disagreement from my various
sources. I can't yet see what is going on myself. However, I operate
on the model that different people will see differently, and are
perhaps touching different parts of the elephant.

What I was hoping for was the big picture, since I have found all
these smaller pictures to have validity. Some more encompassing
metaphor, perhaps. 

Thanks for responding,
			Lorenzo
-- 
"Once upon a time men were possessed    ******************************
by devils. Now they are not less        *  Lorenzo Farris            *
obsessed by ideas" -CG Jung             *  farris@ruhets.rutgers.edu *
					******************************
Xref: sparky talk.religion.newage:5321 alt.alien.visitors:8379 sci.skeptic:19704 alt.religion.kibology:4741
From: pashley@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Montykins)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic,alt.religion.kibology
Subject: Re: Greys, Good, Bad, or Kibozotic
Date: 17 Nov 92 09:30:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: sdcc12.41115
Followup-To: talk.religion.newage
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <BxsqAB.848@world.std.com>, kibo@world.std.com (James "Kibo" Parry) writes:
>In article <69561@cup.portal.com> John_-_Winston@cup.portal.com writes:
>>  Please don't think that this is something that I alone know about. 
>
>Oh, John, we'd never think YOU ALONE know about this stuff!
>

You know what intrigues me about John-O? It's not the subject
matter. It's not the phantomf lettersf in the Subjectf linef.

It's not even the fact that one of his posts was directed to ME
PERSONALLY! (It said, in its entirety, "Dear Person, maybe you are
right. Maybe my floppy disks are getting a little floopy" in
response to some nitpicky comment I made about a typo)

It's his login name. John_-_Winston. As far as I can tell, he told
the computer his full, legal name was "John-Winston", and it
dutifully separated the punctuation out with underlines.

Isn't it cute? Doesn't it make you want to rush out and buy your
John_-_Winston Signature Baseball and Pen Set today?

 -Paul "Monty" Ashley
   (Warning Sign #1: If you think John-Winston is talking directly
to you, GET HELP!)
-- 
All just the opinions of pashley@sdcc13.ucsd.edu.
From: ph600fcy@sdcc14.ucsd.edu (Matthew Harrington)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Subject: Need info on UNARIANS
Date: 20 Nov 92 03:47:22 GMT

I saw a show on cable TV about the Unarians and there association
with Tesla.  Anyone know how to find out more information?

					Matt Harrington

-- 
---------------------------------
Matthew B. Harrington
mbharrington@ucsd.edu

Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
From: moskowit@panix.com (Len Moskowitz)
Subject: Re: Yes, I'm sure.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 20:17:02 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC


John Emery writes:

>Think of Jesus.  He has been the only recognized spiritual leader to
>convince a great portion of the world that He is absolute truth (God).

Perhaps you should talk to our friend Kalki.  He seems to think that
Krishna qualifies in this regard.

-- 
Len Moskowitz
moskowit@panix.com
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage,alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic
From: payner@netcom.com (Rich Payne)
Subject: Re: Past Life regression - the proof (was GSI Day)
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 03:33:35 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.012854.16274@unislc.uucp> erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp) writes:
>Scott C DeLancey (delancey@darkwing.uoregon.edu) wrote:
>
>: their minds can do to them while they aren't looking.  Your memories--even
>: ordinary memories of everday pedestrian reailty--are
>: not factual records of objective truth, however much they may feel like
>: it.
>
>Unless backed up by a sizeable body of evidence.  If I say that I have been
>to location X, and seen Y, and ten people also go to location X and agree
>that they see Y, I'd think that's pretty convincing evidence that what we
>have here is a factual record.

Factual record, yes. A factual record of an objective truth, no.

>--
>Ed Carp			erc@apple.com, erc@saturn.upl.com	801/538-0177
>
>"There is nothing to seek and nothing to find.  You're already enlightened, and
>all the words in the world won't give you what you already have.  The wise
>seeker, therefore, is concerned with one thing only: to become aware of what
>he already is, of the True Self within."  -- Zen maxim
>-- 
>Ed Carp			erc@apple.com, erc@saturn.upl.com	801/538-0177
>
>"There is nothing to seek and nothing to find.  You're already enlightened, and
>all the words in the world won't give you what you already have.  The wise


Rich

payner@netcom.com
From: richa@grizzly.CNA.TEK.COM (Grizzly Amber)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage
Subject: Re: Absolute Truth
Date: 18 Nov 92 23:43:59 GMT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Redmond,  OR.

Definition:"Absolute" - Positive, unquestionable.

IF:        God has all those "omnis" ascribed to Him (Her/it/whatever)

THEN:      He (She/it/whatever) can change anything (which includes
           all those immutable laws of physics and truths/lies/etc.).

THEREFORE: Nothing is cast in stone that cannot be molded into
           something else entirely at the whim of God (or any
           other being with such power).

           This means there is only one Absolute Truth, which is:
           There is no "Absolute" Truth (outside your own personal
           belief system, which can never be "proved" to anyone else).
           And this too can change.