Bolshevik

And that's what old-timers are looking for . . . dopamine hits

I would speculate that all those "positive experiences" at Advanced Classes and other events, where people come back with big idiot smiles on their faces . . . are ways to induce dopamine release. Positive experience . . . which is just a show . . . results in new brain circuitry. Making it easier to repeat later.

Physical circuits get built into the brain when hit with dopamine repeatedly. You have to actively work build new circuits to suppress the old ones. Because the old circuits atrophy but don't completely disappear. I think everyone knows they can know not to give in to something, yet there's this unquestionably strong urge to do it. I believe cults follow those same principles. One reason they are hard to overcome.

There was a doctrine about speaking up on error. It was an encouraged habit. I remember that. It's like TWI took the mote and beam verse Jesus mentioned and switched the order. We can go on and on about how hypocritical the behavior is. It's clearly, IMO, part of the design to do that. Get the individual to act in a way that the response of people won't make sense to them. Or at least overwhelm them into a defensive mental position. Wayfer: "you made an error here" *feels pride for doing God's Word* NonWayfer : "Yah, well, you made an error EVERYWHERE" Wayfer: "what?" *must be hard-heartedness*

So I'm still figuring this out. *puts fingers to his temples . . . focuses on nearby object . . . get frustrated that it won't levitate* Some things or events we can picture and create and give meaning to. But I can't make my coffee mug come to me on its own. But still my mind sees a meaningful, purposeful object. So there's some boundaries there. Are the boundaries imaginary? Some things can only be imagined but some things can be imagined AND brought into physical reality? Of course, sometimes we don't see things that are there. Is they not real, too? I'm not really sure what any of these words mean.

No Grace, I wasn't implying you were. It's just context. Most people don't concern themselves with such topics. Which is absolutely fine. Wayfers do, very much so, in an irrational and stubborn way. Like they're hiding something. Whatever that is, which may be a number of things, could be helpful.

Being a follower of VPW is not fine. He was not a builder. You just ruin yourself, pull down those around you, and contribute to the decay of the greater society. It may be a right but it is wrong. The anti-trinity reaction plays into that.

In TWI Wayfers seem to almost go into convulsions if someone mentions The Trinity. They draw that attention. That's kinda why I think there needs to be some focus on it. Not trying to convince anyone on it.

Not a good story. Still trying to think of the name of an object. I see it in my mind but I can't seem to find the word for it. . . And it will feel more real when I think of the word. Kinda weird, huh? Remember "conduit for the adversary"? The Hell was that? Evil freak flows through certain objects you shouldn't own, because, you know, you shouldn't own them. So here we all are constantly cleaning in our detail minded way to keep the Adversary out. Just, perceiving evil where a normal person would not. Cause, nothing is perfect. But don't tell THEM that. And in that Totalitarian System, The Leader is the soul of the people, and each of us is responsible for that. So, gather together all your favorite objects, and burn them.

When you give something new a name, it's like you're creating something, by giving it meaning and distinguishing it from the chaos. Kinda neat considering how cults come up with their own terminology to redefine the world and experience. You describe these "gifts of the spirt" and *POOF* . . . there they are . . . mixing already known stuff into improper categories and calling it SOMETHING. Also . . . pretty cool . . . you imply its opposite at that same moment of creation . . . you know . . . debil spurts Which leads me to a story about He-Man and The Advanced Class (Not the actual Advanced Class, those booster classes that come after, did they have a name??)

It's just a joke . . maybe too dry

The local population was spooked? . . . OMG, look at what we've 'attracted' . . . THAT guy . . . we better change our ways. And the area improved. In that way, VPW had a positive affect . . .

I keep thinking on this. Our society is significantly built around Christianity. Thousands of years in the making. Even if we've left Christianity we will still function like Christians. (I tend to think the idea we'd start partying all day is not terribly realistic.) Most everyone who "quits Christianity" would remain Christian in their behavior. But maybe not fully aware of that.

ok. I think we're born with the instincts for morality and to work in a society. That we're born into a society certainly helps with guiding that development.

Humans kill to live. So do you. My cats are playing right now. Rather roughly. But, no hard biting or scratching. Because those are the Rules they have for each other.

Twinky you'd be arguing then that humans aren't born with morality? Isn't that Tabula Rasa?

Still thinking . . Morality existed before humans ever existed. Animals have morals. So morality evolved over time because it works. Animals are agnostic or atheist, you could say. Religion evolves as groups seek to express and apply that morality in greater detail. Morality existed before language. Before humanity. Before that extra bit that makes us human. One reason that ancient texts are vague and yet express clear truth somehow. I think humans have some extra drive to good or evil. So if Christianity had no afterlife, we'd still be moral. But, thinking you'll never die, or not being cognizant of your own certain death, I think removes some 'oomph' to human life. Which something TWI took away by design.

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In Genesis, humankind's eyes were opened. Knowing Good and Evil. From a perspective of Evolution. Humankind is more aware we will die than any other creature. That awareness, daily, drives our decisions. What will be do with our time? In quantum physics waveforms occur when you put restrictions on the system. Sound is made with different lengths of tubes or strings to form different soundwaves. These sounds are dependent on the physical material producing them. Music combines these sounds in a multitude of ways. You could run with that. People are represented as waves of different complexity and society is combinations of those. But, In TWI, it's declared we've got eternal life and The Adversary can't take that away. Even though LCM shouted just the opposite, You won't really die. . . . That particular TWI doctrine removes the restrictions on the system. You're born, but no death? Just a string hanging on a wall by one end, blowing in the breeze? No wave can form. What urgency is there then, without death? What would drive critical thinking and action? You're just a flat line. Limp. Boring. Thanks Waysider for asking the question. Might have rehashed some things but it's deeper than I thought.

In the Totalitarian System, the individual must be broken. Individuals are not puppets of the state, but have free will. Someone like that might do something outrageous like engage in free speech. So, one way to break down individuals is to encourage society to live in suspicion of itself. You know that person at Twig lately? Not very open about their sex-life, are they? Probably Homo-Posesso. Yeah, keep an eye on them. In fact, did you see the limb-leader's wife's haircut? . . . Yeah I felt it too, heavy. It's a spiritual competition, we walk not by sight. Vigilance is key. All 9 all the time. *slow, stern, nods in agreement*

We know history repeats. We know, or it is apparent, that ancients took these same stories that are repeated today and projected them into the stars. It's only logical to see converging, apparently correlating, patterns today. We looked through a child's telescope last night and saw the moons of Jupiter. I saw three moons. Another saw Four. According to the charts there was only a slight possibility of seeing four at that hour. I couldn't see four. Maybe the other person could. We have different sets of eyes. I think the answer to the question of the opening post is yes, you see SOMETHING, not NOTHING. I know I see SOMETHING. If all we're aiming for here is SOMETHING, that's not much of a target though.

A person's favorite word is their own name. I think that's something taught in TWI. God called out the stars by their names. If I remember correctly. Our minds see in the world what is meaningful. When you look at any object you see its meaning. If you look at a coffee mug, you see significant object with a handle that your mind and hand automatically adjust to pick up in an amazingly coordinated way, without thought. Because you've previously assigned it meaning. The stars have names. They were given meaning. So I agree there is something meaningful in scripture about the stars. This is a discussion to articulate what that might be?

I posted an example of how data can confirm a bias. Nothing to do with scripture. Did you see the joke?