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Superstition and Knowledge

To: alt.magick.tyagi,talk.religion.misc,alt.magick
From: nagasiva 
Subject: Superstition and Knowledge (was Gnome: ...)
Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 07:39:43 GMT

50011001 VI! om Hail Satan! Happy Lunatix!

"Tris"  to Gnome:
>Let's assume that your statement, "Magick draws on psycho-structures
>imprinted in the deep mind", is true - as you have asserted.
>
>You have said "the Tibetans, whom I trained with and emulate, destroy all
>superstition, on a conscious level, and then select what they choose to
>"believe" and literally build a magical "religion" for themselves."

>It appears to me that it's not a great step to imagine that one could
>destroy all superstition, and then one could destroy all one's motivations.

quite true, but some of those psycho-structures which Gnome was talking
about, are probably left intact, regarded as "not superstition".

>One could, in fact, create and destroy one's "psycho-structures" at will,
>facilitating the work.

possibly, but one would be left trying to decide which are valuable to
leave and which are valuable to discard. this is also the dilemma faced
by any relativist: given the equal validity or falsity of all proposi-
tions, why select any particular choice? inevitably it comes down to 
personal taste or social dogma.

>Perhaps you're right, and I don't get it.  My 'problem' is I don't see a
>huge difference between eroding superstition and eroding beliefs and
>motivations.

I don't think I'm taking too great a liberty by attempting to respond
here saying that in this model superstition is that belief which is 
ignorantly adopted and worthy of erosion. whereas the belief consciously 
adopted toward specific ends, knowing (or believing ;>) that it is a 
belief which will yield certain motivational and perhaps psychospiritual 
results, is maintained despite any contrary evidence because its 
intellectual truth is not as important as what the religious has 
ascertained is its practical value.

it is unimportant whether there is an actual being with a head of
an elephant who rides a giant rat in the "science of Ganeshpuja",
what is important is that one proceed to do the proper obeisances
and offerings in order to get the obstacles before one cleared
and get the benefit of the "god". that it is a "science" is much
more important than the theological or intellectual accuracy.

this is an utilitarian mode of religious or mystical activity. it is
perhaps more often aims-oriented and prone to exploitation for the
benefit of its purveyor. too often it dismisses the devoted as
ignorant plebes and disregards the beauty and truth of poetic mind
and ecstatic meetings with the actualities blithely rejected by
rationalist skeptics.

ultimately there is no difference between superstitions and other
beliefs aside from that superstitions may be retained despite what
is clearly evidence to the contrary. what constitutes evidence is
always subject to dispute, however, and no science reigns supreme.

blessed beast!

nagasiva
-- 
emailed replies may be posted  -----   "sa avidya ya vimuktaye"   ----- 
"that which liberates is ignorance"  http://www.luckymojo.com/nagasiva.html
    hoodoo catalogue: send postal address to catalogues@luckymojo.com

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