Different levels of existence

[gseeker]

Do you believe in different levels of awareness of different forms of existence? You have physical, mental, and spiritual. I believe in different levels of physical and mental awareness. After all I'm more familiar with my existence since I experience every aspect of my life so my life takes on a more meaningful awareness. But what about different levels of spiritual existence and does the spiritual word even exist beyond the release of happy feel good chemicals in the brain?

 

[gseeker]

If a persons spirituality can be measured in the release of brain chemicals then aren't they at that point living for the physical world and not the spiritual world?

 

[Shuddhasattva]

I guess the nice thing about a layercake is you can have it, and eat it too, by going one layer at a time?

Or something.

 

[Quintessence]

Hmm.

I think I can say that I believe that humans can create maps of the territory that represent existence in layers or levels, but that we need to remember that the map isn't the territory. Many of the maps others make do not make much sense to me. The only division I tend to draw is between "this" world and the otherworlds, and that division is a thin veil at best.

 

[gseeker]

Please clarify, what are the other worlds and how is that boundary thin?

 

[Quintessence]

Oh dear. That's a big question. It would take an essay at least, and different paths will have different perspectives on this that are not identical to my own.

To oversimplify things, consider a vantage point which states there are two basic facets of existence: (1) aspects of reality that can be measured by science and are believed to be objectively real and, (2) aspects of reality that are intangible and often called imaginary, abstract, or ideological. (1) describes "this" world while (2) often (but not always) describes otherworlds.

Again to oversimplify, (1) and (2) routinely exchange things. The idea of a painting is (2) but once painted by the artist becomes (1). The painting witnessed by another could then easily inspire some other intangible abstraction and become (2) again. Ideas can be manifest into the "real" world and the "real" world manifests things into idea-land.

There's more to it than this, but it gets to a level of wonky most folks either can't or don't want to wrap their heads around. >_<; Regardless, it's still a map, not the territory.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Do you believe in different levels of awareness of different forms of existence?

"Levels?" Not really. There is no "highest state" of awareness, merely extreme forms.

 

[waitasec]

If a persons spirituality can be measured in the release of brain chemicals then aren't they at that point living for the physical world and not the spiritual world?

imo,
living for the spiritual world is living to die...
that's not how i roll.

emotions are powerful chemical responses to stimuli...not spiritual.

 

[Runewolf1973]

imo,
living for the spiritual world is living to die...
that's not how i roll.

emotions are powerful chemical responses to stimuli...not spiritual.

Definitely not spiritual...and those same or at least very similar chemical responses to stimuli can happen with or without a brain. Therefore, all those chemical responses to stimuli...emotions, awareness, or consciouness as we call it, can potentially exist without a brain.

 

[Orias]

If a persons spirituality can be measured in the release of brain chemicals then aren't they at that point living for the physical world and not the spiritual world?

How does one measure such a thing?

 

[Willamena]

Do you believe in different levels of awareness of different forms of existence? You have physical, mental, and spiritual.

Rather, I believe that physical, mental and spiritual are different categories of things that exist.

...does the spiritual word even exist beyond the release of happy feel good chemicals in the brain?

Everything exists beyond that.

 

[Sir Doom]

I think that we are sort of a conglomeration of all three of the things you point out with the addition of a fourth. Technology. I don't think any of us can completely ignore any of these four (no matter what they may tell themselves ), but I can't say that any of them are more or less important than any other, and so focusing on one or another can't really improve or detract from your situation. I think its absolutely important to our species that we are able to decide what we focus on and what we don't. Its like shared work, in my opinion. Those that focus on one thing or another drive the progress of humanity no matter what.

For my own part, I try to give them all equal attention, but then again I have a long history of indecision. I like Neapolitan ice cream because I don't want to choose chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. Give me all three. I get variety packs of beer, chips, soda. It's a pathological need to preserve my options at all cost. When I used to play AD&D so long ago I often played a chaotic-neutral half-elven fighter/mage/cleric. I want everything and I'm willing to sacrifice the individual progress in one area for the overall progress in all areas. But that's just me. Other people are much more suited to compartmentalized roles and enjoy the focus of one over another.

 

[waitasec]

Definitely not spiritual...and those same or at least very similar chemical responses to stimuli can happen with or without a brain. Therefore, all those chemical responses to stimuli...emotions, awareness, or consciouness as we call it, can potentially exist without a brain.

but would we be aware of them?

 

[Runewolf1973]

but would we be aware of them?

Perhaps, though it could be at differing levels or degrees of awareness depending on to what extent the complexity of those chemical reactions to stimuli have advanced. At the very beginnings of life on Earth there were very simple plant forms and the chemical reactions present were likely fairly simple as well. If evolution is true, then how is it not logical to think that perhaps as creatures evolved physically, so did those chemical reactions to stimuli gradually evolve/change into more and more complex actions/reactions. In this way, it would be theoretically possible to achieve higher degrees or differing levels of awareness through evolutionary progression. The way I see it, everything evolves/changes, not just the physical stuff we can see...even our thoughts and perceptions can and do change over time.

 

[waitasec]

Perhaps, though it could be at differing levels or degrees of awareness depending on to what extent the complexity of those chemical reactions to stimuli have advanced. At the very beginnings of life on Earth there were very simple plant forms and the chemical reactions present were likely fairly simple as well. If evolution is true, then how is it not logical to think that perhaps as creatures evolved physically, so did those chemical reactions to stimuli gradually evolve/change into more and more complex actions/reactions. In this way, it would be theoretically possible to achieve higher degrees or differing levels of awareness through evolutionary progression. The way I see it, everything evolves/changes, not just the physical stuff we can see...even our thoughts and perceptions can and do change over time.

interesting. it is also possible that chemical reactions evolved into awareness.

 

[arthra]

I think there are levels of reality and or dimensions that intersect from time to time or place to place... and at times we can be sensitive to these levels of reality but usually not by our mere will.

 

[JustWondering]

Do you believe in different levels of awareness of different forms of existence? You have physical, mental, and spiritual. I believe in different levels of physical and mental awareness. After all I'm more familiar with my existence since I experience every aspect of my life so my life takes on a more meaningful awareness. But what about different levels of spiritual existence and does the spiritual word even exist beyond the release of happy feel good chemicals in the brain?

Nope.