From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Sun Nov 14 1999 - 13:03:09 MST
From: Robert Owen <rowen@technologist.com>
>And, if the above it untrue, what empirical evidence can you cite to
>falsify it?
Replicant had asked, "it is of no use if we can't remember it, [so,] what's the
point of this fantasy anyway?" in reference to reincarnation.
To which I responded that remembrance does not, in itself, confer any point of
its own. IOW, the "point" of anything does not necessarily rely on one's memory
of it. A forgetful mind reincarnated must (obviously) remain forgetful. "You"
didn't remember then, so "you" can't remember now, because the lack of memory
got reincarnated along with the rest of "you."
A reincarnated amnesiac must, by definition, have no memory of a former
existence (to preserve the accuracy of the reincarnation). Hence, Gurdieff
admonished "Remember yourself" to break the cycle.
It comes down to understanding the meaning of the word reincarnation (or Eternal
Recurrence, in Nietzsche's lexicon). Literal or simplistic metaphors tend to get
in the way of understanding underlying principles and physics.
I don't believe in the popular (supernatural) notion of reincarnation, and
suspect that Siddhartha Gautama used the (Hindu) idea of reincarnation as a
device to encourage people to wake up from entrancing ideas of metaphysics. Pure
consciousness (objective awareness of reality) recurs as pure consciousness in
different manifestations (bodies), without regard to identity or personality
(because identity constitutes contamination of otherwise pure consciousness).
This reality requires no supernatural mumbo-jumbo. Consciousness (or algebra,
for that matter) reincarnates, or replicates, in brains which maintain the
patterns involved. The complexity of reality rather consistently outpaces the
brain's attempts to remember all of it.
Reality has no universal point, so points remain pointless, and the adventure
continues to continue.
"Keep on keeping on." --Superfly
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