Making Occult Studies more Accessible

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

The point I was trying to make was that a large part of the value of finding that slack lies in the journey (in whatever form someone chooses to manifest it in) and that using shortcuts to subvert that was a way to miss that inherent value. That's what I meant by "if you have to trick yourself into that state of mind, you may not be ready for that state of mind."

What do you suggest people with severe anxiety disorders do about their condition instead of meditation/hypnosis/occultism? Are they just not ready to feel okay enough to function?

Or how about people with severe pain from cancer complications? Drugs are clearly false slack and a shortcut. Occultism/hypnosis/meditation are already out. Are these people just unprepared for their normal state of mind to return?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The point I was trying to make was that a large part of the value of finding that slack lies in the journey (in whatever form someone chooses to manifest it in) and that using shortcuts to subvert that was a way to miss that inherent value. That's what I meant by "if you have to trick yourself into that state of mind, you may not be ready for that state of mind."

What do you suggest people with severe anxiety disorders do about their condition instead of meditation/hypnosis/occultism?

I don't see any difference between that and giving them a big dose of Baby Jebus, to be honest.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

The point I was trying to make was that a large part of the value of finding that slack lies in the journey (in whatever form someone chooses to manifest it in) and that using shortcuts to subvert that was a way to miss that inherent value. That's what I meant by "if you have to trick yourself into that state of mind, you may not be ready for that state of mind."

What do you suggest people with severe anxiety disorders do about their condition instead of meditation/hypnosis/occultism?

I don't see any difference between that and giving them a big dose of Baby Jebus, to be honest.

Here's the difference, Baby Jebus necessarily requires belief in supernatural processes.

Occultism does not.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The point I was trying to make was that a large part of the value of finding that slack lies in the journey (in whatever form someone chooses to manifest it in) and that using shortcuts to subvert that was a way to miss that inherent value. That's what I meant by "if you have to trick yourself into that state of mind, you may not be ready for that state of mind."

What do you suggest people with severe anxiety disorders do about their condition instead of meditation/hypnosis/occultism?

I don't see any difference between that and giving them a big dose of Baby Jebus, to be honest.

Here's the difference, Baby Jebus necessarily requires belief in supernatural processes.

Occultism does not.

Here again, we're having difficulty with language.

Occult:

1.supernatural or magic: relating to, involving, or characteristic of magic, witchcraft, or supernatural phenomena
2.not understandable: not capable of being understood by ordinary human beings


Yoga fits neither of those descriptions. 

[LMNO]

I agree. But this thread was supposed to be about looking at occultism and taking out the bullshit to see what's left, and if it's useful.

Wasn't it?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I agree. But this thread was supposed to be about looking at occultism and taking out the bullshit to see what's left, and if it's useful.

Wasn't it?

Don't know.  I thought it was about making it "more accessible".  What I DO know is that we're apparently not using the word correctly.  Why?  Well, we've seen this before, haven't we?  A belief (Magickle stuff) is successfully challenged.  The person whose intellectual "territory" feels threatened by this, and "sidesteps" by changing the definition of the word.

There's a term for Yoga already..."Yoga".  You don't have to call it something it isn't ("occult").  Same with meditation.  Both are exercises requiring practice and discipline.  Occult crap is wish-fulfillment or guru shit, at least as far as the dictionary is concerned.

For the sake of accuracy, I just found another definition:

secret: secret or known only to the initiated

Given the internet, etc, I don't think that one's the one we're after.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Yoga occasionally gets lumped in with this general category of stuff because of its original intended purpose- to unite you with the brahma. Yoga has the same indo-european word origin as our word yoke.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

So there ends up being different kinds of yoga. Yoga that helps you become more relaxed and flexible. Fad yoga that silly rich people do. And the yoga (raja yoga iirc) that actually could be lumped in with "occult" practices in that it is mystical you need a guru and sometimes says gives you freaky powers.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Yoga occasionally gets lumped in with this general category of stuff because of its original intended purpose- to unite you with the brahma. Yoga has the same indo-european word origin as our word yoke.

So it's religious in origin.  Doesn't make it magickle.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

And the yoga (raja yoga iirc) that actually could be lumped in with "occult" practices in that it is mystical you need a guru and sometimes says gives you freaky powers.

Yeah, like the freaky power to give gurus your money.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Sure. But that doesnt make it any less valid to refer to yoga as an occult practice (within its original context) that happens to have some actual benefits for the mind and body of the practitioner.

[AFK]

Sure. But that doesnt make it any less valid to refer to yoga as an occult practice (within its original context) that happens to have some actual benefits for the mind and body of the practitioner.

Right, and I think the distinction LHX was making in the OP was basically the difference between actually buying into the religious/faith-based aspect of it and simply looking for the benefit of the utility of the practice.  So in his example, the tarot being a catalyst to insight on a situation, as opposed to putting blind faith that the cards are actually telling the person how things are going to be, without their participation. 

[LMNO]

Yoga occasionally gets lumped in with this general category of stuff because of its original intended purpose- to unite you with the brahma. Yoga has the same indo-european word origin as our word yoke.

So it's religious in origin.  Doesn't make it magickle.

Well, no. But some yoga purports to give the ability to reach transcendental states not available to most people, states often associated with "enlightenment" and such; which means it begins to bump up against the woo.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Sure. But that doesnt make it any less valid to refer to yoga as an occult practice (within its original context) that happens to have some actual benefits for the mind and body of the practitioner.

I think we were talking about the other kind of yoga.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Yoga occasionally gets lumped in with this general category of stuff because of its original intended purpose- to unite you with the brahma. Yoga has the same indo-european word origin as our word yoke.

So it's religious in origin.  Doesn't make it magickle.

Well, no. But some yoga purports to give the ability to reach transcendental states not available to most people, states often associated with "enlightenment" and such; which means it begins to bump up against the woo.

In other words, it releases all kinds of brain chemicals that make you feel good?