AboutLaurie Hamilton Expertise I am able to answer questions regarding Scientology practices and procedures, belief system, donations, religious rites, management, administrative and staff matters.
Experience I am a second generation Scientologist whose parents began in Dianetics in 1950 and studied directly with L. Ron Hubbard. I have been personally active in the church for 40 years, have eleven years former staff experience in both technical and administrative areas, and extensive technical and administative training and counseling. I am "clear" and "OT." I come from an extended family of many religions, but my spouse and children are Scientologists, as are my siblings and their spouses, several cousins, nieces, nephews, an aunt, and an uncle. Between us we have had every good and bad experience one might go through in the church at every level.
Expert: Laurie Hamilton Date: 7/13/2008 Subject: what is the reality?
Question QUESTION: Hi, I have read article from some website...and I have some issue concerning the existence of science and human, which is more toward philosophy, and some more toward quantun physic but I want to get some scientific view from you....as simple as possible...thanks
"Another point to be considered is the sense of distance. Distance, which is to say the distance between you and this book, is only a feeling of emptiness formed in your brain. Objects that seem to be distant in that person’s view also exist in the brain. For instance, someone who watches the stars in the sky assumes that they are millions of light-years away from him. Yet what he "sees" are really the stars inside himself, in his centre of vision. While you read these lines, you are, in truth, not inside the room you assume you are in; on the contrary, the room is inside you. Your seeing your body makes you think that you are inside it. However, you must remember that your body, too, is an image formed inside your brain.
The "external world" presented to us by our perceptions is merely a collection of the electrical signals reaching our brain. Throughout our lives, these signals are processed by our brain and we live without recognising that we are mistaken in assuming that these are the original versions of matter existing in the "external world". We are misled because we can never reach the matter itself by means of our senses.
Moreover it is again our brain that interprets and attributes meaning to the signals that we assume to be the "external world". For example, let us consider the sense of hearing. It is in fact our brain that transforms the sound waves in the "external world" into a symphony. That is to say, music is also a perception created by our brain. In the same manner, when we see colours, what reaches our eyes are merely electrical signals of different wavelengths. It is again our brain that transforms these signals into colours. There are no colours in the "external world". Neither is the apple red nor is the sky blue nor the trees green. They are as they are just because we perceive them to be so. The "external world" depends entirely on the perceiver." http://www.islamicity.com/Science/quranandscience/mystery/GeneratedFiles/quotThe...
I feel very disturbing after reading the following article...and this part of it only.....I actually wish to brush it away as some religion theory....however...I am very upset to accept the truth that it indeed has some scienfic prove in it, which I can't deny.
Please help answer some of the question about my life?
-Is our perception of our life and world is a lies? How do we know this not a illusion from our mind?
- If we encounter barrier like wall when we walk, and I can feel it hit it with my hand, do the wall "exist" outside of my body?
-Do human have body of their own in the external world? Hands, legs? arm? eyes? nose? Do our body system exist?organ like brain, lung, heart....
-Is there a world "outside our body" exist?
-our senses, touch,sight,hearing,smell and taste, do they actually exist in the external world?
-Do we really fall sick? Do we really need treatment? am I alive? Do we get injuired? do people really "die"?
-The information, we get through our senses about this world, do it really exist?
-How can we prove the existence of our world?
-Do our senses actually exist? if it exist, what is the use of senses? do it really help us to survive in this world?
-we perceive the world through the electrical signal to our brain...but where do the signal come from?
- How about pain and sensation? do they also exist?
-Are we really human we think we am? I can see the body of others and others could see my body...do it exist?
-How we do perceive the surrounding? Why do we need to perceive the surrounding? do the surrounding really "there?"
-If I point to the red apple to another person, he will also "see" the red apple? do we perceive the same signal? most importantly...is "there a red apple"?
Are we living in the reality? do the reality exist? do our world exist?
-How can we prove the existence of another human being? the existence of other people? Is my parent, friend, kins, family all really exist?
-Do the law of science really exist and applied in the reality? law of physic..law of chemistry...
-How we sure that the passing of time? Is perspective of time also a perception of mind? Do we really grow up and grow old? Are we still the same person as who we are when we are small? how about space? do space exist?
-Is it true that 2 matter will never touch each other? Atoms are never in physical contact with one another? no atoms of any one object can ever touch the atoms of another!?
-Is that true everything is make up of energy? if it is true do the material world still exist? Is there a material world for us to live?
-Do the world still exist when we sleep? When when we sleep..does the world and surrounding still exist? Is there still reality?
-Can tell me what true or false about physic? and the material world? because I really very confused with it....
thanks
ANSWER: Questioner: Rambo
Category: Scientology
Private: No
MY ANSWERS ARE IN ALL CAPS, MERELY SO THAT THEY CAN BE DISTINGUISHED FROM THE SURROUNDING TEXT.
Subject: what is the reality?
Question: Hi, I have read article from some website...and I have some issue concerning the existence of science and human, which is more toward philosophy, and some more toward quantun physic but I want to get some scientific view from you....as simple as possible...thanks
"Another point to be considered is the sense of distance. Distance, which is to say the distance between you and this book, is only a feeling of emptiness formed in your brain. Objects that seem to be distant in that person’s view also exist in the brain. For instance, someone who watches the stars in the sky assumes that they are millions of light-years away from him. Yet what he "sees" are really the stars inside himself, in his centre of vision. While you read these lines, you are, in truth, not inside the room you assume you are in; on the contrary, the room is inside you. Your seeing your body makes you think that you are inside it. However, you must remember that your body, too, is an image formed inside your brain.
The "external world" presented to us by our perceptions is merely a collection of the electrical signals reaching our brain. Throughout our lives, these signals are processed by our brain and we live without recognising that we are mistaken in assuming that these are the original versions of matter existing in the "external world". We are misled because we can never reach the matter itself by means of our senses.
Moreover it is again our brain that interprets and attributes meaning to the signals that we assume to be the "external world". For example, let us consider the sense of hearing. It is in fact our brain that transforms the sound waves in the "external world" into a symphony. That is to say, music is also a perception created by our brain. In the same manner, when we see colours, what reaches our eyes are merely electrical signals of different wavelengths. It is again our brain that transforms these signals into colours. There are no colours in the "external world". Neither is the apple red nor is the sky blue nor the trees green. They are as they are just because we perceive them to be so. The "external world" depends entirely on the perceiver."
THE LOGIC OF THE ABOVE IS INTERNALLY CONTRATICTORY. THE BRAIN IS PHYSICAL. HENCE, IF A PHYSICAL ORGAN IS "RESPONSIBLE" FOR OUR PERCEPTION OF ALL THINGS PHYSICAL (INCLUDING ITSELF) - SO PHYSICALITY IS NOT REAL - IT IS ALL CAUSED BY A PHYSICAL ORGAN. DO YOU SEE? THE ARGUMENT IS COMPLETELY ILLOGICAL. SO, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
I feel very disturbing after reading the following article...and this part of it only.....I actually wish to brush it away as some religion theory....however...I am very upset to accept the truth that it indeed has some scienfic prove in it, which I can't deny.
Please help answer some of the question about my life?
-Is our perception of our life and world is a lies?
NO. THERE ARE LIES AND TRAPS IN THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE. THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT "NOT REAL."
How do we know this not a illusion from our mind?
THE EVIDENCE FOR EXISTENCE IS CONSISTENT.
- If we encounter barrier like wall when we walk, and I can feel it hit it with my hand, do the wall "exist" outside of my body?
YES
-Do human have body of their own in the external world? Hands, legs? arm? eyes? nose? Do our body system exist?organ like brain, lung, heart....
YES
-Is there a world "outside our body" exist?
YES
-our senses, touch,sight,hearing,smell and taste, do they actually exist in the external world?
YES
-Do we really fall sick? Do we really need treatment? am I alive? Do we get injuired? do people really "die"?
YES. BODIES DIE. SOULS DO NOT.
-The information, we get through our senses about this world, do it really exist?
YES
-How can we prove the existence of our world?
TOO LONG TO ANSWER HERE.
-Do our senses actually exist? if it exist, what is the use of senses? do it really help us to survive in this world?
YES
-we perceive the world through the electrical signal to our brain...but where do the signal come from?
STIMULI AND REACTIONS TO STIMULI.
- How about pain and sensation? do they also exist?
YES
-Are we really human we think we am? I can see the body of others and others could see my body...do it exist?
YES
-How we do perceive the surrounding? Why do we need to perceive the surrounding? do the surrounding really "there?"
YES
-If I point to the red apple to another person, he will also "see" the red apple? do we perceive the same signal? most importantly...is "there a red apple"?
YES
Are we living in the reality? do the reality exist? do our world exist?
YES
-How can we prove the existence of another human being? the existence of other people? Is my parent, friend, kins, family all really exist?
TOO LONG TO ANSWER HERE
-Do the law of science really exist and applied in the reality? law of physic..law of chemistry...
YES
-How we sure that the passing of time? Is perspective of time also a perception of mind? Do we really grow up and grow old? Are we still the same person as who we are when we are small? how about space? do space exist?
MOSTLY, YES - BUT TOO LONG TO ANSWER HERE.
-Is it true that 2 matter will never touch each other? Atoms are never in physical contact with one another? no atoms of any one object can ever touch the atoms of another!?
TECHNICALLY, YES. HOWEVER, THAT IS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE THEY REACT AS THOUGH THEY DO TOUCH. FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR GROSS SENSES, THEY DO TOUCH.
-Is that true everything is make up of energy? if it is true do the material world still exist? Is there a material world for us to live?
OF COURSE EVERYTHING IS MADE OF ENERGY. THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE.
-Do the world still exist when we sleep? When when we sleep..does the world and surrounding still exist? Is there still reality?
YES.
-Can tell me what true or false about physic? and the material world? because I really very confused with it....
TOO LONG TO ANSWER HERE.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi, I really thanks your answer, however, I got another philosophy question I am stuck...I want to find out the "existence" of other human in the world....
How is it possible for me to know that the rest of people in this world really does exist? how can I prove that they was not just a illusion of my mind?
How can I tell whether they have a mind of their own? How can I know they have a soul and mind like me? how about animals?
How is it possible for me to put myself in other people other people shoes? How is it possible for us to understand each other? how can I know they think like what I do?
How can I guess what does their mind think? On what basis, do human think that "other human" think like how they do? for example...we refrain using the word that offend us, which we think the other person will too be offended? Do humans really think and feel the way as each other? if they really exist?
In your view, Is the world really populated with other people? Do we really live together? Is my family and my friend, real person like me? do they have a conscious and thought like me?
If you get through reading those pages with comprehension, you will have your own understanding of the philosophical basis I would rely on to answer you.
In other words, you will have your own answers - which are much more valuable than mine...
