AboutChuck Beatty Expertise I will answer questions about the Sea Organization and administrative internal atmosphere in the Sea Organization from 1975 until 2003, the 27 year period I was part of the Sea Organization.
Experience I was an adminstrative training supervisor for church staff, and I worked compiling checklists of administrative duties for church staff.
I also spent almost 7 years on the Church of Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force, and will answer questions about my time on the RPF and how it worked while I was on it.
Education/Credentials Some College (Univ of Maryland, Phoenix City College, Arizona State Univ)
Expert: Chuck Beatty Date: 7/14/2008 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: You have to take care of your body, it is "real." My beliefs today are not the same as when I was in Scientology. I believe if your body dies, your consciousness dies. Scientology believes that if your body dies you live on as an immortal being and that you find a new body at a hospital and inhabit a baby's body and have a new life. Scientology believes that we are souls that go from body to body, lifetime after lifetime. I don't believe that anymore. Don't neglect your health, your body is real enough, because if it dies, your consciousness is over, is what I believe. I don't think it is wise to believe too much into philosophies that would cause you to neglect you body's health!
Take care of yourself!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi, 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 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? Is my family and my friend, real person like me? do they have a conscious and thought like me?
What your opinion? thanks...
ANSWER: I am a materialist, which to me means that the substances that we are made of, our bodies, the things we see and sense, that those things are real.
I believe the overwhelming proof, is before our eyes, we see our bodies anytime we choose to walk in front of a mirror, and open our eyes.
I believe the sanest course in life is to assume these "hard" objects, including our bodies, are reality.
When we wake up every day, we normally don't question that we are in the real world, and that things are solid.
You have to admit that it is only a fair amount of thinking that gets you to the point where you question this solid reality that you probably have agree with all your life up until this period that you started really questioning all the things you just mentioned above in the two questions.
I mean, I know I'm sitting here in Pittsburgh, in my apartment, answering your questions.
I think I'm real, and I'm separate from you! I'm not just your subjective mental activity. You'd have to be something to even have all the thoughts you are having.
Good luck!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Does it mean you believe everyone have their own mind, and is alive by own conscious?
Everyone come with their own thought and intelligence? do everyone really have free mind or free will as we think?
Answer QUESTION: Does it mean you believe everyone have their own mind, and is alive by own conscious?
I have only my imperfect opinion. I highly recommend you surf the internet on all of the above points you ask about.
I personally am a materialist.
I strive to comprehend what John Searle says in this lecture, and I believe Searle's definition of consciousness is what consciousness is:
while watching this great talk by John Searle, stop and look up the words you don't understand, if you wish, using the Onelook site that I find the best for getting things described and defined simply:
I do believe that we are these bodies that we perceive ourselves to be, and I don't believe we are "souls" seperate from our bodies, and I don't believe in souls controling bodies, which is the Scientology belief system.
Another modern thinker I think is an excellent lecturer is Steven Pinker, and this lecture is also recommended: http://tinyurl.com/5lxh6y
Again, I suggest take your time, and use Onelook to further research anything you would like to further understand, as you listen to Prof Pinker!
Good hunting.
Everyone come with their own thought and intelligence? do everyone really have free mind or free will as we think?
I agree with what I understand of what John Searle is saying about our consciousness, and that free will seems to be a true event, and we minimally have the apparancy of free will, since like John Searle demonstrated in his lecture, we have the free will to decide WHEN to move our arms and legs, as he demonstrated.
