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Lola · 10-21-2007, 10:54 AM

What am I missing?

Why is there frequently such a demand for Steve to prove something, anything that he experiences in his personal reality? And I think that is the distinction here. He is sharing his personal experiences. He's not claiming to make verifiable reports of scientific experiments. I can accept his accounts of his experiences and use them as a catalyst to learn more - to stretch my reality beyond its current boundaries and strive to have such experiences myself - or I can reject them because I have no basis for understanding. Either way, my ability to perceive Steve's experience has no affect on his reality of his experience and certainly is not a valid indication of it happening or not. Or of the possibility it COULD happen.

Let's say I write a post telling you all about going sailing yesterday. I could embellish that story with great detail, emotion and physical sensation. Can I prove to you that I had a good time sailing with friends yesterday? Not likely. A "good time" is a subjective experience, wouldn't you agree? Can I even prove to you that I went sailing yesterday? Well, maybe. If you're open to accepting the verification of my companions as proof. But perhaps you would believe that my alleged companions are a figment of my imagination as well. Or I might falsify their statements and pass it off as truth. Can I prove to you that the wind felt chilly coming off the water? Or that the ropes burned my hands when I failed to wear my gloves? Can I prove the feeling of euphoria when speeding across the water? Not likely. Because it's all my perception. MY experience of sailing is contained within MY self. The story I would write would be an accounting of how I experienced the event.

Or maybe I didn't go sailing at all yesterday. Maybe I'm making it all up. Does it really matter if my story really happened if it sparks within you a desire to experience sailing for yourself? And will you ever REALLY understand the lure of sailing unless you experience it yourself? And if you try it and are a failure as a sailor, does that diminish the validity of MY experience?

Or perhaps, you've never actually been sailing yet you think you know enough about it to assert that you could never do it and would never do it and would never like doing it. Maybe you'd read my story and say, "That's not true. Sailing is NOT fun, she cannot PROVE to me that it is fun, and furthermore, I don't believe she even actually went sailing." Which is your perception and is, for you, the end of the story.

My personal experience, however, remains unchanged whether you believe or not.

10-21-2007, 10:54 AM	#29 (permalink)
Lola Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 679	What am I missing? Why is there frequently such a demand for Steve to prove something, anything that he experiences in his personal reality? And I think that is the distinction here. He is sharing his personal experiences. He's not claiming to make verifiable reports of scientific experiments. I can accept his accounts of his experiences and use them as a catalyst to learn more - to stretch my reality beyond its current boundaries and strive to have such experiences myself - or I can reject them because I have no basis for understanding. Either way, my ability to perceive Steve's experience has no affect on his reality of his experience and certainly is not a valid indication of it happening or not. Or of the possibility it COULD happen. Let's say I write a post telling you all about going sailing yesterday. I could embellish that story with great detail, emotion and physical sensation. Can I prove to you that I had a good time sailing with friends yesterday? Not likely. A "good time" is a subjective experience, wouldn't you agree? Can I even prove to you that I went sailing yesterday? Well, maybe. If you're open to accepting the verification of my companions as proof. But perhaps you would believe that my alleged companions are a figment of my imagination as well. Or I might falsify their statements and pass it off as truth. Can I prove to you that the wind felt chilly coming off the water? Or that the ropes burned my hands when I failed to wear my gloves? Can I prove the feeling of euphoria when speeding across the water? Not likely. Because it's all my perception. MY experience of sailing is contained within MY self. The story I would write would be an accounting of how I experienced the event. Or maybe I didn't go sailing at all yesterday. Maybe I'm making it all up. Does it really matter if my story really happened if it sparks within you a desire to experience sailing for yourself? And will you ever REALLY understand the lure of sailing unless you experience it yourself? And if you try it and are a failure as a sailor, does that diminish the validity of MY experience? Or perhaps, you've never actually been sailing yet you think you know enough about it to assert that you could never do it and would never do it and would never like doing it. Maybe you'd read my story and say, "That's not true. Sailing is NOT fun, she cannot PROVE to me that it is fun, and furthermore, I don't believe she even actually went sailing." Which is your perception and is, for you, the end of the story. My personal experience, however, remains unchanged whether you believe or not.