Michael Sternbach

你太客气了。 Isn't it? Welcome to the forums!

That's the thing with quantum mechanics... The cat is both as long as nobody looks and therefore the wave function hasn't collapsed yet. (The cat might have a head start on that though.)

Regarding the OP, and including but not limited to the endless Trump discussion... The social/political dimension is indeed a fairly low level of human existence. And I am (mildly) surprised too that a topic of that kind is so popular amongst the Bums - more than spirituality, cultivation etc. On rare occasions, I may get political myself - temporarily and to a limited degree. But generally, I avoid getting involved with such things and at the most watch them from far away. It's just not what I am here for (on this forum as well as on this planet).

We are all cosmic beings. Star-Lord

Yes, you can. However, as has been mentioned before, that would not diminish the photon's speed (which will always be c in a vacuum) but its frequency and wavelength. However, I don't see how that consideration would enter the picture here. Exactly! And it is because of the peculiar way a black hole curves surrounding space that the photon is forced into an orbit around it. Again, the way I see it, the concept of energy expenditure doesn't apply here.

Yes. E.g., it's conceivable that there is no 'Dark Matter' and GRT as we know it simply isn't applicable on the galactic/intergalactic scale.

Insofar the topic of Einstein's so-called "plagiarism" has been raised, it should be remembered that science is a collective endeavour progressing due to the efforts of many. It is true that bits and pieces of Einstein's models already existed in the literature before him; his ingenuity was in blending them into new coherent theories of far-reaching consequences. It is also true that cricism of Einstein's work - while surely not illegitimate per say - more often than not comes from people with very little understanding of it or who would be in a position to offer valid alternative explanations for the phenomena it addresses. Sadly, such criticism is in fact often politically motivated, the underlying assumption being that Einstein MUST be wrong, as he is seen as a crowd puller of a supposed left-wing conspiracy. While science is practised by mere humans and what is presented as its truths at any particular time is not beyond ideological influences from whatever camp, luckily science does have the objective verification and revisability of any of its theories and stated facts built into its very methodological foundations. And that is far more than what can be said about aforementioned political fomenters...

More often than not, generally accepted scientific theories are not 'wrong' as much as they are limited in their applicability. I would not be surprised if GRT and SRT would one day turn out to be a subset of a more universal physics, correct as far as it goes, but limited to a certain scope of phenomena. Historically speaking, few theories stood the test of time without modification and extension. You never know what you don't know yet...

I often see them in my mind's eye pretty much the way they actually look (upon later verification). Sometimes I see certain people and places in their environment as well. However, on some occasions, what I see stands for something non-physical. For instance, I might see somebody with an 'inflated ego' as obese, when in actuality they are not. My aim in practising this kind of technique is primarily recognizing and aiding physical and psychological disturbances. So besides receiving visual impressions of their physical body (both externally and internally), I tune into the querent's emotional state and get a glimpse of their their thinking, memories, activities, etc. Besides internal vision, some information comes to me in acoustic and tactile ways as well as by direct empathic resonance. Others' mileage may differ.

Yes, I have done readings for forum members before (with their consent) after building some minor rapport with them. As I mentioned, aforesaid information is not required in every case.

Not necessarily. Approaches of different psychics vary. I know an excellent one who requires an image of something that has personal meaning to the individual they are reading about. For another example, in the Silva Mind Control course (of which I am an graduate), you practice 'remote viewing' of the type that makes statements about an unkown individual of whom you are told their first name, age and location. This is being practised after a few days of alpha state training, which includes various kinds of visualization and psychic projection. Even newbies frequently do astonishingly well making accurate statements about far away strangers. With some practice, the reliability of this yet increases. I have done that kind of reading on many occasions for people of whom I new next to nothing after exchanging a few posts or chatting with them online for a bit. In other cases, I was expanding on an astrological chart or Tarot reading. Establishing some kind of contact first facilitates the process more than anything else, albeit it's not a requirement. Such as in cases when I was asked to do a third-party reading. Though in those cases, the person asking for the reading may act as an intermediary for initiating the psychic contact. Regarding Daoist tradition, I recall reading about related approaches to remote viewing and remote healing in a book by John Blofeld.

How about the fact that we are moving through space at mind-boggling speed every moment of the day...

BTW, the curving of space by gravity has interesting implications such as the creation of a photon sphere around ultracompact stellar bodies like certain neutron stars and, most of all, black holes. Quoting the respective Wikipedia article:

There is always a unifying principle. There is always simplicity underlying complexity. It is just due to our lack of perception that things at times don't appear so. The Yijing addresses complex situations and models them by reducing them to first principles: Just eight forces, extended to 64 patterns etc. Thus it can help us see through the complexity of ay given situation and recognize its crucial factors. Therein lies its value as a book of wisdom and of divination.

Now there's a thought.

Gaining fat isn't healthy. It just puts additional strain on your circulatory system, joints etc. If you want to gain weight, gain muscle - not fat.

It bears repetition.

That's one thing for sure! You must be talking about a 'Tilsiter'.

Hi DaoSeeker Self-cultivation in martial arts - the way I understand the term - should lead to you becoming a more balanced and considerate individual overall. Quite the opposite of a loose gun. But maybe you refer to the kind of conditioning that makes you react to a certain stimulus in a particular way. While this is a crucial aspect of functional self-defence training, it can indeed be problematic, not only in regards to knives and other weapons, but even to empty-handed techniques. E.g., it is irresponsible for an instructor to drill a neck break as an automatic reaction to a grab to the wrist. Only under the most dire of circumstances such a technique becomes viable. Some might say, "we only do that kind of thing as a method of practice, we are aware that in real application, this wouldn't be acceptable". The problem with that way of thinking is that, in a self-defence situation, when split seconds count, even experienced martial artists don't necessarily react in the most reasonable manner, but tend to default to what they have trained the most. (Trust me on this, I speak from personal experience.) So also with a knife, you should only train methods that are adequate for the level of threat present in a given scenario. Bearing in mind that there are non-lethal ways to use a knife as well.

Forget Brexit... Go for Brekkies!

As has been said, this is a forum for free discussion. Yes, unfair and uninformed criticism is annoying, but let's bear in mind that the one commiting the act is at the same time exposing themselves. If this happens in a place like this (as opposed to a book, magazine article, regular website), you are free to demonstrate your superior knowledge and/or understanding and to present the (in your opinion, anyway) correct view. People who turn to a forum like this one to learn about a topic in the first place are thus exposed to different views such as would be the case outside the WWW as well. In other words - in one of its functions - TDB serves as a microcosmic arena for the debates that are going on (in some cases, since millenias) between philosophical and spiritual seekers. Fight the good fight! (If you are so inclined.)

It kinda comes with the territory. Although I won't tire of reminding you that I am Swiss German. No offence to my German friends meant, of course.

Although I have had some minor contact with the Goetheanum on some occasions, my path hasn^t taken me there physically so far. But I am pretty sure that, one day, it will.