Easy

That Guy, Your thread was at the top of the list yesterday when I came lurking through and it was a major incentive for me to sign up as a bum. I wanted to know the nature of your agenda. You might be able to tell me in a sentence or two, but I am not necessarily going to believe them--nothing personal of course--I will believe that you are telling me something because that is obviously what will be happening in that moment and what else is there? You write that you are skeptical. Does that mean you are a skeptic? It appears that you are and that you believe in skepticism. It has been my experience that a skeptic who believes in their own skepticism disempowers themselves by about half. Best not to define oneself. You ask: "Would you get operated on by an acupuncturist? herbalist? psychic surgeon?" This is kind of incoherent because I know of no acupuncturist (or herbalist) who would undertake surgery unless they also happened to be a qualified surgeon. But I would trust a good acupuncturist to do the anesthesia because I have had acupuncture treatments that stopped really bad pain. A psychic surgeon...hey, why not, they are cheap and it might work. If it didn't, one could go find someone else. You write: "I believe the (sic) is great philosophical knowledge to be be gained from some texts, philosophy not some kinda magic wizardry or divinity" (Just out of curiosity, is English your first language?) I see there is this inordinate emphasis in this thread placed on belief. A belief in great philosophy, a belief against magic etc. What is the point of a belief except to create a limitation against the fullest expansion of one's life? I see a great deal of benefit in doing one's damnedest to be a capable wizard, or if time is limited at least keep it open as an option. It should not have anything to do with a belief or a non-belief. I think the point is, at least for some of us, to engage with the great out there and go balls to the wall with whatever comes up in the moment. (I've written a couple of blog essays on this subject that can be found here and here.) For example I read Nordic Runes in a shamanic ritualistic kind of environment...good set and setting. Now I don't believe anything about it...what's happening, what's not happening, what's good, what's bad or right or wrong. It is like a game of handball. One does not believe in handball, one just plays the game. The more will, intention and intensity are involved the more satisfaction there is to be derived, beliefs just get in the way of fundamental satisfaction. Now in the 20 years or so I have been doing these readings, no one ever told me it was a wrong reading and in fact some people have said their reading changed their lives in a major way for the better. (I translate this as them really saying, "The reading gave me the excuse to actually do what I wanted to do." Readings don't change people's lives, people change their own lives; same way that healers don't heal others, bodies heal themselves given a little help and encouragement either from within or from the outside.)