Metaphysics: As Far As I've Researched It | The Philosophy Student

 

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Knowledge of UItimate Reality | The Philosophy Student

According to the so-called 'Pythagorean Illuminati', in Mike Hockney's eBook The God Factory, there are only 4 methods of receiving knowledge of ultimate reality:

1. Scientific materialism
   
2. Metaphysics
3. Religion
4. Mathematics
   

Let's explore each one of them as Hockney summarises them.

1. Scientific materialism states that experimentation of scientific theories is the only method to be positive of anything. If empirical evidence reflect scientific theories, then they are correct. Anything that cannot be tested is then either metaphysics or religion.

2. Metaphysics is what comes post physics - everything that cannot be solved with experimentation. Hockney says that metaphysical statements have been challenged on many grounds and so no one seems to take it seriously as a way for objective knowledge. "Scientists," Hockney says, "frequently sneer at philosophy, dismissing it as mere metaphysics. Of course, a huge amount of science is metaphysical." He adds that cosmology is also metaphysical, as well as the various interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. Hockney goes on to say that 'The Many Worlds' interpretation of quantum mechanics is all metaphysical, "If not utter science fiction." Holistically, metaphysics is highly speculative, very interesting, but all in all, unreliable.

3. Religion, an alternate type of metaphysical inquiry, states that absolute knowledge or truth can be known by an infallible authority i.e. a Holy Text, a divine revelation, a Messiah, a saint, a guru, a holy man, a prophet. Religion is based on faith, in that, you must believe without asking any questions what the holy source says. "For any thinking, rational person," Hockney continues, "this is no kind of answer."

4. According the Pythagorean Illuminati, mathematics presents the absolute and 'unarguable' truth of the cosmos. Mathematics, unlike science, can be done purely mentally. Mathematical truths are of reason alone. "A perfect mathematical universe could be constructed entirely in the mind."

I think I'll leave it there as it gets a bit complex but basically, the Pythagorean Illuminati think mathematics is the only truth there is.

I'll just ask you this: Do you think there could be order, organisation, patterns, laws, or relationships between things, without mathematics?

Arguments for God's Existence | The Philosophy Student

‘Atheism’ is the belief that there is no god, no Creator, God simply doesn’t exist and any belief in any god/goddess is wrong. Materialist scientists tend to be atheists, as they believe that only the material universe exists, and if no evidence of ‘God’ can be found in the material universe, there can be no god at all.

With a bit of reading, you realise that God is outside space and time. God isn’t in the material cosmos but outside ‘the matrix’, so to speak, if you’re familiar with the movies, the simulation that we are living in, the spatial-temporal matrix or hologram, a dimension made out of a computer; an illusion, a dreamworld. In The Matrix: Reloaded, Neo meets the Architect – the Creator of the Matrix, or God, as in the monotheistic depiction. It is interesting that God is a program, an artificial intelligence, and therefore, machine-like, with a mathematical precision.

If God is outside the universe, can there be evidence of God here on Earth?

One can say that nature, or specifically, that 1.618 or phi or the Golden Ratio, showing up in its design, that is to say, that nature may not have developed, just accidentally, randomly, or out of nowhere.

Another argument for there being evidence of God here in this universe is what we call ‘love’, a satisfying emotional state of pure beauty and deep sadness in a confused world that doesn’t seem to care. It gives us hope of a better future, maybe not for us, but for our children and our children’s offspring.

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Mathematical patterns and the emotion of love.

The existence of such things show order and purpose, or at least, some kind of significant process of that which makes up the circle of life, as in the case of love.

But can the mathematical patterns exist without a sort of intelligence, such as a designer/mathematician?

Can the chemical process of love have existed without something causing it to happen?

Therefore, there might just be an entity (entities?) which created the universe. It/They are outside space and time, but may be able to alter the code of reality at will.

Agnostic Atheism | The Philosophy Student

 

After years of hoping, I've come to the conclusion that God does not exist. Furthermore, there are evil forces among us who prey on weaker ones and it's a case of 'every man for himself'. So, there is no God, there is no hope, and there is no cosmic justice.

Some of you may know that my usual stand on God is that I fall under agnosticism, particularly, agnostic theism (see picture below). This was true until this very moment, where I have lost patience with this 'God concept' as I see no definitive evidence for God. Still agnostic but now I lean towards atheism.

But wait, let's back it up a bit for some perspective.

Again, some of you may know that I was raised as a Christian, which meant that I was taught that there was a "greater power" who created us humans, as well as, the entire universe. Everything that one had to know was written in the Bible and Jesus Christ was "The Saviour" of humanity. I believed in Christianity and thought that it was "The Truth". Having said this, I also believed in science, and had an interest in it. It did not occur to me that Christianity and science weren't paired perfectly but that wasn't a problem growing up as such differences weren't really noticed by my teenage mind.

So, I was programmed to believe in a god, prayed every night, and thought that the Bible was history. Then one day, while in first year of tertiary study, I wrote an essay on the subject, 'Creationism vs Evolution'. On the one hand, my religious beliefs said this, and on the other hand, science said that. Naively, I concluded that God created evolution.

Anyway, it was at that point where I started to think for myself. While studying science, which I was enjoying, in my spare time, I read philosophy. However, there was something new to all of what was going on in my mind. For the first time, I found uncertainty and that was to have a huge impact on me in the next several years. It was because there was no certainty, and therefore, no answers, that I became depressed (plus other things were going on at the time which I may speak about in another post at some other time). I entered my existential crisis phase and so, had trouble concentrating at university due to having no meaning, no purpose, and no answers.

Even though depression had set in, I didn't give up studying right away. I did 2 years and a half of science, which gave me my foundation but then I decided that perhaps, science wasn't for me as my creative side came about wanting to play. Drawing was a natural therapeutic activity which I partook in, and by the time I decided that maybe science wasn't my desired subject, I had come out of my depression, and so I decided to study art instead. I really wanted to study philosophy but my university didn't offer philosophy. So, I enrolled in an arts course and hoped to transfer to a university that offered philosophy.

I enjoyed my first year in arts, I was quite good at it, receiving a few high distinctions in my subjects. However, once again, I was searching for answers. I began the year with good results but it didn't end well. 'Uncertainty' had once again taken the better of me.

In 2005, I was still enrolled at university but I decided that I would take that time to do my own research. That's correct - I underwent my own existential studies! This research included reading, especially philosophy, as well as, experimenting with THC, de-programming or finding new belief system/s, reflection and introspection, and most of all, thinking for myself. This would last for several years (but then again, I haven't really ceased searching).

In 2008, during my research, I had an emotional breakdown and I ended up in the hospital. I actually became unwell due to "overthinking". It would be another 2 years of introspection before a new era entered my life.

In 2010, after many years of living in the same house, we moved to another suburb. It was refreshing, like a new beginning; a second chance. Since then, I turned to my creativity and began to write projects and produce content for the Internet. I wanted to create art, I wanted to write scripts and direct films, I just wanted 'to put ideas out there'. And here I am, writing a blog post talking about how I decided I wanted to produce creative content.

Nearly 20 years have gone by since my first year at tertiary study and I am still in the same place. I may have not found definitive answers to life's biggest questions but have explored many possibilities. I have accepted uncertainty and have experienced states of peace and love that hint at a higher intelligence. However, until this very day, I'm telling myself that this may be merely an illusion for my mind to keep occupied, or better yet, to keep me sane. It is a 'false hope', if you will, to distract me from the harsh reality of life - that there is no God, and that no one is coming to save us. Like evolution, it is survival of the fittest, a savage course where everyone is potential prey.

So, how does one come to such a conclusion?

I believe that we all have a mind, or a 'soul' or 'spirit'. This mind is outside space and time while connected to your body. Dreams are actually communication with your mind within your own body (your brain). So, dreams are close to 'pure mind consciousness'. Having said that, there seems to be 'controllers' or 'creators' of dreams 'out there' somewhere. In other words, my own mind may not be creating my dreams but rather other 'forces'. One could think of dreams as existing in the 'Astral dimension', or the 5th dimension, and that is a place where anything can happen.

It has also been stated that there are light beings of pure goodness but also that there are evil forces of darkness. 'Tricksters' are such evil entities that prey on your fears in your dreams. In dreams, or nightmares, evil seems unstoppable. I have experienced demons and creatures that know no limit with no escape from them until I wake up. But what if I was unable to wake from such nightmares? How would I escape such forces? In other words, if dreams were similar to the pure states of the mind, how can I defeat evil forces?

The world, society and people in it in the waking reality that is this life on this planet, may have copious amount of things that are wrong, unethical, inappropriate or just plain evil with injustice prevailing but that is nowhere near as terrifying as the injustices that I've experienced in my dreams. Evil entities exist and there's nothing I can do to stop them.

So, where is God in all of this?

Nowhere, because God does not exist.