My gf is kinda pagan kinda not. She grew up woodsy and subsistence

>>17928605
And believing there's one/no God is much more logical because it's for smart people?

>>17928614
kind of this

>>17928605
how you know she is not right? she seems self criticizing in the healthy level so instead of treatin her like retarded, be open and express your thoughts. you are hiding yourself

>>17928605
i guess it makes her feel empowered and alleviates concerns surrounding death, and it generally fun to her.

if i was in your position, i would probably be like "well, if it makes you happy then i am happy for you but i personally dont believe in any of this stuff".

paganism isnt that bad anyway, it seems like quite a fun belief system. i had an ex into the new age.. now this is a fucking crazy belief system. my ex became really fucking nutty in the end and i had to stop being with her because she was becoming really retarded.

>>17928614

Holy shit not trying to debate this.
Not sure how you got a strong religious condemnation out of that. I realize I wasn't super clear, but her intelligence applies here more because she analyzes fucking everything and can't even be happy in neopagan communities because she's too rigorous with both historicity of practice and philosophy of its psychological function.

She and I are offically on the same page: neither of us know what there is or isn't out there, metaphysically. She just gets a "this thing/place/moment feels like more than the base facts and that excites me and I like the feeling" about certain things whilst also making herself miserable with analysis. I'm garbage at helping because I don't get those feelings in the first place.

I don't know how people are all getting that I think she's being stupid.

I'm saying she's smart and understands it/thinks about it in a way that is pretty cool, but I don't know how to encourage her because I don't feel the way she feels.

>>17928620
is she actually smart though or just average intelligence? most people are able to analyze paganism and realize it is placebo, which is why most people think its bull shit.

>>17928605

Atheism is still a religion you know

>>17928624

I have a social sciences BA and she's working on her PhD in Geophysics, so...pretty smart?

I don't think it's a feat to realize most religion is unprovable. I think it's smart she realizes that placebos are useful and should be taken advantage of.

Also the way she went about it all is just amazing. We have a whole bookcase of academic-type texts on different pre-christian traditions. Shes looked at it from a reconstructist angle, and more personal-gnosis type shit and still comes up with pretty interesting shit. I really admire it but it's the simple things that make her happy, not knowing everything there is to know about pre-christian Wales. Like, finding some cast brass bells in a thrift shop that just seem magical to her. Baking bird-bread special for the ravens and singing to them. Making little offerings to her favorite river and to trees and berry plants she takes things from. It's lovely and it makes her happy but then she goes and reads some history prof's 800 page magnum opus and gets miserable again.

>>17928632

She's way more advanced than you

Youre a spiritual infant compared to her

Don't interfere with her spiritual growth. You could learn a lot from her

>>17928632
fair enough. she sounds intelligent.

yeah, i think i can kinda understand how she feels. i used to be quite spiritual, and my beliefs diminished due to reading biology, philosophy, and history books.

maybe her pagan offerings, and such, maker her happy because they bring back feeling of familiarity that relate back to her childhood. I dont know how she can deal with this because people are different. I found peace in Hegels writings about consciousness.

>>17928605
>well the placebo effect works even if you know it's a placebo.

No it doesn't. Thats why it's called the placebo effect.

>>17928655
>She's way more advanced than you

not op. i dont see how you can be advanced is something that is fictitious in nature. you sound like someone from /x/.

>>17928657

If I bring up Hegel I won't get sleep for 3 days she'll talk so much, haha.

Also you sound snotty as fuck. She very likely knows more about "biology, philosophy, and history" than you, m8.

>>17928660

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/placebo-can-work-even-know-placebo-201607079926

too lazy to find the paper, go fuck yourself. Also been known in clinical psych practice for years.

>>17928663

>i dont see how you can be advanced is something that is fictitious in nature

Of course you don't

You probably don't even meditate

>>17928663

I'll put it to you this way

You are already balls deep in your own belief system that states spiritual existence is ficticious

>>17928670
that isnt spiritual lol. meditation is literally just reflecting on your thoughts. philosophers meditate, and many of them are very scientific. its fine if you are "spiritual" but there is no need to undermine people, especially in something which is fictitious.

>>17928688

So no, you don't meditate and you have no idea what it is and you want to tell me about mediation.

Saying spirituality is fictitious is a belief system. You do believe that don't you? And you never even tried

>>17928698
i actually meditate quite often, i used to be into Buddhism and spirituality. i used to use the breathing technique to clear mind. meditation is just a mental technique that can be used for a variety of things. Buddhists for example predominately use it for mindfulness. where is the spiritual aspect? and dont say "meh, energy manipulation"

Jake? This is so specific, I guess it's silly to ask.

This is sweet. Did you forget I had service?

>>17928712

If you do actually meditate you're just very new. Once you clear your mind then what? Have you ever tried intentionality? Saying you just use it to clear your mind is like saying you can run a marathon because you know how to tie your shoes

What is the difference between meditation and prayer?

>>17928725
well im no expert on the subject but i dont see how any of this relates to it being spiritual, unless your define spirit as consciousness. i used to clear my mind in relation to mindfulness so i could stop myself from being controlled by unwanted feelings.

dont know the difference between prayer and meditation because i dont pray.

>>17928752

>I know so much stuff, so I'm better than everyone
>i read philosophy n shit
>Oh no I suddenly forgot what words mean!

Spirituality relates to the human experience in ways much discussed by pretty much every philosopher in their own way, so...wow. Again, you sound like you read some required-course shit and decided you were now enlightened. Metaphorically, of course, not fictitiously, lol.

>>17928720
Didn't think you'd be on goddamn 4 chan at 3 am, that's for sure.

>>17928752

>im no expert on the subject but i dont see how any of this relates to it being spiritual,

Of course you don't

Because you barely know how to tie your shoes

Your own presumptions prevent your growth

>>17928756

You overestimate how much work is getting done.

We can talk about this when I get back, but your OP pretty much sums up anything I would say. So I don't know if there's much too talk about.

Also text me back dumbass.

>>17928769

Why? We both know you're not going to stop refreshing this thread.

>>17928756
>Spirituality relates to the human experience in ways much discussed by pretty much every philosopher in their own way, so...wow.

not really. spirtuality is a word that normally refers to the paranormal, such as ghosts, the soul, god, out of body experience etc. when philosphers talk of spirit, they mean a persons consciousness, being etc.

>>17928763
you still havent told me how meditation is spiritual. you have literally just avoided the question and said "meh, you dont know, you're stupid".

>>17928774

Philosophers talk a fuckload about human history/relationships to the paranormal, lol. I didn't get bamboozled by the word spirit.

>>17928769
>>17928772

>posting 4chan with your gf

Wew lad

>>17928772

And miss this bespoke trash-fire? Never.

>>17928778
that's what you get for advising people to "show her this thread"

>>17928774

I cant tell you anything and you can't be taught.

You don't try and you aren't worth teaching. You are your own altar. Im done throwing pearls before swine. That's your last one

>>17928777
well, yeah, it depends on the context but the point im trying to make that if one suggests that meditation is spiritual, they are normally suggesting to there is a paranormal element to it. which is why im saking how it is spirtual. if one is saying meditation improves a persons consciousness then they are using the wrong word. new age people talk of meditation being spiritual for example, its only logical that i am going to assuming you mean it in the same context as such people.

>>17928784
>im talking about the paranormal and i dont want to say because you will just say it is unproven

You took my monitors, didn't you? Having 3 screens doesn't disable your fucking phone.

>>17928788

Actually it does, if the phone is charging in the bathroom. Go to bed so you can show Jamie up tomorrow.

>>17928787

*shuts door*

>>17928792
Jamie is going to be hungover tomorrow. I set the bolts already so I win anyway.

>>17928801

Did you cry?

>>17928810

You know it. Jeff said the line and everything.

>>17928813

If I type it will you cry?

>>17928813
>>17928814

Could you lovebirds quit shitting up the board and use text message

>>17928816


Alright alright.

Also, babe, I know you'll cry: they DO move in herds.

>>17928818
You should kill yourself

>>17928605
>She grew up woodsy and subsistence so nature-worship shit comes pretty naturally to her. But she's also really smart and says she can't really believe any bullshit wholeheartedly.
How about looking into some of the ritual, instead of the mythology.
Consider taking time during naturally significant days such as full moons, or solstices and equinoxes, to acknowledge natural forces and patterns. The rituals can be meaningful without having to be bullshit and dogmatic. They may even be better that way.

Religion is about meaning and belief. That meaning does not necessarily derive from belief in the supernatural.