The Evangelical Universalist Forum

The question of boredom and non-identity

Theology Philosophical
#1

I find that this is the real source of Aperiophobia mentioned in another post. However, I have come to think that Aperiophobia is more complex than mere fear of boredom, which can hypothetically be fixed on this idea of “Travelling in hope than arriving”. C.S. Lewis tackled this question in “The Great Divorce”, where this idea of finding truth felt so stagnant, but was demolished with the realization of endless travelling in hope means there is nothing to hope for. However, the other side of the coin of endless progress brings up the problem of non-identity. I find that it is easy to mistaken infinity as the doors to non-identity in A) either everything in general and therefore nothing in particular, considering that our natural way of being able to identify something there has to be boundaries or a beginning and end or B) infinity as complete, but finitude having infinite insignificance, which if I may, use the analogy of outer space, which can seem scary in how large the universe and how long it has been in existence, where everything we know has numerical insignificance. So it seems like the created world can appear to have even more insignificance than the outer space analogy posits.

Now when it comes to boredom, I find that comes from the idea of finitude, and the experience how anything we can grasp at is very unsubstantial and shallow. Plus there is also the side of finitude where what has a beginning has a necessary end in order to give form, hence the passing nature associated with temporality.

My proposal is that these two paradoxes of finitude and infinity need to be held together without tension. I think it was Chesterton who emphasized the importance of boldly asserting paradox without any bland compromises. SO I find this paradox can say that rejects A) Non-identity, B) Boredom or C) any bland compromise where infinity demeans finitude. How this could be possibly understood, I dont think it can be intellectually grasped at and requires a whole different way of knowing that is both clear and mysterious like C.S. Lewis soup analogy.

#2

These 3 points are relevant to the issue you raise:
(1) Boredom plays an essential role in psychological and spiritual development. Holy discontent with our current way of being creates a longing for something more, something else, progress. When that longing is satisfied, the boredom vanishes until satiation is again experienced and boredom again plays its developmental role.

(2) Boredom a rises from a sense of "the same old, same old’ over time. But in the afterlife there is no time.
so what would be the basis of boredom, if there is no frustration over temperoal duration?

(3) Boredom is a function of memory of “the same old, same old” over time. But in Swedembprg’s explorations of afterlife transitions (see my thread on him), he discovers that memory is suppressed in the afterlife to allow adjustment and a full focus on new spiritual challenges and environments. If God can switch our memories on and off for developmental purposes, that ploy potentially solves the postmortem boredom problem.

#3

I was listening to this message last night. Benny Hinn addresses the Christian boredom issue in his message in the latter half of the following service:

#5

In the afterlife, there is no distance between events. That is what NDErs constantly affirm and it is also what ?Swedenborg discovers in his well-verified OBE trips to the afterlife territories.

#6

So did the zombie visionaries of Z-Hell (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

#7

Berserk:

But in the afterlife there is no time.

qaz said: That’s impossible. Time is the distance between events.

qaz, I think there might be a different dimension. We really don’t know, all I say is don’t discount the possibility!

#8

Holy Fool,
Your response reminds me of my search last night for a good online science documentary on the origin and earliest spread of the homosapiends species. I found a video over 2 hours long and started watching it. Then the warning buzz words captivated my attention, “Lemuria” and “Atlantis,” and I realized I was watching a site devoted to New Age cookery. You constantly use Zombie mythology as an excuse to engage the hard work of critical thinking and you don’t even seem to grasp the concept of verification.

btw, I used to eat regularly at the old Mug 'n Muffin in Harvard Square. Then I bought the Book “The Serpent and the Rainbow” on the search for real zombies in Haiti and how they were made. I realized that the author was discussion his quest with Harvard anthropology professors during the period I was regularly dining there. Unfortunately, I don’t recall eavesdropping on their conversations. Their conversations would have been an ideal discipling tool for a zombie obsessive like yourself.

#9

No. I see no difference, between the visions of Emmanuel Swedenborg and those of the zombie visionaries. What visions need, are experts in visions - to declare if they are real or not. And what they mean.

  • For the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches…they are investigated by bishops…as well as medical doctors and psychiatrists of the church…who specialize in these things.

  • In the Native American world, it would be the tribal holy and medicine people. Holy People are akin to the saints, of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Medicine people specialize in spiritual and herbal healing.

Outside of these avenues, what are the qualifications…for those evaluating the visions and visionaries? And there are questions to ask. Normally, for the EO and RC churches - they put things into 3 categories:

  • They are from God

  • Demonic activity

  • Natural Causes

For the Native Americans, they consult the spirits on these matters. In the book, Christ and the Pipe…by a Roman Catholic priest…he talks about spirits of heaven, hell, and the earth. So the Natives consult the spirits of the earth.

Each body (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Native American tribes)…have their own experts, to uncover the validity - of visions and visionaries.

Academics - for all their research ability…sometimes don’t know enough, to come in - out of the rain! :wink:

image

#10

I would say eternity transcends events, but not in a static way. What that means, I have no idea

#11

This comes from today’s CAC newsletter. While I primary endorse Theosis (1, 2) via Orthodoxy. I also endorse - and take part in - contemplations of the Meditation (Mindfulness, Yoga (1, 2), Zen, Red Road, Golden Key) and Light ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) traditions.

Here we can directly deal…with the question of boredom and non-identity

Perceiving Reality

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

All forms of contemplation share the same goal: to help us see through the deceptions of self and world in order to get in touch with what Howard Thurman called “the sound of the genuine” within us and around us. Contemplation does not need to be defined in terms of particular practices, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, or lectio divina . Instead, it can be defined by its function: contemplation is any way one has of penetrating illusion and touching reality. —Parker Palmer [1]

The German mystic Meister Eckhart (1260 – 1328) said, “Let us pray to God that we may be free of God that we may gain the truth. . . .” [2] There is no concept of God that can contain God. As Saint Augustine (354 – 430) preached, “If you comprehend it, it is not God.” [3] Thomas Keating described how contemplation evolves our perception of reality and God:

Contemplation is awakening to the contemplative dimension of life. In the Eastern traditions some call it meditation or the path to enlightenment. Every development in contemplation reveals more and more of the mystery of silence and the importance of receptivity over effort, especially in prayer. It gives you a whole new perspective on reality.

. . . Contemplative Prayer is gradually detaching us from the God we know to the God who actually is and whom we don’t know. At a certain point in our spiritual development, we realize we have known Him [ sic ] only through our human limitations. The nature of our prayer reflects our idea of God, and that idea changes as our consciousness continues to evolve. A child becomes an adult who is capable of more intimate relationships. . . . Every human being has the potential for a unique relationship with God, and God is totally committed to the transformation of each of us into Himself. . . .

The world desperately needs people, free of cultural illusions, who are undertaking a dedicated exploration of true reality, not just to know the material nature of things, but also to know the very Source of everything that exists. An unfolding contemplative practice eventually becomes total receptivity. In that receptivity, one is aware of a silence that is becoming an irresistible attraction. Silence leads to stillness; stillness leads to surrender. While this doesn’t happen every time we sit down to pray, interior silence gradually opens to an inner spaciousness that is alive. In this context, if we speak of emptiness, we are not speaking of just emptiness, but of emptiness that is beginning to be filled with a Presence. Perhaps we could say that contemplation occurs when interior silence morphs into Presence.

This Presence, once established in our inmost being, might be called spaciousness. There is nothing in it except a certain vibrancy and aliveness. You’re awake. But awake to what, you don’t know. You are awake to something that you can’t describe and which is absolutely marvelous, totally generous, and which manifests itself with increasing tenderness, sweetness, and intimacy. [4]

image

And now…drum roll please…to help alleviate the boredom on this forum…I’ll be sharing a four hour, audio/visual presentation…on the history of fruit fly dissection techniques…from the middle ages, until the current century.

image

image

#12

On the reality of a timeless afterlife, it is useful to point out what modern cosmology has discovered about the Big Bang: the Big Bang didn’t explode INTO time and space; it CREATED time an space. Thus, NDErs report comprehensive past life reviews in which they now need to recall the remembered events sequentially, but which were experienced SIMULTANEOUSLY in the NDE.

#13

So, this raises a couple of questions for me.

  • Do you believe in past lives and reincarnation? And if so, how do you reconcile this …with the traditional Christian worldview - regarding Christ’s death and resurrection?

  • How do you know that folks experiencing past lives…are NOT tapping into genetic memories, the collective unconsciousness, etc.?

I just gave some sound, scientific theories - to explain past lives…without them REALLY being past lives! :smile:

So I SINCERELY HOPE that you are sticking to ONE life, when you use the term - “past life” or “past lives” review! :wink:

As long as we are sharing “non-traditional” stuff…and various scientific explanations, to explain “non-traditional” stuff…perhaps you can give me your perspective, on this video - I came across today! :wink:

Notice in the video - towards the end - he doesn’t OWN the energy…he says he’s just a conduit - for the energy.

I also mentioned that, to help alleviate the boredom on this forum…I’ll be sharing a four hour, audio/visual presentation…on the history of fruit fly dissection techniques…from the middle ages, until the current century. Let me now share, a four-minute preview for everyone. :slight_smile:

1 Like