In recent (or not so recent) psychological studies, psychologists have found a certain ‘power’ in belief as opposed to non-belief. For example: One patient is given a glass of tonic water that is said to have votka in it. Another patient is given tonic water with votka in it. In most cases, both patients end up with the same result. The patient with just tonic water honestly believed the psychologists that they were going to be intoxicated, thus they showed signs of being intoxicated.
This type of experiment has been performed for years (placebo effect). It has proven that if you truely and honestly believe in something that it will happen to you. In essence, belief and non-belief is a positive-negative correlation. That neither are right or wrong it just depends on the person’s opinion(s) and/or beliefs/non-beliefs.
Now for my belief or opinion: believers have more fun.
This placebo effect has been known for years.
The real question is your statement about how you feel that
“believers have more fun”. I don’t quite understand this.
If you could be so kind as to explain this, I would appreciate it.
I believe this because belief is endless, infinite, and free. You can believe whatever you want and if you truely believe it and keep at it, it will happen. I believe that I can control my surroundings through intent. What do you know, eventually my surroundings are being controlled by my intent. I also believe that everything is connected through a One conciousness and that I can tap into this conciousness whenever I want to learn more about my reality and my surroundings. Eventually it happens. Belief is powerful. Non-belief is boring. In my opinion …
Your jumping to childish, mystical, and fairytale like conclusions. Why do people rush to mysticism? From the results of the placebo effects there is no need to jump to such wild conclusions. You sound to me as if you believe in jedi mind tricks, and comic book super power.
Heres an example, we tell the patient that he is going to experience relief, and then we administer a placebo. If the patient believes he is going to find relief, the brain creates pain killing endorphins that fufills his belief. How wonderful!!! It is amazing isn’t it!!! yet it is not mystical, we can explain it, and the placebo effect has its limits. Many experiments have been performed where the actual medicine had far better results then the placebo did. In fact this is how we often test just how effective new medical treatment is.
The placebo effect would be a wonderful thing to harness, and thus belief is powerful, but to an extent. You say “I believe that I can control my surroundings through intent”… well of course you can !!! And how amazing this is too. If you intend to brush your teeth, you can actually go out and buy a toothbrush, toothpaste, and bush your teeth. How incredible, your intentions have molded your reality!!! It is really amazing how humans can control their surroundings, but it is by no way mystical(at least not in the classical sense that everyone seems to be so eagerly to embrace!!).
Look we can fly, our intentions and beliefs created the airplane. But we can’t take off of the ground like superman!!! We can mold our reality, and belief has power, but not the silly childish, comical, star wars like mystical power most wish to conclude.
Rounder: “You sound to me as if you believe in jedi mind tricks, and comic book super power.”
K: What? What do you mean there is no jedi mind tricks?
Of course comic books superheroes have super powers.
How do you think they got into the comic book. Next you will
be telling me there is no santa claus.
So someone who doesn’t believe they can control their surroundings through intent is getting the same thing as someone who does believe?
“Some rules can be bent, and others can be broken.” In this instance belief can bend the boundries. You are right to say that the bending of the boundries has its limits. In other instances, although, their are no limits.
Here is a lesson about mysticism. If I honestly believe I can shoot off like superman than I can. Maybe not physically and I definately can’t prove it, but in my head, what I think is changed and I can shoot off like superman. Isn’t this the same concept of believing in a God? Nobody can prove it but in those individuals’ minds, in the reality that exists in their heads there is a God that helps them live their lives and consequently they are generally happy people. When I start trying to force my personal belief onto other people that is when friction starts.
I am not disrespecting your beliefs so please do not disrespect mine. As a matter of fact, I don’t really see where I was implying mysticism. I am simply saying that to believe is more fun than to not believe. I really don’t see how degrading what I chose to believe is a good arguement against ‘belief as opposed to disbelief’. So please tell me how not believing is more beneficial to someone than believing or don’t post at all.
