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CURIOSITY: How Mere Words Affect Us

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FreeChile

 :?
Firstly, I would like to express my greetings to all of you and my thanks for your responses.

To the moderators and administrators, please place this thread in the most appropriate location as I have been unable to determine which may be the best place for it.

I would like to ask the following question simply because I have been unable to answer it myself.  My question deals with the words of the saints, the gurus, the canons (e.g. The Bible, The Torah, The Koran, The Baghavad Gita, etc.) How is it that these words have an effect on certain individuals unlike the effect that anything else may have on them? For example, I have myself been reading Ramana Maharshi on and off for approximately three years now.  Although much of it I can say I understand intellectually, I can't really say that I know it because I keep having to go back and re-read various parts.  As I am reading his conversations with various devotees in the form of questions and answers, and paying attention two it, it takes no more than 15 minutes for me to be consumed by the words. Simply reading it makes me somewhat high and I can't really pinpoint what it is about it that causes that in me. Is it my imagination, my expectation, or something else? The conversations don't really take me to the level of seeing or hearing things, but they certainly cause something like a light bulb or switch to be turned on. Reading anything else does not cause the same reaction—even other material that I happen to be passionate about.

In addition to what I've just said, I would like to add that I have not always been affected by these things the same way. So what happened in time to make me subject to such a thing?

I understand that I am not alone when it comes to this kind of reaction.

I would like to know if you have heard of any scientific experiments on this phenomenon. It would be interesting to know the results. I guess it would not be too difficult to conduct a double-blind study to make someone think that they are reading Ramana instead of some other Guru, which may not cause this kind of reaction on the individual.

Enoch

I did not read the post just the title...Mere words??? Words and symbols are everything my friend. There are no such thing as MERE words.Ok now ill read it...
A warrior doesn't seek anything for his solace, nor can he possibly leave anything to chance. A warrior actually affects the outcome of events by the force of his awareness and his unbending intent .

FreeChile

Quote from: Enoch on September 11, 2006, 18:02:17
I did not read the post just the title...Mere words??? Words and symbols are everything my friend. There are no such thing as MERE words.Ok now ill read it...
What do you mean by "Words and symbols are everything"? It is not clear to me. But it sounds interesting.

BadCookie

"They that would give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

Enoch

Everything...what we study comes from books...the bible that we base our lives on (ok lots of people not all of us) The symbols of the masons and ancient egypt. The symbols that make up astrology. The writings of philosophers, occultists, and ancient peoples. It sways everything. It changes the world. When we found the dead sea scrolls that was huge. Even as an astral voyager you learn from the masters or ancients by listening to there words. Hell you think everyone that wants a personnal master in this world has access? No way. It has to be done in this day and age of millions no Billions of people by access to your dreams. WORDS thats all it is. The tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the tree of life.

A warrior doesn't seek anything for his solace, nor can he possibly leave anything to chance. A warrior actually affects the outcome of events by the force of his awareness and his unbending intent .

*LightProtector*

"Dont start reading any jehad books"

lol

" Be Brave, Live Brave, Play Brave!"

Sharpe

Uhm... It could be that "ancient" texts are more... ?magical?, i mean not actually magical, but they SOUND like that if you read it up loud. People just don't write like that anymore.

Enoch

I dont know sharpe. There are lots of present works out that are fantastic. For some reason it just seems more fitting to use esoteric material. But on the other hand the newer you can find the easier it is to read. Its kind of like the bible the newer versions are easier to understand.
A warrior doesn't seek anything for his solace, nor can he possibly leave anything to chance. A warrior actually affects the outcome of events by the force of his awareness and his unbending intent .

Mydral

Hmm anything that interests you consums you.
If I read fantasy novels like "The Wheel of time" by Robert Jordan I also get consumed in it in like a few minutes.

When I was younger I used to try to convert people because I read the bible.... like tell them stories from it and want to make them believe............ books have stupid affects on weak minds like the ones of children.

So all in all what your experiencing can also happen if you read a good book. Its just the thought that your reading something spiritual which gives you the extra kick in this case.
In somnis veritas

Enoch

we are made to be spiritual people. When you finally find that out its very hard to let go again....But why would you want to. Read what you like but remember in the end its what you learn for yourself that counts. If its from a book or from experiance alot of what we read that goes against science and this worlds beliefs and yet feel in our hearts is so true.
A warrior doesn't seek anything for his solace, nor can he possibly leave anything to chance. A warrior actually affects the outcome of events by the force of his awareness and his unbending intent .

CFTraveler

Quote from: FreeChile on September 11, 2006, 15:28:45
:?
Firstly, I would like to express my greetings to all of you and my thanks for your responses...
  My question deals with the words of the saints, the gurus, the canons (e.g. The Bible, The Torah, The Koran, The Baghavad Gita, etc.) How is it that these words have an effect on certain individuals unlike the effect that anything else may have on them? For example, I have myself been reading Ramana Maharshi on and off for approximately three years now.  Although much of it I can say I understand intellectually, I can't really say that I know it because I keep having to go back and re-read various parts.  As I am reading his conversations with various devotees in the form of questions and answers, and paying attention two it, it takes no more than 15 minutes for me to be consumed by the words. Simply reading it makes me somewhat high and I can't really pinpoint what it is about it that causes that in me. Is it my imagination, my expectation, or something else? ... but they certainly cause something like a light bulb or switch to be turned on. ..In addition to what I've just said, I would like to add that I have not always been affected by these things the same way. So what happened in time to make me subject to such a thing?

I understand that I am not alone when it comes to this kind of reaction.
I don't have an answer for your question but I do have a comment, from my point of view.
When I was a preteen I was passionately religious.  When I read the Bible, especially the New Testament, I would get that feeling of epiphany that you have described.  Then I grew older and grew disenchanted with my religion.  So I studied others and was intellectually stimulated, and that was all.
Later on I read the Kabbalah.  I understood the concepts and the words but it meant nothing to me.  Just an interesting take on perceptual reality and how it unfolds.  Then I read A Course In Miracles, and that lightbulb thing happened again.  Pure bliss, sudden understanding- hard to describe to someone who hasn't had the experience.  After that, I went back and reread the Kabbalah, and guess what?  It made a completely different kind of sense- every other Mystical Text made a completely 'new' kind of sense, but the 'knowing' wasn't new.  It was more like remembering.  I don't know how else to explain it.
So what happened?  I'm not sure, but I think as we grow spiritually our minds open up and certain things just 'click' in a way they didn't before.  Maybe these texts you are reading are speaking of a part of you that already knows it.  So you are reconciling that part of you which does with the part of you that hadn't, until now.
Does this make any sense to you?

Rodentmouse7

i know what you mean,

id say it's cos' the words are just making you think about the subject at hand.
e.g.

whenever im reading a meditation book on the bus i always feel calmer, just because thats the direction the words are pointing my mind in.

most intereting is reading the "tai chi classics" which is like the tai bible, after reading some of the principles are thinking of the moves for a while, i feel as though i've physically gone through the form, after only reading about them.
if god dies, were all f*cked.

quester

#12
 A very profound clue you notice as to how it works. I applaud you for your insight.

The word is more then semantics. There is an essence to word, it is "thought" in concrete form. You may not understand this now but thought is energy. Word is focused thought as thought is focused energy. The physical description is it is sound carried to us by the laws of physics, but word may be within us. If physics were all there were to it, they would not affect us as they do. To understand word is to see the hidden, to see there is essence. The question is does thought impact us. Most will say word is not thought. But does thought affect the Universe in some way. We certainly realize many think thought collapses quantum waves which themselves interplay in this whole process of the Universe itself.

I won't go deeply into my belief, except to say "Word" does have power. I look at it in real terms that we resonate with it, at least react to it. We cannot but help to. At the crudest of level we think, with words, they allows us to talk to GOD. But if anything GOD gave man words to allow man to communicate with himself (look at the Towel of Babel). According to that theory, even GOD recognized their power. Now as to why GOD recognizes them and we do not, I don't know.

No word can ever define in depth, or at least deeply enough, how a person really feels inside. They are incapable of this and this frustration causes us no small amount of problem. Words emote responses to feeling we have within us, basically touching who we are. Words do not shape thought, they amplify it.

We believe words are independent of anything, but words can elevate a person or cause deep harm, they can give life and even kill, they affect us that much. We certainly don't respect them and use them selfishly to promote the "me". The power of words is they show things. We of course fail to admit this. A example is, a person says something (lets say to get another angry hiding the intent), and when anger results everyone pretends to be offended innocence. So who is right and who is wrong. The intent was to do something and it happened, it materialized.

The ancients understood the idea of power, one I disagree with, but the most profound use of its understanding occurs in the Gospel of John, with the description of it cause of creation which was the Word. 

Word is intent and is thought. The Universe resonates with all energy and though we think some energy is separate from it, essence can never be. People deal with each other at this level or at least where we want to come back to, but fear motivates many words to keep us separated from the return.