RE: virus: Response to Zander

zaimoni@ksu.edu
Sun, 15 Dec 1996 13:02:12 -0600 (CST)


On Thu, 12 Dec 1996, Richard Brodie wrote:

> Zander wrote:

[CLIP]

> >An argument can /easily/ made that your Level structure is nothing
> >more than another virus of the mind. Are you sure you want to level
> >such a large gun at your own foot?
>
> Alex, this whole list is ABOUT creating a virus of the mind - an
> empowering, rational, conscious, atheistic religion. Part of that is
> raising the consciousness of the participants.

At least a religion-core that avoids pseudotheism....

[CLIP]

> >By the nature of Level-4, you are unable to observe how much your
> >viewpoint is undifferentiated from that of the Level-2s.
> >
> >Anyone can level (another pun, I'm on a roll) unsubstantiated
> >allegations at anyone they like, consisting of anyhing they like, but
> >just as the Christian who says, `Alex, you just can't see how much
> >better your life would be if you stopped your sinnin' ways and gave
> >your life to God,' you're advocating a means of argument that plays on
> >similarly empty words.
>
> Neither set of words is at all empty. If you don't think wholeheartedly
> adopting Christ as your savior would change your life, you're mistaken.
> In fact shifting into a new Level 2 is often a first step toward Level
> 3.

Even if the only effect in that conversion was the placebo effect, it
would be fairly dramatic.

In the physical:
If the placebo effect can be more powerful than the real
[symptomatic-control] medicine, do we have any right to say the effect is
unreal?

The case I have in mind is an overpowered nasal decongestant, Hismanal.
I remember the time I compared this to the autosuggestion I had taken
it. The physical effects of the autosuggestion were more severe
than the real thing. With some practice, I was able to convert this to a
subconscious program. Very convenient.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/ Towards the conversion of data into information....
/
/ Kenneth Boyd
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