Not at all, because the question asked is much deeper than you anticipate. An anthropological study, or sociological exam could be of much help to your arguments.
My thirst for knowledge is well taken care of, you worry none about that.
The original question shouldn't have to include those perimeters, you should be willing to expand your own answer.
In the adult world it's implied that you're going to actually say something worth listening to (i.e. making a well argued point) instead of copypasting the first thing that comes up on a Google search in an attempt to show off how smart you are.
And by "adult world" I mean once you're out of middle school.
If I wanted to listen to the petulant whine of school children I would go eat lunch with my students in the cafeteria. Please do not waste what leisure time I have with your insufferable internet bickering.
As to the main issue of this thread the fundamental issue is one of semantics. If atheism is defined as the absence of theology, and thus the absence of belief in a god or gods, then atheisim is not a religion. while Buddhist theology does not have a god in the abrahamic sense the perternatural capacity of the ascended buddah is anathema to athiest thinking.
Hindism lacks a unified dogmatic structure but it is unquestionably a religion, structures tend to be more local and personal but they exist. Athiesim lacks structure but also lacks the deist principals upon which religion is based. The presence of unstructured belief does not make unstructured disbelief function as a religion.
Yes a temporary state of "bliss" could be reached with the proper drugs but it is not equivalent to the shedding of ones physical form to live on a higher plane of existence.
And would you be able to provide any information on the study of such events? There's tons for the drugs effects, which can be long lasting depending on the subject... what are the stats on "honest religious awakenings"?
You assume that a) all brains work the same, b) all drugs are manufactured the same, and c) all people have the same reactions to them. If you've ever met a "perma-fried", you'll understand that such states can be cemented in the brain.
Afterall, how do you think the "blessed" came to feel the way they do? Their brains are in the same limited system as anyone elses, they don't have magically reappearing wells of chemicals to work from... therefor, they likely suffer from the same activity one sees during a bad drug reaction, where parts of the brain cannot stop producing and over-producing certain chemicals.
When some people speak about awakenings, they always put it in the best of lights... "touched by god", etc... but there's something else it's related to when ti comes to the brain... damage and overcompensation. A human's mind isn't necessarily supposed to be in a state of nirvana... one who "achieves" it may very well have a brain similar to a person with mild to severe mental disorders.
Afterall, how do you think the "blessed" came to feel the way they do? Their brains are in the same limited system as anyone elses, they don't have magically reappearing wells of chemicals to work from... therefor, they likely suffer from the same activity one sees during a bad drug reaction, where parts of the brain cannot stop producing and over-producing certain chemicals.
When some people speak about awakenings, they always put it in the best of lights... "touched by god", etc... but there's something else it's related to when ti comes to the brain... damage and overcompensation. A human's mind isn't necessarily supposed to be in a state of nirvana... one who "achieves" it may very well have a brain similar to a person with mild to severe mental disorders.
I've always viewed the achievement of nirvana as being enlightened. My own experience with more esoteric substances has led me to believe that people under the influence of pharmecutical (misspelled) enhancements often feel that they have gained some deep spiritual "enlightenment" but the process never seems to give them any knowledge substantially worth mentioning.
I was a member of a fraternity in college and worked nights as a campus security guard. The last guy on shrooms I had to talk through a bad trip, after we managed to stop him from trying to claw his own eyes out on the frat house basement because he believed he was the devil, was determined to impart his "sage wisdom" upon me. Specifically he was trying to explain to me how "all parallel lines must intersect somewhere."
So yes, I do feel confident in saying that a temporary high is less substantial than a theoretical state of eternal bliss. By definition a theoretical state of perfect bliss is presumed to be superior to whatever drugs you have access to.
I typed that response last night during the Softbank Hawks game and I feel my divided attention may have robbed me of clarity. While it would be arrogant for me to presume that I know everything about how durg use will alter the long term psychological well being of every member of the human race none of my experience has led me to believe that drug use can be comparable to the achievement of nirvana. This is, in part influenced by having worked for the campus security force in college. When a trip goes wildly wrong it often ended up being my job and that of my co-workers to talk people down and care for people till more specialized care arrived. Likewise being a member of a fraternity meant that we were constantly having to deal with substance abuse issues both by brothers and guests of the house. Even under ostensibly ideal conditions, surrounded by friends in familiar settings with someone to talk you down, I've dealt with too many bad situations to be anything but wary or the more esoteric recreational substances.
It might just be my own history clouding my judgement, the only times when either the students on campus called the campus security force or my frat brothers asked me to intercede were in situations going drastically wrong. Still I feel that achieving enlightenment has an implied subtext of permanence that as of yet I've never seen replicated by any pharmecutical substance.
I typed that response last night during the Softbank Hawks game and I feel my divided attention may have robbed me of clarity. While it would be arrogant for me to presume that I know everything about how durg use will alter the long term psychological well being of every member of the human race none of my experience has led me to believe that drug use can be comparable to the achievement of nirvana. This is, in part influenced by having worked for the campus security force in college. When a trip goes wildly wrong it often ended up being my job and that of my co-workers to talk people down and care for people till more specialized care arrived. Likewise being a member of a fraternity meant that we were constantly having to deal with substance abuse issues both by brothers and guests of the house. Even under ostensibly ideal conditions, surrounded by friends in familiar settings with someone to talk you down, I've dealt with too many bad situations to be anything but wary or the more esoteric recreational substances.
It might just be my own history clouding my judgement, the only times when either the students on campus called the campus security force or my frat brothers asked me to intercede were in situations going drastically wrong. Still I feel that achieving enlightenment has an implied subtext of permanence that as of yet I've never seen replicated by any pharmecutical substance.
Google books copyright in Japan only let me open one of the books you sent me so I can only comment on the first few pages of the bhuddism/spirituality book and the chemical study about the neuroscience of natural rewards.
As to the first it I agree that it makes sense that ones experiences would shape ones spiritual journey and a corrected chemical imbalance would speed ones travels. That does make some sense to me. But none of what was presented, at least in what little I could read indicated that long term drug addiction was the key to nirvana.
As to the second I can't see how it even vaguely relates to the topic at hand, perhaps I'm simply not well versed enough in the scientific jargon but it didn't seem to indicate anything other than long term addiction " might" unlock new processes. That is vague at best.
1. I never said long term drug addiction was the key to nirvana. I never once said such a thing. 2. That's a powerful "might". It's ruined lives, and given us wonders, such as the shape of DNA.
In fact, I would say that the longer term the addiction, the less a chance there is to have some kind of enlightenment event. And I'm talking a very, very steep curve. I'll see if I can find it, but there's a stat somewhere along the lines of every third or fourth person who tries shrooms has a "religious" experience... I'll not only bet that such experiences are either once offs or rare multitudes, but that should you become addicted, you'll never, with that narcotic, experience such a high ever again.
A sober brain is easy to shock... a dulled or chemically burned one takes to it like duck to water, and thus is less likely to have an epiphany of merit.
