Neat. More and more evidence is piling in that the Argument from Wonder is doomed for theists. I expected as much, which is why I call my philosophy 'wonderism'. If religious experiences can be had by anyone, including complete skeptics, then they don't point to the supernatural. Instead, they point to a universal human capacity to experience wonder.

I find this is a very fruitful way to approach the topic with theists, because you circumvent typical arguments. You say, "Yeah, I have such experiences myself. In fact, I have greater and greater such experiences the more I gave up 'god' and the more I learn about the amazingness of the universe." It kind of knocks their whole foundation of argument out from under them. They are left with nothing. At every turn you can say, "Yeah, you *think* your beliefs are so great, but in my experience, mine are much better."

Science has steadily been eroding the arguments for theism. Argument from Design is refuted by evolution. The last remaining refuge is the Argument from Wonder (aka Argument from Personal Religious Experience). Now, neuroscience is refuting that argument as well.

Why? It's logical, that all transcendent feelings must have some physical response in the brain, specially if they happen when we're not sleeping or unconscious. The question is, if we can produce a full scale of mystical effects by stimulating the brain. Can we simulate a mystical revelation of some teaching by electrodes in a correct places? Can we simulate an out-of-body experience, when a subject describes what people in other room are doing? If yes, then it would be awesome. This is the sort of things what science should research, this will tell us more about who we are. I don't see it as an intrusion into a spiritual or religional dogma and playing with things man was never meant to know. This is exactly what we must know! We can understand a mechanism of nuclear fission, but understanding ourselves is what decides if all our knowledge and technology will be used or misused.

Holy spirit and psychic powers belongs to neurologic laboratories, selflessness-producing methods belongs to prisons and schools, (regards from Dr. Ludovic! ) and a holistic approach belongs EVERYWHERE!

Oh my.

Someone buy me one for my birthday?

I has me some research to do.

 

Well, that's getting a bit complicated, as there is several possible sources of transcendence of various quality. From the lowest and most primitive, like Christian speaking in tongues or a medium on a seance, to a direct, conscious receiving of a dictated book into the mind. (in extreme cases, it's possible to argue with the voice in head about a details in text)
I don't think that the science can do something for that in a near future, but you can agree with me, that information can't be just somehow created out of nothing, I mean a non-fiction. If someone can write a book or see a real things never seen or known before, then it's for me an evidence for the transcendence. Maybe every creative action we do, for which we can't track down an influence which inspired us to do so, is a transcendence.
Btw, is that the Euthyphro card? (dunno, really)
 

That sounds interesting, actually, I believe that mr. Robert Monroe invented the technology usable for that. (I had read his books)
It was about a sound. Play into one ear a sound of frequency 1, and frequency 2 into the other, and the electric frequency of a brain will be set on a difference between them. This changes a consciousness, and even teaches the brain to change it at the user's will. This was shown to a tibetyan or indian monk, and he said, that this is what his students have to train for 20 years... Well, the technology goes forward
All right, out of body experience can be induced, it's important to know if it's real, if it's a travelling out of the body, or it's just a hallucination. If an astral traveller can see real things, like what people does in a next room, then it suggests, that the consciousness can leave body, and is not dependent on the physical brain.
Perhaps you can dig up more of your memories, or the link itself?
 

  As for the spirituality, this concept is timeless and contains topics like charity, altruism, being myself, being sincere in thought, speech and action, and so on. People can know a lot of esoteric theory, they can just pick a book and read it, but the spirituality is shown in our actions.
As for the transcendent spirituality, here the science can either confirm the esoteric theory, or not confirm it, but bring some new discoveries, or anything between it. One way or another, there is a great benefit for us. Any kind of interest in here is very promising. But perhaps I expressed myself incorrectly. I think that religional dogma should be intruded and conquered, so I don't mind this intrusion, and in spiritual area, there should be no dogma. The greatest minds of esoterics often writes and says to people, to not believe in their information blindly, that it's better to hold back the judgement, than to accept it under an insufficient reasons. Most of the esoterics exists for a time like what is just coming, when people will be intelligent enough to understand it in scientific terms, instead of just listening to what guru says, because guru says. Maybe our technical civilization is destructive, but for it's intellect it's an important phase in human evolution. There is no point in seeking advice at a primitive shamans' from jungle, as some people today does.

This line of reasoning is why the JuJu  is unhealthy for you, Luminon.

Just ditch it, dude. Run with us.