Ezekiel had a “severe alteration of consciousness” when he had his vision in Ezekiel 8. This explains, according to Mackie, the alleged different views of reality Ezekiel and other biblical characters had, and their other “states of consciousness” (starting around 49 min.). This did not need to be spelled out to anyone when the Bible was written, claims Mackie, because they all “took it for granted.” I do not think there is evidence for this in the text; furthermore, I think that seeking such states as well as the belief in “different levels of reality” is contra God and the Bible. A forthcoming article will address this issue and attempt to explain why this is not compatible with Scripture.
Our reality, claims Mackie, is constructed from our experiences (starting around 50 min.) in which we develop “coping mechanisms” and so “what we experience as reality is a result of these shields we build up for years and years.” Whereas we take our dreams as fantasy and what happens during the day as reality, the biblical authors have “the opposite view,” asserts Mackie.
I have known that many New Age-friendly programs fly under the radar in the schools by coming through as part of SEL (Social Emotional Learning). This allows practices like Mindfulness […]
The Idol of Breath Breath and breathing have become a focus in our culture due to the invasion of alternative healing, the intense focus on health, and the influence of […]
ASTROLOGY Q. In Matthew, Chapter 2, weren’t the Magi who came to see Jesus astrologers? Does this mean astrology is okay? What was the star of Bethlehem? The Magi […]
[Note: This is an evaluation of spiritual perspectives in the movie, not a summary of the plot or a critique of the acting. Further evaluation of spiritual views in previous […]
[Note: This is an evaluation of spiritual perspectives in the movie, not a summary of the plot or a critique of the acting. Parents of younger children, keep in mind […]
[Note: This is an evaluation of spiritual perspectives in the movie, not a summary of the plot or a critique of the acting. Parents of younger children, keep in mind […]
The third Matrix movie has the least philosophy of all three Matrix movies. There are certain quasi-religious references and themes, but these are superficial and do not connect well with […]
[It is not the intent of this article to be a review of the merits of these movies or to recap the plots. Many sites exist which already do this. […]
Self exists only as an idea. In reality, there are just transient moments of mental and physical experience — there is nothing that continues on, no controlling entity, no fixity p. […]