God and the Placebo Effect

[goombah111]

get ready for a bunch of posts like these from me. im all about believing.

Why are you so desperate to "believe?"

interesting choice of words.

i believe because it feels good. it gives me energy. it helps me focus. it makes things easier. unless im believing something negative. 

really its thoughts, and the belief gives power to the thoughts.

if you think you have cancer you might feel bad. but if you BELIEVE you have cancer then you will feel terrible. so when people get the news from their doctors, they get depressed and feel terrible even though nothing has changed. but if a bum on the street told them then they wouldnt believe it, so they wouldnt feel that way. denial might be a useful defense mechanism after all, in some cases.

i used to be depressed, i think weve all had some point in our lives like that. but over time i realized that...if thinking bad thoughts and reinforcing those thoughts with belief can make me feel bad, then good thoughts and beliefs can make me feel good.

i dont see an end to its potential yet, ill lyk when i do. this went on longer than i thought. probably because i believe in it so much d:

either way, its been a useful tool in my life, so i practice it. practice makes perfect.

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Belief in infinity? As in, belief that a being can have unlimited levels of power?

It seems to generally cause these kind of reactions:

1234567

youre thinking of every religion known to man. tell a person an infinitely powerful and intelligent being exists out there somewhere and i dont think most peoples reaction will be quite like that.

tell them that they too can achieve this power and intelligence and they might just believe you.

[robvalue]

I described just about every theist I ever heard of, so yeah, it's based in experience. You wanted me to exclude all religions ever when answering your question? I think you should have mentioned that.

Religion is all about people believing stupid things, so sure, some people would probably believe that. God, after all, is the believer. It's part of them. It's a projection of their idealised self.

You believe because it feels good, great. If it makes you happy, go for it. I base my beliefs on reality and evidence, I'd rather know what is probably true. That way I can make the best decisions for me and those around me. But a belief in a generic creator wouldn't actually alter any decisions because it's irrelevant. That's where religion comes in, because it introduces all the bullshit people have made up about this hypothetical creator. I can't make myself believe something, even if it would feel good to do so. It sounds as if you like the idea of God, more than anything else.

Have you made up stuff about the creator? Or do you acknowledge it's unknowable?

[chimp3]

lets start with a hypothetical definition 
God: infinite power, intelligence, and wisdom (no death and destruction, contrary to half of most religions depiction)

how do you guys think belief in the possibility of infinity can affect a person? after all, jesus wasnt the only one to walk on water in the bible. 

will this belief raise their limits or crush their spirits?

I think it will raise the limits of gullibility. "If you will believe this piece of bullshit now , I will have even bigger pieces of bullshit to offer later. The sky is the limit!"

[robvalue]

I don't understand the obsession that the creator of this reality must have infinite power in their own reality. It doesn't follow.

But then people don't generally think about what reality the creator is in. They just sort of stick it on the outside of ours like a pimple, or else have it just floating about everywhere in an abstract, non-existing way indistinguishable from nothing.

[Arkilogue]

I don't understand the obsession that the creator of this reality must have infinite power in their own reality. It doesn't follow.

But then people don't generally think about what reality the creator is in. They just sort of stick it on the outside of ours like a pimple, or else have it just floating about everywhere in an abstract, non-existing way indistinguishable from nothing.

Poorly imagined God is poor.

[Arkilogue]

My belief in infinity affected me greatly. It meant I could get a degree in engineering. 

My working with infinity unfolded an eternally productive, self limiting (finely tuned) metaverse. Gives me a lot to look forwards to

[goombah111]

Have you made up stuff about the creator? Or do you acknowledge it's unknowable?

i like to speculate but nothing is certain.

believing makes me feel good because im believing positive thoughts. religious or not, this applies to everyone. 

however, regardless of evidence, i will believe i can achieve that which the evidence contradicts.

if theres evidence that i will die from cancer in a week, i will believe otherwise. i hope you would make this exception as well.

i think by believing, your body and mind take action to make it happen.

thats what the placebo effect is. now, give sight to that blind belief and who knows what you can accomplish.

imo

[Minimalist]

either way, its been a useful tool in my life, so i practice it. practice makes perfect.

Well, okay - you're not the only person to engage in self-delusion.  Enjoy your created reality.

[goombah111]

I don't understand the obsession that the creator of this reality must have infinite power in their own reality. It doesn't follow.

it definitely follows, but its not necessarily the case.

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Well, okay - you're not the only person to engage in self-delusion.  Enjoy your created reality.

no, youre right, im not the only person. millions of people study the placebo effect.

[robvalue]

How does it follow? I can create a VR by writing a computer program. Maybe elements of it become self aware, as we have. I'm "all powerful" with respect to this VR. I have total control over it. But I'm just some stupid twat in this reality. My powers do not translate.

Have you made up stuff about the creator? Or do you acknowledge it's unknowable?

i like to speculate but nothing is certain.

believing makes me feel good because im believing positive thoughts. religious or not, this applies to everyone. 

however, regardless of evidence, i will believe i can achieve that which the evidence contradicts.

if theres evidence that i will die from cancer in a week, i will believe otherwise. i hope you would make this exception as well.

i think by believing, your body and mind take action to make it happen.

thats what the placebo effect is. now, give sight to that blind belief and who knows what you can accomplish.

imo

I agree positive thinking is very useful, absolutely.