(March 24, 2015 at 5:48 pm)Pizz-atheist Wrote: ...when we suspend belief in physcialism about the mind, the problem still stands. For example, mental states are anything but unchanging. One minute there is this thought and this experience, then the next minute there is another thought and experience, then two hours later there are different thoughts and experiences that are not identical(not to be confused with analogous) to ones from before...Another problem is that we can't find "I" in our thoughts and experiences. When "I" analysis the experience of sitting down and typing on a keyboard, into smaller parts "I" don't find an "I." Now, I common criticism to this is that the I is external to the thoughts and experiences. Okay, but this comes at a price; that is, the concept of Self would become a very sterile concept.
They are basically the same problem. Anyone, but Heraclitus, can see that from cradle to grave, Joe is still Joe. And anyone, except Parmenides, can see that Joe has changed in material composition, size shape, and capacities. I wish there was a philosophical tradition that could somehow resolve this dilemma. Hmmmmm....
Seriously though the experience of the higher Self is the profound experience of moving beyond the ego awareness of “I” and merging with the Divine. What to the ego appears to be a sterile concept turns out to feel very expansive and liberating.
