My new religion: New Age Hedonism

[Edwardo Piet]

Okay now rather than throwing definitions that I already know at me... how about telling me how to actually be aware of when I'm experiencing those things and how I can tell the difference between positive and negative.

Physical pain and physical pleasure are easy. As is being terrified or laughing my ass off at something hilarious. Everything else is extremely unclear.

Also... emotions and feelings are not interchangable. Feelings are necessarily conscious and physical whereas can be unconscious and psychological too.

Still, 99% of the time I have no idea what I'm feeling... or if I'm feeling anything real at all.

[Transcended Dimensions]

Okay now rather than throwing definitions that I already know at me... how about telling me how to actually be aware of when I'm experiencing those things and how I can tell the difference between positive and negative.

Physical pain and physical pleasure are easy. As is being terrified or laughing my ass off at something hilarious. Everything else is extremely unclear.

Also... emotions and feelings are not interchangable. Feelings are necessarily conscious and physical whereas can be unconscious and psychological too.

Still, 99% of the time I have no idea what I'm feeling... or if I'm feeling anything real at all.

Our emotions are positive or negative just like how a charge is positive or negative.  So, when you have a negative emotion such as anger and you judge it as something positive, that does not change the fact that this emotion is negative.  It would be no different than judging a negative charge as being positive.  The charge would still be negative.

[brewer]

Biochemicals:  endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.

Moods:  This is not a feeling of elation.  Rather, it is either a generalized and constant state of well being or non well being.  For example, when the brain is in its normal, healthy state, this is a constant, chronic, 24/7 state of well being since this is the state the brain is normally supposed to be in.  It is a state of mind induced by the biochemicals (or a spiritual state in a spiritual universe).  Likewise, if you were in a constant, low-grade, depressed state of mind, then this would be a depressed mood. 

Mood states give our lives a constant and stable perception of good or bad value in our lives.  It's no different than how we constantly see objects and our whole entire world through our sight.  This is the divine light and spiritual darkness taking on a constant and stable form.  Take note that, in my writing, I talk only about emotions being the source of value in our lives.  But moods are also to be included as well.  So, when you read my theory, also incorporate moods.

Feelings/Emotions:  Both terms can be used interchangeably to describe moments of elation.  For example, if you felt excited over a new movie, video game, or felt intense love, then these are feelings/emotions.  They are, again, states of mind induced by the biochemicals (or spiritual states in a spiritual universe).  Likewise, if you felt completely miserable due to an emotionally traumatic life event, then this would be a miserable feeling/emotion.
 
Feelings/emotions are far more powerful and profound states of mind than moods, according to my whole theory.  They give a person's life a much greater and more profound perception of good or bad value.  It would be like having moments of enhanced vision through your sight.  This would be the divine light and spiritual darkness taking on powerful forms.  In addition to the positive mood, I also require the positive emotions to drive and inspire me to enjoy my life, hobbies, and compose.

Positive Mood And Emotion:  A positive emotion would be a feeling of love, joy, sexual arousal, or excitement.  It would be a euphoric state.  A positive mood would just be a stable and constant state of well being.

Negative Mood And Emotion:  A negative emotion would be a feeling of despair, anger, sadness, hopelessness, or anguish.  It would be a dysphoric state.  A negative mood would just be a stable and constant state of non well being such as a depressed mood.  Based upon my own personal experience, I can tell you that, for me, the miserable and hopeless states of mind I have been through due to emotional trauma and negative obsessive thinking is the absolute worst negative emotional state to be in.

You should probably refrain from discussing neuropsychiatry, neurotransmitters and brain physiology/psychology. You're completely out of your element and sound like a patient who thinks they know something special because they have receive treatment.

[Succubus]

<guff snip>
...I think this claim reflects our need for the inner light...

This is nothing more than a rewording of Monday's verbiage. If it makes you happy then fine, just don't expect anyone to take it seriously.

[Edwardo Piet]

Okay now rather than throwing definitions that I already know at me... how about telling me how to actually be aware of when I'm experiencing those things and how I can tell the difference between positive and negative.

Physical pain and physical pleasure are easy. As is being terrified or laughing my ass off at something hilarious. Everything else is extremely unclear.

Also... emotions and feelings are not interchangable. Feelings are necessarily conscious and physical whereas can be unconscious and psychological too.

Still, 99% of the time I have no idea what I'm feeling... or if I'm feeling anything real at all.

Our emotions are positive or negative just like how a charge is positive or negative.  So, when you have a negative emotion such as anger and you judge it as something positive, that does not change the fact that this emotion is negative.  It would be no different than judging a negative charge as being positive.  The charge would still be negative.

If I am completely unaware of when I am having those emotions and I have no idea how to then I don't see how I can possibly apply your philosophy.

And if they're all entirely placebos they might as well not be real. I wonder if I even have real emotions. They come and go so quickly. I have fear and desire, I'll give you that. But that's about it. The rest of any so-called 'emotions' I've felt is kind of social conditioning and doesn't feel any more real than a placebo.

And I wouldn't say fear and desire are like other emotions. Fear is just negative desire... a strong desire to get away from something you're afraid of. And it comes with its own psychological sensations, as does positive desire. So to be more specific I have desires and aversions and physical sensations and that's it. The rest is just social crap.

Urges are real... I don't think emotions are. You may be temped to react "Wtf of course they're real"... but then you are going to fail to describe to me any difference between an unreal emotion that has a real impact due to the placebo effect and a 'real emotion'. Do they NEED to be real?

Buddhism talks of 'one taste'... and either I have reached it or it's always been that way for me and I merely believed otherwise. I would say it was definitely the latter but actually I think it's more accurate to say there isn't any difference.

Or i.e. My realization that I never felt them in the first place is identical to the experience of no longer having them. Because they were just placebos all along.

[Harry Nevis]

(Note:  Psychologists divide emotions into a positive category and a negative category.  I am firmly convinced this division is true based upon my own personal experience.  The concept of inner light and inner darkness is all well too known in movies, anime, art, etc.  So, that is why emotions would have to come in two categories:  positive and negative.  The positive emotions would be our own inner light and our negative emotions would be our own inner darkness just as how we have positive thoughts and negative thoughts).

My positive emotions are like the inner light of god in my life.  Without them, then my life can only be empty regardless of what I were to think or believe otherwise.  The rest of humanity needs this inner light as well.  Otherwise, their lives and artistic endeavors would be empty, too.  Our negative emotions would be the inner darkness and a life of no emotions would just be a blank life.  Don't you hear depressed and miserable people claim their lives are a drag, not worth living, and devoid of any joy and beauty?  This is a common complaint that depressed patients report.

I think this claim reflects our need for the inner light.  When depressed people recover, they say it's as though they have crawled out of the darkest pit and regained the light back to them in their lives.  This is my own personal created religion which is a hedonistic religion.  I call my religion "New Age Hedonism."   Hedonism is the philosophy of maximizing pleasure (positive emotions) and minimizing pain (negative emotions).  Although, as I explain later on, I am undecided when it comes to the existence of god, the afterlife, and the paranormal.  If these phenomena do not exist, then my hedonistic religion would instead take on a secular form.

As for what type of environment or artistic landscape I would use to convey my worldview, it would not be the fear mongering images of unsaved sinners being thrown into the lake of fire which is often conveyed by religions such as fundamentalist Christianity.  My image would be a beautiful and tropical paradise.  This symbolizes being happy, wild, free, and not having to adhere your life to any such horrible religious doctrines.  It is looking forward to an afterlife of eternal bliss where you can finally be free of all depression, unhappiness, and misery.  The New Age spiritual beliefs adhere to the doctrine of an all loving god who does not condemn people to an eternal hell or expect others to serve their lives to him.  That is why I call my worldview/religion "New Age Hedonism."

I think it's pronounced "NEW-age".

[Transcended Dimensions]

There is a difference between what is and what it's like. If a person saw the color red, then he could report back to you that it was like a trip to a paradise. This would be what it's like. But what is would be a different question. Seeing the color red would be a state of visualizing a certain color. This would be what is. A blind person cannot know what it is to see the color red since he can't see it. Now, here is where my worldview comes in. If you were in the most hopeless state of your life which would be a negative emotion and you believed that your life was still good and beautiful, then you could say that this thought is something good and beautiful since it is the words "good" and "beautiful" being spoken in your mind. From there, if you felt a positive emotion later on which would be an emotional value judgment of good value and beauty rather than a thought form of value judgment, then you could also say that this positive emotion is good and beautiful as well.

It's the same scenario with the thought form of good value and beauty, but, this time, with the positive emotion. Now, here is the question. If you were blind and you thought of the color red, then what would that be for you? Remember, this is asking the "what is" question. The answer here would be that it would just be a thought. There is no quality of red there being perceived at all. So, it's not actual red, but just the thought of red. The same idea would apply to our emotions versus our thoughts. You could think to yourself that your life is still beautiful and good during your worst miserable moment, but there would be no quality of good value and beauty being perceived. Therefore, your life would be empty without your positive emotions. So, what it all comes down to here is what it is for you. Rather than just being the miserable soul who drags his life on believing it to be the good and beautiful life, actually focus on what it is for you and I think this will enlighten you to the truth of my worldview. Hopefully anyway. If I were to summarize my whole entire worldview in one sentence, then it would be:

"You can only acknowledge the good and bad values of things, moments, and situations in your life. But you need your positive emotions to actually see the good values and you need your negative emotions to actually see the bad values. When you feel the most profound and powerful positive emotion of your life, then that is literally the most powerful and profound beauty, good value, and joy being perceived just as how it would literally be the color red being perceived by a person who saw the color red. The same idea applies to negative emotions."

One last thing here. If my sight analogy is not a good analogy for emotions, then just get the idea that I was trying to convey anyway. I was simply saying that it can only be our emotions that allow us to perceive the good and bad qualities of our lives.

[Nay_Sayer]

Nobody needs an old religion, new age religion or to concoct a new religion. It is not brain surgery to say, "Try not to physically harm others, and help others when you can."

Sorry, but just because you rightfully reject old mythology does not mean you need this "new" club to label yourself. Human's ability to be cruel or compassionate is not in any form of woo, but in our species evolution as individuals.

Your quoted message wasn't the sole message my worldview was attempting to convey.  I was saying that our positive emotions such as feelings of love, joy, or excitement which are euphoric states, that these states are like the light of god we need in our lives.  Without them, then our lives are empty.

Well being the orator of the one true God, He's let me let you know you're wrong.  However, he still loves you.

Come into the fold and get a colander free.

[SaStrike]

OP, please read this thread.

https://atheistforums.org/thread-48500.html

(Shoutouts Brian37)

[Sal]

An analogy is just for illustration, they don't prove/disprove anything. "Good"/"bad" are value judgements, nothing more, nothing less. They aren't things-in-themselves.