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Permalink Reply by Paul lee James on July 16, 2013 at 5:53pm

From our sixth spiritual sense. It would seem man has a sixth sense hidden within himself and is only activated by a outside spiritual encounter. Paul

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Permalink Reply by Paige on August 12, 2013 at 4:01pm

I think this would come from like studying man's 'Self' (the existential side) and then incorporating with that a power that was higher with him to be able to connect with himself inside. However, this is just my personal feeling when it comes down to spiritual enlightnement and a sixth sense. I feel this way because then it shows a true sense of alignement or a Oneness with the Divine also. 

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Permalink Reply by Paul lee James on August 12, 2013 at 6:00pm

Paige,

Well said. Our original nature is sin. When we are saved or come into connecting with our higher side by John 3:16 we then get in touch with our true hidden nature, the spiritual side. I love my new self, but explaining it to people who are not saved yet, They have no clue what you are talking about.Paul

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Permalink Reply by Dewald Bester on August 13, 2013 at 2:38am

hi

i think i am slightly with Joe on this - at least if i twist him my way.  in the sense that you only know what a 'sixth sense' is from 'books'.  i.e. the qualities of a 6th sense (and 'enlightenment') are contextualised from your belief system/tradition.  for example, the idea that 'original nature is sin' is not true for me.  it is not in my thought world that i inhabit.  so i do not believe that any 6th sense can reveal that truth to me. (that it may be ultimately true, one must concede as an option - we cannot really say.)

the 'content' of 'spiritual enlightenment' is also contextualised within your existing worldview.  any idea of a 6th sense, too is contextualised.  some traditions may speak of a 'oneness' of nature, others may be dualistic.  how do we explain both, outside of contextualisation?

i guess, if i think about it, one has a sixth sense if you believe you have one.  you are 'enlightened' when you act in accordance with your conception of enlightenment.  to me, enlightenment includes an ethical and moral living, which i know i fall short of, and hence cannot be enlightened.

rgds. Dewald

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Permalink Reply by Paul lee James on August 13, 2013 at 11:04am

Dewald,

How do we explain spiritual enlightenment outside contextualistion? Does belief alone explain any enlightment? One,s beliefs, what one sees feels observes, but when a person is spiritual enlighted it is out of the realm of the five senses and our immediate reality.There could be a material action for a sixth sense by facial exspressions speech tone etc but outside of that, it has to be spiritual. To me spiritual is a (feeling) outside of the material realm. The enlightenment of ethical and moral behavior is taught to by our parents or society at some point in our life. Whether we acknowledge that teaching is our acceptance or not. Paul

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Permalink Reply by Dewald Bester on August 14, 2013 at 2:15am

hi

I recently read, Robert Forman's "Mind, Mysticism, Consciousness" - a SUNY publication - this is an academic who still argues for some sort of 'experience' beyond the conditioned and determined.  Even he, however, can only find that experience is a single type of mystical experience.  The one in which there is a total loss of self-consciousness.  In this state there can be no conditioned experience, because there is a total loss of personhood, and a total loss of all possible 'worlds'.

All other experiences, as i read him, are conditioned by prior belief etc.  When I think of a 6th sense, i think of various paranormal abilities and psychic insights.  I do not think of this selfless, mystical experience.  All 'inner worlds', 'psychic states' etc. are conditioned, material (subtle material if you like) states, in my opinion.

Your posts posit a 'spiritual world' beyond the material, and you suggest a '6th sense', you mention 'enlightenment'.  It is likely i do not understand what you mean by these terms.  Those terms, to me, all imply further beliefs you hold.  Unless they are contentless names you use.  They may of course be conventional names you use for experiences you have had.  But without us knowing the content of your experiences, it difficult to comment on that.

I do not think real ethical and moral behaviour is solely taught.  I think, perhaps, our behaviour reflects our beliefs, about ourself and the world.  How these underlying positions on the world develop i am not sure.

I see nothing wrong with experiences being conditioned.  It is not opposed to a spiritual life - whatever that is. (for me it is ethical and moral living, which is founded on they way you understand the universe.)  If there is a world beyond the conditioned, i am not sure i will touch it, or if it is 'touchable'.

rgds, Dewald

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Permalink Reply by Paige on August 14, 2013 at 5:47pm

Hey Paul,

You hold a very true point here. It seems like that as we become "new" spiritually people can like think you are delusional. They think the idea of being in submittance or being humble means like that you are weak too. I have tried to convey to them that once a person chooses to accept an awakening for themselves then at that time an awakening can be able to manifest inside of themselves too, but some people still look at me crazy. Inside of the bible (I forget the verse) it had mentioned something about for the people who are unable to love a person back as a person loves another, you are supposed to pray and forgive them, but then you are to diconnect yourself from those people. Usually most people think that "letting go" is a sure sign of weakness, but I just feel that some things really do need to be "let go." Anyway, I think it is cool that you love your new self, because I definitely know that I love my new self also. :-)

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