The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanity ?

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Which of these do you consider to be the most immediate threat to humanity ?

CLIMATE CHANGE ?
3
15%
A PANDEMIC VIRUS ?
5
25%
NUCLEAR WAR ?
3
15%
THE RISE OF TECHNOLOGY & AI ?
2
10%
WORLD HUNGER ?
0
No votes
WORLD OBESITY ?
0
No votes
THE POST-CAPITALIST SLIDE INTO ECONOMIC OBLIVION WHICH ENDS ULTIMATELY IN THE SECOND GREAT DEPRESSION ?
3
15%
ASTEROID STRIKE ?
4
20%
 
Total votes: 20

Deleted User 5081

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Deleted User 5081 »

Fantastic thoughts on this topic guys. Beats the boredom for sure.
Deleted User 3289

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Deleted User 3289 »

Sovietmule wrote:
Viduka Hits The Mark wrote:
Sovietmule wrote:
Viduka Hits The Mark wrote:I have gone for Technology. Much like Mathematics underpinned nature long before we discovered it, what you now hear about the power in Quantum computing ect, for me its not unreasonable to think its always been the endstate. Are we in some sort of simulator or a programmed computer game? For me the wickedness that exists within our realm certainly would make more sense that way. It would be great to think that some form of Universal law or Karma exists wouldn't it? A sort of Donkey Kong galactic game really excites me. :angel:

I always have this vision of God laid there in a cot crying "its" (its hard not to put his :shh: :D ) eyes out throwing the dinosaurs out screaming get me something more grown up to play with and then it was fascinated by a Nazi doll. :shifty:
Fascinating and mysterious innit? When you think about consciousness (if you ever do), I mean, wtf is it?
What is this thing you refer to as "I". Can't be your thoughts or feelings can it as they come and go, appear and disappear whereas "I" is always there.
It can't be your physical attributes either as they are made up of cells which are continually dying and being replaced and "I" is always there.

Anyone here meditate? Anyone interested in the non-dual perrenial understanding?

... and I haven't even had any beer yet!!
Arrhhh the Brain. More complex than life itself, a magical wondrous instrument. I just wish i knew how to use it properly. :D My Brain development seems to have ceased and all i am left with is emotion intelligence. But fear not... because imagination is the greatest gift of all and belief is secondary. Don't get grounded in facts, they are already known, its the uknown where the action is. How do i know this? I don't obviously, but that's where the fun starts.... :lolno:

And no. I haven't copied John Lennon. :thumbup:
I can understand your reference to the brain and imagination being the "I" mentioned earlier. 'Personhood' or the idea that all the thoughts, experiences, feelings, relationships etc. are what constitute the "I" is a commonly held idea - and why not. Maybe consider for a second though:

What is left once all those things are stripped away? What is that "I"?
With very little practice one can easily 'step back' and watch their thoughts, emotions etc rise up (from where?) and then watch them disappear - what have you stepped back from/into, what is the 'thing' that watches?

Some would say the answer to those questions is Consciousness or Awareness.

It's an interesting line of enquiry and I'll leave the subject with this quote (paraphrased):

There is no experiential evidence that Awareness or Consciousness is located either in a brain or a mind. The brain and the mind appear to Consciousness.
Consciousness does not appear to or in them.

Consciousness is not simply a subdued or mellow state of mind (or brain) because it is present equally when the mind (or brain) is both agitated and peaceful.
Therefore it is not dependent on the state of the mind and/or brain.

Consciousness is present no matter what. Test this out in your experience. Establish for yourself as a fact of experience that you, Consciousness,
are present throughout all appearances of the mind, body and world, irrespective of how peaceful or agitated those appearances may be.
Crikey. Me Myself or I. :shock: :angel: I will miss the point but I'll still try and answer. :shifty:

I always thought about Consciousness in terms of awake or asleep. If you strip away the ego, individual characteristics then are we not just vegetable or mineral. Would Consciousness exist at all without first thinking it exists? Consciousness of the soul? People talk about God consciousness, but first you must believe in God. Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence. If i am lucky enough to occasionally walk up a mountain where everything is still and quite and i am there alone. I am still left with my thoughts even though they are consumed with awe of the tranquility present.

I have never even tried meditation but it does fascinate me. Especially Transcendental meditation, maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state. Even though Religion instructs us repeatedly throughout history that we have a simple choice to make. Will it be heaven or will you be burning in the fires of hell for not following the instruction of a dogmatic God. I'll take my chances thanks.
Sovietmule
Paul Heckingbottom's career advisor
Posts: 155
Joined: 16 May 2019, 17:01

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Sovietmule »

Viduka Hits The Mark wrote: Crikey. Me Myself or I. :shock: :angel: I will miss the point but I'll still try and answer. :shifty:

I always thought about Consciousness in terms of awake or asleep. If you strip away the ego, individual characteristics then are we not just vegetable or mineral. Would Consciousness exist at all without first thinking it exists? Consciousness of the soul? People talk about God consciousness, but first you must believe in God. Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence. If i am lucky enough to occasionally walk up a mountain where everything is still and quite and i am there alone. I am still left with my thoughts even though they are consumed with awe of the tranquility present.

I have never even tried meditation but it does fascinate me. Especially Transcendental meditation, maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state. Even though Religion instructs us repeatedly throughout history that we have a simple choice to make. Will it be heaven or will you be burning in the fires of hell for not following the instruction of a dogmatic God. I'll take my chances thanks.
I like having these kind of discussions. I'm always fascinated by other people's thoughts on this subject. The missus hates it though, particularly after rather a lot of beer on a Friday night. So it's nice to be able to discuss with someone different.

Please don't think for a second that I'm trying to denigrate what you say or your beliefs, I'm not, and I concede that your ideas may well be exactly how things really are and my ideas (well, not mine originally I'm just putting them forward) are a complete crock.

I'm really rubbish at explaining this kind of stuff and if someone more knowledgeable than me saw what I'm writing then I'd prolly get the intellectual equivalent of slapped legs ... but, I'll try ...
The ideas I'm putting forward are based on The Self (which you expound upon with great clarity and knowledge) and that which stands behind and exists before The Self, the 'container in which The Self (all of them) exists if you will ... that is The "I" - different to the ego which exists in the psyche which is part of the Self, not the "I".
Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence.
And, yeah, you're right, there is at least an element (maybe a lot) of spirituality, universality and timelessness in the ideas I put forward. In the sense that "I" is Consciousness which is all that exists and is timeless. Could that be described as God? I guess so.

So the idea is that there is another step to take, a step back from the self. To see the self as you see everything else that simply arises in consciousness; sights, sounds, thoughts, emotions, heat, cold, pain etc.

You mentioned your thoughts twice. Lots of people live their lives in the midst of a torrent of thoughts, they are almost consumed by them - I'm not saying you are - but multitudes are. They seem to think that their thoughts are 'them'. If only they could 'get away from their thoughts'. Well, they can and it's not difficult. Which brings me on to ...

Meditation:
maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state
Lots of people think they are too restless to try meditation and they are mostly right; until they start to practice it - and it does take practice but pretty quickly (10 mins a day for a couple of weeks or so) you can start to feel some difference. Particularly when it comes to your thoughts and watching them come and go without you feeling you have to act on any or all of them.

Nirvana and 'end-state' aren't involved at all in any meditation I've looked at or practiced. You aren't working towards anything.

Crikey, just realised that I'm half an hour late putting the beer in!!!
Deleted User 3289

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Deleted User 3289 »

Sovietmule wrote:
Viduka Hits The Mark wrote: Crikey. Me Myself or I. :shock: :angel: I will miss the point but I'll still try and answer. :shifty:

I always thought about Consciousness in terms of awake or asleep. If you strip away the ego, individual characteristics then are we not just vegetable or mineral. Would Consciousness exist at all without first thinking it exists? Consciousness of the soul? People talk about God consciousness, but first you must believe in God. Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence. If i am lucky enough to occasionally walk up a mountain where everything is still and quite and i am there alone. I am still left with my thoughts even though they are consumed with awe of the tranquility present.

I have never even tried meditation but it does fascinate me. Especially Transcendental meditation, maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state. Even though Religion instructs us repeatedly throughout history that we have a simple choice to make. Will it be heaven or will you be burning in the fires of hell for not following the instruction of a dogmatic God. I'll take my chances thanks.
I like having these kind of discussions. I'm always fascinated by other people's thoughts on this subject. The missus hates it though, particularly after rather a lot of beer on a Friday night. So it's nice to be able to discuss with someone different.

Please don't think for a second that I'm trying to denigrate what you say or your beliefs, I'm not, and I concede that your ideas may well be exactly how things really are and my ideas (well, not mine originally I'm just putting them forward) are a complete crock.

I'm really rubbish at explaining this kind of stuff and if someone more knowledgeable than me saw what I'm writing then I'd prolly get the intellectual equivalent of slapped legs ... but, I'll try ...
The ideas I'm putting forward are based on The Self (which you expound upon with great clarity and knowledge) and that which stands behind and exists before The Self, the 'container in which The Self (all of them) exists if you will ... that is The "I" - different to the ego which exists in the psyche which is part of the Self, not the "I".
Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence.
And, yeah, you're right, there is at least an element (maybe a lot) of spirituality, universality and timelessness in the ideas I put forward. In the sense that "I" is Consciousness which is all that exists and is timeless. Could that be described as God? I guess so.

So the idea is that there is another step to take, a step back from the self. To see the self as you see everything else that simply arises in consciousness; sights, sounds, thoughts, emotions, heat, cold, pain etc.

You mentioned your thoughts twice. Lots of people live their lives in the midst of a torrent of thoughts, they are almost consumed by them - I'm not saying you are - but multitudes are. They seem to think that their thoughts are 'them'. If only they could 'get away from their thoughts'. Well, they can and it's not difficult. Which brings me on to ...

Meditation:
maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state
Lots of people think they are too restless to try meditation and they are mostly right; until they start to practice it - and it does take practice but pretty quickly (10 mins a day for a couple of weeks or so) you can start to feel some difference. Particularly when it comes to your thoughts and watching them come and go without you feeling you have to act on any or all of them.

Nirvana and 'end-state' aren't involved at all in any meditation I've looked at or practiced. You aren't working towards anything.

Crikey, just realised that I'm half an hour late putting the beer in!!!
Not at all Sov. :thumbup: Its great to discuss things without the dogmatic approach to righteousness. As you say its all speculation on our part with no harm done. I must say that i am probably at the peak of my brain capacity so its back to feelings for me, much more accurate. :lolno: I may try the singularity of meditation and compare it to being up a mountain alone.
Deleted User 728

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Deleted User 728 »

Seriously staggered by the number of people in here who seem to be climate change deniers.

Other than that, the philosophical stuff is great to read :)

Cogito ergo sum.
Most of us are existentialists, right ?
I mean, everyone who's in this thread clearly is ..

My own favourite is Epicure.
The fact he got his valet to wake him an hour before dawn every morning just so he could enjoy the fact he didn't have to get up and drift off to sleep again does it for me. That's a guy who clearly loves life :D
Sovietmule
Paul Heckingbottom's career advisor
Posts: 155
Joined: 16 May 2019, 17:01

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Sovietmule »

Viduka Hits The Mark wrote:
Sovietmule wrote:
Viduka Hits The Mark wrote: Crikey. Me Myself or I. :shock: :angel: I will miss the point but I'll still try and answer. :shifty:

I always thought about Consciousness in terms of awake or asleep. If you strip away the ego, individual characteristics then are we not just vegetable or mineral. Would Consciousness exist at all without first thinking it exists? Consciousness of the soul? People talk about God consciousness, but first you must believe in God. Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence. If i am lucky enough to occasionally walk up a mountain where everything is still and quite and i am there alone. I am still left with my thoughts even though they are consumed with awe of the tranquility present.

I have never even tried meditation but it does fascinate me. Especially Transcendental meditation, maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state. Even though Religion instructs us repeatedly throughout history that we have a simple choice to make. Will it be heaven or will you be burning in the fires of hell for not following the instruction of a dogmatic God. I'll take my chances thanks.
I like having these kind of discussions. I'm always fascinated by other people's thoughts on this subject. The missus hates it though, particularly after rather a lot of beer on a Friday night. So it's nice to be able to discuss with someone different.

Please don't think for a second that I'm trying to denigrate what you say or your beliefs, I'm not, and I concede that your ideas may well be exactly how things really are and my ideas (well, not mine originally I'm just putting them forward) are a complete crock.

I'm really rubbish at explaining this kind of stuff and if someone more knowledgeable than me saw what I'm writing then I'd prolly get the intellectual equivalent of slapped legs ... but, I'll try ...
The ideas I'm putting forward are based on The Self (which you expound upon with great clarity and knowledge) and that which stands behind and exists before The Self, the 'container in which The Self (all of them) exists if you will ... that is The "I" - different to the ego which exists in the psyche which is part of the Self, not the "I".
Do you mean that consciousness is a sort of permanent energy connected to a Universal hub of eternal existence.
And, yeah, you're right, there is at least an element (maybe a lot) of spirituality, universality and timelessness in the ideas I put forward. In the sense that "I" is Consciousness which is all that exists and is timeless. Could that be described as God? I guess so.

So the idea is that there is another step to take, a step back from the self. To see the self as you see everything else that simply arises in consciousness; sights, sounds, thoughts, emotions, heat, cold, pain etc.

You mentioned your thoughts twice. Lots of people live their lives in the midst of a torrent of thoughts, they are almost consumed by them - I'm not saying you are - but multitudes are. They seem to think that their thoughts are 'them'. If only they could 'get away from their thoughts'. Well, they can and it's not difficult. Which brings me on to ...

Meditation:
maybe i am too restless to contemplate Nirvana but then again i wouldn't want to restrict my thought processes to a end state
Lots of people think they are too restless to try meditation and they are mostly right; until they start to practice it - and it does take practice but pretty quickly (10 mins a day for a couple of weeks or so) you can start to feel some difference. Particularly when it comes to your thoughts and watching them come and go without you feeling you have to act on any or all of them.

Nirvana and 'end-state' aren't involved at all in any meditation I've looked at or practiced. You aren't working towards anything.

Crikey, just realised that I'm half an hour late putting the beer in!!!
Not at all Sov. :thumbup: Its great to discuss things without the dogmatic approach to righteousness. As you say its all speculation on our part with no harm done. I must say that i am probably at the peak of my brain capacity so its back to feelings for me, much more accurate. :lolno: I may try the singularity of meditation and compare it to being up a mountain alone.
Cool :thumbup:.

If you do decide to give it a go then there's no need to spend any money on it, you can get all you need for free and if you have any questions give me a shout and if I can help, I will.

MOT
Sovietmule
Paul Heckingbottom's career advisor
Posts: 155
Joined: 16 May 2019, 17:01

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Sovietmule »

rigger wrote:Seriously staggered by the number of people in here who seem to be climate change deniers.

Other than that, the philosophical stuff is great to read :)

Cogito ergo sum.
Most of us are existentialists, right ?
I mean, everyone who's in this thread clearly is ..

My own favourite is Epicure.
The fact he got his valet to wake him an hour before dawn every morning just so he could enjoy the fact he didn't have to get up and drift off to sleep again does it for me. That's a guy who clearly loves life :D
Love the Epicure thing.

Right, that's me off to drink more beer and almost certainly get battered at poker.
Courage mes braves!
Deleted User 728

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Deleted User 728 »

Sovietmule wrote: Right, that's me off to drink more beer and almost certainly get battered at poker.
Courage mes braves!
Clearly a follower of Bacchus :D
Sovietmule
Paul Heckingbottom's career advisor
Posts: 155
Joined: 16 May 2019, 17:01

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Sovietmule »

rigger wrote:
Sovietmule wrote: Right, that's me off to drink more beer and almost certainly get battered at poker.
Courage mes braves!
Clearly a follower of Bacchus :D
Yep, I'm devout.
Poker record so far is 100%.
Played 1, lost 1.
Into the second game and it's looking like I'll keep my 100% record.
Davycc
LUFCTALK Moderator
Posts: 15076
Joined: 03 Aug 2011, 18:09
Location: Location Location

Re: The Doomsday poll - what's the biggest threat to humanit

Post by Davycc »

Start this poll again and there may be a different result.
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