endlessness said:Possibilities:
The students might be faking it on purpose (or the whole video be set up in general). I say this because all I know so far is that its a youtube video, but maybe it is a known master, genuine people and they arent faking, so this would lead to possibility 2:
Even if they are not faking it on purpose, maybe they are so 'suceptible' to it because they really believe in the master's power, that they get thrown in such a way (placebo/self-suggestion). They have, consciously or unconsciously, vested interest that the master's power works. Testing the powers against a skeptic person would be one possible way .. Doesnt the way they get thrown back seem somehow 'steretypical' ? (not that this means something but it called my attention)
Im sure there people with less than honorable intentions using words like "Chi" in a fake way to make money or get fame, or others who might be deluded about any alternative model because they are really looking for something to take them out of the spiritless modern world
Now, with that being said, I dont say its impossible for chi, or some other yet undiscovered energy (that humans can use) to exist. If there's one thing psychedelics taught me, its that there's more to reality than it seems..... This Chi might be there, it might be that this specific person you linked to has this power, or it might be that not him but someone else does...
So lets say for a moment it exists.. If so, then what? How can the whole humanity (or a siginficant part of it) reap benefits from this energy? Does one have to pay some master or go travel far to find someone to learn from?
If so, then what about the others who cant afford the travel, do they just have to accept they wont have their chi powers working, or is there a home-practicing technique? Also, how can one tell appart a hoax or charlatan from the real deal, is there anything more than just "he/she feels genuine" ? And regarding Chi in general, can this be researched scientifically, and if so how, and what would be the benefits? How does Chi interact with matter? Can these masters supposedly moved a stopped object, and if so, isnt this the easiest thing in the world to prove to skeptics in a supervised environment, and why hasnt it been done yet?
. Doesnt the way they get thrown back seem somehow 'steretypical' ? (not that this means something but it called my attention)
So lets say for a moment it exists.. If so, then what? How can the whole humanity (or a siginficant part of it) reap benefits from this energy? Does one have to pay some master or go travel far to find someone to learn from?
Also, how can one tell appart a hoax or charlatan from the real deal, is there anything more than just "he/she feels genuine"
And regarding Chi in general, can this be researched scientifically, and if so how, and what would be the benefits? How does Chi interact with matter?
Can these masters supposedly moved a stopped object, and if so, isn't this the easiest thing in the world to prove to skeptics in a supervised environment, and why hasn't it been done yet?
joedirt said:Without a doubt most of them look very stereo typical....but I suppose a force hitting someone would look stereo typical right? Either way many of the way's people are thrown back seem as though they would be very easy to emulate...aka fake. But there are a few instances that really appear like a force has hit a person. Go re-watch the guy being thrown starting at 2:24 - 2:30ish. See that lift from the ground up into the air? I honestly think that would be very hard to pull off. I see it a few times in the video. I'm not saying it couldn't be faked...not by a long shot, but it looks convincing...
joedirt said:If this is real I honestly hope that the 'whole' of humanity NEVER gets access to it. I wouldn't want this power because I wouldn't trust myself with it... Thus there is really no way I would want joe six pack down the street to ever gain access to this sort of power.
joedirt said:I'm guessing that the only real way would be direct experience.
joedirt said:This is the one that has bothered me the most. Why not just go prove it to the world? Well assuming this is real, then I suspect that those who have achieved something like this likely very well understand that proving it to the world would in a sense open pandora's box. Probably related to my fear above. I mean if science could prove that any man could do this it would immediately open the doors to immense research and would only be a matter of time until many people could do it....this would be profoundly bad for the current order of the world...IMHO.
MY thoughts are. I allow for the possibility, but see no need to form a belief based on a video...but I do find it rather fascinating none-the-less... also most people that reach the stage of llama don't typically feel a need to trick people, but I also allow for that possibility as well.
endlessness said:Since I dont know, I cannot join this conversation and pretend to know or be strong about one belief or another, I am open to it and would like to know, if it exists, what benefit can it bring for humanity? What I dont like is that Chi became something that rich westerners can have access to in some fancy private schools or oportunity for rich travelers in some places. but I wonder about all the other people that cant get access?
SpartanII said:Endlessness, it's curious that you get slightly defensive and put so much energy into declaring your position as a skeptic on this topic. (I've noticed this attitude with many other science-oriented members who are skeptical of spiritual matters as well). Why join the discussion just to say you don't believe in this stuff? You say you're open to it, but your attitude suggests otherwise. I mean no disrespect, I'm just a little confused.
endlessness said:Since I dont know, I cannot join this conversation and pretend to know or be strong about one belief or another, I am open to it and would like to know, if it exists, what benefit can it bring for humanity? What I dont like is that Chi became something that rich westerners can have access to in some fancy private schools or oportunity for rich travelers in some places. but I wonder about all the other people that cant get access?
Chi is just a concept for a type of energy or force that I know for a fact exists. I've felt it my entire life and only recently have been able to start channeling and manipulating it. People call it many different names but it is real and it can have many useful practical applications, and you don't need to be rich or travel to experience it. Only an open mind and a little training. Books and videos can provide a starting point, but once you start working with it during meditation and Qigong, you are able to tap into the inner wisdom that is inherently inside us all. Some call it God, some call it Silent Knowledge. It's our Higher Power and once you open your mind to it and trust it, it starts to merge with you and guide you. It becomes you. If you have a closed mind with no faith however, the doors remain closed.
You ask about benefit to humanity, well, it starts with the individual. Here are some potential practical benefits of working with Qi (or Chi/Prana) energy via meditation and Taiji/Qigong:
Primary (skill related)
Enhanced:
-Postural control/balance
-Flexibility
-Coordination
-Agility
-Strength/power
-Sensitivity/awareness
-Reaction time
-Quality of sleep
Secondary (therapeutic)
Enhanced:
-Digestion/bowel function
-Cardio-respiratory function
-Immune system function
-Prevention pr treatment of arthritis
-Cognitive function (e.g. attention, concentration, learning, memory)
-Prevention of osteoporosis
-Improvements in multiple sclerosis patients
Holistic
Enhanced:
-Avoidance or repair of stress-related injuries/illness
-Social interaction/sense of community
-Spiritual development
Source- Taijiquan: The Art of Nurturing, The Science of Power, Yang Yang, pH.D
Although I can't prove these enhancements, I can personally vouch for many of them through my continual practice of meditation and Qigong, and being trained by one of his students, I believe he's a a reputable teacher (his dual expertise as a practitioner trained in the Chinese tradition and as a scientific researcher adds to his credibility).
And why would it bother you? It was a question,
The point is not that the whole joe six pack down the street has direct access but at least that he can know if that exists or not, and maybe if it does exist and that its proven real he will give up sixpack and start meditating some to achieve that too, dont you think?
joedirt said:Science is the fastest growing religion today. It's becoming dogmatic. Those with out training are not spouting off as though they understand universal truths and such when in reality they are just spouting another persons dogma. I love science. It's why I chose it as a career, but I don't like scientist that refuse to allow for anything...since without an element of mysticism is totally lame to my eyes..but then I find science to be very mystical.
ChaoticMethod said:joedirt said:Science is the fastest growing religion today. It's becoming dogmatic. Those with out training are not spouting off as though they understand universal truths and such when in reality they are just spouting another persons dogma. I love science. It's why I chose it as a career, but I don't like scientist that refuse to allow for anything...since without an element of mysticism is totally lame to my eyes..but then I find science to be very mystical.
I have a hard time understanding why you are focusing on scientific dogma while the skepticism isn't about the fact that it isn't in accord with previous scientific models, but simply based on the fact that there is no evidence and also no personal experience.
Believing in anything because it pleases you is as closed minded as saying something is totally impossible because it goes against current scientific models.
I guess what we are asking for is for something more than "someone told me...", "I've read on the internet..." or "that youtube video shows..."
Nobody said current scientific models are an argument against Chi Powers...
You are pointing out how the scientific oriented people on this forum are being skeptical, but we could argue that others here lack critical thinking.
I think the good balance would be skeptical but open minded, wich is what Endlessness is doing here, by the way (he never says that Chi doesn't exist).
SpartanII said:I've been around long enough to see certain patterns emerging from certain members (although not necessarily with Endlessness, he's usually more respectful)
You are pointing out how the scientific oriented people on this forum are being skeptical, but we could argue that others here lack critical thinking.
Probably both.:lol:
I think the good balance would be skeptical but open minded, wich is what Endlessness is doing here, by the way (he never says that Chi doesn't exist).
I said "slightly skeptical". I know he didn't say "it doesn't exist".
endlessness said:Hmmm, can you quote some specific part of my post you feel as defensive?
SpartanII, can you show any of these benefits are more than what the benefits that any low impact exercise that unites the physical part with a more psychological approach could give?
I never said there is no benefit in practicing martial arts, internal and external, thats not what my questions are about. Im talking about specifically the 'supernatural' claims that cannot be explained, like some supposed force moving through air and knocking someone out (where did this energy come from? violation of laws of thermodynamics, and if so, what can we learn from it?)
SpartanII said:Because of my experiences in lucid dreaming, the occult and mystic practices, and psychedelics, I've learned that what we call "reality" is nothing more than a highly stable dream-state in which the "laws" of physics aren't always laws. I don't care if people don't believe me, nor do I care to try to prove it. When ones' heart and mind are closed, they don't have the necessary spiritual energy requirements and hence the flexibility of perception to experience it.
ChaoticMethod said:I know, but I don't like the way you use "skeptical" as if it wasn't in his favor. Maybe I'm misinterpreting you?
It seems to me that being at least a bit skeptical of every source information is necessary in a world in wich information is considered by politicians as a weapon and by marketers as a powerful tool.
SpartanII said:True. It's just that when one becomes too skeptical, we can close ourselves off to experiencing the magic of life. It's all about balance. Yin and yang.:d
ChaoticMethod said:But surely you have noticed that the rules aren't exactly the same in the dream reality as they are in the material, shared reality...?