I should probably define what exactly I mean by “MAGIC” — it won’t be easy…
According to Google, “Magic” is the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.
That would seem to include the magic of magicians and maybe that of our Bibles
Unfortunately, it is NOT what I’m referring to here
I’m suggesting that LIFE (at least HUMAN LIFE) IS ABOVE THE LAWS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT, and actually involves what we call FREE WILL — thereby making us humans at least PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE for our own behavior!
Now, that’s MAGIC — if I’m right, in regard to freedom, we humans are like little Gods!
Then there’s “EXISTENCE”
My first hint that reality was MAGICAL was that something actually did exist — ME
NOTHING existing would make much more sense — in fact, it would make PERFECT sense
Think about it — how could there be a cause that wasn’t caused?
How could there be a first cause?
How could there have always been something?
‘m also suggesting that our personal consciousnesses — our SELVES — are magical
Where (in the Hell) did I come from?!!
Supposedly, homo sapiens have existed for 200,000 years and have produced about 100,000,000,000 (ONE-HUNDRED BILLION) selves
Is there a LIMIT to the number of potential human selves?
Probably not — there must be a potential INFINITY of different human selves…
And, if each self can exist for only one finite time at most, the PROBABILITY of me (or you) CURRENTLY existing is virtually zero
In other words, it’s very UNLIKELY that you and I CAN exist for only one finite time at most…
And finally(?), you and I should be considered “SUPER-maglcal” — think more about your current existence…
Where (in the Hell) did you (and I) come from?
You and I must be BASIC to reality
We must also be specific divisions of the infinitely divisible “UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS” (look that one up!)
I‘m suggesting that the reason we seem able to PROVE the OPPOSITE (i.e. “DETERMINISM”) is that we homo-sapiens are only in our intellectual infancy and are missing, or misunderstanding, something(s) crucial about reality
Supposedly, homo sapiens have existed for 200,000 years and have produced about 100,000,000,000 (ONE-HUNDRED BILLION) selves
Is there a LIMIT to the number of potential human selves?
Probably not — there must be a potential INFINITY of different human selves…
And, if each self can exist for only one finite time at most, the PROBABILITY of me (or you) CURRENTLY existing is virtually zero
Yet, I KNOW that I exist
My claim is that SUCH is strong evidence that I do NOT exist- for only-one-finite-time-at-most
The FACT that I exist right now is strong evidence that I am IMMORTAL
If anyone is out there reading this, YOU must be immortal also…
Somehow, I DO EXIST — and, that sure seems magical to me
I don’t KNOW that anybody else exists (including you), but I do KNOW that I exist…
Where (in the Hell) did I come from?!!!
But then, if cause and effect rules, NOTHING SHOULD exist — as there could never be A FIRST CAUSE
Therefore, cause and effect MUST NOT RULE, and MAGIC MUST BE REAL…
Apparently, the “lower” animals “TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED” – I.E. we assume that they never (or, hardly ever) wonder “how” or “why”
They appear to just REACT in whatever ways that they perceive to be in their own (or a loved one’s) best interest)
Whereas, we humans DO wonder how and why — and most of us think of ourselves as having “free will”
But then, there are some facts that we humans do TEND to take for granted – and SOME of those we probably should NOT – they deserve to be wondered about
In fact, many apparent facts actually seem “magical” when analyzed – and consequently, SUPPORT RELIGION
EXISTENCE in general, MY EXISTENCE in particular, RIGHT AND WRONG, IMMORTALITY…
These apparently magical facts should be largely RESPONSIBLE for our religions – for our tendency towards BELIEVING in magic and meaning
One of those things that we should probably NOT take for granted, but do, is our own SELVES
When analyzed, they don’t seem to fit with what we think we know about reality…
And again, they end up supporting Religion…
We take our selves for granted — when WE are probably the very last “things” that SHOULD be taken for granted
Again, we humans have apparently been around for about two-hundred thousand years, and have produced about ONE-HUNDRED BILLION EXAMPLES
That SUGGESTS, at least, that the number of POTENTIAL human selves is INFINITE…
You and I happen to be two of the current models, and If each of us human selves can exist for only one finite time at most, we are also VERY “lucky” – i.e. we did happen to exist, and we do happen to exist RIGHT NOW
Consequently, the PROBABILITY of BOTH of us existing right now is ONE OVER TWO (OR THREE) INFINITIES (just kidding…)
ME — where (in the Hell) did I come from?
Am I just one of the infinity of potential selves?
NOTHING existing would make perfect sense, whereas the existence of MY AWARENESS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE
WHERE IN THE HELL DID I COME FROM, anyway?!
We’ve just taken existence and awareness for granted — but they’re nowhere near deserving such an attitude
Here, I’m NOT really referring to the “supernatural” or “paranormal” as “magical” — I assume that they are either explainable by cause and effect or simply not real
Here, I’m CLAIMING that reality is NOT deterministic — that it is SOMEHOW, somewhat, above and beyond cause and effect — somewhat “FREE”
I’m accepting that free will DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, but that CURRENT sense is missing, or misunderstanding some thing, or things, crucial
And that, we humans are, somehow, at least somewhat, RESPONSIBLE for our own behavior
“Determinism” claims that there is no such things as free will or human responsibility
I’m suggesting that determinism seems so unavoidable to us homo-sapiens because “evolutionarily” speaking we are only infants and we’re missing or misunderstanding at least SOMETHING crucial
I tend to believe in free will for two reasons — one emotional, but one rational
If I’m not, to some extent, responsible for what I think are my own decisions, life has no meaning
I’ve recognized something that is surly magical — ME (and, I’ll spend the rest of this argument trying to explain)
To some extent, most of us well-educated homo-sapiens think that nothing is unexplainable
But wouldn’t that mean that nothing is ultimately “BASIC”?
Is that possible — can everything actually be explainable??
Was there, is there, a beginning?
I think I’m suggesting that there REALLY is a realm of the unexplainable — to which, religions attempt to link us
A realm of meaning, freedom and responsibility
Such things as: Universal Consciousness, free will, immortality, and US (you and me)
I might add to those as I go along
I’m claiming that Religions only APPEAR foolish to us well-educated homo-sapiens because
Modern science must be missing a dimension (or something) or more — and religions happen to take that, or THOSE, into account…
We may be able to “FEEL” truths to which we cannot (yet?) REASON
We’re in our evolutionary infancy, and aren’t nearly as smart as we think we are
We think that cause and effect RULES
But that MAGIC IS REAL — and somehow, we really are, at least somewhat. FREE
So, most of our public schools and universities in the West have been essentially DISCOUNTING religion — and in general, the more education we receive in the West, the LESS religious we become
I suggest that the reason this negation persists is that the serious evidence AGAINST belief is just much more OBVIOUS than is the serious evidence FOR belief (And once again, we humans are in our evolutionary infancy)
But then – the evidence FOR belief — ONCE RECOGNIZED — is almost UNDENIABLE
Most of us humans’ figure that we do have free will in that our behavior is the result of external realities but also OUR OWN TRAITS AND VALUES
The trouble, however, is that our own ORIGINAL traits and values must have been determined by EXTERNAL REALITIES — we could hardly be responsible for our own traits and values BEFORE we even existed
Taking that into account, cause and effect SHOULD rule
In other words, our behavior would seem to be COMPLETELY determined by external realities — and free will is not possible
In more other words — I can “PROVE” that there is no such thing as free will and that NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING…
However, I BELIEVE IN FREE WILL ANYWAY!
Most likely, you do also
We seem to be missing something…
If free will is real, you and I ARE simply “magical” — WE ARE SOMEHOW ABOVE THE LAWS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
We are little Gods — perhaps, we are parts of God
Perhaps, we are parts of a “universal consciousness”
If we have free will, we are at least, LIKE little Gods — and, cause and effect DOES NOT rule!
