Theos-Talk Archives (March 2002 Message tt00509)

Brigitte

I hesitated in writing the post because I read for pleasure and don''t keep
my copies. But I will answer you as best I can. The "New Scientist" cover
story issue was one to three years ago. "New Scientist" send subscribers an
index of articles about every three months. I don't save the index because
I don't save the magazines. The editor wrote an editorial in which he
listed six or seven objections to memes and comparing them to the soul.
You are right it was a very good issue. "New Scientist" has an online
edition. I think the issue is new enough to be online.

The "Economist" ran the survey (about 3 to 5 pages) about three to five
years ago. That to is online at http://www.economist.com.

----- Original Message -----
From: "bri_mue" <bri_mue@yahoo.com>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 2:23 AM
Subject: Theos-World Re: to Brigitte - memes and Ken Wilbur.


> David Blankenship: "The "Economist" ran a summation of the current
> status of the mind - brain duality"
>
> Can you give a reference pls, date , article title or/and name of
> author ? Would like to look it up, see what they say.
>
> I agree with you that the memes of Ken Wilbur/Hawkins are just a
> hypothesis be it a partly scientificly based one. I don't think one
> can say that about elves and gnomes, I don't know of any modern
> scientists that accept these even as a hypothesis.
>
> Wilbur was a member of the TS however and had his first book
> published by the TS Quest Publications. But I am not a believer of
> memes.
>
> Regarding religious beliefs, yes you are right reincarnation is
> one of them. And there are indeed tausends of different religious and
> cultural after death beliefs that are all
> different.
>
>
>
Bri.
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In theos-talk@y..., "David Blankenship" <david-blankenship@a...>
> wrote:
> > Perhaps it would help to the understanding of memes to know where
> Dawkins is
> > coming from. He is a noted atheist, who believes that the brain
> and
> the
> > gene is all that makes up a human consciousness. "New Scientist"
> ran a
> > cover story on the meme and several articles. The brain has been
> > extensively mapped and the meme is as nebulous as the soul, angels
> and
> > fairies.
> >
> > The "Economist" ran a summation of the current status of the mind
> -
> brain
> > duality and said it was a draw with neither side the clear winner.
> Also
> > that there are diehards on both sides that will go to extraordinary
> lengths.
> >
> > It is better to admit to being an optimistic agnostic who chooses
> to
> believe
> > there is a purpose to life than a pessimist. I don't know what
> Brigitte
> > believes, but I tend to believe in reincarnation and karma.
> >
> > David Blankenship
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Gerald Schueler" <gschueler@e...>
> > To: <theos-talk@y...>
> > Cc: <theos-l@l...>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 12:00 PM
> > Subject: Theos-World Re to Brigitte - memes
> >
> >
> > >
> > > <<<What do you think about this idea of "Memes" nowadays, that
> started
> > with the 1976 Richard Dawkins book on evolution (taking in
> account
> that
> > the SD also mentions evolution a lot) called "The Selfish Gene",
> and
> has
> > been further defined in that "memes" are fundamental units of
> culture,
> > passed
> > > on by imitation, and a question that comes up is whether taking
> a
> meme's
> > eye view of cultural evolution leads to any useful scientific work ?
> > > One argument against making "imitation" the centerpiece of mimetic
> > mechanisms, and an alternative ides has been proposed of a
> distinction
> > > between surface-level memes and deep-level memes by asserting
> that
> > deep-level memes are not acquired by imitation but rather by a
> complex
> > process of construction and integration.>>>
> > >
> > > I tend to agree with it as a conditional truth, but it is only
> one side of
> > a dualism, being a polar opposite to cooperation, which is also
> discussed
> > nowdays as a possible evolutionary causal factor. Both selfishness
> and
> > cooperation are certainly in our skandhas in mixed amounts. Maya is
> all
> > about the belief in a self. Once this belief takes hold, we grasp
> onto it,
> > and we want it to continue and to be happy and to have pleasurable
> > experiences while avoiding unpleasant experiences. Thus the
> fundamental
> > concept of a self drives the whole evolutionary train (and NOT some
> Logos as
> > many Theosophists like to think). Memes would seem to into into
> this
> scheme,
> > but we cannot forget its polar opposite which is cooperation, and
> evolution
> > occurs as these two factors interact as a result of the belief in a
> self.
> > >
> > > Jerry S.
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>