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Loneliness Breeds Belief in Supernatural?

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posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 03:36 PM
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People who feel lonely are more likely to believe in the supernatural, whether that is God, angels or miracles, a new study finds.

Humans have evolved as social creatures, so loneliness cuts to the quick. Living in groups was critical to the survival and safety of our ancient ancestors, and "complete isolation or ostracism has been tantamount to a death sentence," said University of Chicago researcher Nicholas Epley, who led the study.

While group living isn't critical to survival in the modern world, feeling socially connected is. Feeling isolated and lonely is a very painful emotional state for people, Epley said, and can lead to ill health, both physically and mentally.

"Being socially isolated is just not good for you," he said.

news.yahoo.com...

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In some aspects it could be said people go mad as such but in others, it's like tuning into the universe. Many people pray in silence meditate as such and feel the presence of something beyond them in all societies.

But to add to this you have to be in a quiet place to sometimes take away all the non-sense the world throws at you and tells you what to think. When people do they realise peace that is there is also associated with God, something special something beyond them selves the missing connection.

When you are about to fall asleep or you take a few hours to and its quiet you find that the mind starts exploring possibilities and theories of life and the universe when in fact in the day time people get too busy to even care. Then they calm down and realise, maybe all the fuss of life is quite shallow to the meanings of why we are alive and how we go about treating people and the fragile earth.

This Internet can sometimes plug us into this mode of thought and a website like ATS may be doing that to us when we explore the deeper meanings of life.
Most people on ATS are probably thinking these things anyway, but you find that because you are in a quiet room, all alone, creative sense of thinking, looking for the mysterious world, we are in fact tuning into that mode of thinking anyway.

I think science is trying to be too mechanical in how the mind thinks and too text book over it, you don't need theories that brush away thinking that could delve into a deeper science.

It's like saying if you think too much about science then it’s because you are a geeky loner that is why you like science and most likely work in a quiet lab.

But on the other hand, you will get some people who are socially loners and are bound to fall into some mental collapsed state. I don't think it all relates to believing in God as many of those that end up in this pattern end up thinking they are God and feel like they can bring their own extreme answers to questions to the world in psychopathic ways.

There is a difference but it goes in circles, which can be deceiving.



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 03:41 PM
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Timelord,
I like the avatar..I posted this same one the other day
www.abovetopsecret.com...

BP



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 03:45 PM
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University of Chicago researcher Richard Epley-- probably a grad student.

What a crock!

edit to add: Oh, I mean Assistant professor.

[edit on 1/28/08 by kattraxx]



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 04:02 PM
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reply to post by BlackProjects
 


The avatar is of the Silver Surfer Marvel comics (fantastic four 2 movie) and Superman of DC comics, if people know that the two are seperate universes or shall I say companies.

The Comic is not as good as the cover as the two never battle each other which is odd, guess silver surver would win but we can not have that in the comic world, politically correctness. I have the comic book at home, its not bad but like I said it could be better, but nice cover.

There is another comic where Superman meets Galactus' and Galactus turns him into a Herald worker with the FF4 but still need that one as a collectors item.

[edit on 28-1-2008 by The time lord]



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 04:36 PM
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Originally posted by kattraxx
University of Chicago researcher Richard Epley-- probably a grad student.

What a crock!


Nah, he's a well-known researcher in decision-making and social cognition. Published lots of top quality stuff.

www.lib.uchicago.edu...

Cheers for posting the study, very interesting. I'll hunt that down later.

[edit on 28-1-2008 by melatonin]



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 04:39 PM
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reply to post by The time lord
 


I know them well but they came after my time. Silver Surfer was one of favorites. That Galactus/Superman one sounds good.

Please do search next time since I posted this exact same news a day or so ago.

Yeah overall I think it is a crock.



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 04:41 PM
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I'mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so lonely...I could.......CHI!


I hope I don't get into trouble for that!



posted on Jan, 28 2008 @ 04:44 PM
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Alos Galactus is the one that ate Kyrpton, Superman's planet in that universe which sounds good story telling. But apparently that was a frame up or something so superman fights galactus.

But anyway, its not too orginal a post I know anyway, but felt like maybe if it was heading big in the news media that it might draw some attention, I do check for similar posts but this time I got too into making it my own.



posted on Jan, 30 2008 @ 10:35 PM
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I can't speak for others, but I will take that study for what it is: a study. I have personally experienced feelings of loneliness, but I can't remember turning to God for company. I guess it depends on the individual, but I just can't speak to someone who [can't] [won't] talk back.

It's not that I think I can handle all the stuff life throws my way by myself, I am only human. I will get help and company when I can from other humans. The kind of loneliness I experience is just not something God can cure or help with.

I would consider getting a dog for companionship; cats are too independent (kinda like me); they are there for you only when they want to be.



posted on Jan, 31 2008 @ 07:22 PM
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Well...I know that if by supernatural you mean god than I would agree, but as far ghost's your probably an old ladie with 50 cats



posted on Jan, 31 2008 @ 07:56 PM
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It might be a "crock," as others have said but it also makes sense. Not that loneliness is the cause of faith but could contribute to some conversions. Think of all the inmates that covert to religions after their incarceration and isolation. But that could also be based on trials and tribulation. We are told trials and tribulation are supposed to give us a wake up call- not necessarily only bottom us out and face judgment. We're told God rebukes and chastises those he loves to get our attention and it is a fact more people turn to God in the time of a crisis. I suppose loneliness could be seen as a crisis for very social humans who aren't used to isolation. In the end, it's just a study.



posted on Oct, 1 2008 @ 01:42 PM
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Sometimes you have to look at how the media and society and the world is distracting our spiritual sides as human beings. It seems like we should not be allowed to search those paths of thoughts and many areas of modern society is shutting down the God aspect of our thought processes.

But more than that, many see the spiritual battle that goes on and the evil all the time that covers up the spiritual journey of man. In one part of the world the Middle East we have historical evidence looked up and hidden or destroyed and supressed. A bit like the Noah's Ark story in Turkey, where you would be put in danger to even expose such a thing because it clashes with Islamic teachings. Then add the underexposure of religious findings that the Bible have always claimed but are never in the mainstream media anymore.

Modern Western society let alone what Islam permits of Chritianity and other beliefs show that in the Western school prayers and asemblies and crosses in public buildings being brought down and challenged for the sake of minorities who's own beliefs require intollerance of other religions anyway. The double standards are poor in this arguement and is further proof that the spirtual minds of youths are being supressed and causing their behaviours to be souless that they would kill one another along with rising crimes.

Sometimes we need to think within, sometimes we may connect with our own emotions and have a sense of a God of a oneness with mankind and people and that protects the inner wellbeing connecting use to our souls again. To come up with excuses to suggest loneliness breeds unproven thoughts from within is like saying that these emotions don't exist and are should not be explored.



posted on Oct, 1 2008 @ 01:57 PM
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You write a good post, TimeLord ... sensitive, intelligent and well-articulated.

I agee with many of the points you've made and thank you for explaining them well so that others will have cause to consider



posted on Oct, 1 2008 @ 02:00 PM
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reply to post by Dock6
 


I just felt spirtual my self and had to write it, it felt good as I did not reherse it it just flowed. Been very negative in my posts lately so I need a change a bit.


[edit on 1-10-2008 by The time lord]



posted on Oct, 1 2008 @ 06:33 PM
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reply to post by The time lord
 


Hi The time lord,

Love your Comments as they are True as There is only One which we are all apart of...

So if there is Only The One, then I can understand there being Loneliness.

But maybe people can't accept there only being One and that is why the strive in this world.

But the wise understand The Nature of The All, and are Not Lonely because they do Not have the need, to find another but are content with all the parts of themselves, knowing we are all of The One.... LOL...

This is why there are populations of species and such diversity because behind it all, there is only The One.

I guess when we all accept this we might find life even more joyful and find more to explore, than striving against each other in numerable ways...



posted on Oct, 2 2008 @ 04:42 AM
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reply to post by AshleyD
 


With regards to inmates turning to ≶deity>, my money is on them trying to redeem themselves, in their own eyes and the eyes of society. Plus, it doesn't hurt their next parole hearing.



posted on Oct, 3 2008 @ 06:04 PM
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Sometimes people need a break from the clutter of modern society and find their spiritual selves again and I think that broken relationship and being told we are just animals that evolved give people little hope in their human nature as people. We can become so materialised with technology and the rush hour of living that we forget what being alive is all about.

I mean that is what holidays are for, for bringing use back down to reality and a oneness of the mind body and soul. Otherwise we become the robots of an ever increasing demanding society. We are being turned into robots not to think from within and not to think outwardly too which can be said is a process to of Devilish behaviour disfiguring society and making the nations spiritually weak.



posted on Oct, 5 2008 @ 01:17 PM
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Originally posted by The time lord
Sometimes people need a break from the clutter of modern society and find their spiritual selves again and I think that broken relationship and being told we are just animals that evolved give people little hope in their human nature as people. We can become so materialised with technology and the rush hour of living that we forget what being alive is all about.


I don't mean this as a personal attack, but do you realise how deluded all this sounds?

My "spiritual self"? Wtf are you talking about? Nobody has a spiritual anything, because the notion of a "spirit" is just rubbish invented by bronze-age peoples to explain life.

"What being alive is all about"? Reproduction, and that is it. We haven't forgotten jack here, mate. What broken relationship? Where are you getting all this rubbish from? You are just making it up out of thin air, and I know this because you have nothing with which to justify any of these wild, and frankly ridiculous, leaps of faith.



Originally posted by The time lordI mean that is what holidays are for, for bringing use back down to reality and a oneness of the mind body and soul. Otherwise we become the robots of an ever increasing demanding society. We are being turned into robots not to think from within and not to think outwardly too which can be said is a process to of Devilish behaviour disfiguring society and making the nations spiritually weak.


"Spiritually weak"?? Who is spiritually weak? What does spiritually weak even mean? Do you mean getting over the cancer that is blind faith? "Oneness of mind body and soul"? Honestly, this new-age pseudo-spiritual talk might wash with those of lower interrogative power, but not with me. This is just hogwash designed to sound professional and slick, but really it's a nothing. You can't have oneness with any kind of soul because such a thing is not extant.

You are advocating a return to the bad old days of ignorance, from what I can tell.

No thanks.



posted on Oct, 5 2008 @ 04:00 PM
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Hi C.C.Benjamin,

The dictionary definition of spirit:

Spirit.... The mental or moral condition or attitude, mood..

Example the spirit that something is done in...

Or the mood something is done in...

As it is often said "That's not in the Spirit of the game, or perhaps that action is in the Spirit of the game, etc.etc.

Often human Primates use words in their wrong context without knowing...

Just a little bit of frivolous information....



posted on Oct, 5 2008 @ 04:21 PM
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CC...the views in your post maybe absolutely fine for you...they are clearly your truth, but do not assume that they can be imposed on everyone and still be correct. You've used some very harsh and dismissive language in your rant there, and it doesn't make for a good conversation, which is what I thought ATS is all about...knowledge, debate and conversation.

And Time Lord....I think you posts are excellent and raise some very important issues about our spiritual connection or lack of it. Going back to the original point you made, I do have to say that I'm a little tired of people thinking I might be mentally ill just because I have a really strong spiritual connection. I absolutely am not, and I could say the same for most spiritual people. Scepticism and atheism do not insulte from the risk of mental illness, but many people will deride what they find threatening or mysterious in other people as something chemically wrong with how they work...it's the only way they can deal with it and that's fine....it's their problem.

Going back to the OP....I think those of us who are more aware, or who are starting to awaken find that isolation, even self imposed, is actually useful, even desirable. It's really hard being in the dense energy of a city when we've become used to silence and dark skies 30 miles from anywhere. Spiritual contact can be so incredibly subtle that it's difficult to discern in any other environment. The amount of spiritual contact that surfaces in the correct place away from modern society can be breathtaking. Modern environments are too noisy, to relentless in their pursuit of entertainment and every kind of stimulating fix, from food to music to drugs....even shopping...a lot of it is totally extraneous to our real needs. Unfortunately this kind of isolation makes for huge difficulties when we do have to back and interact with others...supermarkets are a nightmare for me, let alone cities. I was beside myself with delight today when I discovered that I could finally get food delivered where I live!!

This doesn't make me a hermit, or mentally ill, or even a bit unbalanced...it's just a different and augmented kind of sensitivity to very subtle energy...universal spiritual energy, as I would call it.


Just my thoughts...

Cait







 
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