The Great Illusion: Heaven after Death

I agree, a thread on fasting would be interesting. I have thoughts on the subject.

"Some demons can only be conquered through prayer and fasting"

I fast every day. Except Sunday. Then, I eat like a pig.

"The caveman diet" involves fasting several days per week as part of your life.

There's different degrees of fasting. You can fast yet still eat lightly. Or extreme fasts, zero food.

Food is overrated. Hunger is a sensation, not a pain.

I may have an urge to have sex, but I can stifle it, I have custody of my body and mind. I am not an animal. I also can have urges to eat, and that can be stifled also. It's cuz I have custody of my body and my mind.

Fasting is dying to the self. All function is layed in God's hands. His will be done. To live...we must die. In "the world", we can do this by fasting. (And the healthy side benefits are astounding)







a reply to: cooperton

a reply to: Ignatian

Interesting input from everyone. There undoubtedly is something to it. These past 6 months I've been researching a new form of "metabolism" that is now being discovered that involves melanin, light and water. I will post this eventually in the science forum and hope to see you all there.

What's funny is that we were all raised to believe that we MUST eat, and that following your hunger is natural and healthy. Which is simply not true. I think I mentioned this before but fasted rats lived 50% longer than rats that were allowed to eat at their own will.

I tried to direct message a couple of you with follow up questions but can't seem to find such an option here on ATS. @vethumanbeing, can you offer more detail on your experience?

Ahh, but don't underestimate or undervalue the beauty, the stunning array, the delight that comes from eating food. God created our food as well as out stomachs, so He obviously wants us to utilize them. In fact, the preparation and consumption of food is (or can be) a spiritual experience. It's a pleasure. Unfortunately, I happen to think most modern folks take this pleasure to extreme. The slightest feeling of hunger? Eat! Now! This style of living, to excess in everything, in our modern secularized world...is really starting to show. (Along with larger waistlines)

"Whoever eats my Body, drinks my blood..."

"They came to know Him in the breaking of the bread.." (The Eucharist)

Eating is goooood. Bacon is gooood. Hmmmm.




a reply to: cooperton

a reply to: Ignatian

undoubtedly. I love cooking as well. Didn't mean to go overboard with that statement. But, here is something interesting to look at from Young's Literal Translation:

"And Jehovah God saith to the woman, `What [is] this thou hast done?' and the woman saith, `The serpent hath caused me to forget -- and I do eat.'" (Gen 3:13 YLT)

Caused her to forget what? God's command? Jesus came to help us remember... our spiritual origins perhaps?

"And having taken bread, having given thanks, he brake and gave to them, saying, `This is my body, that for you is being given, this do ye -- to remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)

I think the whole point of praying before we eat is to avoid the forgetful occurence that happens when we eat. Socrates' Theory of Recollection states that all knowledge is present in us from birth (a phyletic memory), and it is a matter of remembering this knowledge that allows the ascent of the soul into the world of Forms (heaven). Language is also embedded into us, this is how people speak in tongues without having "learned" the language, and also makes sense of how Adam knew how to talk immediately. Walking is also embedded into us. You are born "knowing" how to walk, it is just a matter of getting the leg strength to be able to support yourself. Hover an infant over a treadmill, thus supporting their weight, and the walking motion will be revealed.

I went on a little tangent there, but something to point out regarding God giving us stomachs. Maybe our pre-fall anatomy was different. For example, childbirth through conventional means was not a thing before the fall of humankind:

"To the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children." (Gen 3:16)

But, this is all speculation, and I do not necessarily believe this is what happened, its just worth consideration. Also It's hard to think right now because I am literally full of sh*t (I ate a lot last night)

a reply to: Ignatian
and
a reply to: cooperton

Yes, eating is definitely over-rated. We also tend to assume that eating must be a great experience, consoling us, etc. - and so when it does not ultimately satisfy us, we eat that much more. Not sure where it is written that eating must ultimately satisfy us! Strange that in general people eat as though it should.

Eating is just an ordinary matter that we should do as another means of communing with the Divine, as you are also indicating. However, some people get into real abstinence as a method to find God inwardly and above the body. This is just as deluded as people assuming sex can lead them into divine communion.

Food and sex are just ordinary matters that should be naturally disciplined. Eat what you need to eat for optimum health and life-energy. Simple in concept, but it can take real consideration to find your optimal diet. After many years of various approaches, I find the raw vegan diet most supportive for both daily living and spiritual practices. However, that diet requires making use of copious amounts of greens (in blended drinks) to actually work. It has worked now for many years, and I cannot see eating cooked food again - it would feel dead and heavy in the body.

originally posted by: bb23108
a reply to: Ignatian
and
a reply to: cooperton

Yes, eating is definitely over-rated. We also tend to assume that eating must be a great experience, consoling us, etc. - and so when it does not ultimately satisfy us, we eat that much more. Not sure where it is written that eating must ultimately satisfy us! Strange that in general people eat as though it should.
Eating is just an ordinary matter that we should do as another means of communing with the Divine, as you are also indicating. However, some people get into real abstinence as a method to find God inwardly and above the body. This is just as deluded as people assuming sex can lead them into divine communion.

What sustains the body as a food stuff? You cannot starve yourself (you are a physical being) and have to consume 'physical food' *same body form mixology* and will not gain energy merely by peering at the sun's radiation (consuming the divine energy). COME ON...

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
I agree with you here, this is one of the main reasons the world is in the shape it is in today, people being complacent about our home being destroyed for profit. Why fight it when eternal bliss and a perfect world awaits after death?

The dogma that heaven awaits AFTER death is to not see the potential this world has of being heaven. Those who destroy the world for profit are the same ones who have the most to gain from people believing heaven comes after this life. They're the same ones who have preserved the bible and churches, they are the main facilitators of their wealth in my opinion.

There is the 'attraction' component (that which you vibrate to 1s and 0s informational component). You go to the existence bubble that best describes your being (or souls progression) after leaving this 3D life sphere. This is a place relegated to your experience [on your particular path] (you meet old friends) that are similarly on the same path point you are IN EXACT. This is not a science; it is a known place you will arrive that describes your; and others the same level of enlightenment.

originally posted by: vethumanbeing
What sustains the body as a food stuff? You cannot starve yourself (you are a physical being) and have to consume 'physical food' *same body form mixology* and will not gain energy merely by peering at the sun's radiation (consuming the divine energy). COME ON...

I think you are not understanding what I wrote. It is probably a language issue, because I often have difficulty understanding what you write.

Anyway, there is nothing in my post that suggests we should not eat - of course, eating is necessary to support the physical body! However, people often think eating can do more than this, somehow ultimately satisfy them at least in the moment. So I was criticizing that, as well as criticizing the notion that one can abstain from food and become more spiritual.

originally posted by: bb23108
originally posted by: veteranhumanbeing

vhb: What sustains the body as a food stuff? You cannot starve yourself (you are a physical being) and have to consume 'physical food' *same body form mixology* and will not gain energy merely by peering at the sun's radiation (consuming the divine energy). COME ON...

bb23108: I think you are not understanding what I wrote. It is probably a language issue, because I often have difficulty understanding what you write.
Anyway, there is nothing in my post that suggests we should not eat - of course, eating is necessary to support the physical body! However, people often think eating can do more than this, somehow ultimately satisfy them at least in the moment.

They should start at their own toes and eat/munch upwards.

bb23108: So I was criticizing that, as well as criticizing the notion that one can abstain from food and become more spiritual.

Many have done that (Buddhist monks famous for failure) and did not obtain the enlightenment sought [failed because they TOO consciously rabidly sought it]. There are also others that go on self subscribed 'fasts' or liquid diets and claim they achieved some sort of physical cleansing (of what; I know not); a placebo effect. Drink more water instead of artificially flavored caffeine infused carbonated 64 oz 'Big Gulps' from Circle K.