That reminds me of Robert Heinlein's biggst selling book: "Straner In A Strage Land". It had almost a cult status in the 60s. The protagonist in the story had a line that pretty much summed up the whole philosophy: "Thou art God".

"Stranger in a Strange Land?" Yes I read that book. In the end he died and they took his body and cooked it up and ate him. It was considered an act of love.

Well, that's pretty much what happened to Jesus, without the cooking part. They killed him and now they eat his body and drink his blood through the ritual of the Catholic Mass. Catholics believe that the bread and wine really do become the real body and real blood of Jesus. It's called transubtantiation.

Not to be contrary but this is one of my favorite SciFi books and I've read it at least a half dozen times.

There is some question as to whether what they were eating was actually his body or not. In the book, he was doused with gasoline and set on fire, after which his followers simply left the area.

There was no mention of the body being retrieved and the meal you refer to took places several hours later.

The only indication that the meal consisted of his body is...
Jubal Hershaw, while eating: "Michael?"
One of the other followers: "Yes"

But it is true that it was considered "an act of love" - or more precisely "an act of 'grokking'".

I always thought of it in similar terms as I do the Catholic's ritualisitic cannibalism they call "communion", where partaking of the wine and wafers are representative of accepting the "spiritual gifts" of Jesus.

Anyway, that's my "expert opinion".



edit: I see Ruth beat me to the punch on the communion thing.

It has been a long time since I read the book, but that was the impression I was left with. That they actually ate him.

The term "communion" came to mind also, but that is the same term I have heard alien abductees say is used when they are abducted and their energy is somehow 'transfered' to the alien beings on the 'dark side' or another dimension. (Against their will most of the time.)

I think there was also a book written by an abductee called "communion." too.

I don't really know what the symbolic meaning of that ritual or that term is, other than one person feeding off of another person with or without their permission.

Communion: a true story : encounters with the unknown
Author Whitley Strieber
Publisher Century, 1987
ISBN 0712611525, 9780712611527
Length 299 pages
Subjects Parapsychology
Psychical research
Science / Astronomy

*****************THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID:

Spiritual enlightenment:

When you realize that nothing really matters if the world is coming to an end.

When you finally decide that death is probably better than being trapped at the bottom of a well and starving to death and you try to tempt a black widow spider you find there, to bite you.

This is one the things that Deepak Chopra mentions from the Vedic. It gives seven realization of enlightement. The final and supposedly most profound of these are a loss of fear of death.

I've never understood a fear of death. I've never felt that I feared death ever in my entire life. I have feared other things. I fear pain and severe bodily damage. Not to imply that I sit around worrying about these things, but I'm just saying I would definitely move myself out of 'harms way' rather than to be mangled.

I don't like pain. Nor does the prospect of losing limbs, eyeballs, or other vital parts of my body. In fact, I fear being mangled far more than I fear death. I don't feel that I fear death at all actually.

I would rather die than to be kept alive in a mangled condition.

I would rather die than to be kept alive in constant unrelenting pain.

I would rather die than to be incarcerated for an extended period of time.

I would gladly choose lethal injection over life imprisonment.

I'm not so sure I would choose the electric chair over life imprisonment though. But it wouldn't be the death I would fear there, it would be the method of death. I've been electrocuted personally and it's not fun. I've also watched a person being electrocuted to death and trust me, it's not something you want to experience. It's NOT a quick death! In fact, they had to hit the guy a second time! It was thoroughly disgusting.

But death itself? No. Tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear not.

Does this mean that I'm suicidal? Hardly. Just because I don't fear death doesn't mean I'm overly eager to die. But that's not because I fear death, that's just because given a choice I'd rather live. (assuming I'm healthy) But desiring life is not at all the same as fearing death.

So I've never understood the whole 'fear of death' thing.

It just doesn't make any sense to me. We're born into this world, and we all die. Death is as much a part of life as birth. If it was good enough for all the humans that came before me, then it's good enough for me.

So if not fearing death is spiritual enlightenment then I must have been born spiritually enlightened, that's all I can figure.

You saw someone put to death???



I have never feared death either. In fact I sometimes resent the fact that I have to be here.

Not live. It was on a video called "The faces of Death". Just the same it was disgusting.

I saw a lot of horrible things on that video. I think there's a whole series of them. I don't recommend watching them. I watched one of the series at a friends house some years ago and some of those images are still very strong in my memory.

It contained some pretty gory and gruesome stuff.





I hear you on that one. Sometimes I look up at the universe and shake my fist and scream, "What the hell is this life? Some kind of SICK JOKE!"

I am very grateful to be here. I am blessed with good health, a good family and a good life. I want to live as long as possible as long as life is good and I am not in pain or a burden to myself and others.

Hail to life!

I think I have heard of that video. I would imagine it had a very profound impact on you. I watched a young man die once of a gun shot wound. I looked right into his eyes and I will never forget it.

I hear you on that one. Sometimes I look up at the universe and shake my fist and scream, "What the hell is this life? Some kind of SICK JOKE!"





Exactly.

Some people have stated that 'pain' would be a reason to end/depart this life.
Yet philosophers/mystics have often stated that pain is the price to be paid for wisdom.

Pain is what motivates spiritual growth.

Not the only motivator for sure......


Hey Ruth, where do you think you'd be better suited for?
"You" would still be there.

I am obviously best suited for "here" or I wouldn't be here.

Doesn't mean I can't b!tch about it once in a while.