I recall an anecdote told about an occult teacher at the beginning of the last century. At the end of one of his lectures, there was the usual Q&A. One of the questions was something along the lines of: is there intelligent life else where in the universe (though the exact wording I don't really recall - and I now realize it would be important to know the exact wording of the question). His response was interesting. He closed his eyes - or looked down - and was silent for an unusually long, a-typically long, space of time. Finally he gave his response, saying that he would not answer the question as his task on the earth was very specific and he would not deflect from that task by answering such a question. It's a significant non-answer from someone of considerable occult capacities imo. Gives one pause.
Yes, I, too, believe there is advanced intelligent life existing in the universe - but of a kind we cannot conceive. It makes sense that there would be. Humanity has known about these beings for always. It's only 'recently' - in the last few centuries - that humanity's memory has lapsed. Nomenclature becomes an issue and the arguments over the names of these beings is not worth the time. Communication with these other beings has taken place - but there are constraints.
But the idea that a being without the human's physical sense body would still exist in this human physical reality is an interesting possibility - but it seems unlikely. This plane of existence is the human-perceptual plane of existence. All who live as we do will be 'human' and look as we do. Is there an advanced 'human'? I think there is, but as the ancient text states: look on the moment when an individual is on the threshold of becoming 'more than man' with 'fear and trembling' (meaning 'respect'). I do believe that there are beings greater than humanity - more intelligent, more capable - but I do not believe there are beings that are merely a basic re-working of who we are currently as humans.
You mean
demons?
I believe there is - for lack of a better term - disembodied intelligent life existing in our reality (if not our
physical reality) as well. I believe this for similar reasons that I believe there is non-human, intelligent life
with physical bodies: Because there is no reason to believe they couldn't exist, and imho it seems likely that they would.
In other words, I believe there are a variety of intelligent, non-human forms of life in our reality (both physical and perhaps non-physical). However, I have never had any experience/encounter with such an entity myself.
Refuel? What manner of (intergalactic) technology would need to 'refuel'? What manner of beings capable of such a traverse would be 'investigating', or 'experimenting' - or doing anything out of mere 'curiosity'? Dabbling aimlessly? There is a saying that I've come across - first heard it said in a film - something about some men see the world as it is, but most see it as they are. This is reminiscent of that. Any projection out into a supposed alien civilization is painfully obvious as a projection of who and what we are as humans now.
I think it's a mistake to be monistic in this regard: to contend that any intelligent, physical, non-human race that theoretically might exist
must be omniscient.
Take us for example: We just recently tiptoed into the ocean of the cosmos (h/t Sagan) but haven't managed to make it back. If/when we visit another Earth-like planet, we will certainly refuel (if not our vessel, perhaps ourselves - if we have organic bodies, that is), investigate, explore, etc.
Also, who's to say that some of these theoretical visits to Earth aren't "teenagers" out for a spin on the backroads? Sure, it sounds ludicrous, but truth is always stranger than fiction.
Re: the dolphin analogy: Do you think that the dolphin population as a whole realizes that humans exist, that humans have some dolphins in captivity, and that we've been experimenting on and studying dolphins for years? No, dolphins as a whole don't know this, but we've been "blatantly" doing so for years. Again, not a perfect analogy, but the point I'm trying to make is that we must be careful not to suppose that the reason "aliens" have alluded us is because they are omniscient. We're certainly not and I've never heard of dolphins capturing a human.
They may be closer to us than we suspect, but also further from us than we can comprehend.
My belief (which is probably too strong of a word) is that in our reality there exist a variety of extraterrestrial life forms; some of which are intelligent, some of which are not; some of which are disembodied; some of which are not; some of which are comparatively omniscient, some of which are not; etc.
There was a thread here that was lamenting how 'at an end' humanity is now. After 'all this time' look where we have brought ourselves. I see it as quite the reverse - humanity is very much at it's beginnings. IMO We are very primitive - our future is the long reach.
I don't disagree with this.
I've never heard of consensus science, though I can imagine what you mean.
As you know, Science is a dynamic, self-correcting process. At any given time, there is usually one model/theory per domain that a majority of scientists support via consensus. However, many other scientists may support competing models/theories. And finally, Consensus Science does not = Objective Reality.
By 'Consensus Subjective Reality' do you mean a shared belief system?
Yep, pretty much. "Common sense," culture, and stuff like that.
Soupie said: When humans conquered the globe, of course we began to think about frontiers and foreigners that might exist off planet. That doesn't mean they're not there.
But why do they need to be there? Why do we posit them?
For lack of a better term, I think it's in our DNA. We're animals after all. There's always a predator/outsider lurking around the corner or over the next mountain. And hasn't that always been the case for humans, at least according to Consensus Science? Homosapiens sapiens is top dog now, so we either fight over territory and resources with ourselves (which of course we do) or we look off world for new frontiers (territory, resources, and peoples to conquer and pillage).
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