OK, I am happy to read that we are not considered the pinnacle of intelligence, as it saves me numerous years of psychotherapy and drug purchases :)
Furthermore, occult tradition has it that intelligence is actually very difficult for beings in material incarnation to achieve, but much less so for beings in less dense bodies. The connection between apparent UFO encounters and shamanic experiences is relevant here; it's arguably not necessary to postulate spaceships to accept the idea that we can communicate with nonhuman and, indeed, superhuman intelligences...
Do you know of any theories that explain why intelligence is more difficult in material incarnation? When I was growing up, I learned that one of the big debates centered on whether non-Carbon-based intelligence was possible (Carbon has the property of being able to bond with many elements and to itself in long chains), but of course this debate was conducted by materialists, and so non-material incarnations were ever considered.
I don't know how to interpret shamanic experiences--maybe I will be able to eventually, but the "language" seems fundamentally incompatible with the western scientific principles I was raised with. It doesn't mean that they are incorrect, but I just don't know how to "grasp" their descriptions, and so I wouldn't know how to interpret their utterances with respect to reality or aliens or whatever. However, if other intelligent life can exist in non-material form, can it also choose to move from one place at the far reaches of the universe to Earth in nonmaterial form and then assume a material form? I don't know the rules/constraints of this game...
Thanks for mentioning Jacques Vallee and John Keel--I now have a starting point :)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2025-06-23 03:51 am (UTC)Furthermore, occult tradition has it that intelligence is actually very difficult for beings in material incarnation to achieve, but much less so for beings in less dense bodies. The connection between apparent UFO encounters and shamanic experiences is relevant here; it's arguably not necessary to postulate spaceships to accept the idea that we can communicate with nonhuman and, indeed, superhuman intelligences...
Do you know of any theories that explain why intelligence is more difficult in material incarnation? When I was growing up, I learned that one of the big debates centered on whether non-Carbon-based intelligence was possible (Carbon has the property of being able to bond with many elements and to itself in long chains), but of course this debate was conducted by materialists, and so non-material incarnations were ever considered.
I don't know how to interpret shamanic experiences--maybe I will be able to eventually, but the "language" seems fundamentally incompatible with the western scientific principles I was raised with. It doesn't mean that they are incorrect, but I just don't know how to "grasp" their descriptions, and so I wouldn't know how to interpret their utterances with respect to reality or aliens or whatever. However, if other intelligent life can exist in non-material form, can it also choose to move from one place at the far reaches of the universe to Earth in nonmaterial form and then assume a material form? I don't know the rules/constraints of this game...
Thanks for mentioning Jacques Vallee and John Keel--I now have a starting point :)