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Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 23, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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I was thinking about the mystical aspect of religion, not the morals or the rituals. For those who can't stomach the idea that they are just a whole bunch of physical interactions between particles and are grasping at consciousness, free will, qualia, those who would build a temple to Science decorated with aperiodic tiles and cellular automata.

“Mysticism” refers to knowledge gained through direct experience. Not every work of philosophy outside of reductive materialism is an example of “mysticism”. The works you described are honest attempts at debunking reductive materialism, which imo is not an accurate picture of reality regardless of your views on theism. You can disagree, but I would not characterize them at being motivated by an inability to stomach the truth. They simply disagree with you.