Random Questions

Sure. My point was that there is no direct influence the cardinal directions have. The kind of special they are is a kind of special our bodies do in no way respond to. This is not to say that we can't be more or less comfortable (and take similar benefits from) lying down facing towards or away from features that are in other ways significant to us. One may well be better off facing towards or away from one's door, say, but unless the door has a window of sorts for the sun or moon to shine through, it will not be much of a difference whether the door happens to be facing north or east. The article linked was about the recommendations of Vastu, an architectural tradition that has more to do with superstitions about evil spirits and good fortunes than it does with actual architecture, let alone mental or physical health. I'm sure creative and talented building and space designers of the past have crafted very pretty structures and comfortable homes respecting its recommendations, but if the benefit we are talking about here is of a sort beyond mere ooh-this-is-pretty-ness, as many believers would insist it to have, then this is, for better or worse, no longer a strictly subjective question. We don't have to seek out some forced neutrality on things like that. We wouldn't struggle to say that one's diet is no more or less healthy for being in line with some ancient beliefs regarding one's birth sign, and I for one don't see why we'd need to have any more patience with a Chinese constellation map rather than a Greek one. There are both more nuanced and more definitive answers we can give to things like this than none at all.

I might interject that what people believe directly affects their peace of mind and thus their health. So as unsubstantial a claim it may be from a logical point of view, the irrational may very much appreciate the information and sleep better for it. Specifically the religious views you mentioned.


In short, one would be fooling themselves into feeling better, which I see no issue with since that is the way we get through life.

This question aside are there any random questions from you guys? I'm inquired out!

Should knowing about, being in tune with, and seeking to improve our relationship with our body be a Jedi prerogative?

Knowing about and being in tune with, yes. Working to improve flexibility, ability and resistance; sure.

But working to improve looks or how we may believe we are perceived I would consider to be vanity. I do not see vanity as a part of the Jedi discipline.

I also would not condone working out to become "strong." Massive amounts of muscle may look cool and one could argue that it could help in different circumstances. But your heart does not know the difference between 300 lbs. of fat or muscle.

Then we could look at diet, supplements, implants... and how healthy does one need to be and/or when have you gone overboard? And actually hurt your body.

I don't have all the answers. But I will, we could all probably do a better job at taking care of ourselves. Focus a little less on what we look like and focus more on how we feel. And most importantly, be thankful for what we have, where we're at and that we do have the option of working on and improving. And not take that for granted.

Gisteron wrote: Sure. My point was that there is no direct influence the cardinal directions have. The kind of special they are is a kind of special our bodies do in no way respond to.

Hehe, well the beauty of science is finding new things I think. Because science well and truly knows it knows very little about many things… the brain and the mind not withstanding. And I think imagination can serve as a good motivator for curiosity to the depth inherent in science….. so long as the boundaries are kept clear between science and non-science.

So, considering we already know that some animals can detect the magnetic field, and use it for navigation, if I have a look for this in regards to humans, I only find things like;
- animal magnetoreception; perhaps possible in humans via ‘radical pair mechanisms’ in cryptochromes in the eyes? Then theoretically allowing some mechanism to derive magnetic field orientation information.
- neuronal ‘grid cells’ which lay within the entorhinal cortex of our brains, and have been determined to compute the form of our environmental space relative to us, for navigation including location, distance and direction.
So ‘if’ magnetic field information derived from the visual cortex did exist, then given that visual information seemingly ‘is’ fed into the grid cells for navigation, it might stand to reason that we could processes magnetic field data into our mapping of place and perhaps subsequently even purpose!

Adder wrote: So ‘if’ magnetic field information derived from the visual cortex did exist, then given that visual information seemingly ‘is’ fed into the grid cells for navigation, it might stand to reason that we could processes magnetic field data into our mapping of place and perhaps subsequently even purpose!

And yet here we are, seemingly entirely unable to sense magnetic fields, even when facing those super strong neodymium magnets at point blank range (one should at this point bear in mind that most of us sleep with our eyes closed, too, stretching yet another layer of obstruction to any signal our eyes may or may not be able to detect). The best we can do is sense a fairly narrow band of frequencies of oscillating magnetic fields we call visible light, and a somewhat broader band of lower energy radiation we feel as heat. Our eyes are so built as to be able to tell the direction the former is coming from with some accuracy, but that's not even the direction of the magnetic field, but actually an orthogonal direction to it. The direction of the field itself - one can prepare a beam in such a way that it really only has one, mind you - is something we are apparently completely insensitive to even then.
Sure, if this, and maybe that. Unlike some other forces suggested here, at least with magnetism we can say that it is a real thing, and some animals have indeed evolved senses to detect it to various extents. Humans, at the end of the day, have not. Is there some mutant human out there who can? I'd very much doubt it, just for the sheer magnitude of difference there'd have to be between them and the rest of us, all while they'd still mostly carry their parents' genes. I'm hesitant to say that there never was or never will be, too, be it only because unlike souls and auras at least there is a thing there ripe for the detecting. But at the end of the day, if we are anything alike, chances are none of us can tell the cardinal directions without consulting a map with the directions marked, a compass, or the sky (or shadows it casts, as it may be), and even then we'd have to have learned how to read those at some earlier time before they'd be any use to us. And on that note, bear in mind that animals who we know can sense the magnetic field for some reason still don't build their nests with some alignment with the cardinal directions either, almost as if their sleep and general health are also pretty much unaffected by what direction they face for it outside of what features happen to be in those respective directions.

So "Not likely as it stands now." which is as close to an absolute as I get.

In my opinion finding your own individual self is very important no matter where or when you are. Yes as Jedi we are to be aware of self conflicts and distractions, but to also be translucent to the happenings around us. (I'm unsure if I paraphrased that) The point being, is if you need a moment to isolate yourself from a situation and focus on how you feel; you should do so. I like to relate this with the pop/soda bottle effect. Shaking the bottle creates pressure to the point where it might explode, but releasing the pressure little by little the result is kept clean!

Look up biomagnetite and Magnetoreception (also magnetoception).

Check out some of the research into those.

Given the right training and mental state, I bet one could sense magnetic fields.