Force Realist TV

Charles,
You asked her to ask because nobody else would care. That is in itself more than a little sad.

Just because some deluded sap buys your rocks and sea shells, that by NO MEANS makes you an authority or expert on the subject of energy. I could sell a mystic rock to some sucker and now I'm a professional? Now I have the right to assert my opinion like it carries more weight than the rest of the community? I would argue a martial art with anyone, "professional" or not. The fact that someone teaches at the stripmall dojo does not automatically indicate mastery or expertise.

You want to tear into the community? The pretense is unreal...

Just a few comments on this last video. Charles seems to spend the first half of the video describing some form of esoteric energy that has no relevant properties in physical reality and that we have only a fleeting understanding of and yet goes on to claim we have the ability to harness and manipulate this energy. Then about half way through he completely dismisses this esoteric energy by saying it could all just be physiological! In his descriptions he demonstrates a lack of understanding of the theories of quantum mechanics, the scientific method and what science is in general. The most obvious point is his claim that science has “predicted” the heat death of the universe – implying that it’s a done deal. Science does not make utter claims in this way. It puts forth Theory based on reproducible, evidence and observation. If new evidence is discovered then those theories evolve – they are never absolute. In fact there are several competing theories surrounding the “end of the universe”.

As a formally trained high priestess in a Dianic tradition, a Reiki master and having formal education in Astro-Physics I guess I can call myself “a professional witch” as well. And yet in my “professional opinion” I fundamentally disagree with almost every aspect of what Charles is claiming. This is because this claim of professionalism is just silly. Any claims of professionalism are illusory at best. There is really no such thing as a “professional wizard” who would have any more authority to speak on “esoteric manifestations” than any other individual. These sorts of claims and opinions come wholly from subjective experience, not from any sort of universal truth especially due to the fact that there is not a single shred of universally verifiable evidence to support his claims. This renders these opinions impotent as a basis for any comprehensive claim of underlying esoteric energy or our ability to manipulate that energy.

I hope that does not come off as too harsh because it’s not meant to be - Im just trying to be be as forthright as I can be. So in that spirit let me also qualify my statements above by saying that even though these are my views, it does not mean that I dismiss “energy work” as completely useless. In fact the last part of the video begins to touch on what I would say is actually happening in energy or ritual work when the blood ritual was discussed. That ritual was about an immersion through the senses in an experience that facilitated an internal “change of a state of mind” for each individual that participated. It was not about directing some esoteric supernatural energy here or there or invoking super beings from other realms. It was simply a corporeal process that produced a natural state of altered awareness through the manipulation of emotion – a completely psychological activity internal to the individual that they allowed to come about as a response to their environment.

I would go so far as to say that this is the singular process that drives any and all forms of “energy work”. This is substantiated by the fact that there has never been any consistent or reproducible evidence of an esoteric “life force” energy that exists outside the natural forces of nature. This comes not only from science but my own personal experience as a "professional witch". Instead my experience tells me it is the power of belief that allows us to facilitate change in our personal state of mind that gives us hope and allows us to begin the journey to help ourselves. This is the only credible component to energy work. The rest is wishful thinking that has no basis in reality. In this context “The Force” simply becomes the wholly natural sensation of emotional connection we experience with each other, our environment and the universe in general. Not something that we can artificially manipulate to our own ends, but something to acknowledge as binding us in common origin and eventual destiny as an integral part of existence.

The piston does not tell the engine where to direct its energy. It is simply there to pass the energy from one place to the next as the engine does its work. The engine goes about its work regardless of the will of the piston. In this process the piston can either claim dominion over that which it has no claim or it can come into harmony with the engine and find meaning in the simple job it has been tasked with while surrendering to the fact that its ultimate fate is out of its control.

I like the distinction between professional and mastery, being the audience of the activity in terms of outside and inside that particular field, Such that I too see professional as paid by anyone, and mastery as peer accepted accomplishments as signs of capability. In business it usually represents being paid, and sometimes to be allowed to accept money for those particular services requires particular verified qualifications which could be analogous to mastery. Cannot wait to get the time to watch these videos though

I am very happy that I was able to have a Lady Sith on the show today. ^^ We got to talk about Maslow's Hierarchy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aBFbidy_TU&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnhYOEmlqMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=175e6px3k18

Trisskar, I'm glad that you made the effort to provide various definitions of the word "professional." True, one can claim to be a professional if one is being paid for one's services. I think, though, that people may be confusing "professional" with "licensed" or "certified" or with having a degree from an "accredited" educational institution. These awards are given by various entities of repute who are accepted as having done the necessary work to affirm that what the individual has learned or practices is up to a particular standard, usually (though not always; we have to be careful) based, at least in some major part, on a generally accepted way of measuring and exploring our shared reality: science. He may be a professional by definition, but by what authority can he reasonably be considered an expert or even proficient in his profession (as has been addressed by other perceptive posters)? This is a worthy discussion in etymology and semantics.

I know charles from years of friendship. We have met at several gatherings. He's been in and apart of my home and family. He is a great friend So, my statements were not ever meant to discredit or judge him poorly.

However....

As you said. It is a good topic of discussion....one I feel necessary. It seems in today's world this idea of "Anyone can be anything" and just simply claim "Im a professional" is getting a touch out of hand - and as a result, the overall quality of care and true professionalism is being watered down with amateur claims. "Well I'm getting paid!" that's great. I could go outside, paint up a handful of rocks and sell them down at the ren fare as "Fairy Stones" and get paid for those too.....doesn't mean that I am a professional fairy stone collector

Words like "Professional" should stand and mean something of importance and quality. Not used to make yourself look like a bad ass wizard lol nothing wrong with being a "Paid Wizard"

Jedi Druid wrote: These awards are given by various entities of repute who are accepted as having done the necessary work to affirm that what the individual has learned or practices is up to a particular standard...

The entire process of which is arbitrary. Outside of it being your username, what makes you either Jedi or Druid? For at least half of that equation, it's because someone decided to found a group using those titles, and then you joined that group. The truth may be slightly more complicated than that (especially if you're a member of a clergy somewhere), but ultimately, it's a completely arbitrary font of "repute" and the standards are contrived.

The same goes with "professional wizardry."

Unless it's something regulated by the gov't where you live, every such occurrence of someone adhering to these "particular standards" is completely optional because they are so arbitrary and intentionally contrived. There's nothing to prove that someone who claims a living as a "wizard" is being false or failing to live up to standards until we have a definition of "wizard" that is universal, and even then it doesn't really mean anything until we apply leverage to that definition through the force of numbers. Which, incidentally, is great, because the quadrillion and seven member accounts here can't even decide what makes a Jedi a Jedi except "you say that you are."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7cjXeVs9yg