Materialism/Dualism: Theories
1. a) Materialism is a theory incorporating several views from other theory sets. The basis of the overall theory is that all things are reducible to the material or physical in terms of bodies, elements or processes. In this, the theory resonates most closely with simplicity. No matter how complex a thing may seem, it is always reducible to the physical. The simplicity of materialism entails that it does not sympathize with complex systems of dualism, philosophy or faith that might include abstract or spiritual terms. It denies the realism of spiritual entities by reducing them to the physical processes of the human mind. For the materialist, all things spring from a single, material source. It is through physical human brain processes that spiritual ideals and entities exist. This coincides with Descartes' idea that all that exists can be connected to the human perception through the five senses. Scientific evidence is often used as support for the materialistic system of thought. It is this association with science, as well as the simplicity of reductionism according to which materialism operates, have attracted a number of philosophers, including Descartes.b) The explanatory impotence of duality is often used to fu
Indeed, parapsychology within itself also entails a dualism of its own. On the one hand, there are apparently inexplicable talents within a person him- or herself. Examples of this include using the force of will to influence physical objects, such as telekinesis, communicating using only thoughts, and the above-mentioned clairvoyance; the ability to predict future events accurately. In parapsychology, these talents are ascribed to the mind as separate from the physical consciousness. In religion one therefore finds several types of dualism: the one within the human being, between the body and soul, in physical organisms between humanity and other life forms, and in the nature of the universe between the physical and the spiritual; the seen and the unseen. Religion has thus separated and complicated the world of materialism into a complexity of philosophies. This is the basis from which William Ockham draws his principles of unnecessary dualism. For him it was better to unify the parts for the sake of understanding God. The separation of dualism serves only to complicate knowledge. One should forever strive for a higher form of knowledge. For Ockham the only way in which this could be accomplished was to steer away from dualism and towards monism. For him then the spiritual was to be unified with the physical, to eventually become purely spiritual rather than the dual combination of the physical and spiritual. Other parapsychological phenomena include spirits and ghosts. Some of these can be called forth at will by a clairvoyant or other such talented persons. The most well-known form of this is persons communicating physically with the spirits of departed persons, usually for the purpose of imparting messages to their loved ones. Other phenomena include involuntary sightings or experiences such as poltergeists or simply appearances. Poltergeists also entail telekinesis, but in this case the talent belongs to the spiritu
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