# Other spiritual paths?



## centerpin fan (Jan 31, 2017)

I was in my local Barnes & Noble last night looking at the "Current Affairs" section.  Right next to that section was what I'll call "alternate spirituality".  (I forget the B&N term.)

Anyway, it was stuff about crystals, UFO's, etc.  I was just wondering if any of the resident AA's ever got into stuff like that or maybe other things such as est, positive thinking, New Age philosophy, etc. -- basically, any spiritual path not directly tied to a major religion.


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 31, 2017)

I remember Norman Vincent Peale, author, minister, and founder of Guideposts, was a champion of the power of positive thinking.


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## SemperFiDawg (Jan 31, 2017)

Had a friend in the Corps that used to dabble in witchcraft.  He'd go out in the woods and perform some rituals and cast a spell on a girl that supposedly would make her accept his advances.  Saw him 2 years ago at our reunion. He's still doing it, but judging by his date, he's either not very good at it or it doesn't work.


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## ambush80 (Jan 31, 2017)

SemperFiDawg said:


> Had a friend in the Corps that used to dabble in witchcraft.  He'd go out in the woods and perform some rituals and cast a spell on a girl that supposedly would make her accept his advances.  Saw him 2 years ago at our reunion. He's still doing it, but judging by his date, he's either not very good at it or it doesn't work.



Maybe he is in "Yes, No , Wait" mode.  

To the OP: when I realized that "Yes, No, Wait" could work for anything I decided to pray for or to, it lost it's practical utility.


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## drippin' rock (Feb 1, 2017)

No. I knew a guy in college that was into crystals. Found him one day balled up in his closet, crying and pitching a fit because his crystal had let him down.


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## 660griz (Feb 2, 2017)

I did read Dianetics back in the 80s. I just thought it was an interesting self-help book. Didn't realize till later it was attached to Scientology.


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## drippin' rock (Feb 2, 2017)

660griz said:


> I did read Dianetics back in the 80s. I just thought it was an interesting self-help book. Didn't realize till later it was attached to Scientology.



How could so many otherwise normal people be led astray by such silly notions as those contained in Scientology.


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## centerpin fan (Feb 3, 2017)

drippin' rock said:


> How could so many otherwise normal people be led astray by such silly notions as those contained in Scientology.



I know you guys don't see much difference in the beliefs of Scientology and Christianity, but this always makes me laugh:


_Scientology Losing Ground To New Fictionology 

LOS ANGELES—According to a report released Monday by the American Institute of Religions, the Church of Scientology, once one of the fastest-growing religious organizations in the U.S., is steadily losing members to the much newer religion Fictionology. 

"Unlike Scientology, which is based on empirically verifiable scientific tenets, Fictionology's central principles are essentially fairy tales with no connection to reality," the AIR report read. "In short, Fictionology offers its followers a mythical belief system free from the cumbersome scientific method to which Scientology is hidebound." 

Created in 2003 by self-proclaimed messiah Bud Don Ellroy, Fictionology's principles were first outlined in the self-help paperback Imaginetics: The New Pipe-Dream Of Modern Mental Make-Believe.  

Fictionology's central belief, that any imaginary construct can be incorporated into the church's ever-growing set of official doctrines, continues to gain popularity. Believers in Santa Claus, his elves, or the Tooth Fairy are permitted—even encouraged—to view them as deities. Even corporate mascots like the Kool-Aid Man are valid objects of Fictionological worship. 

"My personal savior is Batman," said Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Greg Jurgenson. "My wife chooses to follow the teachings of the Gilmore Girls. Of course, we are still beginners. Some advanced-level Fictionologists have total knowledge of every lifetime they have ever lived for the last 80 trillion years." 

"Sure, it's total _______," Jurgenson added. "But that's Fictionology. Praise Batman!" 

While the Church of Fictionology acknowledges that its purported worldwide membership of 450 billion is an invented number, the AIR report estimates that as many as 70 percent of the church's followers are former Scientologists. 

Church of Scientology public-relations spokesman Al Kurz said he was "shocked" when he learned that Fictionology is approaching the popularity of his religion. 

"Scientology is rooted in strict scientific principles, such as the measurement of engrams in the brain by the E-Meter," Kurz said. "Scientology uses strictly scientific methodologies to undo the damage done 75 million years ago by the Galactic Confederation's evil warlord Xenu—we offer our preclear followers procedures to erase overts in the reactive mind. Conversely, Fictionology is essentially just a bunch of make-believe nonsense." 

Hollywood actor David McSavage, who converted to Fictionology last year, attempted to explain. 

"Scientology can only offer data, such as how an Operating Thetan can control matter, energy, space, and time with pure thought alone," McSavage said. "But truly spiritual people don't care about data, especially those seeking an escape from very real physical, mental, or emotional problems." 

McSavage added, "As a Fictionologist, I live in a world of pretend. It's liberating." 

A tax-exempt organization, the Church of Fictionology stands poised to become a great moneymaking power if it continues to grow at its current rate—a situation Kurz called "outrageous." 

"In recruiting new members, Fictionology preys on the gullible with fanciful stories and simple-minded solutions," Kurz said. "Fictionology is depriving legitimate churches of the revenue they need to carry out charitable works worldwide—important charitable works like clearing the planet of body-thetan implants."_

http://www.theonion.com/article/scientology-losing-ground-to-new-fictionology-1327


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## bullethead (Feb 3, 2017)

The ONION .com

'nuff said


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## ambush80 (Feb 3, 2017)

centerpin fan said:


> I know you guys don't see much difference in the beliefs of Scientology and Christianity, but this always makes me laugh:
> 
> 
> _Scientology Losing Ground To New Fictionology
> ...





bullethead said:


> The ONION .com
> 
> 'nuff said



It's not quite as funny from my view precisely because I don't see much difference.  It's funnier if I compare it to an already dead religion.


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## 660griz (Feb 3, 2017)

centerpin fan said:


> I know you guys don't see much difference in the beliefs of Scientology and Christianity, but this always makes me laugh:
> 
> 
> _Scientology Losing Ground To New Fictionology
> ...


_

_


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