Quote:
Originally Posted by verklingen
let's say a person believes in numerology. working with the numbers he see many coincidences which he considers important. . . enough so that he now uses numbers to help him make decisions. he feels the decisions he makes this way have a better chance of turning out well for him, and that has actually turned out to be the case.
a friend who thinks numerology is bunk might think his methods are a little crazy, but would he be able to deny the effects his friend's belief in numerology has had on his life? while his friend's method is not objectively verifiable, the effects his method has produced in his life ARE objectively verifiable.
so in conclusion astrology, numerology, and other sorts of divination can be as real or fake as anyone wants to believe, but the way they can affect one's life is as real for the staunchest believer as it is for the most skeptical critic. the experience is a matter of belief, and both have a set of beliefs which begin in their mind.
|
This is fine if the effects his method have produced in his life
are objectively verifiable, but generally they are not. People determined to believe in astrology will tend to overlook inaccurate predictions and focus on the ones which line up.
Okay, so if doing that (even subconsciously) makes them happy, then the net effect is a happier life. Sounds like we both agree that that's what counts. But it's still happiness through delusion, a spiritual placebo effect.
I guess whether that matters is another issue of belief
