Is the (totally mental)self-experience of thinking about your sensory experiences not on par with the latter?

Question

The Q above is the headline Q. Here is the Q I wanted to pose but couldn't in the Q-box : Why Is or isn't the *totally mental* private self-experience of your acts of thinking about your body's sensory experiences not on par (in quality and realness) with the latter?

"with the latter" means with sensory experiences or if you like the experiencing of your'body's sensors. What other way is there to ask a Q to compare mental experience with physical experience.
This is a Q for philosophers or students of philosophy. TWH 08202006

Battle-Axe, your silly criticisms and your ignorance about philosophy are there to see, but looking at all your Q's asked so far, I only have this comment: Come back after you acquire some experience and skill asking Q's before you go around tearing other people's Q's.

It was easy to list your Q's bec they were so few and many seemed to to be immature and possibly bigoted.
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5)Is Cindy sheehan a political hack of the leftist Front? or the same War type opportunist as the Jersey Girls.
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6)What would our country be like if Al Gore would have won the presidency? or even Kerry?

My Q was about comparing the degree of mental vividness of our thoughts about physical experiences and the thoughts directly produced by those physical experiences. Many contend, esp the empiricists, the materialists (eg scientists), that thoughts ABOUT physical experiences are frankly less strong and less important than the thoughts produced BY those experiences In response I got religion-based answers from the teachings of a Hinduist and a Zen Buddhist. One person gave me their personal theory of the role of thoughts. I was hoping persons with formal interests in and a background in the philosophy of knowledge & the philosophy of mind would have ventured an answer.

I deliberately did not ask the Q in the psychology section because science has yet to accept or prove the scientific existence of thoughts or of the mind that seems to be present when a living person speaks.

As time is running out for the Q with 9 hrs left for me to pick the best A to my Q, I proceed with the task.

Answer 1

If I understand you correctly, you're asking why is it that the quality of our mental experiences are not as good the real thing-- the gross sense perception of the world we're thinking about. If thats what you're asking, then I would say that the reason is because we're dealing with two totally different elements here. Thought is on the subtle, material plane, a subtle element just a little above ether. And because on this planet in the human sphere of consciousness we are not very developed in the art and science of mental processes, are mental activities are weak. This planet is in the middle planetary system and the bodies here are primarily earthly and watery in nature. In the higher planetary systems where the inhabitants have higher developed consciousness, their uses of mental faculities are much more productive. For example, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the instance of Kardama Muni creating a huge palace complete with all living arrangements that could travel to any part of the universe simply by his mental strength. He and his wife traveled throughout the universe in that palace for thousands of years. This is the power of a highly advanced mystic yogi.

But even on this planet, in the higher realms of meditation wherein the practitioner has totally absorbed his/her consciousness in spirituality (which requires an understanding and knowledge of the spiritual variety of the transcendental world), then he/she perceives the spiritual realm as the substantive reality and the material world as a phantasmagoria. So the next question then is, what is the reality? The material world of gross sense perception or the spiritual world of transcendental life full of bliss and knowledge? Those who have experienced both choose the latter.

Answer 2

I think you are asking why is it that actual experience never lives up to apriori expectations?

If that is correct....then

It has to do with empowerment. The mind gives power to experience, in order to trigger the volition to proceed in the direction of intentions because the physiological goal of reward through gratification tries to fulfill an unmet need in the area of ideas, thoughts and emotions. For want of better language, I will use flesh and spirit as terms identifying the duality of being here.
The spirit side of an agent may seek fulfillment and failing to find it in the spirit domain will express what it knows of the flesh's gratification in order, perhaps through osmosis, to experience that fulfillment as its own. In order to get the volition to act by proxy for the ends desired the spirit must elevate the benefit beyond what it actually is in experience because what gratifies the mental or spiritual domain of agency is higher than what the fleshly domain is capable. Therefore the flesh will never live up to the expectations of the minds ideal.

Answer 3

Zen teaching classifies mental forms as no different from sensory experience, essentially there are 7 senses. They are all equally illusory.
It seems to me that the mental realm is where most of our sociey spends most of its time, and hence all the horror we see.

With regard to your question, says that there is a difference?

Answer 4

Not only are you not much of a philosopher, you don't know how to properly frame your question.

It's more the Latter, as your thinking is afar to abstarct for the common man of the common era to rationalize on the plain existing of the pheral mind versus the non exhisting influentiial partisan of the latter fore mentioned.

Answer 5

I'm also a bit unclear about what you are actually asking, however:
Maybe because in the 'Mental' realm Imagination, Memory & Instict are Involeved? Not so in the 'Physical'?

Answer 6

Hm, it sounds to me like you're asking why is what we do different from what we think? I think that I tend to think "I can do that!" because I have little judgment. I also am dyslexic (bad coordination) and have eye problems so my depth perception is a bit off.

Answer 7

not on par with the latter?......Not a clear statement. All you did is re=state the first question. Is it not ok to think about your thoughts? That's what I get about this question. Yes, it is ok....where did you get the question?

Answer 8

Translate that into English and I will answer it.