Is it possible to transcend rational thought?

Answer 1

Rational though is a culturally determined concept thati s extremely contingent upon current social conditions for its meaning. The idea of 'transcending' rational thought is irrelevent. Perhaps it would be useful to recall Witgenstien's ideas on language games. Each mode of thought and language is a self contained 'game' with its own rules and its own internal dynamic. Trying to play one game with the vocabularly and syntax of another (e.g trying to do philosophy using the vocabularly and internal logic of mechanics) is plainly rediculous. Therefore 'transcending' rational thought is not an option, but finding alternatives to 'rational thought' is both necessary and useful.

Answer 2

I do not know the reasons for your question. I can guess at them, perform armchair psychology, but non can presently be accurate. But what I am telling you now is that I think you should be careful of suggestions and calls for the transcendence or abandonment of rational thought. Suppose that you did so, and all that came to pass in your life from hereon was better, even that your new level of thought was some how prescient, would you feel comfortable in the knowledge that these positive outcomes essentially came from nothing, or from chance or some force you cannot confirm but by the outcomes themselves, a kind of circular reasoning? I often hear of people speaking of transcending rational thought, but I think this could lead a person to a kind of moral descendency. For, if you do not need logic to believe in something, how much would you need it to defend your friends and recognise your enemies? Would you betray the positive connotations of objective thought just so you might coincidentally be right about something, or to see in a way supposedly impossible for rationally blind to see? Could you be fair to friends still rational, and realize if transcended friends have betrayed you? However far you go with this, becareful, don't condemn the wrong people and think too well of yourself.

Answer 3

What is transcendental to rational thought is not the opposite -- irrational thought. Irrational thought is the flip side of the same coin. To transcend rational thought means to go beyond what our material conditioning and limited intelligence can conceive. For example, now we are conditioned to believe that our identity is based on the temporary body we have. We think in terms of the birthplace, family, nation, color, size, gender, occupation, etc, etc. of the body. All of these designations become our identity even though the body itself is constantly changing. This is irrational thought at its finest. But if we are confronted with the seemingly irrational idea that we are not the body and the body is just the temporary vehicle we're now riding in, we could then either reject this idea outright or we could transcend our "rational" thinking, which is actually irrationality in the guise of normal thinking, and try to understand who we really are. This is transcending rational thought. If we understand our eternal, spiritual nature, we'll transcend all material thought, rational or irrational, because we are spiritual or transcendental in nature.

Answer 4

We usually mistake our rationalizations for rational thought. We transcend the human norm when we truly engage in rational thought.

Answer 5

Transcend implies superiority. That means such thoughts could lead to something of greater value than reason alone could. Maybe such thoughts can exist, but there is no reason to believe so. That is, a rational person could not, by definition, be able to determine if such thoughts are valid or simply delusional. He would not be able to recognize their value. Such thoughts, therefore, (if they exist) are best shared with like minded folk. To identify each other, they can form a group and give it a name, and maybe meet on Sundays.

Answer 6

Yes, but it is dangerous for beginners. When you block all the rational thought in your head, you submit to the darkness (primitive thinking, subconscious). This sort of thing should be done with trained people around you. When you block rational thinking it is like you're blocking the good side of you. It is difficult to come back, and if you don't come back soon enough you might do something you'll regret in the future.

Answer 7

To transcend - to rise above - rational thought is to dream.

Answer 8

First you need to define "transcend". Do you mean go beyond? If so, then you have a problem - What is beyond rational thought? Irrational thought?

Answer 9

Depends on what you mean by "transcend". If it means replacing rational thought by something that is not, people do it all the time --- to their distinct disadvantage.

Answer 10

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, wrote the book.
Please do not disturb, I'm currently transcending transcendence.