bummer. we need your yang (oo-er). sometimes there's far too much ying around here.

you'll be back though...

This is indeed a major bummer. As I've said before, Burnt's rational, objective and grounded perspective is something all people could learn from, his departure is a loss for the Nexus. I hope he returns.

let me be one more to say: think about reconsidering this, burnt... You are very important to this forum and your contributions are very very appreciated! While you may get into arguments that seem fruitless with certain people, you can be sure there are many other people (like me) that maybe dont participate but watch and take benefit from those arguments and from the links and sources you quote to back up what say, and use the discussion to strenghten their own knowledge. Not to mention the incredible value of the theoretical scientific posts on the different alkaloids, thats really priceless!


Just like all of us, sometimes you may get carried away with your emotions in certain subjects, but thats life, whats important is that you are self critical to realize and reconsider your opinions, being humble to apologize when a mistake or over reaction is noticed or pointed by others, which you do!

I understand if you decide to take a break anyways, lately I also have been less active than before due to things happening in 'real' life, so I think its good if you decide to use your time in other productive things. But please, dont make this as a final decision... Do pass by sometime when you have time!

all the best!

do your thing burnt. you will be alright
hopefully see you around later

no need to say farewell you emotional bastard

good luck

As you can see burnt, many of us will be beating our breast in anguish, lamenting your absence. We need more staunch materialists in the community, and you've held the helm like no other.

QQ MORE

I don't understand why you feel the need to leave forever; that's an odd choice. Why not just stick to commenting on what you want to comment on and leave other things alone?

You obviously enjoy science so for the community, check in every once in a while to answer some hard questions or something

Yup – there’s one here I don’t bother getting involved in debates about spirituality/2012/alternative dimensions etc. etc., I don’t believe there’s any argument I can give on matters spiritual that would further the conversation. There are a lot of non-spiritual heads out here who hold similar views to you, we just tend to be quiet about our non-belief! I think we can be better served by ignoring that which is unimportant and concentrating on furthering knowledge which is useful and relevant to us.

I don’t personally believe that rational thought can ever surpass belief and spirituality, but the number of us who stand for reason is certainly not shrinking and it is people like you who are helping to increase our number.

I find myself disagreeing with burnt fairly often as it pertains to the big picture at play here (I must lack reason and knowledge?), but he is a valuable member of this community who I do happen to have great respect for. god speed burnt!

Endless, you have turned my feelings about this into words. Burnt, if you are reading this, the loss of your knowledge and your cool scientific demeanor will not be taken lightly. You approach to discovering truth and knowledge is the right one. It is an approach based upon tangible experience and evidence, and losing that will be a devastating loss to this community. Many will come and go never knowing the wealth that was burnt had existed here, but those who have been here will not forget shortly.

I do not urge you to reconsider, I would only urge you to do what makes you most happy and spreads the most knowledge to others. Knowledge is a means of eradicating ignorance and error, and your contributions on this forum have done a great deal to fight for the happiness of other living beings, whether you know it or not.

burnt,

This deeply saddens me. The Nexus will be significantly weakened without your strong, scientific, rational, even dare I say Devil's Advocate posts. Your chemistry/scientific knowledge base is invaluable and will be lost rather quickly as it fades into the background here over time without your active presence.

I don't know you, but I have spoken about you to both my husband and my brother & sister in law, those whom I can discuss spice issues with safely and comfortably. My husband, though not a scientist, shares your rationalism and rootedness in atheism and the scientific method. He is just beginning to become a presence on the Nexus and I know he already misses you!

I have felt a deep admiration for you - you're a better (wo)man than I. You are one of the only ones of us who has "kept his head" upon having that left temporal lobe (the area responsible for mystical feelings among other things) completely fried by our good friend DMT.

I wish you success, luck and happiness. May your path lead you away from the rigidity you dislike and towards the forward movement you seek.

Peace & Love,
Pandora

Science belongs to the nexus like spirituality. But there's no room for ignorance.

exactly!

both of these have equal place here even though they are in direct paradox its all about the balance

Science IS my spirituality because there's no truer beauty than what is.

Burnt knows this, though he/she wouldn't call it spirituality

That's what I meant by that.
The problem of our culture is, that it's lost the connection to the ...well...."other dimension" of existence. It's not hard to see, that the EGO took over and with the ego came the seperation of mind and the thing we call "civilization".

But that doesn't mean that ego is not a valid and valuable part of our existence. We should not forget that and the things science provides us with.

Why can't there be a balance of every part of the human mind? That would be peace I guess.

this!, obliguhl...

is precisely the kind of objectiveness, openeness and acceptance of others that make you indsiposable to this community,

sometimes I feel what you just said in 1 or 2 sentances could have taken a few threads to acheive!!!


I absolutely love this view that by accepting science we are also accepting spirituality!

i mean our extractions would be futile if it was not for science, yet our science would be futile if it was not for our imagination!!!!!!!!!!!

the greatest pioneers of science at one point could only DREAM of such advances,

yet when great minds on this forum let rip at their imagination... whos to say their or our dreams wont come true!!!

darryn

^^ I agree with this. It really is a shame to see burnt leave. Many of us here agree with him a lot of the time. The trouble is there are very few of us who have the scientific background to contribute in the way he can.

It is very easy to argure against the scientific position burnt normally takes, but how can you debate against the pseudo-science arguments so often seen on the Nexus without having the phd or textbook etc to back you up? If you have a reasonable and scientific point of view, but not the hard facts, you can do more damage than good by voicing your opinion! It is a difficult situation, and that is why I think many of us keep quiet, like d.l.b. said. This also leads to an unrepresentative amount of debate / friction aimed against burnts position, which I can imagine was very frustrating for him.

It is my view that if we take anything away from what burnt has done for the Nexus, it would be that those who agree with him endeavour to find out more scientific facts related to the psychadelic experience. It will be difficult for someone to fill those boots, but maybe he can inspire us to try.

As he suggested - if enough of us do, maybe this amazing experience will start to get the respect it deserves from wider society.

Good luck burnt, and thanks!

science is certainly not a non- beleif in my opinion.

certain scientific minded people ONLY BELIEVE that science holds the answer and anything that science hasnt "proved" or can not prove within the realms of its pre required probability requirements is ridiculous,

yet what stikes me is by by disregarding a non proven scientific theory one is submitting all faith to science.

so in some perverse way this makes the scientific approach seem almost religious which is in direct paradox to the model of science itself.

we are all part of an intricate double sided jigsaw, one part spiritual the other scientific,

if we get the balance right, we may slide the nxt piece into place on our way to complete the puzzle,

if not all we have is a bunch of shapes that dont fit.....

much love people

this whole science as a belief system is an endless debate..and to an extent I agree it most certainly is a belief system..sometimes with nearly as much dogma attatched to it as religion..sometimes not..

There is not one specific type of scientist..so this debateis endless.

dam straight fractal

I feel honored...
Thank you very much for the kind words!