Originally posted by @kellyjay
Reality doesn’t depend on our heads! There are those who think it’s all real because they have it all figured out in their heads, then they have to change their minds all the time as what they think doesn’t really fit.

You cannot comment about any kind of "reality" you are aware of not, therefore the sole reality you are aware of is grounded strictly on your own mind (mental activities) in the realm of its interaction with the Physical World.

Whether something is considered "real" or "not real" herenow, is considered as such strictly according to the verified herenow knowledge of ours. Our knowledge expands constantly, so we constantly adjust our mental projections about our perceived reality.
😵

Originally posted by @black-beetle
You cannot comment about any kind of "reality" you are aware of not, therefore the sole reality you are aware of is grounded strictly on your own mind (mental activities) in the realm of its interaction with the Physical World.

Whether something is considered "real" or "not real" herenow, is considered as such strictly according to the verified here ...[text shortened]... ands constantly, so we constantly adjust our mental projections about our perceived reality.
😵

Things are exactly as they seem to be.

Originally posted by @js357
Things are exactly as they seem to be.

If whatever they seem to be is in accordance with our verified herenow scientific knowledge, yes😵

Originally posted by @js357
Things are exactly as they seem to be.

I'd like you to imagine a pyramid with three main sections.
The pinnacle as the top,
The mid section as its base,
The bottom section as still another base under that.

Can you see that picture?

Now I would like you to image that you are looking at the same three sectioned structure from the top. And imagine the three sections more like circles than triangles.

The topmost section appears as the smallest innermost circle.
The mid-section appears around it as the middle circle.
The the base appears as the outermost circle.

When you can see these two illustrations I would like to say something about the Bible's revelation of how human beings are made.

Originally posted by @sonship
I'd like you to imagine a pyramid with three main sections.
The pinnacle as the top,
The mid section as its base,
The bottom section as still another base under that.

Can you see that picture?

Now I would like you to image that you are looking at the same three sectioned structure from the top. And imagine the three sections more like circles than ...[text shortened]... rations I would like to say something about the Bible's revelation of how human beings are made.

Body, mind/soul, spirit?

Originally posted by @sonship
I'd like you to imagine a pyramid with three main sections.
The pinnacle as the top,
The mid section as its base,
The bottom section as still another base under that.

Can you see that picture?

Now I would like you to image that you are looking at the same three sectioned structure from the top. And imagine the three sections more like circles than ...[text shortened]... rations I would like to say something about the Bible's revelation of how human beings are made.

((()))

closest I can get using this iPad.

OK, go.

Originally posted by @js357
Things are exactly as they seem to be.

On the other hand, awareness of objects (mind/ mental activity) is both impermanent (for the objects we perceive each moment, change) and permanent (for our awareness of objects keeps up ad infinitum and therefore its basic nature remains unaffected by anything and thus changes not).

So everything exists in terms of dependent arising, for “this object” and/ or “that object” exist strictly in dependence on mental projections being able to validly label them as “this” or “that”. No phenomenon in the realm of our knowledge can be other than the reference of our mental projections to it
😵

Originally posted by @js357
((()))

closest I can get using this iPad.

OK, go.

The New Testament definitely speaks of man in three distinct parts - spirit and soul and body.

Originally the topmost and highest part of man was the human spirit. It corresponds to the top of the three structured pyramid.

So from bottom to top you have body and soul and spirit. The human spirit originally as the highest and preeminent function.

In the fall event the highest part of man, the spirit, sank below the other parts to one degree or another. And the topmost part since the collapse of Adam into sin has been the soul.

These three spheres were designed by God to communicate and interact with three main realms of existence.

The body is the part of man that substantiates the physical world.
The soul is that part designed to interact with other souls, other selves, in the psychological universe.
The human spirit is that organ that interacts with the spiritual realm and God.

That is enough for this post. But a proof text of the "tripartite" structure of man is First Thessolonians 5:23 .

" And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 5:23)

Originally posted by @js357
((()))

closest I can get using this iPad.

OK, go.

That will work for the concentric circles.

((()))

Man was created (body ( soul ( spirit ) ) )

The innermost part, the human spirit was also originally the highest part made to contact God in the spiritual realm.

Since the fall of Adam the spirit has become comatose, damaged, buried under the power of the soul and some cases the body.

This is further complicated in that the human soul has great capabilities in its own right, most of which are underutilized by fallen man.

But in both the East and the West ancient and modern peoples have sometime explored disciplines to unleash the laten soul power.

So you see the situation is a little complex today.
Our highest part, the human spirit meant to directly contact God, became buried under the soul and body . And the soul itself is capable of, in some cases, extraordinary power.

Unleashed soul power has been given attention to both in the East and the West with various disciplines. Yoga, Martial arts, hypnotism, clairvoyance, etc. We call these "science of the soul" or "science of the mind" disciplines. Or we call it the unleashing through practice "soulical power".

Many adherent of these disciplines mistake these phenomenon for "spiritual" power. But it is the power of the soul.

My main concern with cooperating with God for the reinstating the function of the comatose and damaged human spirit.

Originally posted by @js357
((()))

closest I can get using this iPad.

OK, go.

So our innermost spirit is a function that has been damaged.
And the soul has arisen to the top and most preeminent part of man. This is abnormal.

The three parts of man require three different operations of God in His full salvation.

The spirit requires REGENERATION.
The soul requires TRANSFORMATION.
The body requires TRANSFIGURATION.

Christ's extensive salvation includes ALL THREE needed remedies to man's fallen condition.

Therefore Paul writes of being sanctified WHOLLY - spirit and soul and body.

"And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 5:23)

Originally posted by @sonship
The New Testament definitely speaks of man in three distinct parts - spirit and soul and body.

I did not see that coming.

Some Christians do not agree with a "tripartite" structure of man.
These dear brothers usually say that in the Bible soul and spirit are synonymous.

Do they have some ground to say this?
I believe that they have some ground.
I think most of their ground to see a "dichotomous" structure rather than an "tripartite" structure is because of the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, I don't think the distinction between soul and spirit is always so clear. However it is much clearer in the New Testament.

For example in Hebrews 4:12 we see the writer speak of the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. These means that they are distinct.

" For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

So the soul of man and the spirit of man can be divided asunder by the sharp word of God which acts like a two-edged sword, piercing our heart.

I have not yet talked about the heart.
It can wait.

Originally posted by @sonship
Some Christians do not agree with a "tripartite" structure of man.
These dear brothers usually say that in the Bible [b]soul and spirit are synonymous.

Do they have some ground to say this?
I believe that they have some ground.
I think most of their ground to see a "dichotomous" structure rather than an "tripartite" structure is because of ...[text shortened]... ged sword, piercing our heart.

I have not yet talked about the heart.
It can wait.[/b]

I see. Thanks. Do you see a parallel between this model and the Trinity? Or between ii and the Freudian trinity of id, ego and superego?

I call it a model out of habit borne from my education as a chemist. I had an inorganic chemistry professor who spoke of science that way. As an example, he spoke of science as a way to rationalize our experiences and our understanding of them -- make them rational -- free of unexplained gaps and logical contradictions. The unexplained gaps are sometimes "explained" by theists using the goddidit model, and the apparent logical contradictions are "explained" my the mystery model. Neither of these approaches satisfies the urge to understand that drives science.

You are presenting a potentislly rationalizable model, at least the structure of one, for consideration and your effort is laudable. Have you had feedback from other Christians on this model? I can imagine criticisms from those wedded to these other religious "explanations."

Originally posted by @js357
I see. Thanks. Do you see a parallel between this model and the Trinity? Or between ii and the Freudian trinity of id, ego and superego?

I call it a model out of habit borne from my education as a chemist. I had an inorganic chemistry professor who spoke of science that way. As an example, he spoke of science as a way to rationalize our experiences and our ...[text shortened]... this model? I can imagine criticisms from those wedded to these other religious "explanations."

I have barely started JS357. I am just touching the surface.

But to your question about the Trinity and the tripartite man, I am not as conversant on that as some.

The three sections of the temple though closely correspond.
The outer court, the holy place, and the holy of holies.
The three major sections of both the Old Testament tabernacle and the temple I am sure, reflect this tripartite design of man.

By the way, the person that the Christian church owes much to for extensively uncovering and writing about this was a woman, a Christian sister - Mrs. Jesse Penn Lewis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessie_Penn-Lewis

More on the trichomomist nature of man perhaps latter.
I really had only started.

Originally posted by @js357
I see. Thanks. Do you see a parallel between this model and the Trinity? Or between ii and the Freudian trinity of id, ego and superego?

I call it a model out of habit borne from my education as a chemist. I had an inorganic chemistry professor who spoke of science that way. As an example, he spoke of science as a way to rationalize our experiences and our ...[text shortened]... this model? I can imagine criticisms from those wedded to these other religious "explanations."

Or between ii and the Freudian trinity of id, ego and superego?

I don't know Freud's theories in depth. What I have heard does remind me in some cases of a fallen part of man which I think he called the ID. It seems like a primitive animal like impulsive force.

This very nearly resembles the fallen Sin saturated corrupted fallen man since Adam's rebellion.

The Ego or self is drawn down by this powerful force. This much corresponds to Romans 7 and other parts of the Bible. Now that man knows within himself that something is wrong, not right, undesireable, against his higher ideal, against his nobler desire for himself would correspond to the conscience.

Freud does all this with no need for God. His Superego, as far as I can see, reminds of the human conscience. And though I have not yet said much about it, the conscience is part of the human spirit.

All this to say that I think Freud was hitting on something. But my reliance is on the revelation of the Bible.

it is not hard for thinkers in the East and West to realize something of the apparent struggle going in people. They have different ways to describe or explain this struggle.