Forbidden Knowledge

Originated by Jean-Paul Sartre, the phrase “existence precedes essence” has come to be a classic, even defining, formulation of the heart of existentialist philosophy. It’s an idea which turns traditional metaphysics on its head because throughout Western philosophy, it was always assumed that the “essence” or “nature” of a thing is more fundamental and eternal than its mere “existence.” Thus, if you want to understand a thing, what you must do is learn more about its “essence.”It should be understood that Sartre does not apply this principle universally, but only to humanity. Sartre argued that there were essentially two kinds of being. The first is being-in-itself (l’en-soi), which is characterized as fixed, complete, and having absolutely noreason for its being — it just is.This describes the world of external objects.

The second is being-for-itself (le pour-soi), which is characterized as dependent upon the former for its existence. It has no absolute, fixed, eternal nature and describes the state of humanity. Sartre, like Husserl, argued that it is an error to treat human beings in the same way we treat external objects. When we consider, for example, a hammer, we can understand its nature by listing its properties and examining the purpose for which it was created. Hammers are made by people for certain reasons — in a sense, the “essence” or “nature” of a hammer exists in the mind of the creator before the actual hammer exists in the world. Thus, one can say that when it comes to things like hammers, essence precedes existence.But is the same true of human beings? Traditionally this was assumed to be the case because people believed that humanswere created by God. According to traditional Christian mythology, humanity was created by God through a deliberate act of will and with specific ideas in mind — God knew what was to be made before humans ever existed. Thus, in the context of Christianity, humans are like hammers because the “essence” (nature, characteristics) of humanity existed in the eternal mind of God before any actual humans existed in the world.Even many atheists retained this basic premise despite the fact that they had dispensed with the accompanying premise of God. They assumed that human beings possessed some special “human nature” which constrained what a person could or could not be — basically, that they all possessed some “essence” that preceded their “existence.”Sartre, however, goes a step further and rejects this idea, arguing that it was necessary for anyone who was going to take atheism seriously. It isn’t enough to simplya......

A tiny pre-human who lived more than 900,000 years ago in what is now Kenya may have been a "short experiment" in evolution that never quite made it, scientists said Thursday. The little skull clearly belongs to an adult and was found last summer at a site where much larger hominids classified as Homo erectus lived, Richard Potts of the Smithsonian Institution and his research colleagues reported. He or she died on a volcanic ridge, perhaps mauled by a lion or other carnivore, Potts said. It is the smallest adult fossil found dating back to the time of Homo erectus, the species of pre-human that dominated between 500,000 and 1.7million years ago, Potts’ team writes in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.

Potts believes the fossil find shows that early humans lived in little groups that became separate and distinct for a while, and then came together every few thousand years or so, swapped genes and then parted ways again. “On occasion, they became isolated for a while, possibly hundreds of generations, and so developed their own unique combination of features,” Potts said in an e-mail. But dramatic climate and environmental changes known to have occurred during those times forced groups to move together again, and perhaps drove some into extinction. Perhaps there were lots of “short experiments” — species that never really quite made it, Potts said. “Inthis light, I would see the hominid population at Olorgesailie as part of a single, highly variable species, with both large and small (possibly male/female) adults.” Violent deathThis particular early human was found in an area that would have been a volcanic ridge 900,000 years ago. Potts’ team is working, as anthropologists often do, from fragments of skull -- and guessing what the rest of the creature looked like.It had carnivore bite marks on the left brow ridge, Potts said. “Quite possibly this is how the individual died. It was walking along or near the volcanic ridge leading up to the highlands (a safer nighttime place to be than by the water’s edge in the lowland) and it didn’t quite make it.”Remains of large tools have beenfound in. ...

IS IT POSSIBLE that a man can achieve immortality - to live forever? That is the startling claim of a historical figure known as Count de Saint-Germain. Records date his birth to the late 1600s, although some believe that his longevity reaches back to the time of Christ. He has appeared many times throughout history - even as recently as the 1970s - always appearing to be about 45 years old. He was known by many of the most famous figures of European history, including Casanova, Madame de Pampadour, Voltaire, King Louis XV, Catherine the Great, Anton Mesmer and others.Who was this mysterious man? Are the stories of his immortality mere legend and folklore? Or is it possible that he really did discover the secret of defeating death?ORIGINSWhen the man who first became known as Saint-Germain was born is unknown, although most accounts say he was born in the 1690s. A genealogy compiled by Annie Besant for her co-authored book, The Comte De St. Germain: The Secret of Kings, asserts that he was born the son of Francis Racoczi II, Prince of Transylvania in 1690. Other accounts, taken less seriously by most, say he was alive in the time of Jesus and attended the wedding at Cana, where the young Jesus turned water into wine. He was also said to be present at the council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.What is almost unanimously agreed on, however, is that Saint-Germain became accomplished in the art of alchemy, the mystical "science" that strives to control the elements. The foremost goal of this practice was the creation of "projection powder" or the elusive "philosopher's stone," which, it was claimed, when added to the molten form of such base metals as lead could turn them into pure silver or gold. Furthermore, this magical power could be used in an elixir that would impart immortality on those who drank it. Count de Saint-Germain, it is believed, discovered this secret of alchemy.COURTING EUROPEAN SOCIETYSaint-Germain first came into prominence in the high society of Europe in 1742. He had just spent five years in the shah of Persia's court where he had learned the jeweler's craft. He beguiled the royals and the rich with his vast.

It is hard not to be sceptical about alternative therapies. And I most definitely was when I was invited to try the Original La Stone Therapy at the newly opened Heddon Holistic Therapy Centre. I mean, can lying on a bed of warm stones really be the secret to spiritual, mental and physically harmony? I wasn’t convinced.But on my arrival at the beautifully refurbished centre on Taberna Close, in Heddon, therapist Val Thornton seemed very keen to introduce me to the wonders of hot stone massage. The treatment she specialises in and enthuses about so much originated in Arizona.It uses warm volcanic stones that are placedon top of and underneath the body, and they are used in the massage itself. Converts like Val claim it can create balance and harmony on all levels, and effect chemical, physical and spiritual healing within the mind and body. After hearing this I began to wonder.

Did Val think I was unbalanced, and in need of spiritual healing? Thankfully not. While the LaStone Therapy is useful for treating an array of ailments, it is also said to be a great way to unwind and de-stress after a long day at work. “It is deeply relaxing,” Val explained. “You really address mind, body and soul. It is very therapeutic.” “It is also good for people recovering from illness and injuries, and can help build up the immune system.” Val tookme into a darkened room with scented candles for the treatment. Lying on several stones felt odd at first but strangely comfortable. They were so expertly positioned that within minutes they seemed to have sunk into my spine and I forgot they were even there. As strange as the idea of being pushed and prodded with stones was, I found the massage extremely relaxing, even when Val placed hot little stones between each of my toes. Once again they seemed to sink into my body and I almost forgot they were there. Val says she has had clients tell her they feel like they are floating after finishing the treatment. While I did not experience this I certainly felt chilled and particularly sleepy. And as much as I hate to admit it, I found it a very good use of 45 minutes. Perhaps we ......