Goines On: Previous Jessica experiments

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On his walk the morning after imagining the Jessica experiments, Goines realized that, in a way, they had been conducted many times already, by religions other than Christianity that indoctrinated their followers in the same sorts of ways to believe that if they did or believed thus and so, they would be recompensed for whatever suffering, pain, injustice, or other injury afflicted them, and saved from death in the end.
    It had even been conducted by jihadists, who were well known to recruit suicide bombers by persuading them that a heaven populated by virgins was only a dynamite blast away. Clearly, there were as many “interested parties” producing some version of a Jesus experience as there were religions (and communities and family groupings within them). And most people seemed to believe more or less what their parents and their neighbors believed. Indoctrination could be overwhelming, at least in the short run.
    And what was such an act of belief anyway? Goines wondered. What modes of perception or faculties of mind are involved? Is it intuition? Is it imagination, fantasy? A “sixth sense”? What are people doing when they accept as absolutely true something for which they have no credible evidence? What is the act of taking on faith?
    Goines’ head was sparkling, shooting these questions off to his muse, and he looked forward to relaxing with a cup of tea with Mrs. Goines after he got home from his walk. Amen to that!

[Tomorrow Goines is reminded of a revealing Bible verse.]

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