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So as I had mentioned in my previous thread here http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/564729.page I was going to bring you guys some Q&A from the guy at my FLGS. Sorry for the wait, but I was finally able to bring it down to a good size (we talked a lot.)

So last weekend, I was able to talk one on one with the guy about his discussion with one of our vet players a few weeks ago. It isn't by any means an official "interview," but I think this will clear up some answers on who he his, why he said those things, and his overall feel towards the hobby. It wen't something like this:

Me: So what did you mean last time about psykers being real? Were you messing around?

Him: At first I was, but then I thought about it and it seems like such a probable thing it can't be ignored.

So then you believe certain, if not all, deities are "psykers" in their own way?

Yes and no. There is so much we don't understand about these said gods and prophets that we can't say that they were or weren't tapping into some kind of mutant gene or special power to perform miracles or do things that shock and astound.

Do you believe the Warp is real then? Because don't psykers draw their power from the Warp?

Call it whatever you want, but I do believe there is such a thing. The Force, the 3rd Dimension, the Warp, whatever. That could be the place we go to when we die, who knows, right? Sometimes the strange things that happen in our world can't be explain, so the only thing left to do is either debunk theories about the supernatural or come to accept them.

What do people think about your theories? Have you told anyone else?

*laughs* Oh yeah, plenty of people.

And how do they react?

They normally do one of two things: They get offended or they simply pass me off as a neckbeard. Sometimes both, actually. But I'm very proud of my hermit ways because I'm living my life like I want it, it doesn't harm anybody, and I make some good friends along the way. Like this group (our FLGS group).
*he strokes his greasy looking beard and smiles*

Oh, I see. Have you written any blogs or on any forums about it?

I've limited myself from just the MWG forum and Warseer. I'm a MOD on those forums, so I don't always write my own threads. I'm hoping to write a book one day explaining the possibilities and how we can all become psykers in a way.

What would you say to people who think you're just making a big deal out of a science fiction tabletop game?

I would say they are close minded fools *laughs* But really, the possibilities are endless. I'm a proud gamer and nerd. Call me neckbeard or "Great Unclean One" if you will, but remember that I might, just MIGHT have been right all along. They can be as mean as they like, I'll be the one laughing in the end when I'm able to prove to people my ideas aren't so far-fetched as they claim. I might even do a little "demonstration" *laughs*

. . . . .

And that was it. We went on to talk about the hobby and our armies like normal. I edited this down to show the most important parts (he kept directing my attention to HeroQuest).

So I hope this wasn't too long, and I hope this might clear up some doubts or assumptions, whether they were right or wrong. What do you think? Is he on to something? Out of his mind? He IS entitled to his own opinion after all, and he made it clear to me that he only talks about it when people ask or bring it up, never wanting to offend.
Let me know what you guys think, and until next time!

I am definitely glad this was posted! I can definitely see what he is talking about and if I'm frank, I kinda agree with him

I am also glad this was posted.
I am now thoroughly convinced this guys is an ignorant and deluded scatterbrain. Granted that isn't much of a change from the position I took in the previous thread, but now I am even more convinced.

These are the people that drive me away from a lot of hobby shops. I just.. can't ... why?

As I said before, I do believe it is possible, not probable though.

The only thing I have to question is his thought process on where the power comes from, which I again will make the point I made in the last thread, I cannot believe for one second if a being were able to tap into that power - and especially now that the power is being 'drawn' from a location of sorts - that one of those beings wouldn't have gone power insane and took over the world.

I don't get the big deal.

A nerdy dude has nerdy and sci-fi influenced beliefs,who cares? I just don't see why this is so odd, I've heard all manner of strange ideas from all sorts of people, that's kind of a common trait among humans. I mean if the kids sacrificing frogs to Khorne in FLGS bathroom I can see the weirdness, this just sounds like an imaginative dude who likes to escape in his own little realm where one day maybe just maybe he can find some mystical power to escape his likely mundane life. No different than dreaming of being a sports star or celebrity just a way to cope.

Sounds like someone spouting an out-there opinion for some attention, but whatever.

It could be possible, as we don't know exactly everything our brain does (and supposedly we cant as to do so would possibly mean the dissection of a living human brain breaching someones human rights, so we can never know I guess) I think if we did then we could prove if this theory is true or false.

I think IIRC (so don't quote me on it) but I remember something or someone on a video or documentary saying that we know more about the Ocean or Space than we do of our minds.

I also think he maybe putting his religious views into his theory, which could be shaky grounds but then again, Charles Darwin was on shaky grounds when he published his book on human evolution, so go figure

I find it no stranger than anyone's religious beliefs.

It is a possibility that we live in the 40k universe and it is also possible that magic men are real. Without any evidence to support his claim all it is just that: A claim. An utterly baseless one at that.

 TheCustomLime wrote:
It is a possibility that we live in the 40k universe

Wheee! Otakukin!

I have a feeling he'd label a psychotic as a psyker and hallucinogens as warp dust.

I was reading this expecting to be shocked, but he didn't seem that odd to me.

People go to church and pray to entities for whatever reason. This guy just has his own set of theories. If 2000 years ago some guy wrote a book about the warp while lighting a bush on fire - there would be a whole bunch of people in temples right now worshiping warp related activity.

I don't strictly agree or disagree.

Psychic powers are maybe possible in humans. We can't measure them in any scientific way though so we assume it isn't. Like foreseeing an event seconds before it happens, or getting a sudden urge to look up to see a pigeon about to drop one on you. Stuff like that. We use like 10% of our brain apparently maybe other functions have just eluded us because we don't know how to interpret them. Like the ability to interpret body language. We assume it's straight forward but what if it's some basic connection to another peron's mind. Who knows. It will all be laughable until science can quantify it. Like the theory of gravity was until Newton proved it.

As for the parallel universe bit, the theory exists in many forms. Heaven/Hell, afterlife, string theory etc. they all talk about it in some way or other. Maybe it's true, maybe not. Science will one day prove/disprove it.

 Bookwrack wrote:

 TheCustomLime wrote:
It is a possibility that we live in the 40k universe

Wheee! Otakukin!

I should've added the caveat that it's such a small possibility that there is equal, and perhaps greater, chance that the sky will turn pink, the song "Do you believe in magic?" by the loving spoonful will somehow play everywhere and that a madman with a flamethrower will start burning things. It's possible but very x 1.03^10^9 unlikely.

It is also possible that psychics exist but those that do claim to be psychics are either proven to be wrong or their claims are unverifiable. My point is that you can believe in anything you want but if you want to be accepted you need hard evidence.

An interesting tangent...

... did you know that, in the United States, a flamethrower is not considered a military weapon, and you can own one without a license? You can just order them on the internet, or through the suppliers of industrial bee-farm operations.

Meh, no more shocking than any other religious belief.

 Psienesis wrote:
An interesting tangent...

... did you know that, in the United States, a flamethrower is not considered a military weapon, and you can own one without a license? You can just order them on the internet, or through the suppliers of industrial bee-farm operations.

...I think I'm in the wrong line of work.

 kronk wrote:
Sounds like someone spouting an out-there opinion for some attention, but whatever.

Yep. My thought exactly. A kid/guy that's seen or read one too many science fiction pieces of media, combined with a healthy dose of attention whoring.

 gossipmeng wrote:
I was reading this expecting to be shocked, but he didn't seem that odd to me.

People go to church and pray to entities for whatever reason. This guy just has his own set of theories. If 2000 years ago some guy wrote a book about the warp while lighting a bush on fire - there would be a whole bunch of people in temples right now worshiping warp related activity.

This is one of the best comments I have read in a long time. I hope you wont mind but im stealing this for my sig.

On Topic: It is amusing the way this guy thinks. But as previously stated religions are just as amusing. I have people argue with me all the time about how there is physical and scientific proof the bible is 100% real and accurate as well as prophetic and fortold most every major event in mankinds history. At least this gent would make an interresting story out of his beliefs. Imagine him explaining how the warp has touched the earth and all the great places he could go with it. It would be like Scientology but a lot cooler and with much darker images to accompany it.

 Psienesis wrote:
I find it no stranger than anyone's religious beliefs.

+1 to this - as much as I find Any religious beliefs to be strange. I've never felt the need to have any and can't understand those who do (I'm sure there's a lack of common ground thing that contributes to this, too - as I've never been a believer.)

 chromedog wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
I find it no stranger than anyone's religious beliefs.

+1 to this - as much as I find Any religious beliefs to be strange. I've never felt the need to have any and can't understand those who do (I'm sure there's a lack of common ground thing that contributes to this, too - as I've never been a believer.)

This is funny. I find people without any religious beliefs to be strange and I struggle to understand them. I find this to be very interesting. Might I ask you one question? Where do you belief you 'go' after you die?

If 40k teaches us one thing, than it is that religion is essential for humans. After all, it is the Emperor's lack of understanding of religion that made 40k in the mess that we know.

As for the person in the OP, I really think he is taking his science fiction way too serious. Just like those scientology guys.

Religion is man made. That being said I "believe" in a entity that created us, God, but the religions were never his intent, Religion itself was made as a way to become rich and hold power over others in the middle ages.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Where do you belief you 'go' after you die?

Do we have to "go" anywhere?

WE don't I guess, matter of fact, I wouldn't mind being born again with brief periods of time as a "ghost" to recount my past lives . That being said, I would much rather SOMETHING, over black, Nothing.

 raiden wrote:
WE don't I guess, matter of fact, I wouldn't mind being born again with brief periods of time as a "ghost" to recount my past lives . That being said, I would much rather SOMETHING, over black, Nothing.

Personally, I prefer the idea of the eternal rest

This has turned into a beliefs thread. Given how it started, I think that's a natural enough evolution of the thread, but I'd like to remind everyone that these things can quickly derail into flame wars, so let's show eachother the respect that has been shown so far in the thread?

Cool.

Personally I come from a place where I don't really think it matters what happens after death, as we won't know until we get there, and by then it's too late. It's not like we'll regret it after we're dead if our conscience ends, you know?
And I think if there is an existance as powerful as what is described by a lot of religions, then I doubt that existance is going to keep track of what we do on earth, much less judge us by it based on human values.

So my stance is basically; it's not that I believe one way or the other, it's that I don't care if you're right or wrong, it won't change me one iota one way or the other.

 raiden wrote:
That being said, I would much rather SOMETHING, over black, Nothing.

Really? What if that "something" is really truly horrible? If the concept of "afterlife" turns out to be true, we are all going to several "hells". I mean, we haven't been following the commandments of God/Allah/Jupiter/Zeus/Odin/Quetzalcoatl/The Great Juju (strike one of them out, if applicable).
Also you seem to be thinking in the rather "human" terms of still being aware and experiencing the black nothing. If I am right you will not "be there" to experience that. Your awareness and consciousness will be gone with the brain that created it.

well, following the commandments of God, is actually rather easy. That aside, what I am saying is I would rather -be alive- than not exist at all.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
even if that life is a continuous cycle of an IG guardsman over and over again lol, I would rather do it, than cease to be.

I would rather be able to say, "well,... this sucks"

 raiden wrote:
well, following the commandments of God, is actually rather easy. That aside, what I am saying is I would rather -be alive- than not exist at all.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
even if that life is a continuous cycle of an IG guardsman over and over again lol, I would rather do it, than cease to be.

I would rather be able to say, "well,... this sucks"

We all have our 'druthers. But what one would rather happen, and what WILL happen, are two different things. You asked us nonbelievers where we go after we die, and I will answer for myself by saying we go nowhere - we simply cease to exist. How one 'feels' about that is rather irrelevant, just like how I 'feel' about life is rather irrelevant. The only thing I can change about these feelings are the feelings themselves.

quite right.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Still to each his own, and I like to think that, due to us being the only "animals" to have grown a sentience, and true conscience, there has to be something special to us