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thrillstalker

spiritual skydiving???

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My early skydiving idol started a freefly school and I had the privilege of being his first official student. He later passed away while skydiving.

Years later, I took coaching and passed the AD test with a legend in the sport so I could compete in the Space Games. My ball master was later paralyzed while skydiving.

Years later our team (Gravity Rats) started handing out rat numbers to dedicated freeflyers we jumped with. My good friend, Rat 5, was later killed while skydiving.

Years later, we entered our Rat Video in the Fly Boys Film Festival and took first place. Recently Rat 94 passed away while jumping.

Is skydiving spiritual? It is for me. How can it not be?




Dedicated to Brad Slager, John Matthews, Chris Salin, Eli Thompson


Rat for Life - Fly till I die
When them stupid ass bitches ask why

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Yes. It's very very simple - if [I believe] there is no god, [then I believe] the influence of god is zero, zip, nothing.

I put the brackets in there for you.



Since our whole discussion is about what people think, I would have thought that you could figure out that's what I meant from the context. See the second set of brackets added to make sure it's absolutely crystal clear for you.

Anyway, point being, no, people who think there is no god do not attribute anything, good or bad, to god. That's basic logic.



The logic was right the first time. Non-existent entities cannot not affect anything. Beliefs notwithstanding.

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i didnt mean god in any way. i am not a believer personally. by spiritual i mean that i kind of go to another place in myself, almost like i have found some sort of piece within that i havent been able to find anywhere else. i really enjoy the mental break skydiving gives me. for that few minutes the "real" world doesnt exist for me. kinda like living in the now, there is only one task you have and that is to get to the ground safely or you die. its just liberating for me.


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I think this is well said. These words more or less explain what jumping does for many of us. Many of us are haunted by our past. It's hard to forget all that shit. Many of us are worried about our future. Again how do you forget that. But when I jump I am thinking of one thing....the present. It is liberating.

It is also extreme fun. Where else can you fly like a bird using your arms, legs, and body.

There is also a comradery with others. Many of us need that.

There is also a connection to a higher power. Since I'm not a believer...my higher power is nature. I feel connected there. I feel it when I'm outdoors doing whatever. When I'm out in nature, life makes sense. It's an escape from the crazy rat race we often are trapped in. For me nature is a healing place. Skydiving is a part of all that, for me....

Is it any wonder that some say that skydiving is addictive. It's the ultimate natural high....

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Let me just ask you something. Most atheists (even agnostics) call themselves free thinkers, personally, I think just cancelling out all possiblity that a natural spirit of wisdom exists is taking the easy way out. So, ponder these questions as much as you will allow yourself.

What is life? (Ive heard the mysterious argument before... its also the easy way out)
Can life become non-existant?
What is truth? (Ive heard the truth only exists because we percieve it argument... also the easy way)
Can truth become non-existant? (There are some laws of physics that seem not able to be broken, so a law that cant be broken is based on truth)

Is it at least possible that the only way a consiousness continues to exist is if it believes it does/will? Our will to live is much stronger than our ability... I often wonder why that is. Life itself is so fragile, can be taken from our bodys in literally an instant (not even sure if the amount of time it takes to actually leave is measurable) But yet, even as fragile as it is, most still believe it wont happen today. (To me, the person who believes that doesnt live by the truth.)

There seem to be things that empower life to live fully. A miracle being one (in my eyes anyway). A host (body, and some would believe even a soul in a body).

Human beings are not the only thing that have life... Life is everywhere, so its only natural to have a connection with it. So the beginning of my philosophy of possibility begins with a few very simple questions, that deeply intrigue in alot of meditative minds. Something that as humans, we are able to do. Its facsinating to me that we have at least the ability to percieve a connection with life beyond what we see or even feel. I say feel because this guy started this thread basically not fully able to fully express what he is feeling in this sport. It often sounds to me that when someone cant express something fully, but knows its there, they use the word spiritual.

Truth and Life for some have a much deeper connection than what is often revealed to others. I would hardly begin to assume that they have very little logic or rationale in their thinking. Which is the intent that is so often projected in these forums, and clearly evident in some of the more "juvenile" posts I have seen;)

So at the risk of being pounded some more, I will ask these questions and see what they mean to you, or at least I will get some idea of how much thought your freethinking has allowed you. Besides, Im at work with an extremely different co-worker is is hard to work with, so, what else do I have to do?

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I have no belief in the supernatural, so spirituality isn't the word to describe how skydiving affects me.

Skydiving brings me a temporary but thorough release of stress. At the moment, it's the only thing that can consistently bring me happiness. Even on jumps that are intense and complicated, I feel at peace with everything.

The best way to put it is that it's the ideal activity to relax my mind. I rarely have a lasting thought while in freefall, and the thoughts I get under canopy are almost always positive.

It brings me clarity and joy. That's all there is to it for me.
Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

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does skydiving have a spiritual aspect to it for you? i know it does for me, just curious to hear some explanations.



Spirituality for me, is setting aside preconceived ideas of self and embracing a higher power that shapes reality with a different perspective. Skydiving definitely does that for me.

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