Reincarnation

[Fallen Hero]

Ok I have forgotten where the original is, so here is a little thing I heard of late and was wondering what others though.

Arguement:

How do you know what it feels like to fly/free fall?

My thoughts were, you don't it is your imagination, anything else to add to either side?

[SyBerWoLff]

Sky diving :P And I don't mean that as sarcasm, That's how humans can know what it's like to free-fall. To fly though is another thing, We can fly in planes but I know that's not what you're refering too, There really is (as of yet/that i know of) no real way for humans to truly know the feeling of flight.

I just lied (yes i feel like correcting myself and not deleteing it), Gliding, I would say this is the best we can do to flying because there's not engine, and you can stay up for quite a while if you know what you're doing and you're not inside a shell(plane).

[Alice Shade]

That`s semantical question.

It`s more about, how "flying" and "free falling" are defined, then if they could be experienced.

If e`re going to be anal about it, skydiving is not totally free - there`s air resisting falling through it. As well, as if we define flight as flying like a bird (and/or insect), then either colibri, either albatros are not flying, since they perform that feat in drastically different ways and even base prinsiples. (And dragonfly might not be flying as well, seeing as it`s principle of flying is yet another.)

So, the question is - HOW do you define "flying" and "Free falling"?

[Carnifex]

We dont really know what either of them feel like, until experienced. By free falling i am assuming you mean falling from some great height. I presume that what we think is the feeling of free falling as just an exagerated instance of something we have all experienced, regular falling.

And what it feels like to fly? Do we know this? id say that most people if they were to imagine flight would imagine it to be similar to moving on the ground, but with no ground beneath you. When imagining flight to you make any huge distinction "feeling"-wise between moving fast through air while elevated and moving fast through air and not elevated, apart from the visual difference of being elevated? (I found it difficult there to get accross what I mean)

Its all rather tricky to answer since what we think they feel like is pretty personal. I would say that we dont know how they feel we just assume them accurately. I dont think its a great stretch of the imagination, having some experience of movement, to predict what falling feels like. It is not huge evidence of previous lives where you would have experience this (which im guessing is the point of the thread because of the title)

[SyBerWoLff]

As well, as if we define flight as flying like a bird (and/or insect), then either colibri, either albatros are not flying, since they perform that feat in drastically different ways and even base prinsiples. (And dragonfly might not be flying as well, seeing as it`s principle of flying is yet another.)

Hate to burst your bubble but you contradicted yourself by saying "principle of flying" hence refering to the fact that even though they may do it differently, they are, in fact, still flying by any definition.

[AaronD]

There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying.

The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, it suggests, and try it.

The first part is easy. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt. That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground. Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard.

Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.

One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.

It is notoriously difficult to prise your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people's failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinity, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.

This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration. Bob and float, float and bob. Ignore all considerations of your own weight and simply let yourself waft higher. Do not listen to what anybody says to you at this point because they are unlikely to say anything helpful.
They are most likely to say something along the lines of, 'Good God, you can't possibly be flying!'
It is vitally important not to believe them or they will suddenly be right.

Waft higher and higher. Try a few swoops, gentle ones at first, then drift above the treetops breathing regularly. DO NOT WAVE AT ANYBODY.

When you have done this a few times you will find the moment of distraction rapidly becomes easier and easier to achieve. You will then learn all sorts of things about how to control your flight, your speed, your manoeuvrability, and the trick usually lies in not thinking too hard about whatever you want to do, but just allowing it to happen as if it was going to anyway.You will also learn about how to land properly, which is something you will almost certainly cock up, and cock up badly, on your first attempt.

There are private flying clubs you can join which help you achieve the all-important moment of distraction. They hire people with surprising bodies or opinions to leap out from behind bushes and exhibit and/or explain them at the critical moments. Few genuine hitch-hikers will be able to afford to join these clubs, but some may be able to get temporary employment at them.

— Douglas Adams, 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy,'

[SyBerWoLff]

I SOOOOOOO HAVE TO READ THAT!!

[Kokoba]

Aaron wins the thread. :D

[GeoffBoulton]

Hitch a lift with NASA and orbit the earth. Orbital motion is perpetual free-fall, constantly falling due to Earth's gravity but never hitting the ground due to your constantly changing velocity ;)

[Alice Shade]

Eh.

SyBerWoLff, it`s really easy.

Either dragonfly is flying, and does this based on some "principle of flying", either all the people, who say "dragonfly is flying" have it wrong, and it`s principle of "flying" is some other principle.

So, again, semantical question.

[Fallen Hero]

There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying.

The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, it suggests, and try it.

The first part is easy. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt. That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground. Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard.

Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.

One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.

It is notoriously difficult to prise your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people's failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinity, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.

This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration. Bob and float, float and bob. Ignore all considerations of your own weight and simply let yourself waft higher. Do not listen to what anybody says to you at this point because they are unlikely to say anything helpful.
They are most likely to say something along the lines of, 'Good God, you can't possibly be flying!'
It is vitally important not to believe them or they will suddenly be right.

Waft higher and higher. Try a few swoops, gentle ones at first, then drift above the treetops breathing regularly. DO NOT WAVE AT ANYBODY.

When you have done this a few times you will find the moment of distraction rapidly becomes easier and easier to achieve. You will then learn all sorts of things about how to control your flight, your speed, your manoeuvrability, and the trick usually lies in not thinking too hard about whatever you want to do, but just allowing it to happen as if it was going to anyway.You will also learn about how to land properly, which is something you will almost certainly cock up, and cock up badly, on your first attempt.

There are private flying clubs you can join which help you achieve the all-important moment of distraction. They hire people with surprising bodies or opinions to leap out from behind bushes and exhibit and/or explain them at the critical moments. Few genuine hitch-hikers will be able to afford to join these clubs, but some may be able to get temporary employment at them.

— Douglas Adams, 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy,'

Well, that is one way to say it.

:lol:

That book is awesome in everyway.

Flying without the assistance of machine or device.
Carnifex, how do we know that it feels the same. I would say it probably does not feel the same as controlled movement in the air eg. rollercoasters, or as movement on the ground because it is self controlled movement with no part of the body contacting the ground. Maybe it feels half and half. Paragliding is a good example, but let's also think of the feeling mentally, you know you are holding on to a sail that will keep you in the air.