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Tag: Judaism

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Jan 30, 2025
acx
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Why Recurring Dream Themes?

9 min • 1,310 words • 311 comments • 280 likes • podcast (8 min)
Scott analyzes why certain themes appear in recurring dreams, proposing and examining two main theories: one based on prospective memory and another on physical sensations during sleep. Longer summary
Scott explores theories about why certain themes recur in people's dreams. He starts from an anecdote about a Jewish friend having recurring dreams about being unprepared for Shabbat, which mirrors his own dreams about being unprepared for homework or flights. He proposes that recurring dreams might be related to prospective memory - the brain's system for remembering future tasks. He then examines various common dream themes to see if they fit this theory, finding it explains some but not all types of recurring dreams. He also discusses an alternative theory about dreams being based on physical sensations during sleep, concluding there's strong evidence for the sensation theory and weaker but interesting evidence for the prospective memory theory. Shorter summary
Apr 21, 2021
acx
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No, Really, Why Are So Many Christians In Colombia Converting To Orthodox Judaism?

23 min • 3,475 words • 176 comments • 148 likes • podcast (24 min)
Scott Alexander examines the unusual trend of Colombian Christians converting to Orthodox Judaism, exploring various sociological and cultural explanations for this phenomenon. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the phenomenon of Christians in Colombia converting to Orthodox Judaism, as reported in a Washington Post article. He notes that while the numbers are small (2500-5000 converts), it's unusual given the difficulty of converting to Orthodox Judaism. Scott examines possible explanations, including the story of a megachurch pastor's conversion, broader religious shifts in Latin America, and societal factors. He suggests that conversion might be a way for people to escape problematic aspects of their society, drawing parallels with other religious conversions in Latin America and even charter cities. Shorter summary
Mar 10, 2014
ssc
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Semite Times: The Bible In Palindromes

2 min • 237 words • 16 comments
Scott presents a creative reinterpretation of the Bible using palindromes to represent key themes and stories from each major section. Longer summary
This post presents a creative interpretation of the Bible using palindromes. Each major section of the Bible is represented by one or more palindromes that capture key themes or stories. The author includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy, Judges, Prophets, Kings, & Writings, The Gospels, and Revelation. The post ends with some additional notes and apologies for omissions, as well as some extra palindromes that didn't fit into the main structure. Shorter summary