Eastern Culture Vs North American Culture Essay

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There are quite a few similarities and differences between Eastern and North American cultural assumptions about the paranormal. One that I have found is that both Eastern and North American cultures have a belief in their deity coming down to earth, but North American culture believes that Christ came in human form while Eastern Hindu/Yogic culture believe that their deities come entirely divine. Also, I found that Eastern Hindu/Yogic cultures have dietary laws or limits with the belief that food can have an influence on people’s behavior while most North American cultures do not. Eastern Hindu/Yogic cultures believe in Avatar figures which are usually manifestations of the god Vishnu or Krishna who according to Hindu mythology enter the world in order to restore order and true knowledge after times of decline or degradation. Similarly, …show more content…
For instance, alcoholic drinks are believed to provoke or cause anger while most vegetables are believed to cause good living and healthy lifestyles. Most people in Hindu/Yogic are vegetarians while others who are not limit the meats they eat to poultry and fish. This pointed by Irving Hexman in Understanding World Religions: “Within the Hindu tradition, there are traditional classifications of food. Some foods and drinks, such as alcoholic drinks, are believed to provoke anger. Other foods, such as garlic, are believed to create sexual passion. But most vegetables are believed to produce good living and a healthy lifestyle.” (Pg.142) But in most North American cultures there is not much believe in the supernatural influence of food and those who eat a vegetarian or limited diet do it for health or out of personal principle or religion. For example, there are some Catholics who practice lent and restrict their meats to fish, Seventh-day Adventists who eat a vegetation diet, and those who have strong convictions against eating