First I would like to dispel some myths that your espousing.

Myth #1 "As far as Gra: since there is no centralized National Authority(i.e., Sanhedrin, Babylonian Talmudic academies) "

This, of course, is a fictional "Heter" that lives within the extreme left wing of Orthodoxy as a license to deviate from the standard halachic. this is definitely wrong, since then, there couldn't be a Shulchon Orech, which tells us which view is the one we need to follow. The rules of Acheri Harabim L'Hatos (going after majority rule) and going after the greater authority (Gadal V' Katon) still applies (whether D'oraisah or Midarabanan see Shach YD 242 in his Hanhagas Issur V'Heter.) This is elementary. Thus on my side is the vast many Rishonim and Achronim (Rov) and the greater authorities (Which the Gra is probably the most authoritative Achronim, but all the major Achronim on Shulchon Orech quotes them.)

Myth #2 "I don't believe even midrash from the Talmud era is halakhically binding- let alone post Talmudic"

I already have went through in detail in the thread of "Kollel vs. Working" that the more authoritative opinion (of both the most Shitos and plus the greater ones) hold that not accepting Agadita is Apikorses (heretic.) Though it's also part of the propaganda of the left of taking the minority view and the lesser know rabbi's view that it's permitted. Of course that not all of them are meant to take literal, but it can't be disregarded. If you can't figure out what they're saying, you can be left with a Tzaruch Eyun, but not disregard them.

Even if it wouldn't be binding, it would be illogical to disagree, as I pointed out in my logic chart in which I proved this to be so.

Quote "p.s. would you say that Gra is from the line of Nachmanides who believed that it is necessary to believe in chiromancy, astrology, demonology, spiritism."

Besides not having a shred of evidence that these do not exist (just your prejudice in your upbringing) but what does that have to do with what is considered part of Torah, which they're the experts?

My other point you still didn't answer either: Where did you get your info. about Kabbalah. As I already explained, any Frum Mekubel would not agree to tell you anything, so then it must of came from some dubious sources that a) are written by people who don't have any Yiras Shamayim and b)don't know the depths of it, and translate them as they are written simplistically. Thus I wouldn't give any credence to them, thus saying that Kabbalah disagrees with anything that you hold of is really not a correct statement, since you cannot understand Kabbalah at all, thus making the statement moot.

Listen, as i said before, that I know nothing about Kabbalah. My whole Limud is limited to Niglah, since I know my limitations. thus all I can do is use my logic, as that is my task in my learning, which is Niglah, to completely rely on logic. Thus logically, we should rely on unknown areas on the experts. Thus i find no reason for you not to accept Kabbalah as an unknown quantity, which has nothing to do with you personally, since its not the thing you need to be learning in anyhow. So the question should anyhow be moot. How does it affect you if not only in practice your not expected to do anything about it. In practice, you're not supposed to know too much about it anyhow. So what's wrong with just leaving it as a big unknown for you?

R. Chaim,
Your last question is a good one.
Luria's exegesis is the definitive reading of Scripture? This is a problem for me. Before Luria, I see "infinite" drashes on Tanakh. Luria- in a real sense- closes them and all that come after with a final Drash. But the thing is is that I'm in the image of God who created everything ex-nihilo. So this image in me rebels and says no, I will not not be closed in, as God can't be closed in.
As I said before, I went to a goy(Krishnamurti) to learn the importance of negation. I later found out through Maimonides, by way of "no way Jose" Faur, a way to integrate negation into Judaism. It's taken a "lifetime" to clear out the cosmic debris of gnostic influences- hence the answer to your question: I'm probably not going to spend the rest of my life sprinkling it back on because it took so long to get it out. But who knows; maybe negation precedes Kabbalah. I can accept(KBL) that.
LAGoff

Does anyone on GY know any Makubalim personally? It seems when I hear about proclamations from Mekubal they are anonymous and usually 3rd 4th or 5th hand...."through someone who davens with him" etc. There is usually a high level of secrecy about his identity. Are there any "outed" Mekubalim?
Avi