Friday, December 19, 2008

Rhythm & Booze (1.16.12)

Continuing with the subject of the false Holy Spirit, the only way to guard against this is to first and foremost seek truth, and then allow joy to be a byproduct. If you seek first the joy, then you will become the sort of "intellectual drunkard" that is so popular in Europe. There, babbling intellectual drunks and leftist whinos are elevated to great authority, as if their opinion matters more than Joe the Plumber's. Here in the US we mainly quarantine them in universities, and otherwise don't take them too seriously.

The joy of the intellectual drunk is just the intoxicated self-satisfaction of the narcissistic child, who needs others to mirror his greatness and to reassure him that he really is the center of the universe. Now that I have a three-and-a-half year old who is at the zenith of his narcissistic joy, I have even more insight into the psychodynamics of the tenured, whose narcissism appropriates their intelligence in the service of a joyous celebration of the self. Hence the adages, "publish then perish," and "let the dead bury the tenured."

As UF explains, the difference between dead and living truth is that the former is born in the false joy of intoxication, while the latter results in a kind of "sober joy." In turn, this joy "is the key which opens the door to understanding the Arcanum of the world as a work of art," because the joy is a result of a sort of inner harmony; or specifically, a "rhythmic harmony" between the inner and outer, above and below:

"Joy is therefore the state of inner rhythm with outer rhythm, of rhythm below with that of above, and, lastly, of the rhythm of created being with divine rhythm." Call it the Tao, if you like, for the essence of Taoism involves harmonizing oneself with these greater cosmic rhythms. Ignoring them will bring pain and disorder, one way or the other.

Existence and life are a function of countless rhythms at every level of being, and this is what, say, the I Ching drives at -- at harmonizing human and divine rhythms, which results in intrinsic joy.

For example, what is the joy of the Christmas season? It is partly a result of everyone being locked into the rhythm of the season, which not only resonates with "heaven," but with all past Christmases. Everything reminds us of this rhythm -- the smells, the lights, the music, the foods. Premodern man always lived in this kind of rhythm, since festivals were not restricted to once a year, but occurred throughout the year, and were the principle means of "marking time." Thus, he was constantly resonating with heaven, and being brought back to celestial essences. He was not a slave to the jagged rhythms of modernity, which tend to detach man from his source.

Interestingly, as I have written of before, we come into the world in a state of "rhythmic chaos," so that the most important function of early parenting is to help the child internalize various rhythms, which will achieve physiological and psychological "set points," including with regard to sleep, hunger, emotion, etc.

As I noted in my book, a mentally ill person will always suffer from some sort of dysregulation, say, of self esteem, or shame, or anger, or impulse control. The dysregulation results in chronic disharmony between inner and outer (not to mention, above and below), so that they then have difficult relationships or problems with work or creativity.

In fact, I can see how my blogging is a result of an inner rhythm and resonance between various levels of being, that is now "locked in," so to speak. It is not something I would have ever thought possible before I started doing it. But again, as UF says, this type of "living rhythm" is basically joy. Which in turn is why the primordial state of man and nature is one of joy: "that the world, in so far as it is a divine creation, is a kingdom of joy. It was only after the Fall that suffering became added to joy."

Now, one of the good things about the Fall is that one may consider it as literally or as metaphorically as one wishes. My main concern is the mechanism through which the Fall repeats itself, and what we can do about it.

In the case of Future Leader, I will be watching very carefully to see that the Conspiracy doesn't get to him too early, before he has had the chance to stably internalize the celestial rhythms, which in turn become a spiritual touchstone for the remainder of one's life. Soon enough, the conspiracy will get its hooks into him and try to rob him of his slack. But with a good foundation, one can repel the pressures of the world, and retain one's ground of slack. To lose this ground is... to lose everything, at least for the Raccoon.

Some children are robbed of their slack so early in life, that it is very likely that they have no conscious recollection of it, of "paradise." Nevertheless, there will definitely be an unconscious recollection of deprivation of their birthright, except that they will then project it onto present circumstances. Given the appalling level of parenting in the Islamic world, one must conclude that this is central to their chronic whining, victimization, paranoia, externalization of blame, homicidal rage, and bizarre combination of superiority and psychic brittleness.

But the same dynamic no doubt motivates the liberal, who imagines that mother government can make up for the Great Lost Entitlement of Infancy. I have no doubt that this condition has only been aggravated over the past two or three decades, what with the rise of daycare, which results in so many children being denied their birthright.

In other words, unlike adults, the infant is entitled to his omnipotence, and if you fail to provide it to your infant, he will spend the rest of his life either searching for it (the victim) or imagining that he is its source (the narcissist). The former needs the psychic bailout of the breast; the latter imagines that he is the breast. Obama is the breast; his cult members are the hungry mouths.

56 comments:

julie said...

"Obama is the breast; his followers are the hungry mouths."

Heh - and it looks like they're just going to get hungrier, as he apparently keeps waffling and denying them the breast.

Anonymous said...

Eh I've got to complain a little about politics, but it seems both sides are extremely guilty of being duped by boobs(to play off of Bobs conclusion a little).

I think it's just getting to the point where both sides feel they're justified in excusing their politics because the other side does it too. Even just 5 or 6 years ago torture was completely inexcusable under any instance, but gradually many have come to just accept it. And now the right is obsessed with Blago, which isn't to say they shouldn't be, but where were they during the past 3 or 4 years?

Joan of Argghh! said...

Well the political problems of the world can be boiled down into: those people who think they are the center of the universe are quite upsetting to us who are.

Joan of Argghh! said...

Here we have a title with "booze" in it, and Skully has yet to arrive...

Gagdad Bob said...

Anon:

I believe the same people who were intoxicated by Bush hatred are now intoxicated by Obama worship. Speaking only for myself, I never idealized President Bush, nor do I in any way despise Obama.

Ephrem Antony Gray said...

Actually, Obama himself is not so bad. And that was part of the problem, really. 'Disguised as an Angel of Light' and all that - which in this case Obama is a somewhat harmless front man for the ever troublesome left. In sum the whole is quite luciferic.

I think this is one problem Reagan often had, that when he would go meet with people he had a very Christian attitude and thus would like those he met and talked with (even if they were the leaders of very bad regimes.) Some of them no doubt had a fair dose of humanity left - something which Reagan was able to almost 'magically' bring out of people. Alas, it can be deceptive.

julie said...

'Disguised as an Angel of Light'

Yep - that's exactly what was disturbing about the election: their refusal to see him as merely human. I don't despise him - in fact, as I told my mom over Thanksgiving if he were to do some of the things she thought he would (unlikely, but a girl can hope), I'd be thrilled. I still have some deep reservations about him, mainly because of the way he handles criticism and because there's no telling yet what he's actually going to do. But hate him? Meh. He's only human.

Anonymous said...

I'm damaged goods. I know I got bad parenting in regards to being granted slack and omnipotence.

I feel like I will never be O.K. I have a hole in my chest that I have filled at various times with drugs, booze, sex, smoking, and thrill-seeking.

Nothing can fill this hole; I have tossed a lifetime of debauchery into it to no avail.

Now I have God. I insert God into the hole, and it ALMOST fills it. There is still left a painful, throbbing emotional ache that is the original injury. I cannot shake it. Now my policy is to sit with it and suffer. I still hit the bottle or chase the occasional skirt because I JUST CAN'T STAND THE TENSION SOMETIMES. Even when I know and trust God.

Then I get centered and I feel O.K for awhile, but it builds up again.

The original injury was caused when my mother got a post-partum depression. Father couldn't cope with the infant; there was no familiy support. The infant was left to cry it out alone.

I am the living result, and it ain't pretty. But I don't fault them, and I don't blame myself; stuff happens.

I know God is there; I know I'll be with Him when my time comes. I know He is with me now. Still, the lesion is so severe that even a spiritual healing seems impossible to me.

Waaaahhhh. Whiny. I can't help it.

Anonymous said...

"In fact, I can see how my blogging is a result of an inner rhythm and resonance between various levels of being, that is now "locked in," so to speak."

Oooooooooh, I'm saving that Bob, to be trotted out the next time you make noises about closing down the den. Hungry kits prefer not to be denied regular feedings. Just think about the Trouble you'd be unleashing into the world, what with turned over trash-cans, & unwelcome visits via pet doors just to find sustenance.

Anonymous said...

It's interesting that stories are beginning to leak out about Obama's speech writers, the "men" behind the curtain. All are under 30 years old. Those who write,

"Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment -- this was the time -- when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals."

I'm trying to imagine how these 20-something snot noses have gained their visions and experiences of America and the world. I'm sure it wasn't serving on the front lines in Afghanistan or Iraq. Nor would I think they have alot of hard knocks business experience or acumen. My guess is that they have a high (unearned) self esteem/emotional quotient and play (project themselves into) alot of video games. Reminds me of the fantasy man in front of the curtain.

Anonymous said...

By drinking too much ideological moonshine...

julie said...

Moonshine? or Kool-Aid...

Anonymous said...

I prefer Coonshine myself, Cuz.
It's got quite a bite but it'll kick the shit outta what's ailin' ya.

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

""Joy is therefore the state of inner rhythm with outer rhythm, of rhythm below with that of above, and, lastly, of the rhythm of created being with divine rhythm." Call it the Tao, if you like, for the essence of Taoism involves harmonizing oneself with these greater cosmic rhythms. Ignoring them will bring pain and disorder, one way or the other."

I think this is exactly the kind of joy that C.S. Lewis is speaking of in his classic "Surprised by Joy". It is a kind of Holy Joy, that is not necessarily an outburst of ecstatic emotions (although it can be; witness some of the Psalms), but is always a product of a moment, however brief it may be, of perfect harmony and balance between one's horizontal plane of existence and the vertical reality that overlies and rules over it.

I have noticed that whenever I am extremely distressed about a certain circumstance in my life, I feel a profound sense of unbalance in my inner being. I believe that that sense of unbalance comes not from the circumstances but from my reaction to them, which, like all of us, tends to often be extremely out of proportion to the real severity of the circumstance. I guess you could call that a Mind Parasite; that Thing that insists on producing negativity within despite the overall unimportance of our situation (I would be so bold as to call it Satan, since he is the father of lies). I have to wonder if certain malcontents such as terrorists, Michael Moore and Keith Olberman are in a perpetual state of unbalance, kind of like the babies you mentioned. Nothing is ever right for them, precisely because they have no "right". I always notice how often liberals seem to know what it is they are against, and be vague and elusive about what it is they are for. Maybe because they really aren't for anything, of substance anyway.
That is probably because being for something is too "fascist" for them, preferring to ride the easy merry go round of moral relativism and infantile indecisiveness. And I would go so far as to say that it reveals commitment issues that would probably make them sucky marriage partners. And the scary thing is, these folks are raising children who, because of their sucky parenting and marriage skills, will turn out as bad as them or worse, thus feeding a growing universal Mind Parasite disease.

Anonymous said...

Aye, Skully- Coonshine's the stuff. Good for the fantods, too.

Walt: Thank you ever so kindly for the list O' links.

JWM

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Anon said-
"Even just 5 or 6 years ago torture was completely inexcusable under any instance, but gradually many have come to just accept it."

Right, just go full retard on us.
Let me guess, you have a link to the UN Inhuman Rights Watch with all the facts?

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

"For example, what is the joy of the Christmas season? It is partly a result of everyone being locked into the rhythm of the season, which not only resonates with "heaven," but with all past Christmases. Everything reminds us of this rhythm -- the smells, the lights, the music, the foods. Premodern man always lived in this kind of rhythm, since festivals were not restricted to once a year, but occurred throughout the year, and were the principle means of "marking time." Thus, he was constantly resonating with heaven, and being brought back to celestial essences. He was not a slave to the jagged rhythms of modernity, which tend to detach man from his source."

This is what makes life such a miserable journey for the nihilist/deconstructionist. He feels nothing but contempt and disdaid for all festivals and rituals, therefore isolating himself from the rest of humanity. He compensates by maintaining a sense of superiority over those tradition-observing cave dwellers, but it's only a weak coping mechanism. Two things can happen; he either hears the Voice of the one who is the Father of all balance and surrenders to Him in a Grinchlike or Scroogelike sort of way, or he dives deeper into psychosis, perhaps becoming a mass murderer or terrorist or, worse, a Daily Kos contributor.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Yeah, thanks Walt! You compiled a good research tool with the MOTT/OC arc! All on one page! It's great sittin' around the fire place with Bob and Unknown Friend, drinkin' egg nog gin.

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

"Some children are robbed of their slack so early in life, that it is very likely that they have no conscious recollection of it, of "paradise." Nevertheless, there will definitely be an unconscious recollection of deprivation of their birthright, except that they will then project it onto present circumstances. Given the appalling level of parenting in the Islamic world, one must conclude that this is central to their chronic whining, victimization, paranoia, externalization of blame, homicidal rage, and bizarre combination of superiority and psychic brittleness".

I surmise that the child soldiers in Africa and the child suicide bombers of Hamas and Hezbollah are in this very state. Unless someone can deliver the positive message of life, while simulatneously cutting off those who are teaching this, we may see an entire generation of Islamic Storm Troopers.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Thomas said-
"Nothing is ever right for them, precisely because they have no "right"."

Aye! They are certainly unbalanced and without a center to steady themselves or to fOcus on.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Or perhaps they have a counterfeit center...filled with rage.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Julie-
Ha ha! "Leave me alone! I just want to eat my waffle!"

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Hence the adages, "publish then perish," and "let the dead bury the tenured."

And they take their perishioners with them.

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

Dupree, Julie,
it's probably moonshine with a Koolaid chaser. Wow, talk about a lethal combo! Drunk AND deluded.

Anonymous said...

Drunkluded.

Joan of Argghh! said...

Delunked.

:o)

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

A little ditty for Integralists, taken from a Teegan and Sarah song:

No matter which way you turn
I'll always much higher than you
I'm everything everyone wants
I'm liberal and conservative too
I'm out of your league, out of your league
Out of your league, out of your league

I'm just walking on the fence
I say please, don't make me commit
I'm just walking on the fence
I say please please no commit

Anonymous said...

Obama is the breast; his cult members are the hungry mouths.

And there ain't enough bosco to go around.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Shitfaceluded.

Anonymous said...

Inebriluded.

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

Souselito-ed.

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

In-the-tanked.

Joan of Argghh! said...

Pixiluded.

Thomas Sebring Jr said...

So, should we have the state police measuring people's blood alcohol AND blood Koolaid levels this New Years?

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Mad dogluded.

Anonymous said...

Grogluded.

walt said...

For folks wanting the MOTT Playlist, it's posted here.

Anonymous said...

I was
squirbified
I was
starbolized
I was all gerbilled up and bersquackened...

Because sometimes shit like that just happens to you. Nothing you can do but laugh.

JWM

julie said...

Haha, looks like I missed out on the party while I was shopping today.

Thomas,

"I have noticed that whenever I am extremely distressed about a certain circumstance in my life, I feel a profound sense of unbalance in my inner being. I believe that that sense of unbalance comes not from the circumstances but from my reaction to them, which, like all of us, tends to often be extremely out of proportion to the real severity of the circumstance."

Yes, EXACTLY!! Er, I mean well said. I can relate to that.
*ahem*

All this talk of Kool-Aid and moonshine has belatedly reminded me of a beverage DH concocted while home from college once. It was called "the Trailer Park Twister," made with Kool-Aid (naturally) and flavored Malibu rum. Mmmmm... Twisty...

Anonymous said...

Obama remains a cipher to me. However he's filling slots with non-alarming people. You have to realize that Canada sent someone like Louise Arbour (the staunchest friend Pol Pot never got to eat) to the UN. Things aren't going south down south any time soon.

Anonymous said...

On the other paw:

"Does being spectacularly wrong about a major issue in your field of expertise hurt your chances of becoming the presidential science adviser?"

Apparently not. Wonder what the jester would make of it...

Anonymous said...

"I have noticed that whenever I am extremely distressed about a certain circumstance in my life...

Thank you, Thomas. I'll second Julie on this one. You cut right to the bone of most of the grief I've come to in life.
Some Buddhists regard anger as a world- a life condition, or a poison. Whatever its genesis, anger is free floating, that is, it attaches itself to situations rather than being caused by situations.
Like when you're keeping right up with the flow of traffic and suddenly you notice some apprentice felon about four feet off your back bumper flashing lights and demonstrating much aggressive kung fu. You wonder if you did something to piss him off, but he jets around you and starts the same crap with the next car up the road.
On a more personal level.
Not long ago I had one of those incidents that hit all the right buttons in just the right order, and I went ballistic. I got so pissed I was seeing things. And I couldn't let the anger go. Not for quite a while. I had to pray. You know, sometimes this praying thing does work, but it seldom seems to come in the form of warm fuzzies.
Here's what I had to own. I was pissed because the situation brought me face to face with my own failings.

... goodness hides behind its gates.
But even the president of the United States
Sometimes must have to stand naked...


I know I'm not providing exciting descriptive details to pique the reader's here. But it's funny how difficult it is to even post this much on-line. I'm guessing that the discomfort has something to do with proximity to unpleasant truths.
But nonetheless, I'll guess that maybe someone else in the wild and wooly blogosphere has a set of buttons that can be pushed just so.

Anonymous said...

...yikes. Lost part of my post there.
Anyway, I was just going to make some gross ass metaphor about buttons being pus filled zits, but I'll refrain.

JWM

Leslie Godwin said...

Anonymous,
Your situation is very touching. I think being ignored as an infant and left to cry is one of the worst things that can happen to a baby, and it is very hard to recover from.

If your mother had depression, you may also have a biological depression and could benefit from antidepressants and good psychotherapy.

I'm so glad you've found that God almost fills the hole. It doesn't sound like you have your own family. That might help, too, when the time comes.

But don't get too deep into whining. Actually, the more you focus on developing gratitude for what you have, the better. (I think Bob wrote recently about gratitude.) That said, you do have something to whine about, but if you're over 25 years old, it'll only get in your way.

Leslie

Dougman said...

Deep thought from
Depth aught:

(From the beginning we have been cradled)...Doug

All my days have been spent eating dust, only to return you God.
The Serpent

Out of the ashes will I deliver all to God. (Where else am I to go.)
Satan

Dougman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dougman said...

Leslie,
for reaching out to the poor in spirit.
Thank You.

julie said...

Indeed; well said, Leslie.

Anonymous said...

Daycare. It's probably okay for some, but mostly it looks like we're creating a nation of attachment disorders.

And let's not forget that Obama was most likely deprived of the breast early on. That's what worries me the most. He may keep that under control, but he shows none of the depth and maturity that I would like to see to be reassured that he can refrain from punishing us for the many bad things he thinks we've done -- i.e. the many bad things that were done to him but of which he is unaware.

Anonymous said...

And Julie. I'm glad at least SOMEONE went shopping yesterday.

Gagdad Bob said...

Maineman:

I think you've touched on the reason why Barry married someone large and in charge.

Anonymous said...

Yes, MO has always told me a lot about Barry. Mostly because one would have to be psychically blind to overwhelming aspects of her physical presence to consider her attractive. At least Hillary had a prettiness about her when she was young, and even now she still can. But Michelle just looks too much like a banshee to me.

So what else does he ignore when he looks at the world? Probably quite a lot.

Anonymous said...

Yes, MO has always told me a lot about Barry. Mostly because one would have to be psychically blind to overwhelming aspects of her physical presence to consider her attractive. At least Hillary had a prettiness about her when she was young, and even now she still can. But Michelle just looks too much like a banshee to me.

Anonymous said...

IMHO, she bears an eery resemblance to James Brown.

Anonymous said...

Is that your idea of a joke, Cuz, to insult the recently departed?

Anonymous said...

Interesting discussion by Fernandez at Today's Belmont Club regarding what happens when you raise children with empty centers who feel like they're not getting what's due them. I guess the yuts of Europe are getting restless again.

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