The other week, I had a discussion with a sceptic who couldn't understand why the material world and materialistic science weren't "enough" for me. She almost seemed affronted that I would look into matters spiritual, as though to do so was somehow an insult to the accomplishments of the modern world.
I explained that there were very logical reasons for not being satisified with the physical world and materialism as a complete reflection of reality. There is the mine of scientific evidence which supports the hypotheses that psychic abilities are real, that spiritual planes exist alongside this one, and that it's possible to communicate with those who reside on these planes.
So there's the scientific, evidence-based justification for the material world not being "enough". But as I thought about it at length, I realised that very few people actually find physical reality to be enough to sustain their interests and intellect. Don't we all engage in entertainment in our spare time? We watch sports, we read novels, we watch films, we listen to music...all mediums by which we are taken beyond our regular existence.
How did art come to be created? Why do writers write? Why do actors act? Why do we enjoy art? The answer, I think, is that clearly our material plane, as wonderful as it is, is *not* enough to keep us interested and happy for all of our lives. We need a route that provides escape and respite, something art does spectacularly well. I'm sure the person who berated me has watched TV or read a novel in her lifetime. If nature and materialism were truly all that she needed, she'd have no reason to make use of those things.
We are imbued with the desire to create, which means that we can never be *fully* satisfied with this world, because with full satisfaction comes the end of creativity. With full satisfaction comes the death of innovation. When we're entirely content with what we have, there is no further need for action, which brings human imagination and achievement to a halt.
So, no - the material world is NOT enough. What's more, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's probably a good thing.
Transcendent Spirit
Monday 15 August 2016
Monday 13 June 2016
Separation of Materialism and State
Although I am very pro-religion in its liberal and non-fundamentalist forms, I do agree that separation of religion and state (i.e. secular government) is the fairest option for ensuring that all are treated equally. If applied consistently it prevents enactment of legislation based upon prejudiced interpretations of religion, ensures that public institutions promote neither religion nor non-religion, and leaves each individual free to believe or not believe without censure or interference from the state. In its proper form, it's designed to protect the rights of everyone. That's why, in the spirit of equality, I also make a call for the separation of materialism and state.
Materialism is a philosophy, a worldview, a set of beliefs about the nature of reality. If one were to be liberal in how they defined "religion", it would be possible to consider materialism as such. Materialism is not an established fact. It's a philosophical premise with both evidence supporting it and evidence refuting it. As a system of belief, materialism should no more affect the law of the land than any religion should.
Materialism is a viewpoint which holds that material reality is all there is and that all spiritual or paranormal experiences are tricks of the mind, delusions or deceptions. To a materialist, a psychic - or anyone who claims an anomalous experience or ability - is either delusional or making it up. It should come as no surprise, then, that there are materialists who hold bigoted attitudes about psychics and occultists - though certainly not all.
Materialists with bigoted views are entitled to them, and entitled to express them - but they don't have the right to manifest their prejudice in ways that impact OUR rights. And I don't think materialists should be permitted to entwine their belief system into government and legislation. That would result in unfair laws curtailing and removing the freedoms of psychics and occultists.
A separation of materialism and state would protect all those who currently make a living from psychic or occult services, or who would like to go professional in the future. Astrologers, sorcerers, mediums, you name it - we have the right to go professional and derive an income. The general public also has the right to take advantage of these services if they wish to.
Agitation to deprive psychics and occultists of the right to make a living from their services is an example of materialists attempting to insert their belief system into politics, and this must be fought as strongly as efforts to combine religious ideology and law. Some people go even further than that and maintain that psychics should not be allowed to give *any* public demonstrations, even when they are free of charge. They are advocating for an infringement on our liberties.
So I suggest a commitment to the separation of materialism and state. This will prevent the signing into law of such hateful and prejudiced ideology and will leave professionals with the freedom to conduct their businesses in peace.
Materialism is a philosophy, a worldview, a set of beliefs about the nature of reality. If one were to be liberal in how they defined "religion", it would be possible to consider materialism as such. Materialism is not an established fact. It's a philosophical premise with both evidence supporting it and evidence refuting it. As a system of belief, materialism should no more affect the law of the land than any religion should.
Materialism is a viewpoint which holds that material reality is all there is and that all spiritual or paranormal experiences are tricks of the mind, delusions or deceptions. To a materialist, a psychic - or anyone who claims an anomalous experience or ability - is either delusional or making it up. It should come as no surprise, then, that there are materialists who hold bigoted attitudes about psychics and occultists - though certainly not all.
Materialists with bigoted views are entitled to them, and entitled to express them - but they don't have the right to manifest their prejudice in ways that impact OUR rights. And I don't think materialists should be permitted to entwine their belief system into government and legislation. That would result in unfair laws curtailing and removing the freedoms of psychics and occultists.
A separation of materialism and state would protect all those who currently make a living from psychic or occult services, or who would like to go professional in the future. Astrologers, sorcerers, mediums, you name it - we have the right to go professional and derive an income. The general public also has the right to take advantage of these services if they wish to.
Agitation to deprive psychics and occultists of the right to make a living from their services is an example of materialists attempting to insert their belief system into politics, and this must be fought as strongly as efforts to combine religious ideology and law. Some people go even further than that and maintain that psychics should not be allowed to give *any* public demonstrations, even when they are free of charge. They are advocating for an infringement on our liberties.
So I suggest a commitment to the separation of materialism and state. This will prevent the signing into law of such hateful and prejudiced ideology and will leave professionals with the freedom to conduct their businesses in peace.
Sunday 15 May 2016
THE LEFT: A FRIEND TO MINORITIES? NOT ENTIRELY…
The Left has always prided itself on its values of
tolerance, often touting itself as the side of the political spectrum which
takes a stand against bigotry in all its forms, as well as a place where
minorities are welcomed. The extreme radical left has on many occasions failed
to live up to these principles, but the Mainstream Left consider themselves to
promote inclusivity for all.
But is this the case today? As a member of several minority
groups that most certainly do NOT seem to find many friends amongst the core of
the political Left, I contend that their grand proclamations of being free of
prejudice are a myth.
Firstly, where the Left gets it right – historically, and currently,
it has campaigned against racism and, in more recent decades, homophobia. The
Left has a good track record on gender issues, and they currently take a stand
against Islamophobia. There is no doubt that when it comes to these issues, the
Left has been a force for good.
In current times, however, there are other minorities which
are not only rejected by the Left, but are attacked and persecuted by too many
of that political persuasion. I became disenchanted with the Left when I
realised that to a great many, myself and like-minded friends would find no
acceptance. The people of tolerance? Not always.
Who are these minorities? The psychics, the mediums, the New
Agers. The paranormal enthusiasts, the astrologers, the tarot readers. The
occultists, the pagans, the witches. The alien abductees. Need I go on?
Since the Left threw its lot in with Scientism and Dogmatic
Materialism (evidence of this is rampant on The
Guardian, home to countless biased and sneering articles about paranormal
phenomena, complementary medicine or anything which has a whiff of the
supernatural about it.) This is the paper which once ran an article in which
the author snarled that psychics were dangerously demented and called for *all*
of us to be locked up. This is the paper which houses a great number of
psychophobic bigots in the noxious wasteland that is its comments section.
The Left chooses to ignore the fact that the New Age,
psychic and occult communities have generally been uniformly committed to both
LGBT rights and racial and gender equality. As with any group, there are
exceptions, and I’m not trying to say that you won’t find one single racist or homophobe
amongst New Agers, but those of an egalitarian mind-set make up the majority.
When do you ever see psychics trying to abolish abortion? When do you see
occultists trying to entwine their views with the government? How often do you
see Tarot readers engaging in hateful homophobic rhetoric? Practically never.
The Left also chooses to ignore (or downplay) the multitude
of scientific research into such phenomena as mediumship, telepathy and
near-death experiences, and the compelling evidence which supports the validity
of these fields. Philosophical materialism is a fine premise to work with, but
it is far from one hundred percent established certainty. Yet disagree with the core tenets of
materialism, and a lot of people on the Left will brand you as a heretic. If
you’re a scientist, they’ll erroneously claim your work to be “pseudoscience”
and possibly try to destroy your career. If they’re fans of James Randi, the
rude and unpleasant man who helped set the nasty tone of much of the modern “Sceptical”
Movement, they may even throw around juvenile insults like “woo.”
If you happen to be psychic, or an occultist, an astrologer,
or someone who has had an encounter with what may possibly be
extra-terrestrials, I am sorry to say that you will not find a lot of friends
on the Left. At best, they will make fun of you, throw around some casual
psychophobia and call your mental health into question. At worst, they will bully
you, attack your character, and try to push through legislation that
discriminates against you. They will try to suppress you.
I’ve said before that when it comes to something to do
with psychics or the paranormal, The
Guardian becomes the equivalent of The
Daily Mail. I’ve seen enough viciousness and prejudice from Guardian readers in the comments section
to know that the newspaper attracts its fair share of Stalinist thugs. The
British Humanist Association, another nasty group, is also full of psychophobia
and intolerance towards science that challenges their beliefs. Although they
are not explicitly affiliated with the Left (or, indeed, any political party)
it does seem that many of the BHA’s leading members identify personally as
left-wingers.
The Left been shamefully unconcerned with the rights of
these minorities (it’s only recently that pagans have been granted the right to
carry out weddings in accordance with pagan beliefs and traditions; why did the
Left not campaign for equal rights for pagans, as they have with others?) I’ll
hazard a guess and say that it’s possibly because a lot of them think we’re
crazy and that we’re not worthy of their time or their respect.
Not only that, but figures on the Left have actively tried
to discriminate against psychics (psychics are *born* the way they are, so it’s
as morally repugnant as racism, sexism or homophobia) and those who practice
occultism.
When it comes to us New Age and Pagan minorities, a
significant portion of the Left are our bullies, our tormentors. The
spitefulness they exude is cruel, unwarranted, and creates a damaging
atmosphere for those of us that have anomalous experiences or just want to be
free to be ourselves without the censure and disapproval. They are as filled
with hatred as any far-right group, they just direct their abuse at different
targets.
I have no such illusions that the Left is a reliable
champion of tolerance and acceptance for all. It is a champion of tolerance and
acceptance towards some minorities, yes, and this positive work should be
applauded. Simultaneously, however, I will call them out on their disgusting
prejudice when it comes to groups they’ve decided they don’t want to help and
protect.
Saturday 27 February 2016
Psychics and LGBTs: Their Common Ground and Similar Causes
The psychic
struggle and the LGBT struggle. While one might not at first see cause to link
the two, I believe that there are valid comparisons to be made between these
two groups, resulting in a connection from which, if strengthened, all could
benefit.
For
centuries, psychics and LGBTs have suffered discrimination. While the modern
West is undoubtedly more tolerant of both, being either psychic or LGBT can
still invite persecution today, and both groups face ridicule and attack from
psychophobes and homophobes respectively.
None of what
I am about to say should be misread to imply that psychics have endured the
same levels of prejudice as LGBTs. Although there are individual cases in which
that has indeed happened – and, in some countries, one could easily make the argument
that psychics do indeed suffer equal discrimination – in the West, overall,
LGBTs have had it tougher. Both, however, have been the targets of bigotry and
there comes a point when pedantry over which group has suffered more becomes
tiresome and redundant. I’m seeking to highlight the similarities between the
psychic and LGBT struggles and make a call for both parties to forge links and
lend one another support.
THE
SIMILARITIES
I would like
to acknowledge Craig Weiler’s role in drawing my attention to the common ground
between psychics and LGBTs in his blog post ‘Psychic People: The Last Quiet
Minority’, which can be read here. - https://weilerpsiblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/psychic-people-the-last-quiet-minority/
Gay people
and psychics both have the choice to hide their nature from others. Where
members of racial groups are easily identified by their complexion, psychics
and LGBTs have no such physical markers and other people only find out when the
psychic or gay person informs them.
Both historically
and in modern times, psychics and LGBTs have been accused of being “evil” or “sinful”
by extremist religious zealots. Psychics have also had to deal with secular
psychophobes casting aspersions upon their character and portraying them all as
inherently immoral.
Psychics and
gay people have both been identified as psychologically abnormal or mentally
ill. The American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a
disorder until 1973. Today, you can often hear psychics declared to be “crazy”
or “mentally unwell.” Some people even advocate forcing psychics into
psychiatric hospitals.
In both
cases, there are bigots who ignore or disregard evidence that runs
contradictory to their prejudices. Some homophobes insist that homosexuality is
a “choice”, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Some psychophobes ignore
the scientific data that lends credence to psychic abilities.
FORGING
LINKS
In response to prejudice, both gay people and psychics have formed movements to stand up for themselves. Gay Pride events are numerous and the New Age movement created a space for psychics to interact with like-minded people and defend themselves. Other members of misunderstood religious or spiritual minorities have also formed ‘pride’ events, such as Pagan Pride.
In response to prejudice, both gay people and psychics have formed movements to stand up for themselves. Gay Pride events are numerous and the New Age movement created a space for psychics to interact with like-minded people and defend themselves. Other members of misunderstood religious or spiritual minorities have also formed ‘pride’ events, such as Pagan Pride.
Given the
common factors that unite gay and psychic people, I think it would be in the
interests of both parties to forge stronger connections and give support to the
other’s causes. My reasons being:
While many of those who support psychics also believe in gay rights, it is very uncommon to see the issue of psychic rights addressed by those who support LGBT equality. Many either don’t care, or, in some cases, are actively psychophobic themselves. For example, the belief system of humanists essentially prevents them from being friends to the psychic community, as they are mostly of the opinion that all psychics are either delusional or lying. While the website of the British Humanist Association does not contain any explicit psychophobic material itself, it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that possibly a great deal of their members hold such views. Indeed, some of their prominent supporters have made psychophobic comments of their own – a notable example being Stephen Fry, who declared that all mediums were frauds.
While many of those who support psychics also believe in gay rights, it is very uncommon to see the issue of psychic rights addressed by those who support LGBT equality. Many either don’t care, or, in some cases, are actively psychophobic themselves. For example, the belief system of humanists essentially prevents them from being friends to the psychic community, as they are mostly of the opinion that all psychics are either delusional or lying. While the website of the British Humanist Association does not contain any explicit psychophobic material itself, it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that possibly a great deal of their members hold such views. Indeed, some of their prominent supporters have made psychophobic comments of their own – a notable example being Stephen Fry, who declared that all mediums were frauds.
The
humanists also have ties to the organised sceptic movement, of which some
factions have a long history of behaving in a bullying and bigoted manner
towards psychics. Notably, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) – formerly
known as CSICOP – and the JREF (James Randi Educational Foundation.) This is
also true of the New Atheist movement (many of whom are also humanists) –
which, when it comes to psychics, has often promoted prejudice and nastiness. A
lot of prominent New Atheists are also supportive of CSI and JREF.
So while the
issue of combatting anti-LGBT intolerance is on the cultural agenda, I don’t
think the same can be said of combatting anti-psychic prejudice. A lot of people
either don’t realise it’s an issue, don’t care, or are psychophobic themselves.
It seems clear to me that more needs to be done to raise awareness about the
importance of speaking out against psychophobic bigotry.
One way this
could be done is for psychic friendly groups to develop official relationships
with Gay Rights organisations. They could each draw attention to the work of
each other and officially support tolerance to each other. Imagine, for
example, a Gay Pride event in which they showed their assistance to the psychic
cause by inviting a couple of psychics to give readings to attendees. Or a
Psychic Pride event in which psychics also spoke out in favour of LGBT
equality. Or a joint Gay/Psychic Pride event.
Representatives
of gay rights organisations could attend psychic events and vice versa. Not
only would this bring greater publicity to the psychic cause, but the topic of
LGBT rights would receive another public voice. The message of both groups
would reach a wider audience.
I am not
suggesting an official connection between all psychic and LGBT groups, and not
all people would be in favour of such a link anyway. While the majority of
psychics believe in LGBT equality, there are a minority of homophobes in the
community, and I have personally interacted with gay people who I discovered
were psychophobes. But if only a few ties could be forged between a small
number of LGBT and psychic groups, I think the cause of each party would gain
further acceptance and benefit.
Tuesday 8 December 2015
Defiers of Culturally Imposed Reality
I was reflecting earlier on how direct and personal
experience and practice of the numinous is a maligned lifestyle in modern
culture. I then reminded myself that this is far from new – since the decline
of ancient paganism and occultism and the spread of authoritarian monotheism,
forging one’s own foray into the world of spirit is an activity which has been both
frowned upon (and officially persecuted) for well over a thousand years.
Psychics and occultists have long been the defiers of
culturally imposed reality – or, to put it more accurately, defiers of
culturally imposed interpretations of
reality.
In sixteenth century Britain ,
spiritual beliefs were more widespread than they are today, but people were
immensely restricted on what they could do with spirituality and how they
manifested it. There was a belief in non-physical entities, but summoning and
communicating with these entities yourself was strongly condemned. Likewise, belief
in magick was normal – but practicing said magick was an offence, an affront to
the sensibilities of the religious leaders, who proscribed witchcraft as an act
of evil, of devilry, wickedness of the highest order. This is one of the
reasons why alchemists often couched their views in esoteric language –
symbolism which would be understood only by an elite few. To put their
pronouncements in laymen’s terms could very well have meant imprisonment or
death.
Now even in these very anti-occult times, it was possible
for a few people to get away with openly deviating from majority Christian
ruling. (John Dee, adviser to Elizabeth I, practiced scrying and openly
conducted communication with angelic entities who dictated the famous Enochian
language.) In general, however, publicly declaring yourself to be practicing witchcraft,
or some other form of verboten spirituality, would have been suicidal. The only
valid manifestation of spirituality was to be undertaken through adherence to
Christianity, with metaphysical powers to be the domain of God and His angels.
Attempting to develop these metaphysical abilities yourself was seen as sinful.
In many ways, the modern UK
is vastly more tolerant, but by no means all. The contemporary West is just as
anti-occult as ever, it’s just that the invective is mostly a result
of wider acceptance of strict materialism. (There are still some fundamentalist
monotheists who think that witchcraft is ‘the devil’s work’ but their voices
are waning and have been losing traction with the growth of liberal and
moderate monotheism.) In my experience, I’ve found that if you’re open about
your practice of occultism in the UK ,
you’re much more likely to be scolded and sneered at by some smug self-proclaimed
“sceptic” than you are to be told that you’re evil and going to hell.
Materialism, while not the lone worldview, is very
culturally strong at the moment, certainly much stronger than alternative
spirituality and occultism. And the “rules” of the materialist worldview is
that the material world is all there is; that there is no “spiritual” plane, no
magick, no non-physical entities, nothing except this world here. Inevitably,
the rise of materialism will continue (not necessarily intentionally) the
cultural alienation of psychics, New Agers, occultists…those who experience and
practice stuff that, according to the radicals, DOES NOT, CANNOT AND MUST NOT
exist.
Witchcraft is no longer illegal, true (though it’s worth noting
that the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which continued the criminalisation of
witchcraft, was not a product of religious bigotry but of Enlightenment-era intolerance,
in which it was assumed that witchcraft was impossible, so anyone trying to do
it or claiming to do it was to be punished with fines or a prison sentence. The
Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1951 – up until then, anyone publicly practicing
witchcraft was breaking the law. To put that into perspective, consider that it
was in 1967 that homosexuality was decriminalised – it was only a mere sixteen years before that, that
witchcraft was decriminalised.)
So we’re currently free to do what we will, and many of
those with a materialist persuasion are willing to live and let live when it
comes to innocuous manifestations of spirituality. There is, however, a movement
of radical materialists whose aim is to eliminate *any* kind of metaphysical
belief or practice, and they have agitated for legislation which would impinge
upon our rights. I don’t doubt that if radical materialists gained significant
political power that we would shortly be seeing a curtailing of our spiritual
freedoms.
It’s hard to imagine a world in which alternative spiritual beliefs are the cultural philosophical norm. Occultism and the paranormal went through a wave of popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, but even then, it hardly became mainstream. Maybe acceptance of occultism will rise. Or maybe not. But in the here and now, psychics and occultists are what they have been for many, many years – defiers of culturally imposed interpretations of reality.
It’s hard to imagine a world in which alternative spiritual beliefs are the cultural philosophical norm. Occultism and the paranormal went through a wave of popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, but even then, it hardly became mainstream. Maybe acceptance of occultism will rise. Or maybe not. But in the here and now, psychics and occultists are what they have been for many, many years – defiers of culturally imposed interpretations of reality.
All I can say to the rest of you, is – keep on keeping on. I
know it’s hard. A lot of people just don’t “get” you. Some hate you and think
you’re dangerous. Some will bully you. Some want to criminalise what you do.
But as we defy culturally popular interpretations of reality, we can also defy
the prejudice of the ignorant – by standing true to what we think and what we
practice, to upholding the dream of a diverse and tolerant society and solidly
refusing to break away from our practices due to taunts or peer pressure. Continue
defying culturally imposed interpretations of reality by thinking for yourself
and creating your own path. For it is free thought – and marching to the beat
of your own drum – that are some of the beauties of occultism.
Tuesday 10 November 2015
My Disillusionment with the Mainstream Left OR Bring Tolerance into Left-Wing Discourse
I will say at the outset that I try to avoid being an overly
politically-minded person, since the subject is of very limited interest to me.
I seldom engage in matters of politics, finding much more enjoyable things to
do with my time instead. If pressed to identify where I naturally lean
politically, I’d identify myself as a moderate leftie – I have socially liberal
views and dislike the extremes of both sides. But overall, politics is
something I try to keep at arm’s length.
So this kind of post is rare for me, but after exposure to
some malefic attitudes and behaviours which appear to be characteristic of the
mainstream Left, I feel the need to explain why, as a liberal, I feel so
disillusioned with contemporary left-wing perspectives.
NUMBER ONE – THE PREJUDICE AGAINST ALTERNATIVE SPIRITUALITY
I used to naively assume that the Left was the champion of
those who deviated from the norm, of harmless eccentrics. Even if they thought
some of the people were rather batty, I believed that they offered friendship,
kindness and open-mindedness.
Well, no longer, at least not when it comes to alternative
spirituality.
I am an occultist who has been interested in New Age and
esoteric studies since my teen years. It has been my misfortune to find out the
hard way that the mainstream attitude of the modern Left is to show a shocking
level of bias against such subjects as psychic ability, witchcraft, astrology
and many other alternative metaphysical beliefs and practices which would fall
under the umbrella of ‘occult’. I am not the only person who has noticed, for
example, that when The Guardian runs
an article on something to do with the paranormal or the spiritual, there is a likelihood
that the standards of journalism will descend to those of The Daily Mail. The Left generally prides itself on its pro-science
stance, but is decidedly very anti-science when it comes to the evidence
supporting telepathy or mediumship. In general, they appear to have thrown in
their lot with fundamentalist pseudo-sceptics and dogmatic materialists, a
trend which I find most distasteful.
NUMBER TWO –INTOLERANCE, BIGOTRY AND DOWNRIGHT NASTINESS
Following on from the contemporary Left’s unfairness in
regards to occultism, I have often been very disturbed by the intolerant,
draconian and cruel rhetoric that they rain upon not just the metaphysical
concepts themselves, but also the people who incorporate alternative spiritual
beliefs and practices into their lives. The majority, by far, of us new age
occult types, are completely innocuous, yet the Left seems to regard us all as
enemies and as targets for bullying and oppression. Only this very morning, I
took a look at the comments on a Guardian
article on why young women were taking an interest in witchcraft, and saw the
usual hateful and bigoted garbage. After wading through two pages of this
sludge, I’d had enough. These people are entitled to be as mean as they want, but
if that’s the way the Left is going, I want nothing to do with them. Far from
being interested in upholding our right to do what we want in our personal
lives, too many on the Left seems to want to take away our right to practice
magick, astrology, the tarot, or whatever form of occultism we’ve taken up.
NUMBER THREE – PRO CHILD SEX ABUSE???
This third reason may be a little sketchy, and I don’t
actually believe that being in favour of child sex abuse is a common view
amongst those on the Left. On the contrary, I think it is still, at present, a minority
opinion. I also recognise that that there have been numerous individuals of the
political right who have inflicted abuse upon children; it is not simply a left-wing
problem.
That said, I am including this reason here because I have
tended to find that, in cases where there is outright support of child molestation,
such sympathies have often been espoused by outlets aligned to the political
Left.
I also want to make an important distinction clear. I have no issue with any left-wing support of non-offending paedophiles (i.e. those who have resolved never to harm children.) I sympathise with paedophiles who genuinely hate the way they feel and are committed to obeying the law. Articles in defence of them – fine. Similarly, left-wing support of treatment options for paedophiles in order to help them control their urges, stop them re-offending, or stop them offending in the first place – fine. I am objecting specifically to left-wing sources that have actually come out and appeared to sympathise with actual child sex abuse. One example I can think of is an article from The Guardian which maintained that it was uncertain as to whether child-adult sexual relations were harmful to children. (As far as I’m aware, there is tons of evidence that in most cases, it certainly is.)
I also want to make an important distinction clear. I have no issue with any left-wing support of non-offending paedophiles (i.e. those who have resolved never to harm children.) I sympathise with paedophiles who genuinely hate the way they feel and are committed to obeying the law. Articles in defence of them – fine. Similarly, left-wing support of treatment options for paedophiles in order to help them control their urges, stop them re-offending, or stop them offending in the first place – fine. I am objecting specifically to left-wing sources that have actually come out and appeared to sympathise with actual child sex abuse. One example I can think of is an article from The Guardian which maintained that it was uncertain as to whether child-adult sexual relations were harmful to children. (As far as I’m aware, there is tons of evidence that in most cases, it certainly is.)
Again, I don’t believe that support of child sex abuse is a
normal view amongst left-wingers, but I am wondering if it is in the beginning
stages of a slow-growing trend. If so, it is something I want to distance myself
from. If pro child sex abuse views were ever to become the mainstream of the
political Left, then I would think that would be a major nail in the coffin of
their most historic values. Isn’t the Left supposed to be in favour of looking
after the vulnerable?
I am in no way trying to imply that every single left-winger
(or even the vast majority) holds all of these views or adopts all of these
behaviours. I know for a fact that there
are lefties who remain true to the values of tolerance and compassion, who are
kind and polite in conversation, who are capable of respecting those with whom
they disagree. But it does seem to me that it has become conventional for
left-wing outlets to be hotbeds of bigotry, dogma and bullying, and while they
remain that way, this liberal will just grow more and more disenchanted.
Tuesday 29 September 2015
Spirituality: Sex for the Soul
Recently I’ve been giving some thought to the connection
between sex and spirituality and, influenced to some extent by John Michael
Greer’s series of postings on ‘Sex and Occultism’ at The Well of Galabes, I’ve
decided to articulate some speculations of my own.
Asexuals aside, some form of sexual fulfillment is a physical
need for most of us. Hon-harmful and non-abusive expressions of sexuality are as
natural as eating and drinking. Most of us are familiar with the biological
purpose of sex – to bear offspring, to bond with your partner. But mystics have
also held that there is also a spiritual purpose to sex and that, undertaken in
such a way, it can be a means of connecting to the Divine, of transferring our
consciousness to an alternate plane, or of giving a powerful boost to our
psychic and magickal workings.
Many will be familiar with the creeping disconnection from
our regular framework of awareness as we surge closer to orgasm, the physical
and mental energies becoming more intense until, in a short moment of
disassociation, we climax. The human orgasm can be thought of as a brief spiritual
experience, as in both cases the individual undergoes a change in
consciousness.
I make it well-known that I think spiritual fulfillment is
also a fundamental human need for most people. My definition of spirituality is
quite broad and includes manifestations of a non-mystical and physical nature,
readily enjoyed by people who don’t believe in spiritual phenomena. In no way
does a person need to be a ‘believer’ in order to get what I think are their
innate spiritual desires satisfied.
Whichever way we indulge our spiritual urges – material or
mystical – I think these urges are as natural a part of our being as sex. Of
late, I’ve been thinking of spiritual and mystical experiences as ‘sex for the
mind or soul’ or, to be even more precise, an ‘orgasm for the mind or soul’. As
stated before, sex and mysticism both result in changes in consciousness, a
transfer of awareness. During those moments of sexual climax, I think we are
tapping into realms of psychic power to which occultists open themselves up in
mystical practice. Magicians have used sex in their sorcery for good reason;
the basic belief being that the force of sexual energy provides greater power
to the spell and increases the chances of the ritual’s effectiveness.
Just as it is unethical to prohibit non-harmful and
non-abusive forms of sexual activity, it is also unethical to prohibit
non-harmful and non-abusive forms of spiritual activity. The radical
pseudo-sceptic who would like to see witchcraft, psychic demonstrations and
palm-readings illegalised is no different to a homophobic hate preacher who
desires to see gay sex banned.
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