CHECK IT OUT GUYS, WE'RE SHAMANS!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of being a shaman. Probably because of some resistance to reframe the definition of shaman, which calls up an image of some dude dressed in animal skins tripping balls and playing with bones for the good of the tribe.

I, on the other hand, am tickled pink by suddenly having a new definition of "shaman" that provides me with so very many amusing opportunities.

I feel like someone just handed me a new toy.

A shiny, wonderful new toy.

[Cain]

I think I'll keep this thread in mind, the next time I'm stupidly gripped by the desire to transcribe something of possible interest.

?

I spent 20 minutes trying to find the book in question, and then another 20 minutes typing out the section before, for everyone to gloss over it, because, I dunno, I am PD's Personal Research Assistant or something.

And only after I point that out does everyone suddenly feel the need to jump up and address it, which I probably find more annoying than the original act of being ignored.  It clearly wasn't important enough to be commented on until I said something, so the only conclusion I can come to is that this kind of thing is some form of pandering.

It's completely killed my desire to write up anything.  And makes me wonder exactly how much time I'm wasting in Aneristic Delusions and Or Kill Me.

[Doktor Howl]

I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of being a shaman. Probably because of some resistance to reframe the definition of shaman, which calls up an image of some dude dressed in animal skins tripping balls and playing with bones for the good of the tribe.

I, on the other hand, am tickled pink by suddenly having a new definition of "shaman" that provides me with so very many amusing opportunities.

I feel like someone just handed me a new toy.

A shiny, wonderful new toy.

And I can't wait to throw it down the staircase! 

[Doktor Howl]

I think I'll keep this thread in mind, the next time I'm stupidly gripped by the desire to transcribe something of possible interest.

?

I spent 20 minutes trying to find the book in question, and then another 20 minutes typing out the section before, for everyone to gloss over it, because, I dunno, I am PD's Personal Research Assistant or something.

And only after I point that out does everyone suddenly feel the need to jump up and address it, which I probably find more annoying than the original act of being ignored.  It clearly wasn't important enough to be commented on until I said something, so the only conclusion I can come to is that this kind of thing is some form of pandering.

It's completely killed my desire to write up anything.  And makes me wonder exactly how much time I'm wasting in Aneristic Delusions and Or Kill Me.

Cain, I didn't see it because it got eaten by the bottom of the page.  Sorry.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Thinking of putting "shaman" on my psychic line listing. 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I meant more along the lines of that I had thought of it as a Hellenic parody of New Age and Neopaganism with more meat than meets the eye. Now though, Nigel's post made me realize that the Hellenic bit is just a convenient metaphor for a Westerner and really has no other relation to Hellenism other than the use of the name Eris. It's a distinct 20th century jokeosophy. The only relation that could be drawn from Greece is if Diogenes vacationed in China and then went bowling. I have another thought bouncing around in my head but it's not quite formed yet.

I don't think of Discordianism as a joke, or a philosophy about jokes.

I think of it as the thinking person's religion.

It is that, in my opinion. It's actually a quite cohesive religious system. It is, as I've said before, a complete and living philosophy.

The interesting thing about this anthropological definition of "religion" and of "shaman" is that it's very very simple, which in a way it has to be in order to be able to apply to a vast diversity of cultures. A religion is a shared system of explaining the relationships between the visible and the non-visible. Every religion has people who specialize in it (that's us) who loosely fall either into the category of "Priest" or of "Shaman", as previously defined.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I think I'll keep this thread in mind, the next time I'm stupidly gripped by the desire to transcribe something of possible interest.

?

I spent 20 minutes trying to find the book in question, and then another 20 minutes typing out the section before, for everyone to gloss over it, because, I dunno, I am PD's Personal Research Assistant or something.

And only after I point that out does everyone suddenly feel the need to jump up and address it, which I probably find more annoying than the original act of being ignored.  It clearly wasn't important enough to be commented on until I said something, so the only conclusion I can come to is that this kind of thing is some form of pandering.

It's completely killed my desire to write up anything.  And makes me wonder exactly how much time I'm wasting in Aneristic Delusions and Or Kill Me.

I didn't see it on the first read-through because it was the last post on the previous page, and I think you were posting while I was reading because it wasn't there when I got to the bottom of that page, and then I went to the next page. The reason people started commenting on it after you mentioned it is probably because they didn't see it until they went back and looked, for the same reason I didn't see it.

[Doktor Howl]

I meant more along the lines of that I had thought of it as a Hellenic parody of New Age and Neopaganism with more meat than meets the eye. Now though, Nigel's post made me realize that the Hellenic bit is just a convenient metaphor for a Westerner and really has no other relation to Hellenism other than the use of the name Eris. It's a distinct 20th century jokeosophy. The only relation that could be drawn from Greece is if Diogenes vacationed in China and then went bowling. I have another thought bouncing around in my head but it's not quite formed yet.

I don't think of Discordianism as a joke, or a philosophy about jokes.

I think of it as the thinking person's religion.

It is that, in my opinion. It's actually a quite cohesive religious system. It is, as I've said before, a complete and living philosophy.

The interesting thing about this anthropological definition of "religion" and of "shaman" is that it's very very simple, which in a way it has to be in order to be able to apply to a vast diversity of cultures. A religion is a shared system of explaining the relationships between the visible and the non-visible. Every religion has people who specialize in it (that's us) who loosely fall either into the category of "Priest" or of "Shaman", as previously defined.

I think my official title is something like "Nightmare Neighbor" or "Why We Can't Have Nice Things" or "That UnAmerican Traitorous Blaspheming Shitbag That Doesn't Invite Me To His Parties".

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I meant more along the lines of that I had thought of it as a Hellenic parody of New Age and Neopaganism with more meat than meets the eye. Now though, Nigel's post made me realize that the Hellenic bit is just a convenient metaphor for a Westerner and really has no other relation to Hellenism other than the use of the name Eris. It's a distinct 20th century jokeosophy. The only relation that could be drawn from Greece is if Diogenes vacationed in China and then went bowling. I have another thought bouncing around in my head but it's not quite formed yet.

I don't think of Discordianism as a joke, or a philosophy about jokes.

I think of it as the thinking person's religion.

I thought it a philosophy clothed as a joke. Though it is worth noting that I consider it my primary religion, as much as it is one, nowadays than thinking of myself as being a Pagan who is also a Discordian. I'm more of a Discordian with intermittent Paganism to satisfy the whole having to die someday thing.

I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of being a shaman. Probably because of some resistance to reframe the definition of shaman, which calls up an image of some dude dressed in animal skins tripping balls and playing with bones for the good of the tribe.

I, on the other hand, am tickled pink by suddenly having a new definition of "shaman" that provides me with so very many amusing opportunities.

I feel like someone just handed me a new toy.

A shiny, wonderful new toy.

And I can't wait to throw it down the staircase! 

And both of these.

I think I'll keep this thread in mind, the next time I'm stupidly gripped by the desire to transcribe something of possible interest.

?

I spent 20 minutes trying to find the book in question, and then another 20 minutes typing out the section before, for everyone to gloss over it, because, I dunno, I am PD's Personal Research Assistant or something.

And only after I point that out does everyone suddenly feel the need to jump up and address it, which I probably find more annoying than the original act of being ignored.  It clearly wasn't important enough to be commented on until I said something, so the only conclusion I can come to is that this kind of thing is some form of pandering.

It's completely killed my desire to write up anything.  And makes me wonder exactly how much time I'm wasting in Aneristic Delusions and Or Kill Me.

I like your writing. I just feel stupid saying what ever version of "I'm going to mull it over/chew on it a bit/roll it around in my head" as a placeholder, especially where I don't have a particularly good track record of responding to it later. Take it as a compliment on my part. You're way fucking smarter than me.

[Doktor Howl]

I thought it a philosophy clothed as a joke.

It's even funnier when you think of it as useful philosophy with a totally straight face.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That is, at least, the reason I commented on it after you said something. I would have commented on my first read-through if I'd seen it, because it's directly relevant and based on a topic I am knowledgeable about and have opinions on.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I thought it a philosophy clothed as a joke.

It's even funnier when you think of it as useful philosophy with a totally straight face.

That's my favorite. Especially because it freaks the pinealists the fuck out.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I thought it a philosophy clothed as a joke.

It's even funnier when you think of it as useful philosophy with a totally straight face.

That's my favorite. Especially because it freaks the pinealists the fuck out.

I think that's the reason why FSM and IPK annoy me. Aside being knock-offs of Sagan's invisible dragon, it doesn't really offer anything other than a way for atheists to kill a one-off joke.

[Doktor Howl]

I thought it a philosophy clothed as a joke.

It's even funnier when you think of it as useful philosophy with a totally straight face.

That's my favorite. Especially because it freaks the pinealists the fuck out.

Yep.

Also, I tell blatant lies about Discordianism all the time, when people ask me about it.  We are:

1.  Out to destroy society.

2.  An excuse for getting fucked up.

3.  A secret society of do-gooders, and your last hope.

4.  A secret society of evil-doers, in the pay of the Koch brothers.

5.  A mystic society that is 3000 years old at least.

6.  A collection of butthurt, frustrated ARTEEESTES that will SHOW YOU IGNORANT PHILISTINES A THING OR TWO!

7.  A secret wing of the democratic party.

8.  A secret wing of the republican party.

9.  Communists/anarchists.

10.  The love slaves of Angela Davis.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I thought it a philosophy clothed as a joke.

It's even funnier when you think of it as useful philosophy with a totally straight face.

That's my favorite. Especially because it freaks the pinealists the fuck out.

Yep.

Also, I tell blatant lies about Discordianism all the time, when people ask me about it.  We are:

1.  Out to destroy society.

2.  An excuse for getting fucked up.

3.  A secret society of do-gooders, and your last hope.

4.  A secret society of evil-doers, in the pay of the Koch brothers.

5.  A mystic society that is 3000 years old at least.

6.  A collection of butthurt, frustrated ARTEEESTES that will SHOW YOU IGNORANT PHILISTINES A THING OR TWO!

7.  A secret wing of the democratic party.

8.  A secret wing of the republican party.

9.  Communists/anarchists.

10.  The love slaves of Angela Davis.