Messages

This is so, so good. I am also eagerly awaiting a Big Words-style printable, but I am patient and do not wish you to rush things. It will be ready when it's ready.

Words!

One of the highlights in my life was learning the words "dermatophagia" and "dermatillomania." Prior to that, my belief was that I was simply crazy, or cursed, or broken, or something. All of a sudden, I understood that enough other people had the same problem(s) that there were words for them. The words helped me separate myself from these problems, whereas prior I felt they were an integral component of my self.

All of a sudden, the metaphor about having (some) power over a demon once you learned its name made sense.

Then I shared my finding with my GP, whose response was "Dermatophagia? That's just Latin for 'skin-eating!' That's not a real medical thing." First of all, asshole, Google tells me it's Greek; second, can we maybe abstain from playing the semantics game long enough to talk about the flaw in my brain that decides my fingers are made of KFC every now and again? Kthx.

Did learning new words fix my problem(s)? No. Did it help foster a very different understanding of my life, the world, and my place in it? Absolutely. Has my new GP mentioned it to me even once in the past two years, despite "nail-biting" being on my medical record? Not a peep.

Funny how words work (or get worked over) sometimes.

[better]

I've been all in on your Gurdjieffian journey this entire time, and for what it's worth I believe you are doing the right thing. I do hope you'll consider returning to the Sacred Movements if and when you feel guided that way, but for now I tend to agree with your sentiments, and this one in particular:

"How is Esoteric Simon Says better than me sitting in a room for an hour doing the limb sensing exercise, or staying present during a conversation?"
[emphasis mine]

Maybe it is better; maybe it isn't. Maybe "better" is s subjective ingredient that is obfuscating something objectively important -- but maybe not! Maybe the "better" element is something you will discover someday, or maybe part of your discovery is that exercises like limb sensing and staying present are what you need to progress, making them indeed "better" in some subjective, possibly transient, sense.

Every individual's journey is unique, no matter how flexible and/or all-encompassing a belief system seems to be. I'm glad to see you applying Discordian elements in your approach to the Gurdjieffian path. I personally presume you're better off for it, and that it will ultimately aid your continued personal growth, development, and exploration.

But what do I know?!

Bittersweet for sure. Hurt more than I expected it to, despite knowing The Man wasn't gonna live forever. RIP Stan.

Grant Morrison is, to me, the poor man's Alan Moore.

I like them both quite a bit. They're more "flip sides of the same coin" to me.

I love these! I'm not sure when or why I stopped expressing myself artistically, but if you're not careful you're going to inspire me to start again, Bobby!

So...THANKS!

Thanks for that, Brother. Crows are pretty darn fascinating.

Glad to hear from you, WizJo!

As always, Cram, thanks so much for sharing these ideas and experiences with us. The metaphor of the Carriage here, in particular, resonated with me strongly. I haven't been attending properly to my emotions for a while now, instead favoring my mind/intellect and body. Frankly, it's taking a toll holistically and I need to start rectifying things.

Time for some changes, and I appreciate your role as a catalyst in helping me realize that.

Phenomenal work. Thanks so much for sharing!

www.brettkavanaugh.beer

I'm a simple man. This got a wry chuckle out of me.

"I remember thinking the interstates were like veins in a continental body, and that the cars were blood being pumped through them."

This is fantastic.

This one came out super pretty

I like this one a lot!

Where is PretentiousMovieDirector when you need him?