Democracy is Self-Government

 Harold W Percival, manifestation, recommendations, Thinking and Destiny  4 Responses »
Apr 092011
 

The defining work of Harold Waldwin Percival is Thinking & Destiny, undoubetedly.  However, each of his books does deserve special attention as each elaborates on a specific point addressed within T&D.

Democracy is Self-Government explains why we can never have a true Democracy in this world until we literally govern ourselves from within.  Which is to say “govern our Self, from within.”  When the majority of the individuals existing within the political borders of a given region each are goverened from within, then that political region would be able to experience a true Democracy.  Presently, American is the closest thing this world has to a Democracy, though America is in no way a true Democracy.

In a true Democracy, there would be no political parties.  Party politics divides the people, plain and simple.  The division of the people should be avoided.  Sadly, one of the only things that unifies us, as a people, is a common enemy; be it people not geographically near to us or people with different beliefs, or an abstraction like “terrorism” or even something tangible like drugs.  Whatever the case may be, the fact is that we only unify in opposition to a common enemy.  The reason for this?  We are not Self-governed.

By and large, we are governed by fear.  We are reactionary.  We want for ourselves that which we would deny the next person from having.  Whether we admit it or not.  This is not a commentary on America, this is a commentary on human beings.  America happens to have a toehold on moving in the proper direction, but that toehold is tenous, at best.  Once you choose to govern yourself, from within, you will manifest that in the external world and you will see your Government change.  Government change; that’s a topic for another day.

I have drifted off-course of what this book is truly about, however anyone intersted in the theme of this blog, as a whole, should read this book.  It is available for purchase, or as a free .pdf download, at: http://word-foundation.org/b-Democracy_is_Self_Government.htm

 Posted by valant at 10:17 am

Bodyworlds

 bodyworlds, recommendations, Self  3 Responses »
Feb 222011
 

Gunther von Hagens’s Bodyworlds is truly something to behold.  How many formerly living human bodies have you been in the same room with at the same time?  Personally, thanks to having experienced the Bodyworlds exhibit on two separate occasions, I’ve lost count.  This is an exceptionally fascinating project, though I’m slightly conflicted on the situation of the participants, post life, which I’ll get to in a few moments.

Fundamentally, Bodyworlds is an art exhibit that showcases human bodies in ways that most living humans have never seen.  Deceased individuals are preserved via a process called “plastination” that basically prevents decomposition and allows the body to be manipulated/posed/displayed in virtually any fashion.   I use the term “fashion” literally and figuratively… in that a body can be separated into it’s individual parts and displayed in an amazing way, or it can be posed as if playing poker, or riding atop a plastinated de-skinned horse.  It may sound morbid, but it truly isn’t… at least not for any reasonable individual.  In my humble opinion, even children should see this exhibit, I would certainly take my own children, aged 5 and 7, should this exhibit return to my city for a third run.

At any rate, the DVD shown in the picture in the previous post was purchased at the exhibit itself, but is available on the official website:

http://www.bodyworlds.com

Go have a look, be amazed.

As for my concern for the participants, or plastinates as they are known, Thinking & Destiny addresses a period following death in relation to the existing physical body.  I’m epically paraphrasing here, but basically the sooner that the physical body is destroyed, the sooner the former inhabitant can disassociate its thought processes to the physical Earth and proceed through the after-death states.  All of this will absolutely be discussed in future posts, I’m definitely getting ahead of myself here, but essentially the best way to dispose of a body is cremation.  It return the body to element and frees the former inhabitant from it fully, they can “move on,” as the saying goes.  Any other method of postmortem body-handling will inevitable hinder the individual from rapidly traversing certain after-death states.  Again, we’re way ahead of ourselves, but I can’t help but wonder the effect on the Self of having one’s former body plastinated upon death.

At any rate, what’s done is done and godspeed to all former inhabitants of plastinated bodies and those presently alive who shall become future plastinates.  Long live Bodyworlds!

***

Two posts in two days?  I decided to quickly hammer this one out so as to have a post on 2/22 as a nod the the birth of this blog on 1/11.

 Posted by valant at 5:31 am

Alex Grey

 Alex Grey, recommendations  No Responses »
Feb 212011
 

I’m going to address the recommendations from the prior post alphabetically.  Not only is that logical, it also conveniently leaves the most disturbing work for last.  In light of that, I’d like to direct your attention to the work of artist Alex Grey.  Fans of the band Tool will recognize Grey’s artwork throughout the band’s last 2 albums, Lateralus and Ten Thousand Days.  If you happen to not be a fan of the aforementioned band, do not discount Grey’s work by way of throwing the proverbial baby out with the proverbial bathwater.  You owe it to yourself to give his work some attention.  Grey is able to visualize and render onto canvas non-physical realities, or at least an interpretation of these realities, like no other artist that I’ve ever encountered.  He has also captured the human body, physically and non-physically, in a truly unique and engaging way.

Please go to his websites and view his work.

http://www.alexgrey.com/

http://www.cosm.org/

The actual DVD that I own, shown in the image in the prior post, is his COSM: The Movie.  This DVD basically consists of Grey giving a guided tour of his Chapel of Sacred Mirrors.  You can purchase the DVD at the following link:

http://shop.cosm.org/cosmthemovie.aspx

It should go without saying that I reap no benefit from your purchasing this DVD, or anything from anyone that I recommend.   None of the people who’s work I recommend even know that I exist.  The only benefit to me is the knowledge that I have hopefully caused a net improvement to humanity by hopefully convincing a couple of individuals to expose themselves to works that will either improve them as people, even if only in minute ways, or otherwise broaden their perspective on life, which is also a win as far as I’m concerned.

However, if I do ever sign up for like an Amazon affiliate type of situation as has been recommended to me, that information will be publicly declared and not hidden in any way.  Cause, ya know, webhosting ain’t free and whatnot… though I do enjoy an employee discount…

Depending on which way the wind blows, the next post will either be another recommendation elaboration situation or… not.

 Posted by valant at 2:23 am

Recommendations

 Alex Grey, God Wants You Dead, recommendations, What the Bleep  3 Responses »
Feb 172011
 

No single source is definitive on any given topic, ever.  To memorize the information presented within a single source such that you can repeat said information on command, as facts, and consider yourself an expert on the given topic is an insult to yourself and those to whom you are presenting said information.  In other words, no one knows everything about anything; it is simply not possible.  How then do you become knowledgeable on a given topic?  By studying multiple, even conflicting, sources.  You gather as much information as is reasonable, then distill it down to that which doesn’t conflict with your own *cough* sense of reason *cough*.  In light of that, I’m presenting my personal recommendations for books and movies that one would do well to read and view should they be interested in the topics I’m presenting in this blog.

Some of these books and movies may contradict each other on certain points.  I may not personally agree with each point presented in each work.  Some of these present very controversial information, some may contradict facts that you have taken as granted for being fundamental truths.  The bottom line is that we must each decide for ourselves that which we will take as truth.  No matter the topic or circumstance in life, that holds true, relatively.  Unless for you it doesn’t.  See how that works?

Without further ado, here is a picture that I just took:

Alphabetically, we have:

Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

Gunther von Hagens’s Bodyworlds

Democracy is Self Government

God Wants you Dead

Man and Woman and Child

Thinking and Destiny

Waking Life

What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Zeitgeist: The Movie

Some of these have already been identified, others may be new to you.  All hold a value well beyond their respective price tags.  Throughout the next few posts, I’ll elaborate on each work.

***

On another note: Please know that I am publishing each new post on the day it is written… there is no backlog, outline or plan for future posts.  This blog is off-the-cuff, and hopefully that adds to the enjoyment of reading it, as it definitely adds to the enjoyment of writing it.  As such, please be understanding of potential large gaps between posts.

Until next time…

 Posted by valant at 4:57 pm
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