Pretty accurate. When one looks at the actual experiences described - whether BK, sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, indigenous native animist etc - you see great similarity if you leave aside the narrative of what they believe gave the experience. If you look at the narratives of belief, a few may have some similarity with a few others but many will be completely different to others. That is, same phenomena, different explanations. Campbell put it forward that just as humans are genetically coded to have horizontal eyes, vertical noses and only be able to perceive certain frequencies of the universe naturally, so too we are as humans psychologically coded to have a certain range and type of experiences. the stories we weave to tell ourselves about these experiences will change within a pattern, sometimes they will be ”poetic”, sometimes "nonsense and disastrous” .ex-l wrote:I need a quick review. Would the big differences between your/Campbell's view and the BKs' view be summarised as....
Never a full time centre resident, being where i was, in London at first, that was of course impossible even though I became one of the main teachers for newbies, some of whom are still BKs of the more intelligent (more able to kid themselves) variety . Then in Australia, the different BK culture didn’t appeal to me and left me increasingly dissatisfied. . I never had the desire to be in any centre here given the way they were. I never asked what would be entailed to be a centrewassi. However I have over those years been as temporary resident of a number of centres.Pink, you were around from the mid-1970s to 90s? Did you ever living in or run a centre, or did you not "surrender" (your intellectual approach) sufficiently for them to accept you?
ClearofBK: So the re-evaluation process never stops. But how do you measure it
By the level of independence of thinking, emotional autonomy, self-direction, the regularity of circumspection and analysis of one’s own beliefs, the checking to see that how one operates is never going to preclude the ability to admit error and learn immediately, regardless of ideology or preconception.
As for ”happiest moments” - they are of their time. if you thought about it and could remember it, maybe it was when you were suckling on your mother’s breast or a particular day’s playing in pre-school. Then that first romance’s heady first lovemaking? What do we remember or let ourselves remember? TBH I really enjoy a good bowel evacuation!! In fact...