I AM THE PROBLEM
RESPONSIBILITY & FREEDOM
IN A POST-TRUTH, POST-RACE,
POST-COLONIZED WORLD.
WHO AM I?
REGIS CHAPMAN
DURGADAS
HTTPS://SILENTMOTIONYOGA.COM
CONTEXT: TWO WAYS TO THINK
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING HUMAN EXPERIENCES IN A TIMELESS, INFINITE, UNCHANGING REALITY
CONTEXT: TWO SOCIAL FORMS
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING SOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN A TIMELESS, INFINITE, UNCHANGING REALITY
CONTEXT: TWO MONETARY SYSTEMS
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE EXPERIENCING THEIR FINANCIAL LIVES INSIDE AN ABUSIVE SYSTEM
CONTEXT: INTELLECTUAL APPROACHES
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING PHILOSOPHICAL&PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCES IN A TIMELESS, INFINITE, UNCHANGING REALITY
CONTEXT: TWO SOCIALIZATION SYSTEMS
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE EXPERIENCING THEIR SOCIAL LIVES INSIDE AN ABUSIVE SYSTEM
CONTEXT: HEALTH APPROACHES
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIENCES IN A TIMELESS, INFINITE, UNCHANGING REALITY
CONTEXT: INTELLECTUAL APPROACHES
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING PHILOSOPHICAL&PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCES IN A TIMELESS, INFINITE, UNCHANGING REALITY
WHAT IS COLONIZATION?
ASSERTION: COLONIZATION IS A WORLDWIDE FINANCIAL & GOVERNANCE-LEVEL EXPRESSION OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE
One can see this as the following approaches to recovery from Narcissistic Abuse are identical in approach, different in context:
It’s important to note that ALL co-opted institutions from such countries are conscripted to enforce this violent, exclusionary and often genocidal warfare to ensure compliance, and this is a feature of narcissistic abuse at every level of its expression from intimate relationships to the entire world.
BROKEN INFORMATION ECOLOGY
It is easy to see this just by looking at current events and to look deeper at The War On Sensemaking Daniel Schmachtenberger.
POST-TRUTH�POST-RACE�POST-COLONIZATION
THE IRONY OF THE TITLE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT NONE OF THESE TERMS
ACTUALLY EXIST IN REALITY.
THIS INITIAL UNDERSTANDING(OR LACK THEREOF) WILL TYPICALLY BE INFORMED BY THE LEVEL OF PRIVILEGE OF THE PERCEIVER.
WE WILL EXAMINE WHY THIS IS, NEXT.
THE LEGACY OF NARCISSISM
THE LEGACY OF NARCISSISM
ASSERTION: COLONIZATION IS A NOW-NORMALIZED EXPRESSION OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE
SELF-STIGMA: Self stigma is the process in which a person internalizes the stigma and stereotypes around them by applying them to the self. This can lead to problems with self-esteem, depression and identity.
Research has shown that the public is less likely to think individuals with personality disorders need professional help and instead hold the belief that those with personality disorders should be able to exhibit control over behaviours caused by said disorders, combined with the clinical belief that people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are untreatable. Low public mental health literacy has been linked to low treatment-seeking from those suffering from disorders the sufferers themselves stigmatize. Narcissistic personality disorder has notably low treatment-seeking behaviour, most often seeking treatment for less stigmatized comorbid issues.
MODERN THEORIES: Current point of view of modern psychiatrists believe that today's society is at fault for the increase in narcissistic abuse because society promotes competitiveness. Many features of narcissism are sources of success in the modern competitive society. The question is that to what extent the opportunistic abilities to bring out one's own proficiency and constantly strive for the better result in trample on other people and having an irresponsible and insensitive attitude to other people (see e.g. Lucher, Huston, Walker & Alex Houtson, 2011).
In 2011 Maatta, Uusiautti & Matta published a study with an indication that modern society may shape the patterns of narcissistic abuse. The ideas of pleasing yourself first, taking care of yourself, climbing the ladder and general success in life are desired traits. And the explanation for the increase in narcissistic disorders may at least partly be found in the societal development as competitiveness, individualism, and opportunism are admired - those exact features that are often typical of narcissists.
VICTIMS OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE: This Wikipedia article show the following effects, easily seen in modern society and the governed around the world, at all times, but particularly now. Some relevant excerpts from this article:
THE LEGACY OF NARCISSISM
COMPONENTS OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE: This Psychology Today article lists the following components, easily seen in modern society and governance around the world, at all times, but particularly now.
Quoting the same article: “Malignant Narcissism and Sociopathy�Someone with more narcissistic traits who behaves in a malicious, hostile manner is considered to have “malignant narcissism.” Malignant narcissists aren’t bothered by guilt. They can be sadistic and take pleasure in inflicting pain. They can be so competitive and unprincipled that they engage in anti-social behavior. Paranoia puts them in a defensive-attack mode as a means of self-protection.”
This is the literal approach of all “modern civilizations”.
THE PEDAGOGY OF CULTS
COLONIZED HUMANS ARE ESSENTIALLY TAUGHT TO OBJECTIFY THEMSELVES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WITH THEIR PSYCHOLOGY DEFINED AS ‘OBJECTS OF GREATER OR LESSER VALUE’ BASED ON THEIR RELATIVE PRIVILEGE AND SOCIAL STATUS IN AN INTERLOCKING WORLDWIDE SYSTEM OF ABUSE.
This is the basis of all the biases, prejudices and negative –isms like racism, sexism, trans-phobia or people who just lack compliance in the social contract in ANY form at all.
Since our culture’s primary expression of “culture” is a relentless drive toward creating objects of all types, it is extremely adept at appropriation as well, since appropriation is the literal aim of ALL colonization strategies. Every type of violence is authorized in the acquisition of valuable objects, by every hierarchical layer.
Similarly, every type of violence is authorized in the pursuit of maintaining the rigid orthodoxies required by narcissists. This is very similar to the behavior of cults, and it’s true our society has “cult behavior” as an almost-ideal compliance mechanism.
Since abuse is narcissistic by its nature, requiring the “othering” of one object in favor of another (usually one’s identified egoic self, created, educated and maintained by the culture), then one can see it isn’t far from that to violence to ensure compliance to the hierarchy.
The Narcissist’s Family Cult: Youtube Video by Meredith Miller
How Being In A Cult Is JUST LIKE being in a Narcissistic Relationship: Youtube Video by Doctor Ramani
THE PATHOLOGY OF PRIVILEGE
COLONIZED HUMANS OPERATE IN A SEVERELY LIMITED AND HOLLOW SELF-UNDERSTANDING DUE TO THE GENERATIONAL ABUSE BY THE ENTIRE CULTURE SO PERVASIVE THEY CAN NO LONGER PERCEIVE IT OR SUBVERT IT.
Privilege is a state of denial of Reality, combined with a social contract that says the ‘privileged’ will never be made to feel the actual consequences of their attitudes, ignorance, bias or actions.
Such a psychological state can ONLY exist inside a systemic structure completely defined by abuse, in which a relatively lessened state of abuse is configured hierarchically so that one perpetually “fights” for a higher ‘privilege’ status, which is essentially permission to exist in the false duality of “abuser” and “abused” from one hierarchical step to another; granting ‘permission’ to the higher status for more ability to abuse and lessening of the expectation of receiving abuse or accountability.
So it is seen that in such a system, defining and naming and assessing the various overlapping hierarchies is primary work in the mind of its participants; making it difficult for anyone to spend time considering or even knowing of the existence of non-hierarchies or even just gaps between hierarchies.
Even our feeling of restriction based on these hierarchical systems is given an outlet in the form of yet another hierarchy, to the degree that even a super-rich ultra-privileged person continues to feel like an oppressed underdog and whose only approved cultural method of coping is to overcompensate with ego.
Tim Wise’s 2016 Youtube Video On A Race-Focused View Of The Pathology Of Privilege
Notable Mentions from the video: “Journal Of The American Medical Journal found that Americans have twice the incidence of anxiety disorders above the global average and 5 TIMES that of Nigeria, which is almost constantly war-torn?” PRIVILEGE BLINDS US TO REALITY and so makes us anxious, since at SOME level we know we’re in a culture predicated on Narcissistic Abuse.
THE PARADOX OF LARGE VS. SMALL
HOW THOSE “IN CHARGE” OF THE COLONIZER MENTALITY CO-OPT THE EFFICIENCY INHERENT IN THE ‘LARGENESS’ TO MANIPULATE THE DESIRE FOR ‘SMALL AND LOCAL’ REACTIONISM TO THE ‘LARGENESS’ AND POWER HAD BY TECHNOLOGY AND BROAD INCLUSIVE FRAMEWORKS.
Why does it seem that so many right wing and “conservative” movements emphasize “making government smaller” while using the tools of that large government work against those who agree that government should be smaller?
Adorno on the Far-Right (1967)
An excellent translation (from Comments on that video by the user “Project Malus”):
Thus we can see how and why people like Steve Bannon LOVE things like the Anti-Fragile movement, which shows the Single Points Of Failure in which the need for the Local methods shown in Ostrom’s Principles for managing the commons to be respected by the Regional and the Regional to be respected by the National and the National to be respected by the World can be subverted into suspicion of ANYTHING beyond the Local, EVEN WHILE being manipulated and controlled by the Nationalist.
This reveals a flaw in hierarchical thinking overall (and divided thinking in general) and WHY we need to move into holarchies SO MUCH. Since all hierarchies result in someone occupying a “blocking” position (like Steve Bannon does in modern politics), regardless of WHICH hierarchy we are speaking about. ALL hierarchy serves divided thinking. This is one of the implications of a quote like “The Medium Is The Message”, for example.
THE PARADOX OF LARGE VS. SMALL
“TERRITORIES”
I see the Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth
Like the Chinese call the country of their birth
We all figure that our homes are set above
Other people than the ones we know and love
In every place with a name
They play the same territorial game
Hiding behind the lines
Sending up warning signs
The whole wide world
An endless universe
Yet we keep looking through
The eyeglass in reverse
Don’t feed the people
But we feed the machines
Can’t really feel
What international means
In different circles
We keep holding our ground
Indifferent circles
We keep spinning round and round
We see so many tribes — overrun and undermined
While their invaders dream of lands they’ve left behind
Better people — better food — and better beer
Why move around the world when Eden was so near?
The bosses get talking so tough
And if that wasn’t evil enough
We get the drunken and passionate pride
Of the citizens along for the ride
They shoot without shame
In the name of a piece of dirt
For a change of accent
Or the colour of your shirt
Better the pride that resides
In a citizen of the world
Than the pride that divides
When a colourful rag is unfurled
THE PARADOX OF LARGE VS. SMALL
SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF PITTING LARGE AGAINST SMALL
In many ways, Elinor Ostrom’s important work on Governing The Commons is important BECAUSE it shows a framework for how to include the large and the small.
THE PROPHET- ON SELF-KNOWLEDGE
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
THE NATURAL PROGRESSION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MATURITY
THE PROPHET- ON TEACHING�
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
WAKING UP
Tim Wise on Interrogation of the Lens with which We View Social Reality- Becoming aware of the lens through which we see Reality makes you less a victim of your own biases. This principles is a PRIMARY way of regaining autonomy and agency against this abusive culture.
SELF-ACCEPTANCE: You must begin with yourself, and to validate yourself as the ground floor of your progress. The degree to which you are willing to extend this to yourself is the degree to which you can extend it to others.
SELF-COMPASSION: In order to extend compassion to others, one MUST be willing to extend it toward one’s self, and to do so actively and with intention and determination, ESPECIALLY WHEN society or others in your social group are unwilling to. The degree to which you are willing to extend this to yourself is the degree to which you can extend it to others.
SELF-REGULATION: You have a right to boundaries, even inside yourself. The degree to which you are willing to extend this to yourself is the degree to which you can extend it to others.
SELF-EXPRESSION: Your Voice. The degree to which you are willing to extend this to yourself is the degree to which you can extend it to others.
SELF-AWARENESS: Your meta-understanding of your own thoughts and disconnecting from “beliefs/ideologies” as identifiers. The degree to which you are willing to extend this to yourself is the degree to which you can extend it to others.
NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION (NVC): Leads to the understanding of feelings and their link to needs, as well as how to communicate in a healthy way through observations and requests vs. judgements & demands. Communicate in ways that serve life and avoid the creation of enemy images.
SUBVERTING OUR PRIVILEGE: PART 1
DIVIDED STRATEGIES OF ABUSERS
UNIFIED STRATEGIES OF HEALTHY PEOPLE
WAKING UP:
DECOLONIZATION IS OFTEN STARTED BY A KIND OF PSEUDO-SPIRITUAL AWAKENING TO THE
“LIE OF SOCIETY”
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
DIVIDED STRATEGIES OF THE ABUSED
UNIFIED STRATEGIES OF RECOVERING ABUSED
GROWING UP
ASSERTING OUR RIGHT TO UNDERSTANDING
THE ANATOMY OF A MISTAKE
DECOLONIZATION IS OFTEN CONTINUED BY REVISIONING THE RELATIONSHIP OF SELF TO SOCIETY AND TO THE WORLD/UNIVERSE, NOW AS A WHOLE.
TO DO THIS ONE MUST REALIZE THE ROLE THE MIND PLAYS IN LENSING YOUR EXPERIENCE IN EACH RELATIONSHIP TO EACH.
EVEN SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY SUFFERS FROM THIS NARCISSISTIC ABUSE (SCIENTISM), AS YOU CAN SEE FROM RUPERT SHELDRAKE’S BANNED TED TALK ON:
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
CLEAN UP
Tim Wise on Interrogation of the Lens with which We View Social Reality- Becoming aware of the lens through which we see Reality makes you less a victim of your own biases. This principles is a PRIMARY way of regaining autonomy and agency against this abusive culture.
THE REAL HISTORY LESSON: This is important because one must RESEARCH IT to find it out, and most importantly STOP DENIAL. The combination of gaslighting, manipulation and withholding information will create a personal tendency to follow the general culture’s approach to this deep denial also.
SELF-COMPASSION: In order to extend compassion to others, one MUST be willing to extend it toward one’s self, and to do so actively and with intention and determination, ESPECIALLY WHEN society or others in your social group are unwilling to.
NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION (NVC): (SEE GRAPHIC NEXT PAGE) Leads to the understanding of feelings and their link to needs, as well as how to communicate in a healthy way through observations and requests vs. judgements & demands. Communicate in ways that serve life and avoid the creation of enemy images.
ASSERTING OUR RIGHT TO OUR CONSCIOUSNESS
MINING THE UNCONSCIOUS
AND TO BECOME WILLING TO LOOK DEEPLY INTO OUR SHADOW SELVES.
I SUGGEST THE 3-2-1 SHADOW PROCESS OF KEN WILBER.
DENIAL ONLY DELAYS AND PERPETUATES THE FALSE DUALITY OF ABUSER/ABUSED.
IT’S WORTH WATCHING GRAHAM HANCOCK’S VIDEO ON:
CONTEXT:ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
CYNEFIN FRAMEWORK:
HOW HUMANS SENSE-MAKE/RELATE
TO DISORDER IN 5 WAYS
DISORDER
CONTEXT:ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES
CONTEXT:ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
OPEN UP
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
SHOW UP
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
SPIRAL DYNAMICS & AQAL
THE PEDAGOGY OF FREEDOM
SPIRAL DYNAMICS & AQAL
FREEDOM: TWO SOCIAL FORMS
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
COMMONS GOVERNANCE
SUBVERTING OUR PRIVILEGE: PART 2
DIVIDED STRATEGIES
UNIFIED STRATEGIES
SPIRITUALITY, NEW AGE THINKING, TOXIC POSITIVITY AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
1. “Remaining Unattached:” Choosing to Be Silent
2. “Sending Love and Light:” Distancing Yourself
3. “Keeping Your Vibration High:” Encouraging Numbness
4. “Emphasizing the Spiritual Perspective:” Negating Reality
5. “Privileged Preaching:” Wielding Entitlement as The Way (New Age Prosperity Gospel)
6. “Recreating ‘Tribe’:” Barring Diversity from Your Comfort Zone
7. Free Speech As “Freedom From Consequences Of My Speech”
8. Overuse of Openness (It’s All Good, Everything’s Perfect Anyways, Agree With Any Buzzword-Laden Spiritualism) or Rationality (Denialism)
TUNING INTO �THE UNIFIED AND THE COMMONALITY
THE ANATOMY OF A SOLUTION
SELF-COMPASSION IS WHAT CONVERTS THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES OF ABUSE INTO HEALTH.
TOO OFTEN PEOPLE ESCAPE ABUSIVE APPROACHES INTO ANOTHER CULT-LIKE APPROACH.
EVEN WITH SPIRITUAL APPROACHES AND THIS FEEDS “SPIRITUAL BYPASSING” BY AVOIDING DIFFICULT SHADOW/TAMASIC ASPECTS OF THEIR PSYCHOLOGY.
PRE/TRANS FALLACY
CONFUSION ON THE ROAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH/UNITY
RELATED TO SPIRITUAL BYPASSING IS THE PRE/TRANS FALLACY. SINCE BOTH PRE-CONVENTIONAL INFANTILE FEELINGS AND TRANS-PERSONAL FEELINGS ARE “NON-RATIONAL”, THEY ARE OFTEN EASILY CONFUSED, ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKING PSYCHOTROPIC/NOOTROPIC SUBSTANCES.
PRE-REDUCTIONIST/COLONIZED THINKING WOULD TEND TO CONFUSE THE PERSON HAVING A NON-RATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO THINKING THEY HAVE “REGRESSED” INTO FREUD’S ‘OCEANIC’ STATES.
TRANS- TRANSPERSONAL AND THE ‘GLORIOUS’ INTEGRATED NON-RATIONAL STATES CAN SEEM, TO THE INTERMEDIATE PRACTITIONER, LIKE REGRESSION AT FIRST; BUT TRANS-CONVENTIONAL THINKING HAS ACCESS TO CONVENTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY TO “TRANSCEND AND INCLUDE” WHEREAS PRE-CONVENTIONAL STATES DO NOT.
PSYCHO/SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
SPIRAL DYNAMICS & AQAL
CONTEXT:ANCIENT WISDOM TRADITIONS
DIVIDED
UNIFIED
YOGA CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA :
THE FUNDAMENTAL MANDATE OF YOGA:
“YOGA IS THE SUSPENSION OF THE MODIFICATIONS OF THE MIND”
ALL DHARMIC & SHAMANIC APPROACHES TO KNOWLEDGE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY UNIFIED AND NON-THEISTIC
THE ASHTANGA YOGA OF SAGE PATANJALI
THE NATURAL OBSERVATIONS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY
THE FOUR PATHS OF YOGA
THE NATURAL INCLINATIONS OF ASPIRANTS
CONTEXT: THE SOCIAL EGO
FOUR PATHS OF YOGA + EGO/IGNORANCE
HOW ADDING EGO AND IGNORANCE TO ANY HUMAN ENDEAVOR DIVIDES IT.
THE SOCIAL EGO: OUT OF BALANCE
FOUR PATHS OF YOGA + EGO/IGNORANCE
POLITICS
DECOLONIZING YOGA AS AN EXAMPLE
“IT WAS HERE THAT I STARTED TO APPREHEND THE TRUE MEANING OF COLONIZATION. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOGA AND AYURVEDA WERE BANNED IN INDIA UNDER BRITISH RULE AND COLONIZATION?
THE PRACTICES MILLIONS OF WESTERNERS NOW TURN TO FOR ALTERNATIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS THERAPIES WERE INTENTIONALLY ERADICATED FROM PARTS OF INDIA TO THE POINT THAT LINEAGES WERE BROKEN AND THOUSAND-YEAR OLD TRADITIONS LOST.
TO BE COLONIZED IS TO BECOME A STRANGER IN YOUR OWN LAND. AS A DESI, THIS IS THE FEELING I GET IN MOST WESTERNIZED YOGA SPACES TODAY. OF COURSE, POWERFUL PRACTICES THAT REDUCE SUFFERING PERSIST, DESPITE ALL ATTEMPTS TO END THEM. THESE FACTS ARE CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE POWER AND PRIVILEGE WE CONTINUE TO POSSESS OR LACK, TO CLARIFYING THE POSITIONALITIES WE EMBODY AS WE PRACTICE, TEACH AND SHARE YOGA TODAY.
NOW, WHEN SO MUCH OF WHAT THE WESTERN WORLD SEES AS TRUE YOGA IS BEAUTIFULLY ACHIEVED PHYSICAL POSTURES, (ACCOMPLISHED, PHOTOGRAPHED AND DISPLAYED BY POPULAR YOGA MAGAZINES, JOURNALS AND SITES) EXECUTED BY MOSTLY YOUNG, WHITE, STYLISH-YOGA-APPAREL CLAD WOMEN AND MEN, YOGAIS GOING THROUGH A SECOND COLONIZATION. THIS COLONIZATION IS THE MISREPRESENTATION OF YOGA’S INTENTION, ITS MANY LIMBS, AND ITS AIMS.
YOGA IS NOT NOW, NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN, A PRACTICE AIMED AT PHYSICAL MASTERY FOR ITS OWN SAKE. NOR IS IT A PRACTICE AIMED AT “STRESS-REDUCTION” SO WE CAN FUNCTION AS BETTER PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS IN A CAPITALIST SOCIETY”
- SUSANNA BARKATAKI, M.ED.,RYT 500, E-RYT 200, LAC,
QUESTIONS?
CONTACT ME:
REGIS CHAPMAN
DURGADAS
DURGADAS@MAC.COM
HARI OM TAT SAT
ॐ