Madness Isn’t The Measure

It seems that there’s always some book or movie or secret that people tease will “drive you mad.” There are mystical tomes that will supposedly melt your mind – as of this writing I’ve seen this applied to Enochian lately. I’ve witnessed people claiming that there’s secret footage of dark practices that will drive you mad – for some reason, this usually involves Hillary Clinton. I suppose if I wrote a book called “The Enochian Secrets of Hillary Clinton” I’d reach a lucrative audience I’d never want to meet.

“It will drive you mad,” is a strange way to promote something. No advertiser will approve ad copy that reads “This Macaroni and Cheese will give you anxiety!” I’ve never had a commercial tell me “Now you can get the socks that will cause depression.” Mental breakdowns are a peculiar way to get someone’s interest.

I know of course that the “pitch” here is that these secrets someone can reveal (usually at a price) are so reality shattering that your weak little mind will break. Off the bat, doesn’t that feel like the secret-holder hints that they’re stronger than the rest of us. Oh it might not be intentional, but it’s there, an annoying sense of bragging should lead to mistrust immediately.

Also, someone tells you that this book or film will drive you mad, doesn’t that also mean that whoever wishes to share the mystery is bad at it? Look, if you’re really desperate to reveal great secrets from under the skin of reality, maybe do it in a way we can handle it? Sure if the knowledge has already driven you around the bend, maybe you have an excuse to create spirit-shattering books and plays. Otherwise, take a communications course or something, mister or missus Holder Of Hidden Knowledge.

All of the above, of course, is me being sarcastically charitable that people claiming madness-inducing knowledge actually know anything.

You don’t need to reveal Shattering Truths to drive people insane – you can use complete and utter bullshit. Many, many people go down absolute rabbit holes of conspiracy theories or fake occult texts, or con games and lose their minds. You can create little worlds of words and images and insinuations that people will happily become trapped in to the detriment of their sanity. You can even do this by accident, as I’m sure we’ve all witnessed courtesy of social media.

People don’t need revelations to go mad, just something to obsess over and some points to connect. When someone claims ruinous knowledge, you can guess what I assume it is.

So no, telling me something “can lead to madness” doesn’t impress me. Yes, it is a warning, it’s just not a warning about threats to my mental health. It’s a warning of arrogance, of bullshit, of a scam, and at best something that’s just an elaborate puzzle with no solution.

Warning “this secret will drive you mad” is a warning about bullshit. Which may make me mad, but more in the pissed off way than the mental breakdown way.

Xenofact

You’re So Lucky You’re Not Special

You’re not the reincarnation of some famous historical figure.

You didn’t have a past life in non-existent Atlantis

You’re not a genetically engineered time-traveling super-soldier created to explore space and fight aliens.

You’re not a super-assassin secretly trained by the US government.

You’re not an alien Starseed here to save Earth.

You’re not touched by a bunch of suspiciously white-looking so-called “Ascended Masters” to Awaken Humanity.*

You’re none of those things.  Those things are just bullshit made up or hijacked by grifters to sell to you.  Their goal is to make you feel special by selling you a story that at best has a bare echo of truth, and at worse is made of whole cloth.  The internet has made this somehow worse.

The thing is the grifters, the opportunists, and their legions of followers are trying to sell you that you’re special just like them.  They sell a story of specialness you can all participate in, but not only is it a grift, it’s the same kind of specialness for all.  They’re not only deceiving you (and possibly themselves), but it’s not really specialness.

To make it somehow worse this kind of recycled bullshit and telephone-operator-con-games covers up the real wonders and horrors of reality.  It sells you a blueprint for destiny you can plug your own imagination into while you plug in your credit card number to buy yet another book.  It doesn’t encourage you to open your mind let alone your eyes or Third Eye, it just keeps feeding you more of the same.

You’re not special, not in their way.  What you are is unique because you’re you.  Whatever the gods, powers, destiny, or random chance has for you it’s yours.  You may well have been touched by supernatural forces or great opportunity or just plain luck, but it’s not going to be in any form that comfortably fits into a $199 two-hour online seminar.

And that’s great!  You get to choose how you deal with whatever kind of uniqueness you have.  Maybe you aren’t even that unique so you get even more choice and far less social pressure.

And who wants to be part of some great destiny or plan anyway?  Maybe you have your own ideas, your own life to lead, and you don’t need the pressure.  Take it from a professional Project Manager, a lot of plans fail or go off the rails anyway!

Go be the unique you.  That’s one destiny you can fulfill better than anyone.

– Xenofact

* SubGeniuses like myself DO have Yeti blood, but at this rate so does everyone else.  Also we’re just weirdos.  We’re more weird than special.

May The Podcasters Be Kind In My Imagination

Mystics like me – magicians, meditators, theurgists, and the like – face a problem of ego.  We may have a deep insight or powerful experience and get full of ourselves.  Perhaps the opposite occurs, and something or someone shakes our ego, so we shore it up by overdoing it.  Whatever challenges we may face I want to talk about something that’s helped keep my “mystical ego” in check.

Podcasts.

I love podcasts on conspiracy theories, religious scams, and weirdness – as you can see on my resources pages.  These subjects fascinate me in general, but they’re also critical to dealing with the world.  Many gurus, politicians, and grifters are happy to sell bullshit and eat away at society just to get some money or an ego boost.  These podcasts help me stay aware of such people and how we may armor ourselves and others to stop them.

Sometimes I wondered what these podcasters might make of my own mystical activities and realized that such ruminations were a fantastic exercise to keep my ego in check.  Imagining very witty people I respect using their bullshit detectors on me gives me pause for thought.  Would my writings and philosophy withstand their gaze if I was more well-known?  If my plans come to fruition, would I be worthy of their ire or someone they’d respect?

This has been a great way to reduce arrogance in the metaphysical areas of my life.  These podcasters are people who could detect bullshit if they met me.  They’re also people I respect, so I suppose the idea of disappointing them even in my imagination is useful.

As you, my dear reader, are probably much like me – you despise spiritual exploiters and grifters – consider this useful exercise (or perhaps exorcise)  Not only will you discover some amazing podcasters, you’ll develop an insightful tool to keep your ego in check.  That way you’re one more helper in a world with a lot of exploitative assholes hijacking spirituality.

– Xenofact