Narcissism and Spiritual Materialism: The New Age Legacy

[scout1]

Narcissism and Spiritual Materialism: The New Age Legacy

http://www.engaged-zen.or...utsu-New_Age_Legacy.html
The "New Age" movement, if indeed it can be referred to as
a movement, appears to be a desperate effort of people
attempting to find the spirituality that is totally lacking in
the dominant culture. Dominant here means more than mainstream,
for domination is an integral element of the pervasive
materialistic and conquest based culture of the West. The
power-over dynamic and materialistic nature of Western culture is
a product of conquest and subjugation that grew out of European
feudalism, patriarchism, theocratic dictatorship and
opportunistic desire to wield power over other beings. The entire
history of what we are taught is "civilization" is in short a
story of conquest, written by the conquerors with their purposes
in mind. This element of conquest is the backbone of materialism
and the materialistic psychology that enables people to visualize
their entire world as objects that can be manipulated for
selfish gain, this manipulation includes people. Materialism and
the principle of conquest are driving forces in the efforts of
groups to control the lives of others. Efforts to legislate
morality, attempts to mold society to arbitrary standards
developed by religious groups based on belief systems all rely on
the conquest principle, the subjugation of others.

What is perhaps no so apparent, is the degree to which this
paradigm permeates our personal lives on a day to day basis.
The conquest paradigm has disconsciously been incorporated into
our psychology in ways that are far from apparent.

The conquest paradigm by its nature is diametrically in
opposition to spirituality, and when practiced leaves no room for
the freedom of spirituality, no room to breathe. The root of
spirituality is "spiritus" the Latin word for breath, the essence
of life itself.

[glance left]

We just need a paradigm shift, that's all.  Humans are simply misguided due to lack of perspective.  I think on some level we know we've been conquered and are subjugated by that predatory force out there/in here, but don't have the focus and wherewithall to do something about it...so we direct our bitterness outward, striking at our fellow man, trying to command the world of objects because, in our subjugated state, thats all that's left to us.  It's like inmate in a prison finding a way to make a shiv to attack a fellow inmate by scrounging up the scant resources available to him.  If we would only redirect that modicum of resourcefulness....our scrounging capacity...to that thing sitting on our heads!  We are resourceful, no question....making use of piteous amounts of energy in ingenious ways.  But to apply that energy to the real problem at hand...that's the rub.

[CI5]

I was struck by the heavy emphasis on the notion that the vast
majority of them were offering people something other than
reality. The theme of altered, higher, better states of
consciousness occurred repeatedly.

I was surprised at the number of books dedicated to "angels"
The recurrent thread throughout was that of personal entitlement,
getting something, reaching or attaining something. All of it
seemed demeaning in a way, a tacit acknowledgment that there
was something missing, that an individual could find and possess
by reading the book. I could not help noticing some of the
customers browsing the titles, most appeared to be dissatisfied
people desperately seeking some sort of answers.
There was a bulletin board, covered with advertisements for
dozens of "healers," "body workers" and various "schools" of
"mystical arts." This was very much what Trungpa Rinpoche used to
refer to as "the Spiritual Supermarket" a plethora of offerings
appealing to our sense of spiritual poverty, offering relief in
the form of spiritual commodities, "higher" states of
consciousness, travel to higher realms, secrets of the universe.
All of it appealing to the underlying diaspora of separateness
and disconnectedness that is all pervasive in the human
condition.
The overriding theme in this
spiritual supermarket was that there was something missing which
could be provided by the products being sold. Nowhere was the
notion evident that perhaps the real problem was that we had too
much to begin with, and what we really needed was to let go.
Everywhere the message was self centered, me, me, mine...
achievement, gain, and ego reinforcement seemed all pervasive. I
could not help but wonder how many people had come into such
places in search of peace of mind. Someone discovering an
offered technique which seemed appealing, purchasing the
available books, tapes and materials, taking them all home to
begin their new life of spirituality. They would find out in a
short time after the fascination wore off that they were still
deeply dissatisfied. One could imagine people going back to the
supermarket, getting all the stuff for a different "modality"
(they seem to like that word "modality") and starting the process
again. I would imagine that this could become an endless
occupation, jumping from cosmic consciousness to crystal healing
to channeling to pyramidology to energy vibrations, to
out-of-body experiences, to déjà vu, to ESP, to Atlantis,
to reincarnation to endless other "ologies" and "isms." Truly a
never ending story.... always searching, trying to find
something, anything, to fill the perceived need that something is
missing.
The theme of selfishness appears to
exist throughout the New Age trip, it is on the whole supported
by middle class white people who are dissatisfied with their
lives and uncomfortable in their relationships and surroundings.
Invariably it is a money making scene, the books, crystals,
bells, incense, oils, aromas, the tapes and CD's all sell like
hotcakes.
I could find no information in the
store that had any reference to the sign in the window
advertising "zen" the clerk did not offer an explanation, there
seemed no reason for the sign other than the novelty of the word
"zen." This is a common occurrence in materialistic America. Over
the years I have seen numerous advertising campaigns offering
"zen" this and "zen" that. Books have been written with the
word "zen" in the title that have nothing to with zen at all.
"Zen" is a "pop" word that sells.
From this
perspective, there is no relationship between zen and "New Age,"
in fact, they are diametrically opposed. Zen does not cater to
selfish notions of self improvement or egoistic narcissistic
spiritual entertainment. If any thing, zen is about destroying
utterly such preconceptions. There is nothing "New" about zen, it
has been around for 2500 years. Whatever preconceived ideas may
be proffered by so called "New Age" gurus, have nothing to do
with formal traditional zen practice.

New Age notions of "love n' light, peace and harmony, and we are
all one" are in no way aspects of zen training. To think
otherwise is childlike and ignorant. Zen is a far more realistic
and sophisticated than that, more down to earth and ordinary. To
lump zen in with the myriad of New Age endeavors is completely
erroneous. Zen is a method for becoming sane not a self-indulgent
hobby for bored rich white people.
The
"New Age" movement, if indeed it can be referred to as a
movement, appears to be a desperate effort of people attempting
to find the spirituality that is totally lacking in the dominant
culture. Dominant here means more than mainstream, for domination
is an integral element of the pervasive materialistic and
conquest based culture of the West. The power-over dynamic and
materialistic nature of Western culture is a product of conquest
and subjugation that grew out of European feudalism,
patriarchism, theocratic dictatorship and opportunistic desire to
wield power over other beings. The entire history of what we are
taught is "civilization" is in short a story of conquest,
written by the conquerors with their purposes in mind. This
element of conquest is the backbone of materialism and the
materialistic psychology that enables people to visualize their
entire world as objects that can be manipulated for selfish gain,
this manipulation includes people. Materialism and the principle
of conquest are driving forces in the efforts of groups to
control the lives of others. Efforts to legislate morality,
attempts to mold society to arbitrary standards developed by
religious groups based on belief systems all rely on the conquest
principle, the subjugation of others.

What is perhaps no so apparent, is the degree to which this
paradigm permeates our personal lives on a day to day basis. The
conquest paradigm has disconsciously been incorporated into our
psychology in ways that are far from apparent.

The conquest paradigm by its nature is diametrically in
opposition to spirituality, and when practiced leaves no room for
the freedom of spirituality, no room to breathe. The root of
spirituality is "spiritus" the Latin word for breath, the essence
of life itself.
In our Western society
materialism has become so all encompassing that we have no clue
as to any alternatives, since our foundation, our psychology, our
spiritual leanings have all been contaminated by materialism. We
have no way to relate to things other than materialistically.
The New Age phenomenon is very much a materialistic approach
in fact it is a thinly disguised system of conquest applied to
what we perceive as the spiritual. In so many cases, our thirst
for meaning, our need for fulfillment, can only manifest in terms
of wanting to appropriate more "stuff." In the New Age this
means appropriating the spirituality of other cultures because we
are so impoverished and have squandered our heritage and
fatally polluted it with our materialistic attitude of conquest
and ownership.
We blithely in our search seek
to appropriate the wisdom of ancient masters, we adopt the
spirituality of other cultures as though they were ours for the
taking. Our spiritual search has turned into spiritual conquest,
we have become rapists, pillagers and looters of other
cultural legacies. We are exercising our conquest psychology by
stealing the cultural spiritual heritage of other cultures
because we have destroyed our own. This goes on and on..... go
into the new age book store and look around -- consider what has
just been said here when you do.
We may buy a
book on indigenous shamanism, we may gather the feathers, the drum, the
medicine bag, the herbs, the pipe, all the "required" paraphernalia...
and pretend to be a shaman. We may go to someone who claims to be such a
person to learn from them. But after we've done all that, after we've
read everything that can be read on the subject, acquired all the props,
dressed ourselves in the native clothes, painted our faces -- when we
look in the mirror -- we are still a white person pretending to be
someone other than who we are. We are a clumsy approximation of a shaman
at best. If we study an Asian tradition we can never become an Asian
person, we can not undo our past and somehow recreate a cultural
heritage. In short, we are who we are and need to become used to the
idea that we do not have the right to steal the heritage of another
culture to satisfy our unbridled greed and arrogance.

You see, what is really needed is not what is offered for sale,
advertised for money and acquired through materialistic gain.
What is needed, is to look at our motivations, to examine our
present condition, to study our history to learn about how we
function. We can do none of this if we are involved in looking
outside ourselves for answers, if we are looking for "higher"
states of consciousness.
What is a
"higher" state of consciousness? Higher that what? We are not
even aware of our present state of mind other than that we are in
pain, feel a lack and want to feel complete. We behave as if
spoiled children who want their situation "fixed" and taken care
of right away. We have not really looked at ourselves, we have
not deeply examined the nature of our feelings, the root causes
of those feelings, the social structure, language and culture
that has produced our world views. In short we are so busy
wanting to escape that we have not taken the time to understand
the nature of our imprisonment. What sense does it make to trade
one jail cell for another, when the prison walls are in reality
our own forgotten creation?
The real truth is
that things are not as bad as we thought.... In fact, they are
much worse! This is the real work of spirituality, this is the
grist for the mill. The notion that we can somehow look into the
mirror of our selves and see some magical vision of purity and
light is mere wishful thinking, an attempt to escape from the
pain of our collective social karma.

The real truth is that there is no escape, no way out. There are
temporary, highly entertaining "trips" we can go on in an attempt
at escape, but ultimately they all wind up back at the same
place, we are left feeling the fundamental dissatisfactoriness
that is all pervasive.
Until we are brave
enough to face the truth, to recognize the dire nature of the
problem, to see that we are not alone in feeling dissatisfaction
we have no hope of coming to any sort of insight and wisdom. So
long as we are totally wrapped up in planning our own personal
escape, we can not see the real problem, we can not see that
there are others who are just as stuck, in just as much pain as
we are.
There is no escape in the New
Age, it is a mere product of the culture of materialism, a
fantasy woven to cater to our neurotic obsession with ourselves
and our personal angst. New Age is for those who have money, idle
time and nothing better to do. Check it out -- How many poor
people struggling to put food on their tables, living lives far
more uncomfortable that our own are in the New Age stores
seeking answers to their problems?
Are we not
really looking to heal our selves in all of this? We are in a
peculiar dilemma, we know that something is wrong but we are so
absorbed in escaping from the pain that we do not take the time
required to learn the true nature of the disease. Our
materialistic psychology prevents us from seeing the big picture.
We remain entranced with our individual problems and can not see
beyond the immediate issue to the much wider picture of how
we exist in a state of interbeing with all our sisters and
brothers and all our fellow sentient beings.

[CI5]

The real truth is
that things are not as bad as we thought.... In fact, they are
much worse! This is the real work of spirituality, this is the
grist for the mill. The notion that we can somehow look into the
mirror of our selves and see some magical vision of purity and
light is mere wishful thinking

[quantumshaman]

Worrying about the new age movement is no different than worrying about whether a rogue comet is going to hit the earth.  There's nothing we can do about it either way, which is why a warrior practices the right way to live - and usually in a solitary fashion, with no concern for what "others" are doing.  I personally agree with the general sentiment being expressed here - the "new age movement" is a crock of ****, a load of bullshit served up in a bunch sweetness and light wrappers, with a hefty serving of crystals and candles on the side. 
For warriors, that kind of thing is *seen* for what it is, dismissed with detachment, and that is simply that.  Trying to change it is like trying to stop that rogue comet. The sheeple who think they are going to save their souls or cure their ills with crystals and candles are the same sheeple who have earned the term "bliss ninnies", and they are no more warriors than I'm an astronaut, so why would anyone here really care WHAT they do?   Kinda like the Christians who go to church every Sunday and expect a reward in heaven for their efforts.  If they believe that kind of nonsense, it's at their own peril - and NOT my obligation to save them from their own idiocy. Ditto with the "new agers".
Where warriors are concerned... there is really only one thing to learn.  One.  Thing. 
If one wants to survive this life and especially if one wants to survive beyond it, the key to doing so is the creation of the double.  While in organic form, we experience the double most commonly as gnosis - silent knowing.  Beyond the organic form, we can speculate all day long, but the bottom line is that the double becomes the vessel of our awareness beyond the Eagle's reach.  Everything ELSE a warrior does is leading to that goal.  Sure, there are the tools.  Lose self-importance.  Intent.  Will.  Stalking.  Dreaming.  Detachment.  Controlled folly.  The right way to live... and so on.  But ALL of those things are leading to the ONE thing:  THE TOTALITY OF ONESELF (which is the combined awareness of the mortal self and inorganic double). 
It's really quite simple.  We all know HOW it's done, and hopefully we are all do-ing it.  It requires no crystals or candles or incense or leather paddles.  The problem with "new age" is that it tends to get lost in the tools and the tricksters wielding them.  I've met a lot of bliss ninnies who absolutely believe they are going to get "it" through all of these material "tools".  That's THEIR problem, not ours.
The warrior creates his double with the "tools" outlined above, none of which can be purchased at a swank new age emporium.  The only thing a warrior MIGHT need are a few good books to aid in stripping away the belief systems that hold her prisoner to the consensus, but even that is questionable. Some of us figured it out first, then read Castaneda (and others) after the fact.
For a warrior, all the Knowledge you will ever need is already inside you - through the place of silent knowing.  Part of knowing how to LISTEN is learning how to STOP listening/worrying about new age movements and the like.  It really doesn't concern the warrior whatsoever. 
Formula for a warrior:
Mortal Awareness + Awareness of the Double = Freedom
The rest is just distraction, provided to you by the foreign installation.

[Gonzo]

Does this mean you have no crystals or candles? No ashes in the driveway? No figurines, no goblins?

[quantumshaman]

Sure I have crystals and candles!  And yes, I have ashes in the driveway.  Ritual was once a vital part of my practice.  The difference here is that I don't confuse the tools with the intent anymore than I confuse the taxi with the destination.  The difference between a warrior and a new ager is that a warrior knows a crystal is just a rock, whereas a new ager believes the rock has powers. 
As for the ashes in the driveway... which you have witnessed... it's some of the most powerful ritual work I've ever done, some of the most intense magick, the path of shadows, the scattering of one's own ashes to symbolically die to this world and create a path to the next. So sue me, I'm a sorcerer.
Figurines?  I have a couple of Hummels.  Heh.  I also made a poppet once upon a time.  New agers would cringe and run away in terror at such things.  Warriors recognize them as tools to be used and then set aside without attachment.
Goblins?  Nah. I think most of those are in your chatroom or in your head.
What's yer point?

[Gonzo]

Just clarifying...I too have used rituals, but no more. They seemed to have served their purpose, much like cannabis and psilocybin, et al. When they're done, they're done. Perhaps that's what Jed McKenna and others would call "spiritual dilettantism" - as you said: "So, sue me."

[quantumshaman]

Gonzo wrote:
Just clarifying...I too have used rituals, but no more. They seemed to have served their purpose, much like cannabis and psilocybin, et al. When they're done, they're done. Perhaps that's what Jed McKenna and others would call "spiritual dilettantism" - as you said: "So, sue me."
I consider ritual a tool, same with cannabis and psilocybin.  I haven't used any of them in years, but wouldn't rule it out should the need arise.

[delawaredan]

QS wrote:
"But ALL of those things are leading to the ONE thing: THE TOTALITY OF ONESELF (which is the combined awareness of the mortal self and inorganic double)."  
"Formula for a warrior:
Mortal Awareness + Awareness of the Double = Freedom"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes!  thank you....this is the answer to every debate on this forum.   Clear and simple....   my double thanks you as well.       Christians and New Agers alike are clinging to ritual instead of seeking freedom.

[dreamgirl]

Oh yes, merging your tonal self with the double = freedom.  YES! YES! YES!

Also, since I love ritual, candles, crystals, etc., I REALLY want to know what all this business about ashes in the driveway is about.

[quantumshaman]

dreamgirl wrote:
Oh yes, merging your tonal self with the double = freedom.  YES! YES! YES!



Also, since I love ritual, candles, crystals, etc., I REALLY want to know what all this business about ashes in the driveway is about.

I have a large fireplace in my office, which is made of crystals, geodes and gemstones.  Altogether, it is 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide at the widest point.  The largest crystal formation is smoky quartz, and would weigh at least 40 pounds.  When we first bought the house, the fireplace was the thing that most drew me.  In the winter, I often have fires while meditating or talking with other seekers or simply communing with my double through silent knowing.  In the morning, when the ashes are cold, I gather them and scatter them from my door to the street (about 50 yards).  The Intent of this ritual is to scatter the ashes of my mortal self from "here" to the infinite, from "here" to the road that leads to any destination. The ashes and black embers leave a trail that leads equally in both directions - self to double, double to self.
During the years when I practiced ritual, this was one of the most powerful.

[CI5]

yes.. the definition for that is a trap of our ego, or the personal "i" has no value whatsover.
ritual can help brake some mundane fixation (hence the popularity) but create other fixation.. another fetish
the trap of our ego are also the extreme experiences we are looking for, the allure of extreme psychedelic experiences.. that was allure of CC works and people tripped themselves heavily on that and some are still trippin )))

[quantumshaman]

CI5 wrote:
yes.. the definition for that is a trap of our ego, or the personal "i" has no value whatsover.
ritual can help brake some mundane fixation (hence the popularity) but create other fixation.. another fetish
the trap of our ego are also the extreme experiences we are looking for, the allure of extreme psychedelic experiences.. that was allure of CC works and people tripped themselves heavily on that and some are still trippin )))

Interesting perspective.  I'm not really sure ritual is a trap of the ego as much as it is simply a tool, no different than anything else.  There was a time when it helped me to clarify my Intent, but once the Intent became imbedded into the molecules of my being (both corporeal and non-corporeal), there was no longer any need for ritual.
Like CC, my AP was once so firmly stuck in first attention that I needed something to shake it loose, and so the mushroom became my ally for a period of about 3 years.  It was the most profound organic teacher I have ever known, but there came the day when the ally said, "You don't need me anymore.  Take what I've shown you and fly free."
Still flying.

[CI5]

=))) pleased to read it QS, i think you were doing it well as a warrior.
and as ones becomes a seer, the search of seers is something else then.
--
if one overdoes something, in this case of the mushroom, one becomes mushroom fanatic =) and it goes for anything else, as what you think or "feed", you becomes.
feed your ego and you will get a monster

[delawaredan]

The ritual of the ashes in the driveway could also be a good symbolic death of oneself.  Just a thought.

[quantumshaman]

CI5 wrote:
=))) pleased to read it QS, i think you were doing it well as a warrior.
and as ones becomes a seer, the search of seers is something else then.
--
if one overdoes something, in this case of the mushroom, one becomes mushroom fanatic =) and it goes for anything else, as what you think or "feed", you becomes.
feed your ego and you will get a monster

In the case of the mushroom ally, it will let you know when it has taught you what you need to learn.  In my case, I think I used it maybe 5 times over a period of 4 years, and then one day the ally basically said it would be with me always, though it would no longer be necessary to ingest the ally organically. 
How do you personally define ego?

[quantumshaman]

delawaredan wrote:
The ritual of the ashes in the driveway could also be a good symbolic death of oneself.  Just a thought.  Exactly.  That's why I referred to it as scattering my ashes.    Dying to this world opens the door to the next.

[CI5]

QS: mkay.. so now read this ;-))
the energy body travels then, and takes a rebirth
(transference/transformation), or stays as an entity of a sorcerer (only
double/nagual self).



E.g. normal guy dies and his energy travels in the intermediate states (up to 50 days) and:



travels and destinations, the gateways can be e.g:



1) human womb

2) animal womb

3) gateway of a ghost

4) gateway of a demon

5) gateway of a god - i.e. one wakes up as god in heavenly realm

etc.



etc. hence the "rebirth"/re-appearing/destination - it is dependent on
"world" of the gateway, as exactly there travels the energy of any
ordinary guy.



one unnamed skilled sorceress told me that in the case of many adult
humans, energy body is already somewhere fixed, thats the afinity. but
it is common the energy body flies to see its corpse of its dead
physical body.

[dreamgirl]

I love the ashes in the driveway ritual you came up with, it does sound powerful.  That fireplace of yours would have sold me on the house too!  

I don't see what other peoples problem with ritual is, it is just a tool to use, how I use it is to ask my double how to see something or do something and I know how to proceed, it is a tool not an obsession.  It is just like when I am making art, I know what I want to do, then it comes to me what material to use, I don't get obsessed with the materials or the method.

[CI5]

"Death is the gateway to infinity. A door made to the exact measure of each of us, which

we will all pass through someday, returning to our origin (to Cosmos). Our lack of understanding

impels us to see it as a common reducer. But no, there is nothing common about it; its magical."

[Guest]