05-08-2014, 07:46 PM
Recently Elizabeth and I had that little row about John Lash and him being not a good source on Gnosticism, and perhaps even dangerous.
I don't think he's dangerous but his blending of Gnosticism with earth mother type religions may be somewhat UNIQUE, as other general accounts of Gnosticism do not stress that earth mother power as he does. I think he has perhaps consciously blended some of his enthegenic/shamanistic research with the gnostic material in to create a new mythology which result in a different mindset. People really are tyrannized by their ideas, which is why I don't follow any solid set of beliefs, but pick and choose amongst them to support of vision of the world I prefer. Im not a Christian, though I cheer the character of Christ in sticking it to the Pharisees, according to the stories. Im not a gnostic, but I love their idea of the OLD TESTAMENT god being a demented, racist, and wrathful pseudoconsciousness named yaldabaoth. I like Lash's earthy, animalistic, and sensual twist, because while I think the gnostics are right about hypermaterialism being bad, I do not include our human bodies or sexuality in that badness. Sex is potent energy and the human body is like an antennae. And He likes Wilhelm Reich, and so do I and am surprised to see him maligned when he was such a genius. And He's willing to call jews to the carpet on their racism and scheme to rule the world, which really is true. But you know what I would probably not ever do the blood bonding ritual with mother other that he describes. That just seems a bit weird to me.
So really, I see nobody has all the answers, Except me and what I decide from moment to moment.
So I choose Pragmatic Populist Libertinism. That's my religious contribution, but please resist the tyranny of my beliefs too.
I don't think he's dangerous but his blending of Gnosticism with earth mother type religions may be somewhat UNIQUE, as other general accounts of Gnosticism do not stress that earth mother power as he does. I think he has perhaps consciously blended some of his enthegenic/shamanistic research with the gnostic material in to create a new mythology which result in a different mindset. People really are tyrannized by their ideas, which is why I don't follow any solid set of beliefs, but pick and choose amongst them to support of vision of the world I prefer. Im not a Christian, though I cheer the character of Christ in sticking it to the Pharisees, according to the stories. Im not a gnostic, but I love their idea of the OLD TESTAMENT god being a demented, racist, and wrathful pseudoconsciousness named yaldabaoth. I like Lash's earthy, animalistic, and sensual twist, because while I think the gnostics are right about hypermaterialism being bad, I do not include our human bodies or sexuality in that badness. Sex is potent energy and the human body is like an antennae. And He likes Wilhelm Reich, and so do I and am surprised to see him maligned when he was such a genius. And He's willing to call jews to the carpet on their racism and scheme to rule the world, which really is true. But you know what I would probably not ever do the blood bonding ritual with mother other that he describes. That just seems a bit weird to me.
So really, I see nobody has all the answers, Except me and what I decide from moment to moment.
So I choose Pragmatic Populist Libertinism. That's my religious contribution, but please resist the tyranny of my beliefs too.