Plato, one of the great philosophers of ancient Greece, devised an intricate allegory meant to explain the complex process of understanding. His Allegory of the Cave was a thoughtful metaphor for the pursuit of knowledge, the quest of the philosopher. In this allegory, humanity is tied to poles with our heads tied in way to keep us permanently staring a wall in front of us. We cannot move our heads, and all we see is a result of the shadows cast on the wall by the fire behind us. The fire is maintained by workers who walk on a pathway that lies between us and the fire. Thus most of the shadows cast by the fire are actually just the shadows of these workers. The shadows are our initial preconceptions. Eventually, someone (typically a philosopher or teacher) frees us from our bonds and forces us to look back. After we adjust our eyes, we can see the entire cave: the fire, the walkway with the workers, the other prisoners, and even the shadows. The fire is the source of light inside the cave, the light that causes us to see the shadows and also causes us to polarize into light and dark, good and bad. Inside the cave are only artificial light and harsh surroundings. Beyond the fire is an exit from the cave, and the role of your mentor is to push, drag, and/or lead you out of the cave. Coming out can be very painful, and you will want to turn back, but the mentor must be there when u want to turn back. When you finally reach the outside world, you are blinded by the light or immense knowledge. Eventually you can see shapes or the basics, and slowly you can see more and more of the ground and your surroundings. Lastly, you’ll be able to see yourself in the reflection of a pond, but you still won’t be able to look up to the sky and see the sun or the source. The outside world is the true world as lighted by the sun or the source of knowledge. Once one can see the sun, or the source of knowledge, that person is truly enlightened; however the journey has only just begun. For Plato, once you are enlightened or know the truth, you must go back into the cave and try to show as many “prisoners” as possible the truth.
Most of humanity is not actually stuck to seeing just shadows. I believe that the majority of humanity is held inside the cave by the fire and the workers of the fire. We’re free to walk around and interact, but we are not free to exit the cave. In fact, it is quite possible that no one has left the cave in a long, long time. The fire creates a dualistic complex of light and dark, fire and shadows, good and bad, black and white. Thus, in the cave, we see only black, white, and shades of grey. We know nothing of color, and thus our perceptions of the world are completely skewed. It is very difficult to make it past the fire and the workers, let alone make it out of the cave and into the real world outside. Knowledge is a powerful thing, but it is very overwhelming at first. The journey would be easier if there was a mentor to lead us, but there are very few, if any, who have experienced the outside world. Thus, we must turn to the past for guidance, we must turn to the myths as our mentors.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Duality Continued
So, as I mentioned before, we are stuck in Kohlberg’s stage two of moral development, a trust in society (which could be transferred to a trust in a God). This trust is flawed, however, and to understand the flaws, to see the colors beyond the black and white is to move onto the third stage of morality. This morality is not dependent upon society, but rather upon the person’s understanding of the world, perhaps even the person’s connection to their soul, perhaps even the person’s connection to the “World Soul” or the SELF. Duality traps the individual, the commoner, in between two extremes, like Conservatism and Liberalism. Both make valid claims, but in many times, neither side agrees to compromise, and even when they do, their compromise itself, is not true compromise. The "compromise" that we know is not a true balance. The individual feels the weight of this dualistic struggle, for the individual is in the middle; it is the individual that must hold up the see-saw of dualistic struggle. Thus, the individual is left with three choices: join with one, join with the other, or refuse to care (Liberate!). This is the problem in modern politics, as well as most dualistic struggles, the individual is forced to hold up this see-saw, to be the fulcrum, and yet, the individual has no power. So we are left with three groups, and still no solution. The duality of something, of everything, continues until a true balance is found.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Religion vs. Government, Democracy vs. Tyranny, and Capitalism vs. Communism
I will apply this to religion and government. Religion and government go together, always have. In some civilizations the rulers were deemed gods or the people’s connection to the god, much like Christ is viewed as humanity’s salvation. In other civilizations the priests were at the highest social order, and the rulers looked to them for guidance. In the absence of credible religious figures, leaders turned to the unknown. King Arthur, according to myth and legend, utilized the help of Merlin the Magician. Likewise, many of our presidents have utilized the help of psychics. So it is natural for religion and government to exist together, and yet, it seems as if they are in constant conflict. Take Democracy and Communism for example. Democracy is based on freedom, it is based on humanistic ideals, and combined with Capitalism, it stresses the individual over the group. Conversely, Communism is based on equality and stresses the whole over the individual. Both have failed. It is said that “Democracy is the worst form of government, but it is the best we have.” This is so true, and at the same time, it illuminates one of the many downsides of Duality: apathy. When we are trapped between two warring sides, knowing that both are wrong, we tend to lose our spirit, lose our will for the ideal, and become lazy, apathetic realists. Religion plays a role in this because religion is responsible for the failure of both systems.
Communism failed because it strived to be atheist, saying that the government was the only thing that people needed. This failure to understand the basic needs of humanity, the needs of the soul, was the undoing of Communism. If it had been coupled with a form of stable religion, Communism would have survived. The religion would have been the uniting factor, the factor that kept the egos of the society on the same level plane. The government would have eventually dissolved, and the people would have existed in harmony, or at the very least, a much better harmony than witnessed in the former USSR, China, Cuba, and other Communistic states.
Likewise, Democracy is undone by religion. Democracy, and its chief economic counterpart, Capitalism, is based on the individual: individual freedoms, individual wants, individual needs. The government is there just as an individual-elected presence to allow the wants of the individual to come to pass. That is how it is supposed to be. Religion, on the other hand, stipulates that the individual is nothing compared to the power of a being much greater than man. Thus the individual is lowered to an insignificant level; the needs and wants are not important, only the wants, the demands of the powerful being are important. In Monotheistic religions, the being is supernatural and supreme, thus disconnected completely from the individual, usually by “imperfection” or “sin”. In many Eastern religions, everyone is part of a greater SELF, a Tao, or a Force, if you will. Thus, the needs of the individual still carry some weight, but it is the needs and wants of the whole that define the system. Regardless of which religion is followed, the individual still has no importance.
The conflict created by the combination of religion and Democracy is easily highlighted by the conflict of “Separation of Church and State”. Society, a living entity in a sense, realizes that Democracy and religion, especially a monotheistic one like Christianity, cannot co-exist, and thus it tries to create a pseudo separation. Unfortunately, society fails because the government, at least the US government, was based upon religious ideals and laws. Even the people-elected politicians (as well as the entire court system) are, for the most part, under the influence of some type of religious structure, and usually, that is monotheism.
Even the supposed Democracy of the world is nothing more than a Republic, carefully nicknamed a “representative Democracy”. This is not true, for even in a “representative Democracy”, the people are supposed to have more power than the politicians. Voter apathy is a strong indicator of who has the power; the people do not feel important, and thus they do not participate. Citizens become apathetic because the power, no matter how much some will say to the opposite, is not in the hands of the people, but in the hands of the politicians. Thus, we are a Republic, much like Rome and the “Old Republic” of the prequel trilogy in Star Wars. The Republic of Rome eventually devolved into a triumvirate, which was soon dissolved into an Imperialistic Empire. This is seen exactly in Star Wars, as the “Old Republic” slowly devolves from a Republic, to a triumvirate of the Senate, the Executive Office of the Chancellor, and the Jedi Order. Likewise, the potential for disaster lies in the US, as we are a Republic that could quickly dissolve into a triune government (and it may already be one with the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches), and then become an Imperialistic Empire, the very ideal of Tyranny that we are supposedly fighting against (“The Axis of Evil” of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea). If this sounds grim, take solace in the fact that Communism reverted to Tyranny as well.
Speaking of Communism, in its essence, it was never a government. It was just an economic system based on equality. Conversely, Democracy is just a governmental ideal based on equality and the rule of the whole. Capitalism was “adopted” by Democracy to perpetuate the individual, but in the end, it only perpetuates or helps a few individuals, like the Republic only grants power to the few. Equal opportunity for prosperity becomes prosperity for the few, and most of the times, those few become prosperous by taking advantage of not only the opportunity, but society itself, hence, the laws against monopolies. Perhaps the reason we do not live in a Democracy is because of the presence of Capitalism and Monotheism. Thus, Democracy vs. Communism was actually just Capitalism vs. Communism, Monotheism vs. Atheism. This is a well known and accepted idea, but what if taken in the context of Rome? What if the Cold War was merely just a battle to see which Tyranny, disguised as a government, would win? In this light, the war cries of Democracy vs. Tyranny, Patriotism vs. Terrorism, and Freedom vs. Oppression, could be seen as just another fight to preserve the status quo, the Tyranny disguised in Democracy. I offer, though, a possible solution (before returning to Duality), in the form of a question, a food for thought: What if the equal economics of Communism were combined with the equal government of Democracy and the equal philosophy of an eastern religion like Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, or perhaps a combination of all four?
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Communism failed because it strived to be atheist, saying that the government was the only thing that people needed. This failure to understand the basic needs of humanity, the needs of the soul, was the undoing of Communism. If it had been coupled with a form of stable religion, Communism would have survived. The religion would have been the uniting factor, the factor that kept the egos of the society on the same level plane. The government would have eventually dissolved, and the people would have existed in harmony, or at the very least, a much better harmony than witnessed in the former USSR, China, Cuba, and other Communistic states.
Likewise, Democracy is undone by religion. Democracy, and its chief economic counterpart, Capitalism, is based on the individual: individual freedoms, individual wants, individual needs. The government is there just as an individual-elected presence to allow the wants of the individual to come to pass. That is how it is supposed to be. Religion, on the other hand, stipulates that the individual is nothing compared to the power of a being much greater than man. Thus the individual is lowered to an insignificant level; the needs and wants are not important, only the wants, the demands of the powerful being are important. In Monotheistic religions, the being is supernatural and supreme, thus disconnected completely from the individual, usually by “imperfection” or “sin”. In many Eastern religions, everyone is part of a greater SELF, a Tao, or a Force, if you will. Thus, the needs of the individual still carry some weight, but it is the needs and wants of the whole that define the system. Regardless of which religion is followed, the individual still has no importance.
The conflict created by the combination of religion and Democracy is easily highlighted by the conflict of “Separation of Church and State”. Society, a living entity in a sense, realizes that Democracy and religion, especially a monotheistic one like Christianity, cannot co-exist, and thus it tries to create a pseudo separation. Unfortunately, society fails because the government, at least the US government, was based upon religious ideals and laws. Even the people-elected politicians (as well as the entire court system) are, for the most part, under the influence of some type of religious structure, and usually, that is monotheism.
Even the supposed Democracy of the world is nothing more than a Republic, carefully nicknamed a “representative Democracy”. This is not true, for even in a “representative Democracy”, the people are supposed to have more power than the politicians. Voter apathy is a strong indicator of who has the power; the people do not feel important, and thus they do not participate. Citizens become apathetic because the power, no matter how much some will say to the opposite, is not in the hands of the people, but in the hands of the politicians. Thus, we are a Republic, much like Rome and the “Old Republic” of the prequel trilogy in Star Wars. The Republic of Rome eventually devolved into a triumvirate, which was soon dissolved into an Imperialistic Empire. This is seen exactly in Star Wars, as the “Old Republic” slowly devolves from a Republic, to a triumvirate of the Senate, the Executive Office of the Chancellor, and the Jedi Order. Likewise, the potential for disaster lies in the US, as we are a Republic that could quickly dissolve into a triune government (and it may already be one with the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches), and then become an Imperialistic Empire, the very ideal of Tyranny that we are supposedly fighting against (“The Axis of Evil” of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea). If this sounds grim, take solace in the fact that Communism reverted to Tyranny as well.
Speaking of Communism, in its essence, it was never a government. It was just an economic system based on equality. Conversely, Democracy is just a governmental ideal based on equality and the rule of the whole. Capitalism was “adopted” by Democracy to perpetuate the individual, but in the end, it only perpetuates or helps a few individuals, like the Republic only grants power to the few. Equal opportunity for prosperity becomes prosperity for the few, and most of the times, those few become prosperous by taking advantage of not only the opportunity, but society itself, hence, the laws against monopolies. Perhaps the reason we do not live in a Democracy is because of the presence of Capitalism and Monotheism. Thus, Democracy vs. Communism was actually just Capitalism vs. Communism, Monotheism vs. Atheism. This is a well known and accepted idea, but what if taken in the context of Rome? What if the Cold War was merely just a battle to see which Tyranny, disguised as a government, would win? In this light, the war cries of Democracy vs. Tyranny, Patriotism vs. Terrorism, and Freedom vs. Oppression, could be seen as just another fight to preserve the status quo, the Tyranny disguised in Democracy. I offer, though, a possible solution (before returning to Duality), in the form of a question, a food for thought: What if the equal economics of Communism were combined with the equal government of Democracy and the equal philosophy of an eastern religion like Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, or perhaps a combination of all four?
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Duality
Duality, the existence of two and only two, is a contrast that has jaded and glared our eyes from the truth. It has sometimes scarred us beyond recognition. Duality is present in every facet of society. We see duality in conflict. In our political world, it is Democrats vs. Republicans, Liberals vs. Conservatives. In our social world, it is the New vs. the Old, Nature vs. Technology, Traditional vs. “New Age” or radical. In our social world, it is white vs. black, or white vs. any color. In everyday life, it male vs. female. In our global world, it is Democracy vs. Communism and Democracy vs. Terrorism, or Freedom vs. Tyranny. In our philosophical world, it is Religion vs. Technology and Monotheism vs. the occult. Eventually, it becomes Idealist vs. Realist and the Individual vs. the Whole. Many individuals do not necessarily agree with many of these conflicts, and yet society as a whole still perpetuates these sometimes pointless conflicts. Social psychologists would call this “Group Polarization”, the tendency for a group to take more extreme stances than those of the individual members. Gnostics would call this proof of the Demi-urge, and conspiracy theorists would blame this on an evil within government and/or the heads of society. Whatever you call it, our state of duality is our undoing. It is troubling predicament that is hindering our progress.
Some would argue that duality is necessary for us to understand our world. I agree, duality is necessary to gain an understanding of our world; however, dualistic understanding is only useful for children. For children, the truth is in black and white, right or wrong. For Freud, this was the Id, one’s basic biological urges (the unconscious) and the Superego, the values and ideals of society (lies in the conscious). The Ego was necessary to balance these two. The social connotations are evident, the Id is evil and the Superego is good, the Id is the primitive dark and the Superego is the quintessential light. It is these basic assumptions that blind our vision. What is primitive is not necessarily evil because “the values and the ideals of society” is not the quintessential light. The laws of society, every facet of it, including both government and religion, are not necessarily just. Democracy isn’t justice, just like Communism isn’t Tyranny. Humanity is stuck in Kohlberg’s second stage of moral development, conventional morality: morality that is based on trust, loyalty or understanding of social order. It is this trust that divides; we trust in what society says, and not in what our soul says. Interestingly, like the dualistic nature of the number 2, this stage of morality is the 2nd stage. The 3rd stage, post-conventional morality, is based on the understanding that laws are situational and can be changed. It is an understanding that not everything is black or white, not even just shades of grey; it is understanding that black and white are the extreme opposites on the outside and the inside, one absent of color and the other containing all color, and that the true nature of color lies in between them.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Some would argue that duality is necessary for us to understand our world. I agree, duality is necessary to gain an understanding of our world; however, dualistic understanding is only useful for children. For children, the truth is in black and white, right or wrong. For Freud, this was the Id, one’s basic biological urges (the unconscious) and the Superego, the values and ideals of society (lies in the conscious). The Ego was necessary to balance these two. The social connotations are evident, the Id is evil and the Superego is good, the Id is the primitive dark and the Superego is the quintessential light. It is these basic assumptions that blind our vision. What is primitive is not necessarily evil because “the values and the ideals of society” is not the quintessential light. The laws of society, every facet of it, including both government and religion, are not necessarily just. Democracy isn’t justice, just like Communism isn’t Tyranny. Humanity is stuck in Kohlberg’s second stage of moral development, conventional morality: morality that is based on trust, loyalty or understanding of social order. It is this trust that divides; we trust in what society says, and not in what our soul says. Interestingly, like the dualistic nature of the number 2, this stage of morality is the 2nd stage. The 3rd stage, post-conventional morality, is based on the understanding that laws are situational and can be changed. It is an understanding that not everything is black or white, not even just shades of grey; it is understanding that black and white are the extreme opposites on the outside and the inside, one absent of color and the other containing all color, and that the true nature of color lies in between them.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Monday, December 13, 2010
May the Force be with Us: How Star Wars, Plato, and Gnosticism can help us evolve
Despite all of our technology and scientific progress, humanity is ignorant. If you take away the technology, we are not much better than our hunting and gathering ancestors who lived in caves. Perhaps we are even worse. At least, as modern anthropology is proving, hunter and gatherer societies cooperate and exist peacefully. We, on the other hand, are mired in a state of duality, and we have lost touch with our true human nature. Our entire focus is centered on extremes, Light and Dark, Capitalism and Communism, Tyranny and Democracy, Black and White, Patriotism and Terrorism, Poor and Rich, Republican and Democrat, Evil and Good. This tiresome state of duality does nothing but create a stagnant atmosphere were society is held back from evolving. Our current monotheistic religions do nothing except perpetuate this trivial state of us against them, right and wrong, black and white. It was monotheism that first created the concept of good and evil with the rise of Zoroastrianism. This concept was then taken by Judaism, and later filtered down to Christianity and Islam, where it then infected the whole world. This duality has since spread from religion to philosophy, where religion and science are supposed to mingle. By separating religion or the occult (Greek for the hidden) from science, we have furthered this dualistic approach and halted our development. Until we can learn to move beyond dualistic thought and merge science with the occult, we will not evolve. Fortunately, Plato, Star Wars, and Gnosticism give us a glimmer of hope.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
The Philosophy of Time Travel
This is just an experiment:
Jon Headlee
Sally Doud
Honors English 200
April 15th, 2005
The paper you're about to see unfold was written during my second semester of VCU - during a 4-day period in which I didn't use drugs but still achieved the "high" that is Kundalini.
;-)
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Jon Headlee
Sally Doud
Honors English 200
April 15th, 2005
The paper you're about to see unfold was written during my second semester of VCU - during a 4-day period in which I didn't use drugs but still achieved the "high" that is Kundalini.
;-)
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Final Reflective Paper
Final Reflective Letter
Jon Headlee
Without a doubt, this course has been the most challenging in my brief college career. Even though I am technically a first year student, my work in high school has allowed me to skip ahead of the typical path. The journey through this semester has been wild to say the least. I began this course with hardly any ideas, and by the time the course was over, I could hardly figure out how to contain my ideas within the allotted space. Despite the hardships I faced writing this paper, I can definitely say that taking this course was worth my while.
My paper began as a search for why Star Wars has become so popular, but I quickly found out that the topic was too little in scope or importance to be of any use. I was also afraid of coming up with just a regurgitated report, rather than an informative research paper. So, I changed directions and analyzed myth, specifically the hero myth. Researching the hero myth, I found out that the hero myth was the base myth for the occult. I was also heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s essay, “The Occult in Myth and Literature”. Through my research on hero myths and the occult, I started making connections between the power of the hero myth within sci-fi films, like Star Wars, the Matrix, and Donnie Darko. These connections led me to my next thesis, “the return of the hero in sci-fi cult films”.
Unfortunately, this thesis, while interesting, was too broad, so I eventually narrowed it down to the return of the hero in Star Wars. This still, however, was not satisfying, and I began to intensify my research in the vast amount of occult-related material. It was here that I discovered Gnosticism, and came across a very important website, “The Occult Investigator”. The introduction of Gnosticism radically changed my viewpoints on many different topics, including my own personal religious beliefs. Though painful at first, I began to understand more and more about the occult and the mistruths (or flat out lies) of my Christian heritage. Tim Boucher’s website was very helpful in giving me a basis and educated viewpoint on various occult-related topics. Reading many of Boucher’s articles allowed me to make further connections, connections which would expand my ideas greatly.
The increased knowledge and philosophical thought that I researched and logically deduced came with a heavy price. Since I was doing most of my occult research for my English paper, the connections I was making were all being related to my topic. Thus, my topic quickly grew out of control. When I finally decided to sit down and write out my ideas, it took me nearly two weeks. After writing over 50 pages of material, I forced myself to stop, but the damage was already done. My paper had become too long, had consumed too much of my time, and I missed the opportunity to participate in the large group workshop, which made revision very, very difficult. I was also caught emotionally. I wanted to get all of my new thoughts and ideas (some of them very, very radical) out onto paper, but it was impossible to do so in any short fashion. I eventually came to a compromise. I decided to focus my paper on one aspect of my growing philosophy, and then spend the summer writing a book (an idea I plan to follow through with).
This focused attempt led me to my current paper. The paper, however has consumed my time, a fact that has cost me quite a few hours of good sleep. Despite the loss of sleep, I never hated writing it. I love philosophy. The only thing I disliked was page limits placed upon the assignment. Without any limits, my paper would have become a 400 page philosophical dissertation. Nevertheless, this course and my paper have been worth my time and effort.
I’m glad I took this course, despite the fact that it swallowed my time and forced me to drop another course. I have learned a great deal in a short amount of time, and I have discovered an area of research that I truly love. I actually enjoyed spend late nights (or all-nighters) in the library reading and researching. This course has truly allowed me to find what I enjoy most.
Despite not being able to participate in the group workshops, there were quite a few influences on my paper. Sally, for one, was a huge help in focusing me on various aspects throughout the entire semester. Without her, I probably would have written an unsatisfying report on nothing. Instead, her prodding and questioning showed me various ways to think outside the proverbial box. It was those initial pokes and prods that launched me on my present course. My small group members also impacted the outcome of my paper. If it hadn’t been for them, I might have never considered writing about Star Wars. Instead, I probably would have written about drug legalization or some similar used and abused topic. Lastly, my mother has had a pretty significant impact on my paper. It was her philosophical questioning that stimulated new ides in my mind (even if she didn’t agree with them). She also supported me and recommended that I write a philosophical manifesto of sorts, which was encouraging considering the fact that she is a published historical fiction author.
I also recognize that there were some downsides to this course, or at least my completion of it. I did not fully learn how to exert control over my paper, and I am willing to bet that there are errors in the way my paper is constructed. I understand these limitations. In spite of these limitations, I feel that I gained enough control to lead the reader through my ideas. I also feel that my ideas have much more power than any amount of control. As such, I merely tried to guide the raging bull, the rampant flow of ideas, the endless stream of consciousness, instead of trying to completely control them. Did I succeed? I think so, but I also understand that decision ultimately lies in the minds of my readers.
Overall, this semester, and specifically, this course, has been one wild ride after another. In the end, though, I feel confident that I will arrive safely to my desired destination, publication. It may take more than just this summer to do all the necessary writing and research, but if this course has taught me anything, it would have to be patience. Patience is definitely a virtue. I’m confident that I’ll be able to put together a compelling series of essays (or one massive idea) to fill a book. I’m also confident that my ideas will get published, eventually. My hope is that my ideas, the ideas created through this course, will one day change the world, for the better.
http://www.mrheadlee.com
http://www.vimeo.com/mrheadlee
Jon Headlee
Without a doubt, this course has been the most challenging in my brief college career. Even though I am technically a first year student, my work in high school has allowed me to skip ahead of the typical path. The journey through this semester has been wild to say the least. I began this course with hardly any ideas, and by the time the course was over, I could hardly figure out how to contain my ideas within the allotted space. Despite the hardships I faced writing this paper, I can definitely say that taking this course was worth my while.
My paper began as a search for why Star Wars has become so popular, but I quickly found out that the topic was too little in scope or importance to be of any use. I was also afraid of coming up with just a regurgitated report, rather than an informative research paper. So, I changed directions and analyzed myth, specifically the hero myth. Researching the hero myth, I found out that the hero myth was the base myth for the occult. I was also heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s essay, “The Occult in Myth and Literature”. Through my research on hero myths and the occult, I started making connections between the power of the hero myth within sci-fi films, like Star Wars, the Matrix, and Donnie Darko. These connections led me to my next thesis, “the return of the hero in sci-fi cult films”.
Unfortunately, this thesis, while interesting, was too broad, so I eventually narrowed it down to the return of the hero in Star Wars. This still, however, was not satisfying, and I began to intensify my research in the vast amount of occult-related material. It was here that I discovered Gnosticism, and came across a very important website, “The Occult Investigator”. The introduction of Gnosticism radically changed my viewpoints on many different topics, including my own personal religious beliefs. Though painful at first, I began to understand more and more about the occult and the mistruths (or flat out lies) of my Christian heritage. Tim Boucher’s website was very helpful in giving me a basis and educated viewpoint on various occult-related topics. Reading many of Boucher’s articles allowed me to make further connections, connections which would expand my ideas greatly.
The increased knowledge and philosophical thought that I researched and logically deduced came with a heavy price. Since I was doing most of my occult research for my English paper, the connections I was making were all being related to my topic. Thus, my topic quickly grew out of control. When I finally decided to sit down and write out my ideas, it took me nearly two weeks. After writing over 50 pages of material, I forced myself to stop, but the damage was already done. My paper had become too long, had consumed too much of my time, and I missed the opportunity to participate in the large group workshop, which made revision very, very difficult. I was also caught emotionally. I wanted to get all of my new thoughts and ideas (some of them very, very radical) out onto paper, but it was impossible to do so in any short fashion. I eventually came to a compromise. I decided to focus my paper on one aspect of my growing philosophy, and then spend the summer writing a book (an idea I plan to follow through with).
This focused attempt led me to my current paper. The paper, however has consumed my time, a fact that has cost me quite a few hours of good sleep. Despite the loss of sleep, I never hated writing it. I love philosophy. The only thing I disliked was page limits placed upon the assignment. Without any limits, my paper would have become a 400 page philosophical dissertation. Nevertheless, this course and my paper have been worth my time and effort.
I’m glad I took this course, despite the fact that it swallowed my time and forced me to drop another course. I have learned a great deal in a short amount of time, and I have discovered an area of research that I truly love. I actually enjoyed spend late nights (or all-nighters) in the library reading and researching. This course has truly allowed me to find what I enjoy most.
Despite not being able to participate in the group workshops, there were quite a few influences on my paper. Sally, for one, was a huge help in focusing me on various aspects throughout the entire semester. Without her, I probably would have written an unsatisfying report on nothing. Instead, her prodding and questioning showed me various ways to think outside the proverbial box. It was those initial pokes and prods that launched me on my present course. My small group members also impacted the outcome of my paper. If it hadn’t been for them, I might have never considered writing about Star Wars. Instead, I probably would have written about drug legalization or some similar used and abused topic. Lastly, my mother has had a pretty significant impact on my paper. It was her philosophical questioning that stimulated new ides in my mind (even if she didn’t agree with them). She also supported me and recommended that I write a philosophical manifesto of sorts, which was encouraging considering the fact that she is a published historical fiction author.
I also recognize that there were some downsides to this course, or at least my completion of it. I did not fully learn how to exert control over my paper, and I am willing to bet that there are errors in the way my paper is constructed. I understand these limitations. In spite of these limitations, I feel that I gained enough control to lead the reader through my ideas. I also feel that my ideas have much more power than any amount of control. As such, I merely tried to guide the raging bull, the rampant flow of ideas, the endless stream of consciousness, instead of trying to completely control them. Did I succeed? I think so, but I also understand that decision ultimately lies in the minds of my readers.
Overall, this semester, and specifically, this course, has been one wild ride after another. In the end, though, I feel confident that I will arrive safely to my desired destination, publication. It may take more than just this summer to do all the necessary writing and research, but if this course has taught me anything, it would have to be patience. Patience is definitely a virtue. I’m confident that I’ll be able to put together a compelling series of essays (or one massive idea) to fill a book. I’m also confident that my ideas will get published, eventually. My hope is that my ideas, the ideas created through this course, will one day change the world, for the better.
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