SHOCK THERAPY

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THE MYTH OF SHOCK THERAPY

 

There are many forms of " shock therapy. " Therapy assumes that

something is being repressed or oppressed and that something is doing

the repressing or oppressing.

 

The cause of the shock is presumed to be the sudden imposition of the

" other " on the " self. "

 

The effect of the shock is always referred to as a dialectical

disenchantment or disillusionment with some ultimately oppressive

muse, trance or ideal, ego ideal or ideal self.

 

There are three forms of so called shock:

 

1. The shock of indifference from another.

 

2. The shock of contempt from another.

 

3. The shock of love from another.

 

There are three kinds of so called agents who either administer -- or

receive, generally both -- such " shocks " :

 

1. The disillusioned and stupefied: typically bitter, cynical and

insulting. What once seemed obvious, that A = A, is no longer

obvious at all. In fact, it appears to be a downright outrageous lie.

How can A not = A? Vindictively, the stupefied say, in effect " if I

am dumb, then you're even dumber. "

 

2. The half awake, just having learned to see things somewhat more

clearly, are beginning to recognize that A1 = A1, after all. S/he has

a glimmer, on the other hand, that A may, indeed not = A, but in a

good way! Yet still bitter at the original shock of A not = A. The

impulse is to make things overly clear and simple. Still, encumbered

and encumbering with too much residual confusion/profusion.

 

3. The completely awakened one who speaks in paradoxes, celebrating

the fact that A does not = A, yet cognizant of the original pain of

disillusionment, and occasionally willing to speak in terms of A = A.

 

The stupefied do their best to ease the pain of feeling themselves in

the midst of repression by being repressive. The literal do their

best to shed light on the darkness or repression by introducing some

form of clarity. The awakened speak in apparent contradictions,

hoping that the underlying truth will make itself self evident through

bursts of insight, inspired by the very joy and delight, the style

between the lines that IS " the awakened one. "

 

Whomever the " agent, " there is always something hidden, something

revealed and something requiring inner transformation to be made

clear. No one agent is exclusively any one or another category. All

employ elements of the other. It's a question of EMPHASIS.

 

But beyond the myth of shock therapy is the realization or

manifestation that everything is completely PERFECT the way it is:

including the myth of shock therapy. This is but another way of

rephrasing the truth that " there is good, there is bad -- and this is

all good. "

 

However, in it's highest form, it is all experienced as " perfect "

through and through. The very notion of perfect is itself negated,

since its a relative term. The very notions of language and

communication are shown to be paradoxical.

 

A new/old/preverbal language is spoken: *Perfectease* (trade mark

pending). It is the language of no language. The emanation of no

emanation. The radiance of pure silence and transparency made ordinary.

 

This, later, then, is the METAMYTH.

 

punch line: " I nevah met a myth I didn' event-duly myth, in de end. "

Ah, such is love! The enchantment of dis(this)enchantment!

(Bitter-sweet.)

 

8L

~*~