Comments on: The Pop Spirituality Dichotomy http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/ public domain playground. friendly entities welcome. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:52:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Tim Boucher http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/comment-page-1/#comment-6119 Tim Boucher Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:02:12 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/#comment-6119 I think that issue of class is a really important one. Folk religion for somebody with thousands of dollars to blow is going to be really different from someone with only a couple hundred. I think that issue of class is a really important one. Folk religion for somebody with thousands of dollars to blow is going to be really different from someone with only a couple hundred.

]]> By: Janice http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/comment-page-1/#comment-6105 Janice Fri, 16 Sep 2005 06:29:08 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/#comment-6105 I've been involved with both camps: Pop Spirituality culture and UFO culture and my observation is that the former camp is searching for meaning by going <em>within</em>, while the later camp find meaning by looking outside themselves for answers. There is also an economic dichotomy: those following a spiritual guru spend a lot more money in their quest. It's refreshing to attend a UFO conference and only have to spend a few bucks! Ufologists tend to be less pretentious, maybe a little geeky, but at least they know implicitly what they desire. Both camps have kept me greatly entertained. I’ve been involved with both camps: Pop Spirituality culture and UFO culture and my observation is that the former camp is searching for meaning by going within, while the later camp find meaning by looking outside themselves for answers. There is also an economic dichotomy: those following a spiritual guru spend a lot more money in their quest. It’s refreshing to attend a UFO conference and only have to spend a few bucks! Ufologists tend to be less pretentious, maybe a little geeky, but at least they know implicitly what they desire. Both camps have kept me greatly entertained.

]]> By: McCoy http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/comment-page-1/#comment-6087 McCoy Fri, 16 Sep 2005 02:43:09 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/#comment-6087 The spiritual, or romantic-occultism, ghosts etc. provide a deeper sense of mystery. It serves to revitalize the curious inner child. Most of the UFO / abduction crowd falls under techno-occultism, and they are bent on resolving “the” mystery by recovering some tangible, or physical evidence, slicing and dicing it in a laboratory etc. So it’s kinda like “mystifies vs. quantifies”. The spiritual, or romantic-occultism, ghosts etc. provide a deeper sense of mystery. It serves to revitalize the curious inner child. Most of the UFO / abduction crowd falls under techno-occultism, and they are bent on resolving “the” mystery by recovering some tangible, or physical evidence, slicing and dicing it in a laboratory etc. So it’s kinda like “mystifies vs. quantifies”.

]]> By: rev max http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/comment-page-1/#comment-6082 rev max Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:38:01 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2005/09/15/the-pop-spirituality-dichotomy/#comment-6082 The word conspiracy makes people think of skulls and aliens and CIA hit men the word spirituality makes them feel warm'n'fuzzy Chopra, Dyers etc. make big $$$ improving peoples self-esteem and helping them relax. The Christians see these new age healer types as a huge threat for that reason - helpful and humanistic but not Christ-centered, and thus too close for comfort Art Bell and those cats OTOH make more $$$ tickling people's desire to get creeped out and have a naughty thrill. The conspiracy thing is a huge market but doesn't seem empowering - more like a parallel bizarro universe with its own t-shirts, codewords, assumptions, etc. You can combine those things. You can be relaxed and happy and immersed in spooky things that give you a kick and keep an open mind about what may or may not be really going on behind the scenes. <em>To me that is being an occultist.</em> SOmewhere between the two world described above. Can occultism be made pop? By definition it is hidden. Certain books that really inspired me, made me realize what was possible though: RE/SEARCH : Pranks, Modern Primitives Peter Carrol : Liber Null & some subtitle I can't remember Colin Wilson : The Occult, Beyond the Occult Jason Black : Urban Voodoo, Pacts with the Devil A lot like yer own site actually a lot of these books present subversion, creativity, magic as matter of fact things that real people do in and with their lives, speaking from their own experience. Like with seeing monsters, it is very liberating to realize that other people have and continue to do so - you're not alone, you're not crazy. To be exposed to the idea that life, art, religion and magic are all one seamless whole and so symbols you create affect your reality and then vice-versa is very powerful - it makes you want to start experimenting yourself! The word conspiracy makes people think of skulls and aliens and CIA hit men
the word spirituality makes them feel warm’n'fuzzy

Chopra, Dyers etc. make big $$$ improving peoples self-esteem and helping them relax.

The Christians see these new age healer types as a huge threat for that reason - helpful and humanistic but not Christ-centered, and thus too close for comfort

Art Bell and those cats OTOH make more $$$ tickling people’s desire to get creeped out and have a naughty thrill. The conspiracy thing is a huge market but doesn’t seem empowering - more like a parallel bizarro universe with its own t-shirts, codewords, assumptions, etc.

You can combine those things. You can be relaxed and happy and immersed in spooky things that give you a kick and keep an open mind about what may or may not be really going on behind the scenes. To me that is being an occultist. SOmewhere between the two world described above.

Can occultism be made pop? By definition it is hidden. Certain books that really inspired me, made me realize what was possible though:

RE/SEARCH : Pranks, Modern Primitives
Peter Carrol : Liber Null & some subtitle I can’t remember
Colin Wilson : The Occult, Beyond the Occult
Jason Black : Urban Voodoo, Pacts with the Devil

A lot like yer own site actually a lot of these books present subversion, creativity, magic as matter of fact things that real people do in and with their lives, speaking from their own experience. Like with seeing monsters, it is very liberating to realize that other people have and continue to do so - you’re not alone, you’re not crazy.

To be exposed to the idea that life, art, religion and magic are all one seamless whole and so symbols you create affect your reality and then vice-versa is very powerful - it makes you want to start experimenting yourself!

]]>