In the meantime- I’m reading a book about Shinto (The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart) published 8 years ago, and so far the author Motohiso Yamakage seems to have been very wise about the human need for spiritualism in the global age. Here’s some chunks that felt very on point for those interested:
“As the social and environmental costs of materialism become more apparent, people are inclined once again to ask deeper questions. They have recently started feeling a strong desire for pursuing meaning, values, and ethics. This is clearly manifested in the recent booming interest in mysticism known as the New Age movement and the events created by the new occult religions. There is a serious danger that, in a climate of spiritual ignorance, such movements can assume a distorted or perverse form.”
“At the same time, established religious organizations are losing their spiritual influence and ability to respond to widespread spiritual hunger. It is because they tend merely to reflect modernity rather than engage critically with the modern world. The more abstract and "intellectual" they become, the more they become materialistic and worldly, and so lose their spiritual dimension. Therefore, with few choices left, people are readily led into the dangerous occult world. Many of the new occult religious groups cynically distort the inner teachings of the traditional religions. They give, or more often sell, instant spiritual teachings to anyone who requests them, whether or not they are truly open to or ready for spiritual advancement. This can have harmful and destabilizing effects on the individuals concerned and even on the teachings themselves.”
“We can say that the great influx of atheism and materialism into Japan had a serious influence on the Japanese mind, where the notion of Kami and spirit-soul (reikon) are increasingly disappearing. Human beings are seen as simply material things, and there is no concept of an afterlife or a sense of continuity in the dominant culture of modern Japan. This view of the world has steadily undermined rather than enhanced the humanist conceptions of freedom, responsibility, and dignity. When human beings become conscious of an afterlife, of a higher being or beings, or of the possibility of rebirth, they are more likely to think beyond their immediate material interests. But when assuming everything is finished with death, people might conclude that they can do anything as long as they are not violating man-made laws or as long as they are managing to escape punishment. Then their absolute goals are satisfying their short-term desires and the prolongation of life at all costs. Ultimately, such questions as "what does it really mean to be human?" or "what values should human beings pursue?" begin to disappear.”
As far as I am aware, I have no "need for spiritualism", and never have. Anything that has a flavour of it - religion, ideology, sense of "otherness" - seems like self-delusion tending towards madness. I don't know if that makes me an outlier, or whether I just don't understand what "spiritualism" is - maybe I am spiritual in some way I don't recognise!
I was raised Catholic and was obsessive about the rules as a kid/teen in a way that was unhealthy. There’s also a lot about Christian (and all patriarchal) religious teachings that I strongly disagree with. I became an atheist for a while.
However, having gone through serious challenges and setbacks in my life, I have found my way back around to what some might call “spiritualism” from questions like “why am I here,” “what’s the point of life,” “how can I be happy,” “why did this happen to me” etc.
That journey has strongly mirrored my experience of growing up extremely conservative, leaving that behind and living as moderate, than becoming radicalized into liberal extremism, then pulling out of it all and looking for truths and meaning elsewhere.
I now no longer identify as an atheist, and am open to a spirit/god/unexplainable component of the universe through my connection to nature and other people. It’s interesting you mention “otherness.” For me, anything centered around otherness feels extremely opposed to anything I might call spiritualism.” I looked at a crucifix the other day and found myself so connected to the universality behind that image of a man bleeding in agony nailed to a cross. I finally “got” what that’s all about and why so many people practice Christianity. Do I literally “believe” in Jesus in the Christian sense? No. But do I believe in the general message and his teachings? Yes.
It’s interesting to hear your perspective! I do think that a belief in/acceptance of the unknown, a recognition of the serious limitations of human logic, and a reverence for the connectedness of all living things is a healthy part of growing into a mature adult, for me. I guess that’s what I’d call “spiritualism.”
Well, you know, I do sometimes wonder, “what follows trans”? Who will be the next cause célèbre/moral panic? These guys? Furries? Otherkin?
You see, I too have long been an observer of the stranger online subcultures (though unlike Eliza I’ve never done anything productive with my observations). It does give you a different perspective on the gender identity movement. Like I think for most people it just seemed to sweep out of nowhere, whereas for me it was more a question of: why this one *in particular*? Why not another of the weird quasi-cult belief systems that sprang up like fungi in the danker recesses of the net?
Because in a lot of ways they’re all interchangeable. The social justice rhetoric, the recruitment techniques, the logical contortions to “prove” they’re all not just mentally ill (or that, if they are, it’s somehow coincidental), the grab-bag of historical and cultural references (which, in another context, the same people might well denounce as “appropriation”), the lurking sexualisation, the ever-stricter and more complex *rules* for how to run a fantasy life, the proliferation of jargon, the arguments over “authenticity”, the sense of persecution.
I guess what made the difference is the academic backing of Queer Theory and the historical association of transgenderism with the gay rights movement. These other… things… lack that veneer of respectability. But possibly that could change.
I also wonder what will come after gender ideology. What if dissociative identity disorder/tulpamancy advocacy goes down the path of gender ideology?
Since all alters/tulpas are valid, 10 salaries may be filed under one person. And since they each earned so little, they may demand welfare services for 10 people.
Since all alters/tulpas are valid, a tulpamancer may accuse her romantic partner of cheating because "it was my alter/tulpa that went on a date with you yesterday."
Since all alters/tulpas are valid, a physician who did not diagnose some patient's alter #6 with cancer may be accused of bigotry.
And I wouldn't be surprised if these became widely accepted because so much of the far left—due to the high-control, rule-saturated, mutually-policing environment that you mentioned—seems to be outsourcing their ability to think. Just look at how Kai Shappley's extremely homophobic upbringing was never seen as problematic because it was labeled a case of trans acceptance, or how white people practicing tulpamancy (equivalent to white people identifying as two-spirit) is not seen as cultural appropriation because nobody actually stopped and thought about it.
As to that last bit- to be fair, they actually did stop and think about it, for, oh, a minute and a half. There’s a cute little explanation down at the bottom of r/Tulpas FAQ.
You see, although tulpamancy is a legitimate ancient practice and not something recently made up by modern Westerners, what with being similar to various historical beliefs *and* being derived from Tibetan Buddhism, it’s also not *really* part of Tibetan Buddhism at all, because it was actually mostly just made up by the (Western) 20th Century Theosophy movement. Also the Dalai Lama encourages the spread of Tibetan Buddhism, which one is doing by practising tulpamancy.
I see it as a dynamical system where a variety of contingent things coalesce. Rich donors, profitable gender medicine and a turn towards transhumanist have all been part of it I would say. In this view, the internet is then a petri dish which can explode into the real world when factors coalesce. I also think feminism itself can shoulder some blame in terms of encouraging a certain dismissal of biology.
This is absolutely fascinating, and well worth the time to read.
I had never heard of the term 'Tulpa', and had to check if it was real... For a moment I thought it was going to be an elaborate metaphor!
Got to admit, there have been times in my life I would have been susceptible to going down that path. A love of stories, folk tales, fantasy, and being a natural introvert. So much time spent in my head.
Ha ha, I thought that a "Greysexual" would be someone like me ----- too old to be arsed any more. Not so, apparently.
Lol
Fascinating! Bookmarking this to read later.
In the meantime- I’m reading a book about Shinto (The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart) published 8 years ago, and so far the author Motohiso Yamakage seems to have been very wise about the human need for spiritualism in the global age. Here’s some chunks that felt very on point for those interested:
“As the social and environmental costs of materialism become more apparent, people are inclined once again to ask deeper questions. They have recently started feeling a strong desire for pursuing meaning, values, and ethics. This is clearly manifested in the recent booming interest in mysticism known as the New Age movement and the events created by the new occult religions. There is a serious danger that, in a climate of spiritual ignorance, such movements can assume a distorted or perverse form.”
“At the same time, established religious organizations are losing their spiritual influence and ability to respond to widespread spiritual hunger. It is because they tend merely to reflect modernity rather than engage critically with the modern world. The more abstract and "intellectual" they become, the more they become materialistic and worldly, and so lose their spiritual dimension. Therefore, with few choices left, people are readily led into the dangerous occult world. Many of the new occult religious groups cynically distort the inner teachings of the traditional religions. They give, or more often sell, instant spiritual teachings to anyone who requests them, whether or not they are truly open to or ready for spiritual advancement. This can have harmful and destabilizing effects on the individuals concerned and even on the teachings themselves.”
“We can say that the great influx of atheism and materialism into Japan had a serious influence on the Japanese mind, where the notion of Kami and spirit-soul (reikon) are increasingly disappearing. Human beings are seen as simply material things, and there is no concept of an afterlife or a sense of continuity in the dominant culture of modern Japan. This view of the world has steadily undermined rather than enhanced the humanist conceptions of freedom, responsibility, and dignity. When human beings become conscious of an afterlife, of a higher being or beings, or of the possibility of rebirth, they are more likely to think beyond their immediate material interests. But when assuming everything is finished with death, people might conclude that they can do anything as long as they are not violating man-made laws or as long as they are managing to escape punishment. Then their absolute goals are satisfying their short-term desires and the prolongation of life at all costs. Ultimately, such questions as "what does it really mean to be human?" or "what values should human beings pursue?" begin to disappear.”
This is really interesting!
As far as I am aware, I have no "need for spiritualism", and never have. Anything that has a flavour of it - religion, ideology, sense of "otherness" - seems like self-delusion tending towards madness. I don't know if that makes me an outlier, or whether I just don't understand what "spiritualism" is - maybe I am spiritual in some way I don't recognise!
I was raised Catholic and was obsessive about the rules as a kid/teen in a way that was unhealthy. There’s also a lot about Christian (and all patriarchal) religious teachings that I strongly disagree with. I became an atheist for a while.
However, having gone through serious challenges and setbacks in my life, I have found my way back around to what some might call “spiritualism” from questions like “why am I here,” “what’s the point of life,” “how can I be happy,” “why did this happen to me” etc.
That journey has strongly mirrored my experience of growing up extremely conservative, leaving that behind and living as moderate, than becoming radicalized into liberal extremism, then pulling out of it all and looking for truths and meaning elsewhere.
I now no longer identify as an atheist, and am open to a spirit/god/unexplainable component of the universe through my connection to nature and other people. It’s interesting you mention “otherness.” For me, anything centered around otherness feels extremely opposed to anything I might call spiritualism.” I looked at a crucifix the other day and found myself so connected to the universality behind that image of a man bleeding in agony nailed to a cross. I finally “got” what that’s all about and why so many people practice Christianity. Do I literally “believe” in Jesus in the Christian sense? No. But do I believe in the general message and his teachings? Yes.
It’s interesting to hear your perspective! I do think that a belief in/acceptance of the unknown, a recognition of the serious limitations of human logic, and a reverence for the connectedness of all living things is a healthy part of growing into a mature adult, for me. I guess that’s what I’d call “spiritualism.”
I wish you had said what "tulpamancy" is at the top. I had to google it.
It is described in the article itself, just not in this short excerpt.
More manifestation of the bicameral brain in (segmented) action?
These are incredibly lonely people. I just hope this doesn't turn into another social justice movement and devour more people.
Well, you know, I do sometimes wonder, “what follows trans”? Who will be the next cause célèbre/moral panic? These guys? Furries? Otherkin?
You see, I too have long been an observer of the stranger online subcultures (though unlike Eliza I’ve never done anything productive with my observations). It does give you a different perspective on the gender identity movement. Like I think for most people it just seemed to sweep out of nowhere, whereas for me it was more a question of: why this one *in particular*? Why not another of the weird quasi-cult belief systems that sprang up like fungi in the danker recesses of the net?
Because in a lot of ways they’re all interchangeable. The social justice rhetoric, the recruitment techniques, the logical contortions to “prove” they’re all not just mentally ill (or that, if they are, it’s somehow coincidental), the grab-bag of historical and cultural references (which, in another context, the same people might well denounce as “appropriation”), the lurking sexualisation, the ever-stricter and more complex *rules* for how to run a fantasy life, the proliferation of jargon, the arguments over “authenticity”, the sense of persecution.
I guess what made the difference is the academic backing of Queer Theory and the historical association of transgenderism with the gay rights movement. These other… things… lack that veneer of respectability. But possibly that could change.
If you ever want to do something productive with your lurking, let's do an interview (like this one: https://genspect.org/where-did-all-the-weird-nerd-women-go/ - doesn't need to be as long/in-depth, but could be!)
Thanks! I don’t think I’m quite ready to take that plunge yet, but might well take up your offer in a while.
I also wonder what will come after gender ideology. What if dissociative identity disorder/tulpamancy advocacy goes down the path of gender ideology?
Since all alters/tulpas are valid, 10 salaries may be filed under one person. And since they each earned so little, they may demand welfare services for 10 people.
Since all alters/tulpas are valid, a tulpamancer may accuse her romantic partner of cheating because "it was my alter/tulpa that went on a date with you yesterday."
Since all alters/tulpas are valid, a physician who did not diagnose some patient's alter #6 with cancer may be accused of bigotry.
And I wouldn't be surprised if these became widely accepted because so much of the far left—due to the high-control, rule-saturated, mutually-policing environment that you mentioned—seems to be outsourcing their ability to think. Just look at how Kai Shappley's extremely homophobic upbringing was never seen as problematic because it was labeled a case of trans acceptance, or how white people practicing tulpamancy (equivalent to white people identifying as two-spirit) is not seen as cultural appropriation because nobody actually stopped and thought about it.
As to that last bit- to be fair, they actually did stop and think about it, for, oh, a minute and a half. There’s a cute little explanation down at the bottom of r/Tulpas FAQ.
You see, although tulpamancy is a legitimate ancient practice and not something recently made up by modern Westerners, what with being similar to various historical beliefs *and* being derived from Tibetan Buddhism, it’s also not *really* part of Tibetan Buddhism at all, because it was actually mostly just made up by the (Western) 20th Century Theosophy movement. Also the Dalai Lama encourages the spread of Tibetan Buddhism, which one is doing by practising tulpamancy.
I hope you’ve got all that.
I see it as a dynamical system where a variety of contingent things coalesce. Rich donors, profitable gender medicine and a turn towards transhumanist have all been part of it I would say. In this view, the internet is then a petri dish which can explode into the real world when factors coalesce. I also think feminism itself can shoulder some blame in terms of encouraging a certain dismissal of biology.
AI may replace most of this, as people will have an embodied machine to talk to that talks back, and that they can have sex with, or whatever.
Such a fascinating species...
This is absolutely fascinating, and well worth the time to read.
I had never heard of the term 'Tulpa', and had to check if it was real... For a moment I thought it was going to be an elaborate metaphor!
Got to admit, there have been times in my life I would have been susceptible to going down that path. A love of stories, folk tales, fantasy, and being a natural introvert. So much time spent in my head.
I'm grateful for those who have kept me grounded.
Eternal longing for the perfect soulmate, especially one who won't argue back or have smelly feet