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Thread: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

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    Avalon Member O Donna's Avatar
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    Default Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Society and Cults
    ('cult' applied broadly here)

    Watching shows about cults and their practices primarily for the psychological aspect. I read where many if not all cults have a fair number of commonalities. Again, for the first time, realizing the commonalities that often fits those of modern society as it is taught and run today. The parallels are uncanny.



    One would like to believe they would not be conned in such a way but idea and practice entirely different then when what happens is life happens.



    I do not recall reading anything that specifically connects modern society and cult behavior. I would like to find more material on the subject. It is interesting when interviewing people that have escaped the cult and their eyes are opened to the breadth and width of the long con.

    It reminds me of the experience of enlightenment.
    I like Led Zeppelins poetic expression of the experience of enlightenment:




    Odd, isn’t it? Mirrors everywhere


    One only needs look, really look.



    As above, so below

    IDK, I see it time and time again. Like when people see 11:11 on a clock frequently (or some other number).
    It really reinforces the mystical nature of experience
    It is impossible to convey the experience; it has to be experienced directly.

    And secondly, is there anywhere people are living completely free (a little can be a lot) from cult influence? Not in theory but in actuality. I wonder.

    Love the deep dive.



    (Visuals have always been useful hence the use of illustrations)

    What do you think? Way off base or is this post worthy material?

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Life Happens
    "Life is"



    Tired

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by Mashika (here)
    Quote Life Happens
    "Life is"






    The whole of the OP could be condense to those two: "Life Is"

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Speaking of As above, so below...

    Fun with mirrors



    Quote “Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only.” – Samuel Butler
    Quote “Look in a mirror and one thing’s sure; what we see is not who we are.” – Richard Bach

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by O Donna (here)
    Speaking of As above, so below...

    Fun with mirrors



    Quote “Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only.” – Samuel Butler
    Quote “Look in a mirror and one thing’s sure; what we see is not who we are.” – Richard Bach
    Mirrors are extremely interesting, have ever seen how cats and dogs look into mirrors? Sometimes when the adult cats or dogs look into them, they have this very odd thing happening, you can see it in their eyes, they are kind of 'contemplating' something in silence

    And if you stand looking at the mirror to your own face for too long, funny things happen as well, like when you repeat a word too many times and it loses meaning lmao

    ETA: maybe looking at your face in the mirror for too long is kind of similar or related to that sentence "if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you"
    Last edited by Mashika; 24th May 2022 at 04:27.
    Tired

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    I never really thought of it quite that way Donna but I agree with you. The education system programs all the little cult members who have no idea they are in a cult. By the time they join the ranks of a fully fledged adult cult member they are almost incapable to see beyond the boudaries set.

    Thoroughly recommended reading. Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gatto

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by Ewan (here)
    The education system programs all the little cult members who have no idea they are in a cult. By the time they join the ranks of a fully fledged adult cult member they are almost incapable to see beyond the boudaries set.


    Here--at least when I was a scrub--they definitely gave you the Flag Cult. We used the Pledge of Allegiance which was designed in the 1930s by a guy who was a known Socialist. They edited the part where he said to use a palm-up version of the Nazi salute. After this I might say there are numerous cults and so it depends on what direction you want to go with the word. Scientology is not Disney. Led Zeppelin has a type of cult, apparently so does The Matrix, and so on.

    If altered slightly to counter-culture, I would say something like that helped me shed whatever limitations may have come with the original, narrow view.

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by shaberon (here)
    Quote Posted by Ewan (here)
    The education system programs all the little cult members who have no idea they are in a cult. By the time they join the ranks of a fully fledged adult cult member they are almost incapable to see beyond the boudaries set.


    Here--at least when I was a scrub--they definitely gave you the Flag Cult. We used the Pledge of Allegiance which was designed in the 1930s by a guy who was a known Socialist. They edited the part where he said to use a palm-up version of the Nazi salute. After this I might say there are numerous cults and so it depends on what direction you want to go with the word. Scientology is not Disney. Led Zeppelin has a type of cult, apparently so does The Matrix, and so on.

    If altered slightly to counter-culture, I would say something like that helped me shed whatever limitations may have come with the original, narrow view.
    If there is a Led Zeppelin cult then sign me up.
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday. Tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    What is interesting is a line is often drawn and typically when it's drawn the one drawing it isn't in it. Particularly if its not politically or socially correct.

    What is in, what is out.

    Capitalism. Cult or no?

    If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by O Donna (here)
    What is interesting is a line is often drawn and typically when it's drawn the one drawing it isn't in it. Particularly if its not politically or socially correct.

    What is in, what is out.

    Capitalism. Cult or no?

    If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck...
    Yes I think capitalism is a cult. Whether the system is socialist or purportedly democratic or some other thing, all serve Capital- or perhaps the old term (god) Mammon is apt.

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    Exclamation Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    I said for decades that the biggest (brainwashing) cult on the planet is "society" itself ... then being a hypocrite pointing at other cults being "weird".

    "Political correctness" was a long time more than often "unwritten behavior protocols", but lately they just RAM it in to all of us via mass censorship punishment systems & "cancel culture" ... soon we are forced to be part of the new "social credit system" inspired by control-freaks at Communist China CCP.

    cheers,
    John Kuhles aka 'ExomatrixTV'
    May 24th, 2022 🦜🦋🌳
    Last edited by ExomatrixTV; 26th May 2022 at 21:25.
    No need to follow anyone, only consider broadening (y)our horizon of possibilities ...

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Capitalism was great until the ultra greedy politicians
    were consumed by their greed and ruined it for the rest
    of us.
    ES
    Question Everything, always speak truth... Make the best of today, for there may not be a tomorrow!!! But, that's OK because tomorrow never comes, so we have nothing to worry about!!!

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by ExomatrixTV (here)
    I said for decades that the biggest (brainwashing) cult on the planet is "society" itself ... then being a hypocrite pointing at other cults being "weird".

    "Political correctness" was a long time more than often "unwritten behavior protocols", but lately they just RAM it in to all of us via mass censorship punishment systems & "cancel culture" ... soon we are forced to be part of the new "social credit system" inspired by control-freaks at Communist China CCP.

    cheers,
    John Kuhles aka 'ExomatrixTV'
    May 24th, 2022 🦜🦋🌳
    That is along the same (epiphany) vein that prompted the OP, John.

    ('curiouser and curiouser' - Alice In Wonderland)



    At some point one stops or suspends the elephant in the room but that doesn't stop the elephant from always being there/ here.

    I suppose idea is not addressed very often because the elephant in some shape or form is required for the show to go on. Just like actors need a form of a stage to even be an actor.

    In a sense, David Foster Wallace addressed cult society, just did not use the vehicle 'cult' specifically when describing the phenomenon.



    A service rendered to each other on PA is to see our world/ reality in ways not normally provided on the Web/ Social or mainstream media.

    How mundane and manipulative the world would be without seeing 'things' in new/ different ways?



    Quote See, the world looks very different from up here… Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even if it may seem silly, or wrong, you must try.


    Carpe Diem.
    Last edited by O Donna; 24th May 2022 at 15:10. Reason: clearer sentence structure

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by Mashika (here)
    And if you stand looking at the mirror to your own face for too long, funny things happen as well, like when you repeat a word too many times and it loses meaning lmao

    ETA: maybe looking at your face in the mirror for too long is kind of similar or related to that sentence "if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you"
    Oh yes - a friend and I did a load of paranormal experiments; one was lighting a candle in front of a big mirror and gazing into it for about 15 minutes. We both said that we saw many different faces when we compared notes afterwards.

    Quote Posted by ExomatrixTV (here)
    I said for decades that the biggest (brainwashing) cult on the planet is "society" itself ... then being a hypocrite pointing at other cults being "weird".
    If only I had you guys around me when I was a kid/teenager... I was different in a way that always got me into trouble at school but I never understood why, just for seeing things differently... so I became 'normal' and suppressed myself, spending most of my 20s in mild depression as I led a 'normal' life. Then I discovered meditation and started the long journey to becoming myself again, and it's a journey that never ends.

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Political parties are becoming more cult-like, people not thinking about issues, just about taking sides

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by O Donna (here)
    Capitalism. Cult or no?

    Last edited by Wind; 24th May 2022 at 17:42.
    "When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find, peace of mind is waiting there." ~ George Harrison

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    As far I understand, the cult thing is actually a problem of dogma.

    I would like to cite a quote from Steve Jobs about this. (even though, his name may be an unpopular one, because he created the Apple cult)

    Quote Your time is limited, so don‘t waste it living someone else‘s life.
    Don‘t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people‘s thinking.
    Don‘t let the noise of others‘ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
    And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
    They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
    Everything else is secondary.

    —Steve Jobs
    "The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."
    -- Benjamin Disraeli

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    It all begins with a charismatic leader (whether dead or alive, real or imaginary). Insulated by an labyrinth of rhetoric.

    There are cult of personalities created so long ago that the ancestors or our ancestors have been long gone but a form of the personality still stands.

    Quote The bigger the trick, the older the trick, the easier it is to pull.

    You believe it can’t be that old, and it can’t be that big for so many people to have fallen for it.

    - Revolver (2005)


    Quote I sell the things you need to be
    I'm the smiling face on your TV
    A house of cards that, to the true (cult) believer, is anything but.





    Quote Posted by Wind (here)
    Quote Posted by O Donna (here)
    Capitalism. Cult or no?
    I can see venture capitalist watching that video, Wind, and publicly picking it a part while giving it a agreeing nod, privately.

    Bill Hicks keeps whispering from the grave:

    The venture capitalist saying

    Quote Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.
    One example of commonality between cult and society:: insatiable consumption.
    Last edited by O Donna; 25th May 2022 at 01:39. Reason: wrong video commenting on from Wind

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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Quote Posted by Mashika (here)
    "if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you"
    Quote Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
    Friedrich Nietzsche
    A tool as old as time itself/

    A tale as old as time itself






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    Default Re: Modern Society and Cult Parallels

    Modern society's social engine

    When life/ identity is tied to social media (cult) one will do anything to be in the good graces of their master.

    Meet the OnlyFans Creator Who Said She Slept With Instagram Employees to Get Her Account Back

    What is one when master-of-the board (monopoly) is the goal or inspiration? What then?





    ..................................

    One of the more interesting things about taking on Goliath is the dichotomy involved.



    Only a tool
    A fool
    Would become involved

    What can I say,
    The role was available

    Last edited by O Donna; 25th May 2022 at 18:47. Reason: direct link

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