Too much time on Facebook

Published: Mon, 08/10/20

I have spent too much time on Facebook recently. It has been interesting to see what people are thinking about current events, one thing in particular of course. Social media also provides a handy laboratory for trying out ideas and ways of explaining things. So, anyone on Fb I have been arguing with, thanks for being my guinea pig. The funny thing has been quite a few people I know through pagan camps, which I have been part of and taught at for the best part of 18 years now, who have said that they are surprised and disappointed in me for believing in crazy conspiracy theories. Just shows that they never bothered to attend any of my talks or workshops. My overall theme has always been getting people to open their eyes and start thinking and the a common response to my efforts to teach and communicate is. ‘Well, that made me think.’ Seems like some people have been missing an opportunity over the years. In fact, if I could be
bothered to even be disappointed, then what surprises me more is that anyone would not expect me to be asking the awkward questions. Apparently I have been challenging the status quo since I could talk, which is quite a long time now. Now I am a Father myself I am beginning to wonder what I put my parents through all those years ago. Iduna isn’t actually talking yet (8 months old today) but I do have a sense of a strong personality developing in that compact little body.

I have been having some coaching sessions recently to help me focus my purpose in life and a particular episode from my teen age years came up for discussion. I was about fifteen and I went on a Christian retreat intended for people of my age and a little bit older. I can’t actually remember a great deal about it but I did come back very enthusiastic and fervent in my renewed faith. Then, a few days later I woke up one morning and realised that the feeling had worn off and I was back to ‘normal’. I also remember thinking. ‘So, that is what it feels like to be brainwashed, that is interesting.’ As indoctrination experiences go it was pretty benign. In fact I am sure no one tried to teach me anything that I had not heard or read for myself many times already at church. What was interesting was the effect of being in such an environment with enthusiastic young people and then how the effect wore off leaving me conscious of the
process I had been through. I guess I must have already had a fairly high degree of self awareness to process the experience I had been through. Either way, ever since I have been conscious of when an indoctrination process is going on. Even when I choose to go along with such a process, part of me is still observing the efforts that are being made to condition my beliefs and therefore my beliefs are only changed as much as I allow them to be. Even then I will be asking myself. ‘How does this new idea or knowledge relate to the real world?’ I will also allow my intuitive mind process anything new over at least one nights sleep and preferably longer.

Thanks to this experience I have always been happy enough to explore new ideas in unusual settings. I like to believe that I can learn without the risk of being unduly influenced. Which is not to say that I do not get carried away with a new idea sometimes but I always seem to find my way back to balance pretty soon.

A question that comes up from time to time is. ‘Can Christianity be combined with Stav as something pagan?’ Of course there are people who embrace any belief system who feel the need to enforce boundaries to keep out other beliefs. New converts to any belief tend to do this most enthusiastically. Someone long established in their faith would perhaps be more relaxed, or they may just be more fixed in their thinking, that is not for me to judge here. Some of the important things I learned from Stav were that I could learn a lot from mythology without having to believe any of it was literally true. (There is far to much discussion in Church about what in the bible is historical fact. No one really knows, and it does not really matter all that much.) I learned to see the underlying principle of the web in all things. Also how to simplify things down to very simple principles. The bind runes are a tool for learning how to simplify
a subject or idea down to six related concepts, after a time simplification becomes a habit. Without the ability to drastically simplify it is very difficult to think clearly about anything. Once you can see the simple underlying pattern in any situation it gets very hard to be fooled by other people, especially if you give yourself proper time for reflection and processing the information you are presented with. In a world of information overload it can seem hard to take the time to think, so, if you want to keep sane, use the off switch and go for a walk, or anything that gives you the space to think and reflect.

regards

Graham

PS The Rune Retreat will try and provide and opportunity to reset our thinking processes. The idea will not be to tell anyone what to think, but to get those who attend to consider how they think and if there might be better ways to process our experience of the world. http://rr.stavcamp.org/