“Maybe I’ll find a way to capitalize on my culture’s thirst for answers, and my people’s capacity to work with conflicting information (metaphysical ideas change every six months or so and therefore people in my culture are very accustomed to switching mental gears).” http://www.csicop.org/si/2004-05/new-age.html
You know Karla, I haven’t found that at all. I have found that metaphysical ideas are ancient and if nothing else, authors and teachers in the “new age” culture (before my time) just find new ways (or it looks new) of expressing it within a modern day culture.
Also I read through your whole article and I saw that you have not truly and fully resolved (as of 2005-05) your entrance into the Skeptic sub-culture. You will find or have found in your Sociological studies much about sub-cultures and why they exist. I used to be a part of many cultures or sub-cultures and personally no longer have a desire or interest nor do I have a desire or interest to align myself with any one religion. I believe this has to do with me wanting to be an independent thinker and believer who is not following a dogma.
In fact, your article reads like you are in both places (new age still and skepticism) but not in neither. I see this as more “skillful” smarts on your part because, as you know, you are a genius (and I’m not being sarcastic either) at understanding and talking to people so they will listen. Myself, I’m very skilled at analysis and reading between the lines. As you said, you double speak and you are still double speaking with this article. 😉 But nonetheless, I find you “also” double speak to yourself too (some dangerous ground) so I have some things to say…
I’m a so-called psychic. Truly, I always thought of myself as just “intuitive” but people are not buying that word. They are looking up psychic and tarot reader and when it comes right down to it, I do that too but if I were to just look at myself as what I do, I would say I’m highly tuned into others, situations, events, the weather, etc…
I know there is something scientific about what I do but I don’t have the time, resources, or interest to find out what it is. What’s important to me is helping people and as long as I’m doing that, I’m fine with not knowing the scientific foundation of what it is that I’m doing. From what I can see, you stopped being fine with that and I think that’s very good for your evolution as a human being, it’s just not a need that I currently have.
And you know what, I’m a skeptic. But a lot of people in the “skeptic culture” as you call it, are not really skeptic in the truest sense. They are just dogging what we do without probing, asking questions, and testing. They are looking to be right but they are not looking for the truth. I seek the truth. I don’t believe in everything I see or read and I ask my clients to do the same. I am NOT their guru — they are to be there own guru!
So I ask: Why are you wanting to be a part of yet another culture, one which are full of group thinkers? What does that have to do with anything? But you see, that is your life. You are meant to be in cultures so you can study cultures and then write about cultures and be a credible expert — nothing wrong in that, Sociology is going to get you there.
You are hamonizing and developing and I think that’s a really great thing. As you start your next phase of authorship you will work through everything and then move on to something else — perhaps becoming a Mystical Scientist (as I would call it) — becoming involved in the humanities and science — this just looks like your “path”. But keep that ego in check. Be humble and realize you could once again “change teams”.
From my standpoint, I’m not sure what “good” you will be doing us (the whole, all of us) other than illustrating sub-cultures or perhaps helping to “create” a new one — that’s really something. As a self-proclaimed “helper”, how will writing about sub-cultures “help” anyone? That’s what I want to know and I’m sure I will find out when your book comes out.
By the way, when one teaches and writes (I believe that is part of your path and mine too) you will be writing and teaching stuff you actually are not an expert in but rather a discoverer. With every word written, you learn more about the subject matter, yourself, the environment, etc.. The only experts are the ancients or the higher powers that be, that created us. We, us smalltime humans, we are just trying to find our way back home. I’m not an Expert; I’m an Explorer.
Remain humble and open and you won’t feel that “icky” feeling again.