I loved this, Mary. And the circle image VS the 'boxes' which we tend to live in both as our habitats and in our minds.
Fleshed out the circle is a sphere; as individuated spheres, there is no center - everyone is in the center of their own sphere and here we might glimpse something else profound. (That speaks I think to self-sovereignty in part.)
Particularly when we consider our individual spheres include all our bodies - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual let's say. If most of the internal conflicts we face come down to mental activities (emphasizing only one body) we tend to go to those dualities you lay out so well.
But if we include the others, we've expanded into ourselves, and the information available through all of them. Suddenly the notion that what I know, sense, am aware of, is limited to my mind evaporates.
We are big beings and that can include big minds, but that's only part of the story. I would say I often 'know' something way before my mind has a hold of it. My body tells me, my intuition. The more I open to the fields/bodies of my larger self, the less constrained I am by either/or. Also the more I acknowledge these other facets of my self, the more tangible they become. It's like taking ownership of all of me.
Thank you for opening up this dialog and its ensuing reflection. Much appreciated.
“There are no sides in a circle.” So beautifully expressed, Mary! We’ve been so conditioned to take sides and judge one right and the other wrong that it only seems natural to do so. But our “addiction” to taking sides binds us to a position we’re now obligated to defend because we’ve identified our core selves with it. It narrows down our available choices while simultaneously alienating those on the “other side” unnecessarily. Thank you for this timely message about staying open, curious and seeing beyond duality.
It seems “our inclination toward opposites “ and duality is a stage of human development that is easily manipulated but those who desire a One World Order power over others through domination. I have been expanding as well into more “integral” stages of understanding as Ken Wilbur calls them, where ever-widening concentric circles and spirals are the natural structures for these new frequencies beyond duality... I am imagining living in the Monolithic domes being birthed out of a group in Texas and organic, flowing shaped buildings such as the ones by Vetsch in Switzerland with ancient Hobbit-like decor accents that honor and celebrate our being part of the body of the earth... perhaps we are Gaia’s surface micro biome? It still feels like we are the minority in our desire to grow beyond polarity , separation and dualistic thinking , but the exponential power of expanding our consciousness together is palpable and exciting!
I've been waiting for you to address this issue of RFK, Jr.'s speech. I'm glad you have. I too, was also very surprised to hear Kennedy take Israel's side. Then when I read Charles Eisenstein's reaction to Kennedy, despite the fact that he said all the right things, as in taking no sides, to be honest, I was disappointed in him as well. What I wanted to hear from someone was the TRUTH, as in what we've really been up against for a very long time now, who the real enemy is behind the curtain, and what their agenda is. It's so much bigger than Israel or Palestine, the US vs. Russia/China, Democrats or Republicans, etc. What I've come to realize is that there is a dark force behind all this hatred, contention and divisiveness which is determined to keep us all separated from one another. I read the book by Paul Levy, Wetiko, which is a Native American word for "mind virus" which is a disease of the soul which has the magical ability to extend itself into the outer world and configure events so as to reflect and express the inner state of the psyche that is enthralled by it. Evil does exist, but it contains within itself the antidote. If we but recognize it, it opens our hearts and expands our consciousness, which the powers that be are most afraid of.
You can listen to Paul Levy's introduction to his new book, "Undreaming Wetiko" here.
wull, my ma has one just like'im at home (he hadda name too!)--an ol' "souvenir" from Bourbon Street in N'Awleans but whenever I thought've bein' stymied "btw. you, me, an' the lampost" I thought've that funny little man just tryin' ta stay vertical! (yup, it'll open a bottle 'er a door... fer conversation! 'member "conversation pieces?") glad y'all had a nice time!
Hittin' this late indeed, but as always yer "thinker" is always coverin' interestin' stuff! SO... this "binary," this unnatural push to pick one 'er the other (an' nuttin' in between) IS the problem with the larger world 'round us--AmeriKa, Middle East...an' beyond. EXCEPT with gender--here you don't want ta order "off" the menu--golly! But simmerin' the argument about Gabe or Steven down ta a thick syrup, this makes me think of the ol' LampPost. 'Member the sayin', "Between you an' me an' the lampost?" Given a passle've DUALITY doses, I always picked the dang lamp post! By NOT pickin' either Gabe nor Steven--you too got the lamp post! (So yer married to a lamp post, ha!) My doin' this drove folks nuts (I'm sure sometimes NOT makin' the choice 'tween options given I sounded ungrateful, bratty, 'er sumthin' of a clown--possibly all true! but I never liked limited choices an' some folks seem ta like to LIMIT so much!
Nature aside, kids naturally (when asked) choose the lamppost too! They don't pick "on the menu" fer example, to the open-ended question, "What kinda ice cream do ya want, Cindy Lou," cuz the plucky tot may answer "banana-raspberry-tangerine-spaghetti!" Some parents head this mischief off at the pass by sayin', "they have JUST chocolate an' vanilla"--which d'ya want? Ho-hum. But not given those limits--sky's the limit! Fer many a kid! ...that is 'til they get used ta glass half-empty...sadly... this is too often the case as free-thinkin' kids are too often stuffed inta "little boxes" (like the song!) an' force ta pick sides. I recall if they had only chocolate an' vanilla I'd still ask them to do "half an' half" of each and then request cherry, whipped cream, an' sprinkles (if available). Course I wuz a PIA! This is why I hated teams in school, one against t'other. Makes me think'a Pete Seeger's song "Which side are you on?"... which is a great song...but...well, always 'bout pickin' sides...pick the wrong side an' yer a "lousy scab!"
Also, I agree with what ya shared 'bout BobbyK an' just askin' folks what they want, not which "side" they're on...a good start.
But as fer him pickin' sides an' talkin' reparations--some in the "Devolution" realm (that's purdy WOO but interestin' stuf...) say that's a calculated play on his part to rope in the right kinda "DemoCraps" -- git' em ta go Independent, turn 'em away from Biden even tho' it's all bluffin'. Such crazy talk (reparations? really? open borders, really?) will make sure all on the RIGHT are gonna STILL be REJECTIN' him (on purpose) so doesn't pull one single vote from Trump cuz (so the devolvers say), it's a strategy to push down Biden votes an' up Trumps (cuz Bobby feels he ain't never gonna win, he's there to steer thinkin'...). Not that Bobby's on the Right at all in helpin' Mister Orange--but he's spoutin' certain rhetoric cuz he knows the LEFT is dangerous mess so fer now--he'll toss votes TO Trump by pullin' 'em from Biden. Trump is strategy, not "hero material." IT's 5D chess savin' the vote from the Uniparty. Honestly, I don't put it past him...some've what he's been sayin' is opposite of what he said before...so only way his new talkin' points makes sense is by helpin' Trump "safely" without bein' his runnin' mate. I "vunder"... could it be?
Meantimes, see yer goin' on a vay-cay-shun--so have FUN in "darkest Peru" from whence came Paddington Bear!
I was getting ready to write what a lovely piece this was when I came across my name! Thank you for those nice quotes. This talk is something that comes back to me often, especially anticipating the other person's objection and acknowledging it as valid before they even speak it. Whew!
And non-duality is near and dear to my heart, hence the title Third Paradigm. I've often thought about your horseshoe illustration in the opposite way: the place between the poles is where the magnetism is. Have you ever noticed how far left and far right often agree? I think there are no continuums, only incomplete circles. Those in the middle just go along with everything. What is compromise when it comes to principles? If you go past the herd on one side or another, and into no-man's land of not even being on the spectrum, that's where I think we find agreement and independent thinking. Thanks for this!
One assist for our understanding might be to recognize that polarity is within each category, rather than between categories. Mary, thank-you for your writing and way of looking at things.
"What’s the cheapest way to build houses, roads, cities? Squares and rectangles. Boxes. Straight lines."
Another word for cheap is efficient. Using the fewest resources to crate the same usable space means more people can have a house with the same resources. Also, straight lines are practical. You would have to push your straight bookcase and couch up against a round wall, wasting the space between them, making it hard to clean.
How wonderful Mary that you have written such a beautiful piece here and it has so much to do with the practice of joining! I was like what’s this “complimentary” type word when you first mentioned it - why by golly it’s the practice of joining. Wow Zow! See ya soon in the Sacred Valley - Land of lots of circles btw. 🙏 can’t wait to hug in person been way too long!
Oct 22, 2023·edited Oct 22, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. I was curious about the talk on polarization that you mentioned- but the link didn't seem to take me to that talk. I found this: https://youtu.be/L-8b_UtX26c?si=PNheL9IGQIBuzvWZ. Is that the video you were talking about?
RFK lost me in the last couple weeks. In the event we are allowed to vote in '24, I'm writing in the Buddha of loving kindness my dead dog Jake for Prez, & the Buddha of love & loyalty my dead dog Lunar.
For the record, the Hamas attack (which bears many facets of a false flag) was preceded by 2 days by a Zionist attack on Al Aqsa, the 3rd most holy Muslim site behind Mecca & Medina, by 832 zealots beating, driving from the mosque & spitting on Muslims celebrating the Sukkot holy week.
I loved this, Mary. And the circle image VS the 'boxes' which we tend to live in both as our habitats and in our minds.
Fleshed out the circle is a sphere; as individuated spheres, there is no center - everyone is in the center of their own sphere and here we might glimpse something else profound. (That speaks I think to self-sovereignty in part.)
Particularly when we consider our individual spheres include all our bodies - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual let's say. If most of the internal conflicts we face come down to mental activities (emphasizing only one body) we tend to go to those dualities you lay out so well.
But if we include the others, we've expanded into ourselves, and the information available through all of them. Suddenly the notion that what I know, sense, am aware of, is limited to my mind evaporates.
We are big beings and that can include big minds, but that's only part of the story. I would say I often 'know' something way before my mind has a hold of it. My body tells me, my intuition. The more I open to the fields/bodies of my larger self, the less constrained I am by either/or. Also the more I acknowledge these other facets of my self, the more tangible they become. It's like taking ownership of all of me.
Thank you for opening up this dialog and its ensuing reflection. Much appreciated.
“There are no sides in a circle.” So beautifully expressed, Mary! We’ve been so conditioned to take sides and judge one right and the other wrong that it only seems natural to do so. But our “addiction” to taking sides binds us to a position we’re now obligated to defend because we’ve identified our core selves with it. It narrows down our available choices while simultaneously alienating those on the “other side” unnecessarily. Thank you for this timely message about staying open, curious and seeing beyond duality.
It seems “our inclination toward opposites “ and duality is a stage of human development that is easily manipulated but those who desire a One World Order power over others through domination. I have been expanding as well into more “integral” stages of understanding as Ken Wilbur calls them, where ever-widening concentric circles and spirals are the natural structures for these new frequencies beyond duality... I am imagining living in the Monolithic domes being birthed out of a group in Texas and organic, flowing shaped buildings such as the ones by Vetsch in Switzerland with ancient Hobbit-like decor accents that honor and celebrate our being part of the body of the earth... perhaps we are Gaia’s surface micro biome? It still feels like we are the minority in our desire to grow beyond polarity , separation and dualistic thinking , but the exponential power of expanding our consciousness together is palpable and exciting!
I've been waiting for you to address this issue of RFK, Jr.'s speech. I'm glad you have. I too, was also very surprised to hear Kennedy take Israel's side. Then when I read Charles Eisenstein's reaction to Kennedy, despite the fact that he said all the right things, as in taking no sides, to be honest, I was disappointed in him as well. What I wanted to hear from someone was the TRUTH, as in what we've really been up against for a very long time now, who the real enemy is behind the curtain, and what their agenda is. It's so much bigger than Israel or Palestine, the US vs. Russia/China, Democrats or Republicans, etc. What I've come to realize is that there is a dark force behind all this hatred, contention and divisiveness which is determined to keep us all separated from one another. I read the book by Paul Levy, Wetiko, which is a Native American word for "mind virus" which is a disease of the soul which has the magical ability to extend itself into the outer world and configure events so as to reflect and express the inner state of the psyche that is enthralled by it. Evil does exist, but it contains within itself the antidote. If we but recognize it, it opens our hearts and expands our consciousness, which the powers that be are most afraid of.
You can listen to Paul Levy's introduction to his new book, "Undreaming Wetiko" here.
https://youtu.be/ik0u6Ctwvc0?si=m-prJyjEKgHHaRGK
I just came across this article with Paul Levy here which looks very interesting. I like the title. https://www.awakeninthedream.com/articles/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-comes-to-life
Oh well, I just thought I'd throw this out there for what it's worth. Thanks, Mary. xox
wull, my ma has one just like'im at home (he hadda name too!)--an ol' "souvenir" from Bourbon Street in N'Awleans but whenever I thought've bein' stymied "btw. you, me, an' the lampost" I thought've that funny little man just tryin' ta stay vertical! (yup, it'll open a bottle 'er a door... fer conversation! 'member "conversation pieces?") glad y'all had a nice time!
an' well be in good comp'ny at the lampost lol!
https://tinyurl.com/bdd92wcb
(hope ya hadda nice trip!)
Hittin' this late indeed, but as always yer "thinker" is always coverin' interestin' stuff! SO... this "binary," this unnatural push to pick one 'er the other (an' nuttin' in between) IS the problem with the larger world 'round us--AmeriKa, Middle East...an' beyond. EXCEPT with gender--here you don't want ta order "off" the menu--golly! But simmerin' the argument about Gabe or Steven down ta a thick syrup, this makes me think of the ol' LampPost. 'Member the sayin', "Between you an' me an' the lampost?" Given a passle've DUALITY doses, I always picked the dang lamp post! By NOT pickin' either Gabe nor Steven--you too got the lamp post! (So yer married to a lamp post, ha!) My doin' this drove folks nuts (I'm sure sometimes NOT makin' the choice 'tween options given I sounded ungrateful, bratty, 'er sumthin' of a clown--possibly all true! but I never liked limited choices an' some folks seem ta like to LIMIT so much!
Nature aside, kids naturally (when asked) choose the lamppost too! They don't pick "on the menu" fer example, to the open-ended question, "What kinda ice cream do ya want, Cindy Lou," cuz the plucky tot may answer "banana-raspberry-tangerine-spaghetti!" Some parents head this mischief off at the pass by sayin', "they have JUST chocolate an' vanilla"--which d'ya want? Ho-hum. But not given those limits--sky's the limit! Fer many a kid! ...that is 'til they get used ta glass half-empty...sadly... this is too often the case as free-thinkin' kids are too often stuffed inta "little boxes" (like the song!) an' force ta pick sides. I recall if they had only chocolate an' vanilla I'd still ask them to do "half an' half" of each and then request cherry, whipped cream, an' sprinkles (if available). Course I wuz a PIA! This is why I hated teams in school, one against t'other. Makes me think'a Pete Seeger's song "Which side are you on?"... which is a great song...but...well, always 'bout pickin' sides...pick the wrong side an' yer a "lousy scab!"
Also, I agree with what ya shared 'bout BobbyK an' just askin' folks what they want, not which "side" they're on...a good start.
But as fer him pickin' sides an' talkin' reparations--some in the "Devolution" realm (that's purdy WOO but interestin' stuf...) say that's a calculated play on his part to rope in the right kinda "DemoCraps" -- git' em ta go Independent, turn 'em away from Biden even tho' it's all bluffin'. Such crazy talk (reparations? really? open borders, really?) will make sure all on the RIGHT are gonna STILL be REJECTIN' him (on purpose) so doesn't pull one single vote from Trump cuz (so the devolvers say), it's a strategy to push down Biden votes an' up Trumps (cuz Bobby feels he ain't never gonna win, he's there to steer thinkin'...). Not that Bobby's on the Right at all in helpin' Mister Orange--but he's spoutin' certain rhetoric cuz he knows the LEFT is dangerous mess so fer now--he'll toss votes TO Trump by pullin' 'em from Biden. Trump is strategy, not "hero material." IT's 5D chess savin' the vote from the Uniparty. Honestly, I don't put it past him...some've what he's been sayin' is opposite of what he said before...so only way his new talkin' points makes sense is by helpin' Trump "safely" without bein' his runnin' mate. I "vunder"... could it be?
Meantimes, see yer goin' on a vay-cay-shun--so have FUN in "darkest Peru" from whence came Paddington Bear!
I think this rejection of duality is what I was going for here: https://thefreethinker.substack.com/p/war-propaganda-is-all-lies-make-this
I phrased it as embracing uncertainty, and refusing to take sides.
You said it better. Thank you.
I was getting ready to write what a lovely piece this was when I came across my name! Thank you for those nice quotes. This talk is something that comes back to me often, especially anticipating the other person's objection and acknowledging it as valid before they even speak it. Whew!
And non-duality is near and dear to my heart, hence the title Third Paradigm. I've often thought about your horseshoe illustration in the opposite way: the place between the poles is where the magnetism is. Have you ever noticed how far left and far right often agree? I think there are no continuums, only incomplete circles. Those in the middle just go along with everything. What is compromise when it comes to principles? If you go past the herd on one side or another, and into no-man's land of not even being on the spectrum, that's where I think we find agreement and independent thinking. Thanks for this!
One assist for our understanding might be to recognize that polarity is within each category, rather than between categories. Mary, thank-you for your writing and way of looking at things.
RFK IS A PLANT...a TROJAN HORSE. and now he wants "RAPE A NATION" ( reparations 🤮") . Don't be FOOLED
"What’s the cheapest way to build houses, roads, cities? Squares and rectangles. Boxes. Straight lines."
Another word for cheap is efficient. Using the fewest resources to crate the same usable space means more people can have a house with the same resources. Also, straight lines are practical. You would have to push your straight bookcase and couch up against a round wall, wasting the space between them, making it hard to clean.
I feel so much YES for this big beautiful NO to duality.
This meshes well with my philosophy of “Maybe” described in the essay at the end of this piece:
• “Rites of the Tear-Downers” (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/rites-of-the-tear-downers)
It also goes nicely with this Note (https://substack.com/@margaretannaalice/note/c-42150572), of which one reader stated, “What an absolute perfect statement. How I would love to see RFK Jr say something similar.”
I asked RFK Jr. if he would agree with my statement but haven’t heard back yet :-)
How wonderful Mary that you have written such a beautiful piece here and it has so much to do with the practice of joining! I was like what’s this “complimentary” type word when you first mentioned it - why by golly it’s the practice of joining. Wow Zow! See ya soon in the Sacred Valley - Land of lots of circles btw. 🙏 can’t wait to hug in person been way too long!
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. I was curious about the talk on polarization that you mentioned- but the link didn't seem to take me to that talk. I found this: https://youtu.be/L-8b_UtX26c?si=PNheL9IGQIBuzvWZ. Is that the video you were talking about?
RFK lost me in the last couple weeks. In the event we are allowed to vote in '24, I'm writing in the Buddha of loving kindness my dead dog Jake for Prez, & the Buddha of love & loyalty my dead dog Lunar.
For the record, the Hamas attack (which bears many facets of a false flag) was preceded by 2 days by a Zionist attack on Al Aqsa, the 3rd most holy Muslim site behind Mecca & Medina, by 832 zealots beating, driving from the mosque & spitting on Muslims celebrating the Sukkot holy week.