taken from ytterbius

[novapsyche]

1. Pick one thing from my interests list that you like and explain why.
2. Pick one thing from my interests list that you don't like and explain why.
3. Pick one thing from my interests list that surprises you and explain why.
4. Pick one thing from my interests list that you don't understand and I will tell you about it.
5. Tell me one thing that's not on my interests list that should be.

Comments

[redivivus-fate.livejournal.com]

1. Pick one thing from my interests list that you like and explain why.
"Ultimate Reality". It is my ultimate pursuit, although perhaps in different ways than you intended by listing it on interests.

2. Pick one thing from my interests list that you don't like and explain why.
"History". I think that it is more fabricated than not and the chaos that results from that is misleading and contributes to the digusting human condition that most people find themselves accustomed to.

3. Pick one thing from my interests list that surprises you and explain why.
Nothing surprises me anymore.

4. Pick one thing from my interests list that you don't understand and I will tell you about it.
Hmm.. "Neoplatonism".

5. Tell me one thing that's not on my interests list that should be.
"Anorkia". Haha. ;)

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

When I say "history", I don't mean just recorded history. But even recorded history has much to say about the human condition and human progress. I'm rather more interested in prehistory, though.

Uh, neoplatonism. See, I'm interested in it, though I admit I don't have a concrete understanding of it. If you aren't too put off by me doing so, let's see if I can dig up some websites that would do a better job of explaining the philosophy:

Neoplatonism is a type of idealistic monism in which the ultimate reality of the universe is held to be an infinite, unknowable, perfect One. From this One emanates nous (pure intelligence), whence in turn is derived the world soul, the creative activity of which engenders the lesser souls of human beings. The world soul is conceived as an image of the nous, even as the nous is an image of the One; both the nous and the world soul, despite their differentiation, are thus consubstantial with the One.

The world soul, however, because it is intermediate between the nous and the material world, has the option either of preserving its integrity and imaged perfection or of becoming altogether sensual and corrupt. The same choice is open to each of the lesser souls. When, through ignorance of its true nature and identity, the human soul experiences a false sense of separateness and independence, it becomes arrogantly self-assertive and falls into sensual and depraved habits. Salvation for such a soul is still possible, the Neoplatonist maintains, by virtue of the very freedom of will that enabled it to choose its sinful course. The soul must reverse that course, tracing in the opposite direction the successive steps of its degeneration, until it is again united with the fountainhead of its being. The actual reunion is accomplished through a mystical experience in which the soul knows an all-pervading ecstasy.

Doctrinally, Neoplatonism is characterized by a categorical opposition between the spiritual and the carnal, elaborated from Plato's dualism of Idea and Matter; by the metaphysical hypothesis of mediating agencies, the nous and the world soul, which transmit the divine power from the One to the many; by an aversion to the world of sense; and by the necessity of liberation from a life of sense through a rigorous ascetic discipline.

http://www.connect.net/ron/neoplatonism.html

Neoplatonism is an ancient school of philosophy beginning in the 3rd century A.D. It was based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists; but it interpreted Plato in many new ways, such that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato taught, though many Neoplatonists would not admit the distinction.

Neoplatonism began with the philosopher Plotinus, though Plotinus claimed to have received his teachings from Ammonius Saccas, an illiterate dock-worker in Alexandria. His most important work was the Six Enneads, in which he explains his philosophy.

Plotinus taught the existence of an indescribable One, which emanated the rest of the universe as a sequence of lesser beings. Later Neoplatonic philosophers, especially Iamblichus, added hundreds of intermediate gods and beings as emanations between the One and humanity; but Plotinus' system was much simpler in comparison.

Later neoplatonic philosophers included Porphyry, Proclus, Iamblichus and Hypatia of Alexandria.

Neoplatonism was frequently used as a philosophical foundation for paganism, and as a means of defending paganism against Christianity; but many Christians were also influenced by Neoplatonism. In Christian versions of Neoplatonism, the One is identified as God. [...] Some scholars have shown that Neoplatonism was also influenced by Christian theology, notably through the belief systems known as Gnosticism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplatonism

See also http://www.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/augustine/concepts/neoplatonism.html , a fairly thorough page.

i'm game

[viciouslamb.livejournal.com]

1. a)Breath. no explanation.
b)Years ago, while looking for a room to rent, I was guided to a huge, crowded house of all grrls (i said, years ago...) and I moved in because there was an Episcopal program on the floor, covered in ash and bits of resin from the pipe, lying sideways on top of it. There I learned about Lilith and civil disobedience and loyalty and acceptance and that "gender is fluid". The flow of your interest list seemed to parallel this memory.

2. Christianity. It's not that I don't like it, the label still jars me. I was raised in a conservative christian family. Evangelical Free. Chuck Swindall slide shows. Halloween Dress up parties (Mom made me go one year I really wanted to be with friends: I went as Judas.) Focus on the Family, Youth Group, Demons...
But without it, art wouldn't have been as interesting had I not known the stories. I search for Christ in others every day. And I pray all the time. And it all fits.

3.memes... I had to look it up.

"Memetics is vital to the understanding of cults, ideologies, and marketing campaigns of all kinds, and it can help to provide immunity from dangerous information-contagions. You should be aware, for instance, that you just been exposed to the Meta-meme, the meme about memes..."

wow.

4. dextromethorphan, dextromethorphan hydrobromide: cough syrup. tell me about this.

5. birthday cake?

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Christianity: While I could be considered more a heretic these days, I've always identified as a Christian. I don't see that changing any time soon, despite my syncretic belief system. Part of this is due to the fact that I can take the concept of Christ and enlarge it to be an idea, not a person. (In fact, I have a lot of doubt as to whether Yeshua of the NT actually existed. He works so well as a metaphor. At the same time, with things that have happened in my own lived experience, I can kind of understand why so many hardcore Christians insist that he must have walked the earth.)

DXM: This is a psychoactive substance most commonly found in over-the-counter cough remedies (but can also be purchased as pure powder). It's in the same drug family (dissociative anaesthetics) as ketamine, nitrous oxide, and PCP (though PCP is rather in a class by itself, owing to the particular effects it has on the brain). It's often classed as a hallucinogenic, but it's not that really. As far as effects go, it often produces the feeling of being out of the body. It affects the brain in such a way that thoughts are no longer linear.

The best site online for substance info is http://www.erowid.org . The DXM page there is quite extensive, and the DXM FAQ found off the main DXM page is the most informative FAQ I've seen on the 'net.

[javina.livejournal.com]

1. Pick one thing from my interests list that you like and explain why.

Deviance. Why be normal?

2. Pick one thing from my interests list that you don't like and explain why.

Early Christianity. There was that whole witch-burning phase.

3. Pick one thing from my interests list that surprises you and explain why.

Surprise is not the right adjective, but - rubber stamping?

4. Pick one thing from my interests list that you don't understand and I will tell you about it.

Tryptamines.

5. Tell me one thing that's not on my interests list that should be.
A fetish. Any.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

The sociology class that hooked me was Deviance & Social Control. I really loved finding out not only why but how people became deviant, and how society deals with those people.

When I say "early Christianity", I mean 1 BC to 5 or 6 AD. The witch burning times came well after that.

Rubber stamping is a hobby that a friend's wife got me involved in about five years ago (when they graciously let me live with them while I got on my feet). It's a rather expensive hobby--the individual stamps can range from $3 to $15 or more--but the creativity of it is what hooked me. There's lots of accessories you need to create a good-looking card, but once you have a good-looking card, it's great.

Tryptamines are... hmm. Again I don't think I'd do very well giving my own definition. Here is the tryptamine FAQ at erowid. Apparently psilocybin is a tryptamine, as is DMT, an endogenous chemical in the brain (it's released daily around 3-4 a.m., right around the time when you start dreaming). Tryptamines are chemicals that generally cause hallucinations.

I appreciate fetishes, but I don't really think I have any of my own. Unless you count my exclusive attraction to Caucasian men.

[m0n90053.livejournal.com]

1. Alan Watts. Trying to explain Zen... which isn't even the right way to express what he was doing... to the Western mind. For no reward other than the doing. Awesome. Inspiring.

2. Christian Science. Meaning no offense, should you be a Christian Scientist yourself, and granting that faith does have the power to heal in some cases without 'benefit' of external intervention, granting that 'doctors' throughout the course of history up 'til the past 100 years or so have often done more harm than good- I don't understand why someone would turn away from what demonstrably works, or how they could feel, given that all of creation (in their worldview) is under god's command, that some part of it was less directly from his hand than some other part of it.

3. four. At least all by itself-
4. four. And why not any other number?

5. saint darwin in action

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I am not a Christian Scientist; I haven't even attended any of their services. What I appreciate about Christian Science is the attempt to take Christian terms and give them alternate, more metaphorical meanings. Also, Christian Science is one of the few American religions that's endogenous to the region, and one of the few religions begun by a woman.

Four is my favorite number! I love four. I decided, when I was in fourth grade and I was the fourth student on the attendence roll, that four would be my favorite number. And it still is. Later, I read some Jung and found that four was significant in ancient times. Currently, I'm still in the process of taking three/the Trinity in Christianity and melding it to a foursquare system. Also, my conception of God is quaternary: God the One, God the Every, God the All, God the Naught.

So... what's Saint Darwin in Action?

[m0n90053.livejournal.com]

Basically... oh, just go take a look at this, which is sort-of where it started (although it does have antecedents as mentioned)...