| Disclaimer: Once again I am putting out a disclaimer as | | | | Perhaps you have done exactly that and maybe |
| both a reaffirmation to myself to keep myself in check | | | | some words and concepts were resonating quite well |
| and as a reminder to you, the reader, to not buy into | | | | with you and so in some way you may now parrot |
| anything I write or say or what anybody else writes or | | | | this individuals finding to others as their explanation |
| says for that matter, hook, line and sinker. The only | | | | seems to trump your own to a point of personal |
| authority by which I write is strictly experiential in that I | | | | satisfaction. But does it? Have you really applied the |
| am expounding and putting into words, which is difficult | | | | conceptualizations of someone else to your |
| at best, my own personal viewpoint and findings. To | | | | unexplainable situation? Let not this last question |
| take anything that anybody has put forth verbatim, as | | | | become an open discourse on Religious interpretation |
| wrote is nothing less than a fool's path. That being said, | | | | or Spiritual Doctrine. That is a whole other article in and |
| this initial opening statement is also the premise for this | | | | of itself. All religious dogma aside, I challenge you to |
| next essay. I am writing only from my own limited | | | | find anyone that knows more about your experiences |
| view. I encourage all to take all such writing with a | | | | than you. Tell me prithee, should you find them |
| large grain of salt and do something rare and | | | | because that is a concept worthy again of its own |
| adventurous; think for yourself. Use only your own | | | | discussion and discourse. |
| verifiable experiences and personal platforms of | | | | The problem with authority in any aspect is its dictates |
| observation to go by. Please be brave enough to take | | | | based on a singular viewpoint that tend to have a |
| off the sheep's clothing and begin to take responsibility | | | | psychological impact at a societal level. In short, the |
| for your own thoughts and courageously explore for | | | | squeaky wheel has made unto themselves a leader. |
| yourself by yourself. Thank you for taking this little bit | | | | Leaders generate followers. Followers, in my view, and |
| of advice into consideration. Now we can move on | | | | please see the above disclaimer so as to not rake me |
| into just another idle aspect of my findings and | | | | over the proverbial coals, are seemingly individuals who |
| observations. | | | | are either afraid or are too lazy to either formulate or |
| Whom in the Realm of the Paranormal, that being | | | | trust their own viewpoint. It's just easier to let someone |
| anything in the field of study, such as it is, dealing with | | | | else do all the work and have a "I will sacrifice some |
| the anomalous, esoteric or unexplained, can wholly | | | | of my own sense of self and identify as "other than" |
| establish themselves as an authority of such? | | | | and in turn be lead by this other than because I am OK |
| According to the online dictionary The Free | | | | being a non-thinking sheep" attitude. |
| Dictionary.com, the following definition of the word | | | | I'm sorry. But as far as I know, meek does not mean |
| "authority" is as follows:au·thor·i·ty [uh-thawr-i-tee, | | | | intellectually submissive. You have a mind. Explore it. |
| uh-thor-] n., pl., -ties. | | | | Use it. Try to find its limitations and smash them into |
| | | | oblivion. It's not as scary as it sounds. The idea of |
| 1. | | | | exploring within one's self to help alleviate the |
| 2. The power to enforce laws, exact obedience, | | | | mysteries of without seems way more sound than |
| command, determine, or judge. | | | | letting an external source with a make-believe |
| 3. One that is invested with this power, especially a | | | | expertise crawl around in your head and tell you what |
| government or body of government officials: land titles | | | | you should think and feel. Unless one is suffering clearly |
| issued by the civil authority. | | | | from some sort of mental handicap, the burden of |
| Power assigned to another; authorization: Deputies | | | | how you interpret reality in and around you is your sole |
| were given authority to make arrests. | | | | responsibility and no one else's. |
| A public agency or corporation with administrative | | | | So just think now, and I am talking to you experiencers |
| powers in a specified field: a city transit authority. | | | | in particular, on all of your anomalous experiences and |
| | | | how you felt and what you saw and what you |
| 1. An accepted source of expert information or advice: | | | | smelled and what you touched. How can any other |
| a noted authority on birds; a reference book often | | | | person have more information about those |
| cited as an authority. | | | | experiences than you? This is ludicrous. They can't. All |
| 2. A quotation or citation from such a source: biblical | | | | they can do is take your first hand account and now |
| authorities for a moral argument. | | | | translate it with their own filtration processes based on |
| Justification; grounds: On what authority do you make | | | | their experiences and vomit back to you something |
| such a claim? | | | | that makes perfect sense TO THEM. Not you. This is |
| A conclusive statement or decision that may be taken | | | | an authority? |
| as a guide or precedent. | | | | More and more I find all of reality to be completely |
| Power to influence or persuade resulting from | | | | subjective, maybe ultimately so and what is more, |
| knowledge or experience: political observers who | | | | entirely of our own making, manufacture and |
| acquire authority with age. | | | | manipulation. Manipulation being an especially operative |
| Confidence derived from experience or practice; firm | | | | word there. Why? Manipulation seems to be the realm |
| self-assurance: played the sonata with authority.In | | | | leaders of followers. They have formed a clique |
| what aspect of the Paranormal gross or otherwise | | | | based on more than likely, someone elses accepted |
| has anyone furnished any kind of realizable and | | | | idea of truth and so in effect they have become |
| compelling evidence to satisfy the definition as | | | | manipulated and therefore by proxy in turn manipulate. |
| provided with any kind of indefatigable and | | | | A like thing begets a like thing. Only a conscious act of |
| unquestionable process? | | | | actively engaging your environment and taking |
| Crickets | | | | responsibility for it will take you out of the "The Land of |
| That's what I thought. There are none to satisfy this | | | | the Lost". |
| definition in any way by any means. This little exercise | | | | I think some folks have manifested the idea of needing |
| should help one right away as a sort of BS Meter to | | | | an authority figure in their life because of reasoning |
| which they can apply it to any contextualization and | | | | that may be twofold. |
| conceptualization of any aspect of the Paranormal or | | | | 1) They have low self worth and don't trust |
| Esoteric. Period. | | | | themselves and oddly misplace their trust in another |
| So right away you may have readily applied this simple | | | | with no way to know what is going on in that person's |
| exercise to any number of situations, articles, books | | | | head. To me, that is truly scary. |
| and lectures that may have popped into your mind and | | | | 2) It is easier to point the finger of blame squarely at |
| found you were left with the radical concept of | | | | an external source when things go horribly wrong. You |
| absolutely nothing. Bupkis. Nada. Not a bad turn out for | | | | do not have to own the mistake if you are the |
| your investment for those who have purchased an | | | | follower. You are just a victim, right? WRONG! |
| extensive library of a sort concerning the Paranormal | | | | I cannot strongly stress enough how important it is that |
| or any aspect of Esoterica in general. | | | | you find your own answers within and when you do |
| Now before anybody gets upset and starts to bang | | | | find them, trust them. They are you. They are for you |
| the drum of revolt in retort, just know that I am not | | | | only, and no one else. Share your kind actions and |
| denigrating the experience. I am not discounting your | | | | teach by example. Moving air around is just that. If it is |
| finding. I am not cheapening the phenomena. On the | | | | something so important and you just can't keep it to |
| contrary. I am doing you a favor. I am helping you to | | | | yourself for whatever reason, whisper it. People listen |
| perhaps see the co-dependence you may have | | | | more intently when the message is softly spoken. |
| developed by seeking information about your | | | | But what do I know? I'm no authority. |
| experiences from another source other than yourself. | | | | |