[extropy-chat] Cults/drugs

[The Avantguardian]

--- Keith Henson <hkhenson at rogers.com> wrote:
> There is also the fraud aspects.  Scientology
> promises virtually 
> everything, power over matter, energy, space and
> time--verbally.  The 
> papers you sign after high pressure sales pitches
> take it all away and then 
> some.
> 
>
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jeta/scn/scans/Introspection-Release.html

Amazing. That is the closest thing to a real life
legally binding contract for somebody's soul that I
have ever seen. Beelzebub would be proud. 

> Scientology is a vicious organization run by a
> vicious little prick.  None 
> the less, I can't really hate him any more than I
> can hate someone for 
> being infected with HIV.

Perhaps, but I am unaware of anyone infected by HIV
that has managed to use their disease to such
effective advantage.


> 
> Worse than HIV, most people with HIV understand it's
> bad.  People in cults 
> are blind to their situation.  The mechanisms were
> discussed recently here 
> in the fMRI work of Drew Westen.

I wonder if you have ever heard of "bugchasers"? They
are an underground sub-culture of gay men who actively
solicit sex with HIV infected partners to purposefully
get infected. As far as their motivation goes, I don't
pretend to understand it but I suppose they
romanticize having the disease and want to fit in with
their friends who have it.

http://uk.gay.com/article/2155

> People on this list really should have a better
> model of what humans 
> are.  Depressing, but it's important at least till
> you are a few light 
> years out.

It's tough to model the modeller. That is what the
human mind evolved for, after all, to model things.



Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"Thereupon, the Soul of Mother Earth bewailed, Should I accept the support of a feeble man and listen to his words? In fact I desired the aid of a strong and mighty king. When shall such a person arise and bring strong-handed succor to me?" -Yasna 29, verse 9 

"Now I am light, now I am flying, now I see myself beneath myself, now a God dances through me." - St. Nietzsche

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