-
4 votes
-
Marxism, Buddhism and socialism
8 votes -
Denmark's second-biggest city is home to the world's biggest wind-turbine maker and a thriving hub for power trading
3 votes -
Arming the cartels: The inside story of a Texas gun-smuggling ring
6 votes -
New Zealanders surrender thousands of firearms five months after Christchurch massacre
10 votes -
A legendary Ozark chestnut tree, thought extinct, is rediscovered
5 votes -
How the ‘IKEA effect’ subtly influences how you spend
6 votes -
Orwell knew: We willingly buy the screens that are used against us
10 votes -
Certified mess: Even Rotten Tomatoes admits that movie-review aggregation is biased and broken. Is anyone ready to fix it?
14 votes -
The tragic story of Jimmy Aldaoud, deported from the streets of Detroit to his death in Iraq
7 votes -
Consumer Reports' testing finds that many wireless routers lack basic security protections
12 votes -
Eldritch Love.
Longest piece to date? Last night I saw a beast four different heads with blackened eyes. Not black in metaphor, but from the blood that dried inside. Each of seven legs was mangled and the beast...
Longest piece to date?
Last night I saw a beast
four different heads with blackened eyes.
Not black in metaphor, but from
the blood that dried inside.
Each of seven legs was mangled
and the beast was blind
but she could fly.
.
Once upon a night so dreary,
and so dreadful I
came across a weathered bar
a woman stood inside.
She sat me at a table, there was
not a soul in sight
but I felt fine.
.
Then she brought a glass of dark with
something new inside.
Leaned in close and whispered to me
"Baby, close your eyes."
I parted my lips and drank as
her hand guided mine.
My guard resigned.
.
She said "I know a place where you can
truly feel alive.
Each one of your problems fall
defenseless by your side."
And she wrapped her arms around me
I contently sighed
as she took flight.
Her wretched and misshapen legs
held me close to her chest.
She let out her warning cries
i inhaled every breath.
Her claws were creeping out I
fell upon them like a bed.
I laid to rest.
.
I fell into a home so oddly
shallow and recessed.
The walls were made of rock,
a water drop fell on my head.
There was no single light,
the ceiling lowered as she led
me to her den.
.
As I looked around the room birthed
questions in my head.
So opposite the warmth that she
had first on me impressed...
She stroked my cheek, claws on my chin
my heart fluttered, digressed.
I was possessed.
.
She laid me on the floor and stood with
five legs for each end.
One aside my head and feet
another at my hands.
Then she gently laid a blanket
down over my head,
"Shall we commence?"
I still feel it so vividly
each night I fall asleep,
the fused infatuated fear I felt
at a monster's feet,
when that heinous eldritch horror
drained my blood from me,
took me for libation, prayed a tithe
she poured me out.
Her heart could call the kettle as it,
too, went black in drought
She bore her fangs and lowered,
took my body in her mouth.
She then carried me cliffside, like a dog
she threw me down.
My corpse then fell so far, on
impact, no audible sound.
The final earthly thing I heard,
her shriek, "The Gods are proud."
Now upon each night so dreary, she
crawls out to find
a source of poor, defenseless blood
that she can sacrifice.
She'll lure them in with gentle kisses
and sapphire eyes.
We all will die.
Epilogue.
On my way to death, I was met
with a choice instead.
I could end my life or help
ensure the gods were fed.
In the heat of fear and pain I
then nodded my head.
The halls of purgatory filled with
screams and smells of death,
as my eyes dried from the inside
and I then begat
five extra legs.
6 votes -
Twitter unlocks Mitch McConnell’s campaign account after pressure
12 votes -
12:08
So what’s the deal with offices, amirite? What if we gave a building full of adults enough money to get by. Oh, and also they have to drive 30-60 minutes to get here. And that time they spend on...
So what’s the deal with offices, amirite?
What if we gave a building full of adults enough money to get by. Oh, and also they have to drive 30-60 minutes to get here. And that time they spend on the way here? Yeah what if they just gave us that for free, and we made them pay for parking!
I know, I know, fantastic right? But listen, it’s not over yet. What if we also made the work pointlessly constrained to a particular 8-hour block in the day, five days a week so that they never have any personal time, even though this is all work they could get done in four hours a day and is fully capable of being completed on their own?
Fabulous!
——
So yeah, I don’t have free time. That means I’ve got a few half-ass pieces that I’ve been wanting to finish up for awhile.
Apparently bars are open today, so I’m gonna get sauced and get to it. Prepare for a small dump today. (Also I got some dummy minor news imma share in another post. Stay tuned if you want. Or don’t ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ all’s well.
Anyway here’s that piece now.
——-
I remember that time I forgot your
birthday
And that time was today
At 12:08 in the morning
And for a moment
I felt great.
.
My dear that was the first sign
That you were
Slipping on out of my mind
Today I’m sober in the morning
Feelin okay.
.
Well well-butrin what a surprise
When it done
Come on back to my mind
Now it’s 12:09 in the morning
And ain’t shit changed.
.
And in those 60 seconds
Girl I swear
I learned a lesson -
Depression is a woman
With your name.
10 votes -
Say cheese: Ransomware-ing a DSLR camera
11 votes -
LGBT in Russia: smashing stereotypes and creating a queer future
7 votes -
Electric Youth - ARAWA (2019)
4 votes -
SubRosa - Cosey Mo (2013)
4 votes -
Disappointed love and dangerous temptations: Textile factories and true crime
4 votes -
How big pharma was captured by the one percent
4 votes -
The myth of the rugged individual
15 votes -
California man charged with murder even though he didn’t fire a shot
10 votes -
Suicide rate for girls has been rising faster than for boys, study finds
13 votes -
Denmark broadcaster uses meme-based journalism to reach younger audience
7 votes -
Apple Is Locking iPhone Batteries to Discourage Repair
23 votes -
As some locals claim sleep deprivation and environmental racism, I-70 construction will continue into the night for at least a year
6 votes -
Some thoughts on freedom on the Web, explained through a simple analogy
I'm writing this in an attempt to explain more clearly some ideas about the dangers of having an oligopoly in control of the Web, and the current difficulties of discussing that without being...
I'm writing this in an attempt to explain more clearly some ideas about the dangers of having an oligopoly in control of the Web, and the current difficulties of discussing that without being taken as some kind of "free speech absolutist". It's an analogy and, as in any analogy, it's only valid to a certain extent. The important thing is for it to be valid enough to explain a point.
There was a city in which four companies had ended up owning every bar, except for a handful of them in the outskirts. Upon one moment, they started to regulate which kind of conversations could be held in their bars and which couldn't, something they had a legal right to do and felt was their responsibility. So they prohibited any racist, homophobic or sexually explicit conversation, as well as conversations which they thought could carry any risk for society as a whole. Almost no one could really object to that, after all who would defend that kind of behavior? Some far right gangs said it was against their right to free speech, but they were correctly answered that they didn't have any right to determine the conversation policy of bars that weren't theirs.
Others tried to point that, while that policy wasn't inherently wrong and those companies were in their right to implement it, in the past this was dealt with on a bar-per-bar basis, and although the immense majority of bars didn't allow that kind of behaviors, they had different degrees of flexibility about different topics so bars were more varied and diverse, and you were free to choose a bar which conformed to your interests.
But they were quickly accused of defending some supposed right of that people to be given a place to discuss and organize, and sometimes even accused of defending those ideas. "If you don't like how the Four Companies manage their bars, go elsewhere".
The problem is that the far right gangs and other kind of undesirable people, when forced to leave the Four Companies' bars, went straight to the bars in the outskirts, overflowing them. Some of those bars were already owned by far right people, others though the answer to the Four Companies was to keep a more tolerant policy, and were overtook by neo-nazis. The few independent bars that didn't accept to become far right havens were forced to implement policies not that far from those of the Four Companies, or else face a far right invasion. Their clients spent a lot of time discussing wether something was off-limits or not instead of just enjoying a good time like they did before, and those bars were also very small and far away. They were interesting places, to be sure, but they were cut apart from most of the night life of the city, which took place on the hundreds of Four Companies' bars.
But now, there was a growing problem. The Four Companies had started to prohibit other subjects, for several reasons that aren't really important. Some were distasteful subjects, other were against their political interests or the city council's. But, as the far right gangs kept stabbing people and trying to reclaim their "right" to be accepted into the Four Companies' bars, most people thought that the risk they posed weighed more than anything else.
But they were missing the point. In another nearby city, there were never a handful of companies owning most bars. Still most bars didn't allow far right gangs, and discussion was diverse and fun, and sometimes helpful to combat the excesses of the city council and local police. Still, there were some neo-nazi bars, and most bars had one or two unlikable people. Neo-nazi bars sometimes caused trouble and had to be closed by the police, most were not only under police surveillance but under the neighbors' surveillance too. And, as neo-nazis were a very small minority, if you didn't support the same team as the owner of your closest bar, you could go to another bar which supported your team without it being forcefully full of neo-nazis or otherwise disgusting people.
Both cities had neo-nazis and sometimes problems in their bars, although Four Companies' bars were quite more peaceful on average, as they were heavily policed in a uniform and homogeneous way. But they were lifeless too, and lots of interesting discussions and possibilities of neighbors facing local injustice together were lost forever. Everyone ended up thinking the same, watching the same, liking the same sports and supporting the same teams. Bars weren't a fun and exciting place anymore.
This is just an analogy, so it's limited. But I think it explains well my general view and worries on the subject, which have nothing to do with leaving free way to racists and neo-nazis. It has to do with putting an end to the oligopoly before it's too late.
6 votes -
Greta Thunberg takes climate fight to Germany’s threatened Hambach Forest
5 votes -
FKA Twigs - Cellophane (2019)
6 votes -
IKEA and the Queen of Sweden are designing homes for people with dementia
5 votes -
Cigarette butts are toxic plastic pollution. Should they be banned?
11 votes -
How private equity eroded the right to housing
6 votes -
Universal scraps 'The Hunt' release following gun violence uproar
5 votes -
Agora
6 votes -
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the second worst game I've played this year
7 votes -
One American import we could do without: hard-right religious conservatism
14 votes -
Cricket in the service of Hindu Nationalism
4 votes -
Aquelarre - Aquelarre (1972)
3 votes -
Exploring a Detroit abandoned college
5 votes -
The universal S
9 votes -
Can we implement the search bar on every page?
Please and thank you. As it is, you have to navigate to the homepage or a group to search. Maybe it might work best in the header?
9 votes -
Losing my religion at Christian camp: The way a decade at Christian summer camp both shaped and condemned views of faith and girlhood
16 votes -
One person has been injured in a shooting inside a mosque in Norway – young white gunman overpowered
12 votes -
Dog funerals may sound self-indulgent, but there should be no shame in pet grief
11 votes -
Reflections on recognizing and resisting abusive practices in psychedelic organizations
I have been noticing a disturbing trend in psychedelic groups lately, in which powerful mind-altering substance are being used for emotional and sexual manipulation -- especially among young and...
I have been noticing a disturbing trend in psychedelic groups lately, in which powerful mind-altering substance are being used for emotional and sexual manipulation -- especially among young and vulnerable demographics. In order to combat the collective trauma resulting from these practices, I am attempting to spread harm reduction information far and wide as it pertains to the subject.
This is one of my more recent articles. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, in case anyone would like to build off of it. If anyone has constructive criticism or experience, any feedback would be immensely appreciated. Thank you :)
Psychedelics facilitate increased intimacy
There is a tenuous association between psychedelics and cliquey, tribal, or cult-like group behavior. This should be taken seriously, especially in large group whose members bond through regular psychedelic sessions. Psychedelics have a number of potential effects that can make individuals more suggestible, and may occasion rapidly-escalating intimacy:
- facilitate deep feelings of connection to others
- induce dissociation, depersonalization and ego loss
- increase suggestibility, making it easier to impress new beliefs or ideas upon the user
- re-expose the user to potentially traumatic memories
- evoke emotional re-association and object transference, including trust and sexual interest that may not otherwise be present
- invoke religious or metaphysical experiences, that instill a sense of meaning and personal significance
- create a sense of paranoia or suspicion, in part as a result of being involved in a potentially illicit activities
- evoke symptoms of mental illness in vulnerable users, making one reliant on external social and economic support
Not all of these effects guarantee problems, but rather indicate how psychedelics can open users up to remarkably strong bonding. The ability of hallucinogens to connect individuals into family-like organizations is notable, as psychedelic have been foundational to many rituals, communities, and cults through history. In part due to these effects, many psychedelic groups exhibit some degree of organizational eccentricity, marked intimacy, or social drama.
Identifying safe group dynamics
If you need help identifying whether or not an organization exercises exploitative practices, consult the following guidelines on cult behavior and gaslighting. Troublesome psychedelic groups are usually large in size and have organized leadership structure, exhibiting the following qualities (as adapted from the Cult Education Institute’s webpage):
- possessing an egotistical leader of social or creative influence, who may have a record of abusing power or individuals
- a rigidly directed ideology, and excluding or punishing members who do not conform to it
- provoking members who are under the influence of psychedelics, or attempting to selfishly influence the psychedelic integration process of another member
- maintaining a culture of misinformation or fear or threats, in which members are easily excluded or blacklisted
- illicit dealings and in-group abuse that is concealed by a culture of secrecy, including: promoting or selling increasingly risky drugs, sexual or romantic grooming, or the use of psychedelics as “tools of seduction”
Perhaps the best takeaway from the association between psychedelics and cult activity is this: psychedelics have the ability to destabilize and rearrange one’s sense of self, which makes them more susceptible to peer pressure and the influence of others. For users who already are mentally liable or require a secure mindset and setting, it is essential to make sure that they feel in control of their drug use, and have the personal autonomy to ensure their trips are safe and serve personal growth.
The Cult Education Institute’s signs of a safe group/leader are also adapted below:
- can be asked questions without judgement
- discloses ample information such as structural organization/finances
- may have disgruntled former followers, but will not vilify, excommunicate, or forbid others from associating with them
- will not have a record of overwhelmingly negative articles and statements about them
- encourages family communication, community interaction, and existing friendships
- encourages critical thinking, individual autonomy, self-esteem, and personal growth
- leaders admit failings and mistakes, accepts criticism, and follow through on implementing constructive changes
- operates democratically and encourages accountability and oversight
- leader is not be the only source of knowledge excluding everyone else; group values dialogues and the free exchange of ideas
- members and leaders recognize clear emotional, physical, and emotional boundaries when dealing with others
Gaslighting & manipulation tactics
Many of the tactics that both individuals and groups use to manipulate people are examples of gaslighting, or attempts at convincing members that they are somehow mentally compromised in order to control them. This is often done by withholding information from them, invalidating the victim’s experiences, verbal abuse (including jokes), social isolation, trivializing the victim’s worth, and otherwise undermining their thought process. When combined with the suggestion-enhancing properties of psychedelic drugs, these kinds of behavior can be traumatizing to individual victims, while remaining relatively undetected or overlooked by onlookers.
In order to help identify gaslighting by a group, consider if you relate to its effects, as described by Robin Stern in her book The Gaslight Effect:
- constantly second-guessing yourself, feeling confused, or as if something is wrong
- asking yourself “Am I too sensitive?” throughout the day
- frequently apologizing to people who hold power over you, feeling as if you can’t do anything right, or running over things you may have done wrong
- frequently wondering if you are “good enough”
- frequently withholding information from your friends or family so you don’t have to explain the group or make excuses for it
- you lie to group members, to avoid being put down or gaslighted
- paranoia about bringing up innocent conversation topics
- speaking to group leaders through another member, so you don’t have be worry about the leaders becoming upset with you
- making excuses for group members’ behavior to your friends and family
- friends or family try to protect you from the group
- becoming furious with people you used to get along with
If you suspect you have been involved in a psychedelic cult or gaslighted, you may be experiencing regular instability, dissociation, or feelings of uncertainty. Although it can be difficult at first, finding a new group that demonstrates a high degree of member safety and accountability may help rebuild one’s sense of safety and trust. If you shared psychedelic experiences with group members while being taken advantage of, it may be beneficial to seek out a professional psychedelic integration therapist to help emotionally contextualize these memories. Victims may also benefit from adjunct trauma therapies, such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Radically-Open DBT, somatic bodywork and movement therapies, therapeutic massage, and other complementary therapy practices.
Sources
Douglas, James. (2017). Inside the bizarre 1960s cult, The Family: LSD, yoga and UFOs. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/13/the-family-great-white-brotherhood-australia-melbourne-cult-anne-hamilton-byrne
Evans, P. (1996). The verbally abusive relationship: how to recognize it and how to respond. Expanded 2nd ed. Holbrook, Mass.: Adams Media Corporation.
Mayorga, O. and Smith, P. (2019, May 19). Forgiving psychedelic abusers should never be at the expense of their victims. Psymposia. Retrieved from https://www.psymposia.com/magazine/forgiving-psychedelic-abusers/.
Neiswender, Mary. (1971). Manson Girl’s Acid Trips Detailed. CieldoDrive.com. Retrieved from http://www.cielodrive.com/archive/manson-girls-acid-trips-detailed/.
Ross, Rick. (2014). Warning signs. Cult Education Institute. Retrieved from https://www.culteducation.com/warningsigns.html.
Stern, R. (2007). The gaslight effect: how to spot and survive the hidden manipulations other people use to control your life. New York: Morgan Road Books.
Windolf, Jim. (2007). Sex, drugs, and soybeans. Vanity Fair. Retrieved from https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/05/thefarm200705.
8 votes -
Elizabeth Warren’s Classroom Strategy: A lifelong teacher, she’s the most professorial presidential candidate ever. But does America want to be taught?
13 votes -
What happened to Christiania's dream of becoming Denmark's hippie paradise?
9 votes -
The evolution of bitcoin in terrorist financing
7 votes -
Masayoshi Takanaka – An Insatiable High (1977)
5 votes -
Sweden's government has begun looking into a national ticketing system for public transport across the entire country
8 votes