Don't worry, Dan. We won't let him in the dome so he won't fly high with the bubbling bliss of the atma!
--- danfriedman2002 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > "If you feel you need a more personal expression, > please do > not hesitate to contact me and share your > grievance." > > This self-serving advertisement is unworthy of a > former TM Governor. > > --- In [email protected], "John M. > Knapp, LMSW" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Thanks, TurquoiseB, for your extremely kind words. > I'll try to live > up to them! > > > > Thanks, also for your story about Rachel. Yeah, I > can see myself in > that story -- both the > > hurtful side and the changed side. > > > > My journey toward change *began* in leaving TM. I > sought out exit > counseling from Janja > > Lalich and Margaret Singer in 1995-96. I offer > them so many thanks. > More than I can say. > > > > But in all honesty, their exit counseling had > limited effect on me. > It got me out of TM, and I > > did finally stay out of TM after 3 previous tries > to leave it. > > > > But I remained one screwed up puppy. Not only did > I remain enraged > and acting out on > > AMT -- I even turned on these two people who tried > to help me. I've > apologized to Janja, > > who graciously accepted my attempt to make amends. > Unfortunately, > Margaret died > > before I could talk with her. That's a lesson I > take to heart. I > try to make amends now as > > soon as I can. Life's too short and unexpected to > waste any time. > > > > When I really started to reflect on my shit was > when I entered > therapy. It may not be for > > everyone, but it definitely did some good for me. > > > > And, just as you surmise, professionally entering > the helping > professions in 1998 (as a > > personal aide to autistic and developmentally > challenged people) > really turned my head > > around. > > > > I haven't arrived. I still struggle mightily with > nasty personal > challenges, such as > > narcissism. And I still act out from time to time. > > > > But I believe I have the tools to reflect on my > feelings, thoughts, > actions, beliefs and make > > headway. > > > > I'll never be perfect. Perfection is a process, > not a destination, > to my way of thinking. > > > > But as I wrote recently: I'm busy becoming the man > my teen-aged > self would have been > > proud of. And, finally at age 55, I see light at > the end of that > particular tunnel. > > > > In that spirit, I offer the individuals and the > community that I > may have harmed in the past > > a sincere apology. If you feel you need a more > personal expression, > please do not hesitate > > to contact me and share your grievance. > > > > Thanks again, TurquoiseB, for a chance to talk at > some length on > these matters. > > > > J. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB > <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "feste37" > <feste37@> wrote: > > > > > > > > I'm not on a spiritual path, which is a > meaningless phrase. > > > > You're pretending to be all nicey-nice but I > don't believe > > > > a word of it. > > > > > > This speaks to your limitations, feste, not > John's. > > > > > > I had a good friend in the Rama trip who was a > real > > > ball-busting bitch. She had the rep of having > made > > > *every person* in the companies she worked with > cry > > > as a result of her heartless treatment of them. > > > > > > Then she caught a clue and bailed from the Rama > trip > > > and, over time, found that she needed something > new > > > in her life. So she went back to school and > became > > > a psychologist, and began to practice at it. I > saw > > > her again a few years later and the change in > her > > > was truly amazing. Almost all of the "rough > edges" > > > had been polished off of her; she was in danger > of > > > being a truly balanced and wonderful human > being. > > > She attributed the change (which she was more > than > > > aware of, too) to having forced herself into a > > > position in which she *had* to become > compassionate > > > and caring, as part of her *job description*. > Work- > > > ing with people who had come to her for help had > > > forced her to *put aside* her own samskaras and > > > focus on helping them with theirs. > > > > > > I'm betting that you have never placed yourself > in > > > such a position, feste, and that neither has > Lawson > > > or Judy. It shows. > > > > > > I, for one, notice rather a change in the way > that > > > John handles himself lately, compared to how he > > > used to. That shows, too. He refuses to be > baited > > > into replying angrily and with malice, even when > > > > taunted by those who clearly mean him harm. Like > > > > Curtis, he tries to find a "middle way" whereby > he > > > can remain true to his own beliefs while not > > > discounting or (more important) discrediting > > > the beliefs of others. > > > > > > In short, I see John as Having Made Progress. > And > > > at the same time, I see the "on the program > TMers" > > > here who are giving him a hard time as having > made > > > none whatsoever. They are still stuck in the > same > > > reactivity and anger that they were when I first > > > encountered them years ago. They still react by > > > distrusting *anything* a TM critic says and by > > > demonizing the critic. John doesn't. > > > > > > IMO, that kinda indicates that whatever John is > > > doing *works*, and that whatever these TMers are > > > doing *doesn't*. He's changing, in what most > would > > > consider a positive way, and his tormentors are > not. > > > > > > John, if you're still reading this thread, I > wonder > > > if you can comment on what might have > precipitated > > > this change. My bet is that it's the same > phenom- > > > enon I saw in my friend Rachel. The very > *process* > > > of practicing a profession that *requires* that > > > you transcend your samskaras to help others > allows > > > you to better transcend them. > === message truncated ===
