--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Ann" <awoelflebater@> wrote: > > > > I thought about the karma thing too when reading Anita's > > book. One way to view what happens after death, in her > > viewpoint a great equalizer, is that to be capable of > > great atrocities during one's lifetime means one is > > already in a sort of living hell. What could cause > > someone to torture animals or people or go to endless > > lengths in order to gain wealth, to exploit others > > sexually, to exploit someone's good nature or trust? > > What would allow someone to do that is to be living an > > existence devoid of feeling or empathy, to be bereft > > of the more subtle and sensitive impulses that guide > > the life that is filled with the capacity to understand > > and place oneself within the delicate space of another > > - to be able to relate and therefore to feel you can > > understand and want to enhance the condition of another > > person. To be unable to feel such things is a sort of > > hell, so after this life of suffering in what ways > > should this poor sod have to suffer more? They have > > already spent most of their earthly existence enacting > > a nightmare, probably experiencing a kind of emotional > > void. When is that allowed to end? Surely in death. > > While I cannot disagree with what Ann says here, > I should point out to her that what she has posted > is pretty much the clinical definition of someone > suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder > or Sociopathic Disorder.
Funny you should bring this up. I was speaking in much more general terms regarding the types of people and actions that most people, in this life, would consider worthy of going to 'hell'. I am not sure that specifically speaking most NPD sufferers (if, in fact, they suffer at all) fall into this rather odious category of animal/people torturers, murderers or sociopathic manipulators with zero conscience. > > Unable to feel empathy, driven only by ego and > self-importance and the need to fuel it, they often > become charismatic (and abusive) priests or teachers > or cult leaders and use their positions of supposed > authority to dominate and exploit others (for whom > they can feel no pity because they can't *feel*). > And all the while they're *masking* their inability > to feel empathy or real emotion by talking in > language that makes them appear more "sensitive" or > empathic than others. It's a strange affliction. And your analysis of what someone with NPD exhibits is not really relevant to the topic of karma and what happens to 'evil doers' after they die. I think you are using this as an excuse to bring up, once again, the qualities that characterize narcissists as a means to point fingers at people here on this forum. > > And one that, as I've pointed out before, is not > easily reversed or cured. Therapists and mental > health experts consider the condition almost > irreversible, because the same ego- and self- > absorption issues that drive a person to think > and act like this also prevent them from ever > changing. They cannot conceive of anything they > might want to change *into*, because for them > the overpowering sense of their own importance > and center-of-the-world-ness and "I-ness" in the > present moment often blinds them to any ability > to perceive or conceive of a different modality > in the future. So the disorder becomes self- > perpetuating. This doesn't appear relevant to the topic of karma, heaven and hell and after-death experiences but maybe I'm missing something. I'll re-read it. > > As Ann says, it's a kind of living Hell. Sadly, > it often is as well for those who have to live > with or deal with NPD individuals. There have > been successful treatment therapies developed > for how to help the *victims* of NPD or socio- > pathy, but so far almost none that can help > the perpetrators of it. If they're far gone > enough into the behavior to be diagnosed with > Narcissistic Personality Disorder, they're > stuck with it for life. And possibly -- given > karma -- for many lives to come... OK, here is the word 'karma' at least. Still, you've given us a fascinating Barry view of people with NPD - again. But thanks for your thoughts. >
