Wednesday, 26 October 2022

Slaying The Dragon Within Us


Slaying The Dragon Within Us

This is the first Big Ideas Lecture 
I completed, back in 2002
I read a book for 
very young children 
by Jack Kent called 
"There's No Such 
Thing as a Dragon" 
to a group of 
University of Toronto alumni 
(most over 65). 
I explained what it meant
Pay Attention -- or else


Passion...It lies in all of us...
Sleeping... Waiting.

And though 
unwantedunbidden...
It will stir, 
open its jaws...
And Howl…..

It Speaks to us... Guides us.
Passion rules Us all,
and We obey

What other Choice
Do We Have?

It Hurts sometimes more 
than we can bear —

If We could Live 
without Passion,
maybe we'd know some 
kind of peace….

But We Would 
Be Hollow.

Empty rooms...
Shuttered and Dank.

Without Passion,
We'd be Truly Dead.

Psychology of Redemption in Christianity

Psychology of Redemption in Christianity

This is a TVO Big Ideas Lecture from 2012
presented at INPM's Conference on Personal Meaning
It discusses The Idea of Redemption in Christianity 
from a psychological perspective, comparing 
in part to Ideas of Transformation 
in Psychotherapy. 

Lies My Parents Told Me

Lying to Children | With Helen Joyce




Escape from The Planet of the Apes (1971) - Clip


Pace



They also Serve, who Stand and Wait --
Loyalty is a Much-Misunderstood Thing.

Wild At Heart - Love Me 
(Performed by Nicolas Cage)


Sailor's in Deep Trouble here.
I can't just leave him.

Oh yes, you can!
Yes, you can!


Your mama was real worried 
about you, honey. Me Too.
Can you give your old friend Santos a hug?



Dearest Sailor,

First thing you'll want to know is :
I'm keeping the baby.

Mama wasn't for it at first,
but I think now she is.

I'm gonna name it Pace,
no matter if it's a boy or a girl.

It's kinda hard to believe that
Pace will be six when you get out.

Our Child!

I love you, Sailor.

I miss dancing and talking,
and especially The Other!

5 YEARS, 10 MONTHS, 21 DAYS LATER

When... does... Sailor's train get in?

Six.

If I asked you not to go...

It wouldn't make any difference.

Girl, what if I told you not to go?

Mama, if you get in the way of Our Happiness,
I'll fucking pull your arms out by the roots!

No!

Mama, you almost crashed us!

Oh, an accident, baby!

Oh no, oh man!

Same fuckin' thing happened to me last year!

You must be my son.

Shake hands with Your Daddy, Pace.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Pace.
I read a lot about you.

Are you hungry?

Lead the way.

No!

No!

What's wrong, Mama?

Don't worry, Son. 
Just stay here.

I'm sorry, Sailor,
I just can't help it.

Just give me one little minute, then I'll quit.

The Boy's frightened, Lula. 
This ain't no Good.

Really, Sailor, I'll be okay.

It's a mistake, Honey.

You two go on.
I'll walk back to the depot.

What are you talking about?
That's Your Son in there!

He never Knew Me, Lula.
So there's not much for him to forget.

And 6 years apart makes it almost simple for us too.

How can you say that, Sailor?

It's what Makes Sense.

Please don't do this, Sailor!

If ever something doesn't feel right to you,
remember what Pancho said to the Cisco Kid :
"Let's Win, before We're Dancing 
at The End of a Rope, 
without Music."

You've been fine without Me.
No need to make Life tougher 
than it has to be.

Sailor, come back!

What do you faggots want?

The Good Witch...

Lula Loves You.

But I'm a robber and 
a manslaughterer.

And I haven't had any 
Parental Guidance.

She's forgiven You all that.
You Love Her.
Don't be afraid, Sailor.

But I'm Wild at Heart.

If You are Truly Wild at Heart,
You'll fight for Your Dreams.
Don't Turn-away from Love, Sailor.
Don't Turn-away from Love.

Ass-Kicking Angel :
Had Enough, asshole?


Yes I have.
And I want to apologize  to 
You Gentlemen for referring 
to You as homosexuals.

I also want to thank you fellows.

You've taught me
a valuable lesson in life.

I just met the Good Witch.

I am in Control.

 


Vader :
Secrets, are not My Concern --
Keeping them, is.





Alan Turing :
 Are you paying attention? Good.
If you're not listening carefully,
you will miss things,
important things.

I will not pause.
I will not repeat myself, and 
you will not interrupt me.

You Think, that because 
You are sitting where you are and 
I am sitting where I am, that 
You are in Control of 
What is about to Happen.

You're mistaken.

I am in Control.
Because I Know Things, that 
You Do Not Know.

No. Not Even THEY Want to Claim Nixon.


SCENE 4 

X-FILES OFFICE; 

FBI HEADQUARTERS 

WASHINGTON, D.C.


Mulder shows Scully a slide of Gary's back 

with the words clearly written on it.


" HE IS ONE "


MULDER: 

Gary Kane, 16 years old, High School Junior. 

"C" student, first-string varsity football, 

member of the local 4-H club. 


Not one of Wisconsin's more remarkable kids 

but still the apple of his mother's eye.


SCULLY: 

What does that mean?


MULDER: 

Nobody knows.


SCULLY: 

What does The Police report say?


Scully walks over to Mulder and sits on the desk next to him as he shows her the file.


MULDER: 

The victim received a phone call and left his home. 

He was discovered in the woods in his underwear twelve hours later. 

He's been unable to give a coherent statement.


SCULLY: 

Any evidence of sexual assault?


MULDER: 

No.


SCULLY: 

Does it seem like it might have been a schoolboy prank?


MULDER: 

The other victims have had to be sedated and hospitalized since their ordeals. 

They were reportedly hysterical with fear.


(He stands up.)


SCULLY: 

Victims? You mean there've been others?

(Mulder nods and switches the slide to another person with the same writing.)


MULDER: 

One in eastern Wisconsin, one three towns away.

(He flips to another slide, then another.)

Both with the same black words written in black magic marker.


SCULLY: 

What's your interest in this?


MULDER: 

The local sheriff in Delta Glen, Wisconsin thinks he knows what's been happening to these kids.


SCULLY: 

What's that?


MULDER: 

He thinks they've been possessed.




SCENE 5 

DELTA GLEN, WISCONSIN

Mulder, Scully and Sheriff Mazeroski drive down a road in the sheriff's car. 

Mulder is in the back seat.)


MAZEROSKI: 

There's something I think you ought to see first. 

They call themselves the Church of the Red Museum. 

They're followers of a guy named Odin that moved out here from California three years ago and bought a ranch.


SCULLY: 

What's the significance of the name "Red Museum?"


MAZEROSKI: 

Well, Odin and the rest of them are a bunch of vegetarians. 

They drove the ranch right into the ground, 

turned 500 head of beef cattle into pets. 

Calls it a monument to barbarism.


MULDER: 

Probably went over big with the local ranchers.


(Mazeroski laughs.)


MAZEROSKI: 

Well, you gotta admit, it takes some big ones to set down in the middle of cow country and start a church like his.



SCENE 6 
CHURCH OF THE RED MUSEUM 
DELTA GLEN, WISCONSIN
They pull up to the church as three worshippers walk by and towards a barn. They are dressed in white except for a red turban. Mulder, Scully and Mazeroski get out of the car and watch them. Mulder takes out an umbrella and holds it over his and Scully's head.

MAZEROSKI: 
Kinda stick out like a sore thumb, don't they?

SCULLY: 
You know sheriff, from what little we've seen, what, what little you've told us, they seem rather unlikely to be involved in the kind of activities that you described.

MAZEROSKI: 
Well, I, I won't say another word. 
You can just see for yourself.

(They walk into the barn and stand in the back. In front of them is a whole congregation of fifty or so people, with a giant viewscreen in the front of the room. A man gets up onto the platform in front, puts his hand together and bows lightly.)

CONGREGATION: 
Ommm...

MAZEROSKI: 
That's Odin.

Odin sits down at a computer and starts typing rapidly. A woman in back of him reads off the screen into a microphone as the words come up on the screen in back of her.

WOMAN: 
Today is a blessing from our lord and master, who awaits his flock in this time, the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. 
Eighteen earth years from the beginning of the new kingdom. 

The guides speak through me today as messengers of word that we may be free from death and the passage into spirit. 

As the acceleration continues, we, the enlightened, must bring our teachings of the skills for survival to mankind. 
Repeat in prayer...

MULDER: 
They're walk-ins.

SCULLY: 
What are walk-ins?

WOMAN: 
We, the second souls of the first bodies...

CONGREGATION: 
We, the second souls of the first bodies...

WOMAN: 
Bearers of the word and keepers of the sacraments of a new enlightenment...

MULDER: 
They're believers in soul transference
enlightened spirits who have taken possession of other peoples bodies.

CONGREGATION: 
Bearers of the word and keepers of the sacraments of a new enlightenment...

WOMAN: 
Blessed mission and toil.

CONGREGATION: 
Blessed mission and toil.

WOMAN: 
Our struggle is transcendent, and your guidance, our guides...

CONGREGATION: 
Our struggle is transcendent, and your guidance, our guides...

Odin finishes typing and looks to the back of the room at the three visitors.

WOMAN: 
...will carry us toward the dawning of a new age.

CONGREGATION: 
...will carry us toward the dawning of a new age.

(Odin starts typing again.)

WOMAN: 
Today, we bear witness to three who do not believe.

The congregation, one by one, slowly turn and look back at the agents.
We encourage them to open their hearts and minds to our teachings that they who slaughter the flesh slaughter their own souls and must be taught the way.

Mulder looks at Mazeroski.



SCENE 7 
BETH KANE'S HOUSE
(Gary and Beth are sitting down. Mazeroski is as well, but Mulder and Scully are standing.)

GARY KANE: 
I only remember parts of it.

MULDER: 
Which parts are those?

GARY KANE: 
I was in the woods and... I felt... a spirit enter me.

(Mulder walks over and sits down next to him.)

MULDER: 
When you say spirit, Gary, 
I'm not sure what you mean.

GARY KANE: 
It... it might have been an animal spirit. 
I can't explain it. Something... just came over me.

MULDER: 
And you don't remember who called you?

(Gary shakes his head no. Scully, standing in the doorway, looks back down the hallway.)

Anything at all about what happened immediately after you left home that night?
(
Scully walks down the hallway, looking at various pictures.)
Have you ever had any dealings with anyone from the Church of the Red Museum?
GARY KANE: I've seen them around.
MULDER: Do you have any reason to believe that they may be involved with what happened to you?
(The pictures are of Beth, Gary, Stevie and the whole family.)
MAZEROSKI: Now tell him what you told me, Gary.
(Gary talks in the background. Stevie walks up to Scully.)
SCULLY: Hi.
STEVIE KANE: Hi.
SCULLY: Who are you?
STEVIE KANE: Stevie.
SCULLY: Oh, you're in all the pictures. You must be Gary's younger brother.
(Stevie nods.)
I'm Dana. Stevie... do you remember who your brother might have gone out to see the other night?
(Stevie shakes his head "no.")
Did he say anything?

Through the peephole in the bathroom mirror, the man watches Scully. 
Scully hears footsteps in that direction and looks towards the mirror, but does not see anything. 
The man is gone from behind it. 
Mulder walks up to Scully.

MULDER: 
Scully, we'll meet you outside.

He and Mazeroski leave. Scully turns back to Stevie.

SCULLY: 
Well, thank you for your time.

Mulder and Mazeroski start down the front steps.

MULDER: 
Has this boy ever been in any trouble?

MAZEROSKI: 
Gary?

MULDER: 
Yeah.

MAZEROSKI: 
No, I've known him since he was a kid. Same age as my son. 
Now, he's done some beer drinking, but he's just your basic sixteen-year-old. Least he was.

MULDER: 
You see a noticeable difference in him?

MAZEROSKI: 
Yeah, yeah. Gary Kane lived for football. He's a damn good athlete too. Now he won't even suit up.

MULDER: 
The Red Museum... 
how are they treated by the local citizens?

Scully walks over.

MAZEROSKI: 
Nobody much cares for them.

MULDER:
Well, are they ever singled out? 
Shop owners refusing to sell to them, stuff like that?

MAZEROSKI: 
Well, there's a reasonable amount of tension 
but most folks are happy to just try to avoid them.

MULDER: 
Uh, can you recommend a good motel in the area?

MAZEROSKI: 
Sure. That means you're going to stay on for a bit. 
You think there might be something to this?

MULDER: 
Well, I, I want to run a background check 
on the church and this guy

MAZEROSKI: 
You've come to the right place for that.



SCENE 8 
CLAY'S BBQ
Scully sits with plates upon plates of food in front of her. 
She has a bib with the store logo on it, and it is covered with sauce. 
She finishes off a rib and puts down the bone, leaving some more sauce on her cheek by her lip. 
Mulder is sitting across from her with a bib on as well.

SCULLY: 
You know, Mulder... ribs like these, 
I'd say the Church of the Red Museum 
has its work cut out for it.

He wipes off the sauce on her face.

Thanks.
So, you started to tell me about walk-ins 
but I'm not sure if I grasped the finer points.

MULDER: 
Well, it, it's kind of a new age religion based on an old idea. 

That if you, uh, 
lose hope or despair 
and 
want to leave this mortal coil
you become 
open and vulnerable.

SCULLY: 
To inhabitation by a new spirit.

MULDER: 
A new enlightened spirit. 

According to the literature, 
Abe Lincoln was a walk-in. 

And Mikhail Gorbachev 
and Charles Colson
Nixon's advisor.

SCULLY: 
But not Nixon?

MULDER: 
No. Not even they want to claim Nixon.

I Do.


The Patient




Dr Willis?

Dr. Willis :
I must have certain undertakings...
Authority over The Patient,
access to him at all times.

Prime Minister Pitt :
You will reside here at Windsorand 
Parliament will have to be kept informed
so you will need to write bulletins.

They must be confident, optimistic.
The Survival of The Government
depends upon it --

....and, Dr Willis, 
You are My Doctor.
Do You Understand?

Dr. Willis :
I'm The King's Doctor, sir.

Prime Minister Pitt :
......it is the same thing.


In here, sir.
Yes.

Dr. Willis :
Do you know, Mr Greville,
the state of Monarchy
and the state of Lunacy,
share a frontier?

Some of my lunatics
fancy themselves kings.

He... is The King.
Where shall his fancy take refuge?



We do not use the word 'lunatic',
sir, in relation to His Majesty.

Dr. Willis :
Oh.....Well, who's to say what's 
'normal' in A King? Hmm?
Deferred to, agreed with,
acquiesced in.

Who can flourish on such 
daily diet of Compliance?

To be curbed -- stood up-to...
in a word, thwarted....
Exercises the character,
elasticates the spirit,
makes it more pliant --

It's the want of such exercise
that makes rulers rigid.


Sharp, sharp!
The King, The King!


This is The King, sir.

Dr. Willis :
.....Whom I must cure.


Dr. Willis :
...As straight as a ruler,
straight as a ruler
done by a ruler.
And another beside that
until you have
as pretty a ploughed field
this side of Cirencester.
(Willis) I have a farm.
Put us out of our kingdom.
We'd not want for employment.
Give me the management
of 50 acres, and I could do it.
I said...
I have a farm, Your Majesty.
Ahem.
This gentleman, sir,
has made the illness
under which Your Majesty labours
his special study, sir.
A mad doctor, is it?
I'm not mad, just nervous.
I shall endeavour to...
alleviate some
of the inconveniences
from which Your Majesty suffers.
Inconveniences?
Insults.
Assaults.
And salt besides rubbed
into these wounds. Look!
By your dress, sir,
and general demeanour,
I'd say you were
a minister of God.

That's true. I was once
in the service of the church.
Now I practice medicine.
You've quitted a profession
I've always loved
and embraced one
I most heartily detest.
Our saviour went about
healing the sick.
But he had not
Ha ha ha!
Well, that's not bad
for a madman.
I have a hospital
in Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire.
Yes, I know Lincolnshire.
Fine sheep there.
Admirable sheep.
Pigs, too.
But I know of no hospitals.
My patients work, sir.
They till the soil, cultivate...
and in so doing,
they acquire a better
conceit of themselves.
I'm king of England.
A man can have
no better conceit of himself.
Do you look at me, sir?
I do, sir.
I have you in my eye.
No, I have you in mine.
You're bold, sir.
But by God, I'm bolder.
Don't look at me!
I'm not one of your farmers!
You must behave!
Must? Whose must is this,
your must or my must?
Get away from me,
you bum sucker.
Lincolnshire lick-fingers!

Clean your tongue, sir.

I will not! I'll be a guest
in the graveyard first.
Very well. If Your Majesty 
will not behave, you 
must be restrained.


When felons
were induced to talk,
they were shown first the
instruments of their torture.
The king is shown
the instrument of his
to induce him not to talk.
Well, I won't, I won't.
I won't.
Bring him back. Bring him back!
What are you doing?
This is the king!
Stop.
What are you doing, sir?
No. No. No. No.
This is the king, sir!
This is the king!
Bastard!


I'm The King!
Take Your Hands off Me!
This is The King!

Dr. Willis :
Sit him down. Sit him down.


I'll have your hospital...
(Muffled
Help me! Help!


Dr. Willis :
If The King refuses Food,
he will be restrained.

If he claims to have no appetite, 
he will be restrained.

If he swears and indulges
in meaningless discourse...
he will be restrained.

If he throws off his bedclothes,
tears away his bandages,
scratches at his sores,
and does not strive every day
towards his own recovery —
then he must be restrained.

King George III :
I am The King of England!

Dr. Willis :
No, sir!
You are The Patient!

(Queen) 
Not permitted.
Not permitted!
We recommended him,
and still it is not permitted.
None of them know him.
Come, Baker, for heaven's sake

There IS No Context.

 


“The complexity of our neural architecture provides us with access to a sophisticated holographic conscious self-awareness which enables us to “stand back” and “look” at ourselves from a “distance” that is purely conceptual


Our self-awareness allows us access to higher dimensions – we can see ourselves in the mirror just by closing our eyes. We can age or de-age our faces. 

Using our “Mind’s Eye” we can see ourselves from above, in a crowd, from space

We can look back in Time and imagine, then make, The Guture.

Seeing patterns in apparent chaos seems to give us immense pleasure.


MEANING – Is There?


Part-Tee :  —
P
A
R
T

Y ?  — Because , gotta…!!



















Zapped






Our Lady :
Sorry, dealing with multiple somethings….
It's Good to see you both.

Tegan :
Ow! You gave me an electric shock.

Our Lady :
Sorry. My Bad. I promise 
I'm coming back. 

Ace :
Ow! Oh, you are really staticky.

Our Lady :
We'll be back. 
Come on, Yaz.

Tegan :
I think I handled that quite well