Mental Slavery Is A Thing

"The Pagans. They were into sex, death, and religion, in an interesting nighttime telly-type of way." 

- Eddie Izzard, Dress To Kill (1998)

"In cultic experience, death is sexy."

- Camille Paglia, Cults and Cosmic Consciousness: Religious Vision in the American 1960s (2002)

Part of her idea here is centered on the idea that "civil rights and political reform are in fact Western ideals," and that the "hippies" of the 60s de-emphasized those things as they focused more on individual enlightenment. This radical left ideology was subverted later in the sixties by the introduction of atheistic Marxism and French ideas that have nothing to do with English,...

Exodus from mainstream religious or political ideas in the 60s mirrors what happened in ancient Rome, as "mystery religions" appeared as alternatives to the typical worship of the gods. These mystery religions were essentially cults, and the only reason we don't look at some of our own major religious historical religions (the Essenes, she mentions specifically) is because they were ultimately successful. 

New iterations of these ancient cult/religious gods are born out of hollywood and rock and roll. The similarities are hard to ignore, and the etymology of "fan" even hearkens back to the age of worshipers.

When the positive vibes evaporated in the late 60s, cults became murderous, "group psychology gone wrong.

The resulting disdain for religions on the left led to the right being able to claim that arena as their own, and the following separation led to an inability to discuss politics with any subtlety. We had less and less in common.

And here we are, no subtlety at all. Yes, since everyone else is so Goddamned comfortable with it, and with me being an atheist, I'm still trying to process what's happened, starting with how - right after the funeral - my NewAge French wife could have an affair with the NewAge homeopath, her family was actually dumb enough to pay, to treat her dying mother with water. And it all seems to fit: My black ass has definitely been abandoned for individual enlightenment and French ideas, with cults now everywhere, and their "murderous, 'group psychology gone wrong" running things. Whether anybody else sees it is irrelevent to me. It's happened.

Now, most people see "SPA" and go in. I see "AROMATHERAPY" and, not only do I stay away, but I'm not surprised if a guy shoots up the joint because I know "death is sexy". I don't see he hated Asians, but some goofy NewAge beliefs wafting around in there - because there's a big ol' sign, out front, saying that's what they're really into. You don't have to believe it.

Most people are religious, but the only "miracle" I've seen is how everyone's either ignoring or denying their indoctrination, taking place before my eyes. Cultism's slipped in everywhere. I read that "Americans are sick and tired of the 'move along, nothing to see here' version of democracy" we've got, but they're gladly giving a pass to the NewAge Movement's involvement in providing it.

There, they are truly blind.