Posturing

If any of you have been following the recent articles and posted comments over the past couple of weeks you have witnessed some heated exchanges. None more so than my exchange with Gary Davis, a writer with Associated Content. Pot shots were taken by both of us and posturing came into play. However, ultimately, the spirit of truth made itself apparent. His initial article, “Dean Banks Suggests Apostle Paul Possible Apostate” was in reaction to my article, ”Paul: apostle or apostate.” His subsequent article, “Of Friends, Foes and Dean Banks” was written after we exchanged some comments about the disagreements and the way we both handled them. Mr. Davis stepped up to the plate and initiated peace and I am humbled by his forthrightness and professionalism. Because of that, I have a new friend, whom I might not always agree with, but one for whom I significantly respect. This man is not only a musician/keyboard player like myself, but fought in Viet Nam. I thanked him for his service to this country and for the sacrifice of putting his life on the line for all of us. Whether we agree with any of the wars our country has been involved in or not, we still owe respect and support to the men and women who served.

Posturing is defined as developing a policy or stance for yourself, a group or your country. It is based on adopting an attitude or position on a particular subject and not moving. It implies rigidity. As much as we all sometimes try to be understanding of the other guy, we can dig down deep and take root into posturing. For example, the recent town hall meetings and the ill-informed participants who scream out their position. Sometimes in the heat of an argument, both sides may believe similar things, but the ego creeps in and keeps the focus on “me” being right. The ego, or what has been commonly referred to as Edging God Out, is a necessary component of human behavior because it maintains our survival mechanism. Jesus always pointed to the Father. Even when Jesus trashed the merchants tables at the synagogue (And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables – John 2:15), it wasn’t his ego that was enraged. It was his tolerance. He had had it with people disrespecting God and he was wise enough to talk in the only language that those people would understand. Do you think if he used another approach it would have been as effective? Possibly, “Oh please stop making money in the temple because it offends God.” Would that have worked? Hardly.

Speaking in the language that other people understand can sometimes be very difficult. Would you speak your native language in a foreign country and expect to be fully understood? Even if the people you were speaking to understood your language, would they understand your geographic idioms and dialect, language nuances or the vocabulary from the educational level in which you spoke? Most magazines today print their stories at a 7th grade reading level because they don’t want to alienate their readers with bombastic expressions that would go over their head. We must all learn to talk at a level of comprehension that is mutual in order for us to understand one another. We must find common ground.

Yes, I got angry with Gary Davis, but I learned something about him and myself after I cooled down. He intrigued me enough to read some of his articles and I saw beyond my anger and came to respect him as a writer and now, new friend. We met on common ground and came to understand one another. Out of this microcosm of writing, commenting and posturing came a new environment of respect and understanding. We both have learned and grown from this exchange and I hope that the result that we have embraced, can not only be a lesson to both of us, but to our readers as well. Gary is now 60 years old and I am 55. Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? It all goes back to the article I wrote on perspective (Altering your perspective). All of us can learn from one another if we get beyond ourselves and don’t posture. If you squeeze your hand on the truth too hard it will slip through your fingers.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

The pen is mightier than the sword

As we have witnessed in the previous article, complex concepts can be weaved into simple stories and made believable by the eloquence and contemplation of the author. Our history as human beings has been influenced more by the words of authors than it has by our ability to fight among ourselves. Actions are a result of psychological impressions we hold true. These impressions are either a result of what we have heard, seen or felt. According to Mr. Hubbard, traumatic experiences in our lives create negative “engrams” in our brains. These engrams are traces of memory that have been programmed into our brains as a result of painful occurrences and force us to react in a specific way. Engrams are below the surface of the conscious mind and we cannot normally access them (unless you pay Scientologists to show you how). He labels what is commonly referred to as the unconscious mind as the “reactive” mind. This part of our mind reacts to our thoughts or stored programs (traumatic events) and creates ailments both mental and physical. In Dianetics, Hubbard further claims that most ailments are psychosomatic; "What can it do? It can give a man arthritis, bursitis, asthma, allergies, sinusitis, coronary trouble, high blood pressure and so on, down the whole catalog of psychosomatic ills, adding a few more which were never specifically classified as psychosomatic, such as the common cold.”

On the surface this seems logical and it makes sense. In his writings, Mr. Hubbard speaks with authority and conviction and presents a convincing argument. It is believable. It resounds with truth, but is it valid? Remember, validity requires that we test and retest a concept and that similar results are yielded every time. Are Mr. Hubbard’s observations based on a 360 degree view? No! We live in a universe of polarity. Ask your local quantum physicist. They’ll tell you. We receive programming into engrams from not just negative traumatic events, but positive ones as well. Remember that special gift that someone gave you when you were a child? Do you remember how you felt? When you think of this event do you rehear the music or smell the smells again? Why does this occur? Your memory is a result of emotionalized events whether traumatic or joyful. Every thought in your mind is a result of chemical interactions in your brain. Whether you react or pro-act, it is a result of an emotionalized action that is either fight or flight. We are not separate from our environment. We are immersed in it and either react or pro-act to it. It is just not one-sided as Mr. Hubbard proposes.

Mr. Hubbard is correct in his statement above concerning the initiation of psychosomatic problems. What we think about we create. But only after many successive years of non-productive thinking and emotionalizing of negative reactions. Your immune system is chemically based just like your thoughts are. Year after year of generating chemicals that are not supportive of health don’t strengthen your immune system, they weaken it! We can turn our immune systems around by generating thoughts that are productive and life-giving; and we don’t need to pay an expert to show us how. By making the time everyday to relax and let go of the stresses of the outer world, we can jump start programming our brains for health and balance.

A good salesman identifies a problem to the prospect and then offers him the solution; for a price. A warrior attacks the enemy because he reacts to what he perceives the enemy has done to him. A wise man pro-acts by accepting the way things are, and using his brain to better his life. Words can be weapons more than physical things. They can give life or take it away. What are you reading? A murder-mystery novel, a self-help book, a cooking book? Whatever it may be recognize that the concepts presented can affect your brain when you emotionalize what you believe to be true. Don’t forget; always test the validity of what you believe. It is the only way to truly program your brain to create chemical interactions that are based on facts and not half-truths. Mr. Hubbard’s engram theory is a half-truth. It only takes negative results into account. His pen was mightier than the sword because Scientologists believed what he wrote and followed what he said as gospel truth. The statement “the blind leading the blind comes to mind.” His writings influenced many people even though his concepts were not completely tested for validity. All people must eventually come to the realization that a 360 degree viewpoint on life is necessary in order to observe facts, seek the truth and test validity.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.