the Institute of Unlearning, Fuck the 100th monkey, editorial 64

There are few clichés out there that more endearing to New Agers and Alternative Thinkers than the 100th monkey. I first heard of this concept roughly over a decade ago, when I read a book by James Redfield and Carole Adrienne that outlined the research that inspired his writing of The Celestine Prophecy. Since that time, there has been a frenzied search for the little fellow, but the bastard hasn't shown up yet. I think it is time we stop waiting for it.

Why the search for this century primate? Well, according to scientists like Rupert Sheldrake, there exists in all of life a series of interconnected, morphogenetic fields. These fields connect the consciousness and affect the behavior of all things that belong to the field of a particular species. Experiments have shown that when an adaptation in behavior is learned by a still uncertain number of a species, the behavior is automatically adopted by the entire species, even the ones who had not participated in learning the behavior.

Here you can see the beginnings of what has sadly become a New Age trap. Upon first hearing of this scientific discovery, one is filled with great hope that the conditions of the world can be changed for the better, if only a certain number of us would "wake up" and see things as they really are. Once we hit that still undetermined number, the rest of the sleepwalkers amongst us would automatically wake up and the world would change virtually overnight.

Unfortunately, the story of the hundredth monkey spread virtually overnight, but none of the changes in consciousness we still seem to be waiting for. Yes, it appears that a lot more of us have woken up to what's going on in the world, but unlearners will challenge you by saying that this is not enough. What good is being conscious if you aren't going to do anything with that consciousness?

This is the snare that most alternative thinkers have found themselves in. They have become content to deem themselves awakened and imagine that their sole duty from that point onward is to wake others up or to wait for the coming "ascension", "earth changes", "Planet X", "shift into galactic day", "alien rescue" or the "end of history in 2012" before anything can be done to combat the evil that is becoming more overbearing each year. In other words, you have fallen into the same rut that Jews and Christians have been mired in for ages, seduced by a messiah that loves to see how much suffering his believers can take before he promises to return and fix it all.

This point was driven home to me this week when I read John Kaminski's latest article "Deer in the Headlights". Mr. Kaminski does honorable work and he is no doubt articulating the feelings that many of his readers share when confronted with the growing reality of world fascism. But John's tactics, and those of others like him, have been doomed to failure from the beginning because all his writings do is point out the scope of the problem and the actions that will not work. He, and those who subscribe to his mindset, are powerless to stop the creeping nightmare because they are not empowered enough to act on the truths that do work.

And what truths are these? What tactics would an empowered human embrace? For starters, the following suggestions are by no means an exhaustive list. Any one fully tapped into their creative spirit can conjure up a magical work that goes beyond these parameters, but starting small will develop the muscles and the thinking to create a world without fear.

1)
Stop financing your own imprisonment. Pete Hendrickson has shown in the clearest possible terms that a super majority of Americans do not owe taxes on their earnings. His readers, including this editor, are showing in the clearest possible way, that asserting this truth is not only possible, but successful. If you want to change things quickly, then stop whining and start collecting your money back. As long as you continue to pay taxes you do not owe, you are financing the jailers and the torturers who will one day come for you. If you believe in protecting the Constitution of the United States and all it stands for, there is no greater action to engage in today than the understanding and application of this truth.

2)
Turn the surveillance cameras on the government and corporations. Too many of us are worried about cameras watching us wherever we go. As writer and artist Grant Morrison would say, "Let them watch and see what an incredible life you are living!" More importantly, use your eyes to report the abuses you see in your area. The Internet is a great distribution network, but don't limit yourself to this forum. Hold a meeting or produce a magazine, leaflet, CD or DVD and address specific issues important to you. Some cases against protestors from last year's RNC in NYC were dropped because video testimony from eyewitness showed the police to be lying and doctoring evidence to justify their arrests and prosecutions.

3)
Manifest your destiny. Thinking is the chief vehicle that creates the exteriorization of your thoughts that we together experience as reality. Creating a manifesting board can be a powerful tool in organizing and centralizing your thoughts around a desired end. Create sigils, symbols and images that represent the kind of world you are longing for and direct your thoughts and actions to bringing them about. Place the board in a place where you can see it everyday and be reminded of your creative purpose.

4)
What is in you? Ultimately, what we are all experiencing right now is the external impression of our internal being. If you want to be scared though all that is happening now, there will be plenty of opportunity to be so. If you want to be courageous and empowered through all that is happening now, there will be plenty of opportunity to be so. Choose, and receive what you have chosen with full responsibility. There is no more time for whining.

This is why I will kick the 100th monkey's ass should it ever decide to show up. It is an idea about power and change that reinforces the erroneous assumption that truth is dependent upon numbers. The fact of the matter is that it has always been, and will always be, up to the individual to express the power that is in him. When you have become sufficiently aware of Who You Are and What This Life Is, you will not waste another minute of it thinking about what other people think.

The late Anthony DeMello, S.J. summed it up best when he said all human conflict is the result of our addiction to attention. We so badly crave the Approval, Acceptance, and Appreciation of others that we inhibit ourselves in order to guarantee that we receive these forms of energy in constant supply. Our error is in failing to realize that the energy (power) we crave exists abundantly at the center of our being. Like the United States' desire for oil, we are seeking to steal it from others rather than taking the time to harvest it from ourselves.

Poor thinking has clouded the clear light of our intelligences. Thinking there is nothing that can be done while awaiting our doom is one such poor thought. Death will not relieve you of the burdens facing your life right now either. Why not suck it up and go to work with the time you have left? Like the boogieman under your bed, you'll find that there isn't so much to be afraid of after all, once you grow up.