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The Barometer
A New Human Instinct: Pointing a Finger at The Three Hundred Pound Gorilla By Lauren Davis The serious problems in lifeŠ. are never fully solved.... The meaning and purpose of a problem seem to lie not in its solution, but in our working at it incessantly. C.G. Jung, "Stages of Life" This may not be the smoothest way to start a new feature, but I'm just going to lay it right on the table.
The Jig is up.
It seems like nobody but Art Bell
and that one guy who hangs out at the doughnut shop will say it, but I
think I've seen enough circumstantial evidence to at least bring this
one to the front of the line: There is a three hundred pound Gorilla in
the room, and everyone, everywhere, is ignoring it, hoping that it will
go away.
To get to the point: I have more than a
feeling that there is a sense of urgency in the world today. It is
wholly intangible, yet somehow palpable; like the scent of copper
in a pool of blood.
Somewhere along the line, it feels like the mood of the entire world has just shiftedŠand not for the better.
When I first noticed, I supposed it to be
a post 9-11 feeling of inadequacy. We'd been attacked on our own soil,
the talk everywhere was on disaster, and the realization that we weren't
invincible was finally hitting home. Not since the bomb shelter era of
the 1950's and 60's has the feeling been so prevalent.
But now, five years later, I'm thinking
that maybe it's more than that.
Churches and synagogues report that they
are seeing people return to the fold in record numbers.
Studies attempting to gauge the
spirituality of people all over the world have indicated an upsurge in
the belief of higher life forms and guiding mentors (IE: guardian angels
and nether-world spirits). People all over the world are aligning
themselves with a variety of religious teachings.
Those unable to commit to a specific
teaching report a sense of urgency in finding their spiritual
foundation.
People are seeking treatment for
depression and anxiety in record numbers. Rates of recidivism within the
criminal justice system are at critical mass. Those who are radical in
their beliefs feel compelled to impose them.
Behavioral scientists could tell you that
these indices speak to a reaction to something. But, I ask, a
reaction to what?
Before you write me off as crazy take a
long, thoughtful look at the 300-pound Gorilla in the room. He's so
imposing; even Anderson Cooper is looking the other way. And you
know he's there too.
So, IS there a shift?
Prompted by the Presidential Address on
the evening of 9-11, I hit the streets to pose the question.
I wanted to know if others looked into the eyes of the President on 9-11-06, and felt that there was something more significant going on than just a little political posturing and few well placed platitudes.
I asked people not to sort it out. I
wanted only their gut feeling. The question was simple: Ignoring
the media's penchant for "panic profit", what sense do you get that
there is something significant about to happen on a big and scary
scale?
In essence: What do your instincts tell
you?
Though I was sure I would have to explain
the question in depth, I was surprised that people immediately knew what
I was talking about.
Turns out I'm not altogether alone in
this millennium itch.
A retired senior research scientist with
an IQ that would embarrass me to mention,
Charles M. Davis is a man who has spent a lifetime building scenarios and modeling them on probabilities. His answer, in the blunt, is yes.
"I feel we're in trouble," he says
thoughtfully. "Our political parties aren't helping it. If it keeps up
this way (and I'm sure it will), we're liable to end up with North
Korea, IranŠarmed with nuclear weaponsŠeveryone who is just aching to
die for their cause."
Charlie reflects the practical
predictions that have been made since WMD's were first introduced.
"Somewhere along the line" he says, "someone is going to pull a
trigger. And if it's nuclear, the result will be one hell of a mess."
He pauses, and then adds quietly "I guess you can call it the 3d World WarŠthe next holocaust." "That" says Charlie "is my overwhelming instinct. And it's not at all intangible." Given this scenario, what would his thoughts be on the end game? "It's certainly going to throw the world into chaos."
Since he's a scientist, you have to ask
Charlie to elaborate on both his logical assumptions and his
instinctive or spiritual leanings. Though he agrees that he senses
something in the air, he clarifies that he doesn't respond to
it in a religious way.
"I am not particularly spiritual or
socially conscious. In that regard, you could call me a bit of a pariah.
But this is what I see as the imminent danger. Perhaps people are
becoming sensitive to that".
While theories abound on external
civilizations that may come to destroy us, Charlie dismisses the alien
theory immediately. Surprisingly, he does so for reasons other than
those one might presume.
It's not Charlie's view that there is no
extra terrestrial intelligence. Rather, it's his thought that any other
civilization is likely to ensure its own demise in the same way we will.
"This (sort of scenario) may be exactly
why we're not hearing intelligent radio signals (via SETI)
from other solar systems." He says.
"When they reach the ability to transmit
intelligent radio signals, they are simultaneously getting smart enough
to begin killing each other on a massive scale. Like us, any other
intelligent life may not make it long enough to prevent itself from its
own destruction."
But is that where we're really going? Is
this what Jung's collective unconscious is warning us about?
Laura M. is a 43-year-old mother
of 3. A devout Catholic, she is a homemaker who cares for a disabled
teenager. In many ways, her thoughts are eerily parallel to those of the
scientist who has no religious affiliation.
"My instinct is that things are going to
get worse, and that we need to be prepared," she says.
I ask her to tell me what she senses could be happening. "I believe that a spiritual awakening is really happening," she says. "And that people are hungry for a path to God. They just don't realize it yet."
I ask her to quantify the statement. She
says it's clear to her that something is certainly in the air. "So many
people know that they are looking for something, and yet they
aren't quite sure what that is. They are afraid of letting things go and
believing in something as abstract as a spiritual concept".
"People are looking for a purpose
in life. Without a purposeŠ life is very depressing."
But hasn't that always been the case? Why
the urgency now?
"In general" says Laura, "I believe it's
not only the natural disasters, but the increase in violence
everywhere. You can see it in your kids when they come home from
school. It's in the way they talk. The tension level is on the rise. You
see it in the moral decline of the people."
"It's true," she says "I believe that God
is shaking things up. And I think people are sensing that."
When asked if she believes that the shake up is imminent, she responds yes, that she feels that sense of urgency at times.
I question if she is responding to a
basic human/motherly instinct, or is this a result of a doctrinal
upbringing?
"Of course, the church teaches us to be
more spiritually aware, and as a result, we are more in tune with that
message. Whether or not the source is an instinctive thing, I don't
know. I know that we're taught to listen to it."
"But," she interjects thoughtfully, "that
protective, motherly instinct is always there. If there is a
sense of imminent danger, obviously a mother will feel compelled to do
something about it. It's not like I'm panic stricken, but I sense
something is going on here. So that side of me may be sensing a danger,
yes."
"Of course" she adds, "I'm sure that
these answers would be totally different if I were a mother living in
sayŠIraq"
Interestingly, Carl Jung taught that
"one's relatedness to the unconscious and its instinctive knowledge is
considered necessary".
If this is so, and we have perceived some
sort of danger through the collective unconscious (for lack of a better
description), then what is it telling us right now?
How is this "collective" seeing to its
survival?
If it is true that people are sensing an
unknown threat, than why when we are encouraged to trust our instincts
in all other scenarios, do we choose to ignore this one?
In the next issue, we will publish your
thoughts on that very subject.
 ` The Barometer is a new feature that looks at the way society responds to the issues it faces and is designed to get a gauge on how you feel about topics of interest. We welcome your comments on our opinion poll at www.review-mag.com As we continue this series, we may post your comments. |
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