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The Forum > Article Comments > The Age of Consciousness > Comments

The Age of Consciousness : Comments

By Caryn Cridland, published 14/9/2011

In the new Age of Consciousness,

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Actually Houllie, I think that with very little effort, you'd
certainly have the brains to become another Bagwhan. I don't know
if you are a bit young to remember him or not.

I found the old Bagwhan hilarious. The Kumbayah culture, who were
hippies, doctors, teachers, public servants and all the rest,
turned to him in their hundreds of thousands, as he preached his
philosophies and told them about the meaning of life, as they
searched for some meaning.

He'd sit there and have them all enthrawled, only ever claiming to
be a philosopher. But they turned him into a guru, showered him
with 200 Rolls Royces and the old boy could never keep up with
all the sex, but just picked his fancy from the devout followers.

They called them the Orange people. If you ever can get hold of
some of his sayings, I'm sure they would amuse you.

The author of this article would have fitted in perfectly with the
Orange people culture, IMHO.
Posted by Yabby, Thursday, 15 September 2011 2:15:19 PM
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Houelie,

I'm glad you don't picture "me" as Mungo Maccallum : )

Who's Jessica Hecht?

Yabby,

The Bagwhan was a hoot.
Posted by Poirot, Thursday, 15 September 2011 2:48:48 PM
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Houlley
It is funny the mental pictures one envisages of fellow posters. To be fair to Tanya Plibersek, I am not she. Tanya Plibersek is better looking and a bit younger.

It is difficult not to be too cynical. Finding 'meaning' either comes naturally or not. I reckon when one stops looking you have probably found 'it'. Whatever 'it' is. People are really looking for happiness. The happiest people in my experience are those who don't waste time looking but are just doing and living.

One of the worst books I read of late was Eat Pray Love. An exercise in self-indulgence and a bit 'me me' for my liking however it seemed to work for the author and maybe she did find her happiness. Religion relies on the premise of the human need for happiness in finding meaning. At least in one way religion solves the issue for many and then they can just get on with it.

As for utopias, in the political sphere there is always room for vigilance against extremes of one 'ism' or another and while 'extreme' can be ill defined I reckon most of us know it when we see it.

PS: There is no such thing as "New Atheist" there are only more vocal non-theists.

My only problem with the idea of 'age of consciousness' is that there have been many of them but if we start teaching it I reckon that means we haven't found it.
Posted by pelican, Friday, 16 September 2011 9:18:39 AM
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As far as enlightenment from "books" is concerned, I reckon you're better off to snuggle up with a copy of " The Wind in the Willows"...or some such font of wisdom....there's much enlightenment to be gained in places that we wouldn't think to look.
Posted by Poirot, Friday, 16 September 2011 9:31:39 AM
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Poirot
I have memories of my mum reading Wind In The Willows to us while snuggled up in bed. Books like Animal Farm or Brave New World can teach more than many a political text.

(My take: Yabby - Ernest Hemingway, something to do with the sea and a beard; Houlley - better looking than your namesake, the looks of Che Guevera and a bit Bernard Keane-ish; Hasbeen-Gerard Henderson with a bit more fire; Squeers-Ralph Nader if a bloke; Ammonite-Anne Heche; Poirot-Noni was a good choice).
Posted by pelican, Friday, 16 September 2011 10:16:34 AM
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*At least in one way religion solves the issue for many and then they can just get on with it.*

Pelican, I think you have a point there, for alot of people prefer
to actually live with perceived certainty and a set of rules.Its
why IMHO humans evolved to invent some kind of religion or belief,
no matter where on the planet. Sun gods, moon gods, you name it,
people believed in them.Its also why people like Deepak Chopra and
the old Bagwhan did so well, even amongst so called educated people.

To me it comes back to how brains function. There are feedback loops
operating at all times to keep the brain in a state of homeostasis,
IIRC is the term. Its not happy, not sad, but balanced. Yet our
uncertainty leads to anxiety in many people, so at the unconcious level the brain
will find a solution. Perceived certainty gives
you exactly that.

Now just imagine if we took religion away from a bloke like runner,
what a miserable and anxious fellow he would be.

Not everyone wants to think about life and question too much, as some
of us do.

I don't normally put a face to posters, but for some reason I see
Pelican as a younger version of Felicity Kendall.
Posted by Yabby, Friday, 16 September 2011 10:59:33 AM
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