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frank posted an update in the group News Items that may interest SN readers 4 years, 11 months ago
I hear that a film is being made by a sannyasin, Georgia Wyss:”Mantra:Sounds into silence” a documentary about the growing “social phenomenon” of mantra chanting.
The trailer, as you would expect, bigs the whole scene up and puts out all the “you can measure the change in your brain” stuff.
Singing, and in large groups is great fun and like all great fun activities changes your body chemistry including your brain I`m sure plenty on SN can testify .The thorn in the rose for an old cynic like me,is the “holy” connotations. People who get into chanting(and wearing the right gear while they do it) tend to associate `holiness` and `purity` with their undoubted good feelings of relaxation and togetherness during the sessions, then they become unbearably self-righteous and holy and their enthusiasm for having connected to 5000 year old vedic/yogic heritage etc etc that makes them start sounding like Anand Yogi!
The holiness tends to raise this “holy” music above all other genres in the minds of the holy. That`s off-on-one for me. For example,I was talking with someone who is right into the whole scene,I didn`t realise how much and I (foolishly for our future relationship!)confessed that I didn`t really like mantra music or bhajans and to be honest,wasn`t that keen on going to heaven and would prefer to sing along to “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. It was a kind of joke ,but it was enough to put me in the “unconscious/lower chakra guy” doghouse where I belong.This is all bums on seats and good publicity for the new wave of Indian gurus who promote it and their toxically right-wing orthodox views.
It`s an odd mix,this modern westerners brought up with modern and hard-fought for ideas like equality of the sexes, tolerance of sexuality, freedom of choice and the wealth to do it etc and then,in their desperation to get away from the “left-brain” grind of modern life end up supporting authoritarian, even fascistic, sexist,racist ideology inherent in these religions.Plus, that bunch of pervs,the Hare Krishnas are making a bit of comeback,but don`t get me started on that.
My sediments entirely, Frank. Any drug-free way to enhanced body/mind well-being is a good way, and it doesn’ need to be dressed up in ’holier-than-thou’ terms and attitudes.
That old phrase from the early growth movement days, ”Sugar over shit” (aka ”A beautiful edifice on a foundation of excrement”) might perhaps be appropriate for some (many?) of these people.
FRank, I sent you a PM a couple of days ago.