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D J Percepto

On The Power Of Three

Although the power of numbers has long been held for centuries as real, today we think of numbers more in terms of numerology which is akin to astrology and things that are considered part of mysticism. However, the significance of the number three has been consistently overlooked. In the physical world the pyramid is the spacial or volume representation of the number three. It has long been held for a special significance as in Christianity where it stands for the Holy Trinity - The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. In Eastern philosophies, it's the Guru, The Guide, and The Master.

The triangle is a particularly interesting geometric figure. There are different kinds of triangles: the isosceles, the equilaterals and the Pythagorean triangle. If we take the equilateral triangle and extend it into space, we have the three-sided pyramid. But if we look at the pyramids that were constructed in Egypt and elsewhere, they are four sided.

The base of the four-sided pyramid is actually a square and each side of the pyramid is a three-pointed equilateral triangle. Four - the square - is the foundation, the most stable of structures, built with four corners. At the top of the pyramid is the capstone which we can see on the US dollar bill as levitating above the pyramid with an all-seeing eye in the center. Perhaps this eye suggests some kind of knowledge inherent in the pyramid that even those who designed the dollar recognized.

The purpose of the pyramids have long been held to be the burial ground of ancient Kings and Pharaohs of Egypt, but why that particular structure? Some have suggested that the pyramid had more purposes. Some mystics held that the pyramids were points on the planet that attracted cosmic energy from space , that in some way created an energy that would enable the dead Pharaoh to pass over into the afterlife, or even that they served the purpose of stabilizing the planets' magnetic energy by being focal points. Others contend that the Pyramids were the place that certain ancient orders performed ceremonies and tested novices into the order or perhaps a place of sacrifice.

It is possible that these are all a bit far-fetched for most, but they do present interesting approaches to view a mysterious object that has eluded definition for so many centuries and has defied clear and precise explanation by scientists and mathematicians.

Others have suggested that the pyramid represents the physical plane, while the inverted (invisible) pyramid, extending out from the capstone, represents the unseen realm. The capstone is the point at which the physical and invisible plane intersect and the point where cosmic energy enters the corporeal plane and is in some way transmuted to create a stable energy.

Although science would argue: "where is the proof?", what is the basis of all this conjecture about pyramids? I would say, how about using your imagination? The eye on the capstone of the pyramid does suggest some additional knowledge about the pyramids. The fact that the capstone is not mounted on the rest of the pyramid also suggests that that knowledge is still not revealed or known at this time. Perhaps, a fresh look at the pyramid, would show more of its purpose and we need not enter THE TWILIGHT ZONE to do it.

The Fault Is In The Stars, Not Ourselves

Some days, everything goes wrong. I put my keys down, and two minutes later, I forget where I put them. I hop into the shower and the water gets too hot or too cold. I try to go to sleep and I hear outside my window: "Move your F-----n Car out of the way, you xxx of a B...h!" It seems almost as life itself has plotted against me. The stars have specifically decided to curse everything I try to do right. I feel incompetent, I imagine that the gods are sitting in Mt. Olympus, watching everything I try to do, and design life's responses to spite me.

Some times I feel like going to the top of the Empire State Building and throwing myself off the top floor so my guts splatter all over 34th street, causing someone to clean it up and go "eech... how disgusting."

The computer keyboard sticks, the hard drive crashes. The mailbox key sticks. Something falls out of my shopping bag. Nothing seems to go right. My blood pressure elevates, I feel my patience fizzles into a height of constant anger. I curse the pedestrian in front of me for walking too slow and blocking my path, even thought they don't know i'm walking behind them.

My only thought is CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY. I don't want to be reasonable. I hate everthing, everyone, ice cream, coffee, food, apple pie... why oh why can't anything go right, I say to myself... and in a moment of passion, a voice inside of me says "Now now, calm down", as if my good old wise self, the parent in me, pats me on the head and says, "Now aren't you over reacting?" And then I hear another inner voice saying: " awwww shut up."

Mirror Mirror

Think for a moment that when I look at myself in a mirror, I never really see myself. All I see is a reflection (mirror image) of me, but never the "me" that others physically see.

Even if I took another mirror to reflect the mirror image (of the mirror image), I would still be seeing just another mirror image. Everyone else could see me because they are part of my external world and able to look directly and see what I can't. Hmmmm, quite a lot of me, myself and I's in this one.

Suppose there was a way to separate my consciousness from my body, as some mystics claim possible. If I were asleep, I would be able to see myself sleeping from an external perspective but I could only see myself as others see me if I were awake and moving around consciously. I often wonder why it would be important to be able to see myself as others see me.

If I look at this from a different perspective, and ask "What would be an important reason to be able to see myself as others do?", primarily from a psychological, emotional and perhaps behavioral level. Not only to separate myself from me but be able to look at myself dispassionately without judging. Then I could get much closer to seeing my life as if I am in an audience viewing it as an observer. I think it would make it much easier to see the things I'm not happy with or that needs to be changed, without forming any judgement about the behavior. Perhaps I could be more objective about myself, and that would help me see some of the blind spots that I know exist, which others can see but I can't, because I'm too close to it (or me).

Life can also be compared to the Mirror. Events, people, actions, motives, all reflect back to us things that we can interpret in many ways. Some direct, some indirect. In any event, I suppose it's a good thing to be able to see ourselves as others see us. But it could also be quite painful.

On Friendship

If the measure of my life is judged by the footnote I leave behind, the subtext of that footnote should define the character and quality of my friendships.

Footnotes are not just facts about a persons life. They are as poetry, pregnant with ideas, feelings, and imprints, left with those people who were part of my life whom I affected, and whose effect on me gave my footnote its texture.

Friendships evolve from acquaintances who become friends when vulnerabilities are revealed, acceptance extended and trust developed and solidified over time. Eventually becoming the basis that makes life worth living by bridging the gaps of separateness. Without them, we have no orientation, no connection with the outside world or the ability to judge our own actions. They ground us in different ways, depending on the type of friendships they are. But they need to be cultivated and never taken for granted, treated as flowers in a garden requiring constant care and nurturing.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned has been that the strength of my friendships are related to my willingness to put myself in the other persons shoes in order to understand who they are, why they feel as they do and what is necessary to not only resolve any misunderstandings that may arise between us, but also to give me the ability to appreciate their strengths, weaknesses, and fears. These will ultimately deepen the friendship by communicating the value of the relationship.

Most problems arise when one feels they are giving more than they are receiving. However if we recognize that people are different, with different natures, it would be easier to remember that such as life, relationships must be fluid and flexible. We should also recognize that people may require various levels of attention at different times. It's not important whether friendships are equal, but that each individual feels they receive the attention they most need from the other, when they need it.

On What Anthropology Can Teach Us

I have always admired anthropology more than any other social sciences. Built into its philosophical approach is the idea of studying a culture from within their society. The idea of freeing ourselves from the constraints of our personal notions and expectations - though difficult to do - is a noble ideal to aspire to. Joining a tribe to understand the significance of its customs, its view of nature, existence, the rights of maturity and how it defines its place in the world, without trying to change them, is such an important concept. All these things exhibit a respect for the ways others have organized their lives and is a counter balance from the imperialistic history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

From this perspective, anthropology is saying, you must put yourself in someone else’s point of reference, live in their "world", if you hope to understand them. The concept of putting yourself in someone else's shoes, so to speak, is an important one because it also defines the best way to understand people in our own culture.

When trying to connect with friends, it's always important to communicate with them, on some level, that we understand their problems, their emotions, their way of perceiving the world, by seeing things as they see them themselves. This approach gives us not only a greater intimacy into another person's perspective but it also gives us greater ability to know who they are, why they are the way they are and it may also help us to help them when and if they need it. Finally, it may help us forgive them for things they may have done against us. If they are our friends, why wouldn’t we want to understand them from their point of view?

Taking on someone else's reality is not about invading their privacy or trying to change them. I'm talking about a process which helps give a greater insight into why people make the choices they make, feel that certain issues in their lives may be insurmountable for them to overcome and why they do and say some of the things which can be hurtful to others and to us.

It is never easy to pull ourselves out of our world and take on someone else's because we are not comfortable doing this. It's far easier to view the world from our own vantage point, our own notions of reality and neurosis. If we are ever to obtain a more objective way to view our world or hope that others understand us from our perspective then we must try to put ourselves in someone else's reality, simply to give us the versatility to be able to take ourselves out of our world and see things in ways that give us a more prismatic sense of what this existence we are all involved in, is all about.

On Psychotherapy

When deciding to go into psychotherapy, several things should be considered. Usually, people search for the aid of a psychotherapist when attempts at resolving problems by themselves turn out unsuccessful. In all likelihood, our "blind-spots" are so glaring that we can't see the issues and the way people react to our behavior motivate us to face the need for some kind of intervention. We may be getting subtle or direct messages that things we are doing are causing problems in our relationships with others or they are concerned we are expressing self-destructive patterns. The other case may be the development of physical symptoms. In any event, it is important to be evaluated first by a doctor and , if warranted, undergo examinations to determine if there are physical causes. Once that has been completed and ruled out, the search for a psychotherapist who can help us is the next step.

The basic premise of psychotherapy is an artificially created relationship, specifically designed for the needs of the patient. The Therapist (ideally) provides an atmosphere that will be considered "objective and neutral on behalf of the patient," so that the person can convey their feelings free from any constraints or judgements. Hopefully, to help the patient open up and share their problems in an environment which offers them the opportunity to look at those issues without prior editing. The therapist is there to use his/her skill and training by focusing on the things that appear to connect the issues, identify the important themes that cause the patient to seek help and assist them in working through the process that will lead to resolution through personal insight.

Often, what happens in therapy is not exactly as it should progress. Many patients enter psychotherapy and wind up being in therapy for years. The process, which initially was to assist them in resolving their problems, leads to many other things that can complicate and prolong the therapy beyond what was initially intended. The relationship between the patient and the therapist can become the focus of the therapy when the patient projects feelings onto the therapist (transference) and the therapist may project his feelings onto the patient (counter- transference). A skilled practitioner can avoid some of these problems by utilizing the transference as a tool in therapy, however finding someone with that skill is not easy. Other factors may be that the patient edits the material, then 95 percent of the therapy involves overcoming the patient's resistance to sharing information.

Some of these problems can be avoided if the person has clearly delineated goals from the onset. Am I looking for long-term therapy or short term therapy? Are the problems I'm trying to resolve specific or generalized? Am I clear that it's my responsibility to choose a skilled therapist I am comfortable with and that I have no obligation to except to pay the fee that has been agreed upon? And finally, Am I aware, as a patient, that the things I don't consider important or feel uncomfortable about are the very things I should be talking about?

Going into therapy is not about making a friend, nor is it about being concerned with the things that usually concern us in friendships and other relationships. It is about getting help, and it is about accepting responsibility for discussing the things that we consider unimportant, or that we bury because we are embarrassed by them.

We have to remember that the things that cause us to enter therapy are often related to our blind spots, the things in our personality we don't see because we are too close to or fear. We need to remember that the purpose of therapy is to help us see the things these blind spots prevent us from acknowledging and assist us in gaining insight into our patterns of behavior that make us unhappy.

If we keep these things in mind, psychotherapy can be helpful, successful, time-limited and cost-effective in a way that will give us the help we need to enrich our lives.


references:
www.mentalhelp.net
www.whenthingsfallapart.com/psychotherapy.html
www.affectphobia.org/contact.html