Welcome Class, to Room 666...Again

[X-Chick]

You just disappeared on me last night. I cried for hours. :csad:

[Abaddon]

what does Spawnsie think of himself?

[X-Chick]

Too much?

[The Spawn]

I need to close these gaps in conversations.

[The Spawn]

Death is the permanent end of the life of a biological organism. Death may refer to the end of life as either an event or condition.Death occurs in nature as a result of predation, disease, loss of habitat, or accident. The principal causes of death in modern human societies are diseases related to aging.Traditions and beliefs related to death are an important part of human culture, and central to many religions. In medicine, biological details and definitions of death have become increasingly complicated as technology advances.

[X-Chick]

edited

[The Spawn]

Now I'm curious...

[X-Chick]

It was mean.

[The Spawn]

Ah...figured.

What do you guys wanna learn about?

[Abaddon]

something sexy and exciting. Not too thought-provoking, but just enough. Potentially humorous too!:yay:

[C. Lee]

something sexy and exciting. Not too thought-provoking, but just enough. Potentially humorous too!:yay:

Like Elmer Fudd in a skimpy red nightgown?

[Abaddon]

Like Bugs in a skimpy red night gown on a mission to assassinate Doonesbury.

[C. Lee]

Buggs Bunny....International transvestite hit bunny.

[TNC9852002]

Uh....

What?

-TNC

[The Spawn]

I got it.

[X-Chick]

I did not.

[Abaddon]

what's to miss?:huh:

[X-Chick]

I really didn't read any of it. :o

[Abaddon]

that's the end of that mystery. Hurry your ass up Spawn.

[X-Chick]

he's busy :o

[The Spawn]

I've done less time in the gym since this thread started.

[X-Chick]

i just realized you said something mean to me. i guess we're even now. :csad:

[The Spawn]

I guess?

[X-Chick]

maybe not. its still pretty one-sided, on my part. what you said was mean, but mine was a low blow.

[The Spawn]

Narcissus
by Morgan Upright

Narcissus is another example among several of a beautiful young man who spurned sex and died as a result. As such, his myth has much in common with those of Adonis and Hippolytus. In the Roman poet Ovid's retelling of the myth, Narcissus is the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. Tiresias, the seer, told his parents that the child "would live to an old age if it did not look at itself." Many nymphs and girls fell in love with him but he rejected them. One of these nymphs, Echo, was so distraught over this rejection that she withdrew into a lonely spot and faded until all that was left was a plaintive whisper. The goddess Nemesis heard the rejected girls prayers for vengeance and arranged for Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. He stayed watching his reflection and let himself die. It is quite possible, however, that the connection between Echo and Narcissus was entirely Ovid's own invention, for there is no earlier witness to it.
An important and earlier variation of this tale originates in the region in Greek known as Boeotia (to the north and west of Athens). Narcissus lived in the city of Thespiae. A young man, Ameinias, was in love with Narcissus, but he rejected Ameinias' love. He grew tired of Ameinias' affections and sent him a present of a sword. Ameinias killed himself with the sword in front of Narcissus' door and as he died, he called curses upon Narcissus. One day Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a spring and, in desperation, killed himself.

Both of these stories give an origin to the narcissus flower, which grew where Narcissus died.

[X-Chick]

cute.

[The Spawn]

Echo and Narcissus in Greek Mythology

Echo was a beautiful nymph, fond of the woods and hills, where she devoted herself to woodland sports. She was a favorite of Artemis, and attended her in the chase. But Echo had one failing; she was fond of talking, and whether in chat or argument, would have the last word. One day Hera was seeking her husband, who, she had reason to fear, was amusing himself among the nymphs. Echo by her talk contrived to detain the goddess till the nymphs made their escape. When Hera discovered it, she passed sentence upon Echo in these words: "You shall forfeit the use of that tongue with which you have cheated me, except for that one purpose you are so fond of - reply. You shall still have the last word, but no power to speak first."
This nymph saw Narcissus, a beautiful youth, as he pursued the chase upon the mountains. She loved him and followed his footsteps. O how she longed to address him in the softest accents, and win him to converse! But it was not in her power. She waited with impatience for him to speak first, and had her answer ready. One day the youth, being separated from his companions, shouted aloud, "Who's here?" Echo replied, "Here." Narcissus looked around, but seeing no one called out, "Come". Echo answered, "Come." As no one came, Narcissus called again, "Why do you shun me?" Echo, asked the same question. "Let us join one another," said the youth. The maid answered with all her heart in the same words, and hastened to the spot, ready to throw her arms about his neck. He started back, exclaiming, "Hands off! I would rather die than you should have me!" "Have me," said she; but it was all in vain. He left her, and she went to hide her blushes in the recesses of the woods. From that time forth she lived in caves till at last all her flesh shrank away. Her bones were changed into rocks and there was nothing left of her but her voice. With that she is still ready to reply to any one who calls her, and keeps up her old habit of having the last word.

Narcissus's cruelty in this case was not the only instance. He shunned all the rest of the nymphs, as he had done poor Echo. One day a maiden who had in vain endeavored to attract him uttered a prayer that he might some time or other feel what it was to love and meet no return of affection. The avenging goddess heard and granted the prayer.
There was a clear fountain, with water like silver, to which the shepherds never drove their flocks, nor the mountain goats resorted, nor any of the beasts of the forest; neither was it defaced with fallen leaves or branches; but the grass grew fresh around it, and the rocks sheltered it from the sun. Hither came one day the youth, fatigued with hunting, heated and thirsty. He stooped down to drink, and saw his own image in the water; he thought it was some beautiful water-spirit living in the fountain. He stood gazing with admiration at those bright eyes, those locks curled like the locks of Dionysos or Apollo, the rounded cheeks, the ivory neck, the parted lips, and the glow of health and exercise over all. He fell in love with himself. He brought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in to embrace the beloved object. It fled at the touch, but returned again after a moment and renewed the fascination. He could not tear himself away; he lost all thought of food or rest, while he hovered over the brink of the fountain gazing upon his own image. He talked with the supposed spirit: "Why, beautiful being, do you shun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs love me, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me. When I stretch forth my arms you do the same; and you smile upon me and answer my beckonings with the like." His tears fell into the water and disturbed the image. As he saw it depart, he exclaimed, "Stay, I entreat you! Let me at least gaze upon you, if I may not touch you."

With this, and much more of the same kind, he cherished the flame that consumed him, so that by degrees he lost his color, his vigor, and the beauty which formerly had so charmed the nymph Echo. She kept near him, however, and when he exclaimed, "Alas! alas!" she answered him with the same words. He pined away and died; and when his shade passed the Stygian river, it leaned over the boat to catch a look of itself in the waters. The nymphs mourned for him, especially the water-nymphs; and when they smote their breasts Echo smote hers also. They prepared a funeral pile and would have burned the body, but it was nowhere to be found; but in its place a flower, purple within and surrounded with white leaves, which bears the name and preserves the memory of Narcissus.

from Bulfinch's Mythology

[The Spawn]

I don't really know what you're talking about X...with the whole mean and low blow talk...

I'm not responding to your IM's by the way or blocking you.

It's not because I can't do it...by now you've realized there is nothing I cannot do...it's just that, well..the best way to explain it is this:

I think life in prison is worse than death.

[X-Chick]

It's okay, I can do it myself. :o :yay:

[The Spawn]

That's what I've been saying all along...do you have anything that you'd like to contribute to the class?

[X-Chick]

lol. whatever. :o

[The Spawn]

O...k...

[X-Chick]

i quit you :o

[The Spawn]

Good?

[X-Chick]

I don't know?

[The Spawn]

The Mirror of Matsuyama

In ancient days there lived in a remote part of Japan a man and his wife, and they were blessed with a little girl, who was the pet and idol of her parents. On one occasion the man was called away on business in distant Kyoto. Before he went he told his daughter that if she were good and dutiful to her mother he would bring her back a present she would prize very highly. Then the good man took his departure, mother and daughter watching him go.
At last he returned to his home, and after his wife and child had taken off his large hat and sandals he sat down upon the white mats and opened a bamboo basket, watching the eager gaze of his little child. He took out a wonderful doll and a lacquer box of cakes and put them into her outstretched hands. Once more he dived into his basket, and presented his wife with a metal mirror. Its convex surface shone brightly, while upon its back there was a design of pine trees and storks.

The good man's wife had never seen a mirror before, and on gazing into it she was under the impression that another woman looked out upon her as she gazed with growing wonder. Her husband explained the mystery and bade her take great care of the mirror.

Not long after this happy homecoming and distribution of presents the woman became very ill. Just before she died she called to her little daughter, and said: "Dear child, when I am dead take every care of your father. You will miss me when I have left you. But take this mirror, and when you feel most lonely look into it and you will always see me." Having said these words she passed away.

In due time the man married again, and his wife was not at all kind to her stepdaughter. But the little one, remembering her mother's words, would retire to a corner and eagerly look into the mirror, where it seemed to her that she saw her dear mother's face, not drawn in pain as she had seen it on her deathbed, but young and beautiful.

One day this child's stepmother chanced to see her crouching in a corner over an object she could not quite see, murmuring to herself. This ignorant woman, who detested the child and believed that her stepdaughter detested her in return, fancied that this little one was performing some strange magical art--perhaps making an image and sticking pins into it. Full of these notions, the stepmother went to her husband and told him that his wicked child was doing her best to kill her by witchcraft.

When the master of the house had listened to this extraordinary recital he went straight to his daughter's room. He took her by surprise, and immediately the girl saw him she slipped the mirror into her sleeve. For the first time her doting father grew angry, and he feared that there was, after all, truth in what his wife had told him, and he repeated her tale forthwith.

When his daughter had heard this unjust accusation she was amazed at her father's words, and she told him that she loved him far too well ever to attempt or wish to kill his wife, who she knew was dear to him.

"What have you hidden in your sleeve?" said her father, only half convinced and still much puzzled.

"The mirror you gave my mother, and which she on her deathbed gave to me. Every time I look into its shining surface I see the face of my dear mother, young and beautiful. When my heart aches--and oh! it has ached so much lately--I take out the mirror, and mother's face, with sweet, kind smile, brings me peace, and helps me to bear hard words and cross looks."

Then the man understood and loved his child the more for her filial piety. Even the girl's stepmother, when she knew what had really taken place, was ashamed and asked forgiveness. And this child, who believed she had seen her mother's face in the mirror, forgave, and trouble forever departed from the home.

[X-Chick]

I don't get the point of the story.

[The Spawn]

Visu the Woodsman and the Old Priest
Many years ago there lived on the then barren plain of Suruga a woodsman by the name of Visu. He was a giant in stature, and lived in a hut with his wife and children.
One day Visu received a visit from an old priest, who said to him: "Honorable woodsman, I am afraid you never pray."

Visu replied: "If you had a wife and a large family to keep, you would never have time to pray."

This remark made the priest angry, and the old man gave the woodcutter a vivid description of the horror of being reborn as a toad, or a mouse, or an insect for millions of years. Such lurid details were not to Visu's liking, and he accordingly promised the priest that in future he would pray.

"Work and pray," said the priest as he took his departure.

Unfortunately Visu did nothing but pray. He prayed all day long and refused to do any work, so that his rice crops withered and his wife and family starved. Visu's wife, who had hitherto never said a harsh or bitter word to her husband, now became extremely angry, and, pointing to the poor thin bodies of her children, she exclaimed: "Rise, Visu, take up your ax and do something more helpful to us all than the mere mumbling of prayers!"

Visu was so utterly amazed at what his wife had said that it was some time before he could think of a fitting reply. When he did so his words came hot and strong to the ears of his poor, much-wronged wife.

"Woman," said he, "the Gods come first. You are an impertinent creature to speak to me so, and I will have nothing more to do with you!" Visu snatched up his ax and, without looking round to say farewell, he left the hut, strode out of the wood, and climbed up Fujiyama, where a mist hid him from sight.

When Visu had seated himself upon the mountain he heard a soft rustling sound, and immediately afterward saw a fox dart into a thicket. Now Visu deemed it extremely lucky to see a fox, and, forgetting his prayers, he sprang up, and ran hither and thither in the hope of again finding this sharp-nosed little creature.

He was about to give up the chase when, coming to an open space in a wood, he saw two ladies sitting down by a brook playing go. The woodsman was so completely fascinated that he could do nothing but sit down and watch them. There was no sound except the soft click of pieces on the board and the song of the running brook. The ladies took no notice of Visu, for they seemed to be playing a strange game that had no end, a game that entirely absorbed their attention. Visu could not keep his eyes off these fair women. He watched their long black hair and the little quick hands that shot out now and again from their big silk sleeves in order to move the pieces.

After he had been sitting there for three hundred years, though to him it was but a summer's afternoon, he saw that one of the players had made a false move. "Wrong, most lovely lady!" he exclaimed excitedly. In a moment these women turned into foxes and ran away.

When Visu attempted to pursue them he found to his horror that his limbs were terribly stiff, that his hair was very long, and that his beard touched the ground. He discovered, moreover, that the handle of his ax, though made of the hardest wood, had crumbled away into a little heap of dust.

After many painful efforts Visu was able to stand on his feet and proceed very slowly toward his little home. When he reached the spot he was surprised to see no hut, and, perceiving a very old woman, he said: "Good lady, I am amazed to find that my little home has disappeared. I went away this afternoon, and now in the evening it has vanished!"

The old woman, who believed that a madman was addressing her, inquired his name. When she was told, she exclaimed: "Bah! You must indeed be mad! Visu lived three hundred years ago! He went away one day, and he never came back again."

"Three hundred years!" murmured Visu. "It cannot be possible. Where are my dear wife and children?"

"Buried!" hissed the old woman, "and, if what you say is true, you children's children too. The Gods have prolonged your miserable life in punishment for having neglected your wife and little children."

Big tears ran down Visu's withered cheeks as he said in a husky voice: "I have lost my manhood. I have prayed when my dear ones starved and needed the labor of my once strong hands. Old woman, remember my last words: "If you pray, work too!"

We do not know how long the poor but repentant Visu lived after he returned from his strange adventures. His white spirit is still said to haunt Fujiyama when the moon shines brightly.

[The Spawn]

The Stonecutter
Once upon a time there lived a stonecutter, who went every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for gravestones or for houses. He understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a careful workman he had plenty of customers. For a long time he was quite happy and contented, and asked for nothing better than what he had.
Now in the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and then appeared to men, and helped them in many ways to become rich and prosperous. The stonecutter, however, had never seen this spirit, and only shook his head, with an unbelieving air, when anyone spoke of it. But a time was coming when he learned to change his opinion.

One day the stonecutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful things, of which he had never even dreamed. Suddenly his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier, and he said to himself: "Oh, if only I were a rich man, and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels, how happy I should be!"

And a voice answered him: "Your wish is heard; a rich man you shall be!"

At the sound of the voice the stonecutter looked around, but could see nobody. He thought it was all his fancy, and picked up his tools and went home, for he did not feel inclined to do any more work that day. But when he reached the little house where he lived, he stood still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a stately palace filled with splendid furniture, and most splendid of all was the bed, in every respect like the one he had envied. He was nearly beside himself with joy, and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.

It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun blazed more fiercely. One morning the heat was so great that the stonecutter could scarcely breathe, and he determined he would stop at home till the evening. He was rather dull, for he had never learned how to amuse himself, and was peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going on in the street, when a little carriage passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden umbrella was held, to protect him from the sun's rays.

"Oh, if I were only a prince!" said the stonecutter to himself, as the carriage vanished around the corner. "Oh, if I were only a prince, and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be!"

And a prince he was. Before his carriage rode one company of men and another behind it; servants dressed in scarlet and gold bore him along, the coveted umbrella was held over his head, everything his heart could desire was his. But yet it was not enough. He looked around still for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite of the water he poured on the grass the rays of the sun scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day his face grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger: "The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!"

And the mountain spirit answered: "Your wish is heard; the sun you shall be."

And the sun he was, and felt himself proud in his power. He shot his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven; he burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as of poorer folk. but in a short time he began to grow tired of his might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontent once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face, and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger: "Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than any!"

And the mountain spirit answered: "Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be!"

And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun's beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and week he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountainside remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: "Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!"

And the mountain spirit answered; "Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!"

And the rock he was, and gloried in his power. Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him. "This is better than all!" he said to himself. But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stonecutter driving tools into his surface. Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he cried in his wrath: "Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man!"

And the mountain spirit answered: "Your wish is heard. A man once more you shall be!"

And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at his trade of stone cutting. His bed was hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satisfied with it, and did not long to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he did not have, or desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last, and never again heard the voice of the mountain spirit.

[X-Chick]

Are you just bored or what? :huh:

[The Spawn]

I always post random not so normal things in this thread, miss.

[X-Chick]

I'm aware of that, sir.

[The Spawn]

So it was a rhetorical question?

[X-Chick]

I suppose so.

[The Spawn]

No, no...it was...it was..

[X-Chick]

well, if you're sure.

[The Spawn]

Positive.

[Cherry Darling]

the sexual repression in here makes me numb a little

[Abaddon]

Spawn did you attend college? if so, what did you study?

[X-Chick]

the sexual repression in here makes me numb a little

me too :csad:

[The Spawn]

You question whether or I attended an institute of higher learning?

[X-Chick]

oh, i know the answer to that one. :o

[Abaddon]

That's not an answer, porcupine.

[C. Lee]

That's not an answer, porcupine.

Spawnypoo likes being......mysterious:ninja:

[Abaddon]

he's more interesting when he's not. But now that he knows I feel that way, he'll probably up the anty for spite.:cmad:

[X-Chick]

yep, that would be very much like him.

[The Spawn]

I studied Film, Sociology, Psychology and Computer Science.

[X-Chick]

damn, i had two out of 4. :o

[The Spawn]

Better than 0

[X-Chick]

why are you ignoring me? :cmad:

[The Spawn]

Actually, I'm not ignoring you.

[X-Chick]

Yes, you are. :huh: :csad:

[The Spawn]

We're talking aren't we?

[X-Chick]

Only here and not very much.

[The Spawn]

Better than 0

[X-Chick]

True, but not everything should be discussed on a public forum. :o

[The Spawn]

My life has never been about should and should not.

I go by can and can't...haven't dealt with much of the latter.

[X-Chick]

Well then, I can't.

[The Spawn]

Where's your avatar from?

[X-Chick]

I found it. Why does everyone keep asking me? Is it great or something? :huh:

[The Spawn]

You should get one that says "I'm Modest"

[X-Chick]

I was being serious. Every keeps asking about it and I don't why. I don't think its especially great. I mean, its cool and everything, but not that cool.

[The Spawn]

All animated avatars are cool.

[X-Chick]

Then why don't you have one?

[The Spawn]

I try not to be cool.

Thats why my name is The Spawn.

[X-Chick]

So much for alone time. :dry:


****.

[The Spawn]

You assume you understand the concept of alone time.

[The Spawn]

You assume you understand the concept of alone time.

[X-Chick]

I do. You just twist it around so you can make it fit what you want. You're unbelievable.

[Abaddon]

You two are adorable.:heart:

[X-Chick]

No, we're frustrating. :csad:

[The Spawn]

What's there to twist???

I invented my own personal concept of the term.

All the more reason why you don't comprehend it.

[X-Chick]

:heart:

[Abaddon]

Yup, adorable.

Now, thoughts on my avatar?http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r224/Big_Bad_Don/Smileys/11307th_inlove.gif

[BRUTAL]

I'm glad I refused...

[Abaddon]

why?:cmad::csad:

[BRUTAL]

I am a better person for nat having to sit through Eddie Murphy's ear piercing falsetto.

[Abaddon]

I think it's catchy.:o

[BRUTAL]

No... no you don't...

[Abaddon]

I had it stuck in my head for awhile and wasn't annoyed. Must be some sort of immunity. :shrug:

[The Kingpin]

I'm going to college next year, but I don't know what to study. I think philosophy and psycology are interesting, but obviously I can't do those because I won't be able to do anything with those degrees. I'm thinking Electrical engineering or computer engineering, because the college I'm going to (UCF) specializes in those...but I don't know lol. I want money but then again I don't want to hate my job for the next 40 years.

Give me some advice, oh intelligent one. =P

[Abaddon]

I have a similar problem but I'm already in college.:o

[The Spawn]

Dip your bush in all kinds of paint...

Don't declare a major...take classes for multiple majors and see what you like...after a while, you find yourself on one set path...then declare the major.

Psychology is good if you're willing to go far with it...PhD far.

[The Spawn]

EASY TO MAKE SNICKERDOODLES

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup or 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup or 4 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking power
4 tablespoons of cinnamon
4 tablespoons of sugar

1. Cream the shortening, sugar and egg with electric mixer until smooth.
2. Sift flour, onto a wax paper, about 1 1/2 cup.

3. Measure flour, salt, and baking powder into sifter and sift over a small bowl.

4. Add the sifted ingrediennts into the sugar and shortening and egg mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon.

5. Add vanilla and stir again.

6. Dough should be soft and easy to handle. Add a little more flour (about a tabelspoon or so) if dough sticks to your hands.

7. Preheat oven to 400F. Set out cookies sheets lined with foil 8 combine suger and cinnamon into a small bowl and set out side

9. Roll pieces of dough into the size of a small jawbreaker. Roll the bal inot the sugar cinnamon mixture. Place on a foil line cookie sheet, three across and five down. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.

10. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown. Cookies will puff up and then will flatten down and have a crispy top.

11. Let the cookies cool on the rack.

[X-Chick]

Fantastic. I will bake some today.


:huh:

[The Spawn]

They're really good actually.

[X-Chick]

They're alright. I prefer good old fashioned chocolate chip.

[The Spawn]

Overrated.

[Abaddon]

never had a snickerddodle.


Oatmeal cookies :heart:

[X-Chick]

M&M cookies are superior to all.

[The Spawn]

How about those 7-11 cookies?

[X-Chick]

7-11 cookies? :huh:

[The Spawn]

Yes, 3 for a dollar.

[X-Chick]

Never had any. Subway's cookies are pretty decent.

[The Spawn]

Macademia especially.

[Abaddon]

Pepperidge Farm cookies are sex.

[The Spawn]

They make cookies???

[Jack Rabbit]

Holy ****. A ghost thread from the depths of Hype. This is ancient ****.

...teach me about golems, Spawn.

[The Spawn]

What...would you like to know?

[Abaddon]

They make cookies???

:dry: x 100.


http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/images/indulgent_treats/main_product_shot.jpg

[The Spawn]

After doing some research, I agree.

[X-Chick]

Have any experience with aikido?

[The Spawn]

Maybe.

[X-Chick]

Think it'd work for me?

[The Spawn]

Yes.

[X-Chick]

Even though its "the gentle way?"

[The Spawn]

Some people like it gentle?

[X-Chick]

Do you? :huh:

[The Spawn]

Depends on whose executing the application.

[Abaddon]

You're so romantic.

[The Spawn]

What's with the avvy?

[Abaddon]

what about it?

[X-Chick]

I like it. :up:

[Abaddon]

Thanks.:up:

[The Spawn]

Like, is it you?

[X-Chick]

Looks like its just ripped from an iPod commercial.

[Abaddon]

5hCfHpOqRlI

[The Spawn]

That was kinda hot.

[†~AntiChrist~†]

Looks like its just ripped from an iPod commercial.

It probably is........:oldrazz:

[Abaddon]

it was pretty damn hot.

[†~AntiChrist~†]

I remember that show. I use to watch it all the time

[Abaddon]

twas a good'un

[X-Chick]

I don't get it, not what it is or how it's "hot." :huh:

[Abaddon]

you didn't watch the whole video? It's sort of an ipod spoof commercical featuring Daria characters.:huh:

[The Spawn]

I feel young now.

[X-Chick]

What the hell is Daria? :huh:

[The Spawn]

Waaaaaaaaaaaay outta your league apparently....

[Abaddon]

my Goodness.:csad:

0t7iyZJw0jE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daria

[X-Chick]

So it was some crappy adultish cartoon on MTV? No wonder I never watched it. :o

[Abaddon]

It wasn't crappy at all. You would've liked it.:o

[X-Chick]

Oh. Oh well. :o

[The Spawn]

You remind me of Daria.

[X-Chick]

That sounds like a bad thing.

[The Spawn]

Youtube it and find out.

[Abaddon]

She's more a Jane then a Daria.

[X-Chick]

I'm not like either of them. :o

[The Spawn]

Abaddon:

Good call, man.

[X-Chick]

You two don't know me at all. :csad:

[Abaddon]

Does anyone really know anyone?:csad:


but you are more like her than any of the other characters I think. 'cept you're a little more type A.:o

[The Spawn]

Your skills of deduction are----are----amazing, to say the say least man!

[X-Chick]

What? :huh:

[The Spawn]

I was talking to 'addon.

[Abaddon]

"'addon"? That's a new one.


But yes, I've been honing my skills.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r224/Big_Bad_Don/misc/Bbcmarlowe.jpg

[X-Chick]

So was I. :o

[Abaddon]

Now I'm confused.:huh:

[X-Chick]

What? :yay:

[The Spawn]

True....true...

[X-Chick]

So this thread has been reduced to nonsense now?

[The Spawn]

You love throwin' that word around.

[Abaddon]

she's not wrong

[X-Chick]

It was completely for your benefit, but this time I mean it.

[incubat]

hey, mind if I ask what this thread was about in the first place?

[X-Chick]

Yes, I mind when it would be easier for you to read the original post than to make a post requesting the information that's so readily available. But since you're either lazy or clueless:

The original thread is somewhat lost in The Bermuda Triangle, so, after debate, a sequel has been created to house paranormal and conspiracy items into one pandoras box. Our first item:

Skulls and Bones (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/01/wyale01.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/02/01/ixnewstop.html)

[The Spawn]

Wow, that was quite mean.



Military Urban Legends

The number of hooves lifted into the air on equestrian statues reveals how the riders died.
Fighting on opposite sides, father and son meet one last time on a Civil War battlefield. Found in the dying boy's pocket is the melody now known as Taps.*

Trainee tries unsuccessfully to kill himself with a floor buffer.

Soldier serving overseas during the Gulf War receives a video of his wife having sex with other men and demanding a divorce.

Saltpeter is secreted in the food or drink of enlisted men to curb their libidos.

When questioned about the wisdom of teaching Boy Scouts to handle firearms, a US General points out the difference between being equipped to do something and doing it.

Aircraft carrier orders lighthouse to change course.

Two men are returning authentic, lost dog tags to the families of U.S. soldiers who served in Vietnam.

Badly wounded soldier tells his parents about his life-altering injuries under the guise of telling them about a friend.

Being an only child (or an only son) automatically exempts you from military service.

A few years after a couple of kids used a made-up name to sign up for a free yearly ice cream cone, they received a registration notice from the Selective Service for their non-existent friend.

During the Gulf War, an Iraqi government propaganda broadcaster nicknamed Baghdad Betty warned American soldiers that "Bart Simpson is making love to your wife." *

The German destroyer FGS Lutjens saluted the American destroyer USS Winston Churchill with a "manning the rails" ceremony and the display of a banner reading "We Stand By You." *

During wartime, the seal of the President of the United States is modified so that the eagle's head faces the opposite direction.*

"God Bless the USA" singer-composer Lee Greenwood dodged the draft in the 1960s by fleeing to Canada.*

A poem written by a Marine about a soldier's lonely night before Christmas.*

During a hospital visit, President George W. Bush saluted an Army officer who had been badly injured during the September 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.*

General John J. Pershing effectively discouraged Muslim terrorists in the Philippines by killing them and burying their bodies with pigs.*

The family of a POW are reassured by letter sent by their son until they steam off the stamp and read what's written there.

After the Germans construct a phony wooden airfield during World War II, the British send a plane to drop a wooden bomb on it.

General Norman Schwarzkopf provided a pithy quote about whether we should show forgivenesss towards those who harbored terrorists.

Jane Fonda betrayed U.S. soldiers during the Viet Nam War.

Lee Marvin, actor, and Bob Keeshan, television's "Captain Kangaroo," fought together at the battle for Iwo Jima.

The Medal of Honor carried on a flight by a World War II veteran aroused suspicion among airport security forces.

Bigot who demands the local military provide suitable escorts for his teen daughters is given his comeuppance.

Former USAF General Dick Hawley delivered a caustic speech about "thoughts of such surpassing stupidity that they must be addressed."*

Article contrasts compensation to families of September 11 victims with benefits paid to families of servicemen killed on active duty.*

M-16 rifles used by American soldiers in Vietnam were manufactured by the Mattel toy company.

Recruits are issued stress cards, which when waved at demanding drill sergeants immediately entitle the recruits to gentler treatment.

A photograph of a shark jumping out of the water to attack a diver dangling from a helicopter is real.*

An American flag is traditionally folded thirteen times because each of the folds has a special meaning.

A Saint Xavier University professor sent a scathing, condemnatory message to an Air Force Academy cadet who was seeking assistance in planning an assembly for college students.*

Marine in Bosnia subjects French officer to a verbal chiding.

Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh was disqualified from the Vietnam-era draft due to a pilonidal cyst.

The gold ball atop a military flagpole contains a razor, a match, and a bullet.

Twenty-one guns are fired in the national military salute because the digits in 1776 add up to 21.

During Hurricane Isabel, sentries guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns remained at their posts.

Dog tags used to have notches so they could be wedged between the teeth of fallen soldiers.

E-mail describes duties and obligations of honor guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Gen. George S. Patton Jr. discovers the French are honoring a latrine pit.

The son of one of the men who raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi gave a guided tour of the Iwo Jima Memorial to a group of Wisconsin schoolchildren.

"Dogs and sailors: Keep off the grass" admonishments were commonly displayed in U.S. naval towns.

Marines in training must murder a pet dog or family member to be admitted to the Corps.

Gal who demands her photo back receives box of pictures and instructions to pick hers out then return the rest. *

[incubat]

^thx, I asked, because I didn't have much time to read the first few site, but found the title quite interesting. I'll try and read some of it.

[The Kingpin]

Here's something for your collection Spawn


http://img27.photobucket.com/albums/v80/goreds08/spawn.bmp

Blast from the past

[The Spawn]

Too bad Bloody Mary had to be the last post though.

[The Kingpin]

Yeah, didn't she turn out to be a guy? =P

[The Spawn]

Now, now...let's not spread rumors.

[Abaddon]

The individuation process is a term created by the famous psychologist Carl Gustav Jung to describe the process of becoming aware of oneself, of one’s make-up, and the way to discover one’s true, inner self. Although the structure is basic and simple, the contents require a much deeper understanding.

For as long as mankind has existed, there were always people who asked themselves that most intriguing question: "Who am I". There is no simple answer, but Jung’s individuation process provides us with some clear guidelines. First you need to understand a couple of terms, frequently used in psychology.

The ego. We are all familiar with the ego, or are we? What is the ego? When we say "I" or "me", what are we pointing to? The ego is the center of consciousness, but it is not what you are, as most people think. It is rather a function that allows you to distinguish yourself from others. It is a structure that orders your psychological qualities, so you can make sense of yourself and your actions. It gives you a sense of uniqueness, but know that we all have that in common.

What we also have in common is a conscious and an unconscious. With the conscious we are able to experience everyday life. The unconscious is a part of ourselves that kind of remains in the background, but is in no way inactive or inert. The unconscious is composed of hidden aspects of ourselves that continue to work on the conscious and thus on our everyday life, although we are not mostly not aware of it. The unconscious tries to bring man back into balance. In life we are not always able to do or be what we would like. Thus, the unconscious will influence our behavior and actions in a way that will compensate. These unconscious tendencies can be stronger than our conscious, and can even go against our will. Thus we tell things in a flare of anger, of which we will be very sorry afterwards.

Jung divided the unconscious in two parts: the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal conscious only belongs to yourself. It is the collection of subliminal perceptions, repressed or forgotten memories, wishes, and emotions in an individual. The memories of the personal unconscious can be evoked, although they cannot be totally controlled by will. Sometimes an accidental association will bring them to light. Sometimes they appear in dreams and fantasies. Hypnosis can also reveal them.

Another important term is the Self. The Self is often confused with the ego. As the ego is only a temporal structure that gives us an identity in this life, the Self is from a higher order than the ego. The Self is that what we are in essence. In psychological terms, it encompasses the conscious, the unconscious, and the ego. The Self is the central archetype in the collective unconscious, like the Sun is the center of the solar system. The Self is the archetype of order, organization and unity. It unifies the personality. The Self is our goal of life, because it is the most complete expression of the highest unity that we call individuality.



The Collective Unconscious

The collective unconscious is an important concept in the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung. The collective unconscious is shared by us all. This means that it is present in each of us, a vast reservoir of the archetypes of the whole of humanity. It is accessible to everyone. In general, the collective unconscious consists of characteristics that many people have in common and which each of us inherit at birth. Fear and happiness, for example are inherited human characteristics. They arise without conscious motives but simply arise from inner necessity.

These archetypes are the result of the many experiences of life that repeat themselves: sunrise and sunset, the seasons, life and death, food, danger, and so on. They are symbols for the experiences of mankind.

The content of the archetype is basically unconscious. It undergoes a transformation when it becomes conscious or when it is being perceived. The way it is transformed depends on the state of consciousness of the individual in which the archetype has arisen.

An archetype is experienced as image and as emotion. It is especially recognizable in such typical and important human situations as birth and death, adolescence, extreme fear or a fearful experience. During such life phases and experiences archetypes will often appear clearly in dreams.

The form of the archetype is only partially determined. Its content is a primal image that can only be given form when it is has become conscious, and thus has become filled with material from the conscious.

Thus archetypes, when becoming conscious, will shape themselves, for example in myths and fairy tales, depending upon the cultural background of the people. A fairy in Europe, for example will be dressed in medieval or renaissance clothing, while in the East it will wear ancient Eastern clothing and be more djinn like of appearance. The underlying content, however, remains the same wherever you go. Archetypes are like a frame. The frame remains the same, but the image that appears inside the frame will be dependent upon the circumstances.

Archetypes cannot be brushed aside. They will always manifest. When a society undergoes a change its manifestations of the archetypes will change too. They get another form, another image in the frame.

Archetypes by themselves are neutral, without value judgments attached to them, but they can be interpreted in a positive, negative or neutral way.



Individuation

Individuation means that one becomes a person, an individual, a totally integrated personality. It is a process of self realization during which one integrates those contents of the psyche that have the ability to become conscious. It is a search for totality. It is an experience that could be formulated as the discovery of the divine in yourself, or the discovery of the totality of your Self. This does not always happen without pain, but it is necessary to accept many things that normally we would shy away from. Once a person has accepted the contents of his unconsciousness and has reached the goal of the individuation process, he is conscious of his relationships with everything that lives, with the entire cosmos.

Individuation is a natural, inherent process in man. It cannot be stimulated by something external, but it grows from the inside. Just as the body can become deformed or sick by lack of nutrition or movement, the personality can be deformed by lack of experience or education. Jung stresses that our modern world does not give enough opportunity to experience the archetype of the Shadow. When a child expresses his animal instincts, generally it is punished by its parents. Punishment does not lead to the extinction of the Shadow (repressed tendencies, more about this later on), which is impossible, but it leads to the suppression of this archetype. The Shadow retreats to an unconscious state, primitive and undifferentiated. Then, when the Shadow breaks through the repressive barrier, and this does happen once in a while, it manifests itself in a sinister, pathological way.



Transcendence

The first step of integration is individuation of all aspects of the personality, which is called the individuation process.

There is a second phase that Jung called the transcendental function. This function has the capacity to unify the opposite tendencies of the personality. The goal of transcendence is the realization of all aspects of the personality as they were originally concealed in the one’s center, and the development of the potential unity. The transcendence is the means to realize the unity of the archetype of the Self.



The Individuation Process

The individuation process begins with becoming conscious of the Persona, the mask we take on in our every day life. After this we become conscious of the Shadow, the repressed characteristics of the ego. Then we become conscious of the Anima, the inner woman in each man, or the Animus, the inner man in each woman. Then the image of the old wise man, or the old wise mother appears, after which the experience of the Self happens.

These phases are not necessarily chronological in order or separated from each other. They can overlap each other or run parallel.



The Persona


The Persona is the mask we all wear, a mask that pretends individuality. It makes us believe that one is a certain individual, but it nothing else than a well played role. The persona is a compromise one creates between himself and the community about how one appears to be. One adopts a name, a title, an occupation, and identifies oneself with this or that. One thinks that one is a businessman, a good father or a misfit, but all this are masks, ways we would like to be or appear to other people and does not always reflect who we really are.

The Persona is a complicated system for connecting the individual consciousness with society. One could call it a mask that makes an impression on other people, but also hides the true nature of the person. It partly results from the demands of a society that one has to play the role that has been ascribed to him. In your profession you need to fulfill the demands of that profession as well as possible. A society demands this as a sort of security measure. From a shoemaker is expected that he repairs shoes to the best of his abilities, not that he is a poet. It is not even wanted that he is a poet, because then society thinks that he is not totally reliable as a shoemaker. In academic circles, a similar person would be regarded as a dilettante, in politics he would be considered as unreliable, in the religious area he would become a free-thinker. As soon as one deviates from his role, he becomes a suspicious person, despite the fact that he might still be an excellent worker in his profession. Therefore, if one wants to make it in society, one can only devote himself to one single thing. Of course, few people are able to do this, as we all have more than one interest. To accommodate to the wishes of society, we create a mask, a Persona. What is behind that mask we call ‘privacy’.

This split in our behavior is not without consequences. If we neglect the development of the Persona, then people might find us insulting or they make our lives difficult, because they expect us to behave in the way society demands. At the other side, there is danger of identifying too much with the role that one is trying to fulfill.


The Shadow


The Shadow represents unknown or little known characteristics of the ego. When one tries to see his Shadow, he becomes conscious, and often ashamed of, the characteristics and impulses that he denies in himself but sees clearly in other people: for example: egotism, spiritual laziness, unreal fantasies, intrigues, indifference, cowardliness, greed, and all those little things of which we say "Oh, it doesn’t matter. Nobody will notice, and besides other people are doing it too".

The Shadow is the inferior being in all of us, it wants to do all those things that we do not allow ourselves to do, or that we don’t want to be. It is the Mr. Hyde in relation to Mr. Jekyll.

The Shadow is not only about not doing something, but also about impulsive and ill considered deeds. Before you have time to think about it, a nasty remarks slips out, leaving you confronted with the result of something that you didn’t really intended.

The Shadow is all those uncivilized desires and emotions that are incompatible with the norms of society and with our ideal personality. It is all we are ashamed of, that we do not wish to be.



When a person joins other people, he automatically feels the need to behave as they do in order to be accepted. Thus, he suppresses more of his tendencies, and thus makes his Shadow bigger. The Shadow can also be a collective phenomenon in regards to the whole of humanity, like the devil or the witch.

While it is necessary to have a certain degree of suppression of one’s characteristics in regards to one’s role in society, the Shadow, remaining the unconscious, will increase in strength. When a moment arises that the Shadow must appear, it can be so powerful and dangerous that it can overwhelm the personality. It shows, for example, when one suddenly gets very angry. It certainly is true with the collective Shadow, when a mass of people is protesting and apparently innocent people turn violent.

In dreams the Shadow appears as a person of the same sex as the dreamer. The Shadow does not have to be an opponent. As it is a part of ourselves we need to take it, give it love and compassion, control it, guide it. The Shadow will only become hostile when it is not understood or is neglected.

[Jack Rabbit]

Yeah, didn't she turn out to be a guy? =P

:huh:

[Abaddon]

The Anima

"There is in the unconscious of each man an inherent image of woman who helps him to understand her being."

The anima is the personification of all female psychological tendencies in the psyche of a man, including feelings, moods, intuition, receptivity for the irrational, the ability for personal love, a feel for nature, and the man's attitude toward the unconscious.

This image becomes conscious by real contacts with women, especially the first woman he encounters in his life. Normally this first woman is his mother, who is the most powerful in shaping him. There are men who have never been able to free themselves from her fascinating power. A man's experience of his mother is of course subjective. How she behaves is less important than his experience of how she behaves. The image he builds is not an exact representation of how she really is, but it is colored and shaped by his inherent ability to produce an image of her, that is, his anima.

If man has the feeling that his mother has had a negative influence on him, then the anima will often be expressed with irritating, depressive moods, insecurity, a feeling of being unsafe, and touchiness. This negative anima can be expressed in nasty, effeminate remarks, with which he demolishes everything possible. Another anima trick is pseudo-intellectual dialogs which prevents a man from feeling life closely and coming to real decisions. He thinks so much about life that he cannot live, and he losses all spontaneity and the flow of life.

Without a healthy anima, a man becomes effeminate, or becomes the prey of women, and he is not capable of handling the difficulties of life. Such men can be very sentimental or touchy.

When he is grown up his image of the anima is projected onto the women that attract him. It is then that a lot of misunderstandings arise, as most men are not aware that their projection does not correspond with who the woman is in reality. This is the cause of a lot of strange love affairs and divorces. Unfortunately, this projection does not happen in a rational way. It is not that a man is actively projecting, but that the projection happens to him automatically.

Because the anima is an archetype, she has characteristics that continue to appear throughout the ages. She has a quality of eternity. Often she looks young, although she has the feeling that she already has years of experience. She is wise but not overpowering. She often has the feeling of being special, or having a secret knowledge. She is often connected to the earth or water and can have great power. She has both a light and a dark aspect. She can be the pure, good, noble figure, almost a goddess, but she can also be a prostitute, a seductress or a witch. Especially in children’s dreams these opposite aspects are pronounced.

The dark aspect will most likely appear when a man has suppressed or underestimated his female nature, treating women with contempt or carelessness.

He anima can also appear in the form a fey or an elf and lure men away from their work or home, like the sirens in ancient times. In mythology and literature she continues to appear as a goddess and ‘femme fatale’.

In the life of men the anima expresses herself not only in the projection to women, but also in his creative activities, in his fantasies, his moods, premonitions, and emotional explosions. An old Chinese text says that when a man wakes up in the morning with a heavy or bad mood, it is his soul, or anima, that is responsible for this. She disturbs his concentration by whispering absurd ideas and spoils his day by supplying him with a vague feeling that something is not all right, or she wanders through his dreams with seductive visions.

Positive and negative as just two sides of a coin. In essence the anima is a guide to the psychological development of a man. Each time when man’s logical mind is not able to recognize or understand unconscious contents, his anima will help him to dig them out. His anima helps him to tune himself to the correct inner values and thereby helping him to open the door to his inner world. Thus the anima takes the role of guide and mediator in his inner world. Then man has to take serious those feelings, moods, expectations and fantasies sent by his anima, and fix them in one form or another, like writing, painting, sculpting. When he is working on this with patience then his unconscious contents will well up and connect with earlier material. Whatever results from it has to be examined both intellectually as well as with his feelings. It is important to consider it is not just ‘fantasy’, but that is very real.


The Animus

The animus in women is the counterpart of the anima in men. Like the anima, the animus has three roots: the collective image of a man that a woman acquires, her own experiences with men in her life, and the latent male principle in herself.

The animus also has good and bad aspects. In contrast with the anima in men which appears most often in the form of erotic fantasies or moods, the animus has a stronger tendency to appear in the form of ‘sacred’ convictions. This male part in women is apparent when she lectures with a loud, obtrusive, male voice, or by unreasonable, emotional scenes. Even in a woman who at the outside is very feminine, the anima can be a hard, unforgiving power. That woman can suddenly become stubborn, cold and completely inaccessible.

Typical for such women is the endless repetition of thoughts like: "The only thing in the world I want is love, but he doesn’t love me." Or "In this situation there are only two possibilities, and both are as bad". The animus never believes in exceptions. In general one cannot contradict an animus, because usually it is right, but at the same time it doesn’t quite fit the individual situation. It is mostly only a reasoning, an opinion. It looks right, but is beside the point.

Just as the anima of a man is formed by his experience of his mother, so the animus of a woman is formed through hers of her father. The father gives her indisputable ‘true’ convictions that never include the personal reality of the daughter herself.

In his negative aspect, the animus is personified by a cocoon of dreamy thoughts, filled with desires and judgments of ‘how things must be’, excluding the reality of her own life. In his positive aspect, he can be very valuable aid in building a bridge to the Self by his creative ability.

The animus often appears (especially in dreams) as a group of men, this shows that the animus personifies a collective element rather than a personal element. Because of the collective aspect, women usually in reference to "they’ or ‘everybody’ include ‘always’, should’ and ‘must’.

The animus is a kind of a collection of fathers and similar authorities, who pass an intellectualized, indisputable judgment. It is mostly formed from words and opinions picked up from childhood on and later brought together into a canon of half-truths, a treasure chest of preconceptions. They are justified by "It is always done like that" or "Everybody is saying that it like this". This critical judgment can sometimes act against her self resulting in an inferiority complex limiting her self-initiative. In other situations she can turn against people in a completely destructive way. She will criticize her neighbors, demolish the reputation of strangers without any reasonable explanation, or she makes belittling remarks to her family members or people with whom she works with the opinion that "it is good for them", or "I like to call things by their name", or "I just do not want to spoil them".

An intelligent and developed woman is just as susceptible to the negative aspects of the animus as less developed one. A less developed woman will quote a newspaper instead of the state or a university. If her opinion is being questioned she will become quarrelsome or dogmatic. This side of a woman craves for power. She can become aggressive, dominating and unreasonable.

Because of this aspect of the animus it is very difficult for a woman to think in a non-prejudiced way. She always has to be aware of that inner voice that constantly tells her "that it needs to be this way", or "they should do it this way".

The positive side of the animus is that when a woman needs the courage and the aggressively he will be there to support her. When a woman realizes that her opinions are based on generalities and authorities, then the animus can help her to look for knowledge and wisdom.



Significance of Anima and Animus

The way anima and animus function can be made conscious, but they are themselves factors that are transcendent to the conscious, and thus to perception and will. They remain autonomous and one needs to keep an eye on them.

Anima and animus are mediators between the conscious and the unconscious psyche. They can be understood when they appear, personified, in fantasies, dreams, visions.



The Old Wise Man

After the anima and animus, the archetypes of the old wise man and the great mother arise, respectively in man and woman.



The old wise man appears in the form of king, hero, medicine man, savior, magician, saint, ruler over man and spirits, God's closest friend and so on. This archetype is a real danger for the personality, because once it has been aroused, a man can easily believe that he possesses ‘mana’, real magical power, and wisdom. He who is possessed by this archetype believes he is gifted with great (maybe esoteric) wisdom, prophetic gifts, the ability to heal and so on. Such a man can gather followers, as he has entered the unconscious way further than anybody else.

The archetype has a fascinating power, intuitively felt by people and not easily resisted. They are fascinated by what he is saying, but after analysis it is often not intelligent. The power of the old wise man can be destructive as it forces a man to act above his power and capacity. He does not posses the wisdom he claims. In reality it is the voice of the unconscious that should be subjected to criticism and analysis.


The Great Mother


In a woman the archetype of the great mother acts in a similar way to the old wise man in a man. Any woman possessed by this archetype, believes that she is gifted with an unlimited capacity to love and to understand, to help and to protect, and she will exhaust herself in service to others. The archetype can be destructive when the woman is fixated on the belief that anybody within her sphere of influence are ‘her children" and therefore they are helpless or dependent on her.



The Experience of the Self

The process of individuation is not easy for Western man because he has difficulty with the concept of paradoxes. Nevertheless it is necessary to accept both the superior and the inferior, the rational and the irrational, the order and the chaos, light and darkness, yin and yang.

The Self, according to Jung, is not a kind of universal consciousness. It is rather an awareness of our unique nature and our intimate connection with all life. This life is not only human but also animal, with plants and minerals, and even the entire cosmos. It gives us a sense of ‘unity’ and acceptance of life as it is, and not as we might think we want it to be.

The Self is symbolized in the form a child, Christ, Buddha, and so on. In dreams it can sprout forth from an animal or an egg. The hermaphrodite, an often used alchemical image, is another symbol, it joins the opposites of male and female. Other images are the difficult to obtain treasure, a jewel, a flower, a golden egg or golden ball, a chalice like the Grail, and all fourfold images like mandalas.



Importance of the Environment

Jung thought that that heritage can play a role in the balance of a personality. Man can have inherent extrovert or introvert tendencies, or he can be a rather emotional type instead of an intellectual, and his anima can be strong or weak.

The other major component in the development of a personality is the environment. The environment in which one grows up or lives, can deform, stimulate, or stabilize one’s development. The environment can interfere with the growth of the personality by taking away the necessary stimuli or by making inappropriate contacts.

Parents play an extremely important role in the development of the character of the child. They are responsible for the mistakes of the child and for stimulating his good tendencies. During its first years, the child does not have its own identity. His psyche is a reflection of the psyche of his parents. Every psychic disorder of the parents is reflected in the child. When the child goes to school it starts to develop its own individuality. The influence of its parents can still be strong if they are overprotective, make decisions that the child should have made, and prevent the child from having sufficient experiences. Under these circumstances the individuation of the child is stunned.

The individuation process is also limited by parents who try to impose their own psychic tendencies onto the child, or when one of the parents is seeking to compensate for his/her own shortcomings through the child.

Jung was convinced that the educators have a much stronger influence on the individuation of a child than the parents. The educators should bring the unconscious in the student into the conscious. They could expand the conscious of students by providing him with a multitude of experiences. Educators are in a position to discover imbalances in the child and to help it to overcome weaknesses in it's character. A child who is an overly developed intellectual type could be stimulated to come into contact with his feelings. An introvert student could be stimulated to show his extrovert side. However, the most important task of educators is the recognition of the individuality of each student and the promotion of a balanced development of individuality.

[nosebleed.]

Can I have an affair with my anima? That would be sweet.

[The Spawn]

Yes you can.

[Abaddon]

take off your mask

[The Spawn]

Who?

[Abaddon]

the four of you

[The Spawn]

Including you?

[Abaddon]

No, I meant what I said.

[The Spawn]

I'd hope so.

[Abaddon]

You're still not sure who I was asking.

[The Spawn]

Yes, I am.

[Abaddon]

Nah, but you're pretending you are.:o

[The Spawn]

In the end, it's what I want you to think I think I know that really matters.

[Abaddon]

Don't kid yourself, I'm the one in control here.:o

[The Spawn]

Are you sure?

[Abaddon]

Doubtless.

[Master Chief]

That's what she said!!!

OoOoOoH!!!!

...Teach me. :(

[The Spawn]

Sorry Master, it is too late for you.

[Abaddon]

So what are your thoughts on individuation, Jim?

[The Spawn]

Whose Jim?

[Abaddon]

Jim is what I'm going to call you. I think it's a good fit.

[The Spawn]

I think you should see a doctor.

[Abaddon]

Whatever, Jim.



So, answer the question.:)

[The Spawn]

It depends.

[Abaddon]

what is there to depend on?:huh:

[The Spawn]

What you define it as.

[Abaddon]

I asked you what your thoughts are. You either have thoughts on it or you don't. There is nothing to depend on.:huh:

[The Spawn]

I just told you...

[Abaddon]

oh, I thought you were being all vague and stuff. :o x 50.


So what do you define it as?:)

[The Spawn]

...

[Abaddon]

I already posted a description of what it is. Do you not agree?:huh::):cmad:

[The Spawn]

You didn't so I don't.

[Abaddon]

When did I indicate that I didn't agree?:huh:

[The Spawn]

Never....I didn't give you anything to agree with.

[Abaddon]

I know that. I was talking about the information I posted.

[The Spawn]

What information.

[Abaddon]

The memory's giving out on ya.:csad:


The individuation process is a term created by the famous psychologist Carl Gustav Jung to describe the process of becoming aware of oneself, of one’s make-up, and the way to discover one’s true, inner self. Although the structure is basic and simple, the contents require a much deeper understanding.

For as long as mankind has existed, there were always people who asked themselves that most intriguing question: "Who am I". There is no simple answer, but Jung’s individuation process provides us with some clear guidelines. First you need to understand a couple of terms, frequently used in psychology.

The ego. We are all familiar with the ego, or are we? What is the ego? When we say "I" or "me", what are we pointing to? The ego is the center of consciousness, but it is not what you are, as most people think. It is rather a function that allows you to distinguish yourself from others. It is a structure that orders your psychological qualities, so you can make sense of yourself and your actions. It gives you a sense of uniqueness, but know that we all have that in common.

What we also have in common is a conscious and an unconscious. With the conscious we are able to experience everyday life. The unconscious is a part of ourselves that kind of remains in the background, but is in no way inactive or inert. The unconscious is composed of hidden aspects of ourselves that continue to work on the conscious and thus on our everyday life, although we are not mostly not aware of it. The unconscious tries to bring man back into balance. In life we are not always able to do or be what we would like. Thus, the unconscious will influence our behavior and actions in a way that will compensate. These unconscious tendencies can be stronger than our conscious, and can even go against our will. Thus we tell things in a flare of anger, of which we will be very sorry afterwards.

Jung divided the unconscious in two parts: the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal conscious only belongs to yourself. It is the collection of subliminal perceptions, repressed or forgotten memories, wishes, and emotions in an individual. The memories of the personal unconscious can be evoked, although they cannot be totally controlled by will. Sometimes an accidental association will bring them to light. Sometimes they appear in dreams and fantasies. Hypnosis can also reveal them.

Another important term is the Self. The Self is often confused with the ego. As the ego is only a temporal structure that gives us an identity in this life, the Self is from a higher order than the ego. The Self is that what we are in essence. In psychological terms, it encompasses the conscious, the unconscious, and the ego. The Self is the central archetype in the collective unconscious, like the Sun is the center of the solar system. The Self is the archetype of order, organization and unity. It unifies the personality. The Self is our goal of life, because it is the most complete expression of the highest unity that we call individuality.



The Collective Unconscious

The collective unconscious is an important concept in the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung. The collective unconscious is shared by us all. This means that it is present in each of us, a vast reservoir of the archetypes of the whole of humanity. It is accessible to everyone. In general, the collective unconscious consists of characteristics that many people have in common and which each of us inherit at birth. Fear and happiness, for example are inherited human characteristics. They arise without conscious motives but simply arise from inner necessity.

These archetypes are the result of the many experiences of life that repeat themselves: sunrise and sunset, the seasons, life and death, food, danger, and so on. They are symbols for the experiences of mankind.

The content of the archetype is basically unconscious. It undergoes a transformation when it becomes conscious or when it is being perceived. The way it is transformed depends on the state of consciousness of the individual in which the archetype has arisen.

An archetype is experienced as image and as emotion. It is especially recognizable in such typical and important human situations as birth and death, adolescence, extreme fear or a fearful experience. During such life phases and experiences archetypes will often appear clearly in dreams.

The form of the archetype is only partially determined. Its content is a primal image that can only be given form when it is has become conscious, and thus has become filled with material from the conscious.

Thus archetypes, when becoming conscious, will shape themselves, for example in myths and fairy tales, depending upon the cultural background of the people. A fairy in Europe, for example will be dressed in medieval or renaissance clothing, while in the East it will wear ancient Eastern clothing and be more djinn like of appearance. The underlying content, however, remains the same wherever you go. Archetypes are like a frame. The frame remains the same, but the image that appears inside the frame will be dependent upon the circumstances.

Archetypes cannot be brushed aside. They will always manifest. When a society undergoes a change its manifestations of the archetypes will change too. They get another form, another image in the frame.

Archetypes by themselves are neutral, without value judgments attached to them, but they can be interpreted in a positive, negative or neutral way.



Individuation

Individuation means that one becomes a person, an individual, a totally integrated personality. It is a process of self realization during which one integrates those contents of the psyche that have the ability to become conscious. It is a search for totality. It is an experience that could be formulated as the discovery of the divine in yourself, or the discovery of the totality of your Self. This does not always happen without pain, but it is necessary to accept many things that normally we would shy away from. Once a person has accepted the contents of his unconsciousness and has reached the goal of the individuation process, he is conscious of his relationships with everything that lives, with the entire cosmos.

Individuation is a natural, inherent process in man. It cannot be stimulated by something external, but it grows from the inside. Just as the body can become deformed or sick by lack of nutrition or movement, the personality can be deformed by lack of experience or education. Jung stresses that our modern world does not give enough opportunity to experience the archetype of the Shadow. When a child expresses his animal instincts, generally it is punished by its parents. Punishment does not lead to the extinction of the Shadow (repressed tendencies, more about this later on), which is impossible, but it leads to the suppression of this archetype. The Shadow retreats to an unconscious state, primitive and undifferentiated. Then, when the Shadow breaks through the repressive barrier, and this does happen once in a while, it manifests itself in a sinister, pathological way.



Transcendence

The first step of integration is individuation of all aspects of the personality, which is called the individuation process.

There is a second phase that Jung called the transcendental function. This function has the capacity to unify the opposite tendencies of the personality. The goal of transcendence is the realization of all aspects of the personality as they were originally concealed in the one’s center, and the development of the potential unity. The transcendence is the means to realize the unity of the archetype of the Self.



The Individuation Process

The individuation process begins with becoming conscious of the Persona, the mask we take on in our every day life. After this we become conscious of the Shadow, the repressed characteristics of the ego. Then we become conscious of the Anima, the inner woman in each man, or the Animus, the inner man in each woman. Then the image of the old wise man, or the old wise mother appears, after which the experience of the Self happens.

These phases are not necessarily chronological in order or separated from each other. They can overlap each other or run parallel.



The Persona


The Persona is the mask we all wear, a mask that pretends individuality. It makes us believe that one is a certain individual, but it nothing else than a well played role. The persona is a compromise one creates between himself and the community about how one appears to be. One adopts a name, a title, an occupation, and identifies oneself with this or that. One thinks that one is a businessman, a good father or a misfit, but all this are masks, ways we would like to be or appear to other people and does not always reflect who we really are.

The Persona is a complicated system for connecting the individual consciousness with society. One could call it a mask that makes an impression on other people, but also hides the true nature of the person. It partly results from the demands of a society that one has to play the role that has been ascribed to him. In your profession you need to fulfill the demands of that profession as well as possible. A society demands this as a sort of security measure. From a shoemaker is expected that he repairs shoes to the best of his abilities, not that he is a poet. It is not even wanted that he is a poet, because then society thinks that he is not totally reliable as a shoemaker. In academic circles, a similar person would be regarded as a dilettante, in politics he would be considered as unreliable, in the religious area he would become a free-thinker. As soon as one deviates from his role, he becomes a suspicious person, despite the fact that he might still be an excellent worker in his profession. Therefore, if one wants to make it in society, one can only devote himself to one single thing. Of course, few people are able to do this, as we all have more than one interest. To accommodate to the wishes of society, we create a mask, a Persona. What is behind that mask we call ‘privacy’.

This split in our behavior is not without consequences. If we neglect the development of the Persona, then people might find us insulting or they make our lives difficult, because they expect us to behave in the way society demands. At the other side, there is danger of identifying too much with the role that one is trying to fulfill.


The Shadow


The Shadow represents unknown or little known characteristics of the ego. When one tries to see his Shadow, he becomes conscious, and often ashamed of, the characteristics and impulses that he denies in himself but sees clearly in other people: for example: egotism, spiritual laziness, unreal fantasies, intrigues, indifference, cowardliness, greed, and all those little things of which we say "Oh, it doesn’t matter. Nobody will notice, and besides other people are doing it too".

The Shadow is the inferior being in all of us, it wants to do all those things that we do not allow ourselves to do, or that we don’t want to be. It is the Mr. Hyde in relation to Mr. Jekyll.

The Shadow is not only about not doing something, but also about impulsive and ill considered deeds. Before you have time to think about it, a nasty remarks slips out, leaving you confronted with the result of something that you didn’t really intended.

The Shadow is all those uncivilized desires and emotions that are incompatible with the norms of society and with our ideal personality. It is all we are ashamed of, that we do not wish to be.



When a person joins other people, he automatically feels the need to behave as they do in order to be accepted. Thus, he suppresses more of his tendencies, and thus makes his Shadow bigger. The Shadow can also be a collective phenomenon in regards to the whole of humanity, like the devil or the witch.

While it is necessary to have a certain degree of suppression of one’s characteristics in regards to one’s role in society, the Shadow, remaining the unconscious, will increase in strength. When a moment arises that the Shadow must appear, it can be so powerful and dangerous that it can overwhelm the personality. It shows, for example, when one suddenly gets very angry. It certainly is true with the collective Shadow, when a mass of people is protesting and apparently innocent people turn violent.

In dreams the Shadow appears as a person of the same sex as the dreamer. The Shadow does not have to be an opponent. As it is a part of ourselves we need to take it, give it love and compassion, control it, guide it. The Shadow will only become hostile when it is not understood or is neglected.

[The Spawn]

I didn't see that posted...

But yeah, it all sounds like a video game.

[Abaddon]

how so?

[The Spawn]

"The process of becoming aware of oneself, of one’s make-up, and the way to discover one’s true, inner self."


That alone screams "wtf?" and this: Although the structure is basic and simple, the contents require a much deeper understanding.

Is something a cult would use to describe their inhumane rituals.

[Abaddon]

Now you're just being negative.:o

[The Spawn]

No, bias.

[Abaddon]

Bias because you leanings towards an alternative?

[The Spawn]

I'm not hot for Jung.

[Abaddon]

Why not?

[The Spawn]

I don't know actually...I guess because of my options.

[Abaddon]

you have better options?

[The Spawn]

http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Psychology/Psychologists/

[Abaddon]

you like Freud?:huh:

[The Spawn]

He's the man.

[Abaddon]

blah

[The Spawn]

How dare you.

[Abaddon]

I dare. In fact, I double dog dare.:o

[The Spawn]

Any other questions?

[X-Chick]

Jim is a terrible fit.

[The Spawn]

That's a statement.

[Abaddon]

What about Adrian?

[The Spawn]

No,

[Abaddon]

Eric? Henry?

[The Spawn]

Yes.No.

[lollycop]

I dont even know what this threads about ;(

[X-Chick]

I didn't really think your name fit you at first anyway. But it does. In an ironic way.

[The Spawn]

Ironic?

[X-Chick]

It's such a simple and common name for one of the most complicated men I know. So yeah, its somewhat ironic. And I guess the meaning fits.

[The Spawn]

What about John?

[X-Chick]

Hardly. It's hard to imagine you with any other name. Your name is the only name I associate with you, so nothing else will seem right.

[Abaddon]

I think he's much less complicated than he seems.:o

[X-Chick]

It depends on the situation. Though, he can be even more complicated than he seems.

[Abaddon]

I'll buy that.

[The Spawn]

You better not return it either.

[X-Chick]

Hm, well it is the truth. Easy to buy, hard to return.

[The Spawn]

Why were you asking about my purpose?

[X-Chick]

Why weren't you answering?

[The Spawn]

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

[X-Chick]

That seems fair I suppose. But not here. I'll IM or PM you after my training. If you reply.

[The Spawn]

What training?

[X-Chick]

Well, now I just work on the weekends and I took the semester off from school, so I have a lot of free time. I had to find something to do, so I went back to martial arts and possibly boxing later.

[The Spawn]

What form of MA?

[X-Chick]

Kenpo