Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Another year older, another rainy day. I've made some progress in reading Noble. After reading the phrases "spiritual transcendence" and "useful arts" so many times (Thanks, Bacon) I decided to yank out my text from ANTH 3320 last year for Religious Anthropology. In it: "Human limitations and neuroses are the products of negative memories or images ("engrams") that must be dislodged if we are to achieve our full potential. Engrams can be eliminated through a form of spiritual counseling called "auditing", which requires precise interview protocols and the strategic use of an electronic tool called the "E-meter"". (on Scientology) Achieving our "full potential", also known as... spiritual transcendence? I'm reminded of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which indicates that the highest and most sophisticated human need is "self-actualization". Anyway, I love the claim that this E-meter device (likely the layman's lie detector... at least this is what was concluded in class last year) plays a role in one's spiritual counseling. I'm not sure that this is what Bacon or Fiore were talking about when they were discussing millenarianism/spiritual transcendence through technology. B
# posted by Bonnie @ York : 12:03 PM
