the historical sense

After a couple of decades of deep experience and self-analysis, I believe that the structure of my psyche may be significantly different from that of people who were raised in the West, or indeed in circumstances of advanced industrialization.  I have had experiences that may not be available to many people, as a result of this – my different upbringing and my different structure of the psyche.

 

So what concerns me is that I am true to myself and to my insights, which have been accumulated in circumstances that most people would describe as extremely difficult (compared to what is considered normal circumstances).

 

Also, I see the historical sense as part of the accruement of my particular shamanism.  I think that when many Westerners have a blocked sense of instinct or the capacity to see things according to their own organic capabilities, they are also fundamentally lacking in a notion of historical sense – for instance, they tend to see their childhood selves and their adult selves and their future selves as all mostly the same, with just a few minor changes.  This is a lack of historical sense and a lack of understanding of how deeply they are entwined in their present environment – I mean how much their present cultural environment moderates their experiences.  If they were able to see themselves coming under the force of history and it’s political structures and being forced to change and become something else under its pressures, they would suddenly understand a great deal more than they do – and be able to afford an exoteric perspective!

 

My emphasis on shamanism is very much in terms of a historical construct.  It seems we disagree on our paradigms in this regard.  There may be those who think differently (which I also put down to the impact of historical formation forces).

 

Mine is a historically interested paradigm, first and foremost.