thanks richard!<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 10:42 PM, Poor Richard <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:poor_richard@att.net">poor_richard@att.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="im">On 9/12/2011 7:39 AM, Michel Bauwens wrote:<br>
> related to our question/discussion here:<br>
><br>
> <a href="http://noetic.org/noetic/issue-fourteen-september/the-guru-question/" target="_blank">http://noetic.org/noetic/issue-fourteen-september/the-guru-question/</a><br>
><br>
> with a comment of mine at the bottom<br>
<br>
</div>Michel, I am not fond of the word guru, but I acknowledge the existence<br>
of people who fit many of the commonly attributed criteria to varying<br>
degrees. The thing is, many of the guru critera can be met by many<br>
people who would not be widely acknowledged as gurus. These are simply<br>
highly-developed people in all walks of like. I don't want to imply they<br>
are plentiful, exactly, but they are more plentiful than the classic<br>
gurus. The closest people to being gurus I've known personally were an<br>
elderly 5th grade english & history teacher, two fellow middle school<br>
students, and Dr. John C. Lilly of the Janus Institute. I spent a couple<br>
of weeks with him and was introduced to the sensory deprivation tank.<br>
Though I had already read his work before meeting him, the participatory<br>
interaction was very effective in amplifying and imprinting everything.<br>
Lilly also has a special presence, similar to the Jaque Cousteau I've<br>
met only through the TV set. If that weren't enough, his wife was<br>
totally awesome.<br>
<br>
On the other hand, I tend to exclude most of the people who call<br>
themselves "gurus" from serious consideration these days.<br>
<br>
I believe J. Krishnamurti and George Gurdjieff among others whose work<br>
and lives I am familiar with, might have deserved the title, but of<br>
contemporary people I might call gurus I can only think of Pemma Chodron<br>
and Thich Nat Hann, but I'm not sure if they really qualify. I am most<br>
confident of Pemma because of listening to many hours of her audio. The<br>
voice conveys a bunch of information.<br>
<br>
Rather than guru, I prefer the terms teacher, mentor, or more in the p2p<br>
vein, learning partners.<br>
<br>
What all gurus and teachers potentially have in common is just more of<br>
something you want than you already have. Im my case, I would define<br>
such things in terms of bio-cognitive development, skills and abilities,<br>
knowledge, and wisdom rather than in spiritual terms.<br>
<br>
Even the so-called direct transmission occurs in some degree between any<br>
two people (or more) who become intimate, in proportion to the degree of<br>
intimacy achieved. Intimacy is not only built through direct<br>
face-to-face and physical contact, but through various kinds of shared<br>
activity as well.<br>
<br>
As direct psycho-physical intimacy increases over time, the bandwidth of<br>
the bio-cognitive communication increases. Some of the channels are<br>
language, voice quality, body language, pheromones, and<br>
bio-electromagnetic fields. Voice modulation, body language (including<br>
micro cues), airborne chemicals, and physical contact all stimulate the<br>
release of a wide array of neurotransmitters and other hormones<br>
throughout the body. These change the states of brain networks, nerves,<br>
and tissues throughout the body. That much is established fact.<br>
<br>
My additional hypothesis is that all these channels of communication<br>
gradually come into greater synchronization between people. Its similar<br>
to the way higher data throughput is achieved between nodes in a<br>
computer or communication network as they each synchronize to the same<br>
timing, states, and protocols. The rate at which this happens between<br>
people and the degree to which it happens depends on the innate<br>
psycho-physiological characteristics of the participants as well as<br>
their acquired proficiency. It can be trained, although such methods are<br>
not well developed in the secular world. When well-developed,<br>
interpersonal communication bandwidth may change as much as the<br>
difference between using a 300 baud modem and using a 10 gigabit<br>
broadband connection with a computer.<br>
<br>
The importance of shared activity to developing bio-cognitive intimacy<br>
and high communication bandwidth can't be over-emphasized. Important<br>
activities are singing and dancing, eating and drinking (especially<br>
alcohol), domestic houskeeping (especially kitchen work), manual labor<br>
(gardening/farm work, carpentry, etc.), professional work, artistic<br>
collaboration, dialog/debate, sports and recreation (camping is great),<br>
travelling, and adventure. Sharing risks and crises is especially<br>
effective. The more time participants spend �together the better.<br>
Sharing living quarters and workplaces is especially effective, within<br>
the limits of intimacy fatigue. And of course if these things are done<br>
mindfully, with the intention of developing high-bandwidth intimacy, and<br>
with appropriate methods and skills, the best results are possible.<br>
<br>
Some of this is common sense, but the hypothesis about high-bandwidth<br>
bio-cognitive intimacy is not something I pulled out of my ass. I have<br>
achieved such intimacy with several different individuals and with<br>
several small groups who lived and worked together.<br>
<br>
Drugs: under the right circumstances there can be a place for the<br>
controlled, educated use of psychoactive substances in the formation of<br>
high-bandwidth bio-cognitive intimacy.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
PR<br>
<br>
</font></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.net</a>� - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a> <br>
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