You know, every once in a while some asshole comes in and starts howling about how we ex-members of the Academy for Psychic Studies should just forget what happened, thrust our hand on our pockets and shuffle off silently without ever speaking ill of the abuses, the exploitation and the deep betrayal we have all experienced.
"Live and Let Live" is the warped mantra they usually chant. Live your life and let the Witches of Ellsworth live theirs without MY blog and without MY commentary and without the interference of ME exposing the harmful and destructive practices that are the hallmark of the Academy for Psychic Studies. These individuals want to never hear the empresses have no clothes. They won't stand for anyone standing tall and standing up. They won't ever tolerate or accept that anyone could say anyone could possibly be wrong or that they have disrupted and destroyed lives. Such an idea would not be possible in the esoteric world of the spiritually elite where all beings are good and perfect as they are.
All persons that is, except for me and those of us who speak out. We are the spiritually deficient and should be blamed for all the troubles of the world and must be lynched from the nearest tree at the earliest opportunity.
So much for "forgive and forget", "live and let live" I guess. I find it amazing that anyone would believe those pithy aphorisms apply to all but myself and you who follow my blog. Sill, I wonder what might be that person's reaction when the things that happened to us happen to them?
Probably exactly like ours.
I've just had a really bad experience with my sister-in-law. She and her daughter lived with us for a while and completely disrupted our home, our marriage and our lives. The behavior of the daughter was more than obnoxious, it was abusive, degrading and absolutely unacceptable. My sister-in-law denied anything was wrong, excused the daughter's behavior and when pressed, turned around and blamed the girl's bad behavior on ME saying she would not be in that state if I would just "live and let live".
WTF?
It was my insistence that the 14 year old girl do some simple and quick chores around the house to integrate her into family life at our home, my intolerance of her wearing her iPod at the dinner table and frequently insulting her family members, my distaste for her smoking and drug use, my strong opinion that her 0.0 GPA was not only poor academic performance but should be addressed with extra support and attention from her school that was so rude, intrusive, uncaring and non-supportive that all the stress and ills in my sister-in-law and niece's lives were indeed a result of my less-than-spiritual and unenlightened persona.
I guess it was my behavior that prompted my wife to say "We are NOT having kids! We CANNOT risk having a kid like HER!" and "If that girl turns up at our door - YOU KEEP IT SHUT!" Although I am not the girl's parent, her problems are all my fault. Makes sense to me. My sister-in-law must be right. I should have my balls cut off as penance.
I think those of you who knew me at the Academy for Psychic Studies recall how much time I spent with the children there. And you may recall my conduct with them. You may recall that I went out of my way to teach one kid basic writing and spelling skills, I fed some who's parent forgot to serve them meals, I clothed several when they worked in the freezing cold. And yes, I wouldn't stand for them wearing iPods at dinner, insulting family, smoking, drug use, drinking alcohol or ignoring their education either.
What in hell does all that have to do with this post? And why am I wasting space defending myself against another ludicrous accusation?
Recall that first paragraph. "Forgive and Forget" "Live and Let Live" Stay silent. Leave the Witches of Ellsworth alone. And worse of all: you are the real person who is to blame.
My sister-in-law threw a brick like that at me as she was packing up and moving out of the house (thankfully - the moving out, that is, not the brick throwing) and I was cleaning up cigarette butts, marijuana leaves and vodka bottles from my niece's bedroom. So I figured it would be a good topic for this blog.
The spiritually deluded like to see the real world as something to be feared and the esoteric and dreamy world of the spiritual is so perfect none can make even a mild criticism of an organization like the Spiritual Rights Foundation.
Ask Jeff, the Psychdoctorate about the trolls he has to deal with. Every one of them calls HIM out as the villain. Some say they never saw anything out of the ordinary right after they say they never bothered to take a look around. Others call Jeff names and insult his honesty.
Look at Joy's blog. The ex-bishops adult daughters never offered correction or even tried to engage in any kind of dialog. They just insulted her in every way possible.
The spiritually enlightened are above it all. They are above reality and above reason and certainly above any call for them to behave reasonably.
I've been thinking it over for a lot of time, now. There is just no understanding the people who just want us to shut the hell up and there is no way to reason with them.
I left a comment on the Psychdoctorate's blog replying to this little gem:
- I didn't know Lewis or have anything to do with him. However, to have an entire site dedicated to destroying someone who is dead, seems sad some how. I hope that you will learn to forgive and forget as I would hope you will suggest to your future patients.
- "Forgive and Forget" seems pretty presumptuous coming from someone who admits she doesn't know Lewis Bostwick or has had anything to do with him (and likely had little experience with BPI either).
- I'd imagine that commenter has not been in an abusive or exploitative relationship.
- Would this person simply be able to turn away, "forgive and forget" when the realization finally washes over them that they were used and abused?
- Or would that person turn to a therapist? Would that therapist listen patiently for an hour and dispense the helpful advice "well, just forgive and forget" before thrusting his hand out for his fee and tossing you out the door?
- Those who personally experienced Lewis Bostwick and his crazier graduates can speak volumes of the abuse and mistreatment they suffered.
- Much more than a few suffer after-effects such as PTSD, insomnia, depression, anxiety and more (like suicide attempts).
- Jeff is performing his civic duty and his moral obligation to warn prospective members of BPI of the practices that occur behind closed doors (and the practices at BPI continue even after Bostwick's death). He has not only made his story public but has provided a forum for others who suffered similarly to make sense of the experience and begin the healing process.
- I'll be sure to pass on your advice to "forgive and forget" to those who are experiencing PTSD, depression, anxiety and insomnia. I'm sure they will appreciate your thoughful and compassionate advice, you fucking tool.
I think that's the think right there. There are people with a deluded sense that all will be well if they believe all is well. Didn't the Academy for Psychic Studies tell you the same while they picked your pocket and slapped you in the face?
Doesn't thinking all is well when your world is crumbling around you smack of delusion?
And won't your positive thinking positively distract your attention towards something not-so-well while you ignore the things you would have to address?
For me, it's not easy or anything less than painful to re-live those experiences at the Academy for Psychic Studies. It's not easy to reconcile myself with the thought that several good people at the Academy will never leave and will never escape the exploitation. It's shameful to reflect upon all that I lost and what little I gained (apart from my marriage, of course).
I would like to forgive and forget, live and let live. But how can I do forget and how can I "let live" while those who have cause so much pain and destroyed so many lives continue to loot and pillage?
When there is wrongdoing in the world, we must address it. When one is on a path of destruction whether they destroy only themselves or those they encounter, we have the duty to address that behavior for the good of the fabric of our society and to uphold the decency we stand for as Americans.
As for my sister-in-law, I'm not too hopeful she will admit the responsibility to recognize and act to correct her daughter's behavior problems lay with her and her alone. While her daughter's school and mental health professionals announced their eagerness to help, she minimized the problem and obstructed any support.
Despite her protests, the daughter's school intervened (at my insistence) and are providing assistance without her agreement (which they can do if the need exists and the parent is uncooperative). I hope my sister-in-law will cooperate with the school and other officials who are attempting to bring her daughter out of the darkness of substance abuse and anti-social behavior. I'm not too hopeful of that either.
I'll never get a trophy for that action, for standing up to save the life of a teen girl. I don't expect many accolades for standing up to save those who may fall victim to the Academy for Psychic Studies either. And I certainly can't expect a pat on the back from any current or most former members of the Academy for Psychic Studies.
Almost every one of the ex-members absolutely hate the Academy for Psychic Studies (so do many current members). Yet most are too afraid to speak up and they will never acknowledge me - unless they want to make a stupid complaint based on unfounded rumors.
And while they remain silent in their hate of the Academy, they still demonize me for things even they don't understand.
Thanks to the indescribably horrific experience at the Academy for Psychic Studies, their fear of the world continues. As well as their fear of the Academy.
And as my sister-in-law fears and distrusts those who want to do nothing more than help save her daughter, the ex-SRF-ies stand in fear and distrust of anyone who has the courage to speak out against our tormentors to help those who may fall victim avoid our fate.
But still, let's all "forgive and forget". Let's all "live and let live". Let's all allow those who disrupted lives and caused emotional trauma to continue to feed on more victims.
I'll forgive the Academy for Psychic Studies when the exploitation and abuse ends.
Why?
Can you forgive one who can't abuse you anymore but abuses your friend so severely he has PTSD? Can you forgive one who can't steal from you but still takes from those you care about? Can you forgive those who would keep old men with money hanging on closely in the hope they can snatch a few shekels from his grave?
Until that behavior is addressed and is corrected, there is no purpose for forgiveness - there is only the opportunity for correction. Even God will only forgive a sin only after the sin is acknowledged and renounced (sorry for getting all religious on you).
Can you forgive a thief who says, "Yeah, I know I stole all your money but since you are broke now, I won't steal from you anymore - I'll just steal from someone else!" Uhh... let's think - NO!
But if that same thief said, "I'm sorry I stole from you. I spent all the money I stole so I can't pay it all back but I promise I am living a more honest life and I will never steal again." could you find forgiveness in your heart? Of course you would.
I think the "forgive and forget", "live and let live" people and the Academy for Psychic Studies are cut from the same cloth: they cannot and will never acknowledge their own impact on the people around them. They can't even see the impact others have on the people they know.
Worse, they can't see how you, me and everyone else can express emotions that are appropriate for the moment and they will never acknowledge that we have the absolute right to feel anger, frustration and all the other emotions that the emotionally healthy, well-rounded and spiritually fulfilled of the world feel as full members of the human race.
While I am not out for vengeance, I will not rest until the Academy for Psychic Studies is no longer a threat to society. And when I can rest, I will begin to forgive.
