Megalomaniacs?

[rodeo97]

Merriam-webster online defines megalomania as 1) a mania for a great or grandiose performance 2) a delusional mental disorder that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur (megalomania - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

It seems to me that many contactees may be suffering from this disorder. If in fact they were at one time abducted by unknown non-human beings, they probably would suffer the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder followed by some type of coping mechanism. This coping mechanism could take the form of an intricate self delusion in which the victims believe themselves to be the center of some grand communication schem on the part of their tormentors. Another possiblity is that they are presenting with "stockholm syndrom" (Stockholm syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I am sure everyone in these forums has thought about these things. Thank you for replying(in advance).

 

[Kevin Daly]

Merriam-webster online defines megalomania as 1) a mania for a great or grandiose performance 2) a delusional mental disorder that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur (megalomania - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

It seems to me that many contactees may be suffering from this disorder. If in fact they were at one time abducted by unknown non-human beings, they probably would suffer the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder followed by some type of coping mechanism. This coping mechanism could take the form of an intricate self delusion in which the victims believe themselves to be the center of some grand communication schem on the part of their tormentors. Another possiblity is that they are presenting with "stockholm syndrom" (Stockholm syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I am sure everyone in these forums has thought about these things. Thank you for replying(in advance).

If someone has truly been abducted by aliens or whatever they might be, it's no big surprise that they would prefer to persuade themselves they've been chosen for a special purpose or communication...it's preferable to feeling like lab rats.
On the other hand I think you often get similar results from more prosaic causes. Anyone of a certain personality type who sees a disconnect between the position they find themselves in in the scheme of things and what they think it should be.

Just look at some of the pathological liars involved in the paranormal and its fringe: people like our dear, dear friend Bill Knell, Sean Morton or for that matter Hubbard. The self-aggrandising lies are remarkably similar between them.

Somewhere in between you get people like George Adamski, who aside from his contactee fantasies took to styling himself "Professor" and liked to give the impression he was an astronomer at Mt Palomar.

I'll even throw in Bob Lazar: he didn't actually need to fake his academic credentials - he obviously has practical engineering talent and could've spun a convincing tale without including such easily falsifiable details - but maybe just couldn't help himself.

 

[rodeo97]

The only person who seems to have a grounded mind in the area of abductions is Budd Hopkins. Maybe this is because he is not emotionally invested in the subject. He presents a panorama full of frightful uncertainties. The whole situation lends itself very well to conspiracy theories. For example:Most people imagine the entity's purpose to be the creation of human/alien hybrids. However, it is not necessary to take sperm from a male specimen or ova from a female specimen. It would make more sense to culture stem cells. We ourselves are capable of gene splicing using enzymes which can "cut and paste genetic material". In this way, Aliens (if they indeed exist) could easily make beings which resemble humans in every superficial way. They would only be different on the genetic level having exaggerated traits such as above average height, reflexes, and intellect. These beings could then serve as a colonial hierarchy here on earth. In fact, this could already be the case. We could be colonized right now, and the "others" might well be hiding in plain sight. Wow I should write a science fiction novel. Lol Please don't take me too seriously.

 

[Tommy Allison]

Borrowing a page from "They Live", it seems that there's a huge number of bright, and productive people who come up through society, and are always at a disadvantage, while another group always seems to get all the breaks, even though they are obviously diminished in some regard.

I've often looked at the humanity, or more importantly, the human-ness of the haves in our society, and rare is it that they give a damn about their fellow human beings, and rarer still are they actually competent enough to do even the simplest tasks.

It seems to me that there is a concerted effort to keep those who have humanity, and true human-ness from becoming socially, and economically dominant.

I believe it is this reason that was are forced to live in a society where the accumulation of material wealth is more important than actually being a good person. By that, I mean a person who lives for something more than to be just a drone, or serves money more than their humanity. We should all try to better ourselves for the good of our species, and make ourselves more than what we are at birth.

 

[Kevin Daly]

Borrowing a page from "They Live", it seems that there's a huge number of bright, and productive people who come up through society, and are always at a disadvantage, while another group always seems to get all the breaks, even though they are obviously diminished in some regard.

I've often looked at the humanity, or more importantly, the human-ness of the haves in our society, and rare is it that they give a damn about their fellow human beings, and rarer still are they actually competent enough to do even the simplest tasks.

It seems to me that there is a concerted effort to keep those who have humanity, and true human-ness from becoming socially, and economically dominant.

I believe it is this reason that was are forced to live in a society where the accumulation of material wealth is more important than actually being a good person. By that, I mean a person who lives for something more than to be just a drone, or serves money more than their humanity. We should all try to better ourselves for the good of our species, and make ourselves more than what we are at birth.

It is our misfortune that sociopaths have an advantage over the majority, because we always assume "nobody would do that" (oh yes they would), and conscience restrains normal people from taking advantage of others in the ways that would help them rise to the top of the heap.
Since Friedmanism (which is really just Objectivism that has learned how to lie) has become the dominant economic paradigm sociopathy has been moved to the very heart of our civilisation, and it is conscience and concern for anything other than one's own short-term gain that are treated as aberrant.
You are right about the attitude towards the accumulation of material wealth - I would go so far as to say that things have now been turned so much on their heads that the absence of greed is treated as a moral failing.
It doesn't take much of a concerted effort - just drop a few simplistic economic slogans into the pool, ensure that anyone who challenges the basic assumption that greed is good is called a Socialist and that that word provokes a knee-jerk reaction, and the cake bakes itself. Emergent behaviour is even worse than a conspiracy because the parts will keep reassembling themselves no matter what blows you strke against them. It's like fighting a pile of stones.

 

[Tommy Allison]

Socialism is indeed bad.

So is Communism.

Capitalism is equally bad.

The problem with Socialism and Communism, is that they are no different than Capitalism in effect they all create two class societies, and the upper elites are always in control.

Nobody is equal when they are born, and to expect an Equal outcome is ridiculous, however making sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to become prosperous, and not have others work towards your demise like some Economic Survival of the fittest, should be the reality.

Instead, there are those who act as if there is never enough money, or power to sate their appetites, and it is THESE people who should be penalized for their lack of human decency, should they be lacking.

The notion that anyone needs a Billion dollars to do what they do, is outright idiocy. If I had a Billion dollars, the first thing I'd do is try to fix the homeless problem where I live. Give them a chance to figure out how to put their lives together. If they fail, then that's fine. At least they will have had a chance.

The last place I would put my money is in the hands of a government that does not give a shit who it represents.

 

[skunkape]

Merriam-webster online defines megalomania as 1) a mania for a great or grandiose performance 2) a delusional mental disorder that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur (megalomania - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

It seems to me that many contactees may be suffering from this disorder.

I don't know about megalomania, more like the opposite. Any feelings of personal grandeur I may have ever had evaporated upon realizing that there is something out there that is advanced beyond my ability to comprehend. My experiences have possibly left me with what could be diagnosed as paranoia. It is difficult sometimes to not sense that some invisible intelligence is manipulating events in my reality, especially when the synchronicities get rolling good. If I did not have witnesses to some of these things I would probably believe myself to be insane. I guess as long as I think I may be crazy, then I'm not.

 

[mike]

its funny, while i dont subscribe to the idea of Karma or other superstitions like feng shui, my own experience seems to suggest that the more you give to charity, the more "flows back".
i cant describe a mechanism, and wont try, though some have used words like Karma historically.

i dont identify myself as either "good" or "bad", these are constructs, and more often than not "relative".

i recognise in myself a primary "animal" programming on top of which floats precariously a taught routine of "civilised" behaviour, some of them taught from external examples, others internal.

lately ive been trying to make decisions from a "topological" pov rather than a personal perspective.

all and all i think humanitys mind is evolving nicely, when i think of historys great philosphers i cant help thinking they are today dwarfed by the modern armchair philospher who has access to a greater data source (internet) and greater personal freedom to develop ones own intellect.
computers have at last removed most language barriers, people can exchange ideas from any where on the planet with ease.

 

[Kevin Daly]

its funny, while i dont subscribe to the idea of Karma or other superstitions like feng shui, my own experience seems to suggest that the more you give to charity, the more "flows back".
i cant describe a mechanism, and wont try, though some have used words like Karma historically.

i dont identify myself as either "good" or "bad", these are constructs, and more often than not "relative".

i recognise in myself a primary "animal" programming on top of which floats precariously a taught routine of "civilised" behaviour, some of them taught from external examples, others internal.

lately ive been trying to make decisions from a "topological" pov rather than a personal perspective.

all and all i think humanitys mind is evolving nicely, when i think of historys great philosphers i cant help thinking they are today dwarfed by the modern armchair philospher who has access to a greater data source (internet) and greater personal freedom to develop ones own intellect.
computers have at last removed most language barriers, people can exchange ideas from any where on the planet with ease.

Humans are social animals and geared up to survive by cooperating with others we identify with in some way as belonging to our group. The challenge is to broaden the definition of "We" to include everybody (this is perfectly possible: to our not-very-distant ancestors anyone they didn't know was by definition an enemy...that's why the concept of "kith and kin" - people you know and people you're related to - was so important to people like the Anglo-Saxons, since it defined the people you could rely on and had to treat as human beings).

 

[rodeo97]

And we are off,......

 

[mike]

seeing the world from two inches behind your eyeballs, is a natural thing to do, its how most of us navigate reality, this gives us our personal perspective.

taking a "topological" view is to see your connections within the whole, and not just your place in it.

often the logic will conflict with personal perspective.

but if you can master the discipline, even if only for short periods of time, you will find you have enhanced powers of perception, at least thats how it seems to me, the expanded conciousness ppl talk about.

i suspect that taken to the ultimate degree you wind up "outside" the universe looking at it and your place in it.

sorry if this sets of the woo woo alarms, its not easy to convey the experience in simple words