Atheism and Alexander Technique
Luke Ford
http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=38809
Here's an excerpt:
Sandra: “I once had a student who was progressing really well but she
was a pronounced atheist and I had this weird feeling that if she was
going to continue to take lessons, she was going to have trouble
keeping that iron-clad atheism. So one night, I was lying awake and
worrying about it. I think it is coming soon where she will feel more
than she is feeling right now and I don’t know what to do. I got up
the next day and I had a message on my machine. She cancelled her
lesson and she never came back. That was my weird confirmation that
this work is spiritual work. At some level, if you don’t want any
spiritual experiences, you’d probably have to bag this to keep that
from happening.”
Luke: “I have a sense that this work is so intoxicating that it
functions for many teachers as a substitute religion.”
Sandra laughs. “That’s probably true.”
Rex Alexander
John Coffin
Hello list;
What would it mean for the Technique to be 'spiritual work?' Alexander was atheist, as was Dewey. The books were kept in print by the son of CA Watts, editor of the Rationlist Press Association.
Peter Scott (for example) was a far-right Roman Catholic and the current body of teachers and students is probably disproportionately slanted towards every imagineable thread of New Agery.
So I don't think we can ascribe any religious content inherent in the work itself. At least not in any way that can't be rationalized away.
BUT.
The Technique strikes at the very heart of our understanding of our selves and our ability to will and choose. As such, I think that every real student of the Technique will undergo what might be called a 'spiritual' change or challenge. I certainly did; though I find the word 'spiritual' far to vague and waffly to want to use it.
Many 'iron clad atheists' are followers of rather dumb philosophies which teach an exaggerated sense of 'free-will.' Grasping the full implications of faulty sensory appreciation might be devastasting for such a person.
Most New Agers seem to share a willingness to believe on the basis of anecdotes and subjective feelings, often accompanied by a snide dismissal of 'mere' reality or 'materialist' science. They too may not be able to accept the gifts of the Technique at the price of their worldview.
So I agree that this can be described as 'spiritual work.' This may be why so many are unwilling to approach the work in the first place--or expend so much effort in denying the Technique's uniqueness and value and constantly degrade it to the level of 'somatic practice,' Physical Culture, or fad therapy.
John Coffin
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Lutz Golbs
Society has programmed the population to activate their bodily defences when they are exposed to taboo words. Isolating language patterns maintain a mental prison which prevents fluid movement. No matter how we pigeonhole AT, the invite can be misunderstood or activate fears.
Keith Bacon
> So I agree that this can be described as 'spiritual work.'
Indeed it CAN be. It is a judgement of the pupil and pupils will
attach their belief systems to anything that profoundly changes them
or even induces profound altered states without permanent profound
changes as can happen in cults. Mercifully I think the rationalist
culture in the AT world protects it.
cheers,
Keith
Michael Mossey
could call, loosely, "spiritual." A very limited definition would be,
experiencing the world outside a sense of limited "ego" boundaries and
functioning. It seems to me that any exploration of consciousness would
lead one closer to spiritual experience, and if that is threatening, the
person might turn away.
In the case of someone who already believes in spiritual experience but has
a rigid belief structure attached to it (i.e. a fundamentalist) A.T. could
be equally threatening if it challenges their certainty.
Mike
On 12/18/2011 5:45 PM, Luke Ford wrote:
> I interviewed Sandra Bain Cushman this past week.
>
> http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=38809
>
> Here's an excerpt:
>
> Sandra: �I once had a student who was progressing really well but she
> was a pronounced atheist and I had this weird feeling that if she was
> going to continue to take lessons, she was going to have trouble
> keeping that iron-clad atheism. So one night, I was lying awake and
> worrying about it. I think it is coming soon where she will feel more
> than she is feeling right now and I don�t know what to do. I got up
> the next day and I had a message on my machine. She cancelled her
> lesson and she never came back. That was my weird confirmation that
> this work is spiritual work. At some level, if you don�t want any
> spiritual experiences, you�d probably have to bag this to keep that
> from happening.�
>
> Luke: �I have a sense that this work is so intoxicating that it
> functions for many teachers as a substitute religion.�
>
> Sandra laughs. �That�s probably true.�
>
brian tracey
makes me wonder how she sees atheism. Does she believe that the inhibition of belief in a deity, implies incapacity to appreciate all forms of grace, insight, sense of the connection with life.
My opinion is that there's a fundamental level of human experience that we could call, loosely, "spiritual." A very limited definition would be, experiencing the world outside a sense of limited "ego" boundaries and functioning. It seems to me that any exploration of consciousness would lead one closer to spiritual experience, and if that is threatening, the person might turn away.
In the case of someone who already believes in spiritual experience but has a rigid belief structure attached to it (i.e. a fundamentalist) A.T. could be equally threatening if it challenges their certainty.
Mike
On 12/18/2011 5:45 PM, Luke Ford wrote:
I interviewed Sandra Bain Cushman this past week.
http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=38809
Here's an excerpt:
Sandra: “I once had a student who was progressing really well but she
was a pronounced atheist and I had this weird feeling that if she was
going to continue to take lessons, she was going to have trouble
keeping that iron-clad atheism. So one night, I was lying awake and
worrying about it. I think it is coming soon where she will feel more
than she is feeling right now and I don’t know what to do. I got up
the next day and I had a message on my machine. She cancelled her
lesson and she never came back. That was my weird confirmation that
this work is spiritual work. At some level, if you don’t want any
spiritual experiences, you’d probably have to bag this to keep that
from happening.”
Luke: “I have a sense that this work is so intoxicating that it
functions for many teachers as a substitute religion.”
Sandra laughs. “That’s probably true.”
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