Topic: Interview With Florinda

[Quantum Shaman]

Yes Ang, you are absolutely correct. Although it also wise to keep an eye on previous solutions.

I have only got through half of that interview, but it looks good to me. Ellen had been reading that book by Ami whoever, and I have also skimmed some of it - not a pleasant read really, but there you go. Generally I felt Florinda had a better vibe than some of the others, and I like what she is saying so far as I read this interview.

Glad you mentioned that Amy's book wasn't a pleasant read.  Personally, I couldn't get through the whole thing, largely because I kept *seeing* what amounted to a work of fiction.  I don't mean that the events Amy described didn't happen (I'm very sure they did).  What read like fiction to me were her impressions and perceptions of those events.

Obviously any writer can only bring her own perceptions to a work of alleged non-fiction, but so much of it read like a "victim" mentality - and while I don't deny that CC was no doubt an arse in his final days on earth, I also think that Amy's book just illustrated that those closest to him were perhaps the most "failed" of all - in the sense that they were attached to the leader rather than taking the l eader's message and running with it (literally running!).

I realize this may not be a popular opinion, but it just seemed to me that so much of what went on in that "cult" toward the end was more the result of the "followers" rather than the leader.  CC's whole "message" could be boiled down to a few sentences:  remove all energy hooks, walk the earth in freedom, and dream otherworlds beyond this one as a means to create/discover one's own path to the infinite self.

What I found appalling about Amy's book was the realization that CC's closest "followers" had seemingly done NONE of those things.  Okay - maybe that's just human nature.  But to then write a book about how CC was "controlling" all of them (in essence that's what it was saying), seemed rather like admitting one's own total and abject failure to grok the message as a result of being too blinded by the messenger.

No particular point.  Just wanted to toss some comments into the mix, since I found Amy's book to be enlightening - but far more about the women themselves, rather than about CC.  I'm not defending him - not in the least.  I just think that Amy and the others really needed to look at their own attachments to their belief systems as the key to their freedom.  The only thing controlling them and holding them there... was their own attachments.

Just venting...   Thanks for listening.

[Michael]

interesting that... i also get a sense that a lot of good words/ideas are spoken by these associates of CC - I have read some interviews and one book - i would like to get more eventually. but then they don't seem to have achieved much with those ideas, i mean personally.

to be honest, I know very little of CC's world, and the intrigues and organisations or whatever. so I don't feel myself competent to make any judgements - at least not too strong ones.

still it does raise some interesting thoughts, about the nature of the 'work', and its different ways of being carried out.

you see there is something to be said for the absorption technique. I feel this is a powerful method, where knowledge is absorbed from one who has it, simply by association, as opposed to exercises and activities. However I have come to that view reluctantly, as it also seems to me to be useful only in the long run - I mean what is absorbed is a kind of potent view of the world, which will only come out in action after a long time. meanwhile there is a mistaken sense that one is on-track when in fact one is actually doing nothing.

I suppose in the end, a mixture is best. I say that because I also recognise the mistakes so easily made from striking out completely on one's own.

[Firestarter]

This popped up.

Florinda, if I set aside some of the bruteness. I always felt Taisha should have been the dreamer, and Florinda the stalker. Its like the roles were reversed. I remember saying this to Mark Cloudfoot, he found this a cool observation.

But Carlos and the women, he did seem to pit them against each other in various ways. But I...he was one who could never overcome his desires totally. Thats why don Juan told him "I hope you find love." Thats what stuck Carlos in the IB world for a long time.

He's out now tho, for sure. Long story.

But I probably was too harsh on Florinda. I know she was employing some stalking issues and its not like I haven't been brutal in past myself. She wasn't being herself when she did this. But...she was good at what she did, and highly intelligent.