Ashes and Snow

I experienced an amazing exhibition today, Ashes and Snow. Photographs, a film installation and novel of letters by Gregory Colbert. He documents animals in their natural habitats interacting with human beings. Beautiful, spiritual even… the truth.

As you watch the film, excerpts from his novel of letters are read. An adaptation of Mizuta Masahide's haiku "Barn Burnt Down" that I found especially profound…

"Ever since my house burned down
I see the moon
more clearly"

Things (physical, abstract, emotional, mental etc.) that we construct with intentions of keeping us safe and secure, often shelter us from experiences that will bring us growth and bring us closer to the…TRUTH. When your house is burnt down, your comfort is removed and denial and deference cannot exist much longer. Clarity is restored.

2 sites:
http://ashesandsnow.org
www.ashesandsnow.org

Neuro Linguistic Propaganda?

Yesterday, a friend of mine was explaining how he was changing his NLP in order to deal with a romantic relationship that he was having drama with. I was initially a little disturbed that people are looking to science as a way to deal with things as irrational as emotions. So I began reading up on Neuro Linguistic Programming and where I can see how it can be effective in the realms of the workplace and productivity, I remain skeptical about it’s success in several other areas. A website (http://www.nlp.com/about-nlp/whatnlp.html) makes the following claims:

“NLP techniques and processes help us to understand ourselves and others, and to produce new, and more effective ways to:
• Attract the right person for you
• Create ideal relationships
• Advance your career & make more money
• Increase motivation and energy
• Create your desired self-image
• Communicate to produce the kind of results you want…

It allows you to change, adopt or eliminate behaviors, as you desire, and gives you the ability to choose your mental, emotional, and physical states of well-being.”

Now being as its methodology is based on duplicating excellent behaviour, does it not make us question what exactly is “excellent behaviour?” In some situations, it is possible to empirically determine ideal behaviour but in others it is a more subjective judgment that should not fall prey to any “standardized” thinking. Is this not just more of that self-obliterating intolerant kind of thinking that keeps most people satisfied (and complacent!) that they are “normal”?