25)  WILDERISM

During this time of radically changing values and rules, there will be many new religions created.  Accordingly I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t create one too.

There has to be a catchy name for a religion, so I thought about the major principles, including respect for Gaia.  At first I shied away from it, because I am not one to toot my own horn, at least not too obviously.  But it stood out loud and clear, my name being Chris Wilder.  “Wilder”.  It fits the principle, I mean humans leaving some of civilization behind in order to show respect for Gaia, becoming more at-one with nature.

The surname “Wilder” comes from the English when they began to need last names.  There was “Smith” for the black-smiths, “Jones” for “John’s sons”, and “Wilder” for those who lived in the woods.

So “Wilder” it is.  In the future there may be Wilderists believing in Wilderism.

To tell you the truth, I don’t want this to go anywhere.  Most religions are misinterpreted and some believers cause other people distress due to the erroneous assumptions that they are somehow superior.

The first order of business is to establish the major tenets, the commandments:

1.       SUSTAINABLE ECSTACY

2.       MINIMAL KARMA

And that’s it.  No need for any other commandments that I can think of.  One thing about making rules is that whenever a rule is stated, written or not, at the same time that it is trying to right a wrong, it inevitably creates loopholes which “smart” people will discover and rush in to fill the void.  What is legal by the letter of the law may not be moral.  A loophole needs another law, but that just creates more loopholes, ad infinitum.

There could be entire books written on each of these commandments because they are, by design, quite general.  But for this posting, we’ll settle for a couple of paragraphs each.

1.       SUSTAINABLE ECSTACY.

There are a lot of corollaries to this Tenet. 

But first, let’s define "ecstasy".  It is not a drug in this paper.  It is feeling good.  It is the release of endorphins in the brain.   The way animals work is that ecstasy promotes more behavior of the same kind that released the endorphins---it is the “carrot” to the “stick” of pain.

It is so basic that I can’t help but believe that Gaia herself created it, probably from the first brains, maybe plants too, hard to tell.  But the range of inputs and responses is limited in every species, with a much wider set of possibilities for humans.  In other words, what gets one person “off”, sometimes does nothing for the next person.

To name a few causes of ecstasy:  eating, sex, power, love, empathy, status, beauty, righteousness, helping, hurting self, hurting others, connectedness, appreciation of nature.  No matter what the cause, you can find a group of people who subscribe to it, even the bizarre causes.

In my opinion, it is the joy of life for a person to discover what gives him/her ecstasy.  It is usually unknown in childhood and may be totally different from anyone else in the family.  But the process of discovery needs a liberal culture to be able to explore some of the more unusual places, plus it requires a person without a lot of “shoulds” to even go down some paths.  As Woody Allen’s movie indicates:  “Whatever Works”.

I know that a lot of my readers are thinking that this motivation will lead to full time self-destructive behavior, e.g. heroin addiction, so this is where the second word comes in “Sustainable”.   The ecstasy found today can only happen again if the basic needs of the person are taken care of:  security, food, clothing, health, paid taxes.  I have found that taking care of the details quickly allows many more ecstasy events than if details are allowed to “slide”.

A Wilderist is nothing if not responsible, and for me one reason, to be able to get high again, and again, and higher and higher.  It doesn’t have to be alcohol or drugs, it is whatever “turns me on”.  Personally I am lucky, a lot of things get me excited and I have had the freedom to explore most of them---writing this blog happens to be included.

By the way, “exploration” means finding something of interest, checking it out, and if it works, to see where it leads next.  It really is a very personal discovery requiring honesty with oneself.

2.       MINIMAL KARMA.

All of this “getting high” can lead to very destructive behavior because it is so egocentric, so me-oriented.  So the second tenet is to reign that in a bit, to consider others---the inside and the outside, balanced.

My definition of karma, again, is the creating of a debt by purposefully hurting or helping another person inappropriately.  Each person has their own path, and when we modify that path without their consent, that creates karma, which must be repaid either this lifetime or another, to someone.

Sometimes it isn’t so clear cut, helping some might hurt others.  In this case I would recommend weighing seriously the reasons to make sure they aren’t totally selfish, and then make the best decision possible with the data at hand at the time.  This is what government officials have to do all the time.  For us not in positions of such responsibility, it can still be difficult---this is called “life learning”, “experience”, some we get wrong and some right, hopefully learning along the way.

That’s why I say “minimal”, we just do the best we can.

See my earlier blog on “Karma” if you are interested in a deeper discussion.

The path I prescribe is not without its risks.  I encourage playing with the edge, the boundary between having fun and going over the edge.  This invokes another spectrum with safety on one end and recklessness on the other.  Depending on the subject, most of us come down somewhere in the middle.  It is impossible to be completely safe and it is foolhardy to be needlessly reckless.  This is an evaluation we need to make all the time, when is enough, enough? 

Buddhism is all about not even playing with the edge---giving up desire.  Having looked into it more deeply, including visiting Thailand, I agree with Buddhism that that path will reduce pain.  However it does not begin to explore the ecstasy that humans are capable of.  Maybe Tantric Yoga?

When a Westerner has been raised on playing the Monopoly game, where there is a single winner, it may lead to the belief that this is a good thing.  It isn’t.  Civilization continues because everyone can be a winner, unless there are a few people who accumulate all the wealth.  By the way, I recently read a study that shows that in our current economic system, there will always be winners who rise up while most people go down, not because they are smarter, but because some wealth makes greater wealth.

When I come to a decision point about which path to follow, I use the Balance & Timing method.  Life is in the middle, not too hot, not too cold, too exciting/too boring, etc.  For example, when I work hard, I feel it is time to play hard also, to balance things out.  Timing is my other consideration, a plan put into action too soon or too late often misses the crest of the wave which leads to success. 

How do I know when the time is right?  Another of life’s learning lessons.  I watch my state of confusion about what to do.  If I know what to do, no problem, I do it.   But if I am unsure, I wait, confident that when the time is right, new information will become known, and that new information will clarify what my decision should be, plus when to act.  It works. 

Patience.  The theory on this is that energy can be wasted perhaps going in the wrong direction when a decision is made too soon.  Even if it is the right decision, if it is too soon, it will probably be a struggle.  But if we are patient and wait, we are saving up our energy for the best time to act.  There are waves that we would like to ride, not fight against.  Cosmic Surfing!

Sure, sometimes I go too far with my ecstasy games, but I am watching for that possibility, and when things start to get painful, I back out.  Not always possible, but that goes into the equation when making the decision.  If it is wrong, how hard will it be to reverse direction?

What we are talking about is the game of LIFE.  If we are aware, we find out where our own limits are by pushing the boundaries, learning through trial and error to respect our limits.

I should point out that this system of living is for the strong-minded, not for someone who just allows whatever to happen without trying to control it.  It is necessary to be honest with oneself about what is going on, to be evaluating the situation whenever needed, and to make decisions to stay on the ecstasy side of the game.

Also an addictive person will have trouble with this.  Which came first, the addictive brain or the addiction?  I submit that it is the brain chemistry before the drug which sends a person down the addiction path, a willingness to be humiliated, because that is one of the results of an addiction.  I have heard of weekend-junkies, going to work all week, and then running-up heroin on the weekends.

To conclude, let’s go back to “sustainable” for a bit.  “Sustainable” for what time period?  A minute, an hour, days, a lifetime, centuries?  Well obviously not longer than a lifetime and a minute has no meaning for this.  Probably this phase of a lifetime is appropriate, since life changes as we go along.  When we make a decision, how long should we take into consideration?

It is said that the Native-Americans in making a decision, considers their 7th future generation, which is certainly a lot longer than the next quarterly report.  “Sustainable” for them meant considering the long-term needs of Gaia.  I like that, but of course I add the caveat that any decision I make needs to be balanced by the needs of my life now.  After all, I am a part of nature too.  But the least I can do is consciously minimize my footprint on the planet wherever possible---in boating terms, watch my wake.

“Wilderism”.  Are you kidding?  I hope this doesn’t go anywhere.