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Humor, Qualiadelia, and Ritualing
July 20, 2008
You've seen the youtube video of the young water-buffalo who gets attacked by lions, then a crocodile, then the lions again, only to be saved in the end by his buffalo brethren? He surely had a chuckle over his lucky fate. Probably that whole herd had a good laugh around the camp fire later that night. Well, maybe not, but it certainly must have been a good feeling.
There are millions of years of such narrow escapes (among the survivors, at least, and they're the ones that count), and for us humans, at least, our reaction is to have a laugh.
In his book "Only Joking," comedian Jimmy Carr observed that "if it's true that laughter originated as an expression of relief in response to a fearful situation that turned out to be harmless, it follows that the sensation of laughter is closely associated with pleasure -- it's a release of tension."
Conscious ritualers understand that this is the reason why their craft is filled with so much pleasure, and even laughter. Ritual provides a framework that lets us venture into fearful situations confidently. We seek that pleasurable release of tension.
Even if it's a game of cards on a Friday evening with friends, there is a great deal of controlled spontaneity and playfulness in our ritualing. We say things and act out and venture across boundaries, and moments of self-consciousness are usually cushioned by a good round of laughter.
Life's more serious ritualing can sometimes carry us into horrible unknowns, but it is in our nature to proceed with good humor in these situations, too.
In the same book Carr quotes the Jungian psychoanalyst William Willeford, who says that "we often laugh partly because we do not know what else to do...Through laughter we achieve a provisional stance, outside belief and disbelief, in the face of the horrible."
Similarly, when we approach tough situations, such as a relationship gone bad or a risky business move, we need to achieve that "provisional stance," outside belief and disbelief. Such periods of crisis are fertile ground for ritualing, since rituals originate in the in-between when things fall apart and before they come back together again.
The framework of ritual grants us the liberty of a certain "controlled spontaneity" to try out ideas for qualiadelic effect. We role play, trying on different hats, and we put ideas out there, sometimes crazy ideas, because, within the context of ritual, it is allowed.
One of my favorite stories is how Ronald Reagan, meeting alone with Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev in Iceland, discovered they shared many profound values. Despite their diametrically opposed ideological backgrounds, they liked each other so much that, among other things, they came close to agreeing to dismantle both of their countries' entire nuclear arsenals.
In the end they didn't, but truly, for those two men, that was a radical, even lunatic idea. Yet within the framework of their ritual framework it appeared and resonated with qualiadelic power.
One doesn't become president without being an expert at ritualing. In fact, politicians are well known for their senses of humor. Every decision they make can potentially turn into a threat to their careers, to their families, and to their communities. Most of the time, however, these fears turn out to be for naught. But leaders have the confidence that goes with successful ritualing.
So, it is no coincidence that humor inhabits the same fault-line as ritualing. They both reflect the boundaries of cultures, and they both provide a way to look at our imperfections.
If we are going to fix the world, or even just ourselves, the practice of ritualing is the way to go. It will teach us, at the very least, to go forth into the void with a good sense of humor.
Be Qualiadelic. Be Conscious. Change the routine.
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