MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “MMM”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

Yesterday, the first of the three personality disorders which make up “The Dark Triad” was discussed, namely, the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (a.k.a., “The God Complex Personality Disorder”). Today, the second, the Sociopathic Personality Disorder (a.k.a., “The Machiavellian Personality Disorder” or called here, “The Malignant Narcissism Personality Disorder”) will be discussed. 

Macrina Cooper-White wrote an article entitled “11 Signs You May Be Dating A Sociopath,” which could have been “11 Signs You May Be Living With A Sociopath.” She offers this for consideration. 

"Could that amazing new person you or a loved one is dating (or living with) actually be a sociopath? It’s not as far-fetched as you might imagine." She notes that “of course, not all sociopaths are dangerous criminals. But they certainly can make life difficult, given that the defining characteristic of sociopathy is antisocial behavior." So she offers eleven “red flags” to watch out for: 

RED FLAG #1: HAVING AN OVERSIZED EGO (that is, an oversized false identity or ego-state) 

She reports: “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) notes that sociopaths have an inflated sense of self.” 

[Note: That point should remind all familiar with non-duality not only of the linkage between personality identification and the manifestation of personality disorders but also the linkage between personality disorders and an inflated sense of Self. At this point, one who is awake, aware, and fully conscious will see immediately why Maharaj said to seekers: "Forget spirituality” and “follow your "normal inclinations" and just "do your normal duties" and "just give up spirituality." What do “The Spiritual Giant” or one who identifies as a “Supreme Self” or even as “God” share in common with “the non-realized” who are narcissists and sociopaths? One has an inflated sense of self and the other has an inflated sense of Self.” And that is why Maharaj eventually advised seekers to give up SELF-Inquiry and engage in self-inquiry instead because, he said, “It is enough to know who you are not.” See? Freedom from personality and personality disorders requires freedom first from all beliefs about both self and Self. Lip service notwithstanding, and claims about humility notwithstanding, how could anyone involved in self or selves or some Special Self not be narcissistic and potentially sociopathic as well?]

Macrina Cooper-White continues: “They are narcissists to the extreme, with a huge sense of entitlement” and “They tend to blame others for their own failures.” 

RED FLAG #2: LYING AND EXHIBITING MANIPULATIVE BEHAVIOR 

She said: “Sociopaths use deceit and manipulation on a regular basis." Why? They "lie just to see whether they can trick people and sometimes tell larger lies to get larger effects.” 

RED FLAG #3: EXHIBITING A LACK OF EMPATHY 

“They can’t really imagine or feel what other people are feeling.” 

RED FLAG #4: SHOWING A LACK OF REMORSE OR SHAME 

“The DSM-V entry on antisocial personality disorder indicates that sociopaths lack remorse.” 

[One woman whose daughter was recently killed by a narcissistic sociopath and psychopath was asked by a reporter why she wanted to confront the killer in court. Her answer, “Because I want to know why, why he killed her, and because I want him to see the pain he caused.” If that’s the case, skip court because he is incapable of registering the kind of pain you are feeling and because he does not care. Secondly, she will never get an answer to “why” from him. The answer rests instead in understanding what the non-dual sages have long understood: when persons assume personality identifications, those ego-states take charge of every thought and word and action; therefore, the thoughts and words and actions of all "non-realized humans" will be determined by the hidden agendas of their personas and by the accompanying personality disorders which come with personality identifications. Maharaj would keep it simple for her: “It happened because of ignorance, stupidity and insanity which are all rooted in personality and in the personality disorders which follow the assignment and assumption of personal identifications."]

RED FLAG #5: STAYING EERILY CALM IN SCARY OR DANGEROUS SITUATIONS 

"A sociopath might not be anxious following a car accident, for instance. Experiments have shown that while normal people show fear when they see disturbing images or are threatened with electric shocks, sociopaths tend not to."

RED FLAG #6: BEHAVING IRRESPONSIBLY OR WITH EXTREME IMPULSIVITY (which is a result of obsession-driven compulsions)

“Sociopaths bounce from goal to goal, and act on the spur of the moment, according to the DSM. They can be irresponsible when it comes to their finances and their obligations to other people.” 

RED FLAG #7: HAVING FEW FRIENDS 

“Sociopaths tend not to have friends—not real ones, anyway. Sociopaths don’t want friends, unless they need them; or, all of their friends are superficially connected with them, friends by association.” 

RED FLAG #8: BEING CHARMING, BUT ONLY SUPERFICIALLY 

“Sociopaths can be very charismatic and friendly because they know it will help them get what they want. They are expert con artists and always have a secret agenda. People are so amazed when they find that someone is a sociopath because they’re so amazingly effective at blending in. They’re masters of disguise. Their main tool to keep them from being discovered is a creation of an outer personality.” In “Confessions of a Sociopath,” M.E. Thomas said: “You would like me if you met me. I have the kind of smile that is common among television show characters and rare in real life, perfect in its sparkly teeth dimensions and ability to express pleasant invitation.” 

RED FLAG #9: LIVING BY THE “PLEASURE PRINCIPLE” 

“If it feels good and they are able to avoid consequences, they will do it. They live their life in the fast lane to the extreme, seeking stimulation, excitement and pleasure from wherever they can get it.” 

RED FLAG #10: SHOWING DISREGARD FOR SOCIETAL NORMS 

[NOTE: That has nothing to do with the way those with varying degrees of “Realization” have behaved historically, often endorsing civil disobedience in an effort to redress the effects of discrimination and subjugation and enslavement, including those with a non-dual awareness such as Shakespeare, Thoreau, Gandhi, Maharaj, M. L. King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela.]

Macrina Cooper-White clarifies: “They break rules and laws because they don’t believe society’s rule apply.” 

[And they break promises and vows and contracts and assurances and agreements because, above all, they are driven by self and their self-interests. Those claiming to be “religious” can be more prone than any to engage in that type of hypocritical behavior since they have an immediate “out.” They can do what they want and have a clean slate instantly restored from their god. That will not only get you a 55% divorce rate but will get you some people who kill at will because they believe they are "God's chosen people" and they believe that the God who chose them gave them an eternal title to land they claim as their own; that will also get you some beheadings; that will get you centuries of Shia Muslims killing Sunni Muslims; that will get you centuries of Jews killing Christians, Christians killing Jews, and both killing - and being killed by - Muslims; that will get a white Christian in Charleston, South Carolina walking into a church and gunning down black Christians. All narcissists, all sociopaths, and many who are also psychopaths.]

RED FLAG #11: HAVING “INTENSE” EYES 

"Sociopaths have no problem with maintaining uninterrupted eye contact." Again, M.E. Thomas: “Our failure to look away politely is also perceived as being aggressive or seductive.” 

The key point: “The Dark Triad” – as with all personality disorders – comes after persons are assigned or assume personality identifications. If familiar with the nine basic personality types discussed via the enneagram, a Type Eight ("The Boss" / "The Asserter" / "The Strong One" / "The Controller") are the most likely of the nine to show sociopathic tendencies and traits, yet the Type Eight personality style can show up in any or many of the other types as well.

The problem when societies and institutions and governments try to address disorders? They are addressing result, not cause. 

For example, consider how ignorant it is to tell an alcoholic, “Well, just don’t drink" and how ignorant it was when Nancy Reagan advised youth to “Just Say No.” Neither of those trite and useless and overly-simplistic expressions does anything to address cause, and neither do most treatment centers, treatment programs, or treatment groups.

Drinking and drugging are used to try to treat the effects of personality disorders, so to take away what an addict is using to try to treat the effects of a variety of personality disorders, no matter how ineffective whatever it is that is being used has proven to be, does nothing to take away the underlying cause of the abuse, namely, personality disorders.

And that is the case with the 12.5% around the globe who abuse alcohol; and it is the case with the 50% in the U.S. who traditionally support narcissist sociopaths who run for political offices on the local and state and national levels; and it is the case with the 97% who are involved with the organized religions which have a history of judging and punishing and starting wars and killing; and it is the case with those who actually claim that they are a “Supreme Self” or are “God-like” or are “actually God by way of having understood the Oneness Principle.” 

To be continued. 

 Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

 [NOTE: The four most recent posts are below. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

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A NEW RELEASE 

The book What a Cherokee Grandmother Passed On to a Grandson (100 pages with pictures) explains how is came to be that, by the ages of 5 and 6, I was already being offered pointers toward the non-dual understanding. And what astounding levels of duality I had already been exposed to! The contrasts are illustrated via the differences between being raised in the darkness of an inner city vs. spending time in the forests with a Cherokee Grandmother and seeing the light.

The book contains a discussion of how duality is modeled and copied by children who then become entrapped in dualistic thinking and talking and behaving for their entire relative existence; how some few are fortunate enough to be exposed to a 180-degree-opposite alternative; and how some will pursue that opposite mode of functioning and witnessing and seeing which can allow those few to have an opportunity to be freed from the darkness and to abide in the light.

Above all, Grandmother was what some nowadays call “fully realised.” Was she also “a teacher” of non-duality? Yes and no. She passed on non-duality not as much by offering non-dual pointers as by modeling non-duality all day, every day, for her entire relative existence.

Everything she taught was consistent with what Maharaj taught, and if ever anyone adhered to the nisarga (natural) lifestyle throughout an entire relative existence, it was Grandmother. She pointed the way to me, and she can also point the way to you as well by way of what she taught, some of which is shared in this book.

(Click to purchase for $2.99)

  

Thanks, and enjoy. Peace, Unity, Love and Light.