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     %ESCAPING ADDICTIVE COLLUSIONS THROUGH ECSTASY 880310

     In mountain top experiences of ecstatic transcendence
we may see through the dishonest collusions which imprison
us. Our daily lives are all too  often  regulated  by  the
prison  regulations  of our collusive games of mutual self
deception. Some of those rules lead us to  avoid  ecstatic
experiences,  because  we  believe that it is dangerous to
loose control of our perceptions and emotions.

     It  is  dangerous  to  collusive games of mutual self
deception  to  let  participants  in  the  game get out of
control  through  ecstatic  experiences.     In   ecstatic
experiences  the  participants in our games of mutual self
deception may come to see through our deceptions, and stop
playing  our  game.   That  would  an  unthinkable  and/or
embarrassing threat.   We  cannot  think  out ahead how to
deal with such a threat,   because to think about it would
unravel our games of mutual self deception. Our defense is
to   inhibit  ecstasy,    intimacy and dialogue which  are
open  and  honest.  Collusive games are not  safe  in  the
presence of such unthinkable behavior.

     To  protect ourselves against falling into the prison
of  addictive  collusions  we  need to place high communal
value  upon  open  and  honest  sharing  of  our authentic
personal  experiences.   If we cannot  openly and honestly
share  our most authentic personal experiences, we have no
foundation  for  clear thinking and wise decision  making.
If  we feel compelled to repress our own experiences,   in
favor of  pretending to have conventional experiences;  we
have  fallen into the prisons of an  addictive  collusion.
We will not escape from   the prison without regaining our
confidence  in our own experiences,  and in the  value  of
being open and honest in sharing them.

     The  integrity  of our community and our own personal
integrity  resides  in open and honest communication.  Our
ecstasy is a sign of our enjoyment of our integrity.  When
we   fear   ecstatic  experiences,   it is a sign that  we
fear  that   our games of mutual self  deception  will  be
unmasked,  and that we fear dealing with the truth in open
and honest dialogue.    We  need  to  confront our game of
mutual self deception,   and  declare our liberation  from
our  addiction to our game,   and stop playing  the  game.
Then we can enjoy life's meaningfully.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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