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 %TABOO PRAYER MEDITATION REFLEXIVE CREATIVE IDEALS 881028

     The  members  of  an addictive  organization  feel  a
sincere duty to defend the paradigm of their organization.
Their  supportive  codependents similarly feel  a  sincere
need to fulfill their roles of being care-takers by taking
care  of  their addicts who do not take  healthful  honest
care  of  themselves.   The paradigm of  the  organization
involves  concealing  all the white lies,  distortions  of
truth,   concealment  of embarrassing truths,   and  other
collusions   against  openness  and  honesty   which   are
essential to holding the addictive organization together.

     The   members  of  the  addictive  organization   are
sincerely   trying  to  maintain  the  integrity  of   the
organization, but it is an artificial integrity based upon
appearances;  not upon reality.  The task of members is to
hold   the  organization  together  by   maintaining   the
appearances  at  whatever  cost may  be  required.   Their
collusion is a game of mutual self deception, as well as a
game  of  deception  of those  outside  the  organization;
otherwise  they  could not with conviction play  the  game
with those outside the game.

     The  members  of  an  addictive  organization  cannot
safely engage in authentic behavior which might reveal  to
them  or to each other their essential lack of  integrity;
might  take  off their masks.  They  cannot  authentically
discuss  the  character  of  real  personal  and  communal
integrity;   for  such a discussion might take  off  their
masks.

     It  is dangerous for participants in addictive  games
of  mutual  self deception to discover  themselves  and/or
each  other behind their deceptive masks.  Such  discovery
and   revelation   might  occur  in  authentic:    prayer,
meditation,   reflexive thought,  conversation,  dialogue,
listening,  intimacy,  and other creative examinations  of
their ideals and values.  These activities which  threaten
to   expose   the  essential  dishonesty   of   addictive,
codependent  and collusive behaviors are thus taboo.   The
taboos  cannot  be  maintained in open  and  honest  ways.
Taboos  are maintained covertly.  To defend a taboo openly
is often to violate the taboo;  especially if the function
of the taboo is to keep masks in place.

     Covert   maintenance   of   taboos   often   involves
converting  authentic  behavior  into  the  appearance  of
authentic   behavior;   while  in  reality  the  converted
behavior is just a deceptive putting on of a show. In such
putting  on  of  shows people go through  the  motions  of
appearing to: pray, meditate, reflect, converse, dialogue,
listen,   and otherwise appear to examine their own ideals
and  values.   The  quality of the show depends  upon  how
impressed  others  are with the show,  and upon  how  much
"clapping" there is.

     In an addictive organization virtually all the actors
are  spectators  and vice versa;  they all encourage  each
other  with how good their show of authenticity is.   They
help  each  other  to  believe  sincerely  that  they  are
authentic.   To  believe otherwise is unthinkable.  To  be
really  authentic  is taboo.  One must  be  conventionally
authentic  in  conformity  to informal standards.   It  is
unthinkable to violate the covertly conceived taboos. They
worship  their taboos as idols and do not know the God  of
Love,  Truth, Justice, Mercy, Humility, and Service.  They
are in hell and make it out to be heaven.

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