Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Manifestinfestation

This may be akin to offering a box of Teuscher champagne truffles to a chocoholic and/or alcoholic who’s trying to quit, but I’m going to venture out on a limb and suggest that if you are suffering from that newly-named malady known as manifrustration (thanks again to Steven Sashen**), I might have just the solution. I am going to suggest something truly groundbreaking: Instead of seeking Cosmic Relief in places such as my Whirled or Steven’s blog or any of a number of other places (see my "links" list for more suggestions), maybe you just need more of the same old crap that got you where you are now. It’s very possible that you simply haven’t experienced enough life-changing books or workshops or video clips. Perhaps, then, you need a serious overdose of same. Maybe that will finally propel you into a new dimension of awareness and unlimited health, wealth, and happiness.

Hey, it could work. Think of it as kind of a homeopathic (or homeopathetic) principle of "like cures like," except in this case you're not using minuscule doses of the pathogen; you're o.d.'ing on it.

My curmudgeonly pal Christopher Locke of Mystic Bourgeoisie just sent me an email alerting me to a new and exciting project that seems tailor-made for people whose deep-seated hunger for inspiration drives them to watch, promote, star in, or even want to make their own New-Wage moviemercials and miracle-infested TV shows. Now there’s an entire TV station devoted to all of your deepest desires for New-Wage and selfish-help enlightentainment. I give you…Manifest-Station TV!

Okay, granted, it’s an Internet TV station, and isn’t yet part of your local broadcast, cable or satellite TV lineup. But it’s just a matter of time, I’m sure. Besides, we all know that Internet is the future of TV. Or vice-versa. I get confused sometimes.

The current spokes-head for Manifest-Station TV is Neale Donald Walsch, who first became famous for gabbing with God, and to whom I paid loving tribute here in September of 2006. As it happens, that was also the post in which I first paid tribute to the emerging genre of "Spiritual Cinema." (I still think that concept opens up a whole new area for the adult-film business too, in the form of Spiritual Sin-ema. And I think I know just the person who could spearhead the movement (no, not me).)

Anyway. In the email in which he sent me the link to Manifest-Station TV, Chris reminded me not to miss the video of Neale Donald Walsch "coming to life from his convincing pose as the Mona Lisa," as Chris put it. That remark, of course, inspired some more bad Photoshopping on this end. (Hey, I am in a serious time crunch these days. They can’t all be like "My Preciousss!")

Despite being the spokes-head, however, Neale Donald doesn’t seem to be the brains behind Manifest-Station TV. That credit belongs to three dudes in a basement, Ryan Bloom, Len Wright, and Glenn Brubaker. Here’s how they did it:

Using the Laws of Attraction and following our Emotional Guidance Systems, we have been able to co-create a blessed space – a central gathering place for those intending to raise individual and collective consciousness, ultimately bettering our world from the inside out. The journey from a non-physical idea to the physical manifestation of our television channel has been absolutely ripe with moments of exquisite synchronicity and jaw-dropping, blissful experience. If there is one thing that we have learned from this, it's that once the rules of the game of life are understood and followed, there is no end to the astounding joys unveiled through the process of deliberate creation.

These three guys definitely seem to be classic have-it-all advocates, as evidenced by the quotation at the top of their home page:

"There is nothing that you can not be, or do, or have."
~ Abraham

The Abraham in question, of course, is (are) the collective imaginary friends invented and copyrighted by Esther and Jerry Hicks. Oddly enough, the Hicks are missing from the stellar line-up of "messengers" featured on Manifestation-Station TV. But nearly everyone else making a buck in the New Wage world seems to be present and accounted for. Besides major luminaries such as Walsch and Deepak Chopra, and a sprinkling of "teachers" who were in The Secret, there are a few minor players such as Gary Renard, whom you’ve also met here previously. And there are numerous up-and-coming "stars" and wannabes as well. F’rinstance, there’s Nick Arandes, aka The Radical Kid:

Nick Arandes, author, trainer, coach and musician, affectionately know as The Radical Kid went from homeless to wealth, NOT by employing hard work at all, but by simply applying basic universal principles that transform people's lives. Aside from being the author of The Truth About Series at TheRadicalKid.com, many audio CDs, DVD programs and hundreds of published articles, Nick is also the founder of SuccessAndMiracles.com where every Sunday millions of lives are inspired worldwide as well as the highly acclaimed Manifesting Miracles Online Video Course at FulfillYourDreams.com transforming lives worldwide!

Thank Goddess that The Secret was right about its most important message after all: you don’t have to work your butt off to be rich! All you have to do is apply basic universal principles that transform people’s lives. The Radical Kid did it and so can you! (Hint: It apparently helps to have been formerly homeless, or at least to say you are formerly homeless.)

Featured too is Brad Yates, the King of Tap, who has also graced my Whirled (third item down, "Tapping and yapping"). Brad starred in his own little movie a while back. And I suppose a spiritual stable wouldn’t be complete without someone with a contrived-spiritual name, such as this woman who calls herself "Zen."

But the real star of Manifest-Station is, apparently, yours truly. No, they don’t mention me by name; nevertheless, at the bottom of the "About Us" page, the three Manifest-Stationeers offer their heartfelt thanks to me (yes, me):

Thank you (yes you) for participating in this co-creative worldwide offering. We thank you because the intent to change the world would not have the same impact without you and for this, please allow us to offer our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude...

Once again I am reminded of the credits that always follow PBS programs. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this here before, but I’ll do so again, since this is all about me. At the end of most PBS shows I see the names of the big oil company or car manufacturer or pharmaceutical concern that provided the main sponsorship for the program in question. Then I might see the names of a couple of philanthropic foundations and PBS stations and other nonprofit orgs. And at the end, almost invariably, I see this reminder: "Viewers Like You."

That always makes me feel pretty special, knowing that a host of unnamed PBS viewers – all the little people – actually like me. But it’s nothing compared to how I feel now that Ryan, Len, and Glenn are thanking me personally for being part of their wonderful co-creative worldwide offering. But let’s give credit where it is due. While they’re at it, they really should thank Chris Locke as well. Even if he is a curmudgeon.

** PS ~ Speaking of Steven Sashen, he's on a roll now. He has just alerted me to another entry in the growing Snarks' Lexicon: successhole. I think we've all known a few of those!

14 comments:

Zo said...

I don't know how you stomach it. I really don't. Perhaps you don't live among Them, which I did for a long time until I found refuge back in Berkeley, The Town Where People Have College Degrees!

Important work. Hang in,
Zo

Cosmic Connie said...

Zo: You're talking about REAL college degrees, right? Not the kind you buy online and then call yourself "Dr." and get all of your worshipful followers to call you "Dr." as well, right?

Thanks for the support and encouragement. And no, I don't live among "Them," but for many years I hung around some of Them.

Zo said...

I'm a little urky just now. Came from Neale Walsh's site and he talks to you. In this rumbly low bass, frightening. What must it be like to feel one step away from Teh Ceiling Cat. Didn't people like Deepak used to be reputable? Big news: money corrupts.

I adore r.b. All too literally. We had an amusing "lover's quarrel" on my blog and I think that would make a fab and funny blog.

(Hey, my real name is--yours.)

Cosmic Connie said...

Yes, Neale does like to talk. And talk. And talk.

As for Deepak: I do know he's a physician by training. But long ago he found a more lucrative calling.

As for that blog controversy you mentioned: I never did understand completely what that was all about. I'm not very savvy about many aspects of Internet culture (or lack thereof). On one level I felt as if I was betraying my gender somehow by seeing things from RB's p.o.v. as well as K's. But in the end, I simply couldn't view this as a male v female issue. So I gave up trying to figure it out and went back to doing what I do best: snarking about things I know about.

I like your blog and your writing style, BTW.

Mary Anne said...

I thought the Hicks' "Abraham" was the famous one from the Bible? Are you telling me they just heard voices? Doesn't that classify them as schizoiphrenics? Maybe they should be taking their meds instead of writing books or mental illness is a cache for being a self-help guru. I have to ponder this now.

Cosmic Connie said...

Yes, Mary Anne, the Hicks' "Abraham" is not one entity, but a whole group of entities, that just suddenly started "talking" to Esther over 20 years ago. Apparently "they" had a LOT of encouragement from Jerry Hicks, a former circus performer, Amway executive, etc. My take on it is that if it hadn't been for Jerry really pushing the issue, Esther wouldn't have given those "voices" any encouragement. But apparently Jerry saw how lucrative the imaginary-friends industry could be (J.Z. Knight and Ramtha being the chief example). And the rest is history.

Here's a link to a discussion about the Hicks on the Rick Ross forum:
http://tinyurl.com/yo4958

Mary Anne said...

Basically, Jerry Hicks did not get his wife treatment when she started to hear voices. If my significant other started to hear voices, I would take him in for a mental evaluation. I totally misunderstood the Hicks. I thought Ester was just reinterpreting the Bible via Abraham. I thought Ester thought she was some type of medium who could channel the Biblical Abraham. The Hicks are up there with the Scientologists then who follow L. Ron Hubbard.

Cosmic Connie said...

Jerry apparently recognized a good thing when he saw it: there's money to be made in hearing voices! Or in pretending one hears voices...

Anonymous said...

NDW seems to really like the word "extraordinary." So professorial!

Lawyers seem to enjoy saying "clearly," to make it clear that you're an idiot if you don't see things their way.

Clearly, Neil Donald Walsch is an extraordinary modern-day spiritual messenger. Can't you see that?

Cosmic Connie said...

Professorial? Yes, and wise, too, Lana. The pic I chose for the Money Lisa composite makes him look particularly wise, don't you think?

And that's only fitting, as NDW is, after all, one of the elder statesman of the imaginary-friends industry. Now, I'm not saying that God is necessarily imaginary (although as an agnostic I am open to that argument), but I have a sneaking suspicion that NDW's God *is* sort of made-up.

Clearly, though, I am extraordinarily confused.

Anonymous said...

Yeah. As Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

And as you've said, if these New Wage teachers and writers had to come up with evidence, their empire would collapse.

Cosmic Connie said...

No doubt, though, some of them would build new empires from the rubble.

In any case the point is moot, because their target audience doesn't require hard proof, and since said audience is open to seeing supporting "evidence," they will see it everywhere. Expect Miracles!

Anonymous said...

Some of you say, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." I am just curious how long you have been behind the computer Blogging and not out in the word experiencing for yourself the evidence that shows up everyday in life. If you are willing to get out there and find it for yourselves, you may just be able to quit counting on others to prove it to you. Here are a couple of books that can support what Ester, Jerry, NDW and many others are sharing with those who are wise enough and open enough to listen. Gregg Braden- "The God Code" this will give you both tangible & scientific support. Dr. Masaru Emoto, "Love Thyself" Lots of pictures and scientific backing to support your remembering of powerful your thoughts are words really are. Sarcasm will only feed your ego for so long before you look to something else to justify your being here. Remember when you make the choice to judge others, you are truly only defining yourselves.

Thanks for playing..

Cosmic Connie said...

In my view, Anon, there are worse things than sarcasm; sanctimony and gullibility are two that come to mind.

I can't speak for everyone else who visits here, but I don't actually require hard scientific "proof" for every extraordinary claim (though I must point out that Braden and especially Emoto have been pretty much discredited by the scientific community).

And believe it or not, I don't spend all of my time at the computer blogging. I just don't choose to "get out there and find it for myself" by attending an overpriced seminar where Esther Hicks babbles on in a dreadful fake accent about the meaning of life. And as for relying on someone else to provide "proof" or "truth," it seems to me that a heck of a lot of folks are relying on Esther and Jerry and a variety of other hams and blowhards to provide the "proof" that best suits them in their narcissistic quests.

I feel a need as always to add that I recognize the worthiness of the quest for meaning and sustenance and answers to life's deeper questions. Really. I get it. Sometimes our sensibilities -- our souls, if you wish -- hunger for something more than what even the most fascinatingly cutting-edge science can offer. Further, I am not suggesting that everyone who likes Braden or Emoto or Papa Neale or even the Hicks and the Abe Gang is an utter narcissist. But too much of what passes for profound thought and "truth" in the New-Wage/selfish-help industry does pander to people's greed and narcissism. And there are entirely too many overstuffed egos among the New-Wage "leadership." If they don’t deserve a bit of sarcasm here and there, I don’t know who does.