Daniel Pinchbeck Nails Reality

????Perhaps some walls are tumbling down. For Daniel Pinchbeck, a fine writer and excellent speaker, who deals with shamanism and 2012 and crop circles, to turn up on the Business Insider website, is noteworthy. Although Daniel usually tells me he doesn’t agree with me — could it be  love spats? — in fact I am very much in agreement with him. When I listen to him, I feel like I am at the core of my perceptions that have me stoked on the circles. We need a shock to the gears of our tightly meshed system, and the circle phenomenon could give us a jolt that would have us reexamining the unworkable world we have moved into that Daniels is so articulate about.


Here are excerpts from a “fascinating interview” with him, “The 2012 Mayan Collapse May Crush your Portfolio,” which expand on things Daniel talks about in What On Earth? .
Question:

If an alien race were to make itself known to us, what would they have to say about American capitalism in its current form?

Answer:

I think that a star-faring alien race, based on their survey of many worlds, would recognize our form of capitalism as a transitional system. It is the type of system that develops once a species establishes rational scientific inquiry and attains limited ego-based consciousness, but before it transcends that level of development to reach a truly holistic and planetary level of consciousness. With its tremendous dynamism, capitalism has meshed the world together through trade routes and communications technology. Soon we will need to supersede it to create a regenerative planetary culture where the rights of nature are protected, where manufacturing is redesigned to become zero waste, as William McDonogue describes in Cradle to Cradle, and where maximum efficiency is used in a systemic redesign of our built environment and our social institutions. We will also develop alternative instruments to exchange value, as the economist Bernard Lietaer describes in The Future of Money, or Tom Greco explores in The End of Money and the Future of Civilization.

As I discuss in my new book, Notes from the Edge Times, capitalism in its pure form has reached the limit of its usefulness and has become a destructive force. This is because the logic of the system forces the constant creation of new markets and turns all sorts of human relations into monetary exchanges. Nature has no rights under this system, and it is to the benefit of market calculations to turn natural reserves into economic producers – for instance, a forest has little economic value in itself, but when the trees are taken out and it is converted into a parking lot or soybean farm, it creates a series of economic transactions that feed the GDP. Since we have reached the resource limits of the earth, a system that runs on the ideology of endless economic growth and infinite material progress can no longer function and will soon self-destruct. The aliens in their silver ships would know about this, and would feel great concern that in the approaching chaos, horrific and meaningless destruction may be unleashed.

Other pithy comments Daniel made:
It does seem that many indicators point toward the inevitability of a global financial collapse, and this meltdown may very well occur around 2012. The global financial system is built on a debt pyramid. As long as there were new markets to penetrate and new resources to exploit, it was possible to ignore this, but now that the planet has been fully globalized and resources are declining, it is becoming impossible. According to many geologists, we are now facing “peak oil,” the point at which the annual amount of fossil fuels we are able to extract first levels off and then begins to decline, even as global demand for oil continues to grow. Personally, I hope the collapse of the financial system leads to a mass awakening as we recognize we have been focusing on virtual abstractions and profit-driven calculations that have nothing to do with the actual health and biodiversity of the earth or the resilience of our communities, and threaten our prospects for long-term continuity as a species...

I am not particularly concerned about the date. It is quite clear that we are in the crucible of a transformation, and either humanity will make a transition to a different form of civilization and a new awareness, or we will most likely not survive, at least in anything close to our current state. According to current estimates, 25% of all mammalian species – perhaps all species in general – will be extinct in 30 years. The melting of the glaciers and ice caps will eventually lead to coastal flooding and also deprive hundreds of millions of people of fresh water. The pollution of the global environment is rebounding negatively on human health, leading to epidemics of cancers and new mysterious syndromes that affect more and more people. We are all part of an uncontrolled scientific experiment, as nobody knows how much of the web of life on earth can be torn apart by our heedless behavior before the eco-system no longer supports the existence of large mammals such as ourselves. The collapse of bee and butterfly species that work for us as pollinators is one unambiguous warning signal…

I had a wide range of psychic, paranormal, and visionary experiences that ultimately convinced me there were other levels or dimensions of psychic life, that it was quite probable that the soul continues after death in other worlds, and so on. From my perspective, when you encounter these other aspects of reality, the goal of acquiring personal wealth and succeeding in the rat race doesn’t really make much sense. There is so much more happening in the cosmos, and it is the evolution of your soul and spirit that is ultimately important, not the numbers in your bank account.

The Union of Opposites: A wise compatriot speaks

Sometimes something is sent to me that I want to share. I can’t tell you who sent this because identification with the circles would threaten him in the straight, political world in which he operates, but I so liked what he had to say, including setting me straight on what I recently posted about Reuters, that I am passing it along:

This is from email #1

Yes, this is very big news the press conference of military officials! I think in the future this event will certainly go down as a one of the milestones in the long march towards full disclosure. Unfortunately, and I can say this with the benefit of a lot of experience working with the corporate media, writing and lecturing about it, and an extensive academic background in media theory and criticism (that was my Master’s and Bachelor’s), I don’t see any progress or any positive signs in terms of the media’s coverage or treatment of this phenomenon.

Unfortunately, I think the guy that posted the press release might be reading too much into Reuters “coverage.” The story is just a release from those holding the press conference, and it’s done through a paid wire service (that costs as much as $400). That means Reuters didn’t even have a reporter write anything on this event! Anyone can publish a press advisory through a PR newswire (I’ve done so myself). So, sadly, as I research what kind of treatment this event got from the corporate media, it seems to me it might even be worse than feared. The fact that a story of this magnitude (if it was judged by the same standards as all other news) STILL didn’t generate any actual coverage, is a stark reminder that the Matrix is powerful and entrenched, and is not even close to being ready to allow for a challenge to the status quo. Big surprise!

…I’m so happy for all your success around the movie, Suzanne. It’s so deserved! I take a lot of heart to know that you’re out there serving as one of our representatives on the crop circle phenomenon. I think you and I are both out front working on different “paradigm shift components” — me on one aspect of reality (law, social movements, political advocacy) and you on a different one (though they are so connected). As my dad said to me, I am honored to be a fellow soldier in the war for justice, or, to use less militaristic verbiage, it’s an honor to participate in the great struggle for justice with you. 🙂

And from email #2:

I find so many “skeptics” (though they don’t seem to be skeptical of the establishment’s version of reality, are they?), including a few friends, who know so much about science and politics and are so smart, yet can’t seem to even contemplate or discuss the implications of something like crop circles, even though, as you said, the evidence is indisputable.

Similarly, their counterparts are all too prevalent: people who are completely “spiritual” and open to the reality of alien existence and contact, meditate, do yoga, and believe just visualizing what they want is somehow enough in the face of the powers that are against us. Sadly, these people don’t follow what’s happening right around them, with their tax money, and don’t even vote (and seem to believe they are somehow “above all that”), which I think completely contradicts their claimed “enlightenment.” Did Jesus, Martin Luther King, or Gandhi sit back and just visualize what they wanted in order to save themselves from the hard work of engaging reality and the political and social order? Obviously not.

I say all this because I think you and I are talking about two realities that must be merged, and are almost mirrors of each other. The system maintains itself by too many siding in one camp and not seeing the connection between our spirituality and our politics. How can people claim to be so compassionate and evolved when they don’t even vote or care about the fact that 4 out of 10 or our tax dollars go to the military and wars, or that 43 million Americans are now living in poverty as the wealthiest 400 families have as much wealth as the bottom 50 million combined, or that 50 million can’t afford health insurance, or that 1 of 5 children go hungry in OUR COUNTRY every night as banks get trillions in bailouts? You get the picture. I could go on for four pages just on this list of the current reality and suffering and injustice, largely because we have ALLOWED it to happen.

I also find it disturbing and problematic to find so many people that care about a lot of these issues, yet can’t see a much larger reality that awaits us — and, in fact, are actively hostile and dismissive of it and of those who are open to it. Just the realization that crop circles are real would go so far in turning that proverbial light bulb on for so many, and that is the flip side of the coin that I believe is necessary to change our dying paradigm.

I agree that there’s a BIG STORY for the media regarding crop circles, which adds to the argument that there’s much more at play than even ratings. But, yes, I do believe there is a slow process of disclosure going on; the question will be whether the forces that hide it will be allowed to tell us how to react to it.

So, in some ways I’ve become less hopeful we’re going to be able to reach that critical mass in both these worlds. But, I also know this life, right here and now, is one step of a much, much larger journey. AND, regardless of if I think we’re going to turn that corner or not, I know it’s possible and that the joy is in the process itself, anyway; the “fight” as I call it, against forces and prejudices must be taken on, regardless of whether it may seem hard or insurmountable. And there is contentment to be found, for others, to simply be a part of something that is so just and “right.”

Clearly, I think what you’re doing and what I’m doing is so important, and their connection with each other is even more so. The more we start creating a political reality that enhances justice and compassion, the better our chance is that we will open up to a much larger spiritual reality, like the crop circle phenomenon. Similarly, the more we open to a larger spiritual and eternal reality, like crop circles, the more we will reject the politics of competition, wealth, resource control, greed, dominance, selfishness, etc.

Wow! You really get me wanting to share my thoughts! I assure you I don’t do this to everyone I “talk” with…sorry…:)

Startling Straight Talk

Although I’m a died in the wool progressive who votes Democrat, I sing to myself so as not to listen to TV’s political ads, in California, from both parties. First, is their smug, supercilious tone, and then there is the repetition. Same ads, time after time. I believe they are turning everyone off.

Not being eager to immerse myself in this energy, nevertheless I like reading what Zack Kaldveer, who works for the Consumer Federation of California, has to say. (“GFC is a non-profit advocacy organization that has been a powerful voice for consumer rights since 1960.”)  Zack, an email friend who’s a passionate crusader for a better way, is clear and compelling in his analyses of what’s going on. Not only could he activate you to get you to the polls in case you are inclined to pass, but he will inform you.

What’s I’m directing you to was shocking American history to me. I wonder if any of you know the skinny on Columbus. Zack’s blog is TAKE THE RED PILL: Decoding America’s Matrix, and this entry for October 12 gave me more damning information than I ever knew.

I bring this to you because of how important it is to vote.

PS: I was with a friend last night, talking about how imploded we are in a system that’s not working, and, even when they don’t work, how difficult complex systems are to impact. He used the word “shock” — that  we need something  to shock us in order to jar us loose from the meshed gears we are in, where even good people have 40Ks and need the market to do well. Back to the circles — that it would be a shock to all of humanity to understand they can’t be made by us.