"your very own thread, and the horse you rode in on.&qu

[the fire elf]

I pause and reflect...

I see that I am a stranger. Not to the sky, for the sky and I have spent some time getting to know each other. And the sand has little cause not to remember me. It has worked it's way through all of my belongings, searching out the deepest crevices. Indeed the sand has been the most consistant to lie with me in my bed.

The strangeness seems to be a mantle cast upon me by those who say they are human.

That they call themselves anything at all holds some strangeness, as it seems that they alone on this planet of beings are engaged in such an activity.

It may hold some correlation to the range of vocalization they as a specie have developed. Some birds simply say "squaw"... Perhaps squaw is another sort of name, and the bird has been generous enough to give it to everything.

These humans, though, have quite a repertoire of names they work with. They may give you one as a show of respect. They may give you one in an attempt to engage in combat. They may even make one really big on a banner and fly it down the coast behind a plane for all to see.

All this work with names takes on a comical light when translated into the avian language of generosity: "squaw".

I once read: "Never enter onother man's universe, because in there he's God. Don't try to play by his rules. He knows them better than you do. Try to make him enter your universe." Having spent some time in a 'correctional' facility, I am inclined to agree.

So here we are, welcome to my universe. Let me show you around.

There I am, lying on the beach while the helicopters buzz around. 'Ghetto birds' is another name for those...

-------

It's not that conventional society causes too much hate to resonate through my 'nervous' system... That particular energy is less prevalent than the others that my body registers. And when that energy does well-forth, it seems to be strongly correlated to other individuals in my immediate environ either consciously or unconsciously directing similar energies in ways I take offense to.

-------

There's a hunger... I sidestep it at the moment. I allow it to present itself as petty things. Things that give me the appearance of a certain personage.

Appearances, in this world of a stage, seem to be paying attention to the city of angels. Whether or not they are the 'fallen angels' has yet to be dertermined by the particular layer I am observing in this malformed onion of a society.

-------

Jesus said that it was the peace he had that he was giving. And now look what's been done with it...

Just look; don't buy into it.

-------

Who's been weaving the flow of serendipity? It's times like these I would like for her and I to mate.

-------

The trade is a many faceted way of flow

-------

A simple cup of coffee, made less simple with sugar and cream-tasting powder.

Subsequent communal interactions, given an invariable & readily available source for less-simple-coffee, provides a social stratum more accessible than the social dynamics of Harvard or Yale.

[the fire elf]

Oh, look. Here comes another one. It's one of those that considers himself to have the advantage.

Why do I write 'himself' rather than 'herself'?

Women have the equipment to bear my offspring. Surely they are more advantaged than he...

-------

The waves roll through... One after the other.

Sure, you might presume I speak of ocean waves.

And you might be right, if you consider that dance music is an extension of the ocean waves; brought about in due course by a unique evolving material most commonly referred to as life.

(Life evolved dance music)

-------

The possibility of inspiring and enlightening the world.

-------

Well, how would you feel if someone told you that your particular way of showing love was poison?

I would take it as a Sign.

-------

Wonder is a quality i cherish.

(even if they're wondering what's wrong with me)

-------

They say that shiva is the boon grantor and the supreme yogi.

Though some Maharishis pegged me as an incarnation of visnu.

My, My, what a mess...

-------

On my planet there shall be much upheaval

-------

I've been told I ask remarkably few questions...

Pay attention to your dreams, and see how many questions you ask

-------

Some might consider the worst thing a savior could do is nothing.

Though I'm sure there's someone out there who would argue with them.

-------

There seems to be some misperception of the value of devoting one's attention to exploration of mystic nature

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

In A Link to the Past, the legend of the Dark World unfolded. It was a corrupt version of the Golden Land where the Triforce, a relic of extraordinary power, lay. When Link drew the Master Sword from its pedestal in Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo thieves, entered the Sacred Realm and used his Triforce of Power to corrupt the Golden Land, turning it into a reflection of his own heart—the Dark World.

"The Mask of Truth is of the Sheikah and has been handed
down for generations. With the Mask of Truth, you can
see into people's minds."

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

☆ ♥ ☆
☆ ♥ ☆
☆ ♥ ☆

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

I may say nothing to you a million different ways and find myself upset at each sound you utter...

I may consider each and every one of my inventions more valuable than one old invention replicated and tweaked with indefinately...

Unattachment & nongrasping are qualities which increase in value as people become more strongly attached to grasping...

[the fire elf]

Far away, in a time long past, there lived a travelling tailor who found himself in an unfamiliar country. Now, tailors who move from place to place normally keep to themselves and are careful not to overstep the bounds of local decency. This tailor, though, was overly gregarious and decorum-impaired, and soon he was at a local inn, abusing alcohol, invading personal space of the female employees, and telling unenlightened stories about tinkers, dung-gatherers, and other tradespeople.

The innkeeper complained to the police, who grabbed the tailor and dragged him in front of the emperor. As you might expect, a lifetime of belief in inherent superiority of males had turned the emperor into a vain and wisdom-challenged tyrant. The tailor noticed these traits and decided to use them to his advantage.

The emperor asked, "Do you have any last request before I banish you from my domain forever?"

The tailor replied, "Only that your majesty allow me the honor of crafting a new royal wardrobe. For I have brought with me a special fabric that is so rare and fine that it can be seen only by certain people- the type of people you'd want to have in your realm- people who are politically correct, morally righteous, intellectually astute, culturally tolerant, and who don't smoke, drink, laugh at sexist jokes, watch too much television, listen to country music, or barbecue."

After a moment's thought, the emperor agreed to this request. He was flattered by the fascist and testosterone-heavy idea that the empire and it's inhabitants existed only to make him look good. It would be like having a trophy wife and multiplying that feeling by 100,000.

Of course, no such rarefied fabric existed. Years of living outside the bounds of normal society had forced the tailor to develop his own moral code that obliged him to swindle and embarrass the emperor in the name of independant craftspeople everywhere. So, as he diligently labored, he was able to convince the emperor that he was cutting and sewing peices of fabric that, in the strictest objective sense of reality, didn't exist.

When the tailor announced that he was finished, the emperor looked at his new robes in the mirror. As he stood there, naked as the day he was born, one could see how years of exploiting the peasantry had turned his body into an ugly mass of puffy white flesh. The emperor, of course, saw this too, but pretended that he could see the beautiful, politically correct robes. To show off his new splendor, he ordered a parade to be held the next day.

On the following morning, his subjects lined the streets for the big parade. Word had spread about the emperor's new clothes that only enlightened people with healthy lifestyles could see, and everyone was determined to be more right-minded than his or her neighbor.

The parade began with great hoopla. As the emperor marched his pale, bloated, patriarchal carcass down the street, everyone loudly oohed and ahed at his beautiful new clothes. All except one small boy, who shouted:

"The emperor is naked!"

The parade stopped. The emperor paused. A hush fell over the crowd, until one quick-thinking peasant shouted:

"No, he isn't. The emperor is merely endorsing a clothing-optional lifestyle!"

A cheer went up from the crowd, and the throngs stripped off their clothes and danced in the sun, as Nature had intended. The country was clothing-optional from that day forward, and the tailor, deprived of any livelihood, packed up his needle and thread and was never heard from again.


[politically correct bedtime stories, by james finn garner]

[the fire elf]

The disciples said to Jesus:

Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like.


He said to them:

It is like a mustard seed --- smaller than all seeds.

But when it falls on tilled earth it produces a large tree and becomes shelter for all the birds of heaven.


Jesus said:

Men possibly think that I have come to throw peace upon the world, and they do not know that I have come to throw divisions upon the earth - fire, sword, war.

For there shall be five in a house: and three shall be against two and two against three; The father against the son and the son against the father; And they will stand as solitaries.


Jesus said:

I will give you what the eye has not seen, and what the ear has not heard, and what the hand has not touched, and what has not arisen in the heart of man.


Jesus said:

I took my stand in the midst of the world and in flesh I appeared to them.

I found them all drunk. I found none of them athirst.

And my soul was afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their heart and they do not see that empty they have come into the world, and empty they seek to go out of the world again.

But now they are drunk. When they have shaken off their wine, then they will repent.


Jesus says:

If the flesh has come into existence because of the spirit, it is a marvel; But if the spirit has come into existence because of the body, it is a marvel of marvels. But I marvel at how this great wealth has made it's home in this poverty.


Jesus said:

Take no thought from the morning until the evening and from the evening until the morning, for what you shall put on.


His disciples said:

When wilt thou be revealed to us and when will we see thee?


Jesus said:

When you take off your clothing without being ashamed, and take your clothes and put them under your feet as the little children and tread on them - then you shall behold the son of the living one, and you shall not fear.


Jesus said to them:

If you fast you will beget sin for yourselves; And if you pray you will be condemned; And if you give alms you will do evil to your spirits.

And if you go into any land and wander in the regions, if they receive you, eat what they set before you and heal the sick among them.

For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, But what comes out of your mouth, that is what will defile you.


Jesus said:

The kingdom is like a shepherd who had one hundred sheep.

One of them went astray, which was the largest.

He left behind the ninety-nine, he sought for the one until he found it.

Having tired himself out, He said to the sheep: I love thee more than the ninety-nine.


Jesus said:

The kingdom of the father is like a man, a merchant, who possessed merchandise and found a pearl.

The merchant was prudent. He sold the merchandise and bought the one pearl for himself.

Do you also seek for the treasure which fails not, which endures, where no moth comes near to devour, and where no worm destroys.

Jesus saw children who were being suckled. He said to his disciples: These children who are being suckled are like those who will enter the kingdom.


They said to him:

Shall we then, being children, enter the kingdom?


Jesus said to them:

When you make the two one, and when you make the inner as the outer, and the outer as the inner, and the above as the below, and when you make the male and the female into a single one, so that the male will not be male and the female not be female, then you shall enter the kingdom.


Jesus said:

The mote that is in thy brother's eye thou seest, but the beam that is in thine eye thou seest not.

When thou castest the beam out of thine eye, then thou wilt see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye.


Jesus said:

It is impossible for a man to mount two horses and stretch two bows; and it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters, otherwise he will honor the one and offend the other.


Jesus said:

A city being built on a high mountain and fortified, cannot fall nor can it ever be hidden.


Jesus said:

What thou shalt hear in thine ear and in the other ear, that preach from the housetops; for no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, nor does he put it in a hidden place; but he sets it on the lampstand so that all who come in and go out may see it's light.


Jesus said:

If a blind man leads a blind man, both of them fall into a pit.


Jesus said to his disciples:

Make a comparison to me and tell me who I am like.


Simon Peter said to him:

Thou art like a righteous angel.


Matthew said to him:

Thou art like a wise man of understanding.


Thomas said to him:

Master, my mouth will not be capable of saying whom thou art like.


Jesus said:

I am not thy Master, because thou hast drunk, thou hast become drunk from the bubbling spring which I have measured out.

And he took him, he withdrew, he spoke three words to him.

Now when Thomas came to his companions, they asked him: What did Jesus say to thee?


Thomas said to them:

If I tell you one of the words he said to me, you will take up stones and throw at me; and fire will come from the stones and burn you up.


Jesus said:

If those who lead you say to you: 'See, the Kingdom is in heaven,' then the birds of Heaven will precede you.


If they say to you:

'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you.

But the Kingdom is within you and it is without you.

If you will know yourselves, then you will be known and you will know that you are the sons of a Living Father.

But if you do not know yourselves, then you are in poverty and you are poverty.


Jesus said:

Blessed is the man who has suffered, he has found the Life.


Jesus said:

Look upon the Living One as long as you live, lest you die and seek to see Him and be unable to see.

They saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea.


He said to his disciples:

Why does this man carry the lamb with him?


They said to him:

In order that he may kill it and eat it.


He said to them:

As long as it is alive he will not eat it, but only if he has killed it and it has become a corpse.


They said:

Otherwise he will not be able to do it.


He said to them:

You yourselves, seek a place for yourselves in repose lest you become a corpse and be eaten.


Jesus said:

Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, the one will live.


Jesus said:

I am the Light that is above them all, I am the All, and the All came from me and the All attained to me.

Cleave a peice of wood and I am there; lift up the stone and you will find me there.


Jesus said:

Whoever is near to me is near to the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the Kingdom.


Jesus said:

Come to me, for easy is my yoke and my lordship is gentle.


Jesus said:

Whoever drinks from my mouth shall become as I am and I myself will become he, and the hidden things shall be revealed to him.


Jesus said:

Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you shall find the Kingdom; because you come from it and you shall go there again.


Jesus said:

If they say to you: 'From where have you originated?' say to them: 'We have come from the Light, where the Light originated through itself.'

If they ask you: 'What is the sign of your Father in you?' say to them: 'It is a movement and a rest.'


Simon Peter said to them:

Let Mary go out from among us, because women are not worthy of the Life.


Jesus said:

See, I shall lead her so that I will make her male, That she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who makes herself male will enter the Kingdom.


Jesus said:

A man had guest-friends, and when he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite the guest-friends.

He went to the first, he said to him: 'My master has invited thee.' He said: 'I have some claims against some merchants; they will come to me in the evening; I will go and give them my orders. I pray to be excused from the dinner.'

He went to another, he said to him: 'My master has invited thee.' He said to him: 'I have bought a house and they request me for a day. I will have no time.'

He came to another, he said to him: 'My master invites thee.' He said to him: 'My friend is to be married and I am to arrange a dinner; I shall not be able to come. I pray to be excused from the dinner.'

He went to another, he said to him: 'My master invites thee.' He said to him: 'I have bought a farm, I go to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. I pray to be excused.'

The servant came, he said to his master: 'Those whom thou hast invited to the dinner have excused themselves.'

The master said to his servant:
'Go out to the roads, bring those whom thou shalt find so that they may dine. Tradesmen and merchants shall not enter the places of my Father.'


His disciples said to him:

When will the repose of the dead come about, and when will the new world come?


He said to them:

What you expect has come, but you know it not.


His disciples said to him:

Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel and they all spoke about thee.


He said to them:

You have dismissed the Living One who is before you, and you have spoken about the dead.


Jesus said:

I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I guard the world until it is afire.


Jesus said:

If you bring forth that within yourselves, that which you have will save you. If you do not have that within yourselves, that which you do not have will kill you.


Jesus said:

Let him who seeks, not cease seeking until he finds.

And when he finds he will be troubled, he will marvel, and he will reign over the All.


And he said:

Whoever finds explanation of these words will not taste death.

[the fire elf]

It happened. After the shifting of the poles, Mother opened her bowels - and from her womb tremendous heat spewed forth. It was from within the center of this heat that Agni found release, and immediately took to flight. Her son had been fond of roaming land and sea, providing fire for every source that could touch his feet. But seeing the turmoil that had caused his Mother great pain, he left home to explore the beyond in search of how to better conserve his energies.



As he made his way thru the skies, his sister Vidyahara held on to his heel with one of her thick, black clouds. She pleaded with Agni not to take leave, but onward he was bound. Promising to return one bright and sunny day with all that he had learned, Agni quickly resumed his flight. (Though one can only speculate, rumor went round that he went to search the many rooms of his Father's mansion for the secret stairwell his Mother had hinted to him of.) In leaving with such great haste, one of his sandals fell off, and with a splash it landed in the molten lava of his Mother's tears below.



When Mother's pains began to subside, wounds beginning to heal, she was left with an inner flame alone. This flame was enough to keep her house in order within, yet for her outer court --- none could be spared...



Now the survivors were vexed, for amongst all that had to now be faced, they could no more produce a spark for fire. Try as they might - rubbing sticks together, flint or coal, even striking dry matches they had chanced upon - none would now produce a flame. Every means they could think of, every source that they knew of - not even a firefly could produce a glow. High and low, this one element was most sought after because they thought that if just one flame could be produced, they could begin life all over again. One flame, just one small flame, could ignite a million flames to transform and transmute what they had in their minds to do. Without a flame, how could they rebuild what had now turned to rubble and burned to ash?



And there stood Surya, like a giant ball of precious gold, enticing them from beyond the sky. Staring up at his shimmering throne, their eyes grew sore with lamentation that something could appear so near yet be so far from reach. They sought to construct various means to touch at least a reflection of his blazing strength. But Vidyahara, still too feeble with the smoke and fumes of former days, could not lift her eyes up long enough for them to collect sufficient rays to set even their smallest of devices in motion.



This began the parting of the ways. Without this one element, the survivors could not pick up the pieces and return to manipulating the gifts of land, water and air as they had once done. Those who could not adjust to living closer with basic needs, were the first to remove themselves. The lazy, the addicted, the stagnate, and similar characters became, in short order, extinct. And with this release, one could notice an ever so slight change in the atmospheric pressure.



Mother's temperature had lowered, however she was recovering fairly well. Still feeling a little shaky, the equator settled further north.



Dry land planting itself where water had once flowed. Bodies of water living where land had once congregated. And so the remnant went forward gathering themselves together, as one from here and two from there were all that remained. Life began to gravitate towards this new equator, for it was the warmest of places to be found within these shivering new frontiers.



They thought to comb every inch of this wonder, in an effort to uncover it's root. But it was a lot of land to traverse, and no one really knew if it even had a bottom. Only the strong in heart could take such a journey. This hollow was like a sacred cradle. With unimaginable creativity, it bore thought seeds of a new kind. In essence, a new life wave had been kindled here as one grew in appreciation of the simple things in life. The vegetation was simply scrumptious, such a contrast to the sparse wild edibles they had grown accustomed to. The water literally sparkled, quenching their ponder-ous thirst. The waterfalls actually tingled, soothing their sorely callous feet. Many decided to go no farther than this periphery. The few traveled on. And the ways had parted once more...



The deeper they climbed, the lighter it became - the wind steadily mounting as well. They visited caverns and meadows, lakes and jungles, wondering if there were any end to this diversity, if they would ever reach the core. Many seasons slipped past as they searched every passage, the wind's breath ever following their steps. Some grew impatient, others grew discouraged, and there were the ever fewer who grew in determination. From where came this subtle light and why had it not been found. So elusive was this quest.



The Day came when these wayfarers met a circle of souls nestled in one of the coves of the Ark's hollow. They lived in close communion with the forces of nature. This meeting was the first outer contact this little community had with others who had survived. Overjoyed to see their wandering brothers, they welcomed them into their heart. The travelers anxiously told the circle of their quest, asking how they had carried on without a flame. The leader explained that the climatic changes created an atmosphere of outer and inner harmony. "The warmer weather extinguished the need of fire for heat, clothing being reserved for the quaint.



The vegetation which evolved is more than satisfying, nature itself became the cook. As can be seen, nature also took care to carve shelters into the hillsides. All outer needs amply met, opportunity has been extended to focus our energies on the inner side of our nature, the flame within. This covenant with life is the blossom of selflessly giving one's all. Please stay at least a while, we would be immensely honored to have this opportunity to be of service." But their minds were focused on the object of their dream. They thought possibly these stewards of the outer and inner realms might be able to assist them to realize this dream. The leader, understanding their plight, foretold in solace, "Look to the setting sun, perhaps there your eyes shall find the rest you seek." With renewed strength, they turned their gaze westward...



One evening, they walked up on what appeared to be a rock garden. The sun now setting, they decided to rest here for the night. Some of these formations stood like giant statues against the evening sky. This sanctuary was so quiescent that even the wind dared not pass through. As darkness draped its' blanket across the landscape, they laid down to sleep. Suddenly, a scream was heard from one of the pilgrims. She frantically shouted at the top of her lungs, "We're surrounded! They have us surrounded!!" The others looked out amongst the giant stones - lo and behold, they saw a sight not seen in so long. They were surrounded, not by some frightful apparition, but to their astonishment they saw a field of fireflies! But this one poor pilgrim had forgotten that such a fly had ever existed. In fear, she sprang to her feet, running for her life. In her panic, she stumbled over a rock, falling to the ground with a hard thud. When her fellow travelers came round to help her up, they noticed a strange emanation coming from the small rock she had tripped over. They rejoiced and rejoiced! The elixir of life - a single, solitary flame had been found. Amazed at their discovery, some froze in their steps while others rushed to take hold. Though the flame was small in size, it was more than immensely hot - throwing the would-be assailants off their feet. In the confusion which followed, there was one who kept his composure and brought order to the dazzled group. Once everyone had calmed down, all sat in a circle around the flame and awaited the rising of the sun. They thought, "...such a miracle, now we shall save the world..."



Now this flame was surrounded by a translucent, purple film of hardened lava. Like a candle, it flickered brightly - unending, unceasing, no one knew how it replenished itself. All around it were splashes of this hardened lava, forming what looked like an alter made of stone. All types of means were devised to secure this precious source. But it was in vain, no one could remove it from its' seat.



The composed one took leave of his industrious companions, going for a walk along the hillside - deep in contemplation. While exploring one of the nearby coves, a whisper in the wind whirled around him - gently blowing wisps of intuition into his receptive ears. "This flame," it was softly sung, "transmutes and burns asunder more than metal and wood. The inner life it will touch, through the layers of outer circumstance. Take up your staff, share the flame throughout. To each will be given his due."
The composed one returned, respectfully suggesting a way to carry the flame forth. He told them to put aside their past conditioning of how a flame endures, "Every one light their branch and let us return." Puzzled by this suggestion, some laughed at his proposal saying, "Is that the best you can come up with? Here it is, we've been working hard trying to figure out a way, and you come back from a stroll in the woods telling us to light a branch! We've tried digging up underneath it, only to find solid lava everywhere. We've tried breaking through this lava, nearly breaking our bones, and everything else, all to no avail. We'll not get far with a burning branch. Any child knows the fire would quickly consume it. No, that will not work at all."



The composed one took up his branch. Lighting the tip, he seated himself and watched his comrades ramble on. One then two noticed his burning branch did not go out. In fact, it grew brighter with time.
"This is a strange flame. As strange as the fact that without any fuel or wax, it burns on. Let us suppose that it's nature has changed. Let us each take up our branch and see!"
The envious lit his branch and in return received a very small flame, making him envious indeed.
The greedy lit his branches and in return received a very large and hot flame which burned down almost to his hand and remained steady. With great difficulty he carried his hot burden.
The dishonest lit his branch and in return received a smoldering branch which did not go out, but did not produce a flame either.
The cheerful lit his branch and in return received a most beautiful conflagration.
The hard and honest worker lit his branch and in return received a flame strong enough to rebuild the world.



As it was shared, every virtue and every vice approached the flame...


and in return received their due.



Conflicts arose from this state of affairs. Now not only were every ones' virtues and vices in full view, but one could not take another's flame as his own... and one could not lose his flame to another. The viced ones could not beg, borrow or steal anothers branch without it turning into that which they were. And all a virtuous one had to do was touch any branch that had been lit to instantly regain their justly earned flame.
On their return to the periphery, they stopped at the circle to share their prized flame. When the leader accepted their offering, the branch was transformed into a hollow tube. So light was it, that it need not even be carried. It just hovered around the leader's head like a beam of light. Everyone was deeply touched.
"This flame that manifests, was here all along. It is just that now it appears visible to the naked eye. So beautiful is this flame. It cannot be corrupted. It only grows more glorious with growth. Pray stay with us a while longer this time."
But their minds were set on returning triumphant with the flame to transform the world as they knew it. However, they left with the aspiration to transform their branch into a Hollow Flame. They understood that the only way to obtain it was by acquiring the virtue of selflessness. Through their own effort they would one day realize.



Every one cheered that within the hollow of the Ark, the one single flame survived. Each rushed to the other, with branch in hand, to receive of this wondrous light. As unlit branch met lit branch, the virtuous received greatly, the vicious received justly. To each was given his due. Those who became more and more virtuous increased in light. Those who did not or could not change their outlook, in due process of time, removed themselves for lack of a well lit flame. As the virtuous increased in size, the vicious decreased in number, until at last, the last flame of vice was extinguished and heard of no more.



The day came when a host of Hollow Flames had been lit. Many had traveled to the circle in the Hollow in preparation to receive this most sought after light.



Mother watched as the course of life spiraled onward. It was through the energies of the Hollow Flames that she was able to recover as well as she had. And they were vital in Vidyahara recuperating from her bout with the flu. The clouds now lifting, everyone was elated to see Surya's sunny smile again. All of nature was regaining it's strength. But in Mother's core, there remained a loss. She longed for the return of her son Agni. And she yearned to assist in the evolvement which was taking place. It was her portion to provide the new and finer vehicles to house these glorious Hollow Flames. But she was growing old. Without her son's help, she would be left behind...



It happened. One bright and sunny day, a tremendous roar was heard in the sky... It was Agni returning home from the beyond, riding on a cloud of fire. In one hand, he carried a blueprint filled with new signs and symbols. In the other he carried a toolbox full of fundamental and essential elements to complete their next step on the stairwell together.





[Blessings and Thanks to our Spiritual Teacher the Reverend Nazirmoreh (ABRD)]

[the fire elf]

The Wanderer
Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Oft him anhaga are gebideð,
metudes miltse, þeah þe he modcearig
geond lagulade longe sceolde
hreran mid hondum hrimcealde sæ,

5
wadan wræclastas. Wyrd bið ful aræd!
Swa cwæð eardstapa, earfeþa gemyndig,
wraþra wælsleahta, winemæga hryre:
"Oft ic sceolde ana uhtna gehwylce
mine ceare cwiþan. Nis nu cwicra nan

10
þe ic him modsefan minne durre
sweotule asecgan. Ic to soþe wat
þæt biþ in eorle indryhten þeaw,
þæt he his ferðlocan fæste binde,
healde his hordcofan, hycge swa he wille.

15
Ne mæg werig mod wyrde wiðstondan,
ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman.
Forðon domgeorne dreorigne oft
in hyra breostcofan bindað fæste;
swa ic modsefan minne sceolde,

20
oft earmcearig, eðle bidæled,
freomægum feor feterum sælan,
siþþan geara iu goldwine minne
hrusan heolstre biwrah, ond ic hean þonan
wod wintercearig ofer waþema gebind,

25
sohte sele dreorig sinces bryttan,
hwær ic feor oþþe neah findan meahte
þone þe in meoduhealle min mine wisse,
oþþe mec freondleasne frefran wolde,
weman mid wynnum. Wat se þe cunnað,

30
hu sliþen bið sorg to geferan,
þam þe him lyt hafað leofra geholena.
Warað hine wræclast, nales wunden gold,
ferðloca freorig, nalæs foldan blæd.
Gemon he selesecgas ond sincþege,

35
hu hine on geoguðe his goldwine
wenede to wiste. Wyn eal gedreas!
Forþon wat se þe sceal his winedryhtnes
leofes larcwidum longe forþolian,
ðonne sorg ond slæp somod ætgædre

40
earmne anhogan oft gebindað.
þinceð him on mode þæt he his mondryhten
clyppe ond cysse, ond on cneo lecge
honda ond heafod, swa he hwilum ær
in geardagum giefstolas breac.

45
ðonne onwæcneð eft wineleas guma,
gesihð him biforan fealwe wegas,
baþian brimfuglas, brædan feþra,
hreosan hrim ond snaw, hagle gemenged.
þonne beoð þy hefigran heortan benne,

50
sare æfter swæsne. Sorg bið geniwad,
þonne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfeð;
greteð gliwstafum, georne geondsceawað
secga geseldan. Swimmað eft on weg!
Fleotendra ferð no þær fela bringeð

55
cuðra cwidegiedda. Cearo bið geniwad
þam þe sendan sceal swiþe geneahhe
ofer waþema gebind werigne sefan.
Forþon ic geþencan ne mæg geond þas woruld
for hwan modsefa min ne gesweorce,

60
þonne ic eorla lif eal geondþence,
hu hi færlice flet ofgeafon,
modge maguþegnas. Swa þes middangeard
ealra dogra gehwam dreoseð ond fealleþ,
forþon ne mæg weorþan wis wer, ær he age

65
wintra dæl in woruldrice. Wita sceal geþyldig,
ne sceal no to hatheort ne to hrædwyrde,
ne to wac wiga ne to wanhydig,
ne to forht ne to fægen, ne to feohgifre
ne næfre gielpes to georn, ær he geare cunne.

70
Beorn sceal gebidan, þonne he beot spriceð,
oþþæt collenferð cunne gearwe
hwider hreþra gehygd hweorfan wille.
Ongietan sceal gleaw hæle hu gæstlic bið,
þonne ealre þisse worulde wela weste stondeð,

75
swa nu missenlice geond þisne middangeard
winde biwaune weallas stondaþ,
hrime bihrorene, hryðge þa ederas.
Woriað þa winsalo, waldend licgað
dreame bidrorene, duguþ eal gecrong,

80
wlonc bi wealle. Sume wig fornom,
ferede in forðwege, sumne fugel oþbær
ofer heanne holm, sumne se hara wulf
deaðe gedælde, sumne dreorighleor
in eorðscræfe eorl gehydde.

85
Yþde swa þisne eardgeard ælda scyppend
oþþæt burgwara breahtma lease
eald enta geweorc idlu stodon.
Se þonne þisne wealsteal wise geþohte
ond þis deorce lif deope geondþenceð,

90
frod in ferðe, feor oft gemon
wælsleahta worn, ond þas word acwið:
"Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago? Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
Hwær cwom symbla gesetu? Hwær sindon seledreamas?
Eala beorht bune! Eala byrnwiga!

95
Eala þeodnes þrym! Hu seo þrag gewat,
genap under nihthelm, swa heo no wære.
Stondeð nu on laste leofre duguþe
weal wundrum heah, wyrmlicum fah.
Eorlas fornoman asca þryþe,

100
wæpen wælgifru, wyrd seo mære,
ond þas stanhleoþu stormas cnyssað,
hrið hreosende hrusan bindeð,
wintres woma, þonne won cymeð,
nipeð nihtscua, norþan onsendeð

105
hreo hæglfare hæleþum on andan.
Eall is earfoðlic eorþan rice,
onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum.
Her bið feoh læne, her bið freond læne,
her bið mon læne, her bið mæg læne,

110
eal þis eorþan gesteal idel weorþeð!"
Swa cwæð snottor on mode, gesæt him sundor æt rune.
Til biþ se þe his treowe gehealdeþ, ne sceal næfre his torn to rycene
beorn of his breostum acyþan, nemþe he ær þa bote cunne,
eorl mid elne gefremman. Wel bið þam þe him are seceð,

115
frofre to fæder on heofonum, þær us eal seo fæstnung stondeð.

[the fire elf]

The Wanderer
Translated by Robert E. Diamond

Often the solitary dweller awaits favor for himself, the mercy

of the Lord, although he, anxious in spirit, has long been

obliged to stir with his hands (i.e., row?) the ice-cold (lit.

frost-cold) sea over the path of the waters, to travel the paths

of exile. (5b) Fate is utterly inexorable (lit. resolute).

(6) So spoke the wanderer, mindful of hardships, of cruel

slaughters, of the death of beloved kinsmen: Often alone each

dawn I have had to bewail my sorrows; there is not now any

one living (lit. none of the living) to whom I dare speak my

mind openly. (11b) In truth I know that (it) is a very noble

custom in a man that he should bind fast his mind, guard the

treasury of his heart, let him think as he will. (15) (One)

weary in spirit cannot resist fate nor (can) the troubled

thought afford consolation ( lit. perform help ); therefore

(those) eager for glorious reputation often bind fast in their

hearts a gloomy (thought). (19) So I, often wretched, de-

prived of my native land, far from my noble kinsmen, have

had to bind my mind with fetters, since (the time) years ago

(when I) hid in the concealment of the earth (i.e., buried) my

gold-friend (i.e., generous lord), and I, abject, winter-griev-

ing (i.e., in a mood as dreary as winter? oppressed by ad-

vancing years?) went from there over the surface (lit. bind-

ing) of the waves, wretched, I sought the dwelling of a dis-

penser of treasure (i.e., generous lord), (sought) where I

might be able to find far or near some one who, in a mead-hall,

might know of my (people) or might be willing to console me,

friendless, comfort (me) with pleasures. (29b) He who ex-

periences (it) knows how cruel is sorrow as a companion to

him who has few friendly protectors for himself. (32) The

path of exile attends him, not twisted gold, a mournful spirit,

not earthly prosperity. He remembers the warriors in the hall

(lit. hall-warriors) and the receiving of treasure, (remem-

bers) how in his youth his gold-friend (i.e., generous lord)

entertained him at feasting. Joy has all disappeared !

(37) Therefore he who must knows (how to) do without

the instructive speeches of his beloved friendly lord for a long

time, when sorrow and sleep together often bind the wretched

solitary (one). (41) It seems to him in his mind that he is

embracing and kissing his lord and laying his hands and head

on his knee, as he sometimes formerly in the days of yore

enjoyed the gift-throne (i.e., the throne where his lord sat

dispensing gifts). (45) Then the friendless (lordless?) man

awakens again, sees before him the dark waves, (sees) sea-

birds bathe (and) spread their feathers, (sees) hoar-frost and

snow fall mingled with hail.

(49) Then the wounds of the heart are the more severe,

painful (with longing) for a loved one. Sorrow is renewed

when the memory of kinsmen passes through his mind; (he)

greets (them) joyfully, eagerly regards (his) comrades in

arms (lit. companions of warriors). (53b) They float away

again. The spirit of the floating ones (i.e., phantoms) does not

bring there many familiar songs. Care is renewed for him who

must very often send forth his weary spirit over the surface

(lit. binding) of the waves.

(58) Therefore I cannot imagine why throughout this

world my mind will not grow gloomy when I consider all the

life of men, how they suddenly left the hall (lit. floor of the

hall), the courageous young retainers. (62b) So this world

every day (lit. each of all days) is crumbling and falling;

therefore a man cannot become wise before he has his portion

of years in the world. (65b) A wise man must (be) patient,

nor must he (be) at all too irascible nor too hasty of speech

nor too weak a warrior nor too reckless nor too fearful nor

too elated nor too avaricious nor ever (lit. never) too eager

for glory before he really knows--a man must wait, when he

makes a vow, until, bold-spirited, (he) really knows whither

the thought of his heart will turn.

(73) A clever man ought to realize how terrible (it) will

be when all the wealth of this world stands waste, as now

variously (i.e., here and there) throughout this world walls

stand wind-blown, covered with hoar-frost, the dwellings

storm-beaten. (78) The wine-halls are crumbling, the rulers

lie dead, deprived of revelry, all the band of warriors has

fallen proud by the wall. (80b) War destroyed some, carried

(them) away; a bird carried one off over the high sea; the

gray wolf shared one with death; a sad-faced man hid (i.e.,

buried) one in a grave.

(85) Thus the Creator of men laid waste this dwelling-

place, until the old works of giants (i.e., buildings) stood

vacant, without the noise of the inhabitants. (88) He then

thoughtfully (lit. wisely) reflected upon this place of ruins

(lit. wall-place) and profoundly meditates upon this sad life,

wise in heart, (he) often remembers many slaughters in battle

far (back in time) and speaks these words: (92) Where has

the horse gone ? Where has the warrior gone ? Where has the

giver of treasure gone? Where have (lit. has) the banquet

seats gone? Where are the revelries in the hall? Alas, bright

cup ! Alas, armored warrior ! Alas, princely splendor (lit.

splendor of a prince) ! How that time has passed away, grown

dark under cover of night, as (if) it had never been! (97)

Now the wall, wondrously high, decorated with serpent de-

signs, outlasts the beloved band of warriors. (99) The force

(lit. forces) of ash-wood spears destroyed the warriors,

weapons greedy for slaughter, (and) fate, that famed (one),

and storms beat upon these stone slopes (walls?), a driving

(lit. falling) snowstorm binds the earth, the howling of

winter, when (it) comes, (all) dark, the shadow of night

grows dark, sends from the north a fierce hailstorm, to the

vexation of men. (106) All the kingdom of the earth is full of

hardships, the decree of the fates changes the world under

the heavens. (108) Here wealth is transitory, here friend is

transitory, here man is transitory, here kinsman is transitory,

this whole foundation of the earth is becoming empty.

(111) So spoke the (man) wise in spirit, sat apart in secret

meditation. Good is he who keeps his pledges, nor ought a

man ever (lit. never) make known the grief from out of his

breast too quickly, unless he, the man, should know beforehand

how to bring about a remedy with fortitude. (114b) It will be

well for him who seeks grace for himself, comfort from the

Father in heaven, where for us is (lit. stands) all security.

[the fire elf]

once upon a time there was a magician who lived in the city of thieves...pretty much everyone was a thief?..in this city of thieves.....


except they didn't steal money, they stole the hearts of young women and men.....broke them and then handed them back shattered and in pieces


this magician had a way to piece together what was broken in such a quick and timeless manner that the men and women had no idea who was doing this noble act.....the problem was that just as they were returned the hearts were stolen and broken again one fine day this magician was wandering around the city looking for a broken heart to mend.....


this same day...... a maiden new to this city but born with a fractured heart (it was no fun for the theives to shatter what was already broken) wandered around, un-thieved and happy with her fractured heart, smelling flowers and admiring the simple beauty of the city, always with a tinge of sadness they collided on a corner both walking around it from opposite sides....


the magician looked into this woman's eyes and knew that he must fix her broken heart


she refused his magic, thinking that it must be some sort of trickery and didn't trust his motives.....she ran in the opposite direction years passed by and this woman grew very lonely.....for everyone else in the city of thieves was given their mended heart back and was able to trust and love again and again


she began to think about that magician she ran so quickly away from so,she went out looking for him and nowhere could he be found.....she began to wonder if he had even existed those same years passed and the magician grew frustrated.....


he mended everyone's hearts but his efforts were in vein because they would be stolen again and again be broken...so he felt he was getting nowhere....fast


the magician stopped his efforts for five minutes, and his heart was stolen by a sly thief, given back to him in pieces, and he couldn't mend it himself now, not only was his heart broken, everyone else's hearts weren't being mended anymore!


the town came to a halt


traffic stopped, everyone stopped, all that could be heard were the birds in the trees


the magician cried out for all the hearts he could no longer mend and his tears flooded the city.....


the birds stopped singing and the pieces of his heart floated away swimming through the streets now, the fractured heart woman was still the same, for she had the same break in her heart all her life and couldn't understand what was different now in this city and around that same corner the two collided again but this time they held on to each other for dear life......


and that stopped the tears from falling out of the magician's eyes, for he remembered her and she remembered him.....


and that caused them to truly look at eachother as the threat of drowning was flowing away the woman held the magician's hand and felt the emptyness of his heart which was slowly being patched up as she wiped his drying tears and held him close in that moment she learned how to mend his heart, but there would always be scars where it was broken......


and now the people of the city would have to learn how to mend each other's hearts because the magician realized that he was doing too much and he liked that his had scars now, there was something beautiful about the stories that the fractures told

and this caused the city of thieves to become the city of magic


(courtesy of kim d wondergalaxy)

[the fire elf]

[the fire elf]

Jesus said:

...

Pan (mythology), Greek god of the shepherds:





Of note is "The Sorcerer," a Paleolithic cave painting representing a therianthropic man with horns. As it predates all known representations of Cernunnos, and the Indo-European cultures associated with him, by several thousand years, it cannot be called with certainty a progenitor image. It does, however, suggest that the idea of a Horned Man held ceremonial, magical, or religious significance as early as the Old Stone Age.

[the fire elf]

In the Later Middle Ages, dreams were seen as temptations from the Devil, and thus were seen as dangerous. This was dismissed in the later 19th century with the theories of Sigmund Freud, which stated dreams were a reflection of human desires and were prompted by external stimuli.

Research by Michel Jouvet indicated that instinctive behaviours are programmed during the REM state in the foetus and the neonate. This is necessarily in the form of incomplete templates for which the animal later identifies analogous sensory components in the real world. These analogical templates give animals the ability to respond to the environment in a flexible way and generate the ability to learn, rather than just react.

In Greek mythology, the Oneiroi were the sons of Hypnos, the god of sleep. They were personifications of dreams—black-winged daemons—and they were said to live on the shores of the Ocean in the far West, in a cavern near the border of Hades. The gods sent dreams to mortals from one of two gates located there: true dreams emerged from a gate made of horn, whereas false dreams threaded their way from a gate fashioned of ivory.

The most powerful of the Oneiroi was Morpheus. His brothers Icelus, or Phobetor and Phantasos shape parts of dreams, while he shapes the dream in general. Morpheus shapes human figures, Phobetor shapes animal figures and Phantasos shapes inanimate objects.

[the fire elf]

In art, Hypnos was portrayed as a naked, youthful man, sometimes with a beard, and wings attached to his head. He is sometimes shown as a man asleep on a bed of feathers with black curtains about him. Morpheus is his chief minister and prevents noises from waking him. In Sparta, the image of Hypnos was always put near that of death.

[the fire elf]

Morpheus ("he who forms, shapes, molds", from the Greek morphe)



Phobetor ("frightening") was the personification of nightmares and appeared in dreams in the form of animals or monsters. He was also referred to as "Icelus" or "Icelos".


Phantasos ("apparition") appeared in dreams in the form of inanimate objects.

[the fire elf]

my mom told me to be invisible...

my guru told me to maintain a unique appearance...

you'd probably be a little muddled too.

[the fire elf]

Odin's name is related to óðr, meaning "excitation," "fury" or "poetry," and his role, like many of the Norse pantheon, is complex: he is god of wisdom, war, battle and death. He is also attested as being a god of magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt.



Freyja means "lady" in Old Norse (cf. fru or Frau in Scandinavian and German). While there are no sources suggesting that she was called on to bring fruitfulness to fields or wombs, she was a goddess of love, sex, war, beauty, prophecies and attraction. Freya correspondingly was one of the most popular goddesses.

[the fire elf]

Maharishi Sadashiva Isham, usually named MSI (born April 13, 1949 in Seattle, Washington), deceased August 12, 1997.

He (allegedly) travelled to the Himalayas and met a secret brotherhood of monks. The monks were protecting a spiritual technique which Jesus Christ himself presumably had been practicing. The techniques had been protected by the apostle John after Christs' departure, when he went to the Greek island of Patmos. Eventually he was supposed to have traveled to Himalaya to form the secret brotherhood.

The followers of The Ishayas' Ascension do not consider the teaching to be a following of any kind. Ascension is not a belief system, but a series of easy to use techniques that allow the mind to experience its True Nature.

[the fire elf]

She wanted something just like the real thing
He needed love and it all worked out somehow
He knows that love is the king of emotion but
He can't touch her cause she's too perfect now

But she wasn't like that then
And he wasn't like that then
They were everything
Everything they need

Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you
Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you

She wasn't thinking about anyone else just then
But she knew someone else would always come to mind
Cause they were strangers living in a feeling
They were scared when they heard they talked about love

But it wasn't like that then
It just wasn't like that then
They took everything
Cause everything was free

Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you
Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you

Oh yes and they were thinning out
At that moment where we're all afraid
Started thinking that pretty soon one of them would leave
But she says suffer me

Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you
Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you

Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you
Suffer me
Call on me and I
I will call on you
Call on you

[the fire elf]

When people do something they enjoy, without reward or coercion, they attribute their behavior to their love of the activity. External rewards undermine intrinsic motivation by leading people to attribute their behavior to the incentive.

-------

Natural mimicry and emotional contagion. People in sync feel more rapport with each other.

-------

Self-perception theory:
The theory that when unsure of our attitudes, we infer them much as would someone observing us--by looking at our behavior and the circumstances under which it occurs.

-------

Norms--rules for accepted behavior--vary by culture.

-------

Secretariat, the greatest race-horse of modern times, sired 400 foals.

-------

People rarely internalize coerced behavior.

-------

There are three things extremely hard, Steel, a Diamond, and to know one's self.

-------

An inventor. Like everyone else, creative prople are more aware of their results of their thinking than of the underlying cognitive processes.

-------

Self-esteem:
A person's overall self-evaluation or sense of self worth.

-------

Secretariat, the greatest race-horse of modern times, sired 400 foals.

-------

Hypothesis:
A testable proposition that describes a relationship that may exist between events.

-------

Illusory optimism:
Most couples marry feeling confident of long-term love. Actually, in individualistic cultures, new marriages often fail.

-------

Illusion of control:
Perception of uncontrollable events as subject to one's control or as more controllable than they are.

-------

First impressions matter, for they can color later information and judgments.

-------

Confidence and feelings of self-efficacy grow from successes.

-------

Humility is often but a trick whereby pride abases itself only to exalt itself later.

-------

Among sibling relationships, the threat to self-esteem is greatest for an older child with a highly capable younger brother or sister.

-------

Confirmation bias:
A tendency to search for information that confirms one's preconceptions.

-------

Self-schema:
Beliefs about self that organize and guide the processing of self-relevant information.

-------

Self-awareness:
A self-conscious state in which attention focuses on oneself. It makes people more sensitive to their own attitudes and dispositions.

-------

Illusory correlation:
Perception of a relationship where none exists, or perception of a stronger relationship than actually exists.

-------

Evolutionary psychology:
The study of the evolution of behavior using the principles of natural selection; assumes that natural selestion favors information processing and behaviors that, in particular environments, contribute to the preservation and spread of one's genes.

-------

Secretariat, the greatest race-horse of modern times, sired 400 foals.

[the fire elf]

Case Sudies In Persuasion:

The ancestor of every action is a thought.

What persuasion and group influence principles are applied by cults?

Self-reference effect:
The tendency to process efficiently and remember well information related to oneself.

The persuasion principles get applied, consciously or not, in ways that reveal their power. Consider the social influences that have caused hundreds of thousands of people to join cults.




Cult Indoctrination:


Hare Krishna chanters, Moonies, and cult suicide victims--what persuades them to adopt radically new beliefs? Do their experiences illustrate the dynamics of human persuasion? Bear two things in mind: First, this is hindsight analysis. It uses persuasion principles as categories for explaining, after the fact, a fascinating social phenomenon.

A first-rate theory predicts; a second-rate theory forbids; and a third-rate theory explains after the event.

Second, explaining why we people believe something that says nothing about the truth of their beliefs. That is a logically seperate issue. A psychology of religion might tell us why a theist believes in god and an athiest disbelieves, but it cannot tell us who is right. Explaining either belief does not explain it away. So if someone tries to discount your beliefs by saying, "You just believe that because...," you might recall the reply of Archbishop William Temple. After giving an address at Oxford, a questioner opened the discussion with a challenge: "Well, of course, Archbishop, the point is that you believe what you believe because of the way you were brought up." to which the Archbishop replied: "That is as it may be. But the fact remains that you believe I believe what I believe because of the way I was brought up, because of the way you were brought up."


In recent decades, several cults have gained much publicity: Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church and Jim Jone's People's Temple. The Reverend Moon's mixture of Christianity, anticommunism, and glorification of Moon himself as a new messiah attracted a worldwide following. In response to Moon's declaration, "What I wish must be your wish," many committed themselves and their incomes to the Unification Church. How were they persuaded to do so?


In 1978 in Guyana, 914 followers of the Reverend Jones, who had followed him there from San Francisco, shocked the world when they died by following his order to down a strawberry drink laced with tranquilizers, painkillers, and a lethal dose of cyanide.

Mundane realism:
Degree to which an experiment is superficially similar to e4veryday situations.

Experimental realism:
Degree to which an experiment absorbs and involves its participants.

In 1993, high-school dropout David Koresh used his talent for memorizing Scripture and mesmerizing people to seize control of a faction of a sect called Branch Dividians. Over time, members were gradually relieved of their bank accounts and possesions. Koresh also persuaded the men to live celibately while he slept with their wives and daughters, and he convinced his 19 "wives" that they should bear his children. Under seige after the shootout that killed six members and four federal agents, Koresh told his followers they would soon die and go with him straight to heaven. When the federal agents rammed the compound with tanks, hoping to inject tear gas, cult members set it afire, consuming 86 people in the flames.


How could such things happen? What persuaded these people to give such total allegiance? In hindsight, it looks as if the attitude-change principles have been at work.

Most people consider themselves as better than average.

[the fire elf]

Bystander effect:
The finding that a person is less likely to provide help when there are other bystanders.

Personal space:
The buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies. Its size depends on our familiarity with whomever is near us.

Self-disclosure:
Revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.

Interaction:
The effect of one factor (such as biology) depends on another factor (such as environment)

Self-censorship contributes to an illusion of unanimity.

Depending partly on their culture, some people prefer more personal space than others.

Cult:
A group typically characterized by (1) the distinctive ritual of its devotion to a god or a person, (2) isolation from the surrounding "evil" culture, and (3) A charismatic leader. (A sect , by contrast, is a spinoff from a major religion.)

Sleeper effect:
A delayed impact of a message; occurs when we remember the message but forget a reason for discounting it.

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

Evils which are patiently endured when they seem inevitable become intolerable when once the idea of escape from them is suggested

Group interaction among like-minded people tends to strengthen their shared attitudes.

The group-polarization hypothesis predicts that discussion will strengthen an attitude shared by group members. If people initially favor something (say, risk on a life dilemma question), they tend to favor it even more after the discussion. If they tend to oppose something, they tend to oppose it even more after discussion.

Adaptation-level phenomenon:
The tendency to adapt to a given level of stimulation and thus to notice and react to changes from that level.

Ingroup:
"Us"--a group of people who share a sense of belonging, a feeling of common identity.

Outgroup:
"Them"--a group that people perceive as distinctly different from or apart from their ingroup.

Ingroup bias:
The tendency to favor one's own group.

Outgroup homogeneity effect:
Perception of outgroup members as more similar to one another than are ingroup members. Thus "they are alike; we are diverse."

Relative deprivation:
The perception that one is less well off than others to whom one compare oneself.

Misinformation effect:
Witnessing an event, receiving misleading information about it, and then incorporating the "misinformation" into one's memory of the event.

Confederate:
An acconmplice of the experimenter.

Coactors:
A group of people working simultaneously and individually on a noncompetitive task

Sometimes it is difficult to avoid complying.

Remember that to change thy mind and to follow him that sets thee right, is to be none the less a free agent.

The use of self-control is like the use of brakes on a train. It is useful when you find yourself going in the wrong direction, but merely harmful when the direction is right.

Informational influence:
Conformity that results from accepting evidence about reality provided by other people.

Labels act like shrieking sirens, deafening us to all finer discriminations that we might otherwise perceive.

If the single man plant himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abide, the huge world would come round to him.

A group's unanimity versus nonunanimity affects conformity more than does individual personality.

Prosocial behavior:
Positive, constructive, helpful social behavior; the opposite of antisocial behavior.

Reciprocity norm:
An expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.

Participative management requires democratic rather than autocratic leaders.

There is a tendency to define one's own group positively in order to evaluate oneself positively

Group:
Two or more people who, for longer than a few moments, interact with and influence one another and perceive one another as "us".

The pain-attack reaction:
Upon receiving a shock or other painful effect, many animals will automatically attack whatever animal is in reach.

Easy-to-understand messages are most persuasive when videotaped. Difficult messages are most persuasive when written. Thus the difficulty of the message interacts with the medium to determine persuasiveness.

Hostile agression:
Agression performed as an end in itself.

Instrumental aggression:
Aggression that is a means to some other end.

The 'adrenaline' associated with a wide variety of highs can spill over and make passion more passionate.

Passionate love:
A state of intense longing for union with another. Passionate lovers are absorbed in one another, and feel ecstatic at attaining their partners love.

Our memory makes us like the man who wears a heavy winter coat in springtime because he was frostbitten in winter.

Reactance:
The desire to assert one's sense of freedom.

Egoism:
A motive (supposedly underlying all behavior) to increase one's own welfare.

Altruism:
A motive to increase another's welfare without conscious regard for one's self-interests.

Compassion fatigue helps explain why those seeking help receive fewer responses from city people than from country people.

Pluralistic ignorance:
A false impression of how other people are thinking, feeling, or responding.

Gender prejudice gets expressed subtly.

An appealing communicator is most persuasive on matters of subjective preference.

Catharsis:
Emotional release. The catharsis view of aggression is that aggressive drive is reduced when one "releases" aggressive energy, either by acting aggressively or by fantasizing aggression.

Some persuasive techniques are particularly difficult to resist.

Opponents fancy they refute us when they repeat their own opinion and pay no attention to ours.

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

Passionate love is in many ways an altered state of consciousness... Passionate love is a kind of intoxication.

Mere-exposure effect:
The tendency for novel stimuli to be liked more or rated more positively after the rater has been repeatedly exposed to them.

Disclosure reciprocity:
The tendency for one person's intimacy of self-disclosure to match that of a conversational partner.

[the fire elf]