Mankind project
Date: January 03, 2007 12:29AM
I'm glad you're asking specific questions.
First I wish to respond to an uninformed and judgmental comment you made earlier about the lack of professional guidance at MKP. At the weekend event I did not have the occasion, or think, to ask how many leaders were in the mental health field. But later I found that one important leader was a therapist in New Orleans who later led an Integration Group. Some years earlier when I attended a similar weekend as part of the Men's Movement, I found out that close to one third of the participants, not the leaders, were therapists working on their own issues. In fact, I attended that event with a personal friend who is a therapist. The media had a marvelous time making fun of the men's movement, as you might know. I understand why. Anything new is fair game as far as the press is concerned, and has value only if it can survive scrutiny and ridicule. I'm happy to report that in one form or another, the Men's Movement is alive and well. That doesn't mean that all groups are perfect. Some may be off center by my standards.
Now to your first item, about submitting personal items (during the weekend).
Those in charge made note that no illegal drugs were found among my possessions. (You can see the point?) Regarding medication, I was asked if mine were really necessary. I decided I could do without my over-the-counter nose drops. (That was my decision.)
From a broader perspective, as explained to me later by an ex-nun who prepares people for vision quests, Indian style, part of the process involves "removing the props" that people have so that they are less insulated from the experience they seek. And those who go on vision quests do seek an authentic spiritual experience preceded by fasting and the very difficult experience of enduring a sweat lodge ceremony. If you want to complain about something, you need to ask about that. The MKP sweat lodge, by comparision, was a mild.
I'll be happy to address the other items if you wish. But first, your response to this.