The Mystique of Barnabas Collins

I will never forget January of 1968, while switching channels on my TV, coming upon a close-up of a character named Barnabas Collins played by actor Jonathan Frid.

I was immediately struck by the appearance of this character--I mean this guy was perfect for the role of a vampire. If a prototypical vampire is a person with dark hair, dark thick eyelashes and eyebrows, deep set dark eyes, and a gaunt sunken face with an expression of suffering and desolation accompanied by an air of mystery and nobility, then this guy was it!

At that instant I felt both enchantment and deep disheartenment at the appearance of this character, for I thought to myself, “what a waste to not use a character like that to portray a vampire”. I had absolutely no idea that within weeks this character would become transformed into a vampire by the casting of a curse by the witch Angelique!

This event was one of the most prescient of my life, and we have to give credit here to Dan Curtis and associates for making such a stupendous casting call!

Here then, for the first time ever--unlike the Addams Family and The Munsters--we had a show on gothic horror called, Dark Shadows, being taken seriously on TV.

But what is it exactly about the character of Barnabas Collins that has made him so endearing to us for so long? I believe its a combination of factors; here they are in numerical order:

1. His uniquely regal, dark handsome, virile appearance created a sense of mystery and awe: Dark hair, dark thick bushy eyebrows, dark thick eyelashes, dark deep set eyes, prominent thick nose, sunken gaunt cheeks, firm powerful shoulders--in other words, here was a character that was not only very attractive by most standards, but most importantly, very attractive in the vampire sense of the word. He, like actor Barry Atwater who played, The Night Stalker; and like actor Max Schreck, who played Nosferatu, had the look about him in terms of bone structure and physical traits that endeared him to playing the specific vampire role that he played.

For example, comparing actor Jonathan Frid’s appearance to that of Ben Cross who played Barnabas Collins in the 1991 remake, it was obvious to me from the beginning that Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins would not work partly because of the sparseness of his eyelashes, and because of his lack of that all-around, “dark mysterious look”. If Johnny Depp is successful as Barnabas Collins it will have to be based on his (and Tim Burton’s) own individual merits and large fan base, because he too lacks that all-around, “dark gaunt virile masculine mysterious look”.

2. His persona of respectability and importance: His firm penetrating gaze and measured politeness greatly contributed to the psychological factors we associate with respectability. These psychological factors were then enhanced by the camera close-ups and the camera’s persistence on keeping him in focus--that is, you immediately knew who was the most important person in the room!

3. His feelings of guilt, and his sentimentality and vulnerability juxtaposed alongside his immense supernatural abilities and monstrously evil nature, resulted in a character that surpassed the complexity-of-role of previous vampires. One moment we have a blood-thirsty serial killer of-the-worst kind, and at another moment, a vulnerable, heartbroken, guilt-ridden creature making a mournful speech to Josette's portrait at the Old House. In fact, I would suggest that in terms of endearing psychological traits, that this sharp contrast between his vulnerability and monstrosity is what has made Barnabas Collins one of the most magnetically attractive TV characters of all time!

4. Jonathan Frid’s previous experience playing Shakespearean characters may be an under appreciated factor here in that he projected the character of Barnabas Collins in his mind so deftly that we were psychologically, “tricked” into thinking he was the character whose role he was playing--but then again, this is a skill of all great actors (and kudos to all co-starring actors and actresses for helping bring his character to life!).

To sum it all up, there is a term called, “synchronicity”, which is defined as the harmonious orderly alignment of events that would otherwise seem to appear random. I would argue that the casting of Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins is one such synchronous event. And I would further suggest that it is doubtful if there was an actor at that time that could have stepped into the shoes of Jonathan Frid and played the character of Barnabas Collins as successfully as he did.

In conclusion, I have often wondered if my exalted reaction to seeing the character of Barnabas Collins on TV that afternoon in 1968 is not somehow connected to the synchronous event just mentioned--after all, do I not draw vampires? (see my article and video, I Draw Vampires). And am I not writing this article as Warner Bros serendipitously prepares to release yet another remake of Dark Shadows?

Technorati Tags: Barnabas Collins,Dark Shadows,Dark Shadows Soap,Vampires,Dracula,Gothic Horror,Jonathan Frid,Johnny Depp,Tim Burton

Why Your Child is Sick, Part 2

So, what is causing the colic, rashes, digestive problems, infections, allergies, and the more progressive conditions in children?

To answer this I have to take you back to an experience I had during my late teens in 1978.  It was at this time that I read the book, Are You Confused, by Paavo Airola.  This was the book that introduced me to the concept of fasting for health, and I began a 10 day fast immediately afterward.

Within days my acne began clearing up, eventually disappearing forever.  Also, within this 10 day time frame, and later fasts, I eventually lost almost 30 lbs which I never ever regained. 

The health benefits did not stop here.  Within months I noticed that my nasal allergies has completely disappeared, and that I was no longer getting colds (I now get a mild cold every 3-5 years).

Then, as the years went by I noticed that my sporadic back pains, which had required two previous doctor visits for which they had found no cause or remedy, had not returned.

One has to ask, how in the world is it possible for so many “different” conditions to benefit from something as simple as abstaining from food?

The answer is partly in the question as it is precisely this emphasis on, “differences”, and the consequent inability to see the comprehensive whole, that lies at the root of the inability of medicine to find permanent non-toxic solutions for disease in general.

In fact, I would suggest that the ability of “differences” to blind us to the whole is one of the defining characteristics of a troubled humanity (the difference between nations, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, and so on).

We have for thousands of years been conditioned to think of ourselves as, “individuals”, and therefore, as “separate” from the whole of creation!  It is this feeling of “separateness” that characterizes our egos, and which superimposes itself into all areas of human endeavor, including medicine.

Now, lets go back to the healing experience I had.  What happened?  How could so many “different” conditions benefit from simply fasting?  The answer is simply that these so called, “different”, conditions were actually connected in the underlying whole---that is, they had the same underlying cause---this underlying cause being progressive accumulation of toxic waste inside all of my cells, tissues and organs from overconsumption: I was overfed as an infant/toddler, and this same pattern of overeating in excess of my body’s ability to eliminate toxic waste continued into my childhood and teenage years!

The same underlying cause was then expressing itself differently as the years went by---first in my infant-hood by my inability to resist virus infections (colds), then as the years went by, by the manifestation of allergies.  Then when I reached teen-hood this same underlying toxicity eventually found expression in the manifestation of acne and pimples, and after that in, “mysterious” back problems.

I have absolutely no doubt that had I not gone on this program of internal cleansing and detoxification by fasting, that this toxic condition within my body would have eventually found expression in even more serious health conditions.  Which health conditions?   Which health conditions are we “genetically” susceptible to?   Is it diabetes, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, glaucoma, schizophrenia, inflammatory bowel conditions…?  

What I am suggesting here is that one of the fundamental underlying causes of human disease is this hidden underlying toxicity within our bodies! 

Stay tuned for part 3.

 

Technorati Tags: Health,Disease,Medicine,Alternative Medicine,Colic,Child Infections,Ear Infections,Asthma,Bronchitis,Juvenile Diabetes,Antibiotics,Probiotics

Who Do We Blame Now?

Have you noticed the propensity of our human race to blame others for their problems? It is endemic in our society, is it not? And this happens not just globally, but on an individual basis as well---within our relationships at home, at work and at school.

One thing I have learned is that those who blame others are usually not much different than the people they blame! After all we are all human--and is not the underlying cause of human decay and corruption present in almost all of us?

Of course, we emphasize the differences between “us” and “them” to be able to justify our position with statements such as, “well I don’t engage in bribery and money laundering", or, “I don’t kill innocent people...”, and so on.

Unfortunately, by emphasizing the differences we tend to overlook the overlapping similarities. Is the glass half-empty or half-full? One could argue either way--but is it not more comprehensive and realistic to see the glass as BOTH half-empty and half-full?

See, I can complain about terrorists who kill people with guns and bombs, while unbeknownst to me that most of the killing world-wide is psychological in nature, and that this psychological killing is happening inside the privacy of our homes, and inside our schools...and that it is being perpetrated by individuals who are psychologically not much different from myself.

In fact, I will elaborate a bit by suggesting that what our culture calls, “education” and “socialization” are actually conditioning processes that dumb down the individual.  And further--that because of their emphasis on threat and punishment ("discipline")--that these conditioning processes actually encourage the propensity towards violence and unsocial behavior in those prone to it.

So, I can argue that you are a terrorist because you kill people with guns and bombs, while at the same time committing my "killing" with words and gestures, and then being so absolutely dumbed down, that I am completely unable to make the connection between my form of killing and yours, or between my form of killing and the endless wars fought throughout human history!

Similarly, when we complain about corrupt bankers and about corrupt government officials, are we not being blinded to the personal corruption within ourselves?…and that perhaps it is this same personal corruption expressing itself in these bankers and government officials at their own level of expression?

Or to look at it another way, I can complain about corrupt corporations and the banks that finance them, while at the same time being dependent on the products and services that these “corrupt” entities provide… all the while brushing aside (de-emphasizing) the fact that my dependency on them is what affords them the revenue that they need to be able to influence foreign governments abroad so they can commit the human and environmental atrocities that we often blame them for!

I know I sound harsh, but it seems to me that the underlying cause of the problems we complain and blame on others is present in most each and everyone of us. This underlying cause being our human ego with its conflicting values and beliefs.

You may be interested in knowing that other living creatures do not have an ego, and therefore, the fear that is at the source of human corruption IS NOT present in them. That is, the fear that they feel is non pervasive, non vindictive, and non destructive to their society as a whole.

You may also be interested in knowing that we have had exceptional human beings throughout history that have shed their egos in a process that is commonly called ‘spiritual enlightenment’.  Two of these exceptional humans lived within our lifetime: Jiddu Krishnamurti and Peace Pilgrim;  documentaries of their lives are available on YouTube.

I have written this essay as a wake-up call and not as a criticism of you and me.  It should be obvious by now that we have a deep psychological human problem of existence.  And that we as humans can never permanently solve our human problems unless we can psychologically and spiritually evolve to the level of Peace Pilgrim and others like her.

Hopefully you will be inspired by these videos and by my writings to begin this process of evolution within yourself, and to begin--at least initially, to understand why we have the problems that we have all over the world.   Peace and love be with you! 

One final comment: You may be thinking that "blaming" is sometimes justified, such as the blaming of Hitler for WW2.  The problem with this is that once you make ONE exception then you fall into the trap of making MORE exceptions, and then we end up exactly where we are right now.  Think about this, and think real hard!  These are issues that each and everyone one of us must figure out independently on our own, because once you depend on me or on anyone else, then you are lost--then it becomes one's opinion VS the other's...and we are back exactly where we started!   

Technorati Tags: Fear,War,Violence,Corruption,Conditioning,Discipline,Education,Socialization,Psychology,Sociology,Human Evolution,Psychological Revolution,Spiritual Enlightenment,Peace Pilgrim,Jiddu Krishnamurti. Conspiracy,New World Order,NWO

Why Your Neighbors Don’t Speak To You

What do you expect when people are not really happy!

Do you think people that are really happy and loving would ignore you whether in your neighborhood or out on the streets?

More specifically, the main reason people do not speak to you in your neighborhood or out on the streets is the same---fear.  And we are not talking here about normal healthy transient fear, but rather about a fear that is sticky; that is, fear that  sticks with you and seems all pervasive.

Why the pervasiveness?  Very simply because your ego is pervasive as in, “I” am here; “I” want this; “I” am talking; …“I”…“I”…“I”…and so on.

You may be interested in knowing that other living creatures do not have an ego, and therefore the fear that they feel is non pervasive, non vindictive, and non destructive to their society as a whole.

You may also be interested in knowing that we have had exceptional human beings throughout history that have shed their egos in a process that is commonly called ‘spiritual enlightenment’.

Two of these exceptional humans lived within our lifetime: Jiddu Krishnamurti and Peace Pilgrim (Videos of their lives are available on YouTube). 

Historically the best known enlightened humans are Gautama, The Buddha and Jesus Christ.

These humans were truly exceptional, and they were in every sense of the word, people’s people!

In conclusion, if you really want to understand why people are the way they are, I would encourage you to understand yourself.  In fact, I will take it even further and suggest to you that if you are willing to understand yourself deeply and completely, that you may be able to reach this state of spiritual enlightenment!

Technorati Tags: Psychology,Fear,Shyness,Spiritual Enlightenment,Peace Pilgrim,Jiddu Krishnamurti,Jesus,Buddha

Why Your Child is Sick, Part 1

 

First it was colic perhaps accompanied by rashes and alternating diarrhea and constipation.  Then came the upper respiratory chest infections which “required” antibiotics.  The chest infections were then followed by ear infections which “required” more antibiotics---do you see a progression here?

Warning! Medical doctors are not trained to see the Comprehensive Whole!  What they are trained to do is to see The Whole in “fragments” or symptoms.  They see one fragment in the form of colic, then another fragment in the form of rashes.  Then if these fragments or symptoms abate and another entirely new set of symptoms appear, they don’t make the connection between the first set of symptoms and the second.

It is extremely important for you as a parent to understand what is happening here.  Doctors are human, and like all humans, they are susceptible to systemic conditioning.  That is, they only know what they are taught.  And because of the emphasis in our society on conformity through threat and punishment, it can be very difficult for a doctor to think outside the box.

This concept of “systemic conditioning” is extremely important for all of us to understand.

Basically it means groups of humans repeating the same patterns of behavior over and over again based on the social environment they have been exposed to.  We see this in how we can be conditioned to identify ourselves with a particular nation, religion, race, ethnicity, belief system, and so on. Medicine is no different than that!

Medicine (and science) has fallen into the trap of a belief system based on knowledge and experience, where the emphasis is on, ‘what is known’ at the expense of, ‘the unknown’.  Of course, there are deep psychological reasons for this---and in fact, the same reasons that underlie the decay in medicine underlie the decay in our civilization as a whole.

Stay tuned for part 2.

Technorati Tags: Colic,Child Infections,Ear Infections,Asthma,Autism,Bronchitis,Juvenile Diabetes,Health,Medicine,Alternative Medicine,Antibiotics,Probiotics

Why Your Dreams Can Never Come True!

     Its very simple, your dreams can never come true because once they do, they are immediately replaced by another dream, thereby perpetuating the source of conflict---the conflict between what you have and between what you want; the conflict between where you are and between where you would rather be, and so on.
    Have you heard we live in a world of illusion?  I am afraid it is true.  We as a human race have been trapped in conflicting thought (our egos) for at least thousands of years, perhaps even more!  And the consequences of being caught in personal conflict is not just personal unhappiness, but also global unhappiness---one nation against another; one religion against another---beliefs, opinions all conflicting amongst each other.
     Will we ever come out of it?   Almost everything I have read and heard suggest that we will---and that, in fact, we may be turning the corner right now! 
    Why right now?   I believe right now we are transitioning from one cycle of existence to another---and there are many clues that this is true.
    One clue is the transitioning of the astrological Zodiac calendar of 12 signs from the sign of Pisces to the sign of Aquarius.  Another is the ending of the long cycle Mayan calendar.  And there are also Native American Prophecies suggesting that we are at a turning point (many of these prophecies have been, and are, being fulfilled as we speak).
     Basically what all this means in the most realistic terms for you and me, is that from now on we will have the winds at our back in terms of spiritual development and conflict resolution.  The time is NOW to begin facing this psychological monster that has plagued us for so long!
     I know it is radical for somebody to tell you that, “dreams can never come true”---but let us not deceive ourselves and our children anymore.  We know we have a human problem of existence.  And we know that unless we can resolve our own personal problem, the problems of the world at large will never be resolved. 
    Please join me and others like myself in this psychological-spiritual revolution!
    There is more to come!
   

Technorati Tags: Psychological Revolution, Spiritual Revolution, Conflict Resolution, Mayan Calendar, Kali Yuga, Native American Prophecy.