The intrapsychic and spiritual underpinnings of the "Zombie Holocaust" fantasy.
My buddy TheWarden is ready, prepared, and looking forward with great glee and satisfaction to the End of Civilization via Zombie invasion and infestation. He offers survival tips and recommendations in his blog: "Leadedcoffee.blogspot.com". You'll see that I'm not kidding.
Regarding intra-psychic and spiritual underpinnings, let me first describe the more common Judeo-Christian example.
My Mother is a devout Christian of a particularly fundamentalist type. And much like most fanatical religious views, the most fervent have core beliefs that have been internalized into working intra-psychic mechanisms. Let me first qualify that the original text from which theses beliefs have its genesis do not necessarily over emphasize these particular beliefs...that instead, the respective cultures have over centuries developed deep and rich symbolic history in art and literature which have amplified certain aspects of certain stories within the text.
Just to clarify my overly circuitous language with an example: Hell. When comparing the extent to which the Bible discusses Hell to the extent to which our culture has richly elaborated this concept in literature, song, imagery, and government throughout the centuries, you see how this particular notion/concept has easily captured our imaginations and placed a degree of emphasis not commensurate to the Biblical text.
Now regarding the intra-psychic spiritual underpinnings, the point I just wanted to make is simple, actually: that we believe what we believe because it meets both our spiritual and intra-psychic needs. My Mother searched for years to find a system of beliefs that made the most sense to her, that suited her particular psychology, that gave her the greatest comfort, and gave her the greatest sense of purpose. I don't fault her for that...and I don't fault theWarden for choosing his own particular set of beliefs. To theWarden, an End of the World scenario involving Zombies suits him, gives him great purpose, and gives him (albeit a perverted) sense of comfort.
I categorize and easily elevate theWarden's beliefs to the realm of the Spiritual given the striking similarities between aspects of his psychic mechanisms with those who believe in the more common religions:
- Both see themselves as "enlightened". TheWarden believes he is a member of an enlightened few who are strong enough and willing enough to see the "Truth" about things to come.
- Both evangelize their beliefs. TheWarden wants to help you save yourselves when the Zombie shit hits the fan.
- Both foresee an End of Days where there is Judgement. This is a KEY element. TheWarden sees the masses of people as mostly "complainers and whiners" and power "cannibals and petty warlords", where morals, ethics, values, and even common courtesy have devolved irrevocably. And in the end, it is these who will be judged and "exposed to sheer horror", as he puts so well. This is theWarden's Hell for people on Earth, it is a World not only of chaos, but of ZOMBIE chaos. Chaos is simply not enough for the Warden, but he wishes for the worst possible end as a means of "punishment". And I'm sure there is something deeply scarring in his personal history with respect to this oral theme of being eaten alive as is with me and being "possessed" by Satan in its truly personally horrifying fear of being totally out of control of my impulses and wishes...but I digress.
- To emphasize, Judgment AND PUNISHMENT are concepts shared. For theWarden however, ZOMBIE PUNISHMENT is transformed...he REVELS in other peoples agony and terror but escapes his OWN guilt regarding this desire by inserting and exposing himself to the same terror and potential agony as all those being punished. However disturbed this sounds, I find it no more disturbing than the Judeo-Christian much sublimated wish for the wicked to "Go to Hell".
- And as with the Biblical End of Days, even the Meek and the Righteous shall suffer, but those who have prepared themselves spiritually will be saved. Do I need to say more about the "Preparedness" issue with theWarden? TheWarden is prepared...and much like other types of believers, he is strengthened by his preparedness, resolute in his strength to persist, and righteous in his wish to save others.
I have to stop here but I should say that we all have certain beliefs and even wishes, however irrational, about how our world should End if it ever does. These fantasies speaks specifically to our individual psychology and most of the time alert us to our psychic foibles and scars. For me, I have several, and all are completely irrational but serve me psychologically. I'll share them with you as theWarden has at another time. In any case, given my attraction to Sci-Fi and the time-travel genre, I have a disturbed fantasy of having each and every human alive today wake tomorrow in the world as it was just after the Ice-age; no buildings, no power, no government, no laws, no rules, no metal, no money, no ships, no cars, no TV's, no sneakers, no shoes, and just the clothes off your back and your determination to survive, and ultimately how how little or how far each person would be willing to compromise their Humanity in the course of their own survival.
Regardless of how I've come across in today's entry, I nevertheless enjoy theWarden's blog and have at times we've even gleefully discussed specific Zombie scenarios...because in the end, you never know....
Regarding intra-psychic and spiritual underpinnings, let me first describe the more common Judeo-Christian example.
My Mother is a devout Christian of a particularly fundamentalist type. And much like most fanatical religious views, the most fervent have core beliefs that have been internalized into working intra-psychic mechanisms. Let me first qualify that the original text from which theses beliefs have its genesis do not necessarily over emphasize these particular beliefs...that instead, the respective cultures have over centuries developed deep and rich symbolic history in art and literature which have amplified certain aspects of certain stories within the text.
Just to clarify my overly circuitous language with an example: Hell. When comparing the extent to which the Bible discusses Hell to the extent to which our culture has richly elaborated this concept in literature, song, imagery, and government throughout the centuries, you see how this particular notion/concept has easily captured our imaginations and placed a degree of emphasis not commensurate to the Biblical text.
Now regarding the intra-psychic spiritual underpinnings, the point I just wanted to make is simple, actually: that we believe what we believe because it meets both our spiritual and intra-psychic needs. My Mother searched for years to find a system of beliefs that made the most sense to her, that suited her particular psychology, that gave her the greatest comfort, and gave her the greatest sense of purpose. I don't fault her for that...and I don't fault theWarden for choosing his own particular set of beliefs. To theWarden, an End of the World scenario involving Zombies suits him, gives him great purpose, and gives him (albeit a perverted) sense of comfort.
I categorize and easily elevate theWarden's beliefs to the realm of the Spiritual given the striking similarities between aspects of his psychic mechanisms with those who believe in the more common religions:
- Both see themselves as "enlightened". TheWarden believes he is a member of an enlightened few who are strong enough and willing enough to see the "Truth" about things to come.
- Both evangelize their beliefs. TheWarden wants to help you save yourselves when the Zombie shit hits the fan.
- Both foresee an End of Days where there is Judgement. This is a KEY element. TheWarden sees the masses of people as mostly "complainers and whiners" and power "cannibals and petty warlords", where morals, ethics, values, and even common courtesy have devolved irrevocably. And in the end, it is these who will be judged and "exposed to sheer horror", as he puts so well. This is theWarden's Hell for people on Earth, it is a World not only of chaos, but of ZOMBIE chaos. Chaos is simply not enough for the Warden, but he wishes for the worst possible end as a means of "punishment". And I'm sure there is something deeply scarring in his personal history with respect to this oral theme of being eaten alive as is with me and being "possessed" by Satan in its truly personally horrifying fear of being totally out of control of my impulses and wishes...but I digress.
- To emphasize, Judgment AND PUNISHMENT are concepts shared. For theWarden however, ZOMBIE PUNISHMENT is transformed...he REVELS in other peoples agony and terror but escapes his OWN guilt regarding this desire by inserting and exposing himself to the same terror and potential agony as all those being punished. However disturbed this sounds, I find it no more disturbing than the Judeo-Christian much sublimated wish for the wicked to "Go to Hell".
- And as with the Biblical End of Days, even the Meek and the Righteous shall suffer, but those who have prepared themselves spiritually will be saved. Do I need to say more about the "Preparedness" issue with theWarden? TheWarden is prepared...and much like other types of believers, he is strengthened by his preparedness, resolute in his strength to persist, and righteous in his wish to save others.
I have to stop here but I should say that we all have certain beliefs and even wishes, however irrational, about how our world should End if it ever does. These fantasies speaks specifically to our individual psychology and most of the time alert us to our psychic foibles and scars. For me, I have several, and all are completely irrational but serve me psychologically. I'll share them with you as theWarden has at another time. In any case, given my attraction to Sci-Fi and the time-travel genre, I have a disturbed fantasy of having each and every human alive today wake tomorrow in the world as it was just after the Ice-age; no buildings, no power, no government, no laws, no rules, no metal, no money, no ships, no cars, no TV's, no sneakers, no shoes, and just the clothes off your back and your determination to survive, and ultimately how how little or how far each person would be willing to compromise their Humanity in the course of their own survival.
Regardless of how I've come across in today's entry, I nevertheless enjoy theWarden's blog and have at times we've even gleefully discussed specific Zombie scenarios...because in the end, you never know....
posted by supergoober at
10:14 AM
2 Comments:
"When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth. . ."
I am scarred, yes, I am scarred (flogging back with a leather cat-o-nine tails) yes. . . scarred...more . . .yes
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home