Ah, yes.. the id. That Freudian psychoanalytic term for the part of our personality made up of unconscious energy existing to satisfy all our basic urges, needs, and desires. We all know that feeling when the id takes over and is pushing us with its need for immediate gratification. I pride myself, of course, on my discipline and on my control (well, most of the time) on all these what-I-deem-to-be-petty desires.
So now, since my last writing, the Universe has been bombarding me (shall I reframe it as “gifting” instead?) with messages about “Getting Naked,” “Spiritual Marketing Quests,” “Becoming Tribal,” and even “Niching on Steroids.” Since, as you know, I look at things in terms of themes, I began wondering what the freak the Universe was trying to tell me here.
Are the gurus suggesting I give in to my desires and passions and just follow my heart? And all this talk about fun! Where’s the refinement – the discipline – in that? This was bringing up a lot of stuff for me cause, you know, people should act in a dignified and mature way, and I’m really not liking this seeming suggestion to let go of all that.
Because these days, fewer people ask to see me naked, I knew that I had to go deeper than a literal understanding of what this primitive call of the wild was wanting from me. The Universe definitely does not want to see me naked in a physical sense of the word. So I keep searching.
What I did come to “see,” though, was the common theme running through all these messages: the theme that, in fact, does have to do with the “Real Me.” And with the real work I’m supposed to bring into the Universe. I’m even gonna go out on a limb and say that we will come to understand that this is what all of our work is about during these times.
And the theme is so simple and true…
Authenticity. Being naked in an emotional, vulnerable way. Finding the truth and sharing it so that others can actually see who I really am. Me, exactly as I am.
Which brings me back to the id of all this.
I grew up during the 60s and early 70s in Miami, so I was born around the aura of Woodstock and flower power. Although my parents were not hippies (I have, though, been told that I’m hippy), many of my friends’ parents were, and I was raised on sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll (not in that order). I have brought into my adult life many less-than-mainstream views on the world, including an organic lifestyle, homebirthing and attachment-parenting, healing through herbs and homeopathy, and some unorthodox spiritual understandings.
That’s being authentic, right? I live in a conscious way, and I encourage others to do the same. I strive for unity in the Universe, equality among people… with liberty and justice for all.
So, is this current push for authenticity merely a continuation of that same thread initially woven during the 60s hippie movement, or is it something new?
Which takes us now to Burning Man. For those who have never experienced Burning Man, and I am included in this group, it seems that Burning Man cannot really be described. Burning Man has to be experienced.
But what I have read about Burning Man so far has fascinated me.
As far as I can tell, the purpose of Burning Man is to bring people together with the goal being that they participate together in various projects, groups, and experiences. A theme (there’s the theme-thing again) is given to each Burning Man Party in order to “encourage a common bond to help tie each individual’s contribution together in a meaningful way.”
Are you kidding me with this!!!???
Now, I’m not bashing Woodstock or anything of the sort. That would just be sacrilege.
But Woodstock is clearly no Burning Man. Undoubtedly, Woodstock was a world-changing, consciousness-raising event with a peace-loving vibe, but the fact that it wound up becoming that was purely chance. Woodstock was unbridled id that just “happened” to come together in a serendipitous way.
Burning Man, on the other hand, is “designed” with a purpose. Rules exist at Burning Man such as “respect the recipient of your gifting.” Basically, don’t give somebody something they don’t want but, YES, do work together, and participate, and be in project together, and honor each other. Meet each others’ needs.
Collaborate. Let id all hang out, but have a purpose in mind.
Versus letting id all hang out just for the sake of letting id all hang out.
And that’s what these primitive people – the socially conscious entrepreneurs – of today mean when they speak about authenticity. They share their ideas without fear that someone will steal them. They’re sharing themselves in a real, authentic way in order to GIVE OTHERS WHAT THEY WANT. In order to collaborate and share with a purpose.
In my work with couples, I try to get them to understand that if they’re both giving the other exactly what the other wants, then their individual needs will always be met.
So, the idea of these people being gifted to me is so right-on and groovy. These people sent into my orbit with their primitive messages… well, they’re just so bloody authentic, so unexpectedly generous, so excruciatingly painfully beautifully REAL that I am literally brought to tears.
They inspire me to give of myself in the same real and authentic way.
They inspire me to let id all hang out. With a purpose.
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