> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "dhamiltony2k1 wrote:
> > for a little perspective, how would you tell an outsider
> > what the story is here?

If you're directing reporters "here" as in, this mailing list in particular,
I'm reasonably certain that, for them, there will be not much if anything
here of interest. Like all online forums focused on the movement and its
programs that I'm aware of, discussion migrates into what I'd call "in the
head" things - talk of experiences and the movement's explanations/dogmas
regarding those experiences. All of this is just meaningless noise to the
outside observer, who will just tune out unless they're acclimated to the
fact that these discussions are just like that, and to get any information
about the "story" they're going to have to dig for a considerable amount of
time to find something interesting and understandable in all the noise.

I'd also say that this phenomenon is by design, that any discussion of
actual quality of life issues gets dwarfed by all this one-upsmanship
centered on experiences and interpretation thereof. It's a learned habit,
showing what people are really attached to, and that attachment seems to be
something distinct from concrete quality of life issues, and it's learned
from the movement because the movement tends to be like that. But to an
outsider it makes no sense at all.

> From: jpgillam <jpgillam@...>

> Forgive me, Doug. I admire what you're trying to do in re-uniting
> the community. But I don't see the upside to this tactic, and the
> downside looms large.

I'd definately agree with the comment earlier, that in terms of writing of
real value to be done by somebody, there's a few PhD theses and maybe a book
in here for anyone who'd spend the time getting familiar with the culture
and language of the movement. It's not often that this kind of phenomenon
can be studied in real-time, since it's usually done historically way after
the fact. But in terms of the newsworthyness of it, I think Patrick has it
right; for the rest of the planet, the movement today is just a freaky
remnant of the '70s for those old enough to remember that period. Another
thing that people at the time thought was fantastic and valuable, gone bad
and flying to pieces later. I have a hard enough time explaining to people
why anyone should be interested in what remains even as someone who can be
clearly identified as being outside it all and a critic of some kind. Any
reporting about current conditions around Fairfield and the movement is
going to inevitably reflect all this.