Saturday, November 14, 2009

Owl Monkey Family: Move from Pan troglodytes' Human Behavior to Pan paniscus?, Other Primates and Bonobo, Cultures of Loving Bliss?

How to move from Pan troglodytes' (common chimp) human behavior to Pan paniscus' (Bonobo) human behavior (peaceable, egalitarian, matriarchal and very sexual), and/or orangutan behavior (solitary and smart, and peaceful) human behavior, - and with the comforts of modernity? (These interpretations of these higher primates' behaviors are simply my readings of relatively current primatalogical data and literature, as narratives). Human history suggests to me that this may be difficult, or might happen only in highly distributed ways vis-a-vis geographical territories. Yet cultures emerge all the time in new ways that shape and reformulate what I see as Pan troglodytes' (common chimp) human behavior (e.g. violence, aggression, and war, as well as peaceableness). I see examples of this, for example, in the 1960s and 1970s in Western countries (e.g. in counterculture), in the Society of Friends (Quakers), as well as in the south of India (all, but e.g. Kerala - in my experience; I don't know the history of the south of India very well). Identity conflict, in particular, seems to have deep roots among humans. Does this most closely reflect common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior?

Yet the positive effects of music and ecstasy (MDMA), for example, as well as language, suggest to me, too, that there are interventions that are transformative to people (bodyminds), in addition to culture, e.g. the cultures above, and education.

Social psychology (e.g. Zimbardo 1972 prisoner and guard experiment) shows, too, that social determinants have far-reaching effects on behavior.


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It seems like learning from the past (history), as well as creating possible choices (e.g. cultures and/or social psychology) to transform what for me seems like Pan trogolodytes' (common chimp) behaviors are good ideas. How to do this? There are so many ways, but, for example, I see supporting, and innovating with, the Society of Friends (Quakers), or developing World University and School as furthering this, potentially remarkably, as well as connecting / networking with people.

Universities and reasoning, too, seem, in general, to mitigate common chimp-like (Pan troglodytes) behavior.


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How might people create multiple, distributed cultures for eliciting the neurophysiology of loving bliss {cultures that actually make loving bliss happen}? How might people or individuals create this so that it's both normative (doesn't feel weird, - in the context of, for example, the progressive post-1960s San Francisco Bay Area in 2009) and freeing? In my experience, for example, India and Hinduism create kinds of 'freedom' cultures, with techniques that lead to bliss - spiritual practices ~ most successfully. But in traditions of individualism (which I see in the U.S.), in my experience, it's great if people can create and find this neurophsyiology independently, and on their own.

Here are some possible approaches for individuals to explore eliciting loving bliss: scottmacleod.com/LovingBlissPractices.htm


What would you add to these, and/or how far do you go?


Let's let each other know :)




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Relaxation response can go very deep ...

















(http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2009/11/owl-monkey-family-move-from-pan.html - November 14, 2009)

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