Friday, February 24, 2012
An Allegory by Ataraxia
Dear Dixie, Help me “come out”, please…
The other day when I was having my morning coffee out on the front porch while wearing my latex shirt under my cotton bathrobe, you said that you wished I would not do that any more…
I think you were probably mostly uncomfortable about me being outside, visible, and that my “secret” would get out — that “people would see me dressed in rubber…” I was covered in my bathrobe and, realistically, the neighbors next door or people in the cars driving by would not have been able to see me. I suspect it may have just been the principle that I was out on the porch in my rubber for God and the world to see that bothered you.
You said, “I wish you would not do that…” (Continued)
A “Practice” is a rather elusive concept that is a bit difficult to explain.
Thinking of your rubber fetish as a “practice” is a way of giving it Purpose and Meaning.
Happiness comes from questing for meaning.
A “practice” is a quest for Purpose without a specific goal. It’s an exploration in a general direction but without a known destination. You never really “arrive” and that is the whole point. The ancient Greeks called this “Entelechia“, which means “the drive from within to fulfill Purpose”.
Purpose is different from having a “goal”. A goal, such as climbing a mountain or moving to Buenos Aires has a specific, identifiable ending. When you reach your goal, it is done and over with. In contrast, a “practice” is open-ended. It is “what you do”, and always will. For example, the “practice” of a doctor is to heal the sick, which never really has an ending.
A “practice” is a deliberate, calculated attempt to evolve. It implies forward movement, constant expansion and continual learning. It is the “mountain” that you eternally climb. It is something you work at, a continual striving for personal growth andself improvement in some way. It is a quest… It is your “entelechia”.
To “practice” rubber fetish means to become a pioneer or an “expert” in it. It implies to taking delight in continually exploring all of the uncharted territories and dimensions of your fetish. It means to embrace your fetish as a positive force in your life and find creative new applications for it. It means to continually expand yourself in positive ways through it and to gradually evolve into a larger, wiser, better and happier person as you grow. It’s all about the journey on path up the mountain, not reaching the top.
A “practice” is the search for meaning to your life as a Rubberist. It is your Entelechia.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Suppose someone tells you “I wore a lot of rubber yesterday”.
OK, what does a “lot of rubber” actually mean? Did he wear some rubber gloves for a few hours or was he Totally Enclosed for the entire night? Being in a “lot of rubber” is actually a matter of his perspective which may, or may not, coincide with yours. See the problem? In most cases, it is purely subjective and relative to an individual user.
Suppose, however, there was a standardized, reasonably objective way to measure both the amount and duration of our rubbering sessions that was the same for everyone? This “universal standard” would allow all of us to describe our rubbering experiences with consistency and accuracy. It would also allow us to track or journal our sessions in a more meaningful way, as well.
(Continued)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
“Living in Rubber” probably means different things to different people. However, there are probably some elements we all pretty much hold in common.
Mostly, Living in Rubber (“LIR”) is an attitude (rather than a specific act) that you define for yourself. It’s like living a mantra of “I will wear as much rubber as possible, as long as possible and as often as possible“. The key word here, of course, is “possible”. It is a lifestyle choice in which we deliberately and consciously decide to celebrate our fetish to the greatest extent within our means.
LIR is based in an almost pathological compulsion shared by most deeper Rubberists to be totally enclosed in rubber 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is the special dream that much of the Rubberist Tribe shares. Of course, very few people can actually fulfill this dream. Reality gets in the way. Most people also need to live “regular” lives in which wearing rubber 24/7 is significantly interrupted by family, jobs and society in general. The high cost of latex garments is another significant factor. There are also issues related to body overheating, skin problems, etc.
Consequently, the act of “living in rubber” is, of necessity, a symbolic, ritualized gesture toward the higher ideal of being total enclosure all of the time. It’s really more about not only accepting one’s fetish but also fully recognizing it as our primary identity and being joyful in that. LIR is a celebration of who we are. We make our fetish sacred. We give it meaning.
We make it special.
Monday, November 14, 2011
A RubberNunk is a monastic who seeks to continually transcend him/herself specifically through her rubber fetish as the primary focus of her life. He regards his fetish as a kind of “monastery” into which he becomes “self-ordained” as a Nunk after passing some significant, personally-imposed initiation activity that tests his resolve and perseverance over a period of several years. Nunks are are solo agents unrelated to any organization or religion.
The word “Nunk” is derived from Nun + Monk to indicate gender neutrality, but without any sort of religious connotation beyond basic spirituality, which is the quest for personal growth and inspiration; i.e. transcendence. One could study to become a RubberNunk whilst still holding a regular job, having a family and going to church on Sunday. It is all a matter of degree of life-focus based on circumstances and motivation levels.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Just like everyone has their own definition of spirituality, no two people will agree entirely on what RubberSpace is.
Part of the problem probably stems from the inherent ineffability of RubberSpace — it’s similarities to shamanic trances, journeys and mystical experiences tend to make it defy explanation or description. The English language simply does not have the words which can be used to adequately explain it.
(Continued)
Monday, November 14, 2011
It’s the “existential question” that philosophers and poets have been asking for centuries… “Does my life have any meaning?”
The answer to this is generally something like “You make your own meaning”. In other words, your life can be given meaning depending upon what you do with it.
Most people regard fetish as a form of “entertainment”. It’s “good sex” but after the act is over and done with, it becomes, at best, a fond memory rather
than having any real meaning. Yes, it may have enhanced an act of love and there may be a tiny bit of meaning in that, but mostly, it’s merely titillation followed by satisfaction and dismissal. It’s like television or sports — we are caught up in the action and the story, our emotions are moved and played with but when it is all over, we change the channel and look for some new source of entertainment. Our lives are not affected by it in any long range sort of way.
(Continued)
Monday, November 14, 2011
What is Consciousness?
Consciousness can be described as “awareness with focus”.
Western culture has always been deeply suspicious of alternate states of consciousness (ASC) and has, in fact, often demonized anyone whose focus on reality has fallen outside the cultural norm. In contrast, other cultures, such as the Hindu, Japanese and Chinese have venerated, honored and widely promoted the exploration of ASC’s. It’s built right into their culture and the way they view life and the universe. (Continued)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Zen and the Art of Total Enclosure Meditation
“human life at its bare bones is a stream of consciousness, that our ability to focus this consciousness, and carry out the physical actions it intends, is all that we have control over. ” Kendra Hudson [NAY-S4MEAN.199]
Total Enclosure Meditation is a way of self-transformation through focusing on the deep interconnection between mind and body that can be directly experienced by disciplined, exclusive attention to tactile sensations of Total Enclosure in latex in an environment which is deliberately designed to negate or exclude other forms of sensory stimuli.
