To Participate In The Following Field Trip On This Date: Fill & Download for Free

I can share a few.I went to India for over a month on business, pleasure and personal exploration a couple years ago. I went early with my wife to Goa, before doing business, and it was literally just like the movie, @The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), as monsoon season ran late and we were the only people in the entire place. It was a 40 hour trip door to door to get there from Austin TX and American Airlines even lost my wife's luggage. But the people were wonderful all the way.After Goa I attended to business in Mumbai, Coimbatore, Polachi, Bangalore, Pondicherry, Delhi, Ahmedabad and etc., visiting, presenting and recruiting students, professors and administrators at the various IIT's and IIM's around the country. Even though India was just one of 100 countries that participated in the global social innovation challenge I designed, everyone spoke English and it was easy for me to see a broad and deep interest in social innovation and social entrepreneurship at all levels – it's in people's bones there, not simply a concept. The students, professors and administrators were all fantastic and incredibly welcoming to me.I was also very fortunate to meet people of all walks of life beyond being a tourist, both by accident and by choice – from trash pickers to having coffee with the ex-CEO of Microsoft India, to priests in Pondicherry who had me haul their cart throughout the entire city during Ganesh Chaturthi festival, while residents came out and prayed, grasping their necks and offering fruit – it was a transformational, live and purely spontaneous experience for me. I wandered deep into neighborhood streets where people stopped me and were somewhat shocked to see me, but always helpful. I even got a great cup of masala chai for 5 rupees, native rates baby. I felt comfortable no matter where I was and the residents were just awesome in showing me things I'd never had thought to see... and also try to sell me some stuff, but fair is fair. And then I visited @Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati and had my epiphany of making a global movement to improve the world. His wisdom still informs my work to this day.Yes, in my business I succeeded very well in recruiting many more supporters for the global challenge and we grew to over 350,000 – but that was the least interesting part. India awoke something personal in me that before my visit was only a superficial concept... regardless of all the negatives that might persist about India in foreign and local press, the people and the culture opened up wide to me and appeared as even more civilized in spirit and aware of it on a day to day basis than anywhere else I've been to date. I even ate everything and drank everything the locals did without mishap or indigestion... from filter coffee to the masala chai, refreshing lime soda, meals and thali, to homemade cooking prepared by friends at their home to street vendors of all types of foods and especially my very favorite – fresh coconuts every day. Oh yes! It was wondrous and wonderful and it all seemed just right to me.(note: I've been eating omnivore raw foods for over a decade... and even ate raw meat while in India. Yum! No problems.)So I must say this as a caveat to my experience: it may be well impossible to separate or expand my experience to others because of the following parable and American folktale:A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment."What sort of people live in the next town?" asked the stranger."What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer, answering the question with another question."They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I'm happy to be leaving the scoundrels.""Is that so?" replied the old farmer. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll find the same sort in the next town.Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they started to talk. "What sort of people live in the next town?" he asked."What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer once again."They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I'm sorry to be leaving them.""Fear not," said the farmer. "You'll find the same sort in the next town."I'll be back to Mother India someday... preferably sooner on somebody else's rupee, so invite me to come speak – I'd be delighted!

The old Slavic sexual traditions are quite contradictory, some celebrating sexual freedom and connection with the Earth, while the others cut off their own sexual organs to avoid sexual desires. This contradiction is related with the two main traditions influencing culture, namely Paganism and Christianity.1. NUDITYImage: The paining “The night of Ivan Kupala”. 2004. Yuri NetrusovIn the old days public nudity was a normal occurrence for our ancestors. They believed that clothes are only a byproduct of civilization and that nudity is related with magic . Nudity was a part of various rituals and traditions. For example, it was believed that undressed women walking around the cradle of a newborn child will force all the devils away.On the ancient pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala, all young girls and guys go to the forest to find a fern flower which only blossoms on this day. According to tradition you cannot see this flower being dressed , so all participants were naked. Modern science proved that this flower never really blossoms, which points to the obvious real intention of this ritual.2. ORGIESSeveral pieces of evidence show that mass orgies were a part of Slavic celebrations until the 12th century. These were mostly related to the period after winter when sexual activities were believed to clean a man’s soul and prepare him for hard work in the fields. In these sexual festivals, men and women would bathe together, participating in orgiastic rituals, where men would symbolically fertilize the earth, while the women would expose their genitals to the sky as a prayer for the rain. Furthermore, another ancient ritual from certain parts of Europe proves that ancient people always knew how to party. On some evenings, mostly on holidays, young boys and girls would play in the dark, and these games almost inevitably resulted in a sexual intercourse.3. “BLUDNITZA”Our ancestors had absolutely no issue with premarital sex. In fact, if a girl stayed a virgin until her marriage, a Shaman or other local magician was obligated to deflower her a day before the wedding, in a ritual called the “girl baths”. It seems that being a Slavic magician wasn’t so bad after all.Later the term got a new negative meaning, describing all women who lost their virginity before marriage. Between the 12th and 17th century, with the rise of Christianity, the word “bludnitsa” portrayed a woman having nonmarital sex and it slowly became an offensive word.4. THE SKOPTSYPhoto: The Skoptsy (Russian: скопцы; “castrate”) were a heretical sect, within the larger movement in the Russian Empire, best known for practicing castration of men and the mastectomy of women in accordance with their teachings against sexual lust. The movement emerged in the late 18th century.In the 18th century a controversial Russian sect of castrates named Skoptsy was established . In the 19th century it reached its highest point, when, according to some sources, almost one million members participated in their rituals. So what is this sect all about? Well, Skoptsy literally translates to “the castrated”, and this quite accurately describes their main cause. They were mystics who believed that all the evil in the world comes from lust and that they need to overcome it to become pure spiritual beings, like Adam and Eve before the Original Sin.The Skoptsy followed this idea quite literally. They considered that a necessary action one must make, to save himself from lust and sins, is that he physically removes his genitals. The ritual consisted of few stages, and not only males converted as Skoptsy.Women have also participated in the rituals and had parts of their vagina or even their both breasts cut off. It was done unprofessionally, without any anesthetics, and some parents who converted would also include their children in the ritual.There were two kinds of castration: the "lesser" and "greater seal" (i.e. partial and complete castration). For men, "lesser" castration was the removal of the testicles only, while "greater" castration was the removal of the penis as well (emasculation). Men who did the "greater seal" used a cow-horn when urinating. The castrations and emasculations were made with primitive tools such as a shaving knife without using any anesthetic. The earliest records of mastectomy date from 1815. Usually only the breasts were amputated.The first sources on the history of the Castrati (Skoptsy in Russian) were the police investigation documents. The first official reaction on the Castrati activities was the decree of the empress Catherine II (2 June 1772) to state councilor Alexander Volkov to investigate the Skoptsi from the city of Orel (central Russia). In 1807 the Holy Synod proclaimed the Castrati sect to be the most dangerous and blasphemous heresy, and in 1835 this definition was included in the Law Codex of the Russian Empire. The Senate defined the Castrati as “the enemies of the humankind, destroyers of the morals, criminals against laws – Divine and civil”. In 1836 the heads of the districts were ordered to make lists of the Castrati sectariansThe founder of the Castrati sect was a peasant from the Orel, Kondraty Selivanov. If the main idea of the believers was the perpetual and continuous reincarnations of Christ, they believed that second time Christ will be incarnated in Russia. This Christ was Selivanov.Selivanov began to preach in one of the believers’ communities in the 1770s. He had to escape the persecutions from the side of his former fellow worshipers as well as from the authorities. He was arrested and exiled to Siberia where he lived in the town of Irkutsk. In 1795 he suddenly appeared in Moscow as Peter III. Selivanov was arrested again and sent to St. Petersburg where probably he had a conversation with the son of Peter III, the reigning emperor Paul I (who hated his mother Catherine II and admired his father). Selivanov recommended to the emperor to castrate himself . As a result, Selivanov was locked up in the Obukhov mental facility . But at the beginning of the reign of Alexander I (1802), he was liberated from there by the request of the rich Castrate-merchants of St. Petersburg; after this he peacefully lived in the mansions. During this time Selivanov became very famous in the aristocratic circles of St. Petersburg, many very high officials and persons from the nobility visited his ecstatic sessions.In 1820 Selivanov was taken by the authorities to Spaso-Efimyevsky monastery (the town of Suzdal) where he was completely isolated. He died in 1832 when he was more than one hundred years old but his followers were sure that he only went into occultation which would be changed soon into his new appearance and glorification; it would be the beginning of the apotheosis of the Castrati just in this earthy life.In Russia in the first part of 19th century the Castrati sect became a mass religious movement engaging in its activities hundreds of thousands of people. Persecutions by the authorities of Russian empire could neither destroy the sect nor discredit its charms so attractive to a part of the Russian population. Repression only stimulated religious fanaticism, making the sectarians’ faith in the truthfulness of their chosen way stronger. Exiles stimulated the spreading of the Castrati’s ideas outside both capitals (Moscow and St. Petersburg) as well as outside inner provinces and districts of the Empire: in such regions as Ural, Siberia, Caucasus, Bessarabia, and so on. The Castrati’s way of life, based on the principles of their faith, was also very attractive to spme people. Despite the furious investigations of the Third Department (the tsar's secret police), Skoptsism did not disappear after Selivanov's death, and scandals continued to arise. The sect established a presence in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Morshansk, Odessa, and later in Bukarest and Iași in Romania. French writer Alexander Dumas , during his trip to Russia in 1858 - 1859 spent three months in the Caucasus and observed Skoptsy there. He noted that the membership in their sect was inherited and the castration was made only after the marriage and the birth of 2 kids in reproduction purpose.The end of the sect"Before the revolution the government did not fight the sects effectively, it often closed its eyes," says historian Sergei Tsoya. "in the 19th century the government did not have strong control over the big territories. The oppressed Skoptsy just relocated to Siberia or the North of Russia." For good the bloody sect was finally destroyed only during Stalin's reign – with repressions and arrests.Today the Skoptsy sect is believed to be no more. Some dubious sources say there are 400 Skoptsy alive today, but there is no serious proof of this. Modern followers of the Skoptsy can in a certain way be called “anti-sexuals.” "In Russia there are about 2,000 anti-sexuals and among them are religious ascetics," says Mirra, an activist from the movement. "And some of them welcomes self-castration."Sources:Skoptsy - WikipediaHISTORY, TEACHING AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE

Many people with Schizoid Personality Disorder find ways to accommodate their fears about interpersonal contact. I will divide these into “Romantic adaptations” and “Work adaptations,” although sometimes these overlap. Most successful Schizoid methods of managing the scary parts of interpersonal contact utilize some of the following methods;Actively finding ways to limit other people’s access to themFinding ways to get control over their own domainHaving built in aspects to the situation that limits how close or how frequently contact can occurHaving “on” and “off” relationshipsROMANCEMy Schizoid clients use some of the following strategies to have romantic and/or sexual relationships. These strategies allow them as much interpersonal intimacy as they can tolerate without feeling overwhelmed by the other person.Long Distance RelationshipsThis is a very common method because it allows the person with Schizoid issues to feel safe being completely “on”—passionate, loving, involved— because there is a predictable and limited time frame. They know that they can return to their “off” setting as soon as the trip ends.Example—Ben the Traveling SalesmanBen is a 45 year old man who has never been married. He says that he views marriage as a prison. Once married, he believes his wife’s needs and wishes will affect all his life decisions and take away his prized independence and autonomy. He says that he does not want children because they too would be a constant, forever responsibility.Ben’s parents were very controlling and abusive. He was a thoughtful child and he comforted himself with the idea that when he was an adult, he would never, ever put himself in a position where another person had the ability to limit his freedom.Ben’s adaptation: Ben travels for work and generally meets the women he dates in his hotel’s bar. He is in each town for no more than a week at most, and generally comes back to the same places every three months.He is a good looking single man and usually is able to find a lonely and willing woman to date during his stay. He is generous and takes his dates to good restaurants and sometimes buys them presents.As he visits the same place four times per year, he sometimes forms long lasting relationships with some of these women and he talks and texts with them in between visits. If a woman gets too clingy and asks for more than Ben is willing to give, he “ghosts” on her and simply disappears from her life.Fantasy and Married PartnersThis is another common way that Schizoid individuals use to limit contact. Unlike Ben, who had no illusions about what he was doing, some of my clients actually believed that they wanted their married lover to leave their spouse and marry them.They fantasize in great detail about how blissful it will be once the two of them are together and the spouse out of the picture. Then they pressure their lover to get a divorce and marry them.If they do get their wish, some suddenly find that they are either too scared to go forward with their romantic plans or that all their feelings for their lover have suddenly disappeared. They did not understand that the other person’s unavailability was what allowed them to feel safe enough to pursue the relationship.Example—Jenny and Married GeorgeJenny, an attractive 35 year old woman with profound Schizoid issues, worked for George, a 47 year old married man. He did not know it, but Jenny had been fantasizing about a relationship with him for the past three years.Jenny’s Adaptation; Jenny had turned inwards at an early age in order to mentally and emotionally escape from her childhood situation. She developed a very rich and very elaborate fantasy life that was much more satisfying to her than any of her actual relationships.When George and she were thrown together at an office holiday party, fantasy collided with reality. After a few drinks, they found themselves leaving the party together and going back to Jenny’s apartment. They had a night of passionate sex. After that, they continued meeting after work on nights that George told his wife that he was stuck at the office.Jenny started pressuring George for a greater commitment. George had told her that he loved her during a passionate moment and Jenny took him seriously and pressed George to leave his wife and marry her.George did leave his wife and move in with Jenny. Jenny was startled to find that the reality of living with George did not match her fantasy. She felt numb and disappointed. George’s constant presence made her feel trapped and stifled. Two weeks later George saw the writing on the wall and went back to his wife.Unavailable PartnersVery early in my career when I knew nothing about Schizoid Personality Disorders, let alone Schizoid coping strategies, I had a very strange experience.A young woman Jill, in her early twenties, came in with her mother. I suggested that I see the young woman alone. The mother chose to wait in the waiting room.Jill told me that her problem was that she was in love with a famous baseball player who she had never met in person. She had seen him on television and had also gone to see him play in a baseball game. The only thing that she wanted to work on in therapy were strategies for meeting and marrying this baseball player.Her mother totally supported her goal and was going to pay for the therapy. Jill did not appear to be delusional, except for her single-minded totally impractical fixation on this baseball player. When I asked about her life, she seemed not to have any close friends. Her relationship with her mother and her fantasy relationship with the baseball player were her main social outlets.After a few sessions, I realized that Jill was unwilling to participate in any form of insight-oriented psychotherapy and I was unequipped to be of any real service to her. We agreed to stop working together.Jill’s Adaptation: I thought about Jill for years. After reading the British Object Relations theorists Harry Guntrip’s and Ronald Fairbairn’s case histories of Schizoid patients, I now believe that Jill had made a lower level Schizoid adaptation. She had fixated on someone entirely unavailable to her because it would have been impossible for her to sustain a romantic relationship with an actual person. The choice of a fantasy figure as a love object allowed her to feel connected to a particular man without presenting her with real life challenges that she was unable to face.WORKIn general, my Schizoid clients report being happiest when they can work by themselves without interference or when they are the master of their domain and can set the rules.Working with Machines, not PeopleExample—Jeff the Computer ExpertJeff had always found computers easier to deal with than people. He intuitively understood and enjoyed the logic and predictability of computer systems. He also felt safe and in control when he was working with them, unlike the way he felt when he was around other people.Jeff’s Adaptation: Jeff became a freelance computer consultant and had a satisfying and successful career. Jeff met his social needs through computers as well. He was an active presence in several online groups and regularly attended conferences on topics that interested him.Jeff had a few dates and sexual encounters, but preferred to remain unmarried.Medical Doctors, Psychotherapists and TeachersThese professions offer people with Schizoid adaptations autonomy and the ability to set the rules. I have known many Schizoid psychotherapists who are excellent and completely present and available during their clients’ sessions or when they are teaching. They tend, however, to avoid parties and other unstructured social gatherings because they find them too anxiety provoking.Example—Jane the AcademicJane is a brilliant woman who found a career path which did not force her to be any more intimate with people than was comfortable for her. Her career smoothly advanced from graduate school to a tenured position in a well known university. She writes beautifully in a rather dry and academic style and has published numerous articles and books in her field.Jane’s Adaptation: Jane has always valued the academic life because she felt it fit her personality. She enjoyed bring in charge in the classroom and having it be her decision what and how to teach. She spent much of her free time doing research and writing or presenting at conferences.Jane married another academic who also had Schizoid Personality Disorder. They had a very emotionally cool, but satisfying marriage. Both were preoccupied with their own projects and did not require more than minimal contact with each other. They decided not to have children because they liked their life exactly as it was.Example—Patricia the Dental SurgeonPatricia, was a 54 year old dental surgeon when I first met her. She told me that she had found out very early in life that people were unpredictable and untrustworthy. Her parents, she said, had always promised to pay for her education, but at the last minute always found an excuse to refuse.She described her childhood as very bleak. Her parents were disinterested in her or verbally abusive. She said that she had known from around age seven that the only person she could count on was herself.Patricia got a scholarship to college and worked in the school bookstore to pay for her other expenses. She took out loans to go to dental school.Patricia’s Adaptation: Patricia said that she had chosen dentistry as a profession because she did not have to work as part of a team with other doctors. She also liked that her patients were mainly unable to talk to her because they had to keep their mouths open and still while she worked on them.Punchline: Everyone needs to feel connected to other people, including those who have made Schizoid Adaptations. Unfortunately most people with Schizoid Personality Disorder find very intimate and uninterrupted interpersonal contact potentially threatening. Many, however, find ways to adapt to their intrapsychic conflicts by finding romantic relationships and work situations that allow them to manage their proximity to other people.A2AElinor Greenberg, PhD, CGPIn private practice in NYC and the author of the book: Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety.www.elinorgreenberg.com