Thread by @RationalImpact

Violence🆚Sex
I find it rather strange and even disturbing how as a society we flinch very little over violent expressions of art and entertainment but if it has to do with sex we flip the fuck out. I support artistic expression of both but this imbalance needs to be addressed.⚖️

2. It's true that violent art gets scapegoated as well such as video games. I've heard all my life that violent games will turn you into some killer or desensitize you to real world violence. Not true! I've played 20 plus years of gruesome games and don't even like killing a fly.

3. Though by far we tend to be more sensitive over sexual expressions in art and entertainment. Expressions of sex get shamed big time by religion, politics and even parts of the spiritual world. Its either seen as sinful, sexiest, or stealing your life force.

4. Its odd, because despite coming from a pretty conservative world expressions of violence were generally seen as ok but even a sexually suggestive commercial was treated as disgusting or offensive. Bloody action scene? All good! A pair of breast being revealed? FAST FORWARD!

5. This creates a very unnatural programming in the brain that makes you subconsciously see sex as a threat, yet violence gets a free pass. If anything it should be the other way around. This shows how deep our sexual shame goes as we treat it like it's some nuclear waste.

6. Though it's understandable to the extent that our sexual wounds and shame is the most intimate pain that we can hold rather it is emotional, spiritual, mental, physical. Especially if sexual violence plays any part of that. I believe this is why we are more sensitive to sex.

7. Seeing violence alone is not intimate enough to trigger our pain, but seeing sex, even in a joyful positive expression shakes up our buried pain and brings it to the surface quicker than anything else. Thus we run as fast as we can away from the sexual depiction.

8. I do not believe the answer is to run away from the depictions, rather find a way to use them to help alchemize. For instance, entertainment with sexual humor could be a good way, as laughter is very healing. Maybe try one those silly "scary" movies with tons of sexual humor.

9. However, todays overly offended society tends to view everything as somehow only causing more pain when in reality sexualized entertainment can help take charge of sexual wounds in a safe environment. Trying to censor, cancel or ban everything is more escaping from the pain.

10. We also have a problem of way to much judgement even in the spiritual world with it often viewing any sexual entertainment, like music videos, as degenerate regardless of context. Media can be used to manipulate yes, but we must be able to have freedom of artistic expression!

11. In fact you can use sexualized entertainment to help you discover where you have sexual wounds yourself regardless of its message. The worst thing you can do is get all offended and come off as a religious puritan that divisive forces can than use to further our civil wars.

12. If there is any kind of violent or sexual art/entertainment that you find offensive than you have the power to turn the channel. No one is forcing these things on you. And people who spend all their time tearing down what offends them reveals where their own wounding is.

13. And as you get to heal and know thy self better and better you will actually be less likely to fall under any darker spells that negative media may be trying to cast on you. Because their spells often target and hook you in through manipulation of your shame, fear and pain.

14. This is why it's so important to find your own healthy outlets of violent and sexual art that you find enjoyable, so that you are in sovereign control of your more "base" emotions and drives, not the system. Though know base does not translate to bad, a big misconception!

15. There is nothing wrong with experiencing expressions of violence or sex when done through fantasy and art that causes no harm to anyone else. If you repress these shadow aspects of yourself they will consume you into either puritanism or eventually take you over unknowingly.

16. Its crazy because despite being a violent video game loving, porn using wanker, I get told all the time how great my energy is. I believe its because I hold no shame so people feel comfortable in that energy because those parts of themselves are not being judged but accepted.

17. I simply allow myself to feel the whole gambit of Human emotion and interestingly it clears me up enough to be able to focus on higher spiritual growth because I'm not constantly trying to retain a whole bunch of energy, having to constantly be at war with my own shadow.

18. People tragically live in so much fear of their more shadow based energy because thousands of years of religious shame have hammered it into our souls, even to the point that it has nailed down the spiritual world as well. This makes people crucify themselves in shame.

19. This is another area where we are perfectly fine with violence, self violence as we beat ourselves up mercilessly for having simple desires. It leads to a kind of sexual self harm where we repress ourselves to an extreme degree. Made even worse be the original sin doctrine.

20. Think about it. We get told that the original sin was accepting knowledge and then Adman and Eve were ashamed of being naked. Well no wonder the religious particularly have massive shame. Regardless of your opinion on the story this shame based response is not productive.

21. Clearly I'm not a religious person, though I do believe in Christ, as a cosmic force anyway, and God or Source. And I'd be willing to bet that if you go straight to Christ or God from your heart you will at least know that you shouldn't inflict this violence upon yourself!

22. Instead, find ways that are comfortable for you and your beliefs to express the full range of your emotions. Then let others simply be. And as we all become more healed in our shadows our new light will drive out what is truly negative in the world and restore true balance!☯️

@threadreaderapp unroll and restore the balance.