I read an interpretation on this song that I think must be the definitive one, and its very cool! Ill try to summarize and add to it a bit.
There was a book written by Bob Frissell called Exactly How Things Are. Apparently Maynard has made reference to this book, although I’m not sure where.
In Frissel's book, he explains that human beings are in the second level of five levels of consciousness. For us to progress to higher levels we must evolve, not only spiritually, but physically. Currently the human genome contains 46 chromosomes, 44 somatic and 2 sex chromosomes. For us to attain higher levels of consciousness, we must have 46 and 2 chromosomes to afford for the physical advancement. Less evolved or smaller organisms have less chromosomes, so we to need to develop more chromosomes as we have in the past to become more complex creatures.
Frissel calls the next level (46 and 2), or third level, the level of Christ Consciousness. In this level, we realize we are all a part of something bigger, and not just individual entities. This is a common concept in contemporary metaphysics.
Apparently, Maynard is singing about his desire to spiritually evolve in this song, to attain the "46 and 2" state. In lines such as "Listen to my muscle memory" and "My shadow is shedding skin" he eludes to this. What is muscle memory? Acting without thinking, or a habit. Shedding skin is of course a more direct metaphor for growth, and change. This is the undercurrent of other songs on Aenima, such as Third Eye, "Prying open my third eye" is a pretty obvious reference to spiritual evolution.
I love the way maynard describes these spiritual evolutions. As a painful, grueling process, picking scabs, shedding skin, prying open your third eye, the crawling on my belly, going through old memories and insecure delusions, to effect a spiritual evolution. Such a beautiful message wrapped in such a rough, nasty package.
ALL HAIL TOOL!
__________________ Et In Arcadia Ego
Last edited by Metatron's Cube; 12-17-2002 at 05:58 PM..
I forgot where I orginially read that article, its been awhile since I first read it. Thats where I based 90% of interpretation from, well written too. Innuendo has a some great articles, if you can stand all the pop ups and spam.
Someone told me, when I was talking about that interpretation, that rabbits have hundreds of Chromosomes and more does not = more evolved. It's different for each animal I guess.
A Biology teacher in my school also dismissed the idea but then again, we're talking about a fundamentalist Catholic who doesn't believe in evolution.
__________________ "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, we are spiritual beings on a human journey"
Last edited by Flying Column; 12-21-2002 at 02:34 PM..
Originally posted by Flying Column Someone told me, when I was talking about that interpretation, that rabbits have hundreds of Chromosomes and more does not = more evolved. It's different for each animal I guess.
A Biology teacher in my school also dismissed the idea but then again, we're talking about a fundamentalist Catholic who doesn't believe in evolution.
The thing I like about the above theory "The 46&2 one" is that it is most likely what Maynard had in mind when he wrote 46&2. As far as the scientific validity of the 46&2 theory, it's pretty much absurd.
Yes, it true that more chromosomes does not mean a more complex organism. Certain plants have thousands of chromosomes; Ophioglossum reticulatum has 1260. Crustations have many as well, most birds have more than humans, dogs have 78. Other mammals have more that humans as well. But then again, to compare plants and humans, or even dogs and humans, is not a good comparison, because we evolved from different evolutionary pathways.
Chromosomes are basically a packing mechanism for the DNA molecule. The DNA molecule becomes longer due to accumulation of mutations. Mutations are created by free radicals, UV rays, thaymine dimers, or any number of factors can cause a chemical change in the DNA molecule, in addition to additions and deletions caused problems in DNA transcription. These changes can be beneficial, harmful, or have no effect to the organism. So-called neutral mutations have no effect on the organism, or its survival, and accumulate in the genome. Eventually, new chromosomes must be created because it much easier to pack, separate, and segregate 40 short chromosomes accurately during meiosis, than it is for one long chromosome. So when an organism has lots of chromosomes it means that, through chance mostly, it has accumulated many neutral mutations during the course of its evolution, specifically mutations that add one or many base pairs to the DNA molecule.
So, you could say that humans will have more chromosomes at some point in the future, and at that time they may be more evolved, if when you say evolved you mean have more beneficial mutations. But for such changes to take place, you wouldnt HAVE to have more chromosomes. Deletions can be beneficial, so can swapping one base pair for another. In addition, humans gaining additional chromosomes is something that happens over the order of millions of years, in frissel's book the 46&2 mutation was supposed to happen by 1998, not likey. As an organism changes for the better or worse, its genome can shorten or become longer, in general however, over the course of time, the genome becomes longer.
So to summarize:
-More chromosomes does not mean more complex, or mean a higher organism in ways of intelligence, etc.
-You do not need more chromosomes to evolve, but as you evolve you may develop extra chromosomes.
-You can develop a shorter genome as you evolve, however, over time the genome has a tendency become longer due to neutral mutations. BUT, its all random.
-Humans will likely have more than 44+2 chromosomes at some point in the future, but it will be millions of years from now. On the other hand, adding chromosomes has nothing to do with becoming a more complex organism, it is simply a side effect of the mechanisms that change the DNA molecule or order of base pairs, but doesn't always happen. In other words, more chromosomes is the side effect of evolution, not the cause.
-At sometime in the very distant future, the 46&2 theory COULD happen.
-Bill Frissel probably doesn't have a biology education past high school.
However, it's still a cool idea to write a song about! I think for Maynard 46&2 is just a metaphor for spiritual and personal evolution, and him striving to attain it. "I, choose to live and to, grow." What a powerful song!
I kind of glazed over the genetics above because the post was getting long, if you are interested in more detail on how those genetic processes work, feel free to respond or email me.
__________________ Et In Arcadia Ego
Last edited by Metatron's Cube; 12-22-2002 at 07:30 PM..
i was wondering what 46&2 meant. So I came here and I guess I got my answer. It seems that Maynard is getting closer and closer to 46 & 2 chromosomes.
Everybody has a shadow and how Frissel said 46&2 is a realization of we are all part of something bigger. And Maynard related how we all have something and the shadow symbolizes something thats always there and we are all connected to. 46&2 is right ahead of him. He steps through the shadow to dismiss his indivuduality and become part of something bigger that we don't quite understand yet.
I hope I made at least some sense.
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Shit, I was all excited, 'cause I figured out what 46 and 2 meant a couple months ago all on my own. Well, with the help of my Bio teacher actually... we were learning about Mendelian Genetics and he was talking about the number of autosomes and the number of sex chromosomes in haploid and diploid cells and he writes "46 and 2" on the chalkboard... and I was like, heyyy, wait a second. I thought I was the only to come up with that so far... :(
I think the song basically implies that in order to reach the "46 and 2" state, you have to endure severe amounts of emotional pain. My first hint was at the beginning of the song, where Maynard says "my shadow's sheeding skin, I've been picking scabs again" which means that he keeps re-opening old emotional wounds that he can't seem to get over. "I'm down digging through my old muscles looking for a clue" basically means that he wants to know why he feels this way, so he's scouring through his mind for an answer, as we often don't know exactly what causes or triggers an emotion. "I've been crawling on my belly, clearing out what could've been, I've been wallowing in my own confused and insecure delusions" basically means that he hasn't been able to get over his emotional pain, and instead, has been immersing himself in it and washing away any chance of spiritual healing. "For a piece to cross me over, or a word to guide me in" means that he's waiting for something to guide him, or to lead him to a higher level of consciousness where he won't have to worry about his emotional pain. "I wanna feel the changes coming down, I wanna know what I've been hiding in my shadow" means that he wants to reach a level of spiritual consciousness, where he can find what caused those emotions. "I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in, I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured in my shadow" also means that he wants to reach a higher level of consciousness where he won't have to worry about his emotional pain. "Change is comin', now is my time, listen to my muscle memory, contemplate what I've been clinging to, 46 and 2 ahead of me" means that it's time to change... he's crossing over into a higher level of consciousness, but he's subconsciously trying to resist it because it's not the existance that he's used to. Which is why he mentions his "muscle memory"... it's doing something instinctively or by habit, like how people subconsciously resist death or any other major changes in their lives. "I choose to live and to grow, take and give to ... do what it takes to step through" basically means that he chooses his path in life, and with enough work, it is possible to cross over into the "46 and 2" state. "See my shadow changing, stretching up and over me ... step into the shadow, 46 and 2 are just ahead of me" means to me that he's getting ready to "step into his shadow," or become part of his spiritual self, and cross over into the "46 and 2" state.
...And that's my opinion. :)
__________________ Auf ein gefettetes backblach legen, und bei zweihundert grad für fünfzehn minuten backen... und KEINE EIER.
Another good book that describes the meaning of 46 and 2 as well as a multitudinous amount of tool topics is THE ANCIENT SECRET OF THE FLOWER OF LIFE. Also the actual merkaba meditation is revealed in the book. It is a little expensive for both volumes but then again so is television which rarely makes you stimulate your own brain.
As some of you have mentioned more chromosomes does not mean more advanced. Another interesting fact I found while doing a paper on evolution is that apes actually have 46+2 chromosoms. So 46&2 is in our past. I'm not sure if Maynard had this in mind while writing the lyrics, but have fun looking for new meanins of the song now.
You say rabbits have many chromosomes, but you just overlook the fact that maybe rabbits are more spiritually evolved than human beings and we are just ignorant to expect this fact. How will we ever know how spiritually advanced something is if we cannot communicate with it. Perhaps rabbits all form one consciousness and they are plotting a plan to kill all of us humans! Dont assume!
I think that some of us are looking at this song to closely. I thin that irs just about change, like that rest of the album. MJK or who ever is just using "fourty-six&2" as a medifor, nothing more.
I thought that the song wa relating to the contemporary philosophies of psychologist Carl Jung......He had these archtypes for the collective unconscience, and the shadow was one of them. He also had a theory about human evolution pertaining to 46 and 2 chromosomes. Anyway I could only imagine what the song would be about, however it is very intersting....very...
Originally posted by Velvet Decay Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind....Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind.
In my opinion teh message behind Forty-six & 2 isn't nearly as simple as spirituality as every Tool fan I've ever talked to thinks. In maynard's writing I've noticed a trend that includes three main compnents: spirituality most obviously, he often incorparates some sort of scientific data into it in some form or another, and, most obviously, teh reason poets write, emotion. I'm sure you've all realized this but the thing is, very few of you actually mention any emotional expression when describing what you think teh songs about. Saying teh things i have on to my actual opinion.
Its about using your past to move ahead. Everyone I've told this to usualy becomes confused at this point. Let me indulge...
Many of us know that teh 46 & 2 theory basically states that sometime in teh future humans will evolve from 44 to 46 & 2 chromosomes. Therefore also "spiritually" evolving. (And also in my opinion evolving in thsi case merely means teh mind, not so much teh body.) But, in order for anyone to ever make any progress, to ever move ahead, you must remember your roots. The "shadow" maynard is refering to is teh past. Using teh past to better yourself, to learn from teh past. ANd knowing that someday the past will be known, and may even repeat itself if you're not careful.
If you've read this far keep going, I've still a lot to go through.
Keep teh above in mind. Now imagine someone becoming depressed. Imagine this someone being insecure about who they are, they want to be accepted by society, but aren't sure how. Be it their religious beleifs that makes them different, looks, etc, but society doesnt yet accept them. So again teh person becomes depressed and tries to accept themselves before they do anything irrational. So they search their past. They recall all teh drug abuse, death, pain, or whatever teh case. All teh mistakes they've made they revisit and dissect them. After this they accept teh fact they've made mistakes. They accept their past after all these years. They've finally cleansed their conscience, they're letting goof regret after realizing that whatever they've been clinging to for whatever reason...was just silly. And through thsi they realize further that they need to do whatever it takes to step through. Forget being accepted and respected by society. Telling themselves that they will only grow and live if they move forward, not dwell on teh pain and such, but rather embrace it all. Knowing that teh only way to grow is to accept ourselves, to accept our faults and everything that comes with them. So when, and only when, they finally accomplish this, will they ever be able to move ahead, to evolve, to blossom.
This song isn't just about teh 46 & 2 theory...it's about accepting yourself and following your own beliefs and your own will, not worrying about what others think or say. About accepting others as they truly are, no matter how different they may be. Only through this will you ever truly prosper and come to teh next step in human evolution.
Originally posted by Velvet Decay Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind....Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind.
What makes people say this line like seperating your body from your mind is a bad thing?
46 and 2... why debate. Sometimes I wonder if Maynard looks into perfecting the scientific background of his songs and concepts or if maybe implying that 46+2 is the next evolutionary state was a result of a poor scientific background and ignorance of the mechanics of evolution. Maynard can make a mistake can't he. He is only human. 46+2 is one of my favorite songs because it deals with a subject very dear to me; siritual growth (which to me is becomeing more connected to the universe as a whole), personal mental growth, and the stuggle to become as much as you can.
If you listen to the song you "know" what Maynard is trying to say. Overthinking and over analizing for the most part only create more confusion. Don't try to quantisize everything in a constantly changing, infinate universe. Realize that wisdom=experience+observation and not memorizing the fine print on every scientific theory. (Even thought it is not an intirely bad thing to do). And I would also like to add that we are all a part of one being that is mankind, I really don't think that Maynard is talking about him alone when he sais "forty six and two just ahead of me", but instead he wants to play an important role in the future evolution of mankind. I am sure most of you already knew that but I had to say it for the people who say that Maynard or anyone else is going to spontaniously evolve.
Firstly people should read the FAQ on 46&2 (just click on the faq on the top of this page). It seems that this Bob Frissel is on to the same thing that Carl Jung is judging by his quotes in the faq. AnemicRoyalty seems to be right about what the refrences to the Shadow mean and where they come from (again in the faq). I also would not say that MJK is not trying to make any specific scientific statement in his song and is not looking to help mankind evolve to a higher plane of existance. I think that he is looking for debate and the swaping of idea's.
This exact post has already been discust in some depth under the title Connections In Everyday Life, also in the 46&2 forum, though it appers the talking has pretty much stoped. just remember that how ever cool some of the idea's in that thread sound the people telling them dont always have the full picture. By the sounds of the discussion some people seem to be taking what some other people say as fact...Just dont go rushing round expecting people to suddenly evolve into higher states of being.
Originally posted by Velvet Decay Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind....Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind.
That's such a cop-out. Firstly, you obviously don't understand the meaning of that line and secondly it is annoying that you would just try to invalidate intelligent thought with another line from a Tool song.
__________________ Nine out of ten voices in my head think I'm perfectly sane.
It's funny that the many different metaphors and wossnames in this song add up to create one general idea, which is probably to never stop trying to be all you can be(without joining the army.) And 46&2 refers to theories that we are all part of a higher being. I dunno I'm probably just really tired.
__________________ Nine out of ten voices in my head think I'm perfectly sane.
-At sometime in the very distant future, the 46&2 theory COULD happen.
i know this is posted ages ago, but ill take this as an example.
everybody is overlooking something here: the 2. the sex chromosomes. women have 2 X chromosomes and men have an X and a Y chrom.
first i'd like to point out that our chromosomes contain DNA, wich holds our genetic material. in order to become more complex, you need more chromosomes. this doesnt mean that you are more intelligent, but the most logical thing would be that you are.
that the rabbit has more chromosomes than us is not true. whe have zillions of chromosomes, but we have 46 different chroms. and so does the rabbit.
back to the sex chroms. women have a "branch" more than men, this means they are more complex. wich is logical, because women make babies, wich is a very complex procedure with the hormone stuff going on. but what does this mean??
1. since this has been like this for thousands of years, it must be a HUGE step just to add 1 "branch", so my guess is this wont be for anytime soon.
2. you cant just say "hey i grew on a chromosome", this is a very slow process, one slowly growing branch at the time. according to Darwin the only reason that we grow more chromosomes is because the chance for misshaped children is smaller. can you imagine what slow process this must be?
3. for development you need evolution. you cant say we have any kind of evolution within society. period.
dont hold your breath.
__________________ i am just an imbecile.
but trust me.
trust me.
Originally posted by THCvocals What makes people say this line like seperating your body from your mind is a bad thing?
Because the next line is "withering my intuition leaving opportunites behind." And i don't think anyone would see missing opportunites as a good thing.
I didn't read through the entire thread due to the length, but I haven't seen anybody mention the idea of "shadow" being a jungian term. Here is a little bit of what the Jung page (http://www.cgjungpage.org) says:
"Shadow. Hidden or unconscious aspects of oneself, both good and bad, which the ego has either repressed or never recognized. (See also repression.)
The shadow is composed for the most part of repressed desires and uncivilized impulses, morally inferior motives, childish fantasies and resentments, etc.--all those things about oneself one is not proud of. These unacknowledged personal characteristics are often experienced in others through the mechanism of projection."
I have heard the "46 and 2" theories before and taken them as a possibility. But to me, this song has meant (and I should probably be posting this on my own thread) that in what we repress about ourselves and what we deny ourselves, is where we find a way to better ourselves, physically and mentally. Personally, the first time I ever smoked weed came about three weeks ago (I'm 18 and yes, I can't believe it took me this long to try it) and now I See things differently than i did before when I tried something I was always against and I think it is actually bettering my mind because I am more open.
The entire song may not match my meaning, but lines like "change is coming through my shadow" and "feel the outside turning in." He is letting all of what he kept outside of his area of comfort in to help him change.
On a side note, does anybody here ever use themsleves as examples when explaining a song? Usually my intepretation of a song is based on my own experience and I explain what I am going through when I try to understand a song.
__________________ "We are the culture who cried wolf" - Chuck Palahniuck
Last edited by Muladharius; 04-19-2003 at 11:29 AM..
Originally posted by Lachrymologist Because the next line is "withering my intuition leaving opportunites behind." And i don't think anyone would see missing opportunites as a good thing.
I think that if you read this entire thread and can intelligently extract the truths from the falsities you will have a pretty good idea of the premise for the track 46&2. I am not going to go over it and be redundant. But i will suggest that you read the link to the Innuendo site, it brings light to an interesting explaination of why TOOL would create a song about an idea so easily proven false on a scientific level. Temporary belief systems, temporary egos, or Temporary reality 'tunnels', are used for some for of growth of the mind/spirit.
Perhaps it is (as many things on the new album) a process used as a meditation. Perhaps in which one controls the mind to the extent of enducing an altered state through a supposed reality that is believed temporarily. -Thanks
The perfect being has 48 chromosomes. We as humans can only get to 47xxy. This disease is a disconnection of joint and tissues giving the elongating features such as Akhnaton and wife in Egypt. We as average individual only recieve and incoporate 23. Male chromosomes are represnted by the diamond or y. Female are represented by the x.
I would say that the shadow represents the imperfect self. That which is only 23 chromosomes.To gain a better view of the self you would have to evolve into the perfect being which is the one with 48. But like I said as close as we can come is 47xxy. Very rare will you find someone with 46 (I believe come from hermaphrodites of only one genetal identity)unless they suffer from Marfan Disease(should have both genetals).
However it is said that Marilyn Manson(Adam/Ra)has released 46 album to the time Maynard has wrote only 2. There is a battle for the throne. This is Saturns Golden Age. Like I said, Until he can prove me otherwise I do feel that maynard is Set. The Powerful God with no Zoological equivalence.
i think that everybody here may be missing the whole point of this song. first of all, faith or belief in anything isn't scientific. faith is beleiving without seeing or without an easy way to prove your point. i think that maynard is using the 46&2 metaphor for his own spiritual progression. he believes it....thats all. if you beleive it...good for you. i just don't see the point in picking at it coming from a scientific level and trying prove wrong/right what the song is saying. its just not sensible. as tool fans, we should all accept what maynard is saying, wheather we agree or not. although i do enjoy many of the interpretations of the song found on this forum, i don't see the point in bickering about wheather this "higher being" evolution could really take place or not....its just a matter or faith and beleif
after reading this thread, i began to wonder if hes a serial killer, and kills in twos as a phsycotic egg on all our human faces. maybe whats stepping out of his shadow is a madman, and the next two were soon to be taken. hes thumbing his nose at all of us.lets get him!
Originally posted by Travesty79 after reading this thread, i began to wonder if hes a serial killer, and kills in twos as a phsycotic egg on all our human faces. maybe whats stepping out of his shadow is a madman, and the next two were soon to be taken. hes thumbing his nose at all of us.lets get him!
see, this song IMO, was not meant to be taken literally. It's simply a metaphor to how MJK feels like hes finally evolving. Whether it be, from bad time or realizing something. This songs about having an epiphany and acting on it by changing your life.
As to the whole theory of 46&2, of course more chromosomes does not mean more evolved. The organism simply has more chromosomes to describe each of that organisms traits.
Now some people say that more chromosomes mean mutations in the gene structure. Now that sort of what this is about. People can end up with hereditary diseases, like down sydrome, or these genes can be good, maybe it will give us the metal compacity to levetate. It's all about how you look at it.
...its common knowledge that the number of chromosomes means nothing. What is important instead, are the combinations. Gorrillas have 48 chromosomes. Is that where humans are evolving to? Does the fact that we have 46 chromosomes now mean we are in the second of five stages of evolution. Based on the interpretation that started this thread, wouldn't it be more prudent to assume that we are in the 46th stage of evolution? Rather, the 23rd. This interpretation, not of the song, but of humanities future, is bullshit for one reason...there is NOTHING to support it. It is some man's manifestation. And alot of "intelligent" TOOL fans have fallen for it.
Isn't the whole point of this song just to stimulate us into doing what we're doing right now? Creating something out of nothing, ideas and theorys expressed, and interacting with people, as a first step towards change of any kind?
In my opinion teh message behind Forty-six & 2 isn't nearly as simple as spirituality as every Tool fan I've ever talked to thinks.
This song isn't just about teh 46 & 2 theory...it's about accepting yourself and following your own beliefs and your own will, not worrying about what others think or say. About accepting others as they truly are, no matter how different they may be. Only through this will you ever truly prosper and come to teh next step in human evolution.
-Coercion
Whatever happened to the message behind it not being simple? Learn from the past. Not a very complex message now is it :|
--------------
What if Apes are the evolved versions of Man? Someone mentioned Apes have 46 & 2 when it comes to man. Apes live in a mostly peaceful existance. So why wouldn't that be our future?
__________________ There Is No Such Thing As Death
Life Is Just A Dream
And We Are An Imagination Of Ourselves
I think that if you read this entire thread and can intelligently extract the truths from the falsities you will have a pretty good idea of the premise for the track 46&2. I am not going to go over it and be redundant. But i will suggest that you read the link to the Innuendo site, it brings light to an interesting explaination of why TOOL would create a song about an idea so easily proven false on a scientific level. Temporary belief systems, temporary egos, or Temporary reality 'tunnels', are used for some for of growth of the mind/spirit.
Perhaps it is (as many things on the new album) a process used as a meditation. Perhaps in which one controls the mind to the extent of enducing an altered state through a supposed reality that is believed temporarily. -Thanks
R E V E R U S
This man knows what he's talking about. Through realizations that you were wrong do we grow. A man with one belief his whole life does not grow. He stays neutral. Temporary beliefs andw aht not are indeed needed for growth.
__________________ There Is No Such Thing As Death
Life Is Just A Dream
And We Are An Imagination Of Ourselves
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Re: off subject?...summing it up...
Quote:
Originally Posted by th3rdeye
This man knows what he's talking about. Through realizations that you were wrong do we grow. A man with one belief his whole life does not grow. He stays neutral. Temporary beliefs andw aht not are indeed needed for growth.
Amen to that. I also believe that you guys that suggested looking at the writings of C.J. Jung are on the right track for interpreting the meaning of "shadow" in this song. The quote from the Jung website said a lot of pertinant information but one thing I haven't heard anyone mention yet is "the process of individuation" that Jung often wrote of. Considering that the whole concept of 46+2 is probably a metaphor for spiritual evolution/growth; that is basically what the process of individuation is. Although this is not something that happens overnight; it is more like a lifelong journey of self discovery puncuated by sudden breakthroughs. Esentially, the process of individuation (which few people undertake) leads the ego to a realization that it does not have a monarchy over the mind; it is only a part of the larger psyche that he termed the self. I.e. the whole psyche composed of both consciousness and the personal and collective unconsciousness'. Incidently he often stated that the "realization of the shadow" was the first step in the process of individuation. (Probably because the archetype of the shadow is the easiest to learn to identify.) Notice his precise wording too; realization, NOT assimilation. For example, if someone (for whatever reason) is sexually attracted to children, we can say with a high degree of certainty that he has repressed this fact into his unconscious. However, it has not gone away, it has become a part of his shadow archetype- completly out of his control. It is probable that this person would have an obssessive hatred and disgust for pedophilia. Much more than a normal person, his thoughts often turn to this subject and he concieveably could become a great crusader against it. Jung taught that the more energy that is spent trying to fight an unconscious tendency, the harder that tendency will compensatorally fight back, rearing it's ugly head in moments of weakness. Think about how men who dedicated the lives to the service of the catholic church succumbed to this evil. However, if one were to realize that one possessed this tendency and try not to fight it and give in that would be pretty bad too. The proper thing to do about this unfortunate predicamate is to realize that this tendency exists in yourself (if you are like this example, I hope you aren't) and be aware of the possible dangers. Above all do not give the tendency any energy to work with by fanatically and futilely trying to opose it.
Whew! Sorry that was so long; I was only trying to give an example of the shadow as it is a complex concept. By the way, if any of you guys that are not scared of big words have an interest in psychology, spiritual issues, or paranormal phenomena, I would HIGHLY recommend giving some of Jung's essays a looksie.
He has rapidly become one of my personal heros, and I have foung his work extremely enlightening in the understanding of others and (much more difficult) myself. Oh yeah- somebody above said something about Dr. Jung talking about 46+2 at some point. This doesn't sound right as he was a psychologist who was the epitome of careful (often waiting many years to publish his theories until he had tested them empirically), but if you really knew what you were talking about please say so; I would be MOST interested in following up on that.
I just so happened to run across this thread and signed up to put my two cents in.
I am a super spiritual person and Im also a sponge for information. I noted while studying some information about the human genome that scientists often refer to some parts of our DNA as "shadow DNA". which is what maynard might be talking about when hes talking about his "shadow".
And from what I understand there are dark strands in the shadow of our dna while looking through a microscope. Modern science has dubbed this as "junk dna". How could any part of our dna be junk??? Is holds all memory and codes to life.
So there is a possibility that we have and will continue to develope background strands....ascending us into 46&2, 48&2 etc.
Once you understand the workings of energy, quantum physics, time and space etc. you realize that NOTHING is beyond the realm of possibilty.
And im only 25 year old woman and somehow can really relate to the positivity of maynards music. A lot of people think it is dark and aggressive but it really just boils down to passion. And I know as well as anyone that all I want to do is wake up the last individuals of the world to see not only the bigger picture but a much deeper one.
I hope this offers some insight and possibly a new perspective. :)
