Cargo cult

[Lois]

A cargo cult is an indigenist millenarian belief system, in which adherents perform rituals which they believe will cause a more technologically advanced society to deliver goods. These cults were first described in Melanesia in the wake of contact with allied military forces during the Second World War.

Isolated and pre-industrial island cultures that were lacking technology experienced soldiers and supplies arriving in large numbers, often by airdrop. The soldiers would trade with the islanders. After the war, the soldiers departed. Cargo cults arose, attempting to imitate the behaviors of the soldiers, thinking that this would cause the soldiers and their cargo to return.

Some cult behaviors involved mimicking the day-to-day activities and dress styles of soldiers, such as performing parade ground drills with wooden or salvaged rifles.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

[silent thunder]

I spent a while studying this fascinating process way back in my University daze.

Really intriguing process to look into... the literal formation of religious thinking into a new type of religious action, born in modern times.

[Lois]

40 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

I spent a while studying this fascinating process way back in my University daze.

Really intriguing process to look into... the literal formation of religious thinking into a new type of religious action, born in modern times.

 

How did that relate to your university studies?

 

[Nungali]

I wanted to join one of those cults   , but  .........   the penis sheath wearing thing  .....

 

 

 

[Nungali]

12 minutes ago, Lois said:

 

How did that relate to your university studies?

 

 

Cultural anthropology .

 

Prince Philip must be 'Big Man'   - if married to Queen  ... he's the best Man  .

 

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by Nungali

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

My favourite are the dudes who worship Prince Philip

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip_movement

 

Edit:

@Nungali beat me to it!

Edited May 10, 2022 by Pak_Satrio

[Nungali]

..... they invented  bungee jumping

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nungali]

6 minutes ago, Pak_Satrio said:

My favourite are the dudes who worship Prince Philip

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip_movement

 

Did you see the  visit where they offered him a giant penis sheath ?   Top man must have the biggest one , no ? So need HUGE sheath .

 

One handed it to him and he took it  and looked at it curiously ... an aid that realised what it was quickly took it away and handed to others behind him. Apparently the locals where disappointed , he should have worn his present for the visit     .

[Nungali]

However , they do offer a disadvantage  when hula-hooping

 

 

 

 

[silent thunder]

2 hours ago, Lois said:

 

How did that relate to your university studies?

 

Anthropology.  Why do you ask?

[Lois]

14 hours ago, silent thunder said:

Anthropology.  Why do you ask?

I asked you to answer. It is now clear. As an anthropologist, you might be interested to know that the capital of the Innuit is in Greenland. Africa's largest city, Lagos. Population of 13 million people.

[silent thunder]

I am not an anthropologist, I studied in that field a bit out of interest while taking extra credits.

Not particularly interested in Greenland or Africa's city of Lagos.

Thank you for your time.

 

 

[Michael Sternbach]

20 hours ago, Nungali said:

However , they do offer a disadvantage  when hula-hooping

 

 

 

 

 

This lends so much credibility to a fascinating archaeological theory to put the Maoi of Easter Island, Stonehenge, and the Washington Monument in context!

 

[Nungali]

6 hours ago, silent thunder said:

I am not an anthropologist, I studied in that field a bit out of interest while taking extra credits.

Not particularly interested in Greenland or Africa's city of Lagos.

Thank you for your time.

 

 

 

Ahhh ... but did you know the capital of Iceland is Reykjavík and the average population in Antarctica is around 5000 ? 

 

- have you ever had a conversation with Lois before  ?   

 

I love the 'why did you ask ' response  ..... " to get an answer " .   

 

Reminds me of when I asked that guy why he was hiding behind a tree in my back yard ?   - " Because I thought you would not be able to see me there . "

[silent thunder]

I engage with Lois on occasion.  Depends what Lois offers...

 

What I can say of Lois is that Lois is consistently Lois...

[thelerner]

Larry Niven the sci fy writer wrote a book which involved the Cargo Cult phenomena, Dream Park.  It was pretty good.  I visited Cargo Cult, way back in 2013 and know John Frum.  It was a blast. 

2013 Art Theme: Cargo Cult

Theme by Larry Harvey, text by Larry Harvey and Stuart Mangrum, illustration by D.A. of Black Rock (aka Dominic Tinio)

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
– Arthur C. Clarke

Who is John Frum? He is known to us by many names, this Visitor from Elsewhere, dispenser of endless abundance and wielder of mysterious technologies: John Frum, Quetzalcoatl, Osiris, “Bob.” His cargo is splendid, his generosity boundless, his motives beyond our understanding. But across the ages and around the world, the stories all agree: one day he will return, bearing great gifts. Our theme this year asks three related questions; who is John Frum, where is he really from, and where, on spaceship Earth, are we all going?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fascinating lesson of the Cargo Cult phenomena is how history becomes legend.   As events fade, they're colored by hopes and resentments or are never correctly understood in the first place.  Who's to say the imagined past is not more useful than the actual.  Maybe we're living in the imagined past, right now. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by thelerner

[Lois]

7 hours ago, thelerner said:

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
– Arthur C. Clarke

 

 

I am a major player in this area.

[Michael Sternbach]

7 hours ago, thelerner said:

Who's to say the imagined past is not more useful than the actual.  

 

Brilliant!

 

I love that one! 

[Michael Sternbach]

And who is to say that the past is set in stone? That we can't be creative with it the same way we can with regards to the future?

Edited May 12, 2022 by Michael Sternbach

[Nungali]