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Jul 17, 2023Liked by Rocco Jarman

As usual, incredible and accurate analysis to the world that we are forced to navigate today!

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Thanks Lawrence.

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Also sleep paralysis isn’t what you think it is. Or perhaps you have realized this already?

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Jul 17, 2023·edited Jul 17, 2023Author

Usually i thank folks for making the effort to comment, but I never discussed my thoughts on the phenomenon of sleep paralysis in this article, i only mentioned it in reference as a metaphor for feeling unable to move, so there is no way you could make informed comments about what I think the phenomenon is. This is not the best way to show up and weigh in on someone else's work.

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All men have feel the same thing the first time they experience it, its a rather common theme. Those who say differently almost always turn out to be liars, or so I have found in my observations.

Im not an idiot, or a mind reader btw... Your feelings about sleep paralysis are able to be logically devised based on your own personal use of said "metaphor" in your essay. The dark black thing slithering out of the image is a fairly terrifying concept.

I spent several years being demonized and misunderstood because of the testimony I shared of "sleep paralysis". Even now, most call me mentally ill when I tell them what I experienced.

You cannot imagine the footwork required to find the truth, I was offering an olive branch not condemning you. I feel the covenant God made with Abraham and the description Abraham gave of the ceremony would be of great interest to someone like you. Or perhaps not, what would I know...

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Madam, your condemnation of me or approval of me land in exactly the same place - as I said in the article, I am not moved equally by all opinion.

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Disturbing? This digital world has always just been a fake, shitty, sims version of reality. How can anyone confuse this dead black box with one made in the image of the Living Creator God?

I feel like this epiphany should be something to celebrate not be disturbed by. The internet is just a tool, a way to communicate. We should feel extremely relieved that our “identity” and the truth of who we are cannot possibly be contained or defined in such a shallow, finite way.

Regarding our shadow. I was or I did, does not mean I AM. Jesus is the life, the truth, and the way. If God forgives us, who are we not to forgive ourselves too? Are we wiser than he? No. So if god says our sins our forgiven, we should also forgive ourselves and no longer be troubled. It doesn’t matter how many times we fail, what matters is that we admit “it happened, it sucked, tomorrow I’m going to do better”. And if I fail again, I try again. Until one day we get it right.

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Jul 17, 2023·edited Jul 17, 2023Author

I agree with your stance on how to approach mistakes and failures, and usually I make a point of voicing my appreciation for the effort people take to engage, but you present yourself precisely in a way that I have come to understand is part of the problem on the internet.

I am glad for subscribers to my work, but I will say right now, that this kind of engagement is not constructive.

For a start, there is no suggestion in this article that our identity should be contained or defined by the internet, however the way we show up and the way we engage with people most certainly says something about the truth of who we are.

Your overall style of swinging in aiming poorly crafted argument on someone else's work is not what I would regard as skillful or 'good faith critique' - it is the kind of thing that we might expect to see on to Tumblr where people show up like this, already certain of their moral superiority, straw-manning points that aren't even being made.

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What a hypocritical thing to say, especially considering the content of your "article". You dare to write such a piece and then turn right around and judge my "internet presentation" as problematic.

No one but the author reads the comments sections anymore. I suspect it is not my presentation but instead my faith in Jesus Christ (and not you) as my Lord and Savior that is what you truly find problematic about me. If so do not waste my time by slandering my moral character, be a MAN and say it to my face.

Hows that for constructive criticism? Any better? Dont worry, in the future Ill be sure not to waste any more time reading your work. So bye I guess.

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You are making my point for me.

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So disturbing and so true.

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