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17 December 2006

Commodify your consciousness

Via Christopher Locke at Mystic Bourgeoise—who posts an image of an amazing advertisement for one of these things—I bring you the enlightenment card.

Is it a new addition to the major arcana of the tarot? A handy credential showing that you've crossed the Abyss?

Nope. It's a credit card.

The Enlightenment Card was founded on the idea that money is energy and if used with positive and integrative intention, can have the power to affect change in our lives and the world. Everyone uses a credit card, so why not have one where people can earn points towards positive products and services that enhances their overall “conscious” life path? Some of the categories of rewards you can earn points toward are yoga classes and merchandise, organic products, retreats + workshops, exotic travels, books + DVD’s, personal care, spa treatments, and more.
Available with your choice of groovy images like an Om, the Buddha, or ... my favourite ... crepuscular rays.

Mind you, I'm a Freak citizen with no small interest in woo-woo stuff. But this just gives me the big creepy.

Is it the cognative dissonance? The smug egocentrism? The shopping-cart syncreticism?

It makes me want to go get a credit card tomorrow with a symbol of the other Enlightenment on it, the one that's actually philosophically aligned with credit cards. Can you get a credit card with a picture of John Locke or Isaac Newton on it, I wonder? I do know that you can get the Enlightenment's commodified pop culture cartoon symbol, the starship Enterprise.

4 comments:

  1. Oh. So the 15.99% APR on the card isn't usury... it's a kyosaku to help you awaken to the wise use of money. I see.

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  2. I get "Yoga Journal" and Shambhala Sun, Triangle and some other Dharma/Buddhist related mags and I'm always frightened at how much of it is consumer driven. A part of me understands, as it offsets the cost of production. However I also get some "backwoods" magazines on self-reliance and survival training and often time they have minimal advertising and it's much less "seductive" in it's presentation.

    I'm beginning to think that media is the root of all evil...

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  3. Oh, yeah. I almost mentioned Yoga Journal in my post. It so gives me the creeps.

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  4. Sign up now, and with your membership you'll receive a free copy of Chogyam Trungpa's Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism! Display it proudly on your bookshelf and show the world you care!

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