inF.A.Qs.
Infrequently Asked Questions
Why?
Can I experience anonymity here?
Why change the name away from www.exithell.org?
What is the relevance of the jigsaw puzzle pictured on the homepage?
With so much information in text, memes, books, videos, and via links, where should I start?
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Why?
Born in 1968, my upbringing became one of entire chance. At 24, my career was destroyed, and a quarter century of periodic, psychiatric interventions began. I ceased conventional formats of working in 2010, but consequently, my creativity increased greatly. I'd navigated a life dogged by psychosis and its repercussions, necessarily learning things others never touch. My writing began in 1997, and accelerated all along. Its threads had many years to concentrate then cement; including my own recovery.
It became obvious, that sharing this must become my vocation, but particularly, because universal and basal wisdom will always demand that. Furthermore, mental wellness, or illness, is not a binary system. It's a spectrum that everybody is on; and the more of that spectrum that is understood, then too, the more of humankind that is understood...
Is this a religion?
This can only be answered if we agree to a meaning of the word “religion”.
The supernatural is rejected by THIOEO (as is the notion of karma). THIOEO believes everyone is a god, and it’s within us. THIOEO has no desire to convert anyone into believing a single god exists for everybody, and it is external. Of course, an essay could ensue right away, but that’s the website, really.
Frank Whaling in “Approaches to the study of religion (1999)”, suggested that religions have some, or all of these characteristics: community, ritual, ethics, social and political involvement, scripture, concepts or doctrines, aesthetics and spirituality stressing the inwardness of religion.
This is a website without user groups or physical meetups. There are no rituals involved, especially after my blogging stopped. Ethics are not a part of THIOEO. One could be unethical and in agreement with THIOEO. It's about being genuine, one way or another. Socially and politically, there is no involvement by THIOEO, because it centres around individuality. Granted, the “I am” book might represent scripture, however, it only holds concepts and not doctrines. An actual path through the ideas served by THIOEO, would be different for everyone. In terms of aesthetics, THIOEO aims to find beauty in human uniqueness, and it is hoped that implies both an inward and outward aspect.
JM Yinger in “The scientific study of religion (1970)”, stated “religion then, can be defined as a system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people, struggle with these ultimate problems of human life. It expresses their refusal to capitulate to death, to give up in the face of frustration, to allow hostility to tear apart their human aspirations.”
I think Yinger's use of the word “beliefs”, make puts his words at odds with THIOEO’s. The latter are rooted more in logic and mathematics, than “belief.” Sadly therefore, THIOEO necessarily offers no nebulous comfort, to provide admitted help and mental wellbeing, in the face of life’s perils.
Finally, some mainstream religions aim to convert or proselytise everybody to their path, which they view as being mutually exclusive by validity. Conversely, THIOEO’s main text, “I am”, is very clear, that universality of its suggestions are impossible. It cites both global climate variations, and the unfair distribution of natural resources.
Sorry if you wanted no more than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Please consider the above. More decisively, it's a "no" from me.
How commercial are you?
Are you kidding me? THIOEO is a financial liability. This website has costs averaging about £20 sterling a month, just to keep it on the internet. The profits from the eight books in the Bookshop are set at exactly £1 sterling each, that's why they've ended up having non-shopkeeper-like, angular prices. Incidentally, so far no books have sold. That's no wonder though, because the best words on here, have always been free to everybody visiting. And as of 21/11/23, I made the singularly most generous decision, to avail all the source PDF files to the entire Bookshop, for open and free access, to the world. See the Pdfs page.
Can I experience anonymity here?
I follow Christ but don't identify as Christian, and I sincerely hope goodness will stem from my words.
Regarding anonymity, if you disallow cookies, your direct experience here will be unaffected, but your visitor statistic, like how long you spent on the site, your country, and how many pages you visited, etc., will NOT be recorded. And regardless of cookies, if you want to download a file, no questions will ever be ask of you (many sites want an active email address). Your anonymity is important to me.
It goes even further, because the bookshop ISN'T MINE, rather, it's an 'embedded' www.lulu.com one. My books increase their catalogue, and they automatically offer them at my chosen prices (£1 profit on each). Within a sale, your data is strictly between you and lulu, just like any other purchase you make online will have nothing to do with me. (Of course I'd get an eventual cut from lulu, but will categorically see none of you private information).
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Given my sacrifices, I ask you to trust me. And regardless of your beliefs or mine, my approach has great similarities with the attitudes Jesus talks about in Matthew Chapter 6.
Why change the name away from www.exithell.org?
I changed this website's name from www.exithell.org, to www.hellisonearth.org, on the 8th of November 2023, for these reasons -
"Exit Hell" assumes somebody is in a figurative hell, AND can be helped if they know it. Whereas, much of what this website deals with, is along the lines of problems people create for themselves, through collecting false or unnecessary identities, i.e., a Golden Cage, and they may not be ready to escape, or feel any need to do so. Obviously, the human condition also involves infinitely more tragic scenarios, that people needn't waste their time here with.
The first time I heard the expression "hell is on earth", was from my late father. I was going to become a Roman Catholic in my early 30s, and he was a protestant. It was incredibly difficult for me to tell him. He could have psychologically annihilated me by inadvertently reacting the wrong way. My father was the most insular person I ever knew. In fact, the only other thing he told me about life, was the statement, "if a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing proper[ly]". This makes "hell is on earth" very personally fitting for me.
However, "hell is on earth" is also more suitable than "exit hell" for another reason. It makes no assumptions about where people are "at" in life. Instead, it asserts there's a risk. You might assume it's a big one by saying "hell", and it might follow by implication, that the website aims to help people regarding that risk; rather than simply recreating a "Chicken Licken" type story.
Logically, the new approach might attract more website visits, and that figured in the changeover. The previous name possibly offered solutions to people who might not know they needed them!
What is the relevance of the jigsaw puzzle pictured on the homepage?
I wrote the poem below nearly 13 years ago (with small corrections in 2017). I didn't know for sure when I wrote this, but its derogatory third person references, represented psychotic hallucinations. For me, jigsaws are metaphors of mental images we build of ourselves and the world. A successfully completed jigsaw represents self-realistion, or self-accualision.
The Jigsaw
Never-made remarks, etched below actual memories,
remind me of when life seemed stagnant: painfully lonely.
Voices are my only explanation now.
He's a bizarre combination, seemed real within silence.
My needle jumped, and scratched that confused spiral -
of mine.
I prayed the record would end.
People seemed to see through the clarity of my identity crisis,
and aimed to force odd pieces into my jigsaw.
I pretended not to hear the voices.
He's a yes man. He's ruined his career.
Not fit for work, I delivered an enveloped NO.
Mental illness suits asylum.
Uncaring bastards suit education.
I'd never referenced directly in third person.
Do we all receive such addresses?
My jigsaw was becoming a mismanaged montage.
I needed a patient, caring nurse.
I thought I heard dad's wife with her back to me,
talk about the open-fire, without calling me.
Loosely, I connected a decade old event.
What do you mean Dad, he's a rogue and a vagabond?
Et tu Brute? I denied, but who was “HE?”
You repeated, he's a rogue and a vagabond.
I knew I'd not always been good,
and my heart sank, just like when I asked
if mum could come back.
Then I was silent.
My jigsaw is built; with some holes.
They’re apparent in situations.
It took forever, it’s a shield.
We’re all more or less broken projects.
28/12/10 - 22/1/17
With so much information in text, memes, books, videos, and via links, where should I start?
My ideas have become more crystalline over decades, or since my early twenties if you like? However, my "I am" book is central to this website, and therefore to my overall thoughts. I wrote it in a three week explosion of creativity in 2020, and immediately published it. It is therefore, the best starting point on here. Download it for free. If it resonates, I recommend dipping in all over my work, but for "low hanging fruits", you might try the Gallery page (making sure you both read and click every meme you view. And do watch the videos right through).
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