The "itch" and other unmentionables.

Most - though certainly not all, but most - of what passes for back-and-forth emails between people subscribed on, especially, spiritually-based email lists, are ad hoc presentations of someone's "understanding" (such as it is at that particular moment in time) of some or other spiritually-based (i.e., mental, as opposed to physical) "idea" found in some book written, usually - though not always, but usually - quite some time ago, if not centuries ago, by someone who is, obviously, neither here (on the email subscription list) to confirm their present understanding or available to help them in any way with it.

Given the **possible** validity of the above, >>Why<< is there so much activity on these spiritually-based email lists?

Who knows! Here's but an ad hoc theory.

Something arises in you, an "itch", that wants to go to the keyboard and spend some time staring at the screen, and writing some words, and polishing them just right, and then broadcasting the letter to a bunch of people you'll likely never meet, to discuss and get feedback on one of these "ideas" you remember reading somewhere.

But, how can you seriously inquire about your subject of interest (and such subjects quickly reduce to something like: "what is the source of consciousness?", or "how can I wake up before I die?", or "is enlightenment even possible?", or "can I attain nirvana?") without getting to the bottom of the matter regarding that "itch" that continually wants to broadcast letters to a bunch of people you'll likely never meet?

From this - perhaps irrelevant, or even impertinent - point of view, who CARES what anybody else alive or dead has to say about anything you say/believe you're interested in (perhaps even to the point of being, quite excited, even passionate about) discovering? Do you seriously believe they can assist your boat ride across that river separating you from your goal? (There's just you, the boat, and the river, afterall.)

Some reading this may reply, "OF COURSE!" because what else can they say? "No." would literally be unacceptable. But, to whom or what, would the unshakably firm "No." be unacceptable?

Can you prove you don't already fully understand everything someone else you admire, hope to learn from, and want to read everything ever written by and about, understood regarding your current favorite subject of intangible interest?

And if you can't prove you don't already fully understand it, wouldn't a life time trying to understand, yet again (that is, remember verbally), that which you already fully understand, be, well, a monstrous waste of time - although, in the condition of confusion that would necessarily represent, entertaining to be sure?

Especially so, for... you guessed it... the "itch?"

ps- lest someone think all this is some kind of rant against active posters to email lists, it's certainly not - the largest majority of subscribers on any list are in fact lurkers who never post, but presumably only read, but they DO read their books, and they DO converse with themselves and perhaps even their friends about the same topics the active posters are talking about.

pps- no one gets away scott free.