Volume 4, Issue 1, page 12


"It is with a humility that
surpasseth all understanding that
I don sack suit and aspirins and
stand before you, self-accused. I
am he, or that, which suggested a
contest recently thru your otherwise fine publication, the purpose of said contest to find a
word to apply to 'unorthodox-type
seekers', etc., etc. The reason
that I now flagellate myself is
this: I failed to make clear the
true purpose of this contest. I
failed, failed, do you hear, to
make it clear in my original letter to you that what is needed is
a term which will not only be
descriptive in some broad fashion
but which would stand an outside
chance of wide acceptance and usage. Such a term would relate to
the 'unorthodox field' in the
same way that Protestant relates
to the field of religion. It
could not be a word or term which
is applied likewise to some particular group or attitude-ism,
otherwise such skulls as Theosophists, Spiritualists, Universalists, Navelists, Intestinal Readers, Rainbow Bubblers, Ba-Whos,
and Pillars of Desirelessnesslessness would not accept. And
that would be bad. I have spoken.
I have spoken too much. To the
three entries, thanks; excellent,
but not applicable to Navelists
nor to Whoosh Curriers. Like
snail back into shell, or shell
once again around snail, I withdraw, cursing myself for a myopic
arse. Carry on. Do you know where
I can get a pair of used aura
goggles for the $25 prize money I
am saving? I am getting ineffable, and want to watch." -- Paul
Perell a, Bellaire, Texas.

"Please give us more articles
by John C. Brown; the one in the
March issue is fascinating, and I
am sure there are many others
waiting, as well as myself, to
find out how your own experiments
along this line have turned out."
-- Thelma E. Gallagher, D.C., Detroit, Mich.
"Regarding Paul Perella's contest for a term by which.we can
describe ourselves, why don't we
Just use 'metaphysicist'? I think
the straightforward dictionary
definition of metaphysics is a
pretty accurate description of
the field in which we are inter12
ested; literally it means 'beyond
physics' -- in other words, beyond
the realm of physical materiality
into the esoteric realm of nonmaterial life, mind, and spirit.
'One coins a new word only
when necessary to describe something truly new, or to avoid undesirable connotations which may
have become established with respect to an existing word describing something not new. I think
'metaphysics' is shedding any undesirable connotations it may
have once had. The word is being
used respectfully by scientists
themselves nowadays to describe
the area outside and beyond the
area which physical scientists
have delimited.
"I say that we are interested
in metaphysics, that we are metaphysicists. Furthermore. I suggest that 'metaphysician' would
be a good general term to describe those of us who are practitioners in the field -- auditors,
guides, therapists, counselors,
or advisors of one sort or another -- who offer aid to others in
the form of 'applied metaphysics'.
"I heartily endorse Perella's
expression of the need for crosscorrelation of terms and concepts. And the idea of looking
for a suitable term to describe
our field certainly makes good
sense. I hope the contest stunt
will be successful. It could be a
long step toward substantial improvement in our ability to communicate with each other. We certainly need it." -- A. W. Schrader,
Jr., Belleville, Mich.
'Don't know why I didn't see
an issue before this