Allow the Story

While living in Sedona, I met a cast of characters who offered intriguing perspectives about SPIRITUALITY.  Christopher "MR. UNSPIRITUALITY" Loren was ONE OF THEM.

Christoper reached out to connect with me when I mentioned his “How to Become Spiritual” video on Twitter. I belly-laughed through his whimsical presentation in which he took a tongue-in-cheek approach to describe steps many (including me) have taken in the quest for spirituality . . . .
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STEPS FOR HOW TO BECOME SPIRITUAL
​by Christopher Loren

​​1.  MOVE TO SEDONA!
2.  Upon arrival, go to a psychic to align your chakras
3.  Do yoga
4.  Take your body on a hike
5.  LOOK for signs!
6.  Place significant meaning on EVERYTHING!
7.  Create your reality, and
8.  Allow the story!
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​After we exchanged a few emails, Christopher invited me on a hike to West Fork in Oak Creek Canyon. Along the way, I discovered that I was, at that time, where Christopher when he was drawn to Sedona in 1998. I told him that — awestruck as I was by the landscape and intrigued by people I met there — I still hadn’t caught my breath. Christopher said he hadn't either, even after living here for 16 years.

“I can say in all honesty that I have never ‘come down’ from my Sedona high. That's what was so confirming and amazing about my decision,” Christopher exclaimed. “I still awaken in wonder and gratitude when I look out of the window — hell, even with the window shut, I still feel it!”

As Christopher described it, he came here because he sensed a “warm presence” in Sedona. "When I first drove through, I remember the feeling of having my breath taken away. I knew this was my home, at least for however long the feeling of ‘home' remained,” Christopher muses. “Sedona was and still is my healing place where I could get away from the world and reconnect and grow my deepest desires in a safe environment.”
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Christopher said that, like many who come here, he was initially searching for truth. "But I got caught up in theosophical induced fairy tales. Still, I would have had it no different because I love the wonder and imagination of the people in this town."

In an article published by Sedona Red Rock News, Christopher revealed that he originally sojourned to Sedona as part of a spiritual journey that gradually prompted him to ponder the impact of spirituality on humanity. “As I went deeper into the journey, I found that lingering under the glam of spirituality was the lost story of the individual,” Christopher told me.
 
Elaborating, Christopher said he now believes that spirituality and religion inhibit the actual healing that needs to take place in the life of a young or adult “primate.” Yet, while spirituality and religion exploit the "split-self," both can serve as a stepping-stone for a reunion of the abandoned magic within us, he said.

Christopher chronicled his personal journey and extensive research in his book, unSpirituality: Permission To Be Human. Choosing to self-publish via Amazon's CreateSpace, he exposes perceived delusions of “the spiritual self and its story” — from religious rhetoric to metaphysical absurdities.

“Self-publishing is great in that it provides a lot of freedom to do as you wish. But reaching a large audience is taxing, to say the least. So I appreciate when the content is shared,” he said. 

Confident that the message in his book is important, Christopher said the small market he’s reached has responded in “life-changing ways.” But getting his message out there on a mass scale has been daunting. “Still, I do trust the process. I am evolving so fast that sometimes I have to catch up to who the improved version of me is, while reflecting upon the funeral of my old self  serendipitously. And sometimes all this happens in nanoseconds." 

To broaden his reach and spur sales, Christopher launched unSpirituality.com, setting the tone for his project with a video he dubbed, "I Am Primate."  He said he was currently working on new musical creations for his unSpirituality content.

“I'm pretty much a born singer/songwriter/guitarist and my music has a story in itself, which I’m just now discovering in a more authentic way,” he said. “But rather than creating this music as a form of entertainment, I’m more about the message, in that the problems of our world stem from archaic child rearing that produces ‘identification’ and a socially acceptable split-self.”

During my interactions with Christopher, something he said struck me. Referring to his current musical endeavors, he remarked, “Mr. unSpiritual is quite spiritual...he just redefines the juice from a natural perspective.”

Like Christopher, in my own quest for authenticity, I scrutinize for clues that help me balance fairy tales with reality. That said, I can't say I concur with Christopher’s philosophies and research.

Something I do agree with, though, is that as writers and as individuals, it’s helpful to “allow the story” to unfold. I sense that when Christopher wrote that line into his "How to Become Spiritual" video, he was only joking.   ❤ v!ctor!a colette

► Postscript: A couple of years after I wrote this post, Christopher changed his name to "ZZenn" and deleted his "How to Become Spiritual" video. Hmmmm. 

Comments

Christopher

5/20/2014 06:56:14 am

Very well written and thank you for including me in your blog. I think I would have liked to read a few bits on exactly what you did not concur with regarding my philosophies and research.

v!ctor!a

5/20/2014 11:25:45 am

Christopher you are welcome!

We share several commonalities (e.g., our religious upbringing, and a quest for authenticity and truth that resonates with us as individuals). But rather than elaborating on reasons why I don't personally concur with all your philosophies and research, I prefer to share links so readers can do their own research and form their own conclusions if they choose.

Hope that helps ;-)