New Age - A changed social situation, characterized by a declining concern with external conformity and an increased emphasis on individual spiritual development, generally beneficial to the individual on his/her journey to Transition.

Oil - Material extracted in large quantities from below the earth's surface at increasingly difficult and inaccessible locations eg. the polar regions, under the sea etc., to be used up in equally large quantities to supply fuel for unnecessary air travel or converted into variously shaped indestructible plastic objects which are ultimately returned to a place beneath the earth's surface.

Paradise - According to tradition, a place which the human race originally inhabited and either left voluntarily, expecting to be able to return easily, or was thrown out for failure to keep to the house rules.

Political correctness - A form of conformity particularly dangerous because it gives the impression of being on the side of ethics and humanitarianism.

Polygamy - A surprisingly unpopular social scenario, at least in the West, which most accurately maps social life among other high primates. In this model, an able and powerful male accumulates a group of healthy females and impregnates them, thus ensuring that the best genes are passed to the next generation; less successful males are forbidden reproductive access. Strange that of all the different social forms which are proposed nowadays, this alone has no pressure groups or protest movements campaigning for its introduction.

Purity - The avoidance of influences from an alien source which pervert the natural substance of the body or spirit - a basis for life style choices. See also the Piers view.

Reality - Seen at two levels: an everyday reality based on that which is observed by our ordinary senses, analysed by our rational faculties and capable of being tested by experiment; and a higher, "cosmic" reality not perceived by ordinary means, the awareness of which reaches us by such means as intuition, synchronicity and revelation.

Revelation - A massive "downloading" of esoteric knowledge often associated with an altered state of consciousness. See also intuition and synchronicity.

Right to life - The Piers interpretation is that every child brought into the world should have the right to spend his/her formative years in a supportive environment with adequate material resources and cared for by parent(s) for whom he/she was a welcome addition to the family.

Rules - Should not be obeyed for their own sake. Possible reasons for wanting to obey rules:

• to avoid punishment or sanctions
• in order not to upset or offend those responsible for the rules (eg. of clothing or behaviour in a particular place)
• as the only way to get the required result (eg. rules for operating a particular piece of software)
• when playing a game (eg. sport, skill or some intellectual pursuit) in which case the thing has no point at all unless the rules are obeyed

Last updated 24 December 1997

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