OnILoveDick

Andthemysticismoffemaleselfnegationandselfabasement

G.FMarlier

IloveDickisastunningforayintothelittlediscussedmysticalpracticeofego
disintegrationthroughrelentless,unrequitedlove.ChrisKrausreferencesand
quotesSimoneWeilsGravityandGracemanytimesinthebookshealsogavethe
titleofthatbooktothefilmsheisworkingonthroughoutthenarrativeandIfind
thisbooktobeindeedabrilliantlycreativecommentaryon/extensionofWeils
thought.Krausrevelationsoftotalhumiliation,sexualexploitation,rejection,
crueltyThe(commonfemale)experienceofbeingviolated,erased,orboth,
simultaneouslyorinsuccession,ofalwaysbeingaplusone,ofbeingtoldimplicitly
orexplicitlythatoneisnotarealintellectual,thatthework,ifitincludesorisbuilt
aroundafemalefirstpersonperspective,isnarcissistic,allareshardsofshadow
easilythrownfromaWeilianprism.
Weilwasamysticofselfnegation.LikeKraus(seeAliensandAnorexia),shehad
problemswitheatingallherlife,preferringthepowerandauthorshipofselfdenial
tothephysicalfuelthatisfood.Shewasalsoavirginandapersonwhovoluntarily
refusedtherangeofearthlycomfortsinfavorofillpaidphysicalwork.Inother
words,sheplacedthespiritualabovethephysical,andfoundarealmofautonomy
therewhichshecouldnotfullysecureelsewhere.
Ourculturetendstoassociatesuchselfdenialinfemaleidentifiedhumanswith
weakness.Weassociateitwithpathology,mentalillness,selfloathingwith
impressionableyoungwomenandgirlseffectivelyskeweredonthemalegaze.
Wealsoseemtoholdacollectiveerroneousassumptionthatwomen,and
particularlyyoungwomen,havenospirituallifetospeakofseriously,orthatthose
whodoaresomehownotright,notproperlyfemale.
Throughouthistorythedenialofearthlynourishmenthasbeenapracticeofyogis,
gurus,monksandotherspiritualseekerswhoseektocultivateastateof
transcendence,freeofegowhoaretrying,stepbysteptomakeitacrossthelineto
another,better,moretrueplace.Incidentally,aplacewhichexistsoutsideof
corporeality,andthereforeoutsideofthebiologicalsexthatformostpeoplefor
mostofhistory,hasspawnedgenderedlifescripts.
Takingawaythemysticalnatureofwomensselfdenial,oftheirselfexposureto
elementsthatcoulddestroythem,oftheirtestingthelimitsoftheirownearthly
bodiesandinsomecasesinsistingonbeingtheauthorsoftheirownsufferingand
evenoftheirowndeaths,isyetanotherformofmisogyny.

AsforDick
RumiwasaSufimysticwhosangthemeritsofdoingtheworkofegodissolutionin
relationship.HesaysinhispoemCheckmate
Thosewhomakeyoureturn,forwhateverreason,toGodssolitude,begratefulto
them.Worryabouttheotherswhogiveyoudeliciouscomfortsthatkeepyoufrom
prayer.Friendsareenemiessometimes,andenemiesfriends.
And
Ifyoucantdothisworkyourself,dontworry
Youdontevenhavetomakeadecisiononewayoranother.
TheFriend,whoknowsalotmorethanyoudo,
Willbringdifficulties,andgrief,andsickness
Asmedicine,ashappiness,
Astheessenceofthemomentwhenyourebeaten,
WhenyouhearCheckmate,andcanfinallysay
WithHallajsvoice,
Itrustyoutokillme.

Theessentialexchangeherecanbeunderstoodasonebetweentwohumansa
personandherfriend,however,thefriendinRumiisalsounderstoodtobeGod
adivineintervention,andagentofegodestructionthatscoursofftheshellofhuman
personalitytorevealthedivinepresenceintheonebeingbrokendown,allowing
hertospeakwiththeholyvoiceofHallaj,tousethisnewvoiceinagreeingtoher
owndestruction,whichisactually,ineffect,notadestructionatallbuta
transformationintosomethingtruer,moreenlightenedthanwhatshewasbefore.

InIloveDick,Dickseemsmostdisturbedwhenhestartstosuspectthatthis
intelligentwomanisusinghimnotforsex(asothersmaybe,likeKayla,the
Bimboontheansweringmachine),butastheFriendasanegocorrosive,asa
vitalmalecatalystinamysticalandintellectualprostration.

Whathe,asintelligentasheis,hasnotbeeninanywaypreparedbyhislifeand
educationtoprocess,isthatforhertheirrelationshipissoprofoundlynotabout
himandhisdick,butaboutherandherenlightenment.
ChrissaysletmebeyourlapdogtoDick,therebydirectingtheirsexualencounter
tomakeherselfloweraslowasshecanbeinrelationtohim.Afterall,wecanonly
knowourpositioninrelation:SheneedsDickbecausetobeloweristobelower
thansomethingorsomeoneoutsideofoneself.
AndsomewhereSimoneWeilintones:
lapesanteurfaitdescendre,lailefaitmonter.:
quelleailealadeuxiemepuissancepeutfairedescendresanspesanteur?
(Gravitycausesdownwardmotion,awingcausesrisingmotion
ButwhatwingtothesecondpowercouldcausealoweringwithoutGravity?)