The Characteristics Of Al-Mu’tasim
Foolishness
Al-Mu’tasim was foolish. Historians described him that when he became angry, he did not care whom he killed or what he did.
Dislike Of Knowledge
Al-Mu’tasim disliked knowledge and hated learned people. There was a servant with him who read with him in the book. The servant died and ar-Rasheed said to al-Mu'tasim, ‘O Muhammad, your servant died.’ Al-Mu'tasim said, ‘O yes, my master! He died and rested from the book.’ Ar-Rasheed said, ‘The book will rest from you. (to his men) Leave him! Do not teach him!’ Al-Mu'tasim remained illiterate. When he became the caliph, he did not know reading and writing and his vizier was unlearned. Ahmed bin Aamir described him by saying, ‘An illiterate caliph and an unlearned vizier.’3 He was divested of knowledge, virtue, and any good quality, by which he was supposed to deserve the caliphate in Islam that was the highest and most important position on which justice and equity among people depended. Al-Mu'tasim’s heart was full of spite and malice against Imam al- Jawad (a.s). He burst with rage whenever he heard the virtues and exploits of Imam al-Jawad (a.s) being mentioned. His envy towards him had led him to assassinate him as we shall explain later on.
Bringing Imam Al-Jawad To Baghdad
Al-Mu'tasim had ordered Imam al-Jawad (a.s) to come to Baghdad and he arrived in it in Muharram, 220 AH.9 When Imam al-Jawad (a.s) came to Baghdad, al-Mu'tasim house- arrested him to know all his affairs and activities. He ordered his men to watch him and he prevented him from connecting with his followers and those who believed in his imamate. Mu'tasim ordered Umm al-Fadhl to poison the Imam, and her brother Ja'far ibn Ma'mun, the accursed one, also helped and provoked her. she poisonedn bunch of grapes, and placed it in front of him. When the Imam had eaten from it, she regretted and went on to cry. He-asws said: ‘What makes you cry? By Allah-azwj! May Allah-azwj Strike you with sterility not to be restored, and affliction which cannot be veiled!’ She died in an illness, a hole appeared in the most covered of places of her body parts (private part). She spent her wealth and entirety of what she had owned, upon that illness, to the extent that she became needy to be nourished. And it is reported that the hole was in her private part. The accursed Umm al-Fadhl also contracted leprosy and descended into Hell in disgrace in the desert, and the dogs tore her body apart.
hemlock poison, whose characteristic was that it made the blessed feet of the Imam so heavy that he could no longer walk, and it made the Imam extremely thirsty, such that like his forefather Imam al Husayn a.s he said: 'Al-Atash, al-Atash' (The thirst, the thirst)... The wicked Umm al-Fadhl ordered the maids to beat drums and tambourines and dance so that his voice would not reach anyone's ears. Finally, Imam Jawad, peace be upon him, was martyred in loneliness on the dirt of his room while in exile. For three days, his blessed body remained on the rooftop of the house, and after that, Umm al-Fadhl threw the pure body down from the roof to the ground. The Shias took the blessed corpse and buried it on the 2nd of Dhu al-Hijjah in the presence of Imam al Hadi, peace be upon him.
‘When allegiance was pledged to Al-Mutasim, he went on to check his situation. He wrote to Abdul Malik Al-Zayyat to dispatch to him Al-Taqi-asws and Umm Fazl. Al-Zayyat dispatched Ali Bin Yaqteen to him-asws. He-asws prepared and went out to Baghdad. He honoured him-asws, and revered him-asws, and sent Ashnas bearing the gifts to him-asws and to Umm Al-Fazl Then he sent a drink of citron juice to him-asws under his seal upon the hands of Ashnas. He said, ‘Commander of the faithful has got Ahmad Bin Abu Dawood, and Saeed Bin Al-Khaeyb, and a group from the well-known people to taste it, and he orders you-asws to drink from it with the water of snow, and he has made it just now, and he says, ‘Drink it at night’. He-asws said: ‘It is beneficial (when) cold, and the snow has melted’. And he insisted upon that, so he-asws drank it knowing of their deeds. (The book) ‘Al Manaqib’ of Ibn Shehr Ashub –V4 p 416
وَ لَمَّا بُويِعَ الْمُعْتَصِمُ جَعَلَ يَتَفَقَّدُ أَحْوَالَهُ فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ الزَّيَّاتِ أَنْ يُنْفِذَ إِلَيْهِ التَّقِيَّ وَ أُمَّ الْفَضْلِ فَأَنْفَذَ ابْنُ الزَّيَّاتِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ يَقْطِينٍ إِلَيْهِ فَتَجَهَّزَ وَ خَرَجَ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَ عَظَّمَهُ وَ أَنْفَذَ أُشْنَاسَ بِالتُّحَفِ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِلَى أُمِّ الْفَضْلِ ثُمَّ أَنْفَذَ إِلَيْهِ شَرَابَ حُمَّاضِ الْأُتْرُجِّ تَحْتَ خَتْمِهِ عَلَى يَدَيِ أُشْنَاسٍ وَ قَالَ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ذَاقَهُ قِبَلَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ وَ سَعْدِ بْنِ الْخَصِيبِ وَ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ وَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَشْرَبَ مِنْهَا بِمَاءِ الثَّلْجِ وَ صَنَعَ فِي الْحَالِ فَقَالَ اشْرَبْهَا بِاللَّيْلِ قَالَ إِنَّهَا يَنْفَعُ بَارِداً وَ قَدْ ذَابَ الثَّلْجُ وَ أَصَرَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَشَرِبَهَا عَالِماً بِفِعْلِهِم « مناقب آل ابیطالب ج ۴ ص ۴۱۶، بحار الانوار ج ۵۰ ص ۸، منتهی الآمال ص ۱۸۰۵»
(The book) ‘Uyoon Al Mojizaat’ – ‘When Abu Ja’far-asws and his-asws wife, the daughter of Al-Mamoun went out as pilgrims, and Abu Al-Hassan-asws brought out his-asws son Ali-asws, and he-asws was young, he-asws left him-asws behind in Al-Medina, and submitted to him-asws the inheritances, and the weapons, and texted upon him-asws in the witnessing of his-asws trusted ones and his-asws companions, and he-asws left to go to Al-Iraq, and with him-asws was his-asws wife, daughter of Al-Mamoun. And Al-Mamoun had gone out to a city of Rome, and he died at Al-Badeyroun during Rajab of the year two hundred and eighteen, and that was during the sixteenth year from the Imamate of Abu Ja’far-asws. And Al-Mutasim Abu Is’haq Muhammad Bin Haroun was pledge allegiance to during Shaman of the year two hundred and eighteen. Then Al-Mutasim went on to plot in killing Abu Ja’far-asws, and indicated to his-asws wife, the daughter of Al-Mamoun, that she should poison him, because he was aware of her turning away from Abu Ja’far-asws, and the intensity of her jealousy upon him-azwj due to his-asws preferring the mother-as of his-asws son-asws Abu Al-Hassan-asws over her, and because she was not graced with any child from him-asws. She answer him to that and went on to poison in a bunch of grapes, and she placed it in front of him. When he-asws had eaten from it, she regretted and went on to cry. He-asws said: ‘What makes you cry? By Allah-azwj! May Allah-azwj Strike you with sterility not to be restored, and affliction which cannot be veiled!’ She died in an illness, a hole appeared in the most covered of places of her body parts (private part). She spent her wealth and entirety of what she had owned, upon that illness, to the extent that she became needy to be nourished. And it is reported that the hole was in her private part. And he-asws passed away during the year two hundred and twenty from the Hijrah during the day of Tuesday of the fifth (day) vacant from Zil Hijjah, and for him-asws were twenty-four years and some months, because heasws was blessed (to his-asws parents-asws) in the year one hundred and ninety-five
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 50, The book of History – Muhammad Bin Ali-asws, Ch 1 H 26
لَمَّا خَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عليهالسلام وَ زَوْجَتُهُ ابْنَةُ الْمَأْمُونِ حَاجّاً وَ خَرَجَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيٌّ ابْنُهُ عليهالسلام وَ هُوَ صَغِيرٌ فَخَلَّفَهُ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَ سَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَوَارِيثَ وَ السِّلَاحَ وَ نَصَّ عَلَيْهِ بِمَشْهَدِ ثِقَاتِهِ وَ أَصْحَابِهِ وَ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَ مَعَهُ زَوْجَتُهُ ابْنَةُ الْمَأْمُونِ وَ كَانَ خَرَجَ الْمَأْمُونُ إِلَى بِلَادِ الرُّومِ فَمَاتَ بالبديرون فِي رَجَبٍ سَنَةَ ثَمَانَ عَشْرَةَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ وَ ذَلِكَ فِي سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً مِنْ إِمَامَةِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍعليهالسلام وَ بُويِعَ الْمُعْتَصِمُ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ فِي شَعْبَانَ مِنْ سَنَةِ ثَمَانَ عَشْرَةَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمُعْتَصِمَ جَعَلَ يَعْمَلُ الْحِيلَةَ فِي قَتْلِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍعليهالسلام وَ أَشَارَ عَلَى ابْنَةِ الْمَأْمُونِ زَوْجَتِهِ بِأَنْ تَسُمَّهُ لِأَنَّهُ وَقَفَ عَلَى انْحِرَافِهَا عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍعليهالسلام وَ شِدَّةِ غَيْرَتِهَا عَلَيْهِ لِتَفْضِيلِهِ أُمَّ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ابْنِهِ عَلَيْهَا وَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْزَقْ مِنْهَا وَلَدٌ فَأَجَابَتْهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَ جَعَلَتْ سَمّاً فِي عِنَبٍ رَازِقِيٍّ وَ وَضَعَتْهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَلَمَّا أَكَلَ مِنْهُ نَدِمَتْ وَ جَعَلَتْ تَبْكِي فَقَالَ مَا بُكَاؤُكِ وَ اللَّهِ لَيَضْرِبَنَّكِ اللَّهُ بِعَقْرٍ لَا يَنْجَبِرُ وَ بَلَاءٍ لَا يَنْسَتِرُ فَمَاتَتْ بِعِلَّةٍ فِي أَغْمَضِ الْمَوَاضِعِ مِنْ جَوَارِحِهَا صَارَتْ نَاصُوراً فَأَنْفَقَتْ مَالَهَا وَ جَمِيعَ مَا مَلَكَتْهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْعِلَّةِ حَتَّى احْتَاجَتْ إِلَى الِاسْتِرْفَادِ وَ رُوِيَ أَنَّ النَّاصُورَ كَانَ فِي فَرْجِهَا وَ قُبِضَ عليهالسلام فِي سَنَةِ عِشْرِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْهِجْرَةِ فِي يَوْمِ الثَّلَاثَاءِ لِخَمْسٍ خَلَوْنَ مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ وَ لَهُ أَرْبَعٌ وَ عِشْرُونَ سَنَةً وَ شُهُورٌ لِأَنَّ مَوْلِدَهُ كَانَ فِي سَنَةِ خَمْسٍ وَ تِسْعِينَ وَ مِائَةٍ.. «
عيون المعجزات، ص ۱۲۹، اثبات الوصیه ۲۱۹، دلائل الامامیه ص ۳۹۵، بحار الانوار ج ۵۰ ص ۱۶؛ جلاءالعیون ص ۹۶۷، منتهی الآمال ص ۱۸۰۴»
Cause of Imam’s martyrdom
It is mentioned in Tafsir Ayyashi that a man named Zarqan was a close friend of Qadi Ibne Abi Dawud. He narrates: One day when Qadi Ibne Abi Dawud came to me, he was highly distraught. I asked him what the matter was and he told me in a plaintive tone, “Alas! If I had only passed away twenty years ago instead of being humiliated!” When I asked him to explain, he said, “Today, Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibne Ali humiliated me in the presence of the chief of believers, Mutasim.” “What happened exactly?” I asked. “A thief came to the chief of believers and said: I am a thief. Please issue the Islamic penalty to me and purify from my sin.” Mutasim summoned all the jurists including Abu Ja’far Muhammad Taqi and asked us from where the hand should be chopped. I told him from the wrist. When the Caliph asked me for the proof, I said that the Quran has mentioned cutting off the hand of the thief and the word of ‘yad’ implies the hand from the wrist as mentioned in the verse of Tayammum: “…then wipe your faces and your hands…”Surah Nisa 4:43 And the whole nation has consensus that here the word of ‘yad’ implies the hand from the wrist. So it similarly applies for the thief as well and his hand must be cut from the wrist. For some time there was dispute among the jurists with regard to my verdict and some suggested that his hand should be cut off from the elbow relying on the verse of ablution: “…and your hands as far as the elbows…”Surah Maidah 5:6 After that Caliph Mutasim glanced at Imam Muhammad Taqi (a) and said, “Abu Ja’far, what is your opinion regarding this issue?” “The jurists of the community have mentioned their views; now what is the need of my opinion?” Inspite of his reluctance, the Caliphate insisted. He said, “If you are insisting so much; then listen: all the jurists have erred and issued a verdict that is opposed to the Sunnah. The Islamic legal penalty for the thief is that his four fingers must be cut off from the root leaving his palm intact.” “What is your reasoning for that? Mutasim asked. “It is the statement of Messenger of Allah (s) that during prostration (Sajdah) comprises placing the following seven parts of the body on the floor: forehead, both hands, both knees and toes of both feet. If the hand is amputed from the wrist how that person would perform Sajdah? Whereas Almighty Allah has mentioned in Surah Jinn: “And the places of prostration are Allah’s…”Surah Jinn 72:18 It implies the parts placed in Sajdah. “…therefore call not upon any one with Allah.”Surah Jinn 72:18 That is along with those places of prostration do not include anyone else with Allah. Hence whatever comes into the ownership of Allah cannot be cut off.” Mutasim was highly impressed at this reasoning and he ruled that the fingers of that thief be cut off. I was shattered by this verdict and I wished that I had died before issuing such a judgment and facing such humiliation. Zarqan says: That same Qadi visited Mutasim after two days and said: I am here because of my concern for you and I also know that as a result of that my abode shall in Hell. “What do you mean?” asked Mutasim. Qadi said, “O chief of believers, when you gather the scholars and jurists in your court and inquire about their legal verdicts, at that time not only scholars are present, on the contrary, your family members, ministers and your scribes etc are also present and later on these reports are circulated all over the country. But last time you really did something extraordinary! Ignoring the views of all the scholars and jurists of the Ummah, you adopted the verdict of Abu Ja’far. Whereas you should have taken into consideration the fact that from before also a large number of people from the nation believe in his Imamate and they imagine that you have usurped power that was rightfully Abu Ja’far’s. In spite of that you overlooked the verdicts of all the jurists and applied his opinion. This would weaken the foundations of your rule.” Mutasim’s became terribly infuriated and he said, “You have rendered a good advice; may God give you a good reward.” After that the Caliph ordered his minister to invite Abu Ja’far for dinner and poison the food. So that minister invited the Imam for dinner, but the Imam excused himself. The minister said, “We have only invited you for dinner, so that your presence would bring auspiciousness from God and so and so ministers of the Caliph would also like to meet you.” Finally the Imam attended the dinner and then realized that the food was poisoned. He asked them for the mount in order to return, but the host said, “Why the haste? Please stay some more.” Imam said, “It is better that I leave your place and go home.” After that he was in severe pain for a day and then finally passed away Tafsir Ayyashi, Vol. 1, Pg. 319; Biharul Anwar, Vol. 50, Pg. 5.
: الشيخ محمد بن مسعود العيّاشي في تفسيره:
باسناده عن زرقان صاحب ابن أبي داود و صديقه بشدّة قال: رجع ابن أبي داود ذات يوم من عند المعتصم و هو مغتمّ، فقلت له في ذلك، فقال:
وددت اليوم أنّي قدمت منذ عشرين سنة! قال: قلت له: و لم ذاك؟ قال:
لما كان هذا من الأسود! أبي جعفر محمّد بن عليّ بن موسى- (عليهم السلام)- اليوم بين يدي أمير المؤمنين [المعتصم] .
قال: قلت له: و كيف كان ذلك؟
قال: إنّ سارقا أقرّ على نفسه بالسرقة، و سأل الخليفة تطهيره بإقامة الحدّ عليه، فجمع لذلك الفقهاء في مجلسه، و قد أحضر محمد بن عليّ- (عليهما السلام)-، فسألنا عن القطع في أيّ موضع يجب أن يقطع؟ قال:
فقلت: من الكرسوع، قال: و ما الحجّة في ذلك؟ قال: قلت: لأنّ اليد هي الأصابع و الكفّ إلى الكرسوع، لقول اللّه في التيمّم: فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيكُمْ [ النساء: 43.]، و اتّفق معي على ذلك قوم.
و قال آخرون: بل يجب القطع من المرفق، قال: و ما الدليل على ذلك؟ قالوا: لأنّ اللّه لمّا قال: وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ [المائدة: 6] في الغسل دلّ ذلك أنّ حدّ اليد هو المرفق، قال: فالتفت الي محمد بن عليّ- (عليه السلام)- فقال: ما تقول في هذا يا أبا جعفر؟ فقال: قد تكلّم القوم فيه يا أمير المؤمنين [قال: دعني ممّا تكلّموا به، أيّ شيء عندك؟ قال: اعفني عن هذا يا أمير المؤمنين] قال: أقسمت عليك باللّه [لما أخبرت بما عندك فيه، فقال- (عليه السلام)-: أمّا إذا أقسمت عليّ باللّه] إنّي أقول: إنّهم أخطئوا فيه السنّة، فانّ القطع يجب أن يكون من مفصل اصول الأصابع، فيترك الكفّ، قال: و ما الحجّة في ذلك؟
قال: قول رسول اللّه- (صلّى اللّه عليه و آله)-: «السجود على سبعة أعضاء الوجه و اليدين و الركبتين و الرجلين»، فإذا قطعت يده من الكرسوع أو المرفق لم يبق له يد يسجد عليها، و قد قال اللّه تعالى: وَ أَنَّ الْمَساجِدَ لِلَّهِ- يعني به هذه الأعضاء السبعة التي يسجد عليها- فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً الجنّ: 18. و ما كان للّه لم يقطع، قال: فأعجب المعتصم ذلك، و أمر بقطع يد السارق من مفصل الأصابع دون الكفّ.
قال ابن أبي داود: قامت قيامتي و تمنّيت أنّي لم أك [حيّا] قال زرقان: إنّ ابن أبي داود قال: صرت إلى المعتصم بعد ثالثة ، فقلت: إنّ نصيحة أمير المؤمنين عليّ واجبة، و أنا اكلّمه بما أعلم أنّي أدخل به النار، قال: و ما هو؟ قلت: إذا جمع أمير المؤمنين في مجلسه فقهاء رعيّته و علمائهم لأمر واقع من امور الدين، فسألهم عن الحكم فيه فأخبروه بما عندهم من الحكم في ذلك، و قد حضر مجلسه [أهل بيته] و قوّاده و وزرائه و كتّابه، و قد تسامع الناس بذلك من وراء بابه، ثمّ يترك أقاويلهم كلّهم لقول رجل يقول شطر هذه الامّة بإمامته، و يزعمون أنّه أولى منه بمقامه، ثمّ يحكم بحكمه دون حكم الفقهاء؟!
قال: فتغيّر لونه و انتبه لما نبّهته له و قال: جزاك اللّه عن نصيحتك خيرا، قال: فأمر اليوم الرابع الامراء من كتّابه و وزرائه [4] بأن يدعوه إلى منزله، فدعاه فأبى أن يجيبه و قال: قد علمت أنّي لا أحضر مجالسكم.
فقال: إنّي إنّما أدعوك إلى الطعام، و احبّ أن تطأ ببابي و تدخل منزلي فأتبرّك بذلك، و قد أحبّ فلان بن فلان من وزراء الخليفة [لقائك] ، فصار إليه.
فلمّا طعم منها أحسّ السمّ، فدعا بدابّته فسأله ربّ المنزل أن يقيم، قال: خروجي من دارك خير لك، فلم يزل يومه ذلك و ليله في حلقه [في المصدر: في خلفه، و قال محقّق البحار: إنّ الصحيح في خلفة و هو بالكسر: الهيضة، و هي انطلاق البطن و القيء.] حتّى قبض- (عليه السلام)- تفسير العيّاشي: 1: 319 ح 109 و عنه البحار: 50/ 5 ح 7 و ج 79/ 190 ح 33 و ج 85/ 128 و الوسائل: 18/ 490 ح 5 و حلية الأبرار: 4/ 580 ح 2.
ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي مَسْجِدِ الْمُسَيَّبِ وَصَلَّى بِنَا فِي مَوْضِعِ الْقِبْلَةِ سَوَاءً وَذُكِرَ أَنَّ السِّدْرَةَ الَّتِي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ كَانَتْ يَابِسَةً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا وَرَقٌ فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ وَتَهَيَّأَ تَحْتَ السِّدْرَةِ فَعَاشَتِ السِّدْرَةُ وَأَوْرَقَتْ وَحَمَلَتْ مِنْ عَامِهَا.

1. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from from Muhammad ibn Hassa’n from abu Hashim Ali-Ja‘fari who has said the following. “Once I prayed with abu Ja‘far (a.s.) in the Mosque of Ali-Musayyib. He lead the prayer with us and as to the direction of Makka he stood up facing straight. He also has said that a berry tree that was in the Mosque had dried up and had no leaves. The Imam (a.s.) asked for water and prepared himself under that tree for prayer. The berry tree came alive with leaves and fruits in that year.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 10
ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ حَدَثَ بِآلِ فَرَجٍ حَدَثٌ فَقُلْتُ مَاتَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لله حَتَّى أَحْصَيْتُ لَهُ أَرْبَعاً وَعِشْرِينَ مَرَّةً فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذَا يَسُرُّكَ لَجِئْتُ حَافِياً أَعْدُو إِلَيْكَ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَ وَلا تَدْرِي مَا قَالَ لَعَنَهُ الله لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ أَبِي قَالَ قُلْتُ لا قَالَ خَاطَبَهُ فِي شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ أَظُنُّكَ سَكْرَانَ فَقَالَ أَبِي اللهمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أَمْسَيْتُ لَكَ صَائِماً فَأَذِقْهُ طَعْمَ الْحَرْبِ وَذُلَّ الاسْرِ فَوَ الله إِنْ ذَهَبَتِ الايَّامُ حَتَّى حُرِبَ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ ثُمَّ أُخِذَ أَسِيراً وَهُوَ ذَا قَدْ مَاتَ لا رَحِمَهُ الله وَقَدْ أَدَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْهُ وَمَا زَالَ يُدِيلُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِ.
. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Sinan who has said the following. “Once I went to see abu al-Hassan (a.s.). He said, “O Muhammad, has something happened to the family of al-Faraj (the governor of al-Madina )?” I said, “Yes, ‘Umar (a member of al-Faraj family) has died.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “All thanks and praise belongs to Allah.” He said it twenty four times. I then said, “My master, had known it would make you this happy I would have come to running and bare foot with the news (to congratulate you).” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Do you not know what he –may Allah condemn him- once had said to Muhammad ibn Ali, my father?” The narrator has said that I said, “No, I do not know it.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He spoke to my father about an issue and then said to him, “I think you are drunk.” My father then had said, “O Lord, if you know that I have been fasting this day, then make him test the taste of al-A ‘war, and the humiliation of captivity.” By Allah, in just a few days his belongings were looted and he was captured and know he is dead-may Allah deprive him of His mercy. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has exacted revenge from him and He continues to exact revenge for His friends from His enemies.
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 9
ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّوَاحِي مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَدَخَلُوا فَسَأَلُوهُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ ثَلاثِينَ أَلْفَ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَأَجَابَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَلَهُ عَشْرُ سِنِينَ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father who has said the following. “Once a group of Shi‘a from the suburbs asked permission to meet abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He granted them permission and they came in his presence. In one meeting they asked him thirty thousand questions. He answered them all and at that time he was ten years old.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 7
ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَمَعِي ثَلاثُ رِقَاعٍ غَيْرُ مُعَنْوَنَةٍ وَاشْتَبَهَتْ عَلَيَّ فَاغْتَمَمْتُ فَتَنَاوَلَ إِحْدَاهُمَا وَقَالَ هَذِهِ رُقْعَةُ زِيَادِ بْنِ شَبِيبٍ ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ هَذِهِ رُقْعَةُ فُلانٍ فَبُهِتُّ أَنَا فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَتَبَسَّمَ قَالَ وَأَعْطَانِي ثَلاثَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَحْمِلَهَا إِلَى بَعْضِ بَنِي عَمِّهِ وَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ لَكَ دُلَّنِي عَلَى حَرِيفٍ يَشْتَرِي لِي بِهَا مَتَاعاً فَدُلَّهُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِالدَّنَانِيرِ فَقَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ دُلَّنِي عَلَى حَرِيفٍ يَشْتَرِي لِي بِهَا مَتَاعاً فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ وَكَلَّمَنِي جَمَّالٌ أَنْ أُكَلِّمَهُ لَهُ يُدْخِلُهُ فِي بَعْضِ أُمُورِهِ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ لاكَلِّمَهُ لَهُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ وَمَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلَمْ يُمْكِنِّي كَلامَهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ كُلْ وَوَضَعَ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ ابْتِدَاءً مِنْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ يَا غُلامُ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَمَّالِ الَّذِي أَتَانَا بِهِ أَبُو هَاشِمٍ فَضُمَّهُ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ وَدَخَلْتُ مَعَهُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بُسْتَاناً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي لَمُولَعٌ بِأَكْلِ الطِّينِ فَادْعُ الله لِي فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي بَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ابْتِدَاءً مِنْهُ يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ قَدْ أَذْهَبَ الله عَنْكَ أَكْلَ الطِّينِ قَالَ أَبُو هَاشِمٍ فَمَا شَيْءٌ أَبْغَضَ إِلَيَّ مِنْهُ الْيَوْمَ.

1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn zd from Dawud ibn al-Qasim al-Ja‘fari who has said the following “Once I went to see abu Ja‘far (a.s.) and I had a few questions on three pieces of materials with proper markings and they were mixed as such that I could not distinguish. I felt sad. He picked one and said, “This is the letter of Ziyad ibn Shabib.” Then he picked up the other one and said, “.This is the letter of so and so.” I became awe struck. He looked at me and smiled.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then gave me three hundred Dinars and asked me to deliver them to the certain persons of the sons of his uncle and said, “He will ask you to show him a professional person who would help him to buy goods, help show him one.” The narrator has said that I then went to him and gave him the Dinars and asked me, “O abu Hashim, can you show me a professional person who would help me to buy goods.” I said, “Yes, I can do so.” The narrator has said that a camel man asked me to speak on his behalf to abu Ja‘far (a.s.) to take part in certain matters of his affairs. I went to see him (abu Ja‘far (a.s.) to speak to him but he was having meal with a group of people and I did not get a chance to speak to him. He (abu Ja‘far (a.s.) said, “O abu Hashim, eat. He placed food before me. Then he said, initiating and without any question from me, “O slave, take good care of the camel-man that abu Hashim has brought for us. Keep him with you.” The narrator has said that one day I entered a garden along with him and said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I am addicted to eating fig. Pray to Allah for me.” He was quite and then after three day on his own initiation he said, “O abu Hashim, “Allah has removed your addiction.” Ever since it is the thing that I hate most.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith : 4
ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الرَّيَّانِ قَالَ احْتَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ عَلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِكُلِّ حِيلَةٍ فَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَلَمَّا اعْتَلَّ وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْنِيَ عَلَيْهِ ابْنَتَهُ دَفَعَ إِلَى مِائَتَيْ وَصِيفَةٍ مِنْ أَجْمَلِ مَا يَكُونُ إِلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ جَاماً فِيهِ جَوْهَرٌ يَسْتَقْبِلْنَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذَا قَعَدَ فِي مَوْضِعِ الاخْيَارِ فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَكَانَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مُخَارِقٌ صَاحِبُ صَوْتٍ وَعُودٍ وَضَرْبٍ طَوِيلُ اللِّحْيَةِ فَدَعَاهُ الْمَأْمُونُ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا فَأَنَا أَكْفِيكَ أَمْرَهُ فَقَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَشَهِقَ مُخَارِقٌ شَهْقَةً اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الدَّارِ وَجَعَلَ يَضْرِبُ بِعُودِهِ وَيُغَنِّي فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ سَاعَةً وَإِذَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لا يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَيْهِ لا يَمِيناً وَلا شِمَالاً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ اتَّقِ الله يَا ذَا الْعُثْنُونِ قَالَ فَسَقَطَ الْمِضْرَابُ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَالْعُودُ فَلَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ بِيَدَيْهِ إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ قَالَ فَسَأَلَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ عَنْ حَالِهِ قَالَ لَمَّا صَاحَ بِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ فَزِعْتُ فَزْعَةً لا أُفِيقُ مِنْهَا أَبَداً.

1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from certain persons of our people from Muhammad ibn al-Rayyan who has said the following “Al-Ma’mun did all he could to prove that abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) was only a young man of worldly desires. However Al-Ma’mun could not succeed. When he became frustrated he gave his daughter in marriage to abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.). For the ceremony he sent two hundred most beautiful entertaining girls each with a bowl in her hand with a precious pearl in it to well come abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) when he would sit on the special seat prepared for him. They, however, were not of any attraction to the Imam (a.s.) to disturb him. There was a man called Mukhariq who had a voice, musical skills, a guitar and a tall beard. Al-Ma’mun called him and he said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin, if he is a worldly man I will prove myself as dealing him deadly blows on your behalf.” He sat in front of abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) and began to bray a hee-haw that made all the people of the house gather around him. He began to play his guitar and sing. He did it for an hour but abu Ja‘far (a.s.) did not pay any attention to the right or left. Then he (a.s.) raised his head and said, “O you, tall bearded one, be pious before Allah.” The narrator has said that the musical instrument and guitar fell off his hand and he could not use his hands thereafter until he died. When Al-Ma’mun asked him about his condition he said, “When abu Ja‘far (a.s.) expressed his disappointment at me it struck me with a huge degree of fear from which I have not been able to relieve myself ever since.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.), Hadith 4
ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلادٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ يَقُولُ لِلرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ ابْنِي فِي لِسَانِهِ ثِقْلٌ فَأَنَا أَبْعَثُ بِهِ إِلَيْكَ غَداً تَمْسَحُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَتَدْعُو لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ مَوْلاكَ فَقَالَ هُوَ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ فَابْعَثْ بِهِ غَداً إِلَيْهِ.

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Mu‘mmar ibn Khallad who has said the following. “I heard ’Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim say to al-rida (a.s.), ‘My son feels heaviness in his tongue. I intend to sent him tomorrow to you. Pass you your hand over his head and pray for him. He is your Mawla (slave).’” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He is a Mawla (slave) of abu Ja’far (a.s.). send him tomorrow to him (abu Ja‘far (a.s.).”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), Hadith 11
ـ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ حُكَيْمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِيَ ابْنُ النَّجَاشِيِّ مَنِ الامَامُ بَعْدَ صَاحِبِكَ فَأَشْتَهِي أَنْ تَسْأَلَهُ حَتَّى أَعْلَمَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي الامَامُ ابْنِي ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ يَتَجَرَّأُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَقُولَ ابْنِي وَلَيْسَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ.

One of our people has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from Mu‘awiya ibn Hakim from ibn abu Basir who has said the following. “Al-Najashi once asked me, “Who will be the Imam after your master? I wish you ask him so I will know.” I then went to see Ali al-Rida (a.s.) and informed him (of al-Najashi’s wish).” The narrator has said that the Imam said, “The Imam will be my son.” Then he said, “Can any one say that my son will be the Imam when he has no son?”
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), Hadith 5
ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَشْيَمَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ ابْنُ قِيَامَا إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كِتَاباً يَقُولُ فِيهِ كَيْفَ تَكُونُ إِمَاماً وَلَيْسَ لَكَ وَلَدٌ فَأَجَابَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) شِبْهَ الْمُغْضَبِ وَمَا عَلَّمَكَ أَنَّهُ لا يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَالله لا تَمْضِي الايَّامُ وَاللَّيَالِي حَتَّى يَرْزُقَنِيَ الله وَلَداً ذَكَراً يَفْرُقُ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ.

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ja’far ibn Yahya from Malik ibn Ashyam from al-Husayn ibn Bashshar who has said the following. “Ibn Qiyaman wrote a letter to abu al-Hassan (a.s.) in which he had said the following. ‘How can you be an Imam when you do not have a son?” Abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) replied him with signs of anger, “How do you know that I will not have a son? By Allah, not many days and nights will pass before Allah will grant me a male child through who He will make the truth distinct from falsehood.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), Hadith 4
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father that ’Isma‘il ibn Mihran who has said the following. “When abu Ja‘far left Madina for Baghdad the first time of his two journeys on his leaving I said to him, “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause, I am afraid about you in this condition. To who, after you, will belong the task (Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He turned to me laughing and said, “The disappearance, as have thought, will not take place this year. When he was about to be taken to al-Mu‘tasam (179/795 —became caliph 218/833 — 227/841), for the second time I went to him and said, “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause. You are leaving. To who, after you, will go this task Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He wept until his beard become soaked. He then turned to me and said, “This time you should be afraid about my life. The task (Leadership with Divine Authority) after me will go to my son Ali Al-Kāfi - Volume 1 p323
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ: لَمَّا خَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فِي الدَّفْعَةِ الْأُولَى مِنْ خَرْجَتَيْهِ قُلْتُ لَهُ عِنْدَ خُرُوجِهِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ فِي هَذَا الْوَجْهِ فَإِلَى مَنِ الْأَمْرُ بَعْدَكَ فَكَرَّ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَيَّ ضَاحِكاً وَ قَالَ لَيْسَ الْغَيْبَةُ حَيْثُ ظَنَنْتَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ فَلَمَّا أُخْرِجَ بِهِ الثَّانِيَةَ إِلَى الْمُعْتَصِمِ صِرْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَنْتَ خَارِجٌ فَإِلَى مَنْ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَبَكَى حَتَّى اخْضَلَّتْ لِحْيَتُهُ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ يُخَافُ عَلَيَّ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ بَعْدِي إِلَى ابْنِي عَلِيٍّ. کافی ج۱ ص ۳۲۳

I wrote this around May 20th or so, just wanted to share
Here is my teachers feedback: "this is a great analysis of major themes and the musicality of the song...as this is about literature, you should also be discussing the literariness of the song as well."
Wesley’s Theory by Kendrick Lamar serves as the introductory track to his 2015 studio album To Pimp A Butterfly. Rateyourmusic.com claims To Pimp A Butterfly is the top album of all time for any genre. Therefore, the introductory track must have set the tone in a fine way to create the greatest, most cohesive, flawless album ever, no? Lamar and his team of producers, engineers, and writers on Wesley’s Theory do exactly this, each executing their job perfectly and coming together to form a beautiful, funky, conscious introduction describing how the United States systemically takes money from young successful Black people.
The lyrics of the song may be what a listener of Wesley’s Theory might pay the most attention to on the first play. However, the production of the song is near unmatched, as it also adds miles to Lamar’s overall concept of systemic racism. Many describe the song as “funky,” which demonstrates how Lamar chose to combine two predominantly African- American genres: hip-hop and funk. Funk originated in the midst of the United States civil rights movement and stemmed from dance music. The upbeat characteristics of the production ironically contrast with the unfortunate topics Lamar discusses. This may have been chosen to make the song more appealing to a broader audience, and ultimately expand the reach of his message in the lyrics. It might then serve as a critique of the music industry as a whole, for supporting systemic racism and selling Black pain and struggle as entertainment. Regardless, the instrumental was masterfully crafted, including a little beat switch at the three-minute mark to signify the change in voice to become Uncle Sam (will go into this more later). After Dr. Dre’s break, the beat surrounding Uncle Sam’s voice becomes more ominous and cloudy. Listeners question Uncle Sam’s motives and commands, as the production hints he may have evil intentions against the good men such as Lamar himself in the first verse.
Other than Lamar, who is performing on Wesley’s Theory? The track opens up with Boris Gardiner—a sample of his Every N***** is a Star. Upon its release in the 1970s, this song was supposed to empower Black people, so Lamar including this to set the tone of his own 2015 album portrays the persistent presence of racism almost half a century later. Chances are the sample was interpolated to introduce the bulk of the album, versus just this specific song. However, Wesley's Theory’s message is still very similar to To Pimp A Butterfly’s modern racism as a whole to really introduce the main idea of the album to the listeners.
Josef Leimberg’s quick verse after Gardiner is the first mention of the caterpillabutterfly metaphor that actually stays consistent throughout the album. Lamar and other Black people on the streets are reflected in the caterpillar. Caterpillars just consume everything they can, and in this case, pre-fame Lamar would just hustle to the highest level he could to survive by eating and buying his way through his cocoon.
Kendrick’s chorus which starts before his actual verses acts to sum up the whole song. Although it may not make sense upon first listen, it speaks upon Lamar’s complex relationship with the music industry. As stated earlier, he is conscious of music executives selling the pain of Black people as entertainment, and the chorus reflects his shift in his perception of them. He first loved the money, the fame, all aspects of a successful rising star. Later, he found out the truths behind the industry’s intentions and learned his lesson about where his efforts go.
His first verse expands on this idea, and puts the listener in Lamar’s shoes maybe 15 or 20 years ago, aspiring about his goals as a rising Black MC. He would splurge on all sorts of things, from women to cars. Ultimately, he stayed independent and never was pimped, but still the aspirations of spending all this money from his success back into garbage was clear.
There is a section in the middle of the song, shifting from Lamar’s perspective to Uncle Sam. After Dr. Dre’s voice clip, dropping financial wisdom that relates to avoiding the subsequent, Kendrick speaks as the government, going out of their way—although systemically—to take the money from Black creators. They are the ones who instill these expenditure aspirations into a young Lamar. They are the ones making it easy and normalized for such artists to splurge their earnings back into material goods. They are the ones that uphold an environment of poor education causing such people to fail economics class. And they will ultimately snipe Lamar and others if they “slip up financially,” like Wesley Snipes, identifying the meaning behind the title of the song.
Smaller details throughout the song absolutely complete and perfect Lamar’s message. When George Clinton said, “look both ways before you cross my mind,” and his vocals ran from the left ear to the right ear, it emphasizes Clinton’s message in this bridge, of acknowledging where Kendrick’s level of success resides right now, but how quick, easy, and far of a drop can occur with a slip-up. Kendrick’s mixing has a slight reverb to it too, as if there are multiple of him. Which is exactly what he is arguing, as it is a wide systemic issue that affects all sorts of Black creators, he was just lucky enough to not fall for the trap that is to get pimped out. Kendrick’s vocal inflections and slang used throughout the song also add miles toward the words he wants to emphasize and really drill in what sort of environment he grew up in.
Nearing the end of the song, a listener might believe they were just given some insight and behind the scenes information of the music industry and how Black artists are being exploited. The end of the track acts similarly to a conclusion, with George Clinton’s chanting of, “We should never gave n***** money,” intertwined and slowly transitioning with Anna Wise’s chant, “tax man comin’,” to really spotlight and protest against the cause-and-effect relationship.
In sum, Wesley’s Theory combines powerful lyrics with masterful production to critique the systemic racism and exploitation of Black artists, cementing the track’s role as a compelling introduction to Kendrick Lamar’s landmark album.

Before I start this post, I must give a shoutout to the brother "Iron in the Soul" from YouTube for inspiring this post.
As I have gone along my journey of SR and experienced the changes that this practice has brought upon my mind, body, soul, and character, something slowly started to dawn on me. SR is one of the most catalytic practices for the purification of a man. If this practice is followed long and steadfastly enough, I am convinced that it will slowly purify a man to angelic proportions.
Now before we go any further, i'd like to dispel the erroneous pagan depiction of angels as seen in many ancient art pieces and scriptures. These satanic historical accounts often depict angels as feminine childlike creatures with wings that fly around naked shooting arrows through people's hearts or playing musical instruments. Trust me when I say that this depiction is pretty much the polar opposite of what angels actually are. In actuality, angels of the most high are masculine spiritual beings with the following qualities.

1. Angels are masculine and strong
2. Angels always conduct their lives and affairs in accordance with natural law
3. Angels do not tolerate rubbish from anyone, but are subservient to God
4. Angels stand on business and are very productive
5. Angels are stern, but also humble and kind
6. Angels are very attractive beings of light
7. Angels have an intimidating presence
8. Angels have extremely powerful voices and don't speak unless absolutely necessary

The qualities above describe the few men I know that are really serious about the SR path. I find that the longer men go on this journey of masculine purity, the more of the characteristics above they adopt. After you've been on SR for a while, you become a lot stronger mentally and physically. You start to have almost allergic reactions to foods and drinks that are not natural. Physically gorgeous, but morally corrupt women start to make your skin crawl. Although you gain much more patience for people who legitimately need it, you also become much less tolerant of rubbish from corrupt people. People start to develop this mix of admiration and fear for you that puts you in exalted positions wherever you go, but because you are subservient to the most high God, you always move with humility and kindness. In short, SR and masculine purity makes angels of men.
Till next time brothers, Godspeed and remain blessed.
Brother Cooked.

This thread will be posted by the automoderator every 48 hours at 6:00 PM PST.
Hi all,
This thread will attempt to limit the amount of low-effort posts we get in the subreddit. Yes, we all started somewhere at some point, and being new can be difficult and scary, but that is no excuse to not do any research and think that every question that pops into your head warrants a brand new post.
This post will initially be made by me, but will subsequently become a recurring automoderator thread.
Most questions can usually be answered with the following guides:
Basic, Commonly Used Replica Terms Defined (QC, GL, RL, Batch Names, Batch Tiering, etc)

Agent Basics

"I have never used an agent - how do I learn?"
In the current landscape, it is difficult to recommend any agents. Once an agent arises that seems trustworthy and efficient, a How-To Guide may be written. At this time, this group does not have a How-To Guide for agent purchases.
"How can I order this pair? The website (Weidian/Taobao) is in Chinese."
Web Browser's such as Apple's Safari or Google Chrome have built-in translation features that you can use to translate the page. Additionally, copy-pasting the link into an agent website translates the page for you.
"W2C?" "Do you have a link?"
I see these comments underneath posts at least daily, and I fear those of you commenting these things will not read this post either. All QC posts are mandated to have W2C links. All W2C links are either in the caption of the photos or in the comments section. Please check these two areas before posting "W2C?"
"I don't know what size to purchase"
If you've never ordered from an agent, you may not have ever referenced European sizing. Weidian listings are most commonly listed in EU sizing. I am a US 8.5, and that is an EU 42. Convert from your US or UK size to find the appropriate size! There are multiple size charts online, but the one I use myself is this one from N1k3.
In my experience, most shoes and batches are true to size, or at least fit like their retail counterparts. Order whatever size typically works for you in that silhouette. If it's your first time buying a certain silhouette, you can ask for insole measurements, though this isn't something I typically do.
"Wait - but X Middleman in another subreddit charges double the price for these! Am I being scammed by purchasing of Weidian?"
No, you are not being scammed. In short, middlemen do not produce pairs - they source them from the same places Weidian sellers do. Middlemen mark up the price as they are profiting off of user laziness and desire for maximum convenience, as well as providing usually faster UPS/FedEx shipping (a ~$55 value to the US). Some middlemen will lie and say Weidian is scamming you - this is not true. These sellers are simply trying to instill fear in ignorant, usually newer rep buyers in order to maintain business. These sellers also usually pay off other group moderators in order to be given the "trusted seller" status. This status was not earned, but bought. Keep this in mind when perusing other subreddits with weaker moderation.
As stated in my guide, batch is what matters, not seller. If you buy the same batch from a middleman as an agent, it will be the same exact quality. Please do not discuss overpriced middlemen from other groups here as that is against subreddit rules. Please try to do your own research on any outside information prior to bringing it into this subreddit as it may be unreliable. The only discussion regarding direct shipping allowed in the group is for Weidian sellers in the community as they offer the most competitive prices and have maintained a good reputation.
"I bought a pair in another subreddit from a middleman and want to know what they sent me! Can I post here asking for the batch identity?"
That is unfortunate that you purchased from a seller in another subreddit where sellers are not upheld to standards for transparency and putting the seller first. This group was not made to be a crutch to these other subreddits. We here encourage you to purchase from sellers who have gained their reputations organically, and who will be held to consequences if they breach that trust. You are welcome to post in other groups asking for batch identities, though that is not allowed here in order to maintain our ecosystem and not help maintain other, shadier subreddits.
"But middlemen said that if I use an agent, I can't get QC pictures or RL pairs?"
This is false and again, an attempt to keep your business and keep you from saving money. You can see all of the QC pictures in this group. Being able to GL or RL pairs depends on the listing. Certain sale listings or B-Grade listings are non-refundable, so you will get QC pictures, but you won't be able to return them except for severe circumstances (seller sent wrong shoe, seller sent wrong size).
"What is a B-Grade pair? How do they differ from regular products?"
B Grades or B Versions have imperfections that prevent the pairs from being sold at regular price - it’s impossible to know what imperfections will be present, though typically for top-tier batches, the imperfections are relatively minor. The flaws can range from scuffs to loose stitching, differences in tumbling to wrinkled leather. Sometimes, but not always, do the sellers state what types of flaws to expect on the pairs. I typically avoid any pairs where the sellers warn about mold, as that is not something I want to deal with or put on my feet.
"Well, do you recommend B-Grade products poncecatchemall?"
If you can’t tolerate minor flaws, do not purchase. These pairs are typically non-refundable. If you’re willing to compromise minor flaws that you’ll likely acquire rapidly anyway from wearing your shoe, pick the B-Grade pairs up and enjoy the discounted price - I personally recommend B products from top batches as I’m not bothered by imperfections that quickly come from wear.

QC Questions

"Which post flair should I use, Agent or DIRECT, and which price range should I select?"
Because the group will temporarily allow direct shipping from our Weidian sellers, QC Post Flairs were split for each price range into Agent Purchases and Direct Shipping Purchases. Please use the appropriate flair for how you purchased the item.

1. If you are purchasing through an agent, use the QC Post Flair that captures the price of the shoe on the Weidian Listing. For example, a 470¥ pair of GX Batch Jordan 4s would use the Agent QC 400¥ - 499¥ flair.
2. If you are purchasing the same GX Batch Jordan 4s pair directly from a Weidian seller, without an agent, you should use the DIRECT QC post flair that captures the total price (including direct shipping). If that GX Batch Jordan 4 pair comes out to $119 shipped, or 861¥ (470¥ + 390¥ Direct Shipping), you should use the DIRECT QC 800¥-899¥ post flair.

Using the appropriate flair helps keep the group organized (good for me) and more importantly, places prices in the direct view of all buyers in order to compare prices across sellers and ensure that no one seller is price gouging anybody (good for the community).
"Can I post screenshots of my QC pictures instead of downloading the pictures and posting the actual QC pictures?"
No. Posting screenshots of the QC photos reduces the picture resolution and makes actually providing any accurate QCs much more difficult. On your agent site, download the QC photos the agent has provided. Users should post the actual QC pictures with the appropriate title format.
"Wow, the pair I ordered using an agent looks like the colors are all off - why is that?"
Warehouse lighting is terrible and often distorts colors. You cannot QC color shades or saturations through warehouse lighting QC pics. Either 1) ask for natural lighting pictures (though not all agents do this) or 2) look up in-hand pictures of the batch you are purchasing, as in-hand pictures typically have better lighting. The latter tends to be easier unless it is a brand new batch on the market. Remember, colors typically do not vary within a batch. For example, all LJR TS1 Highs have a yellow midsole, and that does not change from pair to pair unless the batch is updated. The midsoles might picture differently among different agents or purchases, but they'll all look the same in person.
"I think I may have been bait and switched - what should I do?"
If you post asking if a pair you received is not what you purchased, your post must include specific reasoning as to why you believe that is so.
Acceptable reasoning includes specific characteristics of the shoe (leather cuts, wings logo placement, colors, etc) that differ from known pairs, different production dates from known pairs, sellers with confirmed recent history of bait and switch, etc. The most important part is to include some sort of reasoning. Posts without reasoning will be deleted, as these posts are typically made from newer members to the replica community, and the posts lead to unnecessary fearmongering and damage to seller reputations.
Please order a QC picture of the size tag so that we can see the production dates. Production dates on size tags can help rule out a batch identity. However, matching size tags does not guarantee a batch identity and requires some additional information. I order size tag pictures by asking my agent for additional "Detailed Photos" with the following statement in the request comment: "Complete picture of inner white size tag clearly showing both production dates."
"There are so many differing opinions! I don't know who to listen to. What do I do?
Being new in the rep game is hard - it is difficult to know who is a credible commenter, and who is not. For this reason, certain members in repweidiansneakers have been given User Flairs to distinguish them from the crowd as reputable, knowledgeable members of the community. They have earned their flairs, and if there are conflicting opinions on a QC, I personally would give their opinion more weight.
"What is the best batch for X shoe?"
Oftentimes, and especially for very popular shoes, these questions have already been asked and discussed in detail. Recommendations for navigating this are:

1. Check poncecatchemall's batch guide if available
2. If the shoe isn't listed on there, utilize the group's search bar to search for the shoe in question to look at QCs. You can also utilize the group's search bar to search by the Rep vs Retail Flair in order to see comparisons of batches on the market.
3. You can also check the comments history of any of the group experts to see if they've discussed these shoes in the past.

These 3 methods answer most questions. Please do some research prior to making a new post.

Shipping Questions

"How much will it be to ship X amount of shoes using an agent?"
There are often too many variables to give a blanket answer. Which agent? Shipping to which country? Using which shipping method? The most optimal way to use an agent in terms of cost is to make a haul of at least 4kg in my opinion, which is about 3-4 pairs of shoes. Previously, I myself typically shipped out 8kg-10kg hauls using my agent through GD-EMS, the haul typically arrives in 2 weeks, and the shipping cost per shoe is usually around $30.
"How much should I declare for the value of my package for Customs?"
This varies by country. For the US, I declare $12/kg. For 10kg hauls, I thus declare $120. Other countries have different guidelines. Hopefully members from different countries can state what they declare for their hauls per kg in the comments.
"Is my package seized?"
Does your tracking say your package has been seized? If yes, then yes, your package has been seized. If no, then no, your package has not been seized. Patience is a virtue and is the name of the game. Read your tracking information. Whatever it says is what the current status of the package is. That is the purpose of tracking information.
"But my tracking information hasn't updated in 3 days? Should I panic?"
No. Again, patience is key.
"Should I post a generic picture of my boxed haul about to ship out with a corny caption?"
No.

Miscellaneous

"Wow I saw a hilarious meme on another subreddit, can I post it here?"
No. Please keep the low-quality spam in other groups. Posting memes, "Fire up the rep machines" posts, or anything similar will result in a 14-day temporary ban from the group.
"I threw together a list of low-quality items in a spreadsheet and called it THE ULTIMATE FINDS LIST, just trying to get people to use my affiliate link for an agent - can I post it?"
Do not spam the group with low-quality "finds" spreadsheets. The majority of you doing this don't even know how to QC or make solid, informed recommendations. If you actually have good recommendations, I will make an exception. However, the majority of your "1:1 spreadsheets" are terrible, and thus are not allowed in this group.

A close friend of mine, whose gay, told me about the multiple times he underwent sexual Harassment because of perceived 'feminine' characteristics. Other close people I know have had these experiences. The only emotion I feel is anger. I want to kill these men and break them up. I feel no empathy for people who for their pleasure act such devilishly. For all those people who've undergone such acts, I wish I was as strong as you. For people who're the aggressors in such acts, I wish you rot in hell immediately.

The makeup of the Florida Panthers is the blueprint to how you get things done in the playoffs. I don’t care how talented you are; if the other team can intimidate you enough so that guys are scared to make plays and stick their necks out too far, you are cooked. These guys are big, mean, strike fear into their ops, and bully the shit out of everyone they play. They will run you through the wall every single time you have the puck. These aren’t shoves we’re talking about; these boys hit to hurt. You’re not going to be holding on to pucks for too long when these men are on the ice. Big boy hockey club.
Let’s transition to the team we all love dearly, the Wild. Having Billy as our GM, you would think that he more than anyone would want to build a similar style team. However, from the beginning of his tenure as GM, we have gotten smaller and meeker. Yes, guys like Rossi, Marat, Jojo, Boldy, Freddy, Ohgren are all talented, but they are small and they are 2-ply. Those guys hit you and apologize right before make contact. There is no fire in them and that killer instinct in them. I’m sure if you polled the entire NHL and asked every player to assign one word that summarizes any of those guys, the word you would get is: nice. Boys, nice is not winning you Lord Stanley’s cup. You know what is? Words such as mean, vicious, assertive, hard, oppressive, heavy, big, and unpleasant. These are all characteristics that you cannot teach into a player. You either have that fire or you don’t. In the past, the wild have played their best hockey when they thrive In the shit that happens after the whistle. Hartman confirmed this two years ago by telling reporters that a lot of their success had to do with their ability to be a tough team to play against. When Bill preaches to his players that he wants them to have more “FU” in their game mom, this is what he means. The problem is that Bill should not have to remind guys about that. That should be ingrained deeply in the soul of every Wild player.
Now more than ever, the future is looking passive. I want guys that are bloodthirsty. Take Shawsy for example, he may not have the size to his advantage, but he damn sure played with the attitude of a spartan. He has that dominating mindset hardwired into him. The players that I mentioned about cannot give you that in the playoffs or during the season.
Love me some hate in my hockey.
Thanks,
Dok

So i started dating INTJ and they are very good at reading things. She said i am an entp not estp like the results i get. She nailed it that Se can see body language and behaviors and go ahead from there while im not present at all.
So here are few things about me and maybe u can advise.
I get ESTP of tests.
I can be intense especially if I am into a topic.
I get very passionate about causes where in my head I can start a revoloution.
I have watched Dante in Fast X and heath ledger joker both Entp but I am not laughing while going after batman. i dont see myself as that but I am very random and my attentioin can lose focus very quick if i see something thats gets my attention curiousness whatever u can call it.
I cant focus for crap.
I get called gay alot.
I dont fit roles of men should be and how women should be. I have characteristic of both.
One second i can be wathing cartoon and next second I can have a political debate and that very second I can bring something out of the left to the conversation.
I get called random alot.
I dont see myself or how I am so its hard for me to type myself.
If im interested in something I will get all the books and videos and be conusmed into it for few days and than drop it like it never existed.
Ive always been all over the place as far as my behavior like cant sit in one place and will get into something but lose interest reale fast too.
When going out dating it just hit me that the people have a certain dance or role they expect from u and can see their eyes and confusion look when I dont fit that mold. Its as if I just destroyed the image they had and broke them lol.
I am very talkative especially if i get into something and a topic arises I am into my voice gets very high pitch.
I daydream all day.
I find sitcoms ground me as they are childhood shows.
My taste change all the time. I can be into certain fashion and drop it and get a whole new look and vibe. But my randomness stays with me.
When I talk to people its as if they see me as an alien lol. Not sure if its my communication interaction.
I live in my head and if i have to do something i jump in and do it and than go back in my mind cause i find it better than reality unless i see something like an item or a person and get curious and start talking and one thing leads to another.
I can see things a mile away like a narcissist or fake bs or hypocrite. What do u think?

https://www.northumbriangames.com/post/of-orcs-and-ai

Of Orcs and AI

Made vs. Created and the Nature of Orcs

J.R.R. Tolkien's stories are deeply rooted in Thomistic metaphysics and Christian theology, where the distinction between "made" and "created" is pivotal. This distinction underscores the nature of goodness, creation, corruption, and the intrinsic limitations of evil. The dichotomy between making and creating is most vividly illustrated through the origins and nature of orcs, the monstrous foot soldiers of Middle-earth's dark lords.

Creation: The Divine Act

In Tolkien's world, true creation, or creatio ex nihilo (creation from nothing), is the exclusive province of Eru Ilúvatar, the supreme deity. This act of creation involves bringing something into existence that possesses the Flame Imperishable (or the Secret Fire), which grants true life, free will, and inherent goodness. Beings created by Eru Ilúvatar, such as the Ainur (angelic beings), elves, and men, are imbued with this divine spark, making them fundamentally good and capable of independent existence and moral choice.
From The Silmarillion:

"Therefore Ilúvatar may not only send forth the Flame Imperishable into the Void, but he may also bestow it to others, who may then sub-create, though only as permitted by Ilúvatar"​​.

Making: The Act of Sub-creation

In contrast, the Valar and other beings can engage in making or sub-creation, which involves shaping or manipulating pre-existing matter. They cannot infuse these creations with the Flame Imperishable. A notable example is Aulë, one of the Valar, who crafted the Dwarves. Initially, these beings were mere automatons, moving only according to Aulë's thoughts. It was only when Eru Ilúvatar chose to bestow them with the Flame Imperishable that the Dwarves gained true life and independence. This story illustrates the fundamental difference between divine creation and sub-creation: the former grants true life and free will, while the latter lacks these essential qualities until blessed by Eru. Tolkien clarifies this distinction in his letters:

"They [the Valar] shared in [the World’s] 'making'—but only on the same terms as we 'make' a work of art or story. The realization of it, the gift to it of a created reality of the same grade as their own, was the act of the One God"​​.

Orcs: The Corruption of Creation

The origin of orcs in Tolkien’s mythos serves as a poignant example of the difference between making and creating. According to various writings, orcs were not created by Morgoth or Sauron but were made by corrupting pre-existing beings. In "The Silmarillion," it is suggested that orcs were originally elves who were captured, tortured, and perverted by Morgoth's malevolent influence. This corruption transformed them into beings of evil, stripped of their original grace and beauty. In Morgoth's Ring we find:

"It became clear in time that undoubted Men could under the domination of Morgoth or his agents in a few generations be reduced almost to the Orc-level of mind and habits; and then they would or could be made to mate with Orcs, producing new breeds, often larger and more cunning. There is no doubt that long afterwards, in the Third Age, Saruman rediscovered this, or learned of it in lore, and in his lust for mastery committed this, his wickedest deed: the interbreeding of Orcs and Men, producing both Men-orcs large and cunning, and Orc-men treacherous and vile."​​.

Tolkien emphasizes that orcs, though rational and capable of independent thought, lack the divine spark of the Flame Imperishable. This absence signifies that while Morgoth could mar and twist the creations of Eru, he could not create life himself. In Flame Imperishable, Tolkien is quoted as saying:

"Treebeard does not say that the Dark Lord 'created' Trolls and Orcs. He says he 'made' them in counterfeit of certain creatures pre-existing. There is, to me, a wide gulf between the two statements"​​.

Philosophical and Theological Implications

The distinction between made and created has profound implications in Tolkien’s universe. It aligns with Christian theology, reflecting the belief in a singular, omnipotent Creator who alone can grant true life. This distinction underscores the inherent limitations of evil: it is parasitic, relying on the corruption of what is good rather than generating new existence.
Orcs epitomize this concept. They are beings made through corruption, reflecting the perversion of creation. Their existence as fundamentally corrupted creatures illustrates the limits of Morgoth’s and Sauron’s power. They can induce suffering and manipulate life, but they cannot originate a true life that burns with the Flame Imperishable. This underscores a central theme in Tolkien’s works: the resilience of good and the ultimate impotence of evil to truly create.

On Artificial Intelligence

This leads us to Artificial Intelligence. Modern large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence systems, despite their sophisticated capabilities, are constructs without true volition or understanding. Basically, an LLM is an advanced version of autocomplete. These systems operate on vast datasets and algorithms designed to predict and generate human-like text (or audio or images), but they lack genuine consciousness, intent, and moral agency. Unlike beings created with the divine spark in Tolkien's world, LLMs do not possess free will or intrinsic purpose; they are tools made by humans to process and mimic patterns. Some commentators have even referred to AI as an alien intelligence, a ~shoggoth with a human face~, meaning that while the text may look humanlike, in reality, it originated not from a human but from an unknowable, formless alien process, which is the LLM.

"Well, we're fooled by their fluency, right? We just assume that if a system is fluent in manipulating language, then it has all the characteristics of human intelligence. But that impression is false." --Yann Lecun​​ on the Lex Fridman podcast #416

The outputs of an LLM are determined not by experience, education, and emotion but by the data and programming they receive, reflecting the biases and limitations inherent in their design. This underscores the crucial distinction between artificial constructs and beings endowed with the Flame Imperishable, with true life and volition. Parents, for instance, should think carefully about giving a child unbridled access to an LLM which has no discernible ethics. The AI is a soulless, thoughtless machine built by human researchers, much like an orc is designed by Sauron simply to act as an instrument of his evil desires. The ethical and philosophical results of deploying such constructs into our society is staggering indeed.

The AI is only the Tool of the Maker

Of course, while the analogy between LLMs and Orcs highlights the artificial nature and purpose-driven creation of both, there are clear and fundamental differences in moral intent and potential for ethical use. LLMs are not (as far as we know) inherently evil constructs. They seem to be neutral tools that reflect the intentions of their creators and users. As such, the focus should be on ensuring that AI development and deployment are guided by ethical principles to maximize their benefits and minimize potential harm. That said, as with social media, we may come to regret the technology and wish to fling it back into Mordor's fire.

Conclusion

Tolkien's distinction between made and created is a metaphysical aspect of Middle Earth. It emphasizes the unique power of Eru Ilúvatar's true creation and the corruptive nature of evil. The orcs symbolize this dichotomy, illustrating how evil can distort but not create. This concept resonates in modern large language models and AI systems, which lack genuine consciousness and moral agency despite their advanced capabilities. Orcs and contemporary LLMs demonstrate the ethical implications of using such technologies and serve to enrich the philosophical depth of Tolkien's work.

DISCLAIMER: This post does not provide medical advice. Only a doctor can establish a diagnosis and select the appropriate treatment.
In this post, I tried to find a scientific explanation for the side effects of Lion's Mane. If you are experiencing side effects and don't want to go into the theory, you can move on to the next post:
Recovery: The Complete Guide

What is known about the pharmacology of Lion's Mane?

Lion's Mane contains many components – Erinacines, Hericenones, Polysaccharides and others. Obviously, the science is not yet aware of all the effects of Lion’s Mane due to the large amount of substances. But as practice shows, usually only one or a few substances isolated from mushrooms and plants have a significant effect on humans. In my opinion, in the case of Lion’s Mane, Erinacine E has the most significant effect. Erinacine E is an agonist of the k-opioid receptor.^\1][2]) Activation of the k-opioid receptor can cause the following effects: analgesia,^\3][4]) stress and anxiety,^\5]) panic,^\6][7][8]) psychotomimesis and dysphoria,^\9][10]) dissociation and changes in sensory perception,^\11]) disruptions in sleep,^\12]) depression and anhedonia.^\13][14][15][16])
Several in vitro studies have found that Lion’s Mane affects NGF and BDNF.^\17]) This may also contribute to the development of side effects.

Other natural agonists of the k-opioid receptor

Salvinorin A (main component of Salvia Divinorum) is a potent selective k-opioid agonist.^\18]) This substance can cause severe dissociation (depersonalization and derealization), dysphoria, pro-depressant effects, fear, terror, panic, increased perspiration and other negative effects.^\11][19][20]) There is at least one known case of toxic psychosis after intake of cannabis in combination with Salvia Divinorum.^\20])
Noribogaine (component of Iboga) is most potent as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, but it also acts as a moderate k-opioid receptor agonist.^\21]) There are several known cases of Iboga-induced manic episodes. They lasted 1-2 weeks and manifested as insomnia, irritability, impulsivity, emotional lability, grandiose delusions, rapid tangential speech, aggressive behavior and suicidal ideation.^\22])

Lion's Mane side effects

Stories from this community describe the following side effects:

• Dissociation (depersonalization and derealization)
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Blunted emotions, anhedonia and low libido
• Dysphoria (gloomy mood, irritability, self-criticism, auto-aggressive behavior, suicidal thoughts)
• Poor sleep or insomnia
• Mental confusion
• Anesthesia-like effects (loss of skin sensation, tingling sensation in the body)
• Intestinal problems
• Heart palpitations
• Headache and/or pressure in the head
• Muscle twitching
• Visual noise
• Tinnitus
• Other more rare symptoms have also been described.

Usually, people have only part of these symptoms. Also, everyone has different intensity and duration of effects. In most cases, noticeable improvements are seen 3-4 months after the onset of side effects. Symptoms may increase and decrease in waves.

Lion's Mane can cause Substance-Induced Disorders

Substance-Induced Disorders (SIDs) occur when a drug or medication triggers a mental health condition. SIDs typically match up with symptoms of their non-substance-related counterparts. For example, substance-induced bipolar disorder and normal bipolar disorder can appear the same from the outside. The key difference between them depends on the cause: substance-induced bipolar disorder is caused by abuse of medications like stimulants, while it's believed that a mixture of genetics and upbringing causes normal bipolar disorder.^\23][24])
If not much time has passed since the last use of Lion's Mane, it is too early to suspect the development of any disorder. Here is a quote from the HPPD test – it may be relevant to other disorders as well:

"Psychedelic and other drugs especially can cause increases in neuroplasticity and visual oddities in the immediate period after trips that may last as long as two weeks. If it has been less than two weeks, this may be a result of the drug's acute impact rather than a longer-term condition like HPPD."^\25])

In addition, a disorder is only diagnosed if its symptoms cause significant distress or significant impairment in daily functioning. If symptoms already existed before taking substances, it is not Substance-Induced Disorder, but an exacerbation of an existing condition.^\23][24])
Substances that can cause SIDs include: caffeine, cannabis, metamphetamines, alcohol, hallucinogens, opioids, benzodiazepines and other substances.^\23])
Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder
ICD-11 code: 6B66
Symptoms of depersonalization include:

• Feeling detached and disconnected from your physical body, yourself, or thoughts, as if you were an outside observer.
• Feeling emotionally and physically numb.
• Not trusting your memories.
• Feeling robotic, mechanical, or automated.^\26])

Symptoms of derealization include:

• Feeling like you're in a dream or a movie and detached from the outside world as if in a fog or looking through a glass barrier.
• Distortions in the surroundings, time perception, space, and distance.
• Feeling emotionally disconnected from loved ones.
• Feeling as if the world is lacking in depth or meaningfulness.^\26])

A survey of 394 adults found that the group with drug-initiated DPDR showed significantly greater improvement over time than the group with non-drug-initiated DPDR, although the groups did not differ in reported psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy effectiveness.^\27])
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder
ICD-11 code: 6C4E.71
Common symptoms of a substance-induced anxiety disorder include:

• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Fast heart rate or pounding heartbeat
• Excessive sweating
• Shakiness
• Shortness of breath
• Pain or tightness in the chest
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Low energy and fatigue
• Muscle tension
• Panic attacks
• Significant worry and nervousness
• Trouble concentrating or paying attention^\23])

Anxiety Disorders include Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, etc. You can find more information about Anxiety Disorders in this article.
Substance-Induced Sleep Disorder
ICD-10-CM code: F19.982
Common symptoms of a substance-induced sleep disorder include:

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Waking up a lot during the night
• Not feeling rested from sleep
• Excessive sleepiness or tiredness during the daytime
• Sleeping much longer than intended
• Displaying abnormal behaviors during sleep^\23])

Substance-Induced Depression
ICD-11 code: 6C4E.700
Common symptoms of substance-induced depression include:

• Sadness
• Worthlessness
• Low energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Isolation
• Suicidal thoughts^\23])

Lion's Mane causes dysphoria, so the following symptoms may be more relevant:

• Irritability
• Powerful emotions such as guilt, anger, or melancholia
• Feelings of failure
• A deep sense of discontent or dissatisfaction
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Aggression and hostility
• Lack of pleasure in daily activities^\28])

Additional substance-related disorders:

• Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a DSM-5-listed condition in which people experience lasting, debilitating changes to their visual perception after using drugs, especially psychedelic drugs.^\29])
• Substance-induced sexual dysfunction is a condition in both men and women that causes difficulties with sexual desire, arousal, and/or orgasm due to a side effect of certain substances.^\23])

You can find more information about substance-induced disorders in the following articles:
https://www.addictionhelp.com/mental-health/substance-induced-disorders/
https://www.madeofmillions.com/conditions/substance-induced-disorders/

Other causes of Lion's Mane side effects

Allergy. At least one case of anaphylaxis after consuming Lion's Mane has been described in the scientific literature.^\30]) A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to food. The symptoms of the allergic reaction may range from mild to severe. They may include itchiness, swelling of the tongue, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, trouble breathing, or low blood pressure. This typically occurs within minutes to several hours of exposure. When the symptoms are severe, it is known as anaphylaxis.^\31])
Cytotoxicity. Studies of Lion's Mane aqueous extract on three cell types showed no cytotoxicity.^\32][33]) In addition, animal studies of Lion's Mane mycelium and fruiting body have found no signs of toxicity, morbidity or mortality even at high dosage.^\34][35][36])
Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS). Finasteride side effects are primarily sexual and include erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculatory volume, a decrease in libido, as well as gynecomastia.^\37]) There are no stories in this community mentioning gynecomastia, which raises doubts about the PFS theory.
Other contradictions:

• Lion's Mane reduces 5-AR activity by about 20%, which in no way distinguishes Lion's Mane from other medicinal mushrooms;^\38])
• Finasteride reduces blood DHT levels by about 70%.^\39]) Most likely we would already know about the comparable effect of Lion's Mane, but we have no such data;
• Finasteride side effects are primarily sexual. Lion's Mane side effects are primarily psychological (anxiety, dysphoria, etc.);

A study of the characteristics of men with Post-Finasteride Syndrome found no abnormalities in blood tests, but fMRI showed changes in the activity of brain regions involved in sexual function and depression.^\40]) This is the main similarity with the effects of Lion's Mane. But in my opinion, the changes in brain activity during Lion's Mane administration are mostly caused by the activation of k-opioid receptors, not by 5-AR inhibition.
Undeclared substances and contamination. Supplements in general may contain undeclared substances and contaminants that pose health risks. Judging by the stories in this community side effects due to contamination are very rare. Here are the studies on the subject from Johnny Harris' video Your Supplements are a Lie:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QpeAf2LG20HzloFg59R8hVI1W4J3NmaaHwJ9YU08niE/edit?usp=sharing

Some thoughts

In my opinion, the most dangerous side effect of Lion's Mane is dysphoria, as it increases the likelihood of self-harm and suicide even in healthy people. I dread to imagine what could happen to people who already have a depressive spectrum disorder... Unfortunately, there is already one known case of suicide after taking Lion's Mane. If you can influence this situation in any way, such as spreading the word about the side effects – please do so. It is hardly possible to ban this supplement completely. But there should be a warning with contraindications on the packaging so that people will be aware of their risks.
References are listed in this post.

Related posts:
Theory: What Does the Science Say?
Recovery: The Complete Guide
References:

1. Erinacines E, F, and G, stimulators of nerve growth factor (NGF)-synthesis, from the mycelia of Hericium erinaceum
2. Erinacine E as a kappa opioid receptor agonist and its new analogs from a basidiomycete, Hericium ramosum
3. Kappa-opioid receptors and analgesia
4. Peripheral kappa-opioid agonists for visceral pain
5. Role of kappa-opioid receptors in stress and anxiety-related behavior
6. Participation of dorsal periaqueductal gray 5-HT1A receptors in the panicolytic-like effect of the κ-opioid receptor antagonist Nor-BNI
7. The Blockade of µ1- and κ-Opioid Receptors in the Inferior Colliculus Decreases the Expression of Panic Attack-Like Behaviours Induced by Chemical Stimulation of the Dorsal Midbrain
8. µ- and κ-Opioid receptor activation in the dorsal periaqueductal grey matter differentially modulates panic-like behaviours induced by electrical and chemical stimulation of the inferior colliculus
9. Psychotomimesis mediated by kappa opiate receptors
10. The Dysphoric Component of Stress Is Encoded by Activation of the Dynorphin κ-Opioid System
11. Salvinorin-A Induces Intense Dissociative Effects, Blocking External Sensory Perception and Modulating Interoception and Sense of Body Ownership in Humans
12. Effects of Chronic Social Defeat Stress on Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Are Mitigated by Kappa-Opioid Receptor Antagonism
13. Depressive-like effects of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist salvinorin A on behavior and neurochemistry in rats
14. Antidepressant-like effects of kappa-opioid receptor antagonists in the forced swim test in rats
15. Effects of kappa-opioid receptor ligands on intracranial self-stimulation in rats
16. Selective kappa-opioid antagonism ameliorates anhedonic behavior: evidence from the Fast-fail Trial in Mood and Anxiety Spectrum Disorders (FAST-MAS)
17. Neurotrophic and Neuroprotective Effects of Hericium erinaceus
18. Salvinorin A: A potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous κ opioid selective agonist
19. Salvinorin A regulates dopamine transporter function via a kappa opioid receptor and ERK1/2-dependent mechanism
20. Toxic Psychosis After Intake of the Hallucinogen Salvinorin A
21. Noribogaine is a G-protein biased κ-opioid receptor agonist
22. Iboga (ibogaine) (Drugs.com)
23. Substance-Induced Disorders (AddictionHelp.com)
24. Substance-Induced Disorders (Made of Millions)
25. HPPD Self-Assessment Test (Perception Restoration Foundation)
26. Depersonalization: Everything You Need to Know (Columbia University)
27. Is depersonalization disorder initiated by illicit drug use any different? A survey of 394 adults
28. Dysphoria: What It Is, Symptoms, and How to Deal With it (Verywell Health)
29. FAQs (Perception Restoration Foundation)
30. DANGERS AT THE DINNER TABLE – A REPORT OF ANAPHYLAXIS TO LION'S MANE MUSHROOM
31. Food allergy (Wikipedia)
32. Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia
33. Neuroprotective effects of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. against high-dose corticosterone-induced oxidative stress in PC-12 cells
34. Acute and developmental toxicity assessment of erincine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelia in Sprague-Dawley rats
35. Evaluation of the toxicological safety of erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus in a 28-day oral feeding study in Sprague-Dawley rats
36. Haematological, biochemical and histopathological aspects of Hericium erinaceus ingestion in a rodent model: A sub-chronic toxicological assessment
37. "5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors" Blake H. Salisbury; Prasanna Tadi
38. "Mycelium Running" Paul Stamets - page 205
39. PROSCAR® (Finasteride) Tablets
40. Characteristics of Men Who Report Persistent Sexual Symptoms After Finasteride Use for Hair Loss
41. Catastrophizing (Psychology Today)
42. A Comprehensive Study of Therapeutic Applications of Chamomile
43. Chamomile (NCCIH)
44. GABA (Examine)

Hello,
As an empath, I am prone to giving more of myself than I should and not realizing when my boundaries are blurred and taken advantage of. I would be grateful if you would offer me insights on how to improve this by recommending self-care/self-love practices, and books/podcasts/video recommendations that could provide help in this regard. I have been in toxic cycles of attachment before with men who have displayed NPD characteristics, and lately, I have been interacting with someone on Bumble who somehow subliminally gives me the vibe that he may be no different. I would be grateful if you could help a fellow soul sister out.
XX
I

I’m asking for help whether I’m doing something wrong or not understanding this game. I come from more than 500 very short and entertaining hours on Battle Brothers and it’s been some years I had WarTales on my radar, with incredibly high expectations. Like better graphic, more detailed managing, crafting and so on. So I took it and spent my 10 h of it. And it has all of that, delivering the in-depth I was looking for. But the main component, imho, of a band of mercenaries game, COMBAT, feel just dull.
It feels to me there is no challenge, there is no tactic to implement, or to think and analyze through, no formation for my men to support each-other. Either you win a fight incredibly easily with the enemies barely chipping the armor of my men, or you get swept out. It feels slow and uninteresting even if it has all the right characteristic on paper: interesting and interactive scenarios, multiple abilities and classes of the mercenaries, enemy reinforcements coming and so on. But I still find it lacking in its core. With the rare exception of the bosses fight, which are actually challenging
Is just the lack or RNG? Am I missing something? I would really like to start enjoying this game properly, so I would like any advice, because I don’t think it’s worth playing just for the occasional boss fights (are there going to be more later on?)
I don’t want to let it collect dust in my library, but if I have to force myself to play there is no meaning

Memory Transcription Subject: Cristopir Elenura, Gentled Human Child, Radioman Apprentice.
Date [Standardized Human Time]: 489 AG.
Location: Karseran, Nomerka, Earth.
——
Ozone perforated the air, from far away lightning burning above. The rain had come in the morning and had not ceased over the hours, well into the afternoon. My long and pointed ears flicked too and fro at every distant clap of thunder, relaxed by the sound of rain colliding with the roof above my head. Of course I would have to walk home in this, but I hardly minded. I liked walking in the rain. It meant I could drag my hooves through every puddle and watch the world pass me by. The thought brought a smile to my face, my poor Father watching the rain fall with worry. Not for my health or any serious risks - but because he knew I’d return home sopping wet and trekking Yehu-knows-what home, risking the machinery inside. I would get an earful about being more conscientious and having better manners, but he wouldn’t stay mad at me. He never did.
A small smattering of peers sat alongside me in the small room that passed for a school. Most people didn’t bother educating themselves after all, so we didn’t need anything too big. Humans weren’t the brightest creatures anyway, most of us didn’t bother with fancy technology. The only reason why I was here after all, was because I was set to inherit the family business. I would become a Radioman just like every other male who shared the Elenura name, reaching all the way back to the Gentling of Humankind. While my Father taught me the maintenance and operation of the radio tower on the family land during the week, I was sent here to learn anything else applicable on the weekends. That was mostly math and history. I was more interested in seeing my friends here.
Today my regular teacher was out sick. So in her place was our local priest, Kessar. I didn’t like him much admittedly. He had a certain fire in him that I found rather scary. He was very tall for a human and had a glare that could melt steel, with a certain tone in his voice that I couldn’t quite describe. There were rumors that he had been a former exterminator, though that couldn’t be verified. For now we were stuck in a room with him, and had to endure his history lesson. He had wheeled out a diagram, comparing pre and post-gentling Humans to one another.
The difference was night and day. Humans prior to the gentling had been predatory primates. The diagram showed them as snarling, flat-faced, hairless creatures who had specifically evolved towards deception with their flat-teeth at the front of their mouths, hiding smaller fangs for rending flesh. It was far different. Apparently turning Humanity into proper prey had advanced genetic technology ages - and that was evident.
On the other side of the diagram showed a modern man. We are Cervines, apparently modeled off old Earth ‘deer’ - something our ancestors used to hunt. The diagram depicted us accurately, being tall and lanky - with thin and delicate limbs and weak lungs. Our faces featured pointed muzzles, panoramic eyes, and long ears. Of course men could grow antlers too! Dad told me I’m due for my first rack anyway! But uh … anyway, it showed that we had thin fingers suited to our work and hooves to stand on, being covered in thin fur that shared shades that our ancestors had. It was normal and safe. I hardly believed the creature on the left side of the diagram could have ever been my ancestor.
But he was, and that’s our shame. Something that the towering priest made sure that we knew.
“I’m sure that Mrs. Hlamul told you about men,” He began with his characteristic austere voice, “Bless her soul, she is a wonderful woman, but she simply has not had the time to teach you the severity of our guilt. So today, I shall teach you the methods in which our ancestors hunted, and the cruelty that it entailed.”
The room was so silent that I could have heard a pen drip if I had one.
“Will someone tell me Humanity’s situation in the galaxy, as it stands?”
One of my classmates, an apprentice to a doctor, spoke up. “Humanity is currently subject to the Healing Treaty, right? Humans can’t leave the planet until they’ve proven themselves as proper prey. Due to this, we’re also limited in the jobs we can take, and the technology we have access to?”
“Almost correct.” Spoke the Priest, “Humankind’s penance is to become the Federation’s breadbasket. Earth is the only fully agrarian economy in the Federation. Due to this, all work is inherited. But you are correct that we are prevented from leaving the planet, or being technologically on-par with our betters. Our shame is to be late to the stars. Now, can anyone tell me why?”
I raised my hand.
“Cristopir.”
“Because we were predators! We worked with feral animals to hunt all prey on Earth to extinction, and attacked Venlil Prime for meat. When the Federation defended them, we deceived multiple species to fight with us. Our first moment of empathy was accepting the cure, to spare our victims.”
It was well-known. At the heart of human culture was shame. We were adopted children of the Federation, humbled and turned into empathetic and loving creatures by science beyond our understanding. We deserved to be wiped out, but instead our betters lovingly grafted us into the herd. The only price we paid, was our isolation from the wider galaxy. An isolation that I would live to see. Realistically, I’d never see the stars. My entire life would be spent transmitting radio signals. But human eyes would once again see the Earth, in a gentler and far more empathetic light.
“Exactly. If any of you think this unfair, then I would like you to pay attention.” The Priest spoke, “And always remember that the Protector incarnated as Yehu, and tried to teach us better, only for us to horribly crucify him. Every bomb dropped on Earth was deserved.”
He reached down into his bag and produced a small item. It was small in his massive hands, long and thin like our fingers. “Come closer children, and look.”
Tentatively we approached his outstretched hand, gazing at it.
“What … is it?” Asked one of the students, which Kessar answered immediately.
“This is a Call. Humans used it to mimic the cries of infant animals, hoping to draw their concerned parents near. Listen.”
He held it to his mouth and blew, a strange chirping escaping it.
“And when their prey approached, they would use this to trap them and rend them in two with their teeth.” From the bag came another item, a far stranger one. It was a pair of rusty metal jaws, made of ancient steel. Curiosity set into the class, myself included, as we wondered how this could hurt anyone. It didn’t seem to have a trigger or …
Snap!
The jaws locked shut, a mechanism that I hadn’t even seen being triggered by a long ruler that Kessar used, now snapped in half. “It was made to resemble their jaws. It would snap a poor soul’s leg in half and force them to stay, watching the slathering hunters approach. This ‘bear trap’ as it was called, was not even the cruelest of their weaponry. Now … Let me show you the flail … “
The next few hours were equal parts horrific and fascinating, leaving no doubt in my mind that my ancestors were monsters. It was good that the Federation showed mercy to us, when we deserved none. The idea had burrowed deeply into my mind, having done so for my entire life. Now that it was time to leave I found myself in a strange mood.
It was still raining outside so I slipped on my raincoat, an outerwear made of water-resistant straw, and left the school accompanied by a friend of mine, Hroman, who was the apprentice of an engineer. The both of us weren’t satisfied with our job, admittedly, and we enjoyed dragging our hooves in the puddles and listing all of the things we’d rather be doing. It was how things was, I guess. My Father is a radioman, as was his father, and his father’s father, and every father that bore my last name. Same thing for Kessar, who came from a dynasty of priests, as did Hroman - the son of the engineer.
We had agreed long ago that we would have rather been space explorers. Hroman would’ve been the Captain, and me the first mate. But neither of us were in the mood to pretend right now, speculating on all the stars in the sky or how they would look. Especially when we had just seen what our species did the first time they made it to space. Instead we picked up our paces and avoided the puddles.
“I thought the blow dart was cool.” Hroman admitted as we walked, “Not for uh … hunting stuff or anything, but imagine what it’d do to an Arxur! If we had a buncha those and the Arxur invaded, we could stop them all by ourselves!”
“Ehhh … But they have scales. Those darts were made for prey skin, like ours. They prolly would be the ones using them against us. You know what would be really cool?”
“Yeah?”
“The Orbital Guns the Kolashians have! Why be down there in the first place, when we could just be up there and uh … shooting them, I guess. It’d be practical.”
Hroman let out a hum of consideration, his face deep in thought. “But … Practical is boring. Flamethrowers always work, right? Or the Exterminators wouldn’t use them. Those would work.”
“Flamethrowers are practical!”
“Ehhh, I’d probably burn my face off with one of those. Practical things don’t burn faces off.”
“Uh-huh, and I thought you were the engineer here.”
Hroman guffawed, “Engineers don’t use flamethrowers! We use like, blowtorches and stuff. Why do you think we use flamethrowers?”
I just shrugged as we walked. A cocktail of emotions had swirled inside me. After seeing all of that, I really did just want to go home. Sometimes Dad would pick up music from Venlil Prime and show it to me. Not that we didn’t have music of our own or anything, but it’s fun to imagine what more enlightened planets looked like, or … sounded like. Every faint song we picked up contributed to the image I had of the rest of the Federation. Shining, magical cities on hills, like Alarsalem or Toccjo. I hoped that he might’ve found something, since I could certainly use it.
And speaking of Dad, I could see the radio tower coming into view. That meant our property was getting close, and the sooner I got there, then the faster I could get home. Hroman and my path split, as I hurried up now that I was alone with my thoughts. But any excitement I had to get home dissipated, as I saw smoke in the distance. Had there been a fire? I pushed forward as I saw flashing lights. The Fire Department was already on it?
No …
Those were exterminators.
Two human exterminators stood near the source of the flames, dressed in their deep red suits. My worry only grew. Had Dad been attacked? I clutched the edge of my rainsuit, hurrying over with saucer-wide eyes. The Exterminators before me seemed alarmed beneath their masks, stepping back so I could see the issue.
A smoldering body laid sprawled upon the ground. My father.
I pushed past the exterminators, kneeling before the corpse with a jaw that laid agape and leaking, wide eyes. What … What had happened? Why did they kill him? What would I do now? I could scarcely hear their faint chatter as I locked eyes on the charred corpse.
“Shit, kid, I’m sorry. He came down with PD and attacked your neighbors. He had to be put down-“
I just stared, my ears flat against my head. Dad had PD? How? How did he get it? He had always been so empathetic … One of the two exterminators placed a hand on my shoulder, kneeling next to me.
“Hey, it isn’t your fault. Everything will be alright, can you come with us?”
I couldn’t respond as I already began to cry.
Realizing this, the Exterminator offered his arms to me, which I took gladly. I hugged my father’s murderer, loathe to let him go. I didn’t consider what would happen to me now that my only educator was gone. Only that I’d never talk to Dad again, or listen to alien music with him, or even see his face. All I had now were memories. Especially since even my home would soon be torn from me.
In the truest sense of the word, I was alone.

Okay, to start off, it is wise to want a man who is thoughtful and considerate. It's also wise to want a man who washes his ass, practices good manners, is intelligent, and well-behaved.
But "Charming, outgoing, intuitive, sociable, assured, lower-inhib men"? Lots of women don't have any of this, particularly a lot of women are inhibited and passive, have self-esteem issues, and are introverted. Some are even neurodivergent.
Men aren't allowed to have any weaknesses, but women are. This is the very essence of toxic masculinity. Yet toxic masculinity is somehow only men's fault and women have no role in perpetuating it. The statement "women want action figures, not men" carries strong validity in light of this.
Of course inb4 someone says men can just choose to reject women who lack those characteristics. Of course, then we'd have marriage rates like South Korea.
If all of this is what a man has to be to find himself a relationship with a woman who doesn't have those limitations... one has to ask, is a relationship even worth it anymore? What is she really falling in love with?

Let's now delve into Abby's perspective.
Abby's equivalent of the Wyoming Museum is her scenes in the aquarium. I find the choice of this particular ocean biome interesting. Throughout her journey in Seattle, Abby gradually distances herself from the WLF. The aquarium serves as a clandestine refuge where Abby and Owen seek solace away from their WLF responsibilities, a sanctuary amidst the chaos of the city. The ocean represents a hidden world, a sanctuary that other surface animals cannot penetrate, symbolizing a refuge from the conflicts and chaos above. Abby's character in Seattle is symbolized by a crab—outwardly strong yet internally vulnerable, much like herself as depicted by Owen's observation that she appears tough but is soft at heart. This symbolism extends to the imagery of a giant crab adorning the doors leading to the tragic fate of Owen and Mel. Upon her return from the island, blood stains beneath the doors. I think this is supposed to represent how by her actions she brought death to her friends, akin to bearing the weight of guilt or "dirty hands." Throughout her narrative, various other depictions of crabs persistently follows Abby.
Abby's Seattle setting is aquatic, but it wasn't always so. Prior to her father's death, her symbolic habitat was the jungle. In her initial flashback in Salt Lake, she stands at the zoo entrance, surrounded by banners portraying jungle and savanna creatures like tigers, elephants, apes, and antelopes. She can also find a flyer of the zoo ad with the tiger on it. In Santa Barbara, when visiting the Firefly outpost, Lev asks why the children's room depicts animals and a forest. Abby explains that it is a thing parents can do and that her father painted her a jungle in her room when she was little. I think deep within, Abby identifies with a tiger, and she actually re-finds herself with Lev's encounter. The tiger represents her true essence, her totem animal, while the crab represents what she turned into in Seattle. The crab, with its hard exterior and soft interior, also mirrors Abby's hardened exterior developed from her experiences with the WLF.
Yet, subtle hints throughout her narrative suggest a rediscovery of her true self as a tiger that coincide with what she's going throught. One instance that really striked me is the big cartoonish tiger she encounters in a cafe on the road to the hospital, sat in a position of meditation, coinciding with her growing bond with Lev. This moment signifies her gradual return to inner peace and authenticity. Another significant occurrence is the depiction of a tiger hidden behind a counter during her escape from the island with Yara and Lev, labeled with "mean streak." This moment precedes a pivotal confrontation with her former allies, symbolizing Abby's re-embrace of her tiger nature—a resurgence of strength and determination as she confronts her past and fights for her newfound family. The reappearance of the tiger symbolizes Abby's journey of self-discovery and resilience, marking her reclaiming of inner strength and ferocity in the face of adversity.
During the Salt Lake flashback, as Abby finds her father and they continue through the park, they enter the aquatic biome, greeted by a crab facing exactly towards the banner depicting a tiger, symbolizing Abby's future transformation in Seattle. She enters the mouth of a whale, symbolizing her immersion into the aquatic world. In the very next flashback, she will exit from the mouth of a shark, marking her transformation complete.
Owen is symbolized by a spotted seal. The first time they ever entered the aquarium, Owen get out of the water and place himself right in front of a seal depiction named "Oscar", saying some things to Abby. You can see a little crab right under. Hints in dialogues also point at Owen being a seal. During the scene in the aquatic dome underwater, Owen concludes their conversation by expressing his intention to spend some time with the seals. Another subtle clue to Owen's future role as a father is found within the aquarium's main room: a statue depicting a seal and its cub. This imagery hints at Owen's impending journey into parenthood.
I'm going to talk about Tommy in Abby's section because it mostly striked me while doing her parts, with the exception of this dinosaur looking like a horse head in the wyoming museeum as mentionned in my first post. Right after letting Yara at the "Big Fat Crab Shack" to get to the marina, she stumble upon Manny who's being targeted by Tommy. Interestingly, if you look behind Abby, you'll spot the "Big Fat Crab Shack" logo again with its giant crab, while directly in front of her, just a couple of meters away, is an advertising van for "Manke" beer. The logo on the van is a horse, accompanied by the tagline "made with the finest ingredients of southern America," which resonates with Tommy's Texan roots. This van appears again later not far, in the parking lot where Tommy shoots at Abby, instigating an attack from the infected.
However, what puzzles me is why Abby doesn't perceive Tommy as an aquatic animal like she does with others. My only lead on this is that the aquatic version of Tommy is a seahorse. This notion is reinforced by the presence of a seahorse symbol at the Serevena Hotel, where Ellie and Dina encounter men tortured by Tommy. Honestly not 100% convinced on this seahorse part.
Lev is seen as a shark by Abby. A whole section of the aquarium is dedicated to sharks and their importance in the ocean ecosystem ( you can also see a little crab under one of the shark depictions ) When Abby and Yara seek a gift for Lev, they deem a shark plushie as the perfect choice, emphasizing his connection to this creature.
A prominent shark exhibit features a large specimen seemingly poised to attack a diver's cage, adorned with scars on its mouth sides. The image of Lev braving the seas on his boat to rescue his mother on the island further reinforces this association, evoking the image of a shark cutting through the waves with determination.
In Abby's perception, Lev embodies the qualities of a shark, yet he identifies himself with a cat, ( or it's his totem animal ) First and foremost, we can clearly see Lev's agility and fearlessness, particularly evident in his comfort with heights, mirroring a cat's nimbleness and independence. Additionally, Lev expresses fears akin to those of a cat—water and dogs. During Ellie's parts, I found this board on the ancient communication agency swarmed by scars ( in front of the tramway ). There this little text on a board from a meeting to pitch a product, back in the days. It says :
"Client pitch meet ideas - emotional angle - comedy angle - personnification of cat ? "
Even though it might be a bit of a stretch, this corresponds perfectly to what happens between Abby and Lev. She feels pity for him upon learning his story and comes to love him, thus the emotional angle, and Lev also makes some jokes or blunders, like asking Abby what's going on between him and Owen at the worst possible moment, or when he doesn't know certain common words due to his life among the Seraphites.
The more obvious sign that Lev is really a cat can be found in the same cafe where we found the tiger in meditation pose, on the left walls. Just like Owen, we can witness Lev positionning himself right in front of this animal and get some dialogues. He say something like it's weird to represent humans as animals / humans from before were weird doing this. This particular artwork features two cartoonish cats adorned in rock-inspired attire, captured in a lively dancing pose. A male and female, holding hands. This really striked me as being a representaion of Lev's gender duality. Abby mentions Lev's "punk-rock" spirit not long before this, hence the outfits.
Yara is a sea otter, simply because she wears this shirt with a sea otter at the aquarium.
The WLF obviously are wolves but Abby actually sees them as Orcas. Upon awakening at the stadium, Abby is greeted by a rug adorned with an orca motif. Then she gets to the mess hall, there's one wolf banner on one wall but also depictions of orcas adorning pillars and inscriptions proclaiming "Home of the Orcas" on the walls. Orcas are kinda wolves of the seas, share several characteristics with wolves, such as being large predators that hunt in packs, exhibit complex social structures, and are territorial. By associating the WLF with Orcas, Abby's perception elevates them to a level of strength, cunning, and dominance akin to these apex predators of the ocean.
Scars are possibly herons. I found some herons in the wyoming museeum as mentionned in my first post, but also some depictions while Abby is crossing the chinese district to get to martyr's gate. They communicate throught whistling like birds including herons. They also go throught the city by the airs, basically. Theres not much hints, but I do feel like the herons correspond really well to Seraphites due to their way of life and behavior. Firstly, herons are often associated with aquatic areas such as marshes and rivers, where they patiently and strategically hunt their prey. Similarly, the Seraphites have established themselves on an isolated island, resembling a marsh, where they practice an ascetic and contemplative form of living in harmony with nature, living in wooden houses. Furthermore, herons are patient and methodical predators, silently observing their surroundings before taking action ( Remember that arrow in Ellie's shoulder ? ) The Seraphites also exhibit a deliberate approach in their lives and interactions, emphasizing discipline, reflection, and strategic planning.
During the visit to the Chinese district, theres a peculiar creature: the dragon. Numerous depictions of it adorn this area. There might be a connection to the Seraphites, evidenced by the presence of Martyr's Gate and the increased encounters with them following this section. However, it's challenging to pinpoint its exact representation; my guess is that it symbolizes a broader concept rather than a specific character or faction. Might also just be because it's the chinese district.
Abby seem to be also linked to whales and octopus, I think each representing one concept. Ellie's collection of cards includes one intriguing card featuring a whale named "Big Blue." The description of the card reads:
"Big Blue is an extra-dimensional entity who has taken on the appearance of a blue whale. First arriving on Earth over a billion years ago to keep watch over nascent life forms, they use their infinite well of knowledge to help guide the human race in times of great need and upheaval. Their unfathomable age has one major drawback: days appear to pass as microseconds. However, this time dilation effect is offset if they hold their breath—which they can do for several years at a time."
The whale, as an entity with ancient wisdom and knowledge, could be seen as a manifestation of destiny itself. Just as the whale has existed since the dawn of life on Earth, destiny is a force that has shaped Abby's life from the very beginning. It has guided her path, leading her to the pivotal moments and encounters that defined her journey. Despite the challenges she faces, destiny continues to steer her toward her ultimate purpose and fate.
In many cultures and mythologies, the octopus is often associated with aspects of mystery, danger, and conflict. Its tentacled appearance and ability to camouflage itself in its environment make it a powerful symbol of the struggle and complexity of human conflicts. In the game, the giant octopus present at the aquarium can be interpreted as a visual representation of the internal and external conflicts that the characters, especially Abby, must face. The octopus's tentacles seem to stretch out and envelop the environment, evoking how conflict can feel omnipresent and difficult to avoid. Furthermore, the octopus is a formidable predator in the marine world, using its tentacles to capture and subdue its prey. This imagery can be associated with how the characters in the game are ensnared in the conflicts surrounding them.
And finally, Abby sees Ellie as a Stingray. Ellie's journey to get to Abby in Seattle final moments is symbolic of her descent into the aquatic world : to get to the hidden crab in the secretive ocean, she must transform as an aquatic animal. As Ellie approaches the aquarium, the challenges intensify, marked by increasingly stormy weather and turbulent seas. Despite the obstacles, Ellie perseveres, ultimately reaching her destination, not before falling into the ocean. Few notes here, first of all there's this outdoor kids' play area, a crab faces towards a whale and a shark, while an orca wing and a seahorse stand behind them. Could be a representation of how Abby is leaving her past behind and her newfound responsibility towards Lev. Next, right before kneeling to get under the fence, a sign featuring a stingray lies on its side, urging one to "become a member today". Further symbolism unfolds as Ellie encounters a shark depiction just before her fall from a broken window, with a stingray positioned EXACTLY on the floor where she lands. On the same note there is a stingray positionned on the floor exactly where Ellie kills Mel & Owen. The cafe section of the aquarium, named "Stingray Bay Cafe," features murals depicting a beach with palm trees, foreshadowing the events to come in Santa Barbara. Abby's exploration of the aquarium with Yara while looking for Lev reveals a section named "Shipwreck Cove," dominated by a giant stingray overhead, further hinting at the impending encounters and sequences involving boats, serving as a metaphor for both characters feeling like shipwrecks by the end of their tumultuous journey.
Also, The use of animal symbolism during Ellie and Abby's confrontations adds a layer of complexity and depth to their dynamic. During their intense fight in the theater, the actions of Ellie and Abby mirror the characteristics of the animals associated with them. Abby's brute force and relentless attacks, smashing Ellie into the floor and causing them to fall to a lower level, hitting her with her fists or grabbing her, align with the symbolism of the crab and its claws. She also headbut Ellie ( bison ). In contrast, Ellie's actions, repeatedly tries spiking Abby with her knife like a stingray hitting its prey, reflect a more tactical and predatory approach. I invite you to re-check their fight at the theater with that in mind, it's really striking.
As we've discussed, these symbols are not merely decorative but serve as powerful storytelling devices, conveying concepts or themes of identity, transformation, and growth. Whether you've noticed these subtle details yourself or are discovering them for the first time, it's clear that the developers at Naughty Dog have crafted a meticulously designed world filled with rich symbolism and meaningful connections.
So, what are your thoughts? Have you spotted any other animal motifs or symbols ? Let me know your theories !

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Protecting your energy is protecting your soul from negative, toxic, Soul Destructive people: past, present and future, living AND deceased: Generational Curses/Familial Sins = Karma
To save and restore oneself, energetic cords must be broken and dissolved. Changes must be made both mentally, spiritually, and psychologically. One must unlearn in order to Relearn. The programmed worldy ego will always keep you trapped until you start learning how to deprogram and reprogram it.
Everything stored in your ego was ingrained, programmed, Indoctrinated into you by OTHERS who didn't really have your best interest at heart. Not everyone that's been placed in your life was meant for YOUR good, but as lessons learned through trials, testing, tribulations to create growth and knowledge NOT to regress, suppress, nor stuck in wounded self-victimization.
Some people find offense in being told the truth that we've ALL been Indoctrinated, brainwashed, by every institution we've been made a part of and pushed by our parents/family maybe unknowingly, but yet it still happened. So you don't like to acknowledge that then your only further harming yourself. Many families were not aware of what they were doing at the time because they were more fixated on following and obeying the "rules/rituals, fake manmade laws, and they only blindly and obediently "complied".
This isn't to blame, shame, nor vilify anyone as that's not the purpose of Truth. Truth is to point out errors and alert to changes that must be made to "right" a wrong. Truth isn't meant to be comfortable, especially to those who hold onto falsehoods and the illusions of delusions. The Truth is the only way forward.
Real genuine growth and wisdom can only be created through chaos, as chaos triggers growth, knowledge = wisdom. Through chaos comes beauty. Like Volcanic eruptions are very Destructive, yet they also create the most beautiful landscapes when the destruction ceases.
Maybe you might find it helpful to imagine yourself as your own little volcano. Occasional eruptions to shake you up are necessary to break you out of a self-destructive streak or for you to break free from Destructive relationships, to then create a beautiful landscape eventually. Volcanic eruptions are seen as the earth purging itself from an overloaded toxic build-up of poisonous sulphuric acid and molten lava, and oftentimes, the release brings calmness and tranquility afterwards.
Nobody and Nothing can do it for you. You must do it on your own.
Free Will Choice is the Universal Law, and whatever you choose will be honored.
Caveat: If you choose to do nothing and let things continue to be as you are programmed into accepting as "normal" and not needing changed, there will be no "rescue" as you made your choice. You have therefore chosen to remain conformed to this world, and therefore, you will be ruled by this world, corruption wars disharmony intolerance destruction and all, and you'll go down with the ship.
There NEVER has been a being that will "rescue" anyone. That's a Soul Trap intentionally set up to entice people into NEVER awakening to their TRUE Potential as the "savior" agenda was intentionally used to harvest souls for the power of darkness = the soulless corrupted otherworldly beings.
Those who choose to make the changes will also not be "rescued" as they've already rescued themselves by being conscious and choosing to elevate/evolve from a lower mindset to a higher mindset and state of being. You chose not to conform to this world. Therefore, you will gain absolute freedom and unification with ALL that "IS" and soar to vast new heights never before, though possible. Free from the confines and artificial manmade "laws/dictates/doctrines." You will be safe because this old world will no longer be able to control you nor hold you back = it can not touch you.
Only YOU can heal Generational Karma or not. Only YOU can heal yourself or not. Your choice and nobody else's. God can never do it for you as God NEVER breaks the Universal Law of Free Will. Your choice will be honored either way.
Therefore, YOU are in charge of your OWN destiny, and you are the captain of your own ship. It's up to you if you sail off into the horizon, or to capsize and sink like many generations before you.
✨️✨️✨️
7 Smart Ways to Deal with Toxic People
Don’t let toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and get them out of there.

1. Move on without them.
2. Stop pretending their toxic behavior is OK.
3. Speak up!
4. Put your foot down
5. Don’t take their toxic behavior personally.
6. Practice practical compassion
7. Take time for yourself.

https://www.marcandangel.com/2013/12/08/7-smart-ways-to-deal-with-toxic-people/
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9 Ways to Find Peace of Mind in Tough Times
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. — Vivian Greene

1. Learn to trust yourself.
2. Focus on what you’re learning
3. Ease your expectations.
4. Open up to someone you trust
5. Use hope to drive positive action.
6. Move TOWARDS something instead of AWAY.
7. Take a few steps back
8. Give yourself time
9. Look for the beginning in every ending.

https://www.marcandangel.com/2013/05/09/9-ways-to-find-peace-in-tough-times/
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3 Daily Habits that Often Drain 90 Percent of Our True Potential (Week After Week)
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

1. Treating every day as though it’s “just another day.”

Start by being honest about the distraction and busyness in your life…
How often do you engage in the exchange of valueless gossip? How often are you thinking about other things when someone is talking to you? Do you check social media apps on your phone when you’re working, or when you’re spending time with loved ones? Do you send text messages while driving?

1. Waiting and hoping to “find” something to be passionate about.

If you want more passion in your life right now, act accordingly right now.
Put your whole heart and soul into something…
Not into tomorrow’s opportunities, but the opportunity right in front of you.
Not into tomorrow’s tasks, but today’s tasks.
Not into tomorrow’s run, but today’s run.
Not into tomorrow’s conversations, but today’s conversations.

1. Being too close and controlling every single step of the way.

Acceptance is letting go and allowing certain things to be the way they truly are. It doesn’t mean you don’t care about improving the reality of your life; it’s just realizing that the only thing you really have control over is yourself and your thoughts about everything else
When you let everything and everyone breathe, you just let them be, exactly as they are. You don’t need to control them, worry about them, or change them. You just let them breathe, in peace, and you accept them as they are.
https://www.marcandangel.com/2024/06/06/4-little-things-that-will-matter-a-lot-more-to-you-in-40-years/
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Gossip Isn’t Good for You
Loosely defined, gossip is talking about someone from your family, work, church, or community behind their back, and typically in a way, you would not want them to overhear. Gossip is toxic, low vibrational behavior that never leaves you feeling good, so why do it? It’s a classic human error. Wasting our precious energy, boosting the signal of things we find distasteful, increasing behaviors that make us feel hostile, tired, and sad.
Gossip often feels like the only recourse for those with no power, or insufficient power to enact change in a situation. You don’t like a situation, but instead of rising, you take the temporary false sense of empowerment from gossiping and sink deeper in. When you talk shit, you bring that same ugly, dense, destructive energy into your own life. You make a home for something rotten,
Gossiping seems to relieve bad feelings, but in reality, it intensifies them. Validation is one seemingly-pleasing outcome of gossip that often rots on the vine once you’re alone.
Words have power. Let me say that one more time. WORDS. HAVE. POWER. Don’t waste your power calling negative energy into your life. Next time you’re tempted to gossip, try something different
https://community.thriveglobal.com/gossip-isnt-good-for-you/
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The psychology of gossip..and it’s not good
Gossip is entitlement Gossip shows low self-esteem Whenever you are tempted to share intimate or personal details about someone with others, weigh your intentions and ask yourself some hard questions -
1] How does passing this information help you or that other person? 2] Are you sharing this information out of malice or envy?
Is this really necessary? Is the information your sharing a life or death situation? If not it's of no real importance to anyone because it has no constructive service, only destructive
https://medium.com/@muktimasih/the-psychology-of-gossip-and-its-not-good-35eff5f8c37e
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Signs of Low Emotional Intelligence
A Need to Be Right Oblivious to Others' Feelings Insensitivity Blaming Others Poor Coping Skills
https://www.verywellmind.com/signs-of-low-emotional-intelligence-2795958
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Signs Of Low Emotional Intelligence & How To Overcome Them
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to your ability to understand and manage your own and other people’s emotions. So low emotional intelligence would mean those who are unable to comprehend and control their own emotions and may struggle to relate to others
Goleman identified five components of EI.

1. Self-awareness

2. Self-regulation

3. Motivation

4. Empathy

5. Social skills

What are the signs someone has low emotional intelligence?

1. Low Self-awareness

2. Low Self-regulation

3. Limited Motivation

4. Lack of Empathy

1. Poor Social Skills

https://www.tsw.co.uk/blog/leadership-and-management/low-emotional-intelligence/
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What to Know About People with Toxic Traits
What causes toxic behavior?

1. Nature

Research suggests that these negative traits are at least partially genetic, passed from parent to child. Other studiesTrusted Source have shown that personality traits overall are moderately heritable.
So, people with parents who have toxic traits may be more likely to have those characteristics, too

2. Nurture

One studyTrusted Source found that being overprotected, pampered, or praised excessively in childhood can be associated with more narcissistic personality traits and feelings of entitlement.
On the other hand, some people with toxic traits may behave poorly because of past trauma, a dysfunctional family life, or substance use. A person’s inability to process stress and grief can sometimes transform into toxicity towards others.

3. Mental health conditions

Not all people with these traits have mental health conditions, but for some, conditions like personality disorders, bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be the underlying cause of their behavior.

4. Positive reinforcement

Research suggests that even though they’re not actually better at their jobs, employees with toxic traits might be more likely to receive higher salaries and be promoted into leadership positions.
This may be because they’re able to portray themselves as hard workers, manipulate and exploit others, or cheat their way into getting what they want.
A person with toxic traits may be:
judgmental needy mean dishonest denialist narcissistic controlling calculating verbally or physically abusive emotionally inconsistent
Examples of toxic behavior
Lying and dramatizing Belittling or criticizing Asking for pity or sympathy Failing to take responsibility Isolating you from other people Gaslighting and manipulation
https://psychcentral.com/health/things-you-absolutely-must-know-about-toxic-people#signs
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How to Deal effectively once and for all with energetic soul killing toxic people while healing yourself simultaneously. You gotta cut Energetic Cords if you truly want real peace, freedom, and joy, and a holistic state of mind/body/soul. It doesn't mean you hate them. It only means you choose to respect and honor yourself for once. If you can't choose to honor and respect yourself first and foremost, nobody else NEVER will. You will always get back from others what you believe, feel, and treat yourself and how you ALLOW others,to treat you.
Link contains information about how everything in creation is connected energetically through light, colors, sounds, vibrational frequencies/energy through Quantum Physics = the Living Language of God, Source of ALL creation.
Everything is constantly in motion, everything is always connected, nothing is separate: we are ALL connected to everyone and everything in creation throughout the entire Universe.
https://www.reddit.comJulieG350Jgs/s/MMql76SEpb
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5 Ways to Protect Yourself from Energy Vampires
Recognize toxic people in your life and take your energy back.
The important thing to keep in mind about energies is that we always pay back whatever we take. It’s also true the other way around, we receive a “positive interest on our energy investment” when we uplift someone.
The moment you emotionally react to energy vampires, they begin stealing your energy.
You leak your energy when you have a negative emotional reaction to something.
How to protect yourself from energy vampires?

1. Learn to say no
2. Become aware of your energies
3. Your energy stays with you.
4. Love is the strongest energy
5. Cord cutting

https://medium.com/thrive-global/5-ways-to-protect-yourself-from-energy-vampires-5a8a88a61f92
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Energetic Cord Cutting
Cord cutting is a spiritual practice that involves severing emotional ties with people to release negative energy and move forward. It can be a way for empaths, who may be highly attuned to the emotions of others, to heal from past relationships and protect their own energy.
Here are some steps you can take to cut an energetic cord with someeone:

1. Ground yourself: Use meditation or breathwork to calm yourself
2. Visualize the cord: Picture a cord of light connecting you to the other person
3. Express gratitude: Thank the other person for what you've learned from the relationship, even if it was difficult
4. Cut the cord: Say something like "It's time to break our bonds" and visualize cutting the cord with scissors
5. Cleanse your energy: Finish by cleansing your energy field

Cord cutting doesn't mean ending relationships or erasing memories, but rather releasing negative energy to allow for growth and emotional healing. You can also try cutting off contact with the other person, such as avoiding them in person, removing them from social media, or blocking their number
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How to Cut an Unhealthy Bond with Someone

1. Practice a Partial Cord Cutting Visualization
2. Practice a Complete Cord Cutting Visualization

https://drjudithorloff.com/how-to-cut-an-unhealthy-bond-with-someone/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empaths-survival-guide/201707/how-cut-unhealthy-bond-someone
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BPDFamily.com https://bpdfamily.com › m... Cords, Hooks and Drains
Cutting Cords, Hooks, and Drains from toxic people
https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?topic=229528.0
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Cord Cutting Ritual: What It Is and How to Do It
As we move through our lives — growing, learning, evolving — we must necessarily let go of that which no longer serves us. When we let go, we create space. This space is that of potential, of possibility.
Key takeaways:
Cord cutting is a practice to sever unhelpful emotional ties.
It’s a tool for healing and moving forward from past relationships.
The ritual involves grounding, visualization, symbolic severing, and energy cleansing.
Success signs include relief, peace, and increased energy.
The focus is on changing your own energy, not the other person’s.
***Ready to begin? Dive in quickly with this 4.8-star cord cutting meditation from Insight Timer teacher, Jessie Weeks.
https://insighttimer.com/blog/cutting-energy-cords/
***Cord Cutting Meditation
https://insighttimer.com/jessweeks/guided-meditations/cord-cutting_1
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Why Cut Cords of Attachment to Crazy Moms?
Why Cut Cords of Attachment to Crazy Moms? With all you have done to deal with that crazy from your past, why would it still make a big difference to Cut that Cord of attachment?
Any major Cord of Attachment is worth cutting in a personal Session. Every minor cord of attachment is worth cutting, too. What else do you know about the importance of cutting cords if you’ve studied with me?
Each cord of attachment has a distinctive pattern of energy, what I call a “Dialog Box.” One of my 12 Steps to Cut Cords of Attachment® involves catching this information while it is fresh, writing it down, discussing it with the client.
Cords of Attachment to Mothers with Mental Health Problems
“Claudia”‘s mother had been diagnosed as schizophrenic, going in and out of hospitals often during Claudia’s childhood.
“Marissa”‘s mother died when she was two. Relatives had darkly hinted to Marissa that there was something troubling about that mother and, oboy, did that ever become clear.
Why Cut Cords of Attachment to Crazy Moms?
Cords of Attachment in the Womb
One of the problems of having a mother with mental illness is that the baby receives imprinting through the cord of attachment. For Marissa, these were the first three items in her Dialog Box
Rage at everyone and everything. (Absorbed in the womb, through the cord of attachment.)
Feeling threatened, put on the defensive by other people’s behavior, sudden changes in temperature, any sudden change. (Again, absorbed in the womb, through the cord of attachment.)
Desire to get even with people for any imagined slight or insult. (Yes, this Cord Item, like the other two, had a completely different texture than the rest of the cord of attachment. These patterns were set up right from the start.)
Why Cut Cords of Attachment to Crazy Moms? Almost Unimaginable Pain It’s hard to imagine the pain of living with mental illness unless you’ve been there. You could have a cord of attachment to a parent, a child, a husband or wife who has severe problems — and form that cord long before you become aware there is even a problem.
Sometimes I like to call cutting cords to the mentally ill… part of the process of becoming a “Craziness Survivor.”
The anguish of becoming a Craziness Survivor includes the moment when it hits you. This person in your life is either out of control, chronically mentally ill, going through a breakdown, maybe all three at once.
And, sometimes, this moment of realization, in all its anguish, is what sticks in a cord of attachment.
If, like many readers of this blog, you happen to have a gift as an Empath, the anguish will be magnified many times over… and then all that suffering will become stuck in the cord of attachment.
https://www.rose-rosetree.com/blog/2008/10/25/why-cut-cords-attachment-crazy/
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Cords and Decording: releasing the burdens and unhealthy connections
What is cording?
But it is not just something that babies and ‘weak’ people do. Couples arguing for long periods of time cord. Frustrated bosses and unhappy reports do. Some of the most pervasive corders I have met have been very powerful business men. So obsessed with their work, with so much of their energy tied up in winning power- struggles, they often have no idea at all how to connect with another person when it comes to relationships, so they cord them in an attempt to make contact or get their needs met. Rapists and their victims cord each other, on one side due to the monstrous extent to which they cut off from their own internal life and relieve themselves by attacking others, and on the other side by the enormity of the catastrophic disruption of self that occurs when being invaded by so much hostility and sadism.
There are four basic kinds of cords:
The ones you throw because you are trying to help them. The ones they grab at you with to get something from you. The ones you throw because you feel overwhelmed and hurt by them. The ones they throw at you because they have been trying to avoid some of their own baggage by taking it out on you.
https://sarahgillen.com/ *
How to spot (and deal with) an energy vampire
Energy vampires most often target those who are sensitive and compassionate — and likely to lend a listening ear.
They leave you feeling drained after every conversation. They want your nonstop attention and the conversation is always about them. They may be charming, charismatic and the life-of-the-party personality. They also may cheat. They may lie. And it’s probably someone else’s fault when something goes wrong.
These are some (but certainly not all) of the traits you might run across in someone who is an “energy vampire.”
Some energy vampires may have inherited those character traits from a parent and they’re unaware of how their behavior affects others.
Spending too much time with energy vampires can make you sick What makes energy vampires so toxic is that they can be sources of chronic stress, says Northrup. Especially if the energy vampire is someone you can’t avoid — such as a spouse, a parent or a boss — constantly having your energy drained by that individual is a stressor, she says.
And that type of chronic stress is well known to have pretty deleterious effects on multiple systems in the body, including the immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and central nervous systems.
Evidence shows that people under chronic stress are at a higher risk of chronic problems ranging from autoimmune diseases to heart disease, obesity and depression.
“They’re a health risk,” Northrup says about the energy vampires in our lives.
How to vanquish energy vampires (or at least not get sucked dry)

1. Cut them out of your life (if you can)
2. Set boundaries
3. Lower expectations
4. Be too tired for them
5. ‘Grey rock’ them
6. Know the difference between “venting” and “dumping.”
7. Do NOT overreact
8. Make sure you have a way to reality check
9. Say “no” nicely

https://www.nbcnews.com/bettehealth/how-spot-deal-energy-vampire-ncna896251
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Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members: An Act of Self-Care By Dr. Sharon Martin
Cutting ties with your family is difficult–and not what most people want. But sometimes it’s the only way to save your sanity and heal the emotional pain caused by a “toxic”* or abusive family.
Cutting ties with toxic family members is an act of self-care. Not something you do because you’re mean or spiteful. It’s something you do to protect your physical and mental health.
When is it appropriate to cut ties with a family member?
Toxic people disrupt your life and other relationships with behaviors such as these:

Lying

Blaming

Criticizing

Manipulating

Overreacting

Invalidating or ignoring your feelings

Undermining your relationship with your spouse, kids, or other relatives

Creating drama or crises

Passive-aggressive behavior (such as the silent treatment, deliberate procrastination, or criticism disguised as a compliment)

Gaslighting (a powerful form of manipulation that makes you doubt your perception of what’s going on)

Refusing to compromise

Yelling, cursing, or calling you names

Belittling your values, beliefs, choices

Gossiping or speaking ill of you behind your back

Making unreasonable demands

Expecting you to help them, but they aren’t available to help you

Threatening suicide or self-harm in order to get their way

Ruining holidays and special occasions

Playing the victim

Not taking responsibility for their own behavior

Refusing to apologize and if they do, it’s shallow, coerced, or fake

Lacking genuine concern or interest in you and your life

Volatile or unpredictable moods and behaviors

Creating so much stress, anxiety, and pain that your health, ability to work, or general wellbeing are negatively impacted

Interacting with them makes you feel worse

They are always right (and you are always wrong)

People can change, but toxic people rarely do. They lack self-awareness and don’t take responsibility for their actions. And since they don’t see how their behavior hurts you, they refuse to change. Instead, they blame you and expect you to cater to their demands.
5 Reasons we struggle to cut ties with a toxic family member
I think we can all agree that no one deserves to be abused. So, why do we give our family members a free pass? Why do we think we should tolerate such hurtful behavior from them?

1. We don’t see their behavior as abusive
   
2. Guilt
   
3. Family loyalty You were probably primed to feel guilty by being taught that family loyalty is a virtue – that you should be unequivocally committed to your family no matter what. Healthy closeness includes mutual respect and care; it respects individuality and your right to think and feel differently than your family. But loyalty is often used to try to control family members who are exerting their independence and speaking out against abuse.
   
4. Fear
   
5. Love
   

Deciding to cut ties
It sucks to have to choose between yourself and your family members. It really does. But this is the reality. Remaining in a relationship with a toxic person is potentially harmful to your emotional and physical health and relationships
Tips for cutting ties with toxic family members
**Acknowledge that it’s abusive. You need to stop minimizing and denying the harm that your family member has caused.
**Give up the fantasy that they will change.
**Grieve the loss of having the kind of relationship you wanted with this person. Grieve the loss of having the parent/sibling/grandparent that you needed and deserved.
**Get support from a therapist, support group or 12-step group, or friend who’s experienced similar issues with their family. (Unfortunately, many friends mean well, but don’t “get it” and inadvertently add to our shame and guilt with judgmental comments or unrealistic expectations.)
https://www.livewellwithsharonmartin.com/cutting-ties-with-toxic-family/
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7 Types of Toxic People and How to Spot Them

1. The Conversational Narcissist Have you ever been talking to someone who keeps interrupting you?
   
2. The Strait Jacket The straitjacket is someone who wants to control everything and everyone around them
   
3. The Emotional Moocher An emotional moocher is also known as a “spiritual vampire,” because they tend to suck the positivity out of you or bleed you emotionally dry.
   
4. The Drama Magnet Some toxic people are magnets for drama. Something is always wrong. Always.
   
5. The JJ A JJ is a jealous-judgmental person. Jealous people are incredibly toxic because they have so much self-hate that they can’t be happy for anyone around them. And typically, their jealousy comes out as judgment, criticism, or gossip.
   
6. The Fibber Whether they tell little falsehoods or major lies, it’s impossible to trust a liar in a relationship. Dishonesty drains us because we are constantly doubting their words.
   
7. The Tank A tank crushes everything in its wake. A human tank is always right, doesn’t take anyone else’s feelings or ideas into account, and constantly puts themselves first. In a relationship, tanks are incredibly arrogant and see their personal opinions as facts. This is because they often think they are the smartest person in the room, so they see every conversation and person as a challenge that must be won over. They rarely see others as equals—and this can be challenging when trying to form a loving connection
   

https://www.scienceofpeople.com/toxic-people/
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The Journal of Sex Research Vol.26. No.3, pp.375-392 August, 1989

The Sexual Experience and Marital Adjustment of Genitally

Circumcised and Infibulated Females in The Sudan

HANNY LIGHTFOOT-KLEIN, M.A.

In a study conducted over a 5-year period, the author interviewed over 300 Sudanese women and 100 Sudanese men on the sexual experience of circumcised and infibulated women. Sudanese circumcision involves excision of the clitoris, the labia minora and the inner layers of the labia majora, and fusion or infibulation of the bilateral wound. The findings of this study indicate that sexual desire, pleasure, and orgasm are experienced by some women who have been subjected to this extreme sexual mutilation, in spite of their also being culturally bound to hide these experiences. These findings also seriously question the importance of the clitoris as an organ that must be stimulated in order to produce female orgasm, as is often maintained in Western sexological literature.

KEY WORDS: Female circumcision, clitoridectomy, female sexual experience.

Background

Pharaonic circumcision in the Nile Valley is as old as recorded history. To this date, it distinguishes “decent" and respectable women from unprotected prostitutes and slaves, and it carries with it the only honorable, dignified, and protected status that is possible for a woman there. Like other Arab cultures, Sudanese society is characteristically patriarchal and patrilineal. In such a society, an unmarried woman has virtually no rights, no status in the society, and severely limited, if any, economic recourse. Without circumcision, a girl can not marry and is thereby unable to fulfill her intended role, i.e., to produce legitimate sons to carry on her husband's patrilineage.

The greatest measure of a family's honor is the sexual purity of its women. Any transgression on the part of the woman disgraces the whole family, and only the most extreme measures will restore this honor. This may take the form of divorce, casting the woman out, or putting her to death.

Under British colonial occupation, several unsuccessful attempts were made to abolish Pharaonic circumcision. It has since been declared illegal under a Sudanese law, with the inception of an independent state in 1956. However, this law has never been implemented.

The northern, Islamic part of Sudan consists largely of desert areas. Sudan is considered to be the second least developed country in the world. Only Chad, bordering it to the west, is more acutely poverty-stricken, barren, bleak, disease-ridden, and impervious to repeated attempts at technological development. In the entire country, there are virtually no paved roads, and travel modes are extremely primitive and arduous. Except in the capital. Khartoum, Sudan is still largely untouched by Western influences. The way of life is profoundly traditional and continues to be ruled by age-old custom. Pharaonic circumcision is practiced virtually without exception, even among the educated class in the capital, to this day. It is celebrated with great festivity by the families, and the day of circumcision is considered to be the most important day in a woman's life, far more important than her wedding day.

Methodology

The bulk of the body of knowledge discussed herein was obtained by the author during three separate six-month overland journeys through the Sudan, within a time span of five years. During this period, she traveled alone among the native population and at every opportunity that presented itself discussed the practice of female circumcision with the people she got to know. Many of these interviews were arranged by letters of introduction obtained along the way. The total number of people interviewed in this fashion came to more than 100 men and more than 800 women. These people came from all walks of life. Representative among them were gynecologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, paramedics, teachers, college professors, college and high school students, obstetrical patients, mothers of pediatric patients, brides, bridegrooms, homemakers, merchants, historians, religious leaders, grandmothers, village women and men.

Among those people highly sympathetic to the author's research was the director of a small gynecological hospital, Dr. Salah Abu Bakr, who put his entire staff, his patients, the use of a private room and two excellent translators at her disposal. The translators were Sudanese nurses who had been trained in London. Both were pharaohnically circumcised, and both carried on a flourishing circumcision practice on the side, as did all other nurses and midwives at the hospital. They were able to translate not only linguistically but could interpret the finer nuances of what took place in the interviews. The major part of the information that was obtained on sexual intercourse and orgasm came from the series of interviews conducted at this hospital, and also at Ahfat College and Khartoom University, among students, professors, and other intellectuals that the author befriended. This more formalized project included 97 women and 34 men.

Discussing the subject with intellectual friends was relatively easy since there is no taboo regarding an exchange of information on the subject between women, nor is there one between Sudanese men and a woman from a Western culture. Both sexes among this group seemed to welcome the opportunity to discuss a subject that generally does not bear discussion.

The hospital staff and patient body interviewed consisted mostly of women with little or no education. When questioned, these women usually professed a total absence of sexual desire and sexual enjoyment. However, when it became evident to the author that she was receiving "institutional answers" to her questions, she consulted with the translators about how to overcome this.

The translators suggested that the questions on sexual desire and enjoyment be preceded by a question on whether the woman employed the "smoke ceremony." (The significance of this will be explained later in this paper.) This almost invariably solved the problem. Once a woman had admitted to using the ceremony, which nearly all did, and when it became evident that the author understood its significance, communication tended to flow and was enjoyed by all four participants in the interview. The author's expressed willingness to answer whatever questions interviewees might have about her own culture and personal experiences was also found to be extremely disarming and tended to promote an animated exchange of information. Their interest rarely, if ever, extended beyond whether the author herself was circumcised or not. The revelation that neither she, nor her daughters, nor any of the women of her family were circumcised was virtually incomprehensible to them. At the end of each hospital interview, there was a three-way conference between the author and the Sudanese nurse-translators regarding the validity of the information obtained. It did not, in essence, differ from the information obtained from other sources.

Findings

Pharaonic circumcision of girls, as it is practiced in Sudan, involves the excision of the clitoris, the labia minora and the inner, fleshy layers of the labia majora. The remaining outer edges of the labia majora are then brought together so that when the wound has healed they are fused so as to leave only a pinhole-sized opening. The resultant infibulation is, in effect, an artificially created chastity belt of thick, fibrous scar tissue. Urination and menstruation must thereafter be accomplished through this tiny remaining aperture. Masturbation, intercourse and internal stimulation are impossible.

This surgical procedure has for thousands of years been performed ritually but is, at present, often performed routinely in a clinic-like setting in the urban centers on all small girls, most frequently between the ages of 4 and 8, regardless of their social standing in the society. In the outlying areas, the procedures are conducted in the age-old fashion, by medically untrained midwives, without anesthesia or anti-septic. The struggling child is simply held immobile throughout the operation, and it is obvious that under such conditions the likelihood of hemorrhage, infection, trauma to adjacent structures, shock from pain, urinary retention due to sepsis, edema or scarring, and psychic trauma is extremely high.

The infibulation, even among girls who are circumcised by trained midwives or nurses in a clinic-like setting, under only slightly more antiseptic conditions with a locally injected analgesics to mitigate the pain, often presents health problems to the girl later on in life, if she survives the initial trauma of the operation. Various degrees and types of urinary obstruction are a frequent result of infibulation, and concomitant urinary tract infections are very common in pharaohnically circumcised women (Abdallah, 1982; Cook, 1979; Dareer, 1983; Huber, 1969; Laycock, 1950; Sami, 1986; Shandall, 1967; Venin, 1975).

The onset of menstruation generally creates a tremendous problem for the girl as the vaginal aperture is inadequate for menstrual flow, and an infibulated virgin suffers protracted and painful periods of menstruation, with blockage, retention and buildup of clots behind the infibulation. Adolescence is not a happy time for the Sudanese girl, and depression is said by doctors to be common at this time. Girls are often married soon after menstruation commences.

Sudan, as an Afro-Arab Islamic culture, measures the all-important honor of its families largely by the virtue and chastity of its women. Women are assumed to be (by nature) sexually voracious, promiscuous and unbridled creatures, morally too weak to be entrusted with the sacred honor of the family. Pharaohnic circumcision is believed to ensure this honor by not only decreasing an excessive sexual sensitivity in them but by considerably dampening their sex drive. Furthermore, the actual physical barrier of the infibulation is believed to prevent rape. In small girls at least, this is not always the case, as they are sometimes brought into medical installations for repair of tears resulting from sexual assault. Another widely held belief, even among the educated, is that if the clitoris is not cropped in a young girl, it will grow to enormous size and dangle between the legs, like a man's penis, a belief which carries with it great revulsion. Without circumcision, a girl is simply not marriageable, and the tighter her infibulation, the higher the bride price that can be obtained.

The role of the woman in the society is one of total submission to the man, and her behavior must at all times reflect extreme modesty, unassailable chastity, and a virtual withdrawal from the world outside of the home. Even when educated women in the metropolitan areas now occasionally hold jobs, they are not able to go out into society except under the strictest supervision of either their husbands or some other dominant family member.

Marriages are arranged by the families, although a certain amount of leeway is presently allowed among the more modern and educated class, so that a young man may decide for himself which girl he wishes to marry. And if his choice is an acceptable one to both families, the arrangements are then made. Even without this, arranged marriages are often remarkably successful, as measured by the satisfaction expressed by both partners. One of the main conditions for the girl's happiness is that she is not located away from her extended family (or clan by marriage.) In other words, she remains in a familiar and supportive environment.

Both the bridegroom and the bride are required to play rigidly assigned roles at the marriage ceremony. He must appear relaxed, smiling, supremely confident, totally in control, while she must be unsmiling and present the abjectly submissive nature of maidenly modesty. His role is the more difficult to maintain because it masks an anxiety that he may not be able to penetrate her infibulation, that he will cause her to hemorrhage in the attempt (and perhaps even see her die), or that his anxiety will cause erectile dysfunction which would be so devastating to his manhood that he may actually commit suicide as a consequence.

Her withdrawn, unresponsive expression is far closer to the truth and hides an abject terror of what is in store for her. The penetration of the bride's infibulation takes anywhere from 3 or 4 days to several months. Some men are unable to penetrate their wives at all (in my study over 15%), and the task is often accomplished by a midwife under conditions of great secrecy, since this reflects negatively on the man's potency. Some who are unable to penetrate their wives manage to get them pregnant in spite of the infibulation, and the woman's vaginal passage is then cut open to allow birth to take place. A great deal of marital anal intercourse takes place in cases where the wife can not be penetrated-- quite logically in a culture where homosexual anal intercourse is a commonly accepted premarital recourse among men-but this is not readily discussed. Oral sex is widely practiced by wives but rarely by husbands. Those men who do manage to penetrate their wives do so often, or perhaps always, with the help of the "little knife." This creates a tear, which they gradually rip more and more until the opening is sufficient to admit the penis. Repeated scarring results. In some women, the scar tissue is so hardened and overgrown with keloidal formations that it can only be cut with very strong surgical scissors, as is reported by doctors who relate cases where they broke scalpels in the attempt.

Clearly, the Sudanese bride undergoes conditions of tremendous pain, as well as physical and psychic trauma. These were always readily spoken of by women, generally with a great deal of easily expressed affect, when they were speaking to a female interviewer. Paradoxically, most women related that their husbands were considerate and loving throughout the ordeal, and that they are sensitive and tender lovers. A far smaller number of women said that their husbands had been brutal.

Sudanese couples tend to bond quite strongly, by and large, in spite of the trauma the woman undergoes. Most women give the appearance of being very proud of their husbands. They often express great satisfaction with their marriages and their lives. Nonetheless, when they are asked whether they would have preferred to have been men, rather than women, they say without any exception that if only Allah had willed it, they would very much have preferred to have been created men.

The Sudanese, in general, are a remarkably open, friendly, peaceable, mutually supportive, generous, deeply devout people, who, to the Western mind, are inexplicably happy in their desperately poor, monotonously barren, harsh and bleakly desertized land. Their emotional lives, from childhood on, are quite remarkably rich, as Sudanese psychiatrists will also verify, and loving relationships are plentiful in their widely extended families. They are deeply convinced of the infiniteness and mercy of Allah, and they practice the obligations imposed by their religion fervently and with great joy. The rule of custom is powerful and all-pervading and is accepted by the populace without question.