Struthio Camelus Syndrome
by Eric Rockwell
A frightening epistemological disease is spreading rapidly throughout the world, leaving mankind mentally crippled as a result. This disease is not organic or biological in nature, but instead comes in the form of an idea. Working like a virus, this idea passes like a germ from one individual to another, mutating as it spreads. The victims of this disease, known as Struthio Camelus Syndrome, suffer from a general inability to deal with reality.
The syndrome gets its name from Struthio camelus, commonly known as the ostrich, which is the world’s largest living bird. Folklore tells of this bird’s tendency to bury its head in the sand when faced with anything unpleasant. While in truth the ostrich does not practice such absurd behavior, human beings do, especially if they suffer from Struthio Camelus Syndrome (SCS).
A healthy individual realizes that an objective reality exists, and that he has a consciousness with which to perceive it. However, someone infected with the SCS virus has inverted that truth and instead believes the deadly opposite; that ones consciousness is what creates reality. Believing this falsehood, the person with Struthio Camelus Syndrome does not deal with reality by direct observation and the use of reason, but rather by manipulating their own consciousness.
When reality contradicts their false premises, people infected with the SCS virus ignore the contradiction rather than correct it. The victims of the disease bury their heads in the sand in response to their fear and disdain of reality.
This idea-virus is spread by infected individuals, who not only hold a primacy of consciousness philosophy themselves, but also seek to pass the virus on to others. People spread the idea-virus through the use of bromides, such as, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” and “Ignorance is bliss.” On the contrary, what you don’t know can indeed hurt you. And nothing can hurt an individual more and be less blissful than the insidious infection of SCS.
Another form of transmission is through the power of the pulpit, whether it is in a church, a university lecture hall, or the mass media. Preachers and professors alike spread the disease. Whether their sermons are quoting A Course in Miracles or Critique of Pure Reason, whether they are preaching Schopenhauer or Mary Baker Eddy makes no real difference, as the result is the same. Dr. Wayne Dyer, a new-age psychobabbler who can be found proselytizing on your local PBS station, is one such individual. A kind of present day, real-life Toohey, he furthers contagion of the SCS virus through his “Power of Intention” program. In it, he moves his rapt followers to believe that reality is created through beliefs, thoughts, feelings and intentions. Once accepted, victims of the SCS virus then succumb to the worst symptoms of the disease, including denial, prayer, and willful blindness to reality.
One common symptom of the syndrome is the belief in God. Victims of SCS pray to make reality adhere to their wishes. But take note that while praying, the believers do so with their eyes shut. The reason for this is self-evident.
Another symptom is the refusal to acknowledge negative or disheartening facts. Calling themselves “positive thinkers,” they only acknowledge the aspects of reality that are pleasing to them. Anything negative is ignored or refuted. When reality frightens them, they may resort to uttering a series of affirmations such as, “I am one with the universe. All my needs and wants will be provided.”
Determinism is deeply connected with all SCS victims. The sand which covers their eyes in this case is a form of wishful thinking. When anything frightening or threatening occurs, they ease their conscience by asserting that “Everything is Meant To Be.” Believing there is a great design to everything assures them that whatever unpleasant aspect they may notice in reality is part of some unknown Greater Good.
Whether it is prayers, positive thinking, affirmations, or determinism, all those infected with Struthio Camelus Sydrome are in one way or another doing an imitation of an ostrich. The disease results ultimately in death, a state which they assure us is a “better place.” And in death, they find their heads at long last buried in the sand ... permanently.
But there is hope. While the word “hope” to someone afflicted with SCS means retreating into their own consciousness and basically wishing really hard, healthy individuals know that hope is not mere wishing, but comes in the form of realistically possible solutions. In the case of the SCS epidemic, the real hope comes from a powerful vaccine. Like the disease itself, the vaccine comes in the form of an idea; specifically, the polar opposite idea of what caused the disease in the first place.
The idea that existence holds primacy over consciousness, with all the ideas that derive from it, is both a cure to Struthio Camelus Syndrome, and also a vaccine against it.
One only need to choose the intellectual stance of Aristotle over that of Plato to recover from the illness. As opposed to our focus gazing upon a non-existent, mystical world of forms, keeping our focus firmly planted on reality makes us nearly immune to the dangers of SCS. Full immunity is acquired when in addition one commits oneself to use reason as one's only means of understanding that reality.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the human population has been infected with Struthio Camelus. If you are one who is not infected, you can participate in the healing of the world simply by spreading the right ideas. The next time you encounter someone infected with SCS, be prepared to administer a dose of Reality and an inoculation of Reason.
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