Roxana-Mălina Chirilă, former MISA adept who talked publicly about MISA several times, is in the process of reading Massimo Introvigne's book "Sacred Eroticism. Tantra and Eros in MISA".
"And while I usually write shorter reviews or more concise analyses, this time around I’d like to take you along on my reading journey. I want share the thoughts I have as I go along, whether they’re more relevant to Introvigne’s point or less.
It’s less of a review. It’s more of a “Roxana reacts”. (Don’t you wish this were a video? I do; except I hate making them.)"
She already published 2 parts.
Part 1
Part 2
Stay tuned for the following parts!
"Have I really spent a couple of hours looking up definitions of aesthetics online and searching for authors so I can better understand Introvigne - only for Introvigne to drop the theoretical framework as soon as he mentioned it?"
ReplyDeleteIt's just a hint because he wants to own his pivot (radical aesthetics) and leave to the former MISA nothing that we could grasp at.
He wants to be subtle, so subtle that we don't ever question if he ordered the detective book to be written - an obscure novel that he can use as foundation for his argument in defending Bivolaru.
I will identify with Introvigne and will be dreaming his dream. "How nice it would be if I had a bad novel to use for my argument!" Introvigne is a good man, a lawyer. He doesn't write books that are damaging to someone's reputation.
Yes, we, former course attendees, follow his instructions and become enamored with the flawed book due to our desire for details incriminating MISA, while he... See him discreetly constructing the framework of his defense for Bivolaru!
Introvigne must play the devil and pull some stunts in front of us.
Nice review Roxana! From radical aesthetics introduced as dubious as it was, there's one step into denying the imagery of naked women fed to the public through all outlets of MISA. He'll call the barely clothed women 'radical' aesthetics.
"He says about sex:
For sociologists in the Goffman tradition, sexuality and eroticism are not defined by evolutionary biology only."
So Introvigne wants to ease Bivolaru into an western culture of 'sexual spirituality'. Ceausescu did not say, 'don't get married!'
"Introvigne also claims MISA’s “aesthetics” are based on the same three elements: “Eastern spiritualities (particularly Tantrism), Western esotericism, and a certain tradition in modernist art (interpreted selectively)”.
Bivolaru was so immersed in Western esotericism that he was expelled from the International Federation of Yoga. However, he did not mind at all because he had Romanian esotericism (mioritic tantra).
"We can look at certain images on MISA’s Web sites and ask whether they are artistic performances, spiritual rituals, or celebrations of the human body. From MISA’s point of view, they are all these things together, as there is no separation between daily life, art, and spirituality.
Well. That, at least, is something I can confirm."
While I'm not convinced. He is a con artist, short for confidence artist. A con artist deceives or tricks others by gaining their trust and exploiting it for personal gain. These individuals often use manipulation, persuasion, and charm to exploit their victims and achieve their goals, such as financial gain or personal advantage.
@Roxana Chirila:
ReplyDeleteMaybe you look over these articles:
"Brainwashing Theories in European Parliamentary and Administrative Reports on Cults and Sects" in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and
"Sacred Eroticism: Tantra and Eros in the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) by Massimo Introvigne, Mimesis 2022"
by Karolina Maria Kotkowska (Hess)Karolina Maria Kotkowska (Hess), published in
The Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture. New Series.17 (1/2023) - Occultism and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe
In Introvigne's article, "Non-traditional Christianity" published in 1993, published in Reviews (219) he mentions Ortohodoxy for the theopoesis doctrine. On short theopoesis refers to the transforming effect of divine grace, the spirit of God, or the atonement of Christ, or "As God is, man may become".
If Bivolaru's doctrine is rooted in Orthodoxy, why would Introvigne need "radical aesthetics" introduced only as a word with the intent to drift Bivolaru's MISA in a Western movement since the Roman Catholic leaders are said in this long-ago published article that they observed the need to reorient themselves to theopoesis? While the Roman Catholic theologians lean on Orthodoxy for ideas, Bivolaru leans on the Western movements for inspiration?
These are 4 separate, distinct moves. Remember when MISA cut ties with the Yoga Federation! International Yoga Federation would be rather considered assimilated into the Western world and freedoms which Bivolaru fails to perceive properly. MISA is isolated in beliefs and MISA leaders remained dismayed at the decision passed by IYF against their leader. The western acceptance is a coat they did not accomplish putting on if it's to have a plastic vedantic imagery.
I find very interesting this section:
ReplyDelete"In stilted conversations in a room as hot as a sauna and smelling intensely of mint, he let me know he believed I was very unappealing, and unable to hold any man’s (sexual) interest. He might have meant it as an insult; I was just relieved he’d leave me alone without incident, even if the women back in the apartment would keep insisting I’d change my mind."
On one hand it shows the limited ability of this presumed perfect being to transfigure, it shows he's mean and perverted mindset.
On the other hand it is well worth admiring Roxana, as she seems to be one of the very few that were practically on the brink of abuse and she managed to avoid it. You should be speaking with the BBC lady, Roxana. your story is well worth telling.
Nice reaction you have to Mr Introvigne.