Church of the Epical

"The DNA is DMA"

After so long and many questions upon the topic I tried long and hard to come up with a fast and easy way to explain the Epical movement and how it can enrich lives.

Many who've tried to explain it, have said empty open ended statements like "It's a new and enriching way of life" or "It's a new philosophy that is both uplifting and fulfilling!" alas, those statements are empty and don't really answer the issue.

The DNA of Epica is the DMA. DMA stands for Dynamic Mental Attitude.
It is NOT the same as a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). If all it took for an uplifted life was to be positive all the time, then the world would be a whistling Disney tunes all day and giving out flowers and balloons.

Face it, it's a dirty gritty world out there and though it has it's ups and downs, we as a species need a mindset in which we can actually cope with it. By cope, I don't mean happy pills (prescription drugs), I mean having the mental attitude, aptitude and fortitude to go forth throughout the day without a) pretending to see it through rose colored glasses and b) crumbling under the pressure.

What if you could just actually try and enjoy life no matter what it threw at you? Imagine the possibilities?

Remember way back when I first attempted to explain the Epical philosophy? Basically, I was explaining that, as it has been written; " all the worlds a stage and we are mere players in it" and we were here to star in our own theatrical performance. This does not mean "be a Drama Queen". It means simply this: Take the mundane and have fun with it. Change your mindset to as if you always had a movie camera trained on your every movement. Imagine a boom microphone above your head recording what you said for an audience to listen. How would you speak? How would you act? Would you cower in fear or thrust out your chest in pride as if to proclaim yourself a real life thespian?

I'll use this as a preamble as in upcoming posts I will go further in how you can be the role you've always wanted to play... but in real life. Oh and gang? You can play the villain and you don't have to lose to the good guys in this one.

Like Archimedes I say:"EUREKA!"

Many have asked me how to simplify what Epica is when trying to explain it to their friends and spread the word. Well, I've done it. A single sentence will spell it all out and break the ice. Now this post has been made to herald the way and tell you that we're not dead here. You may think the lack of frequent posting means the Church is dead, but it's not. New people come to the site everyday and I would prefer they got to be able to digest what we've discussed so far.

Brace yourself. The answers are on the way.

Either way, there's something big on the horizon. In a few days time, it shall be posted.

Reverse engineering 'God'.

Can you answer this question:

"Who is God?"

I bet you can't. Now I don't mean replying "Hey, everybody knows who GOD is. He's that all powerful guy with the long hair and the white beard that's Jesus' dad!" I don't mean replying that god is Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, Jehovah, Goya, Uranus, Thor, Odin, Satan, Zeus, Coronas, Mattes, Apollo, Aries, Athena, Bast, Belial, Leviathan, Thea or Astaroth, just to name a few.

These names were given by man to give an understandable persona to the forces greater than we believed to exist. A line from the XTC song "Dear God" spelled it out rather poignantly: "Did you make mankind after we made YOU". There is no real proof of these gods or even their names. IN the same instance, technology has not led us to believe differently as to their existence either.

What we DO know scientifically is that there are unseen forces in the universe. What we do know is that first and foremost there are energies abound in the universe and it's dimensions that clearly show themselves however unexplained.

]]> So let us reverse engineer the concept of god. Many of our kind in our time have shown many talents and abilities beyond those of normal men, and yet we consider them heretics or witches or freaks simply because we choose not to understand them. The "norm" was set long ago in the evolution of man and based on events that could probably have been proven through science with today's technology. We now can scientifically fathom the different spectrum of energies from ultra violet, ectoplasm and Electro magnetic. We have created machines to detect such. So let's start with how god was conceived. In a time of a science-less world, anything abnormal or occultist was deemed supernatural and in most cases because of it's rarity, evil. From the belief in Jesus' miracles to the Salem witch trials, man has thought that anything that is not 3 dimensional and tangible was either an act of god or the devil.

Faith was created and fueled by superstition and ritual, based on very little fact and supported by fear. Fear of angering the gods, fear of being against the norm, fear of being unnatural. These fears were culminated for the purpose of mind controlling the masses. The masses who followed like sheep sat and listened to the lawgivers who were in themselves corrupt.

Face it. MAN made god as a control device. God is as much a concept as he/she/it is real. God is a point of view. God is a thought process. God is better left within our hearts as a driving force... A thought... A need... A desire. We control our destiny, but we cannot control fate. We can only shape it and bend it, but never can we, like time, tame fate.

Where does that leave us? Well first, let me tell you where it doesn't leave us. In reverse engineering god, It doesn't leave us under the control of man made religions. It doesn't leave us beholden to societal rule. Nor does it leave us in anarchy. You see, that's the first formula you see when you examine the gods of organized religion. You see them as fear mongering tools. Especially in the Christian sects. If you don't go to church, god will punish you and you're a bad church dweller. Well, considering that a plate goes past your nose to collect "offerings" for which you dump your money, I'm sure that's why it's a sin to them if you don't. Because, you see, if you don't go to church, you can't give them your money. The same can be said for the faith healer believing Evangelical churches. Some have the nerve to charge for "healing holy waters". Were they so magnanimous, they would heal for free. Who paid Jesus to heal? No one. He rode on an ass, not in a large limousine.

These organized religions are some of the most corrupt of all time. They are the biggest hustlers known to man. They are the priests and ministers and reverends that prey on you for your money, so they give you the whole show for the price of admission. One has you singing and dancing or screaming out and another keeps you in line like a good little foot soldier of god. Either way, let's call them what they are..."cults".

Society has no idea how it has been duped. No concept of how it has let itself become sheep. Now the sheep are in control of the world and the populace under it's rule are simply the lambs to the slaughter. This is the result of centuries of bastardized stories from two to three thousand year old text.

My friends... Here we have unraveled our concept of god for just what he is... A concept. Well, if I must have a concept, I want to make MY own god. I want a personal god. I want a god that reflects me and my desires. I want a god that is the same for all, but mine alone. Allow me to tell you about MY gods:

MY gods have no faces. MY gods have no names. MY gods do not follow the doctrines set forth by the predecessors of religious dogma. MY gods fuel my fire. MY gods are my batteries to my inner gifts. MY gods wield the power cosmic. MY gods allow me the sentience of free thought and the free will to do as I instinctively please as long as I do not infringe on the same in others and do not kill my fellow man for sport or gain other than in war to defend what is mine in home, property and country.

MY gods acknowledge my inner gifts and do not hinder nor shun them. They nurture my quest for knowledge, they feel my growth, they allow nature to respond in kind, they allow probabilities to be altered because my gods live within myself as they touch me. MY gods do not believe in idle prayer for they do not wish to be bothered with our menial desires and wants, thus they grant us the abilities to make these things happen for ourselves. They allow us to be satellites of their godhood. They allow us to be as gods on earth in a small way. If it was believed we were made in a gods image, then we should have a fraction of that power we so envy. We are offshoots, fingertips of an un-divine hand or rather, hair follicles of a supreme head. We have been touched by a dark cosmic force. It gives us instinct and our mentality allows us to act upon it within the confines that we do not disturb another's right to do the same.

There you have it. God has been restructured and resurrected in a new image. A personal god.

The Epical spiritual ethos.

Many people ask "where exactly does the epical spiritual ethos lie?" Some may even go so far as to ask if Epicalists are Satanists. Allow me to clarify:

Epicalists or Epicans are "hedonistic humanists". We believe that first and foremost, the answers lie within ourselves. Shakespeare once said: "The fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves". He could never have been more correct. But not only our faults, but our successes and how we choose to overcome adversity or difficulty.

Epicans are not Satanists under the conventional terms or understandings, nor are they Christians either. They are also neither agnostic nor atheist as they have a belief system in forces of nature and science and the possibilities of beings greater than ourselves.

]]> Epicalists acknowledge that forces beyond our comprehension formed and shaped our existence, yet give no formal names to them. There is no "Heaven" or "Hell". There is no "God" or "Satan". Any god or grouping of such aforementioned would be merely the X factor in an algebraic equation. Whether they are "good" or "bad" is mostly reliant on ones own perception. To say we don't believe in god is not entirely correct nor incorrect. We believe in forces greater than our own and older and possibly than the ones man has attempted to claim and tame the legacies of by giving them names.

In the pursuit of 'god', and Epicalist seeks proof of the metaphysical and even the supernatural. Epicans believe that the bio-electric force that flows through our cerebral cortex is mostly to blame for the gifts we possess, locked within our most powerful tool in the arsenal of the human psyche: the mind. This is different than mere resultless prayer or charlatan faith healing in other religions.

Epicalist belief is that whatever our instincts tell us must be the better answer. Whatever we desire as a human animal should be a reward reaped with no repercussion be they depraved or selfish. Letting our gut reaction be our guide is our credo. In most societies, due to certain acts of selfish hedonism, these actions might be considered dark behavior.
How society classifies Epicalism is not important. It is only dark to them because they are from a different mental structure for which they do not understand freedom as truly being free.

Besides special days on it's own calendar special to the Epican, the Epicalist celebrates the same holidays found on the lunar and pagan/occult calendars. Not for the same beliefs, but for the sheer wealth of ectoplasm and metaphysical energy generated for which to harness.

The Epical lifestyle and you.

"How can I be 'epical' and why would I want to be?" you may ask? Well it's a very good question. Although these writings spell out many things, they may seem confusing to some or a more complicated read than what others are accustomed to.

Let me first sum it up that Epicalism is the ability to live life in an epic way. Similar to the drama of a movie only without the chaos. Your life doesn't have to be the mundane humdrum life it seems to be. You seek out Epicalism when you feel depressed or that you have no hope or are seeking answers where you feel there are none. You do not chase faiths that ask for money yet offer no proof for answers or seek unproven deities for help. You seek to find the solutions within you, and recognize that not only is accepting change the secret to success, but that recognizing opportunity and seizing it is the key to luck.

]]> Let's break down a few key aspects of Epicalism:

1) First and foremost: You are the star of your own life story.

2) You can dispel the negative aspects of life and turn them into a positive. This is not ignoring depressing or hurtful issues, merely a way to suppress them and turn them in your favor so that you may find them easier to deal with emotionally.

3) You believe that you are your own savior and that salvation first comes from within you and not the unproven gods of both past and modern day organized religion.

4) You believe that you can be whatever you imagine yourself to be if you only took the moment to actually envision that person in your mind and live as such. You believe that what you perceive yourself to be is so.

5) You believe that within you lies the power to do whatever you set your mind to or are interested in finding out how to tap into those inner gifts. You in turn believe in the forces of nature, both physical and the metaphysical.

6) Lastly, you believe that your human instincts and humanistic urges were given to you for a reason and that you should feel free to act upon them as long as others are not being hurt in any way that infringes on their rights to do the same. No religion or political agenda should be able to sway or guilt you from that.

In those 6 simplifying statements, you are well on your path to endarkenment.

There's excitement in cinema. The movies make life so dramatic, from it's music to its direction. Shakespeare said "all the worlds a stage and we are merely players in it", so why not play the part as best you can?

To do that, first and Epicalist must play the role they were born to. They must play it as well as they enjoy it. There are no critics of this act and no writers for this script.

Live Epical. Live fabulously. Live FREE.

Imagery Part V: It's all about belief.

That's right. Belief. How many things today would not have been invented had no one believed in themselves? Would we still be riding in horse driven carriages? Would we have gone into space? Could we fathom that half the things we've dreamt of in Science Fiction could come true? Could we do more than imagine?

Someone had to dream it. Then they had to make a plan. Then they made it real. Your life can be like this also.

No one says you have to invent anything. No one says you have to do something so avante guarde... You simply must follow a dream. Your dream. The one you feel most passionate about. An Epicalist believes that his or her dream is obtainable in some form or another and in some way, shape or manner.

]]> An Epicalist is never held back. An Epicalist does not believe in failure or the word 'no'. An Epicalist, in their mind, believes they can develop something great or be a part of something great.

An Epicalist does not feel they are too old for anything. An Epicalist has no fear of breaking societal rules when they believe they can make better ones. An Epicalist does not relent in his or her conviction, nor do they give up.

An Epicalist keeps the blinders on. Blinders are what they give race horses to wear about their eyes so as they can stay focused. If you think you have crazy idea, chances are it's not so crazy after all. You would know in your gut whether or not to go along with it. Research your idea. See if it's been done before. If it has, maybe you can improve upon it. There are only so many mouse traps, but, as the saying goes, "build a better one and they will beat a path to your door". We now live in a world where more ideas are accepted. There are fewer barriers, and yet the worst barriers we have are those set by either ourselves or those set by others. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. If you write a great play, philosophy, book, movie or song, don't let anyone tell you you cannot follow your dream. Don't let them tell you you are too old to start or too inexperienced. Find others to help you. Protect your ideas first then see them through. Don't let them tell you that you don't have a chance for in this life we all do.

This is the final stage of imagery. The stage where whatever you think to be is so, only you must act upon it. Go forth and tell those that hold you back that you will see it through. Those who put you down are merely jealous that they do not have the vision you do. Mayhap one day they will live as epically as you and find the strength to live their dreams to fruition also. Until then, forge on. Do not stop until your life mission is achieved. Remember the Epicalist motto: "The key to success is to accept change, the key to luck is to recognize and seize opportunity ".

Merry Samhain, Merry New Year

Sing forth the songs of souls gone undone

to tell the tales of those over run

to avenge those scorned, the victimized ones

and gather strength 'til the battle is won

to oppose the followers of the almighty Son.

Let your anger be useful, let ye know pride

Let you never bow down or be forced to hide

Let the world know our coming, and though they have tried

Let them know ye undaunted, accept your dark side.

Imagery Part IV: Media vs. Real Life

aka (why can't my life be as exciting as TV?)

Why does the cinema and television excite us so? Because they bring to us escapism. They bring to us a reality more exciting than our own. It's all "make believe" and yet...why is this? Pretending you are someone you are not is just that...pretending. Life is not a game of "cowboys and Indians" or "cops and robbers" unless you actually ARE one of those. But what life IS is an adventure. How you plan to capitalize on that adventure is up to you. Your mind is such a powerful tool. It's a vast synaptic computing machine. It can create true virtual reality. All you have to do is close your eyes and raise the curtain on the theater of the mind.

Now what if you went one step further? What if you actually were what you wished to be? What if you actually created your own action or dramatic adventure? That in itself is the meaning of life...to give it meaning. Yes. The meaning of life is to give life meaning. It's that simple.

]]> When it William Shakespeare said that "All the world's a stage,and all the men and women merely players"(from As You Like It 2/7) , that statement could not be any more true. In some ways, one could call our race the greatest reality show of all. Our audience is vast in which it includes ourselves and everyone we come in contact with and could very well encompasse beings greater than we and beyond our scope.

We deal in microcosms. We are the lords of our lands and the gods to the insignificant and lesser than we. We keep pets, eat plants and animals no matter how much larger they are to us. We squash bugs and kill micro organisms much smaller than we. We are our own gods in that sense.

But our minds, our psyches need to be entertained as well. So we create situations to be placed on film for the mass media to gain mental stimulation and sustenance. We play games both live and electronic that simulate greater feats than our day to day to entertain ourselves. We read books of the great adventures of those written to be far greater than ourselves. We do this to break the monotony of our day.

Yet we still feel empty. Unfulfilled. So we seek out faith to fill the void and yet that leaves us with a false sense of security because our faiths are taught to us with no fact behind them and we feel foolish. Most churches leave us feeling that life is better when we die. They teach us that we should live our lives as an audition for the afterlife. There is a terrible conundrum of duality here. Our lives should be lived to its fullest, within preset limits, yet that's ok because it will be better when we pass on. I can't subscribe to that because what the afterlife holds for us has yet to be defined in fact nor may it ever be.

The things we would like to do instinctively are considered sinful and should be abstained from, so there will be no bliss until we troll through this muck of life where we are allegedly rewarded upon death. Yet at the same time we're told to live our lives as good people who don't give into our urges.

Don't tell me to enjoy gods green earth in all it's splendor, yet only if you follow it's anal rules.

The movie "The Devils Advocate" said it best. "...he (god) sets the rules in opposition.It's the goof of all time. Look, but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, but don't swallow." How true is this? Dangle the carrot before the ass and he will follow to toil in your fields. I do not want to have to wait to go off to die in the unknown before I can enjoy myself. I don't want to suffer in life in hopes to win the grand prize in the unproven eternity. I want fulfillment now. Right now. In this life.

Why is it, on television, there are situations that seem to be entertaining because they are odd or foreign to us? Why did one television show or another always glamorize an individual or a couple, sometimes married, as amateur detectives that solved crimes successfully? It's odd how these amateurs were so adept and always did what the professionals couldn't. Week after week we'd follow these characters and marvel at them. Well, I may ask you... Why can't that be you? Because we always believe that what we see in media is merely cleverly scripted fantasy, and yet only our disbelief stops us from doing these feats ourselves.

If this were my reality show, it would be one of drama and action. I'd want something challenging and thought provoking. I'd want mystery, conspiracy, adventure and wonder. I'd want to have this everywhere. I'd want it at the supermarket. I'd want it at the barber shoppe. I'd want it on the street in my car. I'd want it at work. I'd want it at home in bed with my lover. I'd want stimulation. I'd want fulfillment and bliss. I'd want instant gratification or the promise of eventual spectacularity.

What I do not want is to wait. I do not want to be restricted. I do not want to live a dull life. I do not want to fade into the woodwork. I do not want to wake up everyday and wonder why my life is so dull and never changing. I do not want to think that I contributed nothing to our society even on the smallest level. I do not want to know that this is all there is. I do not want to get stuck in a humdrum day to day life. I do not want to have to supplement my mental state with drugs or alcohol to escape the quagmire of my life.

This is how I'd want my life and I think you all might benefit from the same attitude.

I would want to reevaluate all that is bad in my life and try to give it an epic flair by attacking them with a sense of excitement.

You may think I'm mad. You may think I'm completely insane. Or you may look at yourselves and wonder; "what have I got to lose in changing my thought process?"

If you had everything you could ever want... Do you think you would be happy? No. That's the biggest lie you could ever tell yourself. If you had it all, you'd become bored rather quickly or succumb to the greed of wanting even more, so your happiness would wane. You see, the meaning of life is to live it with the desire to keep improving on it. To create more challenges for yourself for which you would grow.

Life is not sitting about sedimentary and complacent with a dead end job living from paycheck to paycheck or marking time by counting weekend to weekend watching your life go by.
You must get into this game of life and play it to win. All you need is that imagination to make your life an epical one.