The spiritual aspect of penis

[Skinny Guinea]

After finding this forum last night, the part of my body that felt most affected was -- my heart. Sometimes when I think I have fully realized just how deep this issue of penis, having a penis, being male, penis size, etc., can go, I am then amazed to see how it is so deep that I just can't gasp it.

Being that I'm a "newbie," and being that this is a rather, um, unusual view, I fear it may scare some of you away, but I'm going to share this anyway because it's heartfelt and honest.

I'm very interested in psychology and spirituality. I always have been. And because I grew up in an all-female family with no father in the house and no older brothers, I have always been sort of struggling to find out "what it means to be a man."

Over the last several years, I have read three books that have dealt with this issue of penis, or "phallos," the psychology and spirituality of being male:

PHALLOS: SACRED IMAGE OF THE MASCULINE by Eugene Monick
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...260&TXT=Y&itm=1

CASTRATION AND MALE RAGE: THE PHALLIC WOUND by Eugene Monick
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...919123511&itm=2

THE PHALLUS: SACRED SYMBOL OF MALE CREATIVE POWER
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...892815566&itm=7

To paraphase, all of the above books basically say that the "phallus" (erect penis) is a highly spiritual symbol, and actually the MAIN spiritual symbol of all civilizations throughout all time. Phallus worship is one thing that all civilizations have had in common. And the last book I mention above says that even the Christian cross itself began as a phallus symbol!

The second book (written by a Jungian analyst) says that many men suffer from a fear of castration anxiety, and that to feel that one's penis is not good enough or that one may be in danger of losing one's penis (either literally or metaphorically) is a loss of soul.

The first book says that for a man, to have an erection is actually "an encounter with the soul."

Because we live in a society (particularly the USA) that is "modern" and is sort of uncomfortable with sexuality in general, this topic seems very odd, I know. It even seems a bit crazy. I mean, most of us don't think that when we get erections it is anything spiritual. We usually think of it as being just the result of horiness or from having to urinate (such as when we wake up with erections). But lately I am seeing that it is very true that for us men, the penis is a sacred symbol. It's so easy to laugh it off (typing this out right now, I can just imagine there are some women out there rolling their eyes, going, "Oh, you stupid guys with your penises. Now you're saying your fixation is 'spiritual'? Yeah right.")

I hope I haven't scared too many of you with this. Part of me thinks that I shouldn't mention all of this because I'm new to the board. But the thing is, I was so moved by some of what I read on this forum last night that I was almost in tears, and coming here and reading some of what you guys have written only furthered my understanding that in some ways this is indeed a spiritual topic.

I'm going to have to log off now, before I just go on and on and on, but before I do I wanted to say that I feel a real sort of brotherhood with all of you, which is also very beautiful because on this forum I see something that you don't always see in the "real world" -- men of different orientations talking about the prime symbol of being male. So fuckin' beautiful!

Okay, that's all for now. Thanks.

EDIT: See, I just go on and on....

I forgot to mention, the book that introduced me to this entire topic is this book:

ABSENT FATHERS, LOST SONS by Guy Corneau
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...030&TXT=Y&itm=1

This book, as the title states, is geared towards men like me: men who did not grow up with fathers and who therefore feel they are lost. This book says that in order to feel like a man, the male must see himself reflected in "Phallos," the god of the erect penis. This is what led me to reading the three books I mentioned above.

 

[Dr Rock]

Originally posted by Skinny Guinea@Oct 23 2005, 09:00 PM
This book, as the title states, is geared towards men like me: men who did not grow up with fathers and who therefore feel they are lost.

[post=354600]Quoted post[/post]​

:shrug: not really wishing to be pedantic here, but that's a gross and potentially real offensive generalization right there. I dunno if it was just a bad choice of words, but "therefore" is a word you should always be very careful with. the idea that growing up with or without a father will directly affect any given person's senses of self-esteem and/or self-awareness is not one that I really find very palatable.

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Originally posted by Dr Rock+Oct 23 2005, 03:46 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr Rock &#064; Oct 23 2005, 03:46 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Skinny Guinea@Oct 23 2005, 09:00 PM
This book, as the title states, is geared towards men like me: men who did not grow up with fathers and who therefore feel they are lost.

[post=354600]Quoted post[/post]​

:shrug: not really wishing to be pedantic here, but that&#39;s a gross and potentially real offensive generalization right there. I dunno if it was just a bad choice of words, but "therefore" is a word you should always be very careful with. the idea that growing up with or without a father will directly affect any given person&#39;s senses of self-esteem and/or self-awareness is not one that I really find very palatable.

[post=354631]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]


Well, you should probably re-read what I wrote -- re-read what I wrote and you will most likely see that I didn&#39;t say what you think I said. I didn&#39;t say all men who grew up without fathers end up feeling lost. I said the book is intended for men "like me" -- men who grew up without fathers and as a result ended up feeling lost. There are some men who grew up without fathers and didn&#39;t feel lost as a result, and so the book isn&#39;t for them.

Please make sure you understand what someone is saying before you tell them they used the wrong words and made gross generalizations. There&#39;s the possibility that you didn&#39;t even understand what was said to begin with&#33;

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Oy&#33; ... something told me I shouldn&#39;t have opened this can of worms....

I think I&#39;m going to make a parting comment on this topic and then exit this particular thread altogether, because so far I&#39;ve gotten two responses and they&#39;ve both been negative. I don&#39;t really "need" this.

Very briefly and succinctly: whether you think there is anything spiritual about the symbolism of the penis has no bearing on the fact that for millennia civilizations have indeed viewed the penis as a spiritual symbol.

This isn&#39;t my own personal take on this topic. Think of me as a reporter repeating what has gone on in this world since the dawn of time.

I will part by saying that you have misinterpreted major aspects of what I have said, and I frankly don&#39;t have the energy to point out where the misinterpretations took place. If you re-read what I wrote, and read the sources I provide, with an open mind then you can find your misinterpretations for yourself.

I will close with one last link, for anyone interested. And that will be "it" for me in this particular discussion thread. I don&#39;t like the direction this discussion is going, quite frankly, and I just don&#39;t have the energy to sit here and fend off misinterpretation after misinterpretation. Bye. :hi:

http://www.templenet.com/beliefs/shivling.htm

 

[Dr Rock]

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Okay, it turns out that all I needed from this thread was a break, not to leave it completely. I apologize for the little tatrum above. I was in a bitchy mood because I&#39;ve had a hard day. :donut:

Okay, my brothers (and I hope it&#39;s okay that I call you all that), I now realize that it&#39;s probably not right for me to present this topic and then just leave and not clear up misunderstandings. So, here goes:

1. The issue of whether there is religious/spiritual aspect to the penis

It&#39;s up to the individual man whether he believes or feels that the penis is a spiritual symbol. For me, it is. For some of you, apparently not. However, as I noted above, this doesn&#39;t change the fact that for many centuries phallus worship has been an important part of world cultures.

See:

http://www.studio925.com/phallus.htm

http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/phallic+worship

2. Issues of Masculinity vrs. Patriarchy

A forum member above said that he doesn&#39;t think we should build obelisks and phallus symbols, and he seems to say that such things are "backwards," etc. Setting aside the fact that the world is already filled with phallus symbols (how many obelisks are there in this world?) and therefore it doesn&#39;t matter whether this member thinks this is a good thing or not, because it just IS -- I need to point out that this is not what I am talking about when I say the penis is a spiritual symbol.

When I say the penis is a spiritual symbol, I mean that it reflects back to something deep within the man&#39;s heart. I mean that the penis is a symbol for something within us.

To this, I will add that one of the authors I mentioned said that there is a difference between "masculinity" and "patriarchy." Patriarchy is the thing that causes men to build obelisks. Masculinity is the thing within us that we all have, and it is the thing that the penis is the prime symbol of.

3. Issues of male superiority

Another issue that the member above touched upon was that this whole penis/phallus worship is a sort of "macho" and "male chauvinist" thing. To that, I would like to educate that in fact, in some cultures, it is not. The books I mention above say that in certain cultures, such as in India, the penis is the symbol of the life force -- you know, the thing that causes us all to be here. But that the man does not "own" the life force. He merely has the symbol of it between his legs. In this light, the man is not the "owner" of the life force, but its servant. The life force comes through the man&#39;s penis, but the man does not control the life force, etc.

4. Spirituality and sexuality

I realize this issue may sound very weird to some of you. This is because most of us come from a Western Christian/Judiac background, where the merging of sexuality and spirituality is often seen as contradictory. In India, and other countries, it is believed that the two should meet. The Kama Sutra is one such example. This is not considered a book of "pornography," but of spirituality:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kama_sutra

5. Penis and spirituality in the Western world, and other tidbits

And the fact is that, though few realize it, the penis actually IS a spiritual symbol in the Western world. Ever hear of something called circumcision? Most of us in the US have indeed heard of it, because most of us are circumcised. Well, at least within the Jewish religion, circumcision is indeed seen as a spiritual rite, a convenant between Abraham and G-d. As I pointed out a rabbi once, the Torah (Bible) is basically saying that G-d cares about the penis.

* The word "fascinate" comes from the ancient Roman word "fascinum," which meant "penis." In other words, the Romans were fascinated with their penises, and the very word "fascinate" ultimately means "to be in awe of the penis.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=fascinate

* In some villages in India, there are some men who take a vow of maintaining an erection for as long as possible, because having an erection puts a man in a different state of mind.

And in closing, maybe some of you would be interested in learning about the ancient myth of Priapus:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priapus

 

[Pecker]

Makes me want to meditate quietly, contemplating my penis.

Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm&#33;

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Originally posted by Pecker@Oct 23 2005, 09:26 PM
Makes me want to meditate quietly, contemplating my penis.

Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm&#33;

[post=354712]Quoted post[/post]​

Go for it, dude. I certainly have&#33; I&#39;ve stared at my penis for long periods of time, just in awe of it&#33;

 

[Matthew]

Hi SG, welcome aboard. You&#39;ve really put yourself out there in your short time on the board. Just so you know, you are likely to get all kinds of responses, from support and warmth, to sincere commentary and questions, to challenges and criticism (sometimes sharp), to sarcasm, goofing and just kind of random humor (where u at, GoneA?). Of course you can take that stuff however you want to. Personally, I do better when I take it all in stride. One thing is for sure, you&#39;ll never get everybody to agree with you here -- there&#39;s too great of a range of opinions about things. Sorry you had a bad day, hope your experience on the board is good for you.

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Originally posted by Matthew@Oct 23 2005, 09:36 PM
Hi SG, welcome aboard. You&#39;ve really put yourself out there in your short time on the board. Just so you know, you are likely to get all kinds of responses, from support and warmth, to sincere commentary and questions, to challenges and criticism (sometimes sharp), to sarcasm, goofing and just kind of random humor (where u at, GoneA?). Of course you can take that stuff however you want to. Personally, I do better when I take it all in stride. One thing is for sure, you&#39;ll never get everybody to agree with you here -- there&#39;s too great of a range of opinions about things. Sorry you had a bad day, hope your experience on the board is good for you.

[post=354714]Quoted post[/post]​

Thanks. Yeah, I&#39;m starting to see that. I think that what happened was that when I found this forum I was just so moved that you guys were getting together and talking about a topic that is usually either taboo or is reduced to sophomoric jokes, etc. For about the first few hours that I browsed this forum, it just seemed like utopia. I was all, "Wow, a brotherhood of men who get along and talk about such an important topic." Now, however, I&#39;m starting to see this is the "real world" after all -- some support, some cheap shots, etc.

Maybe I should&#39;ve waited before I delved into all of this, as newbies tend go through a "hazing" ritual on most forums, etc. Maybe I should&#39;ve let people get to know me first, but I was so happy to find this forum that I just let loose with all of this. Oh well, if it all backfires and piss off too many people in the process, I can always leave, you know. :toast:

 

[Matthew]

Not to belabor this, but I meant it as a good thing that you expressed a lot of stuff. If anything, that is held in higher regard here than hanging around and not posting anything. So in my opinion it wasn&#39;t bad at all. I don&#39;t think you were being "hazed," and I think some of what felt like "cheap shots" were part of a normal range of responses. I guess that&#39;s what I was trying to say. The broader the theory or worldview you put out, the more likely some people will find things to challenge or take issue with. But I really doubt you pissed anyone off. That&#39;s all for now - peece

 

[GoneA]

Originally posted by Matthew@Oct 24 2005, 05:08 AM
Not to belabor this, but I meant it as a good thing that you expressed a lot of stuff. If anything, that is held in higher regard here than hanging around and not posting anything. So in my opinion it wasn&#39;t bad at all. I don&#39;t think you were being "hazed," and I think some of what felt like "cheap shots" were part of a normal range of responses. I guess that&#39;s what I was trying to say. The broader the theory or worldview you put out, the more likely some people will find things to challenge or take issue with. But I really doubt you pissed anyone off. That&#39;s all for now - peece

[post=354724]Quoted post[/post]​

Speaking of things to challenge.....you spelled peace wrong. Get with the program, Mat.

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Originally posted by Matthew@Oct 23 2005, 10:08 PM
Not to belabor this, but I meant it as a good thing that you expressed a lot of stuff. If anything, that is held in higher regard here than hanging around and not posting anything. So in my opinion it wasn&#39;t bad at all. I don&#39;t think you were being "hazed," and I think some of what felt like "cheap shots" were part of a normal range of responses. I guess that&#39;s what I was trying to say. The broader the theory or worldview you put out, the more likely some people will find things to challenge or take issue with. But I really doubt you pissed anyone off. That&#39;s all for now - peece

[post=354724]Quoted post[/post]​

Thanks.

It&#39;s true that no matter what you say, someone will disagree.

 

[GoneA]

Originally posted by Skinny Guinea+Oct 24 2005, 06:04 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Skinny Guinea &#064; Oct 24 2005, 06:04 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Matthew@Oct 23 2005, 10:08 PM
Not to belabor this, but I meant it as a good thing that you expressed a lot of stuff. If anything, that is held in higher regard here than hanging around and not posting anything. So in my opinion it wasn&#39;t bad at all. I don&#39;t think you were being "hazed," and I think some of what felt like "cheap shots" were part of a normal range of responses. I guess that&#39;s what I was trying to say. The broader the theory or worldview you put out, the more likely some people will find things to challenge or take issue with. But I really doubt you pissed anyone off. That&#39;s all for now - peece

[post=354724]Quoted post[/post]​

Thanks.

It&#39;s true that no matter what you say, someone will disagree.

[post=354749]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]


That&#39;s not true.

 

[Matthew]

Originally posted by GoneA@Oct 23 2005, 11:00 PM
Speaking of things to challenge.....you spelled peace wrong. Get with the program, Mat.

[post=354745]Quoted post[/post]​

Now there&#39;s the saltine calling the ritz a cracker.

I spelled it that way on purpose because I think it looks cool that way, so there.

Aw, I&#39;m just jealous that you sucked off Axex.

 

[GoneA]

Originally posted by Matthew+Oct 24 2005, 06:08 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Matthew &#064; Oct 24 2005, 06:08 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-GoneA@Oct 23 2005, 11:00 PM
Speaking of things to challenge.....you spelled peace wrong. Get with the program, Mat.

[post=354745]Quoted post[/post]​

Now there&#39;s the saltine calling the ritz a cracker.

I spelled it that way on purpose because I think it looks cool that way, so there.

Aw, I&#39;m just jealous that you sucked off Axex.

[post=354751]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]


YOU GUYS ARE TURNING ME GAAAAY....oh well, i love it.

And it doesn&#39;t look COOL that way....I can only imagine what sick, perverted, message your trying to infer.

 

[GoneA]

Originally posted by Axex+Oct 24 2005, 06:27 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Axex &#064; Oct 24 2005, 06:27 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>

Originally posted by GoneA@Oct 24 2005, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by Matthew@Oct 24 2005, 06:08 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-GoneA

@Oct 23 2005, 11:00 PM
Speaking of things to challenge.....you spelled peace wrong. Get with the program, Mat.

[post=354745]Quoted post[/post]​

Now there&#39;s the saltine calling the ritz a cracker.

I spelled it that way on purpose because I think it looks cool that way, so there.

Aw, I&#39;m just jealous that you sucked off Axex.

[post=354751]Quoted post[/post]​

YOU GUYS ARE TURNING ME GAAAAY....oh well, i love it.

And it doesn&#39;t look COOL that way....I can only imagine what sick, perverted, message your trying to infer.

[post=354754]Quoted post[/post]​

Turning you gay? You just enjoy the phallic worship .

[post=354763]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]


Oh the spiritual aspect of the penis......so arousing.

 

[madame_zora]

Originally posted by GoneA+Oct 24 2005, 06:32 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GoneA &#064; Oct 24 2005, 06:32 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>

Originally posted by Axex@Oct 24 2005, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by GoneA@Oct 24 2005, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by Matthew@Oct 24 2005, 06:08 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-GoneA

@Oct 23 2005, 11:00 PM
Speaking of things to challenge.....you spelled peace wrong. Get with the program, Mat.

[post=354745]Quoted post[/post]​

Now there&#39;s the saltine calling the ritz a cracker.

I spelled it that way on purpose because I think it looks cool that way, so there.

Aw, I&#39;m just jealous that you sucked off Axex.

[post=354751]Quoted post[/post]​

YOU GUYS ARE TURNING ME GAAAAY....oh well, i love it.

And it doesn&#39;t look COOL that way....I can only imagine what sick, perverted, message your trying to infer.

[post=354754]Quoted post[/post]​

Turning you gay? You just enjoy the phallic worship .

[post=354763]Quoted post[/post]​

Oh the spiritual aspect of the penis......so arousing.

[post=354765]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]


It&#39;s inspired a few "Oh my god&#33;"s from me.

 

[Skinny Guinea]

Originally posted by GoneA+Oct 23 2005, 11:32 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GoneA &#064; Oct 23 2005, 11:32 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>

Originally posted by Axex@Oct 24 2005, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by GoneA@Oct 24 2005, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by Matthew@Oct 24 2005, 06:08 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-GoneA

@Oct 23 2005, 11:00 PM
Speaking of things to challenge.....you spelled peace wrong.  Get with the program, Mat.

[post=354745]Quoted post[/post]​

Now there&#39;s the saltine calling the ritz a cracker.

I spelled it that way on purpose because I think it looks cool that way, so there.

Aw, I&#39;m just jealous that you sucked off Axex.

[post=354751]Quoted post[/post]​

YOU GUYS ARE TURNING ME GAAAAY....oh well, i love it.

And it doesn&#39;t look COOL that way....I can only imagine what sick, perverted, message your trying to infer.

[post=354754]Quoted post[/post]​

Turning you gay? You just enjoy the phallic worship .

[post=354763]Quoted post[/post]​

Oh the spiritual aspect of the penis......so arousing.

[post=354765]Quoted post[/post]​

[/b][/quote]

You&#39;re right, bro, it IS arousing. In fact, I&#39;ve got a semi-boner going right now just talking about this subject.

 

[GoneA]

**GoneA tries to detect the sarcasm in the statement and can&#39;t find any**

**Becomes hospitable towards Skinny**