The Land of the Lotus Eaters
One Heart Books.com
America - Land of the Lotus Eaters
by Jason Zimmerman
"On the tenth day we reached the land of the Lotus Eaters, who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we landed to take in fresh water, and our crews got their mid-day meal on the shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two of my company to see what manner of men the people of the place might be, and they had a third man under them.
"They started at once, and went about among the Lotus Eaters, who did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus Eaters without thinking further of their return.
"Nevertheless, though they wept bitterly I forced them back to the ships and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars."
In this tale within Homer’s Odyssey, we come across an early account of addiction and what it can do to the souls of men. The concept of addiction is one of great prevalence within Western thought, and particularly, within American culture. My question is, has America become Land of the Lotus Eaters?
Briefly, addiction can be described as being “led into” certain behaviors that are reinforcing; but which end up having a negating and cyclical effect over time. These behaviors range from the hard physical addiction to opiate drugs (the “lotus” perhaps?) at one extreme, or at the other, the emotional addiction to escape and control which tends to be present in many forms of addiction and compulsive disorders. In any case, addiction leads us to something outside of ourselves in an attempt to gain a sense of normalcy and relief from the suffering of everyday life.
I would posit that addiction is a symptom of a more deeply rooted fear-based emotional state. When we become so compelled to seek out these external substances and behaviors that we fear not having them available, this is a manifestation of addiction. The addiction is the means of escape from confronting this fear, yet it only leads to more fear of another kind. This is the cyclical and negating action of addiction.
Let us briefly return to the origin of this myth, so we can better understand the message it conveys with regard to the American way of life. There is a great deal of conjecture surrounding what this land was, where it existed, and what it represented. Homer was not the only ancient literary to describe this place and its people. Both Herodotus and Ptolemy attempted to locate this place geographically, as somewhere along the North African coast. Plato also describes this myth within the Republic, as he attempts to convey his concept of social order. Interestingly, there appears to be no evidence of this culture except through ancient and classical literature. Nonetheless, the myth carries forward into much of our present-day discourse about addiction and social order.
Let us consider the experience of the lotophagi from different perspectives. Here we have a culture with little regard for progress or social development – a hedonistic culture, perhaps, where enjoyment of life and its simple pleasures are held in the highest regard. It seems that this way of life is contrary to the ideals of Western culture, where progress, ambition, competition, striving, and materialism are the main objectives. But by which standard should we judge the behaviors, values, or customs of another culture?
In present day Jamaica, there exists a culture of people known as the Rastafari. They would describe themselves as a deeply spiritual people who find the divinity of creation within themselves and in the world as it was meant to be. Many Rastafarians claim they descend from the original twelve tribes of Israel, and believe Ethiopia to be their Holy Land. The Rastafari live a simple, peaceful, and sustainable existence, and eschew the Western (Babylon) way of life as being imperialistic and unsustainable. An important ritual of Rastafarian life is to partake of the ganja (marijuana) as it provides them with wisdom and direction in their communion with Jah Rastafari (God). They point to Psalm 104:14 as their rationale for using this herb. Nonetheless, they view their idyllic existence on the tropical paradise of Jamaica, as “hell on earth”, as the world as it currently exists crumbles into dust. Yet, they know they will return to their Holy Land on a day yet to be revealed.
Are the Rastafari one of the truly enlightened cultures within a world dominated by the forces of Babylon? Are they the Lotus Eaters described within ancient literature, seeking only to live a simple, humble, self-sustaining existence and enjoy the fruits of the earth? Would Western culture view these people as a contradiction to the norm of social order and progress?
What I do know is that the Rastafari are a hard-working people who recognize suffering for what it is. They do not escape from the truth, but overstand their current situation in hopes of returning home one day. These people uphold the value of world peace, yet they stand up each day to fight the real enemy - addiction to an unsustainable way of life.
Let us consider another perspective. Perhaps the lotus is that which brings ignorance rather than wisdom, and America (Babylon) is actually the Land of the Lotus Eaters. Perhaps Odysseus’ ship never left the shores of this land, and perhaps we all remained behind to languish in ignorance, irresponsibility, and moral decadence. Perhaps addiction, a social dis-ease created by our own devices, is a symptom that our way of life is out of balance. The suffering addiction brings points us to the collective fear-based emotional state we seek to escape as we continue to ingest more and more of the sweet lotus that is rapidly diminishing in supply. We have grown accustomed (tolerant) to the lotus, and require ever-increasing doses to avoid the suffering that we must eventually face. The lotus takes the form of material goods and services that placate our desire for more. Bigger televisions, louder stereo systems, faster automobiles, tastier and more readily available meals, larger and more luxurious homes, increasingly captivating forms of entertainment, and increasingly destructive wars in a quest for world domination – this is the lotus we seek to consume, even as it brings us to the brink of destruction – this is America.
This is the addiction – the spell we are under – the means with which we provide ourselves to continue our languid existence within a state of ignorance and denial. They say addiction is a disease of denial and the first step toward recovery is to admit that our lives have become unmanageable – that we must submit to our higher power if there is any hope for improvement. The Rastafari have already admitted that this current situation is truly “hell on earth”.
Truth be told, I believe America is the Land of the Lotus Eaters, and the addiction to progress, ambition, competition, striving, and materialism is the present-day lotus. The truth within this ancient tale resonates with the current situation we experience – regardless of the perspective one takes. There is a great deal of suffering, and the animal brain is designed to either fight this condition or flee from it. Unfortunately, we spend too much time and energy fighting the wrong enemy and fleeing from the true source of pain. It is time to stand strong, face the suffering, and fight the addiction itself if we are to find recovery.
Many of us will be left behind, and many will weep bitterly when forced to give up the delicious fruit, but we must board the ship and set sail, and we must leave now if we are ever to make it home.