'QAnon Shaman' in plea negotiations after mental health diagnosis | Reuters

[ArmenianJohn]

Exclusive: 'QAnon Shaman' in plea negotiations after mental health diagnosis | Reuters

Wow, he's plea bargaining on the basis of mental illness... Will more of the insurrectionists who are facing prison sentences also try this tact now that it is clear to them they are facing actual prison time? Sounds like a very desperate attempt to avoid prison.

"It's only a matter of time....Justice is coming"

 

[Nithavela]

I'm starting to suspect he hasn't actually taken any levels in shaman.

 

[FireDragon76]

Using shamanism as an insanity cover for political extremism is insulting to actual religious minorities.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

Using shamanism as an insanity cover for political extremism is insulting to actual religious minorities.

I think he really believes he's shamanistic - he seems to syncretize several religions into his own custom belief set. I don't think he's truly mentally ill - I think he's a bit psychotic and sociopathic but they are trying to make him out to be insane, and he's not.

 

[FireDragon76]

I think he really believes he's shamanistic - he seems to syncretize several religions into his own custom belief set. I don't think he's truly mentally ill - I think he's a bit psychotic and sociopathic but they are trying to make him out to be insane, and he's not.

I think his "shamanism" is little more than the equivalent of drag (and I think its a label that others have pinned on him). QAnon was his real religion. Most real shamans weren't exactly rallying around Trump's politics, because Trump wedding himself to the Evangelical Right pretty much precluded that.

I agree though, he's not insane in the legal sense. Being narcissistic and/or sociopathic doesn't qualify as insanity.

 

[cow451]

I think his "shamanism" is little more than the equivalent of drag (and I think its a label that others have pinned on him). QAnon was his real religion. Most real shamans weren't exactly rallying around Trump's politics, because Trump wedding himself to the Evangelical Right pretty much precluded that.

I agree though, he's not insane in the legal sense. Being narcissistic and/or sociopathic doesn't qualify as insanity.

Insanity defense is really tough. One can be pretty crazy and still be legally sane. They might do better arguing his illness should be a mitigating factor in sentencing.

 

[Landon Caeli]

I think he really believes he's shamanistic - he seems to syncretize several religions into his own custom belief set. I don't think he's truly mentally ill - I think he's a bit psychotic and sociopathic but they are trying to make him out to be insane, and he's not.

Insanity. n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. ... It's informed by mental health professionals, but the term today is primarily legal, not psychological.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/200907/the-definition-insanity

...Seems to fit IMO.

 

[durangodawood]

Insanity. n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. ... It's informed by mental health professionals, but the term today is primarily legal, not psychological.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/200907/the-definition-insanity

...Seems to fit IMO.

Most of the people who share his delusions are perfectly capable of distinguishing fantasy from reality. They just prefer not to.

 

[Landon Caeli]

Most of the people who share his delusions are perfectly capable of distinguishing fantasy from reality. They just prefer not to.

Yet, he was willing to starve to death rather than eat prison food... That seems irrational and unnecessarily self destructive.

 

[Nithavela]

Yet, he was willing to starve to death rather than eat prison food... That seems irrational and unnecessarily self destructive.

You don't know american prison food.

 

[FireDragon76]

Insanity. n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. ... It's informed by mental health professionals, but the term today is primarily legal, not psychological.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/200907/the-definition-insanity

...Seems to fit IMO.

A significant number of Q supporters at the capitol on Jan. 6 were small businessmen. If they had enough wherewithall to organize a business, they were not insane.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

I think his "shamanism" is little more than the equivalent of drag (and I think its a label that others have pinned on him). QAnon was his real religion. Most real shamans weren't exactly rallying around Trump's politics, because Trump wedding himself to the Evangelical Right pretty much precluded that.

I agree though, he's not insane in the legal sense. Being narcissistic and/or sociopathic doesn't qualify as insanity.

There is an odd phenomenon with conservative people like Q-Shaman where they believe they are strongly Native American or at least they feel kinship to Native American culture and adopt it. Chuck Norris is one example (he actually is of Native American heritage, considerably) and another is Ted Nugent (who is of little or no Native American heritage but either way it appeals to him so he incorporates it into his worldview). That is where "Shaman" comes from for all these folks, including our Q-Shaman here. It is based on Native American Shamans which they respect (at least their idea of it). They try to syncretize Native American paganism with Christianity.

It's no different than if he called himself "Reverend" or "Pastor" or a similar Christian clerical title. It's obvious that the title he claims is not true to the religion it comes from. But yes, it is insulting.

They incorporate religious terms and aspects, including clerical titles, because as you correctly point out their true religion is the politics itself, in this case Trump and Q-Anon political beliefs which go hand-in-hand...

So, yes, it's insulting, as I agreed with you earlier, but also consider the source and it's not quite as insulting when it's an obvious psychotic weirdo who is doing it, since he's so obviously a weirdo.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

Insanity. n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. ... It's informed by mental health professionals, but the term today is primarily legal, not psychological.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/200907/the-definition-insanity

...Seems to fit IMO.

Doesn't fit, IMO.

 

[FireDragon76]

There is an odd phenomenon with conservative people like Q-Shaman where they believe they are strongly Native American or at least they feel kinship to Native American culture and adopt it.

Q-Shaman seems to have alot of generic northern European pagan affectations/drag going on, judging by the dress and tattoos he had.

That is where "Shaman" comes from for all these folks, including our Q-Shaman here. It is based on Native American Shamans which they respect (at least their idea of it). They try to syncretize Native American paganism with Christianity.

Alot of these folks are attracted to crude toxic-male stereotypes of these cultures as "warriors", projecting a rugged, independent masculinity they did not actually value as a real people, and they don't really care about the spiritual aspects of these cultures in any depth.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

Q-Shaman seems to have alot of generic northern European pagan affectations/drag going on, judging by the dress and tattoos he had.

Alot of these folks are attracted to crude toxic-male stereotypes of these cultures as "warriors", projecting a rugged, independent masculinity they did not actually value as a real people, and they don't really care about the spiritual aspects of these cultures in any depth.

Spot on, I agree 100% and I like the way you worded it.

The key (which I hope I didn't give the impression I thought otherwise) is that they have a true respect for these various religions, cultures, etc. but not the true version of them but rather their stylized and selectively exaggerated versions that they derive from them. You're dead on that it's the "rugged, independent masculinity" aspect they like and they exaggerate and heighten this to match their true political religion; they aren't interested in the true reality of these peoples, cultures, or religions.

 

[St. Helens]

ADMIN HAT ON

ADMIN HAT OFF​

 

[FreeinChrist]

ADVISOR HAT

This thread had a clean up of off topic and trolling type posts and the responses to them.

Stay on topic. Reopening​