The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long

[Cyre2067]

I agree with Ryan. My ESP has been off the charts lately. From enhanced hearing/smell to being acutely aware of peoples intentions to reading people's body language on the street or in the subway. It's almost annoying. My dreaming has been very intense over the last few weeks and just recently I buzzed off all my hair which little to no abatement in the dreams. Just this morning I woke up tired from running around in my head in the early hours of the morning (though going to bed late probably didn't help).

Typically I keep my hair pretty short, though I have a tendency to grow it out in the winter for added warmth. I'm having vague recollections of the C's mentioning hair as an extension of the nervous system somewhere. If someone has the transcript file maybe they can do a quick search.

 

[cholas]

Maybe I'm just not sensitive enough to these things though?

I think you might have nailed it here Ryanx. The story seems to portray Native Americans who had long hair their entire lives and were suddenly forced to cut it. Maybe in their 20's?

The nature of a person's upbringing and lifestyle would likely play a large part in sensitivity to this as well. Ie: It would be different for someone growing up 'tracking'(hunting), living partly by their senses verses someone growing up in a large city/suburbs with comparatively dulled senses.

As another example, it is also interesting(speaking of Vietnam) that the counter-culture('back to the land' -ers) restarted the long-hair trend which carried through the 70's. It seems to have reversed, again.

And 'Avatar'(movie)?

Coincidentally where I live, hardly any males have long hair with the common exception being musicians. I would guess nearly 90% of the ones I see have long hair.

I too recall something the c's have said about this....(searching)

 

[Kaigen]

I dunno guys...

I have short hair. Actually I started to buzz it last year when I was sick of paying the extra money for a haircut every couple months. I haven't noticed any difference in "psychic abilities" or anything other than my head feeling a bit colder in the winter. Maybe I'm just not sensitive enough to these things though?

:) I think, this "psychic abilities" were understand for warriors, soldiers, samurai's... as extinction of the 'sense' the enemy, or access a 'sixth sense' to do right thing in the right time to save live, or succeed in the battle. Not in simple daily life without organic nature (smell, sound...) in concrete wall's it is impossible.

I'm not saying there isn't anything to this, and it would certainly make an interesting question to the Cs, but I don't think there's much evidence to go on at the moment. It's easy to get carried away with the small stuff when there are bigger things standing in the way of reaching our fullest potential (like diet and other lifestyle factors, osit.)

Indeed this would be a good question for Cs.

 

[cholas]

Only thing I could find in the older transcripts:

Q: I have an idea relating to the ancient gods and heroes...
they all had these massive amounts of hair, and it seemed
that cutting off the hair caused them to lose their strength in
some way. Was this totally symbolic, or was it actually
believed that they had to grow their hair?
A: Symbolic.
Q: What was the hair symbolic of?
A: Virility.

 

[Oxajil]

Some interesting quotes (from the new International Translation of the Bible):

Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. (Lev. 21:5)

Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. (Lev. 19:27)

During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the LORD is over; they must let their hair grow long. (Numbers 6:5)

 

[luke wilson]

Why can't the problem of long hair be a practical one?

I think we will find the further we go back in time, the worse personal hygiene gets like cleaning teeth, showering on a regular basis etc Why? Because of resources available and I think without an electric hair clipper or barber shop or hair salloon to go to most people will kind of let there hair just go...

I agree with Ryanx With there not being enough evidence to reach a meaningful conclusion.

 

[Zadius Sky]

Hmm...this is an interesting article.

My hair is short, and I kinda have to keep it that way because when I do grow it out, my hearing aid would "feedback." Those who know me and hugged me heard a "feedback" sound coming from my hearing aid when being hugged, and having a hair over my hearing aid would also cause that "feedback." Plus, I have a bald spot (got it from my father), which is another reason for keeping it short. I even have to go bald entirely at times. So, I never really get a chance to notice if there would be any difference with long-hair and short-hair in regards to "psychic abilities."

But, yeah, I agree. This would be a good question for the C's.

 

[ocean59]

Have always wondered about the true purpose of hair, throughout life, and also in regards to long and short. Perhaps it has similar properties to silk in some way? Are there 'hidden' benefits to having long hair? Perhaps nutrient supplementation may also factor in somehow, the quality of the hair grown.

 

[Tigersoap]

Gurdjieff was pretty bald himself

I had long hair for a very long time in my twenties, more out of a sense of trying to look grungy/metal than anything else really.
I was pretty attached emotionally to my hair until one day I shaved them off because it did not feel right anymore.Nowadays I shave them pretty short every now and then, the same goes for my beard stubles which get way too itchy for me to keep them growing.

Maybe the Native Americans were so attached to the cultural idea of having long hair and what it allowed them to do that cutting them off was a bit like losing a part of their personality, enough to upset their belief (?) about having some sort of 6th sense ?

 

[dant]

Have always wondered about the true purpose of hair, throughout life, and also in regards to long and short. Perhaps it has similar properties to silk in some way? Are there 'hidden' benefits to having long hair? Perhaps nutrient supplementation may also factor in somehow, the quality of the hair grown.

No doubt there could be benefits, although one could shapeshift
one's appearance with long hair & byrlcreem (or lard), foiling public
face recognition scanners?

(It's funny, but....)

gooble: "long hair and beards"
Many fascinating styles!
From facebook: _http://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-hair-and-beards/180228685320522
Native Indian: _http://www.native-languages.org/hair.htm
Wierd: _http://inventorspot.com/articles/fun_facial_hair_10_most_weird_and_wacky_moustaches_and_beards_27223

and, stumbled on this one! (Never heard this before!):

George Carlin
Hair Poem

I'm aware some stare at my hair.
In fact, to be fair,
Some really despair of my hair.
But I don't care,
Cause they're not aware,
Nor are they devonaire.
In fact, they're just square.

They see hair down to there,
Say, "Beware" and go off on a tear!
I say, "No fair!"
A head that's bare is really nowhere.
So be like a bear, be fair with your hair!
Show it you care.
Wear it to there.
Or to there.
Or to there, if you dare!

My wife bought some hair at a fair, to use as a spare.
Did I care?
Au contraire!
Spare hair is fair!
In fact, hair can be rare.
Fred Astair got no hair,
Nor does a chair,
Nor nor a chocolate eclair,
And where is the hair on a pear?
Nowhere, mon frere!

So now that I've shared this affair of the hair,
I'm going to repair to my lair and use Nair, do you care?

(Beard Poem)

Here's my beard.
Ain't it wierd?
Don't be sceered,
Just a beard.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Gurdjieff was pretty bald himself

What are you talking about? Check out the antennae on this dude! ;D

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Why can't the problem of long hair be a practical one?

I think we will find the further we go back in time, the worse personal hygiene gets like cleaning teeth, showering on a regular basis etc Why? Because of resources available and I think without an electric hair clipper or barber shop or hair salloon to go to most people will kind of let there hair just go...

I agree with Ryanx With there not being enough evidence to reach a meaningful conclusion.

I agree it could be a practical reason, but I think you're falling into the whole "dirty savage" meme. As far as I know, traditional societies enjoyed excellent dental hygiene and health (a good diet will help with that), and I'm sure there were plenty of fresh streams for bathing.

 

[FireShadow]

Perhaps it is more a function of loss of identity/humiliation/alienation...

For example, shaving the head is the first thing they do in Basic Training - it is considered the first step in "breaking down" the old self and then they will build you a "new self"...

Our self image is built upon how we see each ourselves (both externally and internally). There could be some disorientation due to the different feeling and different image in the mirror. Plus our interaction with our hair suddenly becomes quite different - where we were used to reaching our hands to sweep back our hair, now there is nothing there - a sudden disconnect. Perhaps this contributes to a sort of alienation from ourselves.

I know that my stepmother used to cut my hair to humiliate me and I was always left feeling disoriented and subdued. (I now have hair so long I can almost sit on it)

I am not sure I am expressing this very well.

 

[Renaissance]

Gurdjieff was pretty bald himself

I was thinking about that too. Many monks shave their head as well - which could just be ritual or it could be something else. I saw on facebook a discussion of this article with the thought that monks might shave their head so they can be more focused inwardly, whereas the native trackers' long har may have helped in being focused on their environment. Not to say Gurdjieff was only focused inwardly though. But then again as A.I. pointed out, he did have quite the antenna! :)

Gurdjieff wrote a little bit about hair in Beelzebub's Tales. In one passage he wrote about how criminals would have part of their head shaved if they committed a crime. In another part he 'poked fun' of actors who shaved their mustache and beards. Of course Gurdjieff wrote in a mixture of allegories and sly directness, so it's hard to always tell what he was saying.

I used to keep my hair short and would notice that whenever it was cut I would feel 'air-headed' for a couple of days after having it cut. I tend to be forgetful in general (used to be a lot worse!), so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

One other thought is about how Lethbridge found different elements/ideas for varying lengths of pendulum strings. Might that relate to hair length somehow?

I agree it could be a practical reason, but I think you're falling into the whole "dirty savage" meme. As far as I know, traditional societies enjoyed excellent dental hygiene and health (a good diet will help with that), and I'm sure there were plenty of fresh streams for bathing.

Yep, Weston Price (a dentist by trade) discovered how much stronger bones and teeth were in native populations than from Western 'civilization'. He attributed that to their diet.

 

[SolarMother]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbfCdqZwykY

here's a tune that may evoke a few memories for some of us...