4.16 Stage 16EssenceThis personality is in a situation where things are over. Only the remnants and ashes are left, the leftovers. The remnants can be in a state of ruin, decay, producing and offensive and rotten odour and an ugly view. One is disgusted and becomes an outcast. It is like a beggar in rags, seducing and tempting others to give. Only memories are left, bringing one in a state of fantasy of greatness. Deepening and reconciliation. Lazy.
LostThey have lost everything, it has all been taken away from them. There is nothing left of the old days of glory. Everything is gone, lost, spilt, used up, ruined, all that is left are some crumpled and yellowed relics from a distant past.
Dirt, Disgust Offensive RagsThe situation is one of decomposition. The harmony has gone. The beauty of the golden age is lost and all that is left are some tattered remains. The building is in ruins, there are holes in the walls, the curtains are torn to shreds and the colours have faded. These people may have a strong dislike of ugliness, of anything that is past its best, of things that are rotting and smelling of decay.
ExpectationsThey still live in hope that the old situation might come back. They expect that other people will notice their needs. They are quite open in their shortcomings and areas of need, expecting that others will be touched and feel moved to provide for them. They count on the sympathy and compassion of others to feel sorry for the underdog. They don’t openly ask for help or take what they need, relying instead on charity and compassion. They may even start to beg quite openly. They only occasionally deem it necessary to have direct contact with other people, but they can be very indignant when others don’t realise their needs.
Luring TemptingThey try to lure people into helping them, to give them those things which they were accustomed to, and whether this is based on reality or on pure fantasy is immaterial. They often have the feeling they that they don’t have any rights, that they are merely being tolerated.
They are a bit like an overripe plum. It still looks delicious and you are tempted to have a bite, but as soon as you do you realise that it is rotten inside.
Deeper ReconciliationNow that the case is more or less lost, they can also dive into a deeper level. They are unable to exert any direct influence, so they escape into a philosophical review of everything that has been happening.
In order to move on in their growth process they will have to learn the art of reconciliation. Then they will be at peace with the world.
RememberingAll that is left are memories. But at least you can play with those images and thoughts. So they make up endless stories about the things they used to do. They tend to live in the past, they long to relive those days of glory. But it would be better to forgive and forget.
Fantasy PastMemories are wonderful things because they are so flexible. Anything that wasn’t really all that nice can be reshaped into something much better. Theorising and fantasising are very characteristic at this Stage. Anything that has disappeared in real life can be brought to life again in the telling of the story. These stories can become castles in the air: one can’t separate truth from fantasy anymore. It is boosting their self-worth a little bit, because there is little left of it in real life.
They live on the relics of the past. They talk a lot about the past, about all the things they lost, due to other people’s faults.
Lazy NeglectBecause everything is lost anyway they don’t have to bother about making an effort. It is all over and there is nothing to do now. They can become indifferent and lazy. It is no use bothering about and putting energy into a lost cause. They are bored, looking for distractions. They like parties because it makes them forget how things are now. They look for diversions through love, music, dance and alcohol.
KeywordsDecay, lost, over, past, rotten, rest, ruin, rags, ugly, foul, offensive, putrid, disgust, fantasy, philosophy, memory, lazy, neglect, neglected, asking, luring, tempting, begging, reconcile, deepening, outcast.
BodyDiseases: leprosy. General: pus, abscess.
DDStage 15 is in the process of losing everything. In
Stage 16 everything has been lost already and there is nothing left but memories.
Stage 12 is also in decline, but it is more the first sign of what is to come, a little crumbling at the edges.