Can We Overcome or Outgrow Millenarianism?

In earlier posts, [1] [2] , I’ve argued that it is most accurate to describe many of the most unpredictable and violent forces in the Middle East as “violent, anti-Western Islamicist millenarians”. I have also argued that millenarianism is a phenomenon of many religions and maybe an expression of a universal human tendency. Despite its distribution across religions, millenarianism can be racialist or tribalist in its expression despite evangelistic and universalistic ideals sometimes expressed within millenial beliefs; what often happens is that the tribe or community of belief substitutes itself for the universe with sometimes very aggressive, violent attempts to conquer the world. I want to lay out more explicitly the psychology and phenomenology of millenarianism to see if it is something that can be overcome, fought, cured or outgrown.

First, let me distinguish between “millenial stories” and “millenarianism”. Millenial stories run throughout the structure of monotheistic religions as well as other religious systems. In addition, some of the secular belief systems of the 20th century (fascism, communism) have strong millenial components. For the purposes of this discussion, a soft “belief” or acquiescence to a belief system with millenial stories in it is not the same thing as “millenarianism”. In millenarianism, the millenial story is believed literally and there is palpable belief in the imminence of the coming of the messiah or millenial age, which is then acted upon. Most adherents to religions or belief systems with millenial stories in them either view the millenial story figuratively or it is viewed as a distant event and not imminent. In some religious and secular belief systems there are schools of believers who in a concerted way disown literalism and millenialism without jettisoning the basic structure of the religious stories.

It is therefore, difficult to get away from millenial stories if we look at some of the most hallowed and passionately defended bodies of thought over the last few…er…millenia. Their ubiquitousness suggests that there is something deep in our psychology that finds such stories appealling. For one, the notion of being saved, is a very common regressive hope in most people: that we will be swept up again like children once our lives are over or we have collectlvely reached the end of time. Whether we will be taken care of by god or the secular messiah, there is something psychologically compelling about this story, even though it cannot be said that belief in a messiah or a life after death are requirements for adherence to all millenial religions and secular belief systems.

So millenial stories are perhaps an important cultural/psychological release mechanisms that are probably not going to go away anytime soon. Even if they are problematic in some way, they are so ubiquitous that we would need to go on a perhaps fruitless attempt to re-wire ourselves as a species.

It seems far more do-able to develop a collective and individual sense of how extremities in our beliefs can get in the way of our living productive healthy lives together on this increasingly crowded globe. Millenarianism is then one such extremity and as I have argued, a highly influential one in portions of the Middle East and the United States.

What separates millenarianism from a simple belief in millenial stories or a non-millenial psychology?

• Literalism – millenarians believe the millenial story that they have inherited or that has been delivered to them by their leaders literally. Literalism means in semiotic terms that people see the signs and the things they represent as being IDENTICAL. This is sometimes called “concrete thinking” in psychiatry. There is no space for interpretation or argument. Not all literalist religious believers are millenarians but all millenarians are probably literalists as the belief system has become an action plan.
• Collapsed Time Horizon – Millenarians have discounted present, short-term and intermediate-term time frames and instead view time as collapsed, with the past, present and future intersecting in the present or at a time in the tangibly near future. If short and intermediate time frames do exist they are dictated and fated by prophesy but independent consideration of possible futures is foreclosed by the coming of the millenial events. Leaders of millenarian movements can plan strategically and can therefore think in short and intermediate terms but rely on the passion and collapsed time horizon of millenarian followers to execute their plans
• Intolerance of multiple beliefs and perspectives – a corollary of literalism is that there are no multiple perspectives, therefore no diversity in belief. There is only one true belief
• Tendency towards tribalism/racialism/ethnocentricism – As shared belief systems often emerge within a specific ethnic and language group, there is a tendency towards racialism. This may exist in people who are not millenarians, so the racialism is a larger set of beliefs among which are millenarian racialism/tribalism. Millenarianism however will intensify racialism.
• Underlying cultural shame, humiliation, confusion, desperation – Throughout history, where there is cultural disruption and decay, millenarianism becomes more likely to emerge as a force. In some sense, much of the justification for millenarian means and beliefs come from a perception of corruption of the existing world, which is through the work of millenarian forces to be washed away through religious or politico-military means.

So the question remains, can these parts or factors in the emergence of millenarian belief be addressed or changed either by intentional effort or by circumstance?

• Literalism or concrete thinking is not going to be abolished from the world anytime soon. Some people have great difficulty separating representations from reality, the more so under stress. On the other hand, literalism can be unlearned through intelligent educational work and the availability of a variety of relevant information sources. Within cultures with limited information systems, literalism is going to be more common.
• People might experience time differently if they have hope for a intermediate term future. Intelligent people may recognize the problem for what it is if it is pointed out to them. Others may need to be shown by example. Hope for the future is again key in undoing a collapsed time horizon
• Considering multiple perspectives is possible if people are not constrained by a narrow struggle for survival and cultural integrity. It is less likely in desperate circumstances.
• Tribalism is a complex phenomenon and needs to be addressed separately from millenarianism.
• Cultural shame and humiliation may very well be amenable to change if addressed as such and the people within the culture see that they can DO something for themselves to step-wise improve their situation. Changes in circumstances may also provide opportunities to partially overcome cultural shame and humiliation or at least become aware of its more destructive aspects.

I have a few ideas about how specifically the grip of millenarianism and its associated political repercussions may be loosened in the Middle East as well as in other political arenas, which I will share in my next post on this topic.

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