Toxic Love (part 1)

The subject of co-dependency has been dissected within the field of psychology for years. Most people may be familiar with this term through AA meetings or some other resources that involve psychological terminology. Co-dependency is a very serious subject because it is destructive to the individual, both spiritually and emotionally. However, before diving into the more serious aspects of this subject, a humorous, biological approach to co-dependency is in order.

All sorts of parallels can be drawn from the animal kingdom that support spiritual truths.  These powerful analogies use explicit mental imagery to clearly define, in layman terms, what psychological jargon may fail to communicate. Therefore, the habits and behavior of angler fish is a good starting point to help grasp a few concepts about the subject of co-dependency.

"The Humpback Anglerfish has one of the most extreme methods of reproduction known to science. Much smaller and less aggressive than the female of the species, the male Anglerfish is born with extremely well developed olfactory organs that can detect the female’s sexual pheromones at great distances. Because the male’s diminutive size makes it difficult for it to find food, it soon becomes imperative to “hook-up” with a female as quickly as possible to prevent starvation. Once a male locates a female by following her sexual scent, a strange and extreme symbiotic mating ritual takes place.

Biting into her skin, an enzyme is released by the male that digests the skin of his mouth and her body, effectively fusing male and female down to the blood-vessel level. The male then slowly atrophies, first losing his digestive organs, then his brain, heart, and eyes, and ends as nothing more than a pair of gonads attached to her body which release sperm in response to hormones in the female's bloodstream--becoming a permanent parasitic sex slave. And since several males typically attach themselves to a single female (the average female carrying a harem of six or more), whenever she is ready to reproduce, she always has a male immediately available."
[http://guides.wikinut.com/Extreme-Animals%3A-The-Humpback-Anglerfish-of-the-Deep/6nlre7qx/]

Here we find a parasitic male fish who foolishly believes that he just chomped down on princess charming, only to find that said princess is not so charming. Eventually, (when it is WAY too late), he finds out that she only wants him for his sperm.Talk about serious case of disillusionment.  Before long, he finds out that this chic has not been faithful. On the contrary. She has a few "skeletons" in her closet (the male carcasses that she has devoured). She is supporting a harem and they are all singing "Hotel California" (see the words at the bottom......charming song) as they go down with the ship.  For the sake of fairness, both sexes get a bad rap. The female gets a bad rap for consuming the male fish, although, it was the males drive for survival that turned him into an attached parasite. So, in the end both sexes are to blame! This is a serious case of co-dependency!

The more serious psychological side side of co-dependency will be addressed in part 2.

"Hotel California"

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain,
"Please bring me my wine"
He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine"
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax," said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"