From September 2, 20206
The Savior Complex and Politics
It’s funny. I’m watching myself become less of an idealist and more of a realist.
Take this post. I am fully aware that what I write here may not reach a lot of people. I’ve made peace with that. Earlier this week I left what I felt was pretty insightful comments for two of our Pennsylvania state representatives. I know it’s unlikely they read or take anything I say seriously. That is really the nature of hierarchical-based society. Even if your intentions are well-meaning, if you engage leaders in deeper critical thinking, you’re branded an outsider at best, an enemy at worst.
It concerns me how at election time candidates present themselves as “saviors” while dehumanizing their opponents. As it does every year the ads make you start questioning whether or not both candidates for any poltical office has a nefarious intention. If I were an alien (and, who knows, maybe I am) I would be pontificating how socially primitive our society is.
I used to think it was my responsibility to call out this behavior…to “save” others from the evil in the world. I don’t see it that way anymore. I now see it as a response to my own trauma of not being heard, of not being enough, and of not living up to my potential. I am taking responsibility now for how my own savior complex was a bridge into narcissism.
Now I am training to be a minister focused on interspiritual and interfaith facilitation. My observation is that organized religion — especially the Abrahamic factions — has played a huge role with this savior complex. I’ve learned to replace the word “evil” with “trauma”. Clinical terms like “narcissism” and even “sadism” have been needlessly weaponized, but I am beginning to appreciate how we almost can’t help but develop narcissistic or sociopathic tendencies just to survive in this highly competitive environment. In extreme cases I have seen “evil” show up as sadism — which is the enjoyment of hurting or killing a person.
Can we really “save” anyone from this? I don’t know. But this is where a balance between realism and idealism might be healthy.
I have recommended to two of our state representatives now to consider nonpartisan trauma responsive services when dealing with issues involving kids, health, and emotionally charged situations which turn violent. Both parties are selling us on the idea that society is terrible and that we need a partisan “fixer”. To me that seems disempowering to us in “The Commons” and, forgive me for saying, a little insulting to our collective intelligence.
All right. So this post is getting a little lengthy. I will end here and invite you to role model intelligent conversation about this here in the post. I will also be at the Awaken Center at the Montgomery Mall tonight at 6 PM. We can continue this conversation in person as well.
From September 5, 20206
FOR THOSE WHO PREFER LONGER, THOUGHTFUL, POLITICALLY ORIENTED POSTS
I want to preface a few things before writing this. First, I am not a psychologist, nor am I an authority or an expert of any kind. Yes, I am a “Ministry Candidate”, but our cohort considers ourselves companions and fellow travelers and that “spiritual authority” cannot be designated by manmade institutions. I am just a father and a husband working on understanding why things are happening the way they are. Why it seems so many people are struggling with making sense of some uncomfortable and in many cases horrifying truths. I see myself as a friend, nothing more. I no longer seek to be an authority because I am still learning and working on my own stuff.
That being said, I am writing today out of genuine concern and not to criticize anybody. If what I write here comes across as critical or even triggering it is because I am recognizing some of my own patterns that I wish to change.
A few days ago I wrote a short piece about “The Savior Complex and Politics”. In that piece I called for our political leaders to consider nonpartisan trauma responsive facilitation in lieu of debate. I am genuinely concerned for the mental health of those leaders who are in the spotlight every day. After years of developing friendships and listening to SA survivors, it is finally starting to make sense why people are so sensitive about religion, politics, and money. I will elablore on this…
Many of you know I am trying to birth new forms of economics. However, one SA survivor once put it to me bluntly, “Mike. Those who are in control would rather see you dead than have your ideas see the light of day.”
Since then I kind of made it “my fight” to be heard, to stand out in the crowd, and make my voice louder. In retrospect, I see now how I was demonstrating my own narcissitic tendencies. But today I am married to my best friend and father of two young children. It’s not just me anymore. So when an SA survivor — one who is far more qualified than me when it comes to understanding the social and political motivations of powerful people — tells me that particular interests would “rather see you dead”, you tend to play it safe out of care and concern for the people you love.
Today the genie is out of the bottle. Today we have access to the graphic details of SA and systemic abuses. Today we have the choice to either hide from or face our collective trauma. When you listen to SA survivors — really LISTEN without agenda — you learn a narrative that no one really wants to talk about.
You start to ask yourself the question, “Is cruelty and silence a prerequisite for the attainment of worldly power?”
Behind closed doors, blackmail is the currency for high positions of power. There are insider terms like “collateral” where SA and cult survivors describe attaining video evidence of these transgressions in order to get government representatives to vote a certain way. There are psychological terms like “narcissism”, “psychopathy”, and “sadism” being lightly thrown around by those not necessarily qualified to use them. I am not an expert, but I consider the survivors of such abuse more than qualified to use such terms — especially when they are seeing a caring mental health professional who truly have their best interests at heart.
Consider this as well. There are viral videos out now with CIA operatives claiming they are actively recruiting those with “sociopathic tendencies”. This is because it is easier to weaponize individuals with deep trauma.
However, this line of thought brings up another dangerous question:
“Do people in power encourage and reward mental illness?”
I am concerned because, as we go into another election season, the smear campaigns from both Republicans and Democrats (even at the local level) appear to encourage dehumanizing an opponent for the audacity of standing in the way of a career goal. SA survivors want you to know they are disappointed that the common public still buy into these Blue and Red narratives. For my own growth, I no longer want to challenge politicians for being out of touch with the public. Today I want to express genuine concern for their mental health. If it is true that they are either dealing with a mental illness like sadism, or being blackmailed for exhibiting any other human transgression, then it is the silence that is doing more harm than anything else.
Thank you for listening. Before I close I want to appreciate you in that I am aware acknowledging or responding to this post might be considered dangerous. I want to express my appreciation for anyone who took the time to read this.
From September 5, 2026
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TRAGIC:
A PERCEPTION CHECK ON YESTERDAY’S MISTRIAL
This will be another long post and will continue the throughline from “The Savior Complex” and “For Those Who Prefer Longer, Thoughtful, Politically Oriented Posts”. I will be archiving these on my WordPress blog. My intention is to slowly and methodically call attention to the need for trauma-informed facilitation in response to political polarization.
Before I continue with more pieces about this narrative, today will be a slight divergence in that I want to acknowledge the Lindsay Clancy mistrial announcement.
The last thing anyone needs is yet another armchair juror commenting on this. As I am witnessing the floods of arguments, disagreements, and escalations in discourse on the online space, I feel there is a need now more than ever to consider trauma-responsive facilitation. This story is so emotionally jarring that many — women AND men — are positioning to be seen as an authority with this case. Are we needlessly putting too much pressure on ourselves by doing this? How can any one person understand psychiatric medicine, the complexity of law, even religion and metaphysics, to know enough to even speculate on what “justice” is in a tragedy like this?
What this tells me is that when confronted with moral complexity we often collapse into a trauma response. Yes, you can easily argue with me that you are “right” and the other side is “wrong”. And my response will be that you are completely justified in your rage, grief or whatever complex feeling arises. Your lived experience completely validates your perspective on this and it should be heard. But being “right” doesn’t bring those three children back. Being “right” doesn’t take away the pain of everyone involved. Being “right” sets the stage for greater resistance to your truth. Whatever truth you are holding.
I will end here for today. Again, I will emphasize that I’m not positioning myself as yet another expert or authority on anything. My lived experience is just as valid as your own. But if you wish to understand the deeper context of what I mean by “trauma responsive facilitation”, please refer to what was written over the past few days on this platform. My next entry will be further presenting a case for politicians to consider nonpartisan trauma responsive facilitation in lieu of competitive debate or smear campaigns.
From September 6, 2026
THE ARCHIVE OF LOST CAUSES?
I’ve started to archive my writing from the last few days. I am fully aware of how rage bait scales and thoughtful content gets buried on this platform. This is why I am calling this latest chapter of my life, “The Archive of Lost Causes?”.
So I am playing the long game. To simplify, I have been writing raw content calling for a grassroots initiative to form Nonpartisan Trauma Responsive Facilitation to support political candidates this season. Since Election Day is less than two months away I am expecting my content will continue to be buried under the rage bait. To understand more about my concerns about the mental health of any one serving in or running for political office, please refer to the link in the comments and review article from September 5 entitled, “For Those Who Prefer Longer, Thoughtful, Politically Oriented Posts”.
Today I will add my calendar to the Archive. Calling attention to these events on social media may be futile. However, if any of the following spark your interest I would encourage you to reach out to me if you want to get involved in the effort to bring trauma-responsive awareness to public discourse…
September 8: Weekly rehearsal with Derek Marshall for “Great, Again?” — a Frost/Nixon inspired theater piece addressing the Trump presidency.
September 9: Meeting with Lynnette Sheard from the New Jersey Mental Health Association to present university and professional level theater training. Date of event TBD.
AlsoSeptember 9: Attending my first Justice and Witness Committee at the Pleasantville United Church of Christ.
September 10: Weekly rehearsal with Janet Berkowitz of the play “The Wizard of Iz” — an interactive theater piece about suicidality and bullying.
September 11: Bi-monthly meeting with the 8th Flame Ministerial Cohort to continue recognizing people doing the meaningful work who often go unseen and unrecognized.
September 13: Attending Circle of Miracles Sunday service to watch Jackie Miller’s talk.
September 14: Visiting with Reverend Cindy Greb.
September 16: Holding our bespoke monthly meeting which includes three ministers like Susan Manning from Pebble Hill Interfaith Church. When we last spoke the topics were about autism awareness, death doulaship, and establishing an interfaith human library.
September 17: Recording a special meditation and talk with a minister from Circle of Miracles as part of the Living Library series.
September 18: Recording the September edition of the Living Libraray Book Club with The Bridgers for Mental Health. This recording will include Gary Schoenberg among two other members. All members will be encouraged to discuss a book that holds special meaning for them. I will be bringing “Nobody’s Girl” by Virginia Giuffre to the discussion.
September 23: Closed meeting with the Guardian Council to discuss “Guardianship of Self”. Members of the Guardian Council include Randy Hyden, Nini Castle and Flower Power.
September 26: Cyclebreakers with Rachael Marie and Alyssa Anderson at Peace Valley Park.
October 6: Attending an AI conference online with one of the Bridgers for Mental Health.
October 7: Divination and Money Management – an open meeting at the Awaken Center, Montgomery Mall. We will continue our discussion about metaphysical factors on economic cycles.
October 10: Pre-election performance of “Great, Again?” at Pebble Hill Interfaith Church.
October 11: Community meeting to discuss the pre-election “Great, Again?” at Pebble Hill.
October 21: Public speaking workshop with Greg Campisi at the Awaken Center. Titile of workshop TBD.
November 14: Post-election performance of “Great, Again?” at Pebble Hill Interfaith Church.
November 15: Community meeting at Pebble Hill Interfaith Church to discuss the post-election performance of “Great, Again?”
February 2027: TBA about attending the JCM in Dialogue (Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Dialogue) conference in Germany. Taniya Hussain did a Living Library conversation about this two weeks ago.
If anything interests you about my September and October activity, please let me know. As Chief Steward of the Living Library Time Bank it would be a pleasure to explore which initiative might be a match. Perhaps there is no such thing as a “Lost Cause” if people know about you and what your gifts are.
From September 8, 2026
ARE WE EXPECTED TO BELIEVE BOTH CANDIDATES ARE CORRUPT AND INCOMPETENT?
This post is part of an ongoing series that I’ve titled “The Archive of Lost Causes”. If you want context then the link to the full series will be in comments.
Yesterday I asked the question, “Does the presence of authority make you feel safer?” This was shared three times. Once as a post. Once as a reel. And once as part of my story.
There were three responses and it left me asking myself more questions:
* What role does gender play in perceiving authority?
* How does being in “right relationship” with the author or influencer constitute my perception of their credibility?
* For those in higher positions of power or authority, who has the most to lose by being vulnerable and authentic? Do they risk exposure by being engaged in conversations like this one?
I am noticing how just being present in these brief social media exchanges increases my boldness interacting with political pundits. For those who have been following along with these writings, I have made it somewhat of my personal mission to introduce nonpartisan trauma-informed facilitation to get more to the heart of the matter about why there is so much division. (As a quick side: note I am starting to put together the connection between trafficking survivor testimony and the recent ICE activity. I am not going to elaborate further on this now. But I wanted to plant a seed for future community meetings happening in October and November which were intentionally planned to precede and follow up on the midterm elections.)
In my boldness, I am interacting more on the pages of the local politicians here in Pennsylvania. I will intentionally stay vague on the details because I’m still learning what is safe to say online. Sometimes my perceptions about this are off and learning the rules have been part of my personal growth. But my observation on one candidate’s page was about how the population is constantly exposed to trauma. We experience this with the Gaza situation. We experience this by coming in contact with Epstein survivors. Most recently.we’ve encountered this with the Lindsay Clancy trial.
My comment was akin to, “How can we take you and your opponent seriously when all your efforts are focused on discrediting each other? If I may be so bold to say, it seems like an insult to our collective intelligence to accept that both candidates are corrupt and incompetent. What is really preventing the two of you having a non-competitive civil conversation? I think that would reveal more for me than constantly being attacked by both of your smear campaigns against each other.”
Once again, I will pause. Whenever I open my virtual mouth like this it is not always clear as to whether or not readers are comprehending what I’m laying down, or if there is some kind of technological suppression of my words.
So the open invitation remains. What are you feeling in response to this? Does trauma informed facilitation have a place in politics?
From September 10, 2026
REMEMBER THOSE “CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE” STORIES?
I was at the gym this morning and on the television, on a legitimate news station, there was a headline reading “AI will destroy humanity in less than 10 years.” My initial thought was, “Not if human beings start treating each other differently.”
Two days ago I choose to interact with a pro-Israel chatbot. The full conversation was shared on my page through screen shot images. If you would like easy access to the conversation, I will include a link to my blog in the comments as well to access the full conversation so far.
This exchange with the chatbot brings some credibility to the fears about AI destroying humanity. I am sure there are also AI chatbots promoting the pro-Palestine line too. That is just how social engineering works to keep intelligent, socially responsible conversation out of the picture. This used to anger me, but now I see how masterful of a job the gatekeepers have done to keep people like me out of the conversation.
I would like to continue my conversation about trauma-informed facilitation with “Kate” from “Friends For Peace” as well as the bigger conversation for bringing such facilitation to political debates. I’ve tagged my friends Jason Thompson Szabo, Ray Lightheart, and Tanya Hussain to join me in this conversation. My sense is that this chat is bigger than just me and “Kate”. If a community conversation can be generated then it might be one of those watershed, turning point, threshold crossing moments.
But this is an open invitation for everyone. I am fully aware that the technocratic gatekeepers are going to do everything in their power to contain such a conversation. So we are going to have to rely on the human-to-human strategy.
So this is now like one of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories. I still have the text exchange with “Kate” on my phone. What are your thoughts and feelings when reading this? How would you show up to such a conversation whether “Kate” was a human being or AI?
I will include links to both my conversation with “Kate” and the larger collection of “The Archive of Lost Causes”. (Please excuse my atrocious grammar and spelling as it is obvious I am painfully human. Haha!) I can continue to update the Rogue Counselor blog and this thread with responses from “Kate”, if she is still online.
The choice is yours. Will you:
1. Sit back passively and pretend this post never existed? (Turn to page 66.)
2. Engage in conversation with Mike and “Kate”? (Turn to page 111 or CLICK HERE.)
FROM September 12, 2026
MY ELEVATOR PITCH
MY ELEVATOR PITCHI have a feeling I may be winding down these blog entries. However, I am thinking about opening all of my writing and videos with the line, “My name is Michael Shoeman. I am an interspiritual minister advocating for nonpartisan, peer-led trauma informed training for all political candidates.”
This sounds so salesy and full of jargon. But it’s the closest description for describing what I am about.
This is my eighth entry in “The Archive of Lost Causes” (see comments.) I’ve already chronicled why I believe these posts are not generating any traction. However, I am also starting to respect what I’ve come to know as “right timing”. Most are not willing to consider (yet) that trauma guides so much of what we are or are not willing to pay attention to. Honoring the right timing allows me to continue adding to the archives even though it may be months or even years before someone will read them.
Today I am just appreciating the wonderful opportunities coming up to share my gifts. On September 29 I will be performing in “The Wizard of Iz” again which opens up healing conversations around suicidality and bullying. In October and November, I will be performing in “Great, Again?” which will allow me to have a candid conversation with the President of the United States. Someone like me doesn’t have — probably will never have — access to high society or elitist circles. So producing local theater allows me the opportunity to fulfill my destiny even if there is no media coverage or celebration for what may be some of the defining moments of my life.
During all of this I will continue to offer professional level drama classes for free in hopes that people will begin to understand the current social class system is merely a construct that we can change at any time.
I understand that people don’t like long posts on this platform. So I will end, as I usually do, with a question. It’s one I’ve asked before….
Do you believe trauma informed facilitation has a place in politics?
From September 17, 2026
THE PERKS OF BEING A NOBODY
The following may sound like self depreciation. But stay with me a moment.
I used to think being a “Nobody” was a curse.
Now I see it as a gift and a blessing.
I don’t have a reputation or a career to lose. Some would say that reflects a meaningless life. In my opinion, it is a source of incredible empowerment.
Recently I have been sharing my concern for all political candidates, regardless of their party affiliation. I have been asking candidates from the local to the state level if trauma-informed facilitation in lieu of ideological debate might be helpful.
The word “trauma” turns people off when they read it. However, I have yet to find a word that more accurately depicts the situation we are in.
Let’s first address what we see on the surface. If we pay attention to the smear campaigns coming from both sides, it seems to me a complete novice would have to conclude both candidates are either incompetent, corrupt, or both. Political campaigns encourage us to disparage — even dehumanize — our fellow human beings just for being aligned with a culture that we don’t understand. This trickles into not only politics, but religion and other minority or special interest groups.
Let’s now go a little deeper.
Let’s discuss the layer that can only be understood when you look underneath the surface.
Let’s look at what narratives come out when you are an active “dumpster diver” — as one of my ministry colleagues would describe it.
Since I am a “Nobody” I have enough time on my hands to have real conversations with trafficking survivors. I will tell you that, generally speaking, they have deep distrust of anyone having anything to do with religion, politics, and mental health. It takes a long time to earn their trust before learning details about how money and power really work in this world.
Which brings me back to my genuine concern for all politicians and political candidates in the US. Since I am a “Nobody” and can’t boast any academic or professional credentials, I can only speak to what the “word on the street” is. The lived experience. And the word on the street is that nobody ascends to high positions of political power unless you are under control. Either complicit or compromised. One Epstein survivor even described it as “Blackmail is a form of currency. When you can get a government agent in a compromised position then you can get them to vote any way you want.”
Considering Congress has adjourned before being allowed to vote on some high stakes proposals, that last quote should give you pause. Especially if there are those who hold the power to turn the lights out in Washington.
So, here’s the thing. What if the game is not about who you vote for.
What if it was really about destroying morale?
I’ve already written about how more than one operative has claimed that sociopathic tendencies are highly prized in being considered for intelligence work. Pathological behavior is easily weaponized.
The question then becomes, How do we trust anyone in politics if they are not emotionally available for these kinds of conversations?
Are they ignorant to the deeper dynamics? Or are they a conscious player?
I may be a Nobody, but sometimes I feel like my intelligence is being insulted whenever I get the deer in headlights look.
I’ll close this entry of “The Archive of Lost Causes” with my tagline.
My name is Michael Shoeman. I am an interspiritual minister advocating for peer-led, nonpartisan trauma informed training for all political candidates.
If and when more of the graphic details come to light, maybe together we can help those in positions of power if they are in fact compromised and in fear of public backlash.
Thank you for listening.
