The format for this blog is to ask a series of provocative questions all along the way, about the sets of concepts, theories, practices and beliefs that influence how human beings of different consciousness are, and could be, treated in our world. The central topic is diversity in consciousness, and my main argument is against those views that pathologize people who are different – eg. my own son William, who lives with what has been conveniently called “schizophrenia”, for want of a better term that really indicates a whole range of complex differences in experience, worldviews, mindsets, feelings and spirit influences. There are also illustrations, playing with the ideas presented in order to suggest different ways of picturing how we are, and how we can fit together as beings.

What I hope to do is to influence the debate, professional practices, media treatment, and community confidence, to start challenging pathological labels and demanding proper inclusion of these folks in our mainstream life, with fully paid jobs and fully engaged involvement in centre of our society. Rather than their current poverty and constant suffering from “experts” patronising them. That will require a revaluing of human being, rather than doing (and measured results, productivity, outcomes).

All Fruits Theory (AFT) goes to the heart of the current capitalist ethic, rejecting the bottom line of “growth in production and profits above all else, serving the interests of shareholders.” It recommends replacing these values and practices with ones that see sustainability in holistic terms, of heart-mind-spirit as well as ecologically balanced food, goods and services provision for all citizens, not just the rich profiteers. This is a fundamental position for AFT, as it is based on seeing people who have been identified as “less than” in a whole new light. Those people of different consciousness are actually valuable members of our society, worthy of being paid to be who they are, and to add ways of being and sharing that “add value” to how humanity “be’s with itself”.

The other aim of AFT is to introduce a universal concept of life, which tries to indicate the cross-species, cross-generational, cross-cultural handing on of a gift that makes us all fruits – our vulnerabilities, as part of life’s rich & sweet diversity. I call this our “miasme” (adapted from the old usage and on-going homeopathic concept, of a weakness in our constitution).  Only, I am saying this is present in everyone and everything, and gets handed down from generation to generation, showing up in different degrees and intensities, but present in all, yet denied by “normalising” concepts of having to meet some perfect image of how to be human. As Leonard Cohen famously sings, “there’s a crack in everything… where the light gets in” (Cohen Ten Songs).

This usage is parallel to Richard Dawkins’ concept of “Memes” (behavioural or cultural traits passed on by other than genetic means), but it also links directly to the concept of “Genes” (units of inheritance of biological characteristics, which are coded segments along the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of our chromosomes, giving us all our unique genetic fingerprint). This is because miasmes contain both biological as well as cultural (& spiritual) aspects of our inheritance and thus our ways of being.