About  Al  Cohol  and  the  TIHMPPP  Method

Beware of Al Cohol, the covert terrorist! The false Messiah who, in its many guises, promises instant Nirvana - instant deliverance from all of our troubles - and delivers instead head-splitting hangovers, vomiting, ruined livers, impaired coordination, impaired vision, hallucinations, nightmares, impaired memory, impaired judgment, unwanted pregnancies, dysfunctional families, ruined careers, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt, fits of anger and depression, suspended licenses, mangled bodies, and early trips to the grave.

And who is Al Cohol? Not just the substance technically known as ethanol, but any substance or destructive behavior which poisons our bodies or minds : narcotics, stimulants, steroids, gambling, reckless driving, derogatory expression, vandalism, physical aggression. Ducky holds that most destructive behavior is ultimately also self-destructive.

In order to combat the depredations of Al Cohol, we must first reveal his presence, anywhere he might be hiding, to his unwary victims. 

One way to do that is via the TIHMPPP Method.

TIHMPPP       means Transient, Intrinsically Harmless, 
                    Meaningless, Powerless Pixel Pattern

Transient     means temporary
Intrinsically means all by itself, on its own
Harmless      means causing no harm
Meaningless   means having no meaning
Powerless     means having no power
Pixel         means a picture element - a luminous dot on a TV,
                    movie, computer, or video game screen,
                    or an ink dot on paper
Pattern       means a collection spread out in time and space

The TIHMPPP method is intended to lead the practitioner to the realization that a TIHMPPP is just a TIHMPPP! Surprisingly, because of primitive instincts inherited from our remote past, this realization is far from trivial! If we really had it, nothing capable of being displayed on a TV screen ( for example ) - no possible combination of text and pictures - would disturb us in the least. We would fully understand that until we choose to assign a particular meaning to a TIHMPPP, it remains just that - and that therefore we have complete freedom in choosing when and how to respond - or not to respond - to any TIHMPPP. No feelings of fear, anger, anxiety, thirst, lust ( etc ) would ever arise in us - unless our higher cortex had already determined that, under its control, those feelings would be serving a beneficial purpose. No knee-jerk reactions could ever occur. We would cease to behave like Pavlovian dogs. A paper tiger would instantly be recognized as such - our response would not be colored in the least by past encounters of our remote ancestors with real-life saber-toothed tigers. We would be immune to all the enticements appearing on commercial TV ( in particular, those ubiquitous beer commercials! )

What I have just described constitutes the first phase of the TIHMPPP Method. Once this first phase has been mastered, the definition of "TIHMPPP" is broadened to include sound bites as well as pixel patterns. Mastery of this second phase can be demonstrated, by example, by being able to witness The Passion of the Christ with true compassion, yet in complete control of our emotions.

Finally, the definition of "TIHMPPP" is broadened once again to encompass all sensory experience. At this stage, it is realized that "TIHMPPP" is just a synonym for the "maya" or "samsara" ( delusion ) of Eastern philosophy.

All that the above amounts to is taking advantage of the modern development of "virtual reality" as an aid for the mastery of the "real reality". In the East, the TIHMPPP method would be regarded as just one more instance of "skilful means" being used to achieve liberation from human bondage.