Maybe you’re already familiar with Inanna, the mythical figure who spiral-journeys through “territories of the self” and receives a crown upon her rebirth. But the story of Inanna isn’t only about her emergence; it’s equally focused on her willingness to disappear. She chooses to descend into the Underworld, and in doing so, she releases the patriarchal structures of an elite class. Her journey is so disentangling that it results in something like death.
My experiences as a survivor are no different. I remember the moment of realizing that I’d been discarded by an exploitive system, which was like a disappearance. I simply went away that day. No longer hypnotized by social norms, I was free to sink down into myself, where I re-discovered truth and wholeness.
For me, enduring and then reflecting on the impact of groupthink—at close range—supercharged the reality of domination systems in America. I saw more clearly how we betray, dismiss or even vilify anyone who does not adequately fuel these toxic structures. My work in the social sector moved from the head to my heart, closer to the need to return to a culture of reciprocity to transform our world.
In this way, survival is a transformative experience that enlivens the body and spirit with acuity, wisdom and reverence for other body-souls. I believe it’s akin to a psychedelic experience or a burst of consciousness—many survivors go on to experience love and connection as daily realities rather than an obscure utopian vision.
So when I say it’s time for Americans to act like survivors, that means giving up the benefits of status-quo systems in order to live with greater reverence for each other. That means more Americans need to move toward wisdom.
→ It’s Time for Americans to Act Like Survivors (Annah Mason’s Substack)
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