"Indigo" children and concentrated kook

[Legomancer]

I’m only about halfway through this article:

http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2002-12-19/feature.html/1/index.html

and my head is about to explode. I’m being exposed to dangerous levels of kook here, and I fear for my safety. This passes for journalism? Listening to some nutty moms explain why their children are special and then agreeing with them? This is insanity.

The article concerns so-called Indigo children. Supposedly we’re starting to see a generation of children with inexplicable knowledge and power. Quite naturally, these children are often identified by their parents and grandparents, who usually have a pretty realistic view of their own children’s and grand-children’s abilities. Along the way we get treated to a cornucopia of auras, crystals, reincarnation, and various other things.

It was this sentence that made me have to take a break for fear of hurting my brain:

“She also loved to collect crystals, stones and fossils, and without anyone having to tell her, she instinctually knew that if she put the stones on her cat while it was purring, the vibrations would heal bones.”

This isn’t one of the children or parents talking, this is the reporter. As you can imagine, so far I’ve seen only the barest hint of any kind of skepticism for this foolishness.

The mind utterly boggles.

(In other news, jesus has an important message for mankind. Both links are from CSICOP’s page.)

[Legomancer]

Okay, looks like I spoke a bit too soon. On page five Michael Shermer appears and we get a sort of skeptical view. Also, the writer starts to show a little bit of some tongue-in-cheek at that point, so HOPEFULLY I’ve been whooshed, at least by the writer. As for these parents and their kids, well, I suppose it takes all kinds.

[dangermom]

…worries that he may be ostracized by his peers if word ever gets out about his special gifts. …believers say this group of prodigies started appearing about 30 years ago and may now make up as much as 90 percent of the population under ten.

So his classmates, who are mostly just like him, will make fun of him? And what are age-appropriate questions for a six-year-old?

OK, so I know nothing about this idea of Indigo children. But there’s a book in the new book section at the library about them, and every single time I see it, I pick it up, thinking it will be about kids who have blue skin. I heard a rumor many years ago about tribes of ‘blue’ people, and would be interested in a book about that, if they exist.

[Biggirl]

But do these Indigo Children go 'round the outside?

[Mockingbird]

When I put crystals on my cat she gets annoyed, they fly across the room, and she lets out a fart.

I must not be a prodigy.

[jackelope]

As a toddler, Jan sometimes spoke using her own language. Instead of “cookie,” she would say “cookah” and refused to call a sandwich anything but a “phonic.”

Ah yes, that’s interesting. Most children learn to speak perfect English immediately. You know, like Jesus spoke.

On looking a little more closely at the site, I’m guessing this is Houston’s free alternative weekly? That makes a little more sense than seeing it in a mainstream daily.

Hmm, this is interesting from page 4:

“One fucking negative thing appears in the Houston Press, and I will personally track you down and beat the living shit out of you,” [homeless Indigo William] Wolf says before wandering off toward the back of the store.

“William’s a little intense,” says Justin English, a 19-year-old who frequents the shop.

I can’t read any more of this. I want to laugh hysterically and shake some sense into someone at the same time. Thanks for the link, Legomancer.

[Angel_of_the_Lord]

I just thought it was funny how they made a big deal about a 1st grader reading at a 3rd grade level. I mean, whoo-ee! I was reading at a 5th grade level at that age. Golly gee, I must be a really special color–maybe I’m taupe, or off-white, or bone. . .

[Primaflora]

Indigo Children is stunningly awful. But The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children by Doreen Virtue leaves it for dead.

http://www.metagifted.org/topics/metagifted/indigo/

is a very special website with lots and lots of lovely stuff about indigos. You may need to boil your eyes or your brains after reading it.

[monica]

Wow! I could be an indigo child! So could a good percentage of the world. Heck, even my dog could probably qualify.

[jackelope]

*Originally posted by monica *
**Wow! I could be an indigo child! So could a good percentage of the world. Heck, even my dog could probably qualify. **

Yep:

Whatever they’re called, believers say this group of prodigies started appearing about 30 years ago and may now make up as much as 90 percent of the population under ten.

I might suggest that there’s another name for this type of human: Kid.

[Legomancer]

I guess this is just another upgrading of peoples’ kids.

“My child is a straight-A student.”

“Really? Well mine if gifted.”

“Indeed? Well, mine is INDIGO.”

[Alex_B]

Also from the metagifted site: if the following apply to you, YOU may be an Indigo Adult:

-were rebellious in school, or you weren’t but wanted to be;

-have experienced negative emotions;

-prefer to work either in a group, or alone;

-express lots of emotion, none at all, or any amount in between;

-be sexually expressive, or not.

Wow! It’s like they’re talking directly to me!
Indigo Alex.

[hedra]

I met someone online who recommended the book (Indigo Children) to me…

I read a few chapters. My head started to hurt. Must be a universal reaction. The book is based on one (ONE) person’s interpretation of aura colors (she wrote a book! She’s now THE expert!). Even in the alternaverse, that’s pretty kooky. I’m pretty alternative, but I prefer the ‘we have no idea why, but it seems to work somtimes’ (might be hooey, but might not, worth a try, dump it if it has no effect for you) approach to the ‘we’ve proven that everyone has a violet aura because so-and-so saw them’ (ain’t no hooey around here nohow) approach. I loved how all aspects of anything and everything were lumped into Indigo-ness. Had to LOL at Alex B’s post, as it is pretty true to the book…

According to my take on the book, it turns out that everything that is good for Indigos is good for … um, all kids. Even better for gifted kids. The description of Indigos looks suspiciously like the description of moderately to significantly gifted kids on the gifted websites - but includes spiritual giftedness (insight), which many gifted sites bypass. Hey, I figure spiritual abilities (insight, compassion, etc.) are also something that can be at a gifted level. But that still leaves me with a big :rolleyes: on the Indigo thing. It might be a useful tag for some people, and if it gets them to treat their children with respect (but not coddling), I’m not entirely opposed.

Of course, some people just end up pushed off the deep end when they add this to their universe.

In reading the book, I started to wonder what was up with ‘kids in general are different’ (90% ??) issue.

I definitely see a lot of kids who fall into this (for lack of a better definition) ‘category’ (demand respect, and respond to it, too). Even pretty rational observers I know have commented on the difference - people who are taken by surprise by the differences in one generation. IMHO, two things could be different. The observers (likely), and the subjects (also likely).

More parents are of a mindset that their kids are better than others, and even than themselves. Just two decades ago, parents were thrilled to have normal kids. Now, supernormal is not good enough. The parents have changed somehow…

And so have the kids. Yes, the kids are actually different. They are better fed at birth. They are better fed after birth (formula included - the improvements are not peanuts changes!). There are fewer who are born with fetal alcohol issues. More kids are closer to their potential because of better nutrition and less harm in utero. They start out up a step from those of us whose mothers were told to stop eating and only gain 15 lbs during pregnancy, that it was okay to drink and smoke, and that they needn’t worry about paint fumes or pesticides, and don’t mind us if we knock you out entirely for the birth (oxygen deprivation wasn’t unusual, apparently). Geez, you think that maybe there might be a baseline difference there?

… And I wonder if perhaps their mothers, about 30 years ago, started expecting something more - respect. And getting more of it, too. Not just a demand for it, but an actual shift in expectations. And maybe that raise in the baseline of respect for all members of the family (adult/cultural) perhaps passed on somewhat to the kids. Perhaps more kids respond to respect in parenting and teaching situations because we more consistantly demonstrate that respect is a fundamental process in human relationships. It might not be actually present 100% of the time (not hardly) but it is certainly something that has shifted over the last few decades to a different standard.

Hmmm.

I’d love to read a book that explored that issue… not as a mystical change in our spiritual nature or a massive evolutionary leap taken by all members of the species at once. :rolleyes:

I did take something away from the book of value as a parent, though. Doesn’t have anything to do with aura color that I can tell. They just explained a particular parenting approach in a way that it stuck in my head better. I explain my intent and the consequences of actions a lot more to my 1-year-old. When I want him to do something, and he fights me on it, if then I explain, he complies. “Look, it is raining. Feel the air, it is cold. If we go out without your hat, your head will get wet and cold. Keep your hat on, please,” and it works. “When you are tired, go lie down and go to sleep,” also works. “Please sit down so I can change your diaper - if you sit in poopies, it makes your bottom sore,” also works.

But then, he’s also pretty darn bright. Or maybe he just gets bored with me yammering at him and complies to get me to shut up…

[Indygrrl]

Gawd, that was the most ridiculous thing I’ve read in a long time. I can’t believe people actually feed into this bullshit.

[Legomancer]

Your child maybe be an Indigo if he/she:

…is preternaturally adept at Pod Racing.

…knows instinctively the correct way to put on a stillsuit.

…seems to be able to speak with snakes, has uncuttable hair.

[dono]

from the article, originally posted by jackelope

As a toddler, Jan sometimes spoke using her own language. Instead of “cookie,” she would say “cookah” and refused to call a sandwich anything but a “phonic.”

Ladies and gentlemen, I present
The Indigo Chimp!

[Athena]

When I was a kid, I called my blanked a “boowa” and pronounced the word “vanilla” as “banilla.” I also read at high school level in second grade. Whoooweee! I’m BEYOND Indigo! Not one, but TWO mispronounciations, and WAY high level reading scores!

[SkipMagic]

Bob Carroll has an excellent view of dem special children right here.