For a while I worked in a home for mentally retartedd people. The guy in my neighborhood I played with suffered uder so called agrammatism - he would only speak without declinating and konjugating words.

There were people in every community in former times. Now it became common using prenatal diagnostics to know, if there are any mental dispositions - thus leading to aborts. In Germany people with for instance Down syndrome have mostly disappeared...

Over the years I have observed, that mostly people from churches have cared about mentally retarded people having wonderful programs and curricula. Christian anthropology has done lots of goods to these peole.

Nevertheless, most spiritual approaches simply forget implementing plans for those folks thus making them forgotten people. A main presupposition of many spiritual movements is an almost mentally healthy human being.

I think, the forgotten ones clearly point to something the so called "normals" do often forget. It is not about complicated understandings spiritual essence is about to reveal. It is the most simple thing above all that people love to talk of: love.

It is true, dealing and working with mentally retarded ones needs proper education and characters. Over the last coule of years for instance occupational therapy has made many progresses, and there are still enough students willing to undergo this training.

I am convinced, mentally retarded people are a heavenly gift to the world aknowledging the fact of going not too complicated. Actually it needs patience and lots of love.

Not, that those people are somehow "more holy". I have experienced heavy outbreaks of rage and ego games ad infinitum. Some of them can move and dance like hell. Some of them  have really dark appearances. And others are soft and kind like a baby.

Tell them from a "higher self" and "ascention" - they will not understand. But even without saying anything and having the courage to be with them, especially in case they have big fears, makes you a friend they really love.

One of these guys, Hermann, loves to always have a ghettoblaster with him. And he loves to stand by a big street, waving the cars. He does that now for many years. Maybe this way he made more people smile than we ever did...