Enlightenment Reason or Occult Conspiracy?
This article originally appeared in Conscious Choice magazine.
What holds our world together is not only the laws of physics, but language, myth and story. Our narratives create the framework in which our actions and our intentions have meaning, or at least some kind of order. It is very hard for us to live without any coherence at all. It may even be impossible, as our minds immediately begin to weave together some type of fable to support whatever it is we find ourselves doing.
Lately, I find myself switching back and forth between divergent models or myths of reality and seeking to integrate them. One of them is the story of progress and reason, the inheritance of the secular and scientific Enlightenment. The progressive believes that a flawed society can be improved by rational policy and political pressure. The world can be made better for more people, inequities reduced and healthcare guaranteed. Although he has been strategic in his pronouncements, Barack Obama seems the model of a progressive reformer, promoting the type of sensible policies that led to the New Deal and the Great Society.
The other mythic structure that entices me is occult and conspiratorial. According to this story, there is a hidden agenda beneath the façade of chaotic events. This agenda is orchestrated by "them," that group of elite cabals and secret societies, an amalgam of Free Masons, Vatican priests, the descendents of the Nazi scientists brought to the U.S. after World War Two, and so on. To approach this concealed dimension of world affairs, to separate accurate insights from disinformation, is extremely difficult, and perhaps impossible. The quest involves long reading lists of small-press and self-published tomes and many hours on YouTube, watching lectures presented by anxious men in drab conferences. From such unreliable sources, one learns that much alien technology has already been recovered and reverse-engineered, that a New World Order of total social control is being orchestrated, that the Ark of the Covenant is a torsion field generator perhaps hidden in the Pentagon, that shapeshifting reptilians are controlling everything, and other tidbits.
Personally, I don't reject the possibility that there is an occult element in global affairs, a distorting factor that makes true understanding difficult to achieve. During my shamanic work, I encountered spiritual and demonic forces, appearing as visions and voices, but also causing effects that seemed to cross the barrier between the psychic and the physical. According to shamanic traditions, spirits operate across the entire field of our world. Rather than a fine-tuned conspiracy of elite cabals, the true story might be far more muddled, with various factions holding pieces of a puzzle, mired in outmoded rituals and incoherent beliefs, lacking shamanic skills. Many of those involved in these cabals may suffer from guilt and fear the consequences if their shadowy actions are revealed to the public.
Out on the esoteric edge of the cultural imagination, one finds an increasing convergence of thought-streams. The works of Steven Greer, David Wilcock and Richard Hoagland, as well as Nassim Haramein's DVD set, Crossing the Event Horizon (available at theresonanceproject.org) all suggest that, beyond a certain threshold, technological advances may be linked not just to technical knowledge but to our level of consciousness, requiring higher awareness as well as purified intentions in order to function. As Haramein theorizes, the Ark of the Covenant might have been an actual device preserved from antediluvian civilizations, capable of generating extraordinary amounts of energy - enough to open a passage through the Red Sea - but requiring an initiate on the level of Moses to operate it without causing mayhem. Many of these thinkers offer intriguing scenarios in which alchemical or extraterrestrial possibilities could manifest in tangible forms.
Can someone pursue Enlightenment ideals while simultaneously exploring occult conspiracies? If we avoid becoming obsessive or dismissive, it seems possible to hold contrasting myths or models of reality in our minds at the same time. We can study the Mayan Calendar, extraterrestrials and Gnostic cosmology while fighting for social and environmental justice, campaigning for political reform and so on. Whether or not our corrupt system can be changed, we could learn a great deal by joining any valiant effort made in that direction.
For Enlightenment thinkers, the sun symbolized the clear light of reason they adored. The clear light of reason may stream from the sun, but, as the French philosopher Georges Bataille noted, if you turn your gaze upward to look at its source, you find yourself blinded. Those who stare at the sun for too long may go insane. The source of reason in itself produces unreason, blindness and madness. Reason appears to have an innate contradiction at its center. Reason, by itself, may not be enough to get us out of our planetary plight. If spiritual forces operate within our world, then meaningful social change requires, along with political reform, initiatory processes and shamanic practices that could, perhaps, open our minds to new myths of reality.
Image by marirs, courtesy of Creative Commons license.
Tweet- 4-11-08
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A funny thing about holding
Are these things opposed?
synchromysticism
Hi Gyrus,
Since writing this, I was reminded again of Robert Anton Wilson's concept of "synchromysticism," which proposes that there is some organizing/underlying consciousness beyond our usual experience of time and space, responsible for correspondences and coordinations that seem otherwise impossible. We will be running a piece on the concept in the next week or two. I am also increasingly persuaded that intention is one of the most important, if not the most important, element in the universe. Perhaps what seems like conspiracies are more like competing intentions which are organizing the space-time "Maya" in different patterns around them?
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
Yeah, synchronicity and
I feel your pain
i have been watching this unfold for about a decade now, myself, and i must say that i sympathize very much with what you are saying. it feels like i am waiting every day for 'the big one', whatever it may end up being. there is a large body of evidence, to my mind, that we are almost at a nexus, or convergence, of 'big ones'; making this 'big one' the biggest ever -- or at least for an extremely long time.
rationality has been a guiding light for me throughout this. it has become increasingly obvious that, as the philosopher ken wilber puts it, 'everyone is right. but, everyone is only partially right.' it is only a sober, cautious journey through this material -- picking up on the common themes running through it all -- that one begins to see, with any clarity, what is going on. disinformation is rampant, as is emotional manipulation and propaganda.
rational thought is indispensable for this very reason. attempting, as much as humanly possible, to distance yourself from your emotional reaction to the material, to examine it objectively and keep an open mind. to be willing to admit, when necessary, that you have previously been wrong; and then to reformulate your world view based upon the new information...rational thought is the key element in this, in my opinion.
i think it is perfectly obvious, for example, that there is, in fact, an 'elite' group of individuals (my current theory revolves around the central banking/military industrial complex. whether they are demon possessed, i can't say. i would like to believe that they are -- that no human would perpetrate what these men have on another human, unless a nefarious influence had infested him. but evidence in that area is, to be kind, sketchy at best); and that this 'elite group' has a completely disproportionate influence on 'the way things are'. these people, whomever they may be, use this disproportionate influence to insure that the 'administration' -- governmental, religious hierarchical, whatever it may be -- in general has a much higher concentration of their supporters than the rest of the populace may reflect. we can see the truth of this in virtually any organization in the world.
however. one way or another, consciousness must be seen to play a role in this as well. rationality can, itself, be seen as a level of cognitive development; and our 'level' of cognitive ability has an unquestionable effect on our 'level' of consciousness. most of the problems listed in the original post, as well as comments i have so far read -- over consumption, commoditization, assignment of biased individuals to positions of power, etc -- are reflections of a level of consciousness. consciousness, for my purposes, i define as level of self-recognition. altruism, per se, i don't believe exists. we always care most for our selves...what changes is what we see our self to be in.
a quick-and-dirty layout of the map i use here (i do not claim to have invented this. see the writings of the above-mentioined ken wilber, for one example of the vast debate in this area, if you are interested): a very selfish person sees himself only in his body and ideals. a 'family' person sees himself in his body and ideals, and those of his family. a 'patriotic' person sees himself in his body and ideals, his family's, and the rest of the people and ideals in his self-identified country. etc, etc, etc.
as we mature, as the interconnectedness of reality becomes more and more apparent, we begin to see ourselves in more and more of what we look at. this changes our behavior, inevitably.
and this, ultimately, will be the thing that saves us, if we are to be saved. it is only by working together, with a sense of camaraderie and co-dependence -- coupled with the ability to rationally assess our situation and react to it appropriately, rather than be bogged down with overly emotional sentimentalism, or just plain avoidance -- that we will begin to be able to survive the coming disasters.
i don't know if the tipping point will be reached tomorrow, or a decade from now; but, rest assured, a tipping point is coming. but, if it spurs a greater sense of unity and cooperation, then it may end up being the best thing that ever happened to our species.
"You must *be* the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
The Next Myth: Working Together
What Daniel describes as myth could also be seen as, for lack of a better term, "projection," though I don't much care for the word. What I mean by "projection" is a psychological process that occurs within us when we listen to another or otherwise absorb information. I most often see this in acting class: someone says something and that stirs something in me. I initially see what is moving in me as pertaining to the subject, the idea, the feeling that person is expressing. But I can also see what stirs as something that I am creating, what we've called in class a "ghost" or a "voice" that is speaking within me, that can come from a thousand different places but that is particular to me, to my history, my relationships, my feelings, my life.
I hear ghosts and voices in the posts here on Reality Sandwich as well, both in my own writing and what I imagine to be in others. In fact, I believe that every post - every expression, including what I am writing now - cannot be separated by the voice that has moved me to speak with these particular words. That voice, though stimulated by another, might have little to do with Daniel, with a fellow commenter, sometimes even with the subject matter being discussed. I would describe my voice here as being the "there's something implicit happening here that should be explicit" voice, but I might be only scratching the surface. I've learned that it takes diligent investigation, coupled with a developed intuition to see with clarity where we end and the "material," the topic we are discussing, investigating, wrestling with, begins.
This last thought is perhaps related to Daniel's statement above that "Reason, by itself, may not be enough to get us out of our planetary plight" and speaks to the relevance of my little discourse to this discussion.
The information that we come across, whether it be the prognostications of planetary catastrophe, the assertions of nefarious occult forces, the charismatic promise of Barack Obama, all are met by our voices and our ghosts and initiates an alchemical melding between that information and our own psychology. I think it is a false conceit to suggest that this can be prevented. In fact, it's probably a key element of our creativity. It is possible to become conscious of these occurrences, of their ubiquity, role and potency in the creation of our thoughts. In my experience it is then that we can operate in concert with these voices/projections/ghosts; molding them, being informed by them and channeling them with intention and care to create the narratives, the myths that we desire and to confront the nightmares we avoid.
It is also, to my mind, fundamental to addressing and confronting all of our myriad ecological and societal woes. If the challenges prove to be as monumental as evidence suggests, it will likely require a global effort of the entire species, working with highly developed collaborative social technologies in order to organize, discover and execute solutions. Developing deep awareness of our own "voices" is a lynchpin - perhaps a requirement - in such a collaborative effort. That is a narrative, a story, that I am very much interested in having unfold.
yes, i concur
becoming aware of these disparate 'voices within' is among the key methods of spiritual/conscious development. there are a lot of ideas we espouse that, when questioned methodologicaly, we find we don't actually believe in at all. we overheard someone say it at some point, it trickled and tumbled around in the ol' brain until we forgot who said it in the first place, and then took root -- all without us being really aware of it.
later, when in a similar situation, we find ourselves repeating it. or, at the least, hearing it repeated in our head. without an awareness of this process, it becomes easy to become controlled by others. the thoughts in your head are less often 'yours' than most would ever believe. but it takes an effort and willingness to look within -- honestly and candidly; the bravery to question, and the courage to admit being wrong.
"You must *be* the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
science and the ufo
Idealy there need not be a contradiction between studying something like David Wilcock's ufo/alien material and adhering to rational science.
The problem seems to be that rational science is not pursuing the subject. Terence Mckenna says -
'..in looking at the effect, not asking the question what it is, but what does it do - you very quickly see what flying saucers are doing - what they are doing is eroding the faith in science, they are an antidote to the scientific paradigm that has evolved over the past 400 years and which has led us to the brink of global catastrophe. So the notion being developed here is - within the structure of the human psyche there is something like a (governman?) something like a monitering circuit which when a society begins to evolve in a pathalogical or lethal direction - phenomena can be induced not by the egos of men and women, not by their institutions but by the overmind - the collectivity of the human species - phenomena can be induced which are so corrosive to the ideaoligies currently in place, that their underpinnings are cut away, their validity is called into question, and their programs for social development and control are invalidated and destroyed'
It's as if rational science is threatened by the ufo phenomena, therefore does not pursue it.
The same goes for the media with regard to Stephen Greer's The Disclosure Project. The investigative journalists do not seem to be pursuing these stories, maybe for the same psychological reasons. I was quite shocked to hear Stephen Hawking's dismissal of ufo sightings in this video - http://deoxy.org/video/xjBIsp8mS-c
'On the other hand we don't seem to be have been visited by aliens. I am discounting reports of ufos - why would they appear only to cranks and wierdos.'
This seems typical of the closed-minded attitude of the established scientific community torward anything that does not fit with their views.
There have been many ufo sightings, by airline pilots, astronauts, milatary personnel, are they all cranks and wierdos?
For instance in the Stephenville incident-
http://www.realitysandwich.com/broadcasting_third_kind
Dozens of people around Stephenville said they saw mystery lights in the sky. Lee Roy Gaitan, a constable, said he noticed a strange light outside his home near Stephenville. I suppose this constable must have been a wierdo. Dozens of others out in the area, including a pilot, a teacher and business owners, reported seeing the same thing.
The point is whether these lights were from an alien craft or not, many 'normal' people saw an 'unidentified flying object'.
Jimmy Carter witnessed a ufo - just because he was the president of the united states does not necessarily mean he is a crank and a wierdo.
My feeling is that people like Stephen Hawking become elevated as a kind of 'god' of the established scientific 'religion' and people who question them are at best ridiculed.
I like science and I like the way it is honest and rational. But I think that many(even most?) scientists are not really entirely honest or rational, they just like to think they are, not examining their own contradictions, projections and prejuidices. If they were more honest I think a lot of psychadelic/shamanist material would be examined more thouroughly.
Add to this the notion that we can embrace more than one 'mode' of reality and also the notion that we can never be entirely certain of anything.
noosphere
Who knows, perhaps in the next few years, mainstream science and the media will start to lean toward the 'conspiracy theories' with renewed interest.
If this were to happen I wonder how it would affect the collective consciousness of man as reflected from projects such as The Global Consciousness Project.
'The overwhelming anecdotal evidence of shared dreams and shared trips, etc., should have made a dent on the materialist model, but it hasn't yet. The Global Consciousness Project at Princeton is also discovering evidence for a "noosphere," a mental envelope around the earth, by documenting fluctuations in random number generators set up at 50 cities around the planet. On days of major world events, they get significant statistical deviations from normal patterns of randomness. On 9/11, these deviations peaked several hours after the planes hit the buildings, but the deviations began an hour or two before the first Tower was hit. The Project may be charting the birth of a global consciousness aware of major events before they actually happen. I suspect, in the new paradigm, we will recognize that human consciousness and the Earth, together, constitute a single sentient and evolving organism.'
http://www.dailygrail.com/node/7
I guess it would be very interesting if in the next few years, the patterns of randomness were to deviate significantly, the prelude to some great event? Science and myth, science and shamanism, science and the mystic agreeing at last.
:::Original Culture::
~Aydra Jenson~
. . ..Keeper of the StarSix. http://starsixprofile.blogspot.com. . .
. . .
Observing different reactions to these topics is fascinating and overwhelming at best, but applying our rational intellect and intuitions to them is perhaps the only way to truly unfold a New World Myth into being.
. . .
Consider that there really is no such thing as a 'fact' or 'truth' and that it is all simply fabricated 'fables' and 'myths'. What you choose to resonate with becomes 'your truth' and the more people agree with it the more of a universal impact it has.
. . .
Which is why perhaps, if you take the side of the optimist even in this seemingly hopeless situation of the world- maybe some kind of solution WILL show up- even at the last possible moment. However, if we side with the Dark Forces and let their negative programs intoxicate us- hope fades.
. . .
I'll admit its exciting and confusing to educate myself on occult topics through the lens of an optimist, but I find clues leading towards success in the future through them. Shamanism is perhaps our medicine to heal and reverse these occult programs by reeling us through all the dark stuff only to eventually unveil the light- the question is, can you hold on for the entire ride.
. . .
"We can study the Mayan Calendar, extraterrestrials and Gnostic cosmology while fighting for social and environmental justice, campaigning for political reform and so on."
. . .
I love this statement because it is so balanced, I think balance is really what were after here (right brain, left brain). In suggestion to becoming blinded by staring too long into the sun- I would say that sun-gazing is absolutely necessary in this time, it activates our psyche and consciousness, while opening us physically. However, one must learn to filter the direct light by positioning their hand over the sun in the right way and letting the light come in by way of the negative space, like peering through a lens. It actually helps you to open your eyes wider.
. . .
Also, in response to Josef...I liked this line:"In wine-making, when one introduces yeast into a vat of crushed grapes, the yeast population begins to sky-rocket and expand very quickly as it exploits the huge energy supply (sugar) until it uses up this energy source and begins to die-off in its own waste"
. . .
This is a great analogy, however, in any fermentation process there is always a yeast or 'living culture' which begins the alchemy. Consider that perhaps that Original Culture is what we are being called by and those who listen and act with the right intent can be part of this 'living culture' which aids in the birth of a new 'vat', a new process of creation.
. . .
I believe there is a shaft miles below the great pyramid holding part of the technology we need to make the shift. Dark Forces know about it too- but they can't access it. Partly because they haven't the technology, but mostly because they haven't the consciousness and would not know how to use it correctly if they did. Perhaps this is part of the timeless story of the Arc of the Covenant- which I'll admit I don't know too much about but will put it on the list.
. . .
What I feel I might know- is that our ancestors left us everything we need to win this heroic battle, even if it only means leaving a positive imprint or frequency for the next race of planet earth and beyond. We only must be willing to attain our highest potential in this life, open to creating our own imaginative realities and fables, grateful for the light of the sun and each breath we take.
. . .
May the Original Forces be with you.
~AYDRA J~
Smell the bouquet
"In wine-making, when one introduces yeast into a vat of crushed grapes, the yeast population begins to sky-rocket and expand very quickly as it exploits the huge energy supply (sugar) until it uses up this energy source and begins to die-off in its own waste"
Sounds a lot like the 60's, no? Hippies became yuppies and are now conceivably dying in a consumerist wasteland. Let the wine breathe, people!
"We are all provided for" - C.S. Lewis
Hippies became yuppies...
"Can someone pursue
"Can someone pursue Enlightenment ideals while simultaneously exploring occult conspiracies?"
What kind of a question is that?
Can someone walk and chew gum at the same time?
Can someone read Shakespeare while Spongebob is on the tube?
Can someone be paranoid AND pronoid?
can someone be here nor
precisely
I can relate
I love this article! I had (and continue to have) experiences like this since I found out my boyfriend was involved in the Icke-ian perspective. I am a scientist (not of the materialist persuasion) and it really shook me up for a day. "Is this a cult or something?" I asked him. Eventually I heard and saw a lot of the documentaries he watched and read on YouTube. I consider myself a pretty reasonable person, and after awhile, I understood the convincing aspect of all these theories. I can't immediately accept that most political leaders are reptilian, but I can entertain the idea every once in awhile. With all the self-destructive steps humanity seems to take, it's difficult NOT to believe in some malevolent outside force.
Something I try to maintain when I'm trying to unite some of these occult views with a scientific perspective is a way to prioritize things I understand and things I don't understand. It bothers me immensely (in both science and the occult) is the presentation of Facts. For example, go to AMNH and watch the "Cosmic Collisions" show. You will see a computer simulation of moon formation, in which a planet about the size of mars crashes into the proto-earth, breaking it up but eventually forming two bodies. (Naburu?) The narrator says, "This may seem hard to believe, but it's a FACT." I saw this video with a friend who had a background in science, and we simultaneously turned to each other and said "according to the leading theory."
This presentation of science I think is not helpful because it encourages literal-thinking. I think the blooming interest in the occult that seems to be occurring right now can be considered a balancing force to the mental constriction of literal mindedness. Unfortunately, I sometimes see people use scientific ideas inappropriately to give a point about spirituality or the occult. I don't think its inappropriate to apply science to spirituality (Capra did an excellent job in The Tau of Physics), but the analogies or "facts" of science are used in literal ways to give the "facts" of the occult. How can we unite the two in an appropriate way? I don't know.
One thing I try to do when I'm explaining science to friends or the public is to emphasize the observations and mental steps that it takes to arrive at the conclusions. I hope to create an environment of mutual understanding, where we can see what ideas are more tenuous than others and what evidence is behind that. "Let's not get caught up in the illusion, but lets see what's easier to throw out the window and what deserves to stay in the house." Scientific thinking is just one way to explore the world, but there are many modes of understanding. I think, as a planet, we are a lot like an infant exploring its environment, just barely coming to terms with our being and our psychic motor skills. We are all in this together, so lets play and explore using all the skills and creativity at our disposal.
Namaste. --EB--
Getting familiar with the nature of maya
Despair vs. Hope
Robert Anton Wilson
P.S. on RAW
UFO and earth conciousness
UFO abductions occur almost as if it was a dream. When the event is occuring it may be scary and seem so real but after the event, when you "wake up" and try to tell someone the story of what just happened to you it seems impossible to reiterate and you realize how little sense the whole thing makes. its as if the entities orchestrated it perfectly to invalidate the experience when you try to tell others about it.
and to josef. you seem to view humans as some sort of virus scrummaging for survival on the surface of the planet, this bias appars to be your fault. it is just as likely that we are the earth's consciousness and its is putting itself in this self-sacrificing state temporarily to achieve what would otherwise be impossible. we have our father sun and mother earth birthing us into the cosmos, we may soon be living all on our own and humans will reach their "adult" stage of development.
ive had 2 dream like
conflict
I feel a kind of 'schizophrenic' conflict about 2012, because it seems counter-intuitive that some shattering and world changing event will happen so soon, and in our lifetimes.And to be honest, in my dealing with my outside, normal, day to day world, I don't see much sign of it happening.
Yet when I research the issues around 2012 I do lean torward the notion that something vast will happen (the activation of the noosphere coinciding with the 'UFO'?) And I do feel quite empowered by it because it convinces me that my life does count, and how I think, and how I act, can make a difference to the collective, in an alchemical kind of way. And this gives me energy and incentive to work hard at whatever I am trying to achieve.
I think I'll be relieved when 2012 does finally arrive, because then I'll be able to think about something else.
the norm
'What will it be that can
'What will it be that can change so many people's minds so completely in such a short period of time?'
Maybe it needed be a gradual transition of thought and believe, maybe it will affectivly happen all at once, as a result of an enormous, unexpected, cataclysmic event, that can't help but change the collective consciousness in an instant.
There are so many possibilities, so many possible impacts from outer space.
For instance -
http://www.etheric.com/GalacticCenter/Galactic.html
I find this quite interesting - I think it was channeled by David Wilcock -
http://www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/sep2/ra.htm#raside
http://www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/sep2/wilcock.htm
“There is an Eastern tale
Dick had plenty of storIEs.
uhh yeah. What the story
the magician should have
Allegory as totality?
We are certainly reaching a point in human history where even in the most mainstream of arenas there is growing awareness of how absurd the logic that created the foundational institutions of this society was, and thus the difficulties inherent in understanding our modes of understanding.
I think something important therefore is highlighted in this article, namely the allegorical manner in which we perceive our world. Whether it be through fiction (which I believe through its existence creates a cultural resonance that directly changes reality, albeit in subtle and almost unquantifiable ways) or in our rekindled fascination with alternative ways of interpreting the story that constantly unfolds around us all (the return in the growing global consiousness to eastern mysticism and shamanic practices) or in the theories offered by commentators. You mention Batailles for instance Daniel, whose theories I briefly encountered at university. I believe I'm correct in saying that aside from his theories focusing on the paradoxes and inexpressibilities thrown up by our world, he was himself a figure of contradiction. I also remember reading some extracts of work by Frederic Jameson about conspiracy as totality, taking from it (whether explicitly expressed by Jameson or not) the notion that conspiracy theories may take on a validity in relation to the real world despite the belief that they are not necessarily 'true' in the conventional sense of the word. By this I mean that perhaps we reach a time when conspiracy could be a totality if we let it, just like our belief in higher deities gave rise to the civilisation we see warping before us now.
Reality in this sense is always allegorical, always abstracted by our language. Given this, our actions are always the hostage of our words. Again, if we let this be the case. We are living in a time of paradox however, the nexus of which might be the conjoining of action and intent.
Good article!
then i guess i'm a bat
albeit one that must go deaf on occasion, as i can't always puzzle out what it is you're saying, cj.
to Abraxas23: you're right. then again, so is most everyone else. (so very few of the humans on this planet are "wrong.")
Frank Herbert has been quoted in these comments once already, but i think it apropos to quote him again, through one of his characters: real boats rock (Darwi Odrade). i mean, that's the idea, yeah? people are going to disagree, people are going to believe that what they 'know' is all there is, the one right answer. what i'm wondering is, can we get everyone to 'agree to disagree,' can we, at some near point, realize as a species that there are many paths in the garden? there are myriad systems of thought on this planet that ostensibly preach peace, but so crave that elite status of 'the one' that they're willing to abandon peace (be it through physical violence or verbal proselytization) to force others to their point of view. . .
not possible. first off, no one group has all of the pieces of the puzzle. second, force breeds force, violence breeds. . .oh, you get it, right? real boats rock. we just have to learn to deal with it, and we'll all see each other on the other side.
...disengage
oh, caterpillar
by way of answer, iamyouandyouareme
then again. . . it don't really matter
for while matter
may flatter
it's my mind what needs growing fatter
of course!
you're the more
apropos poet.
disengage
i really wish you wouldn't
i really wish you wouldn't waste people's time with this self-indulgent shit. Isn't that what myspace is for?
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
let's all slow our roll, here
This is about to get out of hand, I can feel it. And so, before it does, I'd like to say this, and then be done with it (I hope): we are all of us in this whole thing together. There is no reason, and I do mean none at all, for the level of atangonism and negativity I feel brewing here.
People are going to say what they want to say, where and when they want to say it. How we address the way that makes us feel can be tempered by the words we choose to use.
Daniel: You dislike the exchange that occured between myself and cjmoore. I understand where you're coming from, and I have attempted to address that in a less public forum. Seeing as how this site and it's contents are of the utmost importance to you, it makes sense that what appears to be witless (however witty) banter might incense you. I think that maybe your choice of words seemed a bit caustic, but communication breakdowns happen everyday; it isn't always easy to find oneself constantly in a state of awareness that will guard against such things. (I should know, as it is a constant struggle for me.) I am by no means suggesting that you should mollycoddle anyone who posts on here, but I'm a firm believer in the idea that we all need to be a little more sensitive to others, and a little less over-sensitive when it comes to ourselves.
cjmoore: I admit, I haven't been a member of this site for a great length of time. That being said, I don't think I have ever seen a post from you quite like the one above. It flies absolutely in the face of the tone I am used to seeing from you.
Maybe you're right about Daniel, and maybe you're wrong. I don't know the man personally, so I can't really say. All I can comment on is the level of anger I read in your post, and I have to say that it saddened me. The reason is this: the fundamental ideal that we all must cling to is that, while we may not agree completely, and we may not even like each other, we're all working toward the same goal. If we start attacking each other (I'm lookin' both of ya'), we're going to go down with the ship.
I, for one, think that we cannot afford that. For most of human history, people have been operating on the idea that what they believe is truth, and that what others believe, should it not happen to be the same, is nothing more than waste. This seems to have held true in all realms, be they social, political, spiritual, or even what foods you choose to eat.
We need to put the bickering and the antagonism aside. There's nothing wrong, in my opinion, with a little healthy debate, but when we start attacking each other, we are no better and no different from the established systems we oppose. I refuse to believe that there is no other option for us but to be at each other's throats.
With deepest sincerity,
Jason Bettis (fedaykin0)
p.s.: I'm really not trying to preach here. If my assumed role as mediator is unwanted, just say so.
...disengage
NO MOORE
Moore you are not a poet. You are an idiot. A raving idiot. A raving selfish show boating idiot.
Give the bullshit you are puking onto your keyboard a rest.
Please show some respect for the other readers and stop wrecking the discussions.
unwittingly advocating a program of extermination
The world needs dreamers same as it needs activists and burners. It’s an extremely dangerous road to go down when you start banishing voices from the forum because they aren’t necessarily “writing for the cause”.
Stalin and Hitler ostensibly did the same thing: “Quit painting and waxing poetic you sumbitch! There’s no place for art in this nightmare we’ve created. Now make us some propaganda, boy, or we’ll stick you on the evening train.”
Let us ponder the words of the late William S. Burroughs:
“Dreaming is a biological necessity for all warm-blooded animals, and dreams can be seen as the prototype for our artistic expression and creative thought. The part played by dreams in writing and painting is well-documented and mathematicians and chemists have found the solutions to formulae in dreams. I think we may extrapolate to say that art is an elaboration of the dream process and far from being a superfluous luxury it is necessary for the continuation of human life. No people so far contacted are without some form of artistic expression. When Plato banned poets from his Republic, he may have been unwittingly advocating a program of extermination.”
Hmmnnn…best keep writing that poetry, CJ! It may just save our asses. Daniel, I’m sure Beller would love to have you back. At this point, it would probably quadruple Open City's readership. Ha! I only joke because I love.
appropriate use
There will soon be a place in this community forum for people to present their poetry and creative writing to the community. We are working on building a social network that will offer each user a free space to speak their minds, as well as tools that will allow the community to read and comment upon their work.
I appreciate some of the clever and artistic comments people leave her, but they quickly become a time and energy drain for many people, and are not respectful. Ultimately, this particular forum's value as a place for exchanging ideas and information will be degraded by endless digressive comments and cutesy one-liners. I already experienced this syndrome during 3 years running the Breaking Open the Head discussion board.
For that reason, we are currently creating guidelines for comments that will include being polite to others and staying on the topic, at least vaguely. If users won't respect the community by honoring these guidelines, they will lose their commenting privileges. I wish this wasn't necessary, but long and painful experience makes it clear that it is.
At the same time, we already have forums up on Reality Sandwich, and anyone who wants to create a forum devoted to witty banter, poetry, free associations, etc., and invite others to join them in discourse, is more than welcome to make use of that space.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
meow
it is, then!
disengage
I have to agree with daniel guys
I have to agree with daniel on this one. CJ, i have read oodles of comments by you on other articles (mostly daniel's i hasten to add) and i think you have a witty way with words. The way you use language is interesting and pretty fresh: kudos. But, when I am reading an article about a particular subject I want to look at all the comments and see where the debate has progressed and what I can add. Trawling through quite literally heaps of unrelated quipping is not high on my agenda at that point! Thats why where once I felt a flush of excitement at seeing a new article on here with the addage 40+ comments (foolishly thinking there would be numerous perspectives to absorb) I now sigh knowing that, more probably than not, it will be totally unrelated to the matter at hand. There is space for this kind of stuff (i believe daniel himself has previously mentioned a chat room type addition to RS in the pipeline) but it isn't here!
Please don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to ruffle feathers or be rude, but you guys kinda are being by filling this conversation space with unrelated banter.
As i say, not meant to hurt or offend. Peace and kindness to all!
DARE to BE
Propaganda Anonymous I have only read some of the exchange between Daniel and Josef (apologies to the other posters, but these are a lot of comments) I'd just like to chime in a bit.
I sharpened my philosophical teeth on Lilly, Leary, and above all RAW.
THEY have been my main teachers along this ride. So maybe that makes me a bit 'old school' as well. I know this about Wilson. He was still MOSTLY hopefully about humanity's chances until his dying day. Hence, 'Keep the Lasagna Flying!'
Meaning...Be Daring enough to not succumb to Cynicism.
It seems easy to do so, and then call it 'Realistic' And one does not need to get into a conversation about Quantum Physics and alternative realities in order to shoot holes through what many pander as 'The Real' There are relative Reals.
To me, this is the time(and has been for quite a few years) of lifting the veils. We are seeing all this shit, diggin in the dirt like never before, because those WHO CHOSE to address this situation will learn something from it (I suppose and yes hope a bit)
Some can afford to be jaded (I'm NOT directing this towards Josef, just speaking generally here) But I cannot.
I am jaded at times, but that shit, if I hang out there too long fucks with. me, and then fucks with those around me.
I admire those that have dealt with real hardcore struggle and oppression for hundreds of years, and still find the strength of will and levity to be heroes....
Another Lesson from Lilly, and one I consider more important than his 'No Limits' mantra is LAUGHTER.... One can face an abysmal situation and then gain strength through the use of a good laugh.
And to quote RAW (which he paraphrased from Nietzsche) 'We are all greater artists than we realize'
And Lastly to paraphrase Nelson Mandella( which he quoted from someone else) When he was freed from prison after being in there for 27 YEARS!
Again 27 YEARS!
'Humanity's greatest fear is not that they aren't capable enough. Humanity's greatest fear is how capable we truly are' (something like that)
CHOOSE to let go of fear
And DARE to STEP into your SHINE
PAZ prop
either/or...nope, it is both/and
check out Jain cosmology. The philosophy reconciles the search for realization/enlightenment and the occult/hidden dofuses (dofi?) who are screwing around with us all. remember, in the reality of universe, and karma/karmons (dharma)it is not 'either/or', really it is 'both/and'.
namaste dudes (no gender insult intended).
moon/luna(ticks).
yikes...again
why do y'all think i stopped posting comments to the articles here on RS? i opposed cj's reactionary condemning of someone who's ideas didn't jive with his and he exploded back at me. i hate hippies apparently, according to the poet. ps. the way you (cj) use language suggests to me that you've had direct experience of the living Source of language. you play with it like a child before formal complex enlanguaging. that's more than a compliment. it's that reCognition your incessant posting reveals a yearning for. now can we play nice? i'm sure daniel doesn't hate poets any more than i hate hippies. relax that ass.
www.organelle.org
www.truetao.org
"So when I talk about Wilson
Conjectures of Possiblity!
Propaganda Anonymous Fair enough Josef. I agree to a certain extant.
As Rumi said quite nicely, RAW conjectures would appear more so on what is possible if one let's him or herself break free from the thought that 'nah,that can't happen'
When I read Prometheus Rising for the first time, RAW asked the question of how would you handle immortality?
The question disturbed me greatly at first. I was told all my life by every authority there was that, 'One day you will die and there is nothing you can do about it!' RAW was subverting that voice.
I do not think it can be forgotten that Wilson utilized the trickster qualities superbly in his writings. To take every thing he ever wrote at face value all the time will lead one to totally missing the point. Or should I say, in a totally Rationalist mode? RAW spoke so much about Celtic Logic being Ludic, ie playful than just plain old logic that has to explain everything all the time. Like the irishman who will tell the tale in order to keep the rounds of Guiness flowing.
Remember that RAW, Leary,and McKenna all took pride in their Celtic heritages.
Why else did he always speak of those Zen Koans? Or Nasruddin?
In the tape series, Robert Anton Wilson Explains Everything (or old Bob exposes his ignorance) put out by Sounds True, Bob addresses Josef's exact grievance here with the explanation that Rumi provided.
PErhaps he said all that outlandish stuff in order to arose Thought?!
Get the gears going.
You want 'Truth?'Go join a church. Dig....
As far as Optimism is concerned. I appreciate Viktor Frankl's phrase 'Tragic Optimism'
It is the knowing that there is some messed up stuff going on, but one is CHOOSING to be an Optimist. There is always a choice involved. As per Sartre, Nietzsche, Frankel, and RAW. And darned if I don't agree.
And as far as RAW and Leary not having the knowledge of Peak Oil and Global Climate Change heeding the call of planetary destruction. True. these concepts were not floating around in their 'reality-tunnels' I suppose. But there was The Club of Rome, whom, as RAW said always seemed to predict that the world was going to end sometime soon, etc. There seems to have always been those cats that preach 'The END'
RAW responds with humor and chooses to direct as much energy as possible towards solution.
I mean, I got it. Just as I got what Daniel was working on in 2012. IT's the working in the realm of the maybe state. Eliminating the 'either/or' dictomy of all this stuff, which right now is just words mostly, and allowing the spectrum of existence resonate in your mind.
I think RAW's contribution to philosophy has not been fully assessed yet. He only recently passed,for the most part.
His take on politics (which he called his perspective Non-Euclidean) is pretty relevant I'd say. Matter fact I see a lot of discussions here at RS somehow linked to his many ideas.
OK, so Lastly. When it comes to predictions and the like, read 'The New Inquisition'--again!.
And when I asked RAW in the interview I did with him in 2003 about what the future holds he held steadfast in saying that he did NOT KNOW what the future holds... He can only conjectures based on his own thoughts, prejudices, etc.
So dude owned his shit. And really, I find of his 'guesses' to be inspiring and spirit-enhancing.
And his Optimism about Life on earth, even while he was suffering hardcore from post-polio was damn Heroic in my opinion.
And he was way more fun to hang out with than some pessimistic old sod.
Cosmic Schmuck Principal
RAW's 'Cosmic Schmuck Principle' always makes me smile because it rings uncomfortably true. I think it helps to put into perspective the notions you have about yourself and other people - realizing that no-one is infallible and there is a funny side to most things.
'If we are not totally stupid and blindly selfish on all possible occasions, we are about as bright and ethical as anyone in history has ever been.'
'The Cosmic Schmuck Principle holds that if you don't wake up, once a month at least, and realize that you have been acting like a Cosmic Schmuck again then you will probably go on acting like a cosmic schmuck forever; but if you do, occasionally, recognize your Cosmic Schmuckiness, then you might begin to become a little less Schmucky that the general human average at this primitive stage of terrestrial evolution'
http://deoxy.org/wiki/Cosmic_Schmuck_Principle
Lucifer and Ahriman
Blue Collarsphere
Daniel, and all: I am truly fascinated by this discussion; thank you all for your research and ideas. One of the the broad view questions and concerns I have about this discussion, and Daniel's book 2012 as well, is related to translating these ideas into society in a practical, meaningful, and effective way that achieves tangible results. Perhaps this could be described as the middle path, between Jospeph's more pragmatic approach to cultural problem identification and solving and Daniel's faith that intention and psychic intent will yield broader effect over our macro reality over time. Most of us, it would appear, can afford the luxury of conjecture; and have been afforded life scenarios in which intellect and circumstance, and personal action have combined to create a rare combination of esoteric personality, a drive to incorporate the 'long view', and a yearning to effect a positive spiritual transcendence within our world culture. But even with intent, even with proactive political activity, even with anything we can personally muster: We are not 'the problem', and the act of sharing our points of view with the rest of the world is the impossible task. I believe in intent. I believe in political activism. None of that matters to 99.99999% of the world, and extreme niche-oriented esoterica can only be 'sold' to the smallest of self-selected demographics. The multi-pronged shift portended in '2012'...I want to believe in a pan-humanity wake up more than almost any single concept...alas, my desire still trails my hobbyist's scientific method. I cannot see a real way to help create this new environment in the face of our culture; nor do I want to wait it out, focusing my intentions, hoping for seismic fault line of consciousness to erupt and undermine our archaic mental structures and, in turn, the world we have created. However...conspiracy/occult theories are based in standardized human (for the most part) activity and can thus be latched on to by traditional media, and traditional minds, when enough evidence surfaces to legitimize their inclusion. So perhaps exposing/exploring/researching some of these concepts and ideas could be a primary manner in which many people- unlikely candidates for this discussion otherwise- could be indoctrinated into a thought regimen that might hold the type of enlightenment discussed in Daniel's article in a more available, possible and natural light...that they might be encouraged to begin personal inquiry through more traditional means. So, the idea: "Can we pursue Enlightenment ideals while simultaneously exploring occult conspiracies?" leads me to believe that two can be linked to positive effect, the latter perhaps encouraging exploration of the former, at no cross-purpose.
-Ash
Conspiracy Theories and Enlightment
I really don´t understand what conspiracy theories have to do with enlightment. First of all conspiracy theories are just what they sound like, THEORIES. Trust me, I know and spend time with businessmen billionaires and politicians in power and the only thing that drives them is the pursuit of money and power (some of them pursue ideals). No conspiracies here, no ancient secret organizations and most definitely no lizards disguised as presidents (unless you are all talking metaphorically)! I do very much appreciate the articles and comments here on Reality Sandwich except the conspiracy parts that I believe come from a deep hatred of the capitalistic society (and for not being able to be a part of it) but that in itself doesn´t make it so. So what if earth perishes tomorrow? The universe will still be here, only without us in it. Or is it that many here believe that the purpose of the universe is unfolding through mankind and that the final goal is everlasting everhappy life here on earth. Cause that´s what Reality Sandwich seems to be all about. Creating paradise on earth. You don´t need conspiracy theories for that you only need to wait. The universe unfolds itself with or without your help and it´s end is already encoded in everything since the beginning of time. With us in it or without us in it. The linear universe is compressing itself upon itself always, even as we speak. We are riding the wave and can only choose to perceive it in different ways. And yes, we can stop the linear unfolding of time and space within ourselves or at least create the illusion of it. To be or not to be is the question here. Reality is what you make of it but reality is also real.
SugarMag
Just wanted to add
For all of you waiting for 2012 I just want to add that these businessmen and politicians are here to stay. They are not going anywhere. The shift in consciousness only goes on in the communities that discuss them. The people in Monte Carlo, Buenos Aires and Cannes will still be on their yachts and fly their private jet planes no matter how much positive intent, super love and belief in the consciousness shift the whole of the Burning Man Community can conjure up! The Nevada desert boils in high consiousness while the billionaires go about business as usual playing with their toys as the poor children of Africa starve. So it has been and so it will stay. It´s all part of the cosmic game and it is all good. A shift will come but not overnight. Evolution is SLOW!
SugarMag
the way i see it