A Digital Philosophy Of Magick, Thoughts? Options

Ever since I discovered Magick a few months ago I've been struggling to create a coherent big picture or model of Magick. (It seems I compulsively need a big picture understanding of things.) Upon reading SSOTBME by Ramsey Dukes I was finally able to put the last pieces together. So I would like to humbly submit my philosophy here for constructive criticism. If you guys could help to point out flaws and shortcomings, I would really appreciate it. Note that it is by no means original, and I am aware of other models of Magick. However, this is the model that, by far, makes the most sense to me. This model is also incomplete though. You'll notice that I make no mention of astrology or alchemy. This is because I haven't studied those subjects at all, I suppose I'll get to those someday. I also haven't described specific techniques like sigil magick, simply because that would be largely unnecessary. So here goes ...

The Universe is not unlike a massive computer program, which runs many programs within it. The most rudimentary particles are therefore like single bits of information, and any unit of existence is composed of digital information. All units of existence are programmed with various qualities which allow them to function in various capacities, not unlike the laws of physics, and can therefore be thought of as programs. Empty space itself is also a program, as it too possesses qualities. The qualities that a program possesses allows it to interact, within its capacity, with other programs. Quantum programs can and do function together to form atomic programs, while atomic programs can and do function together to form macroscopic programs. In this way, programs of increasing complexity are able to perform increasingly complex functions. The influence that a program exerts upon other programs is considered to be its meaning.

Certain configurations allow for the emergence of a conscious mind, which functions as the pilot of the program. The primary task of the mind is to ensure its own survival, therefore it has evolved the capacity of a Programmer, which allows it to constantly adjust the meaning of its environment (that is to say, the programs in its surroundings) so that it is most conducive to its survival and prosperity. The Programmer accomplishes this through the physical body or through the spiritual body (both of which are programs.) Change brought about through the physical body is by causality, while change brought about through the spirit is by synchronicity.

The mind is well symbolized by the yin yang. The white portion represents the conscious mind, which is primarily concerned with the operation of the physical body, while the black portion represents the unconscious mind, which is primarily concerned with the operation of the spirit. The dividing line represents the psychic censor, which prevents psychic impressions from flooding the conscious mind, but also prevents conscious suggestions from flooding the spirit. It is of course true that the the unconscious mind also operates within the physical body, and the conscious mind also operates within the spirit, and this is represented in the yin yang. Conscious interaction with the spirit is the aim of the Practitioner of Magick.

The mind experiences reality on seven planes. The physical plane is perceived through the five senses, and is interacted with through the physical body. The emotional, mental and astral planes are generated, perceived, and interacted with inside the mind. (The astral plane being the plane of imaginations, dreams, lucid dreams and astral projections.) The aetherial, metaphysical and non-dual planes are perceived though the little understood spiritual senses, and are interacted with through the spirit. (The aetherial plane is the plane of subtle energies. The metaphysical plane consists of the first five planes but also transcends them. The non-dual plane is the unified plane, meaning all of existence is connected and unified.)

The spirit or life force of the Mage is best understood as a non-dual fragment of the life force which permeates the Universe. The fact that the spirit has access to the non-dual plane means it can position itself at any point in space and time in order to synchronize change. It can position itself in multiple positions at the same time if it needs to. It can be both everywhere and nowhere. For this reason, the power of Magick probably far exceeds what we can conceive of.

All programs in the Universe can aptly be distinguished using the five elements model. However, since we are primarily concerned with the influence of programs and how we can make use of them, we shall rather refer to their meaning. Therefore, the element of akasha represents meaning in the spirit form and is positioned in the center of the altar, the element of earth represents meaning in the earth form and is positioned in the north of the altar, the element of air represents meaning in the air form and is positioned in the east of the altar, the element of fire represents meaning in the fire form and is positioned in the south of the altar, the element of water represents meaning in the water form and is positioned in the west of the altar, In this way, everything in the Universe can be represented on the altar of the Mage. (The altar representing the programming interface by which the Programmer synchronizes change.) When the Programmer seeks to bring change, she can either create a new program and define its meaning, or she can summon an already existing program and give it new meaning. There is no alternative. (Bear in mind that the spirit of the Mage is also a program.) This implies that the Universe which surrounds us is full of meaning.

In order for the Programmer to synchronize change through the spirit, a change in consciousness is necessary first. This is accomplished by arranging a meaningful experience, which we will call a rite, and then undergoing that experience. Since the meaning of any symbol is arbitrarily decided by the Mage, the rite is filled with symbols that represent all the necessary variables for the change to occur, at her own discretion. As the Mage then experiences the rite, the meaning of the rite is also experienced, and a subjective truth is created within the mind. Through the spirit, the mind then brings the necessary changes in the Universe so that there is no disparity between what is subjectively true, and what is objectively true.

Thoughts?

This post has been edited by Green Lantern: Apr 21 2013, 02:45 PM

I think this is a fine paradigm. The other half of magic is feeling, though, not thinking. So, is this a paradigm you can evoke the proper feeling with?

The Universe is not unlike a massive computer program, which runs many programs within it. The most rudimentary particles are therefore like single bits of information, and any unit of existence is composed of digital information. All units of existence are programmed with various qualities which allow them to function in various capacities, not unlike the laws of physics, and can therefore be thought of as programs. Empty space itself is also a program, as it too possesses qualities. The qualities that a program possesses allows it to interact, within its capacity, with other programs. Quantum programs can and do function together to form atomic programs, while atomic programs can and do function together to form macroscopic programs. In this way, programs of increasing complexity are able to perform increasingly complex functions. The influence that a program exerts upon other programs is considered to be its meaning.

Certain configurations allow for the emergence of a conscious mind, which functions as the pilot of the program. The primary task of the mind is to ensure its own survival, therefore it has evolved the capacity of a Programmer, which allows it to constantly adjust the meaning of its environment (that is to say, the programs in its surroundings) so that it is most conducive to its survival and prosperity. The Programmer accomplishes this through the physical body or through the spiritual body (both of which are programs.) Change brought about through the physical body is by causality, while change brought about through the spirit is by synchronicity.

A digital paradigm of animism is what this sounds like, which I think is good. i sort of think of it the same way myself, but for the idea of the 'emergence' of a conscious mind. In my opinion, each base element - each quanta, we might say here - has it's own consciousness, it's own basic awareness. The conglomeration of these base elements leads to a conglomeration of consciousness which increases in complexity according to scale and configuration. This leaves room for the understanding that conscious awareness as we experience it is not necessarily the limit of conscious awareness in either direction - there are simpler forms, and more complex forms.

Interestingly, it has been suggested by 'true' atheists that the emergence of self-awareness as we understand it arises from the tendency for matter to form the conglomerations for the purposes of resource acquisition. In other words, chunks of matter can function more efficiently when they are patterned to act independently to acquire persistence and survivability. From the mouths of babes.

The mind is well symbolized by the yin yang. The white portion represents the conscious mind, which is primarily concerned with the operation of the physical body, while the black portion represents the unconscious mind, which is primarily concerned with the operation of the spirit. The dividing line represents the psychic censor, which prevents psychic impressions from flooding the conscious mind, but also prevents conscious suggestions from flooding the spirit. It is of course true that the the unconscious mind also operates within the physical body, and the conscious mind also operates within the spirit, and this is represented in the yin yang. Conscious interaction with the spirit is the aim of the Practitioner of Magick.

Yin and Yang are better suited to expressions of the fundamental forces of attraction and repulsion. Pushing and Pulling. I would give you this to consider: rather than placing the focus on things like the conscious and unconscious mind for this portion of the paradigm, perhaps focus on the idea of awareness. The degree to which we are 'conscious' of something internally or externally relies on the state of our awareness. Think of it like a spotlight - it can be widened to light up a large area for us to be conscious of, or be narrowed to focus our awareness on a very specific area. The conscious and unconscious portions of the mind are something like the territory which awareness illuminates. Does that make sense? Our own perspective arises from the awareness, not from the mind itself. Manipulating our awareness is the key.

It can also help to think of the various aspects of the Mind - the physical, mental, and spiritual mind - in terms of structured vs. unstructured. The physical mind is contained in the brain, and is highly structured, both the conscious and unconscious. In the true mind, or the psychic mind, the structure is less, and conscious/unconscious don't play a role, they are artifacts of the physical mind to parse information in a way that the brain can handle in order to organize experience in a linear progressive context. The spiritual mind is entirely unstructured and is along the lines of pure awareness. We can in fact rename them to some degree and call the Physical Mind Thought, the Psychic Mind Gnowledge, and the Spiritual Mind Awareness. That may make it a little easier to recognize their influence. Gnowledge is my adapted english for Gnosis - it's the true knowledge, the things which have some semblance of structure in that they are discrete and we can recognize their presence, and yet they cannot be transmitted in a structured way; they are fluid structures, if you will.

The purpose for having any kind of paradigm regarding the nature of mind and how each part fits with the other is in awareness. In order to be aware of something, you have to know where to point the flashlight and for that you need a 'map'. Having a paradigm mapping the Body, Mind, and Spirit allows us to formulate a specific intention that correlates with our inner experience so that we can both focus that awareness intentionally and evaluate what we then find in context to the paradigm. If the paradigm is to general, you won't be able to find a useful enough context to do anything with what we find - if it is too specific, we'll never fit anything that we find into a context that satisfies the paradigm.

The mind experiences reality on seven planes. The physical plane is perceived through the five senses, and is interacted with through the physical body. The emotional, mental and astral planes are generated, perceived, and interacted with inside the mind. (The astral plane being the plane of imaginations, dreams, lucid dreams and astral projections.) The aetherial, metaphysical and non-dual planes are perceived though the little understood spiritual senses, and are interacted with through the spirit. (The aetherial plane is the plane of subtle energies. The metaphysical plane consists of the first five planes but also transcends them. The non-dual plane is the unified plane, meaning all of existence is connected and unified.)

I would posit that the body is what interacts, while the mind evaluates. Establishing a paradigm like this convinces the mind that it is possible to travel about in those other planes, because we know experientially that transit requires a vehicle. You could just as easily cut up existence into three, five, seven, ten, or a million discrete planes, the purpose of a scheme like that is to target particular strata in some useful way. Gross to subtle is a gradation more so than a series of steps. I would earmark this part as a loose general idea until you start poking around in other modes of awareness with other degrees of body. You'll develop a more complex structure when you have experience to base it on. I wouldn't stack lucid dreams with astral projection, for instance, but explaining how they are different will lack proper context. Suffice it to say, dreams take place in the brain and come with certain structured conditions - astral projection has a different set of conditional structures.

The spirit or life force of the Mage is best understood as a non-dual fragment of the life force which permeates the Universe. The fact that the spirit has access to the non-dual plane means it can position itself at any point in space and time in order to synchronize change. It can position itself in multiple positions at the same time if it needs to. It can be both everywhere and nowhere. For this reason, the power of Magick probably far exceeds what we can conceive of.

All programs in the Universe can aptly be distinguished using the five elements model. However, since we are primarily concerned with the influence of programs and how we can make use of them, we shall rather refer to their meaning. Therefore, the element of akasha represents meaning in the spirit form and is positioned in the center of the altar, the element of earth represents meaning in the earth form and is positioned in the north of the altar, the element of air represents meaning in the air form and is positioned in the east of the altar, the element of fire represents meaning in the fire form and is positioned in the south of the altar, the element of water represents meaning in the water form and is positioned in the west of the altar, In this way, everything in the Universe can be represented on the altar of the Mage. (The altar representing the programming interface by which the Programmer synchronizes change.) When the Programmer seeks to bring change, she can either create a new program and define its meaning, or she can summon an already existing program and give it new meaning. There is no alternative. (Bear in mind that the spirit of the Mage is also a program.) This implies that the Universe which surrounds us is full of meaning.

In order for the Programmer to synchronize change through the spirit, a change in consciousness is necessary first. This is accomplished by arranging a meaningful experience, which we will call a rite, and then undergoing that experience. Since the meaning of any symbol is arbitrarily decided by the Mage, the rite is filled with symbols that represent all the necessary variables for the change to occur, at her own discretion. As the Mage then experiences the rite, the meaning of the rite is also experienced, and a subjective truth is created within the mind. Through the spirit, the mind then brings the necessary changes in the Universe so that there is no disparity between what is subjectively true, and what is objectively true.

Thoughts?

That all sounds fine. What is missing, in my opinion, is the medium of interface between the mage and the universe. You need to have a sense that when you express your equation symbolically, there is a responsive receiving end and a medium through which the equation is expressed to be received. Like sound waves travelling through the air in order to reach the ear and propagate a neurological reaction in the receiver. It may be this is something you have considered but haven't expressed clearly here or it may be that you have skipped the idea of how all of this ultimately works together rather than as discrete principles.

Ultimately my suggestion is this: try to focus on practicing magic, rather than developing a model for something that you haven't gotten a firm understanding about. Your mind will never accept a paradigm you haven't experienced already. If you focus too much on trying to determine just exactly how it works, you're mind will get caught up on trying to fit that model and you may have trouble getting things to work for you in their own way.

So, don't get too locked into any particular paradigm just yet, but spending time thinking and writing about it is good.

peace

I think this is a fine paradigm. The other half of magic is feeling, though, not thinking. So, is this a paradigm you can evoke the proper feeling with?

Working with the idea of meaning does evoke some feeling, yes. I don't ever really get the sense of being in the Matrix though (unfortunately). And besides, the symbols I use in ritual are pretty much still the same. I do however find the idea of myself as a Programmer and the world as software to be useful for overcoming disbelief in the idea of magical change. Thinking of the world as solid material just seems to reinforce doubt (in my case at least).

A digital paradigm of animism is what this sounds like, which I think is good. i sort of think of it the same way myself, but for the idea of the 'emergence' of a conscious mind. In my opinion, each base element - each quanta, we might say here - has it's own consciousness, it's own basic awareness. The conglomeration of these base elements leads to a conglomeration of consciousness which increases in complexity according to scale and configuration. This leaves room for the understanding that conscious awareness as we experience it is not necessarily the limit of conscious awareness in either direction - there are simpler forms, and more complex forms.

Yes I agree. I don't know why this didn't occur to me as I was writing, but I am of the opinion that even rudimentary particles possess some degree of awareness. Everything that exists seems to possess those energy+information / force+mind components. I think what I meant was the emergence of a conscious mind consisting of the level of complexity we humans possess. Although it can be argued that animals also possess some psychic ability. (A Rupert Sheldrake wrote a book on dogs that know when their owners are on their way home.)

Yin and Yang are better suited to expressions of the fundamental forces of attraction and repulsion. Pushing and Pulling. I would give you this to consider: rather than placing the focus on things like the conscious and unconscious mind for this portion of the paradigm, perhaps focus on the idea of awareness. The degree to which we are 'conscious' of something internally or externally relies on the state of our awareness. Think of it like a spotlight - it can be widened to light up a large area for us to be conscious of, or be narrowed to focus our awareness on a very specific area. The conscious and unconscious portions of the mind are something like the territory which awareness illuminates. Does that make sense? Our own perspective arises from the awareness, not from the mind itself. Manipulating our awareness is the key.

I was wondering if I should include the idea of yin-yang as the mind, as many would strongly disagree with me for using the symbol in such an unconventional way. But I personally feel okay with doing it, since the meaning of a symbol is a decision made by the Mage. (This is definitively proven by the effectiveness of sigil magick.) I understand what your saying about awareness. I suppose the reason why I emphasize the conscious/unconscious mind idea is because it highlights the fact that most magick occurs within the unconscious mind.

It can also help to think of the various aspects of the Mind - the physical, mental, and spiritual mind - in terms of structured vs. unstructured. The physical mind is contained in the brain, and is highly structured, both the conscious and unconscious. In the true mind, or the psychic mind, the structure is less, and conscious/unconscious don't play a role, they are artifacts of the physical mind to parse information in a way that the brain can handle in order to organize experience in a linear progressive context. The spiritual mind is entirely unstructured and is along the lines of pure awareness. We can in fact rename them to some degree and call the Physical Mind Thought, the Psychic Mind Gnowledge, and the Spiritual Mind Awareness. That may make it a little easier to recognize their influence. Gnowledge is my adapted english for Gnosis - it's the true knowledge, the things which have some semblance of structure in that they are discrete and we can recognize their presence, and yet they cannot be transmitted in a structured way; they are fluid structures, if you will.

Ah, this is something I find difficult. I much prefer to think in terms of three bodies (physical, mental, spiritual) and one mind. Our experience of the world is created by the mind perceiving reality through one of these bodies. So to me, a shift in awareness means perceiving through a different body (or a different aspect of it.) The physical plane is perceived through the physical senses. The emotional, mental and astral planes are experienced through the mental body. (Which is like an imagined body. That's why I stack astral projection with lucid dreaming. I understand astral projection as exploration of the astral plane in the imagined body, whereas a full-blown out-of-body experience is when the spirit or life force exits the body.) And lastly, the top three planes are experienced by the mind through the spiritual senses. So in a sense, an awakened mind experiences a single reality but through more than just the everyday senses (which fits with your idea of shifting awareness?)

That all sounds fine. What is missing, in my opinion, is the medium of interface between the mage and the universe. You need to have a sense that when you express your equation symbolically, there is a responsive receiving end and a medium through which the equation is expressed to be received. Like sound waves travelling through the air in order to reach the ear and propagate a neurological reaction in the receiver. It may be this is something you have considered but haven't expressed clearly here or it may be that you have skipped the idea of how all of this ultimately works together rather than as discrete principles.

I decided not to write it in equation form, because I don't know how to express it that way. I suppose my idea of magick relies solely on the idea of the spirit being like an agent in the Matrix. So when a truth is created within the mind, the mind seeks to resolve the dissonance created by not perceiving that truth in the world. The spirit goes out and synchronizes the change as necessary. In a sense, this also highlights the importance of disabling the critical factor (or psychic censor) in the mind, as it will continually tell the mind that what its experiencing is crap.

Ultimately my suggestion is this: try to focus on practicing magic, rather than developing a model for something that you haven't gotten a firm understanding about. Your mind will never accept a paradigm you haven't experienced already. If you focus too much on trying to determine just exactly how it works, you're mind will get caught up on trying to fit that model and you may have trouble getting things to work for you in their own way.

You're right. I should practice more. Don't get me wrong though, it's not as if I don't practice at all, but I am thinking too much about this.

Thanks for your responses, I learn so much from you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This post has been edited by Green Lantern: Apr 23 2013, 03:21 AM