About the Egodeath Theory, Including the Cybernetic Theory & the Mytheme Theory

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Michael Hoffman, November 29, 2020

Contents:

Shortest Summary of the Egodeath Theory of Religious Mythology

Religious myth describes transformation of the mental worldmodel from Literalist Ordinary-state Possibilism to Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism.

Diagram from Stanford

The “tree model” on the left, needs to show a tree of possibilities branching.

The dashed line segment on the right needs to be solid, because the mind’s future path of control-thoughts already exists — a shocking affront that directly counters egoic control power! 

Seeing and experiencing this perspective on future control-thoughts, shaped like a snake, removes the presumed power of steering the helm, out from the hands of the presumed egoic control agent. 

No One at the Bridge – Acid-Rock Lyrics Decoded

Before I cracked the code, decoding religious mythology elements successfully (which gained traction around 2002), my warm-up exercise (which gained traction around 1991-1992) was to explain acid-rock lyrics that describe altered-state experiencing.

These are extremely relevant, highly descriptive poetic lyrics, which describe the peak experiencing of the altered state, by use of analogies.  This is the song “No One at the Bridge”, lyrics by Neil Peart.

Lyrics are shown here for academic analysis and commentary.

“The sky is pitching violently [perceptual distortion in the altered state: visual undulation]
Drawn by shrieking winds [the egoic control system doesn’t propel its thoughts, in the altered state; thoughts are driven forward by mystic {wind} without egoic control]
Seaspray blurs my vision [perceptual distortion in the altered state: blurring of vision]
The waves roll by so fast [perceptual distortion in the altered state: visual undulation]
Save my ship of freedom [the experience of freewill-premised control power vanishes, but is desperately needed, as control increasingly seizes and is cancelled in the loss of the experience of having personal control; a “deus ex machina”, artificial transcendent rescue from outside the entire egoic control system and alien to it, is required]
I’m lashed helpless to the mast [the altered-state experience of non-control; suspension of the familiar experience of wielding control-power; an allusion to the myth of Ulysses]

Remembering when first I held [when first discovered the altered state]
The wheel in my own hands [the illusion of egoic control power, supported in the ordinary state but not in the altered state]
I took the helm so eagerly [naively expected to be able to control the experience]
And sailed for distant lands
But now the sea’s too heavy
And I just… I just don’t understand
Why must my crew desert me? [vanishing of the accustomed experience & perspective of being a control agent wielding personal control power]
When I need… I need a guiding hand… [the power of the egoic control hand vanishes]

Call out for direction
And there’s no one there to steer [the egoic control agent illusion vanishes in the altered state]
Shout out for salvation [a good time-tested idea; to rescue viable control and return control-stability, the mind has to learn to consciously place trust its own uncontrollable source of control thoughts, which was secretly always the case anyway]
But there’s no one there to hear [not that God doesn’t respond to prayer; the meaning here is “there’s no egoic control agent here”]
Cry out supplication [pleading, begging for control-stability earnestly & humbly]
For the maelstrom is near [cybernetic control seizure and nullity, cancellation]
Scream out desperation [continuing to rely on the premise or presumption of egoic control power, is futile and leads to increasing panic and seizure and instability until changing the mental worldmodel from Possibilism to Eternalism per Mystery Religion initiation]But no one cares to hear [not that there’s no God or rescuer; that would contradict all mystic tradition and experience; the emphasis here has to be on “no one”; no egoic control agent.  The survival-protecting sense of caring and values and self-preservation is suspended and transcended, in the altered state] 

— song No One at the Bridge, album Caress of Steel, Rush / Neil Peart, 1975

My Version 1 analysis, at the Egodeath site:
http://www.egodeath.com/rushlyrics.htm#xtocid22921

Odysseus & Polyphemus – {one-eye}, {rock sinks king’s ship}

Your {ship} of self-control will be {capsized} (personal control power / self-control power rendered non-viable) by the block-universe {rock} thrown by the man who has {one eye, Cyclops}, the eye of altered-state awareness that is able to observe the workings of the self-control system.

https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Polyphemus/polyphemus.html

{sealed the entrance, so that none would escape} – {rock cave} = mind in ASC seeing block universe in the {cave} of the altered-state mind; the egoic {kubernetes steersman helmsman} (egoic personal control agency) cannot survive seeing the block universe; Naive-Possibilism thinking {dies} in the {rock cave}, cannot come out; Persephone is abducted into Hades’ rock underworld where illusory egos die and do not return.

The illusory ego, I, = pseudo-autonomous egoic control power that was supposedly steering among/ within a supposedly open tree of branching future possibilities.

Your {ship} of self-control will be {capsized} (personal control power / self-control power rendered non-viable) by the block-universe {rock} thrown by the man who has {one eye, Cyclops}, the eye of altered-state awareness that is able to observe the workings of the self-control system.

Eternalism, Block Universe & Worldlines

From my main article (2006):
The Entheogen Theory of Religion and Ego Death
http://www.egodeath.com/EntheogenTheoryOfReligion.htm

BlockUnivWorldlineSnake_HiRes

The above diagram shows Eternalism (the block universe) containing frozen, pre-existing worldlines of control-thoughts. 

In religious mythology, the mytheme {rock} describes, by analogy, experiencing, sensing, and perceiving the block universe.

In religious mythology, the mythemes {serpent (snake), dragon as a threatening serpent, ivy, and vine} describe, by analogy, experiencing, sensing, and perceiving the stream of pre-existing, unchangeable personal control-thoughts lying ahead in the near-future.

The above diagram shows three people on the left, and two people on the right.

The three worldlines with a dot in the middle represent {the elect}, those who are predestined to be initiated; mystically “saved” and “regenerated”, who become aware that their future stream of control-thoughts is already cast in stone and pre-existing with no ability to change (that is, control) their future thoughts.

Being {initiated} exposing the mind to the {fire} of the altered state repeatedly, changing the mental worldmodel of time and control to change from Possibilism to Eternalism.

The accompanying text for the above diagram, from my main article:

“Time can be envisioned as a space-like dimension, forming a block universe that includes personal worldline threads that are frozen and unchanging (Rucker 1984), and are shaped like snakes. Each snake or thread represents a person’s entire subjective stream of thoughts during their entire life. Analytic philosophy and space-time physics have been brought together to construct a tenseless, static model of time (Oaklander & Smith 1994). This perspective is characteristic of altered-state perception.”

Slightly Longer Summary of the Egodeath Theory of Religious Mythology

Copied from my Summary page at WordPress:

Religious mythology describes visionary plants loosening the mind, giving the experience of one’s stream of thoughts across time as a {snake}-shaped worldline embedded in a frozen, {rock}-like block universe.

Repeated exposure to the {fire and flames} of the altered state transforms the mind away from the initial Possibilism model in the ordinary state of consciousness.

The altered state experience produces the experiencing of the Physics spacetime model called Eternalism.   

In the altered state, which produces the Eternalism experience, near-future thoughts are seen as pre-existing, giving an experience of non-control and dependence on a hidden thought-source.

The mental model of time and control transforms from a branching-possibilities model, like a {king steering in a tree}, to a non-branching model, like a {snake embedded in a rock}. 

The transformation of the mental worldmodel of control, possibility, and time happens when the {evil king drinks wine at a banquet}; when the initiate who initially thinks in terms of Naive-Possibilism-thinking ingests entheogens.

The {evil king sends the hero on a quest to obtain the treasure guarded by the dragon}; personal control thinking based on the illusory initial Possibilism-thinking entices the mind to enter the altered state in order to gain Transcendent Knowledge, gnosis, but the mind must conform to and battle against personal control chaos and self-cancellation, self-battling, self-threatening to explore the vulnerability {wound & birth passage} that’s built-into the self-control system. 

Conforming to the {guarding dragon} (one’s frozen worldline in its threatening aspect, seeing which removes the feeling of having control) requires dying to illusion, {abandoning} and {burning-away} egoic control thinking. 

The {hero} (the altered-state explorer) {brings back} the {treasure} of gnosis from the {far-off land} of the altered state (loose cognitive association binding).

The {treasure} is {guarded by the dragon or angel of death}; the price of conforming to the {guarding dragon}, to pass through the gate and become able to {steal, snatch} the {forbidden treasure}, is ego death, {sacrificing child}-suited thinking.

The Two Major Sides of the Egodeath Theory, with the Big Breakthroughs for Each Side

The Core theory – The Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence, 1988

A single Core theory breakthrough, 1988:
o  Lead-up: 1985-March 1987 pretty conventional thinking-style
o  April 1987 big, innovative idea-devmt shift
o  Then the ramp-up from April 1987 to Jan 1988
o  Culminating in The Big One theory-discovery (no myth yet!) when the Core theory came to me from on high.

The Myth & History theory; the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism Theory of Religious Mythology & Esoteric Initiation

I’m still working on a good label for this side of the Egodeath theory.  Keep it simple: at least for the short version:

the Mytheme theory

long version maybe:

the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of religious mythology

or

the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of mythemes

thus you’d say in long form:

The Egodeath theory includes the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence and the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Mythemes.

vs.

the Cybernetic theory

Coming up with a good name for this side of the Egodeath theory will be easier after I work-out the present, ongoing Nov 2020 big breakthrough.

A series of several Mytheme & Esoteric theory breakthroughs, like:

2002 (eg maximal entheogen theory of religion; recognized all myth = entheogen analogies;

2006 main article a breakthrough of summarization/communication;

2011 prelude/prep for branching/tree/non-branching/snake set-up;

esp. Nov 2013 super-huge tree vs snake Complete Decoding;

Nov 2020 – still assessing/playing-out! per below break-out.

—–

I have been developing the Egodeath theory since 1985.  The two halves or “legs” of the Egodeath theory, which co-strengthen & co-develop & co-corroborate each other re: theory-confirmation: 1-word labels, in my mind:

Nice Labels at Last, for the Two Halves of the Egodeath Theory: the Egodeath theory = the Cybernetic Theory + the Mytheme Theory

the Core theory = specifically, the Cybernetic theory

the Periphery theory = specifically, the Mytheme theory

Such short labels ALWAYS require a context.  Just bc requires a context, doesn’t means its not good, as short label.

That’s pretty good labeling! 

Just saying “the Core theory” makes sense when the context is well-established, and you are discussing the relation between the Phase 1 theory & 2.

Core is true; but vague.  Trying to officially name the Phase 1 theory “the Core theory” would be like calling the 2nd, Mytheme portion of the Egodeath theory “the Periphery theory”. 

Such labelling (the Core|Periphery theory) tells something about the relation between the two Theory-halves, but not identifying either half. 

It’s an asymmetrical, inconsistent way of labelling.

the Egodeath theory = the Core theory + the Mytheme theory. <– asymmetrical labelling; inconsistent: the first word is a comparison-word, but the 2nd is a direct-descriptor.

Decoding a mytheme means mapping that mytheme to the Core theory.  That’s the simplified was of putting it.

Saying the above with more detail:

Decoding a mytheme completely, requires mapping that mytheme to other mythemes (as synonyms, antonyms, & duo-/complement-pairs), and then mapping all those re-networked mythemes, to the referent domain.

The referent domain that mythemes map to, is: all things that are perceived/experientially perceived in altered state, which includes both:
1) things that are perceived in the OSC, now re-perceived; plus,
2) things that were hidden in the OSC, that are now revealed, in the ASC.

o  The first half of the Egodeath theory is the Core theory (no mythemes, no alt-history): the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence, discovered in big breakthrough January 1988, published 1997

o  The first half of the Egodeath theory is the Mytheme theory — the “Mythemes & Alt-History” component, got momentum around 2001, main article mapping the Mytheme-theory to the Core-theory 2006, big breakthrough in Mytheme decoding November 2013. Best, temp label at present: “the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of religious mythology.” 

The “mytheme & history” half of the Egodeath theory includes the semi-peripheral, semi-inconsequential topic of the ahistoricity of religious founder figures (b/c James Arthur told me he agreed with my set of views, and esotericists agree or are neutral/ agnostic/ apathetic about the existence of Mr. Historical Jesus & Mr. Historical Paul and esoterics agree with my set of views, according to Pagels’ first two books,

1) on the gnostics’ reading of Gospel of John, and

2) on the Pauline writings. 

3) Her 3rd, popular book The Gnostic Gospels, somehow summarizes those books, and, The Jesus Mysteries book by F&G then in turn, summarizes her book The Gnostic Gospels.

I say, I characterize my work from 2001 to 2006, and 2013, and 2020, as “Decoding Mythemes“.  By mapping them to the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence (the Core theory, non-mytheme-involved, first, origianl half of the Egodeath theory). 

“Core theory” is a lousy label, unspecific.   It’s not a label, it’s a relationship.  Lousy AS a label; good as a relationship-descriptor.

1st half of the Egodeath theory = Block Universe, Cybernetic non-ctrl, Loose cog, ego t’c.  the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence.  so:
“the Cybernetic theory”?

2nd half of the Egodeath theory = mytheme decoding, ahistoricity, esotericism mapping to the Core theory (to “the Cybernetic theory”).  Modern Cyb’cs lame, but, ancient Cybernetics… is valid/relevant , to ASC. 

Ancient “Cybernetics” means ASC control-seizure & transcendence; Transcendent Knowledge per Mystery Religion initiation, mixed-wine mushroom wine banqueting, “drinking clubs”, “burial clubs” w/ a god’s feast that he brings you to, that he makes you attend.  called by the god.

WHAT IS THE TOP WORD FOR 1ST HALF OF the Egodeath theory?
CYBERNETIC
WHAT IS THE TOP WORD FOR 2ND HALF OF the Egodeath theory?
MYTHEME

the Egodeath theory = the Cybernetic theory + the Mytheme theory.

The Cybernetic & Mytheme Halves of the Egodeath Theory 

This search on kubernetes still hasn’t panned out, except the nice picture of {one-eye throwing rocks to sink king’s ship}.

Kubernetes Research

kubernetes steersman helmsman

Webpage Search: kubernetes

webpage search: kubernetes “greek mythology”
https://www.bing.com/search?q=kubernetes+%22greek+mythology%22

webpage search: kubernetes greek
https://www.bing.com/search?q=kubernetes%20greek

webpage search: kubernetes greek mythology
https://www.bing.com/search?q=kubernetes+greek+mythology

Image Search: kubernetes

image search: kubernetes “greek mythology”
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kubernetes+%22greek+mythology%22

image search: kubernetes greek
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kubernetes%20greek

image search: kubernetes greek mythology
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kubernetes+greek+mythology

Characterizing My Ongoing Big Breakthrough of November 2020

Big breakthrough in November 2020 — I’m still working on characterizing what that “big breakthrough” amounts to — it is centered around the huge ramifications of decoding the complete “Mushroom Tree/ Sword/ Self-Threatening” image from Canterbury Psalter —

Components of the Big Breakthrough of November 2020, centered around my complete decoding of the entire “Mushroom Tree/ Sword/ Self-Threatening” image from Canterbury Psalter:

The decoding revealed that the image totally confirmed the Egodeath theory overall, regarding self-control seizure and relenting upon satisfaction and purging the remaining childhood-suited, Naive-Possibilism-thinking, when the mind has fully developed Eternalism-thinking (an alternative mental worldmodel of time & control that’s able to endure what is revealed about the source of control-thoughts in the altered state), and has modified Possibilism-thinking to produce Qualified-Possibilism-thinking.

The decoding blew the lid off the huge cover-up of mushrooms together w/ Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism, within Christianity.

The decoding revealed that the image … though Muraresku’s book, somewhat less-than-sterling mediocrity, The Immortality Key brags with greatest Hubris inviting the Furies to strike him down, about Safety, Reliability, and Scalability, the Canterbury “Mushroom Tree/ Sword/ Self-Threatening” image reveals a definite initiation-training program isomorphic with the now-grasped & recognized, Lesser Mysteries of Eleusis (& Mithraism etc).

One big thing is, general, a sweeping, across-the-board increase in Certainty Level & Decoding Completion, of the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of religious mythology, and now perceiving a great consistent uniformity of mythemes across Greek & Christian mystic intiation.

— Cybermonk / Michael Hoffman, Egodeath.com
http://egodeath.com (2007)

Decoding Mythemes Is Like Decoding, Deciphering, Learning, & Translating an Unknown, Alien Language that’s About the Altered-State Domain

I’m doing like language-translation, figuring out how to translate from one semi-unfamiliar language (the mytheme domain) to a target, known language (the referent domain).

That “complete translation and mastery of the new language” involves: 1) mappings within the mytheme domain; 2) mappings from items in the mytheme-domain to the referent-domain, and 3) for “completeness”, that excercise is also a forcing function that tightens up your grasp (ie revising/adding to your connections within) of your supposedly, relatively, “famililar” target language.

1) Mappings within the mytheme domain.

2) Mappings from items in mytheme-domain to the referent-domain.

3) Tighten up your grasp of the familiar target language; revise/add to your connections within your familiar target language.

I sense strongly myself getting more and more highly fluent in immediately quickly decoding mythemes.

Mark 4:13, Know all Parables; Know All Things

https://www.bing.com/search?q=know%20all%20parables

BIBLE: “know all things”

John 16:30
Verse Concepts
Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.”

John 21:17
Verse Concepts
He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Isaiah 11:2
Verse Concepts
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 53:11
Verse Concepts
As a result of the anguish of His soul, {cybernetic personal self-control failure, seizure, canvcellation, death, shipwreck, madness, destruction, wrath}
He will see it and be satisfied; [that your mind has completely purged remaining pollution of Naive-Possibilism-thinking; incoherent self-contradiction that fails when tested & perceived in ASC {flames, fire}]
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.

Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Christ-Knowing-All-Things

Short Labels of the Two Halves of the Egodeath Theory

the Cybernetic theory

the Mytheme theory

The Egodeath theory consists of the Cybernetic theory and the Mytheme theory.

_____

Maximally short labels for my entire theory, my Phase 1 theory, & my Phase 2 theory:

the Egodeath theory
o the Cybernetic theory
o the Mytheme theory

thus:

the Egodeath theory = the Cybernetic theory + the Mytheme theory

Notes

Too bad I never got to communicate with Neil Peart, re: both halves of the Egodeath theory. He probably read my site.

Neil Peart is the one person about whom, my father said don’t look up to anyone, it lowers yourself – he is so much a pioneer for my Phase 2 work (the Mytheme Decoding theory; the Mytheme theory.

My Phase 1 work: the Cybernetic theory.

One important fact about label-creation, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO DEFINE BOTH SHORT & LONG VERSIONS.

MEGA-VERBOSE LABLES:

MY HANDS ARE FALLING OFF [9:13 p.m. November 28, 2020]

Long Labels of the Two Halves of the Egodeath theory

the loose-cognitive eternalism theory of ego transcendence

the analogical loose-cognitive eternalism theory of mythemes

The Egodeath theory consists of the Loose-Cognitive Eternalism Theory of Ego Transcendence and the Analogical Loose-Cognitive Eternalism Theory of Mythemes.

_____

A technical problem with the term ‘Eternalism’: it doesn’t usually cover non-control; Cybernetics.

the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence =
the Loose-Cognitive Eternalism Theory of Ego Transcendence

Pair 1

the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence

the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Mythemes

thus:

The Egodeath theory includes the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence and the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Mythemes.

Pair 2

the Loose-Cognitive Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence

the Analogical Loose-Cognitive Eternalism theory of Mythemes

____

“the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence”, for the first half of the Egodeath theory, is tight but vague, it omits Eternalism, block universe, noncontrol, looosecog.

what about

the Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence <– true. good proposal. of course the word ‘Eternalism’ sucks.

“the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Mythemes ” is very specfic, but not as snappy/short. it is, VERY specific though!

You’d have:

the Egodeath theory consists of:
the Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence (no ‘Analogical’)
and
the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Mythemes

That is an interesting proposal.

Proposed Names for the two halves of the Egodeath theory

Principle: All theory-names have problems. It’s almost easier w/ the ultra-short, maximally short titles, bc no one expects it to be clear. We’re seeing that odd principle: the more words you add, the lower the clarity.

short form: (requires high context, to resolve/understand):

the Egodeath theory =

the Cybernetic theory +

the Mytheme theory

Those are good.

Technically, the following pair of long-form theory-names are most accurate, if I could force everyone to know what I mean, or just for preceisely talking among professional Loosecog Scientists:

the Loosecog Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence
the Analogical Loosecog Eternalism theory of Mythemes

slightly expanding my neologism:

the Loose-Cognitive Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence
the Analogical Loose-Cognitive Eternalism theory of Mythemes

Those are pretty good.

__________________________

Using language that’s alien to me:

the Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence
the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of Mythemes

the Entheogenic Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence
the Analogical Entheogenic Eternalism theory of Mythemes

the Loosecog Eternalism theory of Ego Transcendence
the Analogical Loosecog Eternalism theory of Mythemes

no one knows what any of these words mean!

shitty word: Cybernetics

shitty word: Entheogens

shitty word: Eternalism

shitty word: Loosecog

fkcking speak English!

the Egodeath theory =
the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence
the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism Theory of Mythemes

____

I spent years wondering worrying about Cybernetic(s) theory – s or not?

I ended up going with the technically wrong, “Cybernetic theory”.

Is the theory itself cybernetic? Well arguably yes!

If I communicate this theory to someone in ASC, they crash and reset.

See Also

Summary of the Egodeath theory
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/first-blog-post/

Possibilism vs. Eternalism: Two Models of Time and Control
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/12/possibilism-vs-eternalism-2-models-of-time-and-control/

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Author: egodeaththeory

http://egodeath.com

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