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Contents:

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See also my page:
Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/ptolemaic-astral-ascent-mysticism/
The basic model of the cosmology used for gnostic ascent through the Aeon spheres to the One.

Video:
THE GNOSTIC WORLDVIEW – A Lecture by LAURENCE CARUANA
Laurence Caruana, May 27, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJBn6ZKrQKo&t=5944s

This visual presentation of the Gnostic Worldview is given in three parts:
I. A Scholarly Introduction – Gnosticism in Context (2:19)
II. The Gnostic Myth of the Creation (42:55)
III. The Gnostic Saviour and the Soul Ascent (1:22:30) <– largely transcribed below

“Filmed at The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art on March 4th 2019, this lecture was given by Academy Director Laurence Caruana, author of several books with Gnostic themes. It is illustrated with works by Visionary artists, both classical (Blake, Michelangelo) and contemporary (Fuchs, Venosa, Alex Grey etc).”

The Gnostic Worldview: The Gnostic Saviour and the Soul Ascent

Transcribed by Michael Hoffman; the segment-portion that is covered here is 95% complete – need 2nd pass to fill-in some 10 missing words.

[1:40:45] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJBn6ZKrQKo&t=6045s —

“… Resurrection or Redemption.

I studied this quite deeply, and in my novel The Hidden Passion, I reconstruct the entire ceremony in the 10th chapter.

And the way it’s reconstructed is, reading the texts carefully and summarized as follows:

After a threefold immersion in the water, which is being baptized three times in a single unction with oil which is chrism, as well as possibly receiving the host, the Eucharist, the initate began the visionary ascent, and this is “the Resurrection”, by renouncing the Archons of the lower Aeons.

And this is called “the Renunciation” in, for example the Gospel of the Egyptians and the invoking of the angels of the upper Aeons again called “the Invocation” in the Gospel of the Egyptians through vocalizations, confessions, charms and visualizations.

We’ll look as at some of those.

I’ll just mention that if you go to any Catholic church today and you participate in a baptism, you will in fact be called up on to renounce the devil as part of the ritual, and invoke the angels as part of the ritual.

This still remains part of the baptism ritual carried on in the Catholic church today.

All of this includes stripping off each of the soul’s garments to pass beyond the Archons’ planetary gateway [he says ‘gateway’, not ‘doorway’ here] and to be recognized which is nearer to kinship by the upper Aeonic beings and this idea of mirroring and kinship.

I’ll explain that in a moment.

The initiate was then called by their spiritual name and so .. naming, and received and image as they were sealed in the watery light of the upper Aeons and this is the sealing where you receive your image,..

then eternally clothed in their garment of light, they experienced a momentary divine union in the mysterious Bridal Chamber.

So that is the visionary ascent.

And let’s begin with imagine you have been baptized 3 times , you have received the unction, you have received the Eucharist, and now the journey begins, the visionary ascent.

And this is the passage through the lower Aeons,

I’m going to quote from the Dialog of the Savior, which is a text which appears in the Nag Hammadi library,

Christ says “I opened the pass, and I taught them about the passage through, when the time of dissolution arrives, the first power of darkness will come upon you.

Do Not Be Afraid.

If you are afraid, it will engulf you, for there is not one among them who will spare you or show you mercy; but look upon the Archon without fear, since you have mastered every word on earth, the crossing place is fearful but you with a single mind, will pass it by.”

And so Christ in fact taught the disciples the names of the Archons, the words necessary to pass through their doorways, and by being able to name a demon, you have power over a demon and you can get past a demon.

But also if you have submitted to those archons in your lifetime, if you practiced too much lust or too much greed, for example, when you … he can push you back down and you will be reborn [into egoic deluded thinking, forgetting eternalism-thinking -mh], and there will be this cycle of … reincarnation, metempsychosis in Greek, where your soul* returns to another existence.

[*soul = bad = the soul =
the freewill-premised, possbility-branching-premised, personal egoic control system.

spirit = good =
the pre-existence-premised, monopossibility, transcendent control system -mh]

And this is what the gnostics believe.

Another way to pass through the archons doorways, was by surrendering a seal, and in a text called the first book of Jeu, you are given actually the seals and the names that accompany the seals.

And so these seals indicate the sign or sigils that belong to each of the Archons.

It’s a bit mysterious, we’re not quite sure what the purpose of these sigils is.

It’s a late gnostic text, so it seemed to involve more of a magical passage through the archons’ doorways, but interesting none the less.

What you see in the middle here is another example of diagrams that appear throughout this book, and it is surprising how much this diagram resembles for example a buddhist mandala.

[which] is a kind of a palace viewed from above, and you can se … steps… we’re going up … ascending one level to the next/next to penetrate deeper in to this inner territory.

So I think theres a strong similarity between… so study mandalas for those similarities.

So those are the seals, also Vocalizations, this is also from the first book of Auoio, and here … ” “I challenge you, …”

[1:51:10]

So once you have managed to pass through the doorways the 7 planetary doorway of the Archons and not be thrown down if you succeed and pass through what they call the Middle [heimarmene fate no-free-will?] where Sophia remains[?] then you can finally enter into the realm of the light, the Upper Aeons.

And in the Upper Aeons, you are bestowed your robe of light.

And there are many references to this; for example in the text called the Trimorphic Protonoia …

Four angels descend and invest you with your robe of light.

Here from the Gospel of Philip, the powers do not see those who are clothed in the perfect light, and they are not able to detain them.

One will clothe himself in this light sacramentally in the union.

So the moment then that you rise up to the upper Aeons and you enter into the presence of the divine and simply being in the presence of the divine … receive this robe of light which … there was a ceremony of the baptism which involves water and that the upper Aeons are a watery light.

Then it’s like this watery light pours over you and becomes this protective garment sealing you and protecting you.

And once you receive the robe of light, as in mentioned in this passage, then the powers, the Archons, will not see you, because you are clothed in the light, and will not be able to detain you when you rise up through their 7 doorways after death.

So the purpose of this ritual was to put on the robe of light to protect you during your lifetime against the archons’ evil influence and to protect you after death as you rise up through the 7 doorways.

This garment of light…. in Theurgy, .. a “soul vehicle“… and in this ‘ocheema’ vehicle you also have this geometrical [sphere?] or shape like a Merkaba vehicle…which will protect you during your visionary ascent thru the different levels of the heavens.

And so you have this similar idea occurring in the Theurgy, in the Merkaba literature which also emerged contemporaneous with gnosticism.

Finally you are met by the angels in the upper heavens.

And what is interesting is that they say that you are recognized by these upper Aeonic beings, and you are recognized because you see yourself as them, and they see themselves as you.

This is the realm of unity, and in the realm of unity there is mutual recognition; there’s this mirroring or [kinship?] that goes on where you see an angel with your face, an angel sees you with its face, and you are in fact mirror reflections of each other.

You see your higher self, you become your higher self, and this is what happens in the upper Aeons.

Finally you enter the realm of the four lights and the 12 Aeons: this is the realm of Mind, and so your spirit reunites with these 12 states of Mind, you experience love, perfection, understanding; you experience grace, you see all of the Forms that constitute the upper Auons.

You remember true memory & afterthought, who you truly are; you see it with this divine perception experiencing [__??] idea peace & wisdom.

So that is the final stage before being reunited with the One in the Bridal Chamber, and the Bridal Chamber is simply an immersion, in complete oneness, as the culmination of this entire ritual of the Soul Ascent. [1:55:55]

Michael Hoffman, December 4, 2020 11:57 pm UTC+0

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• There’s No Psilocybin Used in Mexico (Safford 1915, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture)
• Non-Drug Entheogens: “Entheogenic religion does not imply substances” (Hanegraaff 2012)
• Non-Drug Entheogens: “a Purely Symbolic Entheogen” (Ruck 1994)
• Olive Better than Amanita Because Not Psychotropic (Carl Appeases Prohibition Ruck 1994)
• Plaincourault depicting a hallucinogenic mushroom has been debunked, repeatedly, by scholars in the best position to interpret it
• Letcher, Truly, You Have a Dizzying Intellect: Mushrooms on Church Door Proves: No Hidden Mushrooms; thus Proves: No Mushrooms in Christian History
• John Lash: “Variations of the Wasson theory, including considerable departures from it”
  • John Lash Bonus Quote, Because 1 Just Isn’t Good Enough: “associations between psychoactive mushrooms and the historical Jesus, famously argued by John Allegro”
• Dan Merkur: “The Gnostics wouldn’t have used mushrooms, because those are physical, and the Gnostics were against the physical world.”
• “Because College Students Have No Way to Experience the Mystic State First-Hand”
• Muraresku: “We Have Already Achieved What the Mystery Religions Could Never Manage to Do”
• Hatsis: “My Entheogen Scholarship Methods Are Rock-Solid, Proven, and Watertight (and I’m Not Going to Tell You What They Are, in This Book About That Subject)”
• Panosfky: “the medieval artists hardly ever worked from nature but from classical prototypes which in the course of repeated copying became quite unrecognizable”

There’s No Psilocybin Used in Mexico (Safford 1915, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture)

An Aztec Narcotic (Safford 1915)

How ironic it will be if Dr. Safford himself, in the long run, should be remembered chiefly because of this resounding blunder that he made, a classic example of the fallibility of the specialist!

Ethnomycology Specialist Wasson, “Mushrooms, Russia and History“, 1957; Vol. 2, p. 236 (“32”)

What’s in an Ellipses? …:

Also Wasson: “pilzbaum do not purposefully mean mushrooms. You mycologists are ignorant and failed to consult the art authorities. [while simultaneously, Sneaky Actor Wasson quietly deletes and censors and omits the Brinckmann book 1906 citation urged by Panofsky]”

Also Wasson (added to mycologist Ramsbottom’s book 2nd printing w/o Wasson realizing it for decades): “Rightly or wrongly, we are going to reject the Plaincourault fresco as representing a mushroom.“

http://egodeath.com/WassonEdenTree.htm –

Excerpt from my 2006 article, research contributed by Jan Irvin:

Wasson, 1953

Ramsbottom’s book was originally printed in 1953 and lacks the following.  The 2nd printing was 1954.  Unbeknownst to Wasson until 1970, a printing after the original run contains the following passage which Allegro quoted from.  Ramsbottom’s introductory note reads:

Addendum.  Mr. R. Gordon Wasson, of New York, an authority on the folk-lore of fungi, writes to me as follows (cf. p. 46):

Ramsbottom immediately continues the paragraph by quoting Wasson’s private letter:

“Rightly or wrongly, we are going to reject the Plaincourault fresco as representing a mushroom. This fresco gives us a stylized motif in Byzantine and Romanesque art of which hundreds of examples are well known to art historians, and on which the German art historians bestow, for convenience in discussion, the name Pilzbaum. It is an iconograph representing the Palestinian tree that was supposed to bear the fruit that tempted Eve, whose hands are held in the posture of modesty traditional for the occasion. For almost a half century mycologists have been under a misapprehension on this matter. We studied the fresco in situ in 1952. – Wasson, private letter of December 21, 1953, quoted in Ramsbottom, Mushrooms & Toadstools, post-1953 printing, p. 48

Wasson is proposing that the placement of Eve’s hands demonstrate that she’s being modest, rather than exhibiting the Agaric intoxication symptoms described on page 46-47 of Ramsbottom, including by Jochelsen on the Koryak tribal practice.  He argues that the picture portrayed the tree of knowledge and therefore did not portray Amanita mushrooms.

Ramsbottom does not comment on the merit of Wasson’s argument or on Wasson’s combining of uncertainty and conclusiveness.  Ramsbottom does not express agreement or disagreement, and he does not revise his own statements on the subject on the previous page or in the caption of the plate.

/ end excerpt from my article 2006

Non-Drug Entheogens: “Entheogenic religion does not imply substances” (Hanegraaff 2012)

The Worst Idea of Any Academic Ever 🥇

Keynote article/chapter, in Christopher Partridge book, “Entheogenic Esotericism”, which phrase I wrote 8 years before Hanegraaff, in the title of a post “Authentic esotericism is entheogenic esotericism” at the Egodeath Yahoo Group practically directed to Hanegraaff telling him not to do what he would do 8 years later.

Hanegraaff wrote:

“Although the terms “entheogen” and “entheogenic” were invented with
specific reference to the religious use of psychoactive substances, it is important to point out – although this broadens current understandings of the term [like broadening “tall” to include “short”, or “true” to include “false”, or broadening “up” to include “down”] – that the notion of “entheogenic religion”, if taken literally [ie if we use the fallacy “etymology defines meaning”], does not strictly imply such substances: after all, there are many other factors that may [= “can” = 0% likelihood = do not] trigger or facilitate a state of ε’νθουσιασμός (“enthusiasm”), such as
specific breathing techniques [exactly same as high-dose Psilocybin],
rhythmic drumming [exactly same as high-dose Psilocybin],
ritual prayer and incantations [exactly same as high-dose Psilocybin],
meditation [exactly same as high-dose Psilocybin],
and so on [anything you can think of is exactly same as high-dose Psilocybin].

“This was already the case in antiquity, and remains so today.

“It will therefore be useful [like “make up whatever” is useful] to distinguish between entheogenic religion in a narrow and in a wide sense: with respect to the wider category, one could think of such cases as the ritual practices known as “theurgy”, described for instance by the third/fourth-century neoplatonic philosopher Iamblichus, the complicated techniques known as “ecstatic kabbalah”, developed by the Jewish mystic Abraham Abulafia in the thirteenth century, or even the experience of being “filled by the Holy Spirit” in contemporary Pentecostalism.”

Hanegraaff somehow knows these are facts, givens:

• Theurgy was as effective as high-dose Psilocybin, and did not use high-dose Psilocybin.
• Ecstatic kabbalah was as effective as high-dose Psilocybin, and did not use high-dose Psilocybin.
• Being “filled by the Holy Spirit” in contemporary Pentecostalism is as effective as high-dose Psilocybin, and does not use high-dose Psilocybin.

“The historical evidence in Western culture for entheogenic religion in a narrow sense (that is, involving the use of psychoactive substances) is a contentious issue to say the least, and discussing it seriously would require a book-length treatment; but in order to establish that we are not pursuing a chimaera it suffices, for now, to point out that the existence of such kinds of religion in indigenous cultures is well documented, particularly in the Latin American context.”

Psilocybin-based religion, based on actual entheogenic chemicals, is well documented in Medieval Europe, as pilzbaum; branching-message mushroom trees, and related imagery – and in Hellenistic religion before that.

Site map sections:

• 🙃 Hanging from Right Leg in Mushroom Tree (Canterbury Psalter f134)
• 👑 Filling the Cubensis Bins (Canterbury Psalter f145)
• 🐴 Cubensis Horses & Balancing on Right Leg (Image f177)

“The present chapter will focus exclusively on one particular trend of contemporary entheogenic religion – in a narrow sense – which may be defined as a form of Western esotericism and has not yet received the attention it deserves.”

He builds on this bad foundation in his book about Hermeticism around 2022.

Chapter 19: Entheogenic Esotericism (2012), by Wouter Hanegraaff
https://www.academia.edu/3461770/Entheogenic_Esotericism_2012_

Nobody Had Used the Term ‘Entheogenic Esotericism’ Before Hanegraaff (Except Me, 8 Years Before Him, and Far More Vigorously)
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2022/07/30/nobody-had-used-the-term-entheogenic-esotericism-before-hanegraaff-except-me-8-years-before-him-and-far-more-vigorously/

Non-Drug Entheogens: “a Purely Symbolic Entheogen” (Ruck 1994)

From Dec. 7, 2024 Cyberdisciple email:

The sacred marriage often involves an entheogen (either chemical or purely symbolic) as the means for summoning the possessing spirit, and the axis mundi is sometimes thought of as a magical garden, a grove of trees, or a single special tree (the world tree or the cosmic tree), whose fruit is the entheogen.

Carl Ruck & Blaise Staples, The World of Classical Myth: Gods and Goddesses, Heroines and Heroes [but Not Monsters 🚫🐉], 1994, p. 90

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/World-Classical-Myth-Goddesses-Heroines/dp/0890895759

Cyberdisciple wrote re: “an entheogen (either chemical or purely symbolic)”

“What is a “purely symbolic” entheogen??”

Olive Better than Amanita Because Not Psychotropic (Carl Appeases Prohibition Ruck 1994)

Dec 10 2024 email Cyberdisciple

Cyberdisciple wrote:

“Page 81 of Ruck/Staples myth book. First use in that book of term Entheogen. They deviate from the 1979 definition, which is limited to drugs.
https://www.amazon.com/World-Classical-Myth-Goddesses-Heroines/dp/0890895759/

“From “Entheogens” article printed in Third Edition of The Road to Eleusis (2008), page 139 (last paragraph, first sentence):
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Eleusis-Unveiling-Secret-Mysteries/dp/1556437528/

“We, therefore, propose a new term that would be appropriate for describing states of shamanic and ecstatic possession induced by ingestion of mind-altering drugs.”

Cyberdisciple con’t:

“Last sentence of that paragraph:

“In a strict sense, only those vision-producing drugs that can be shown to have figured in shamanic or religious rites would be designated entheogens, but in a looser sense, the term could also be applied to other drugs, both natural and artificial, that induce alterations of consciousness similar to those documented for ritual ingestion of traditional entheogens.”

Cyberdisciple con’t:

“Then by page 81 of Myth book in 1994, the definition has been expanded: “need not be chemical.”

Page 81 is the section: Entheogen: (Woinos or ‘Wine’

Dec. 7, 2024 Cyberdisciple email

From Dec. 7, 2024 Cyberdisciple email:

The sanctity of the olive derives from its symbolism as a substitute for the sacred plant of the homeland which it commemorates, Amanita, which similarly in Indo-European tradition is ‘pressed,’ and called, in fact, in the Hindu tradition ‘Soma,’ the ‘Pressed One,’ for the act of pressing. The olive, perhaps, was even better than the original Amanita, since it is cultivated and has no psychotropic properties for shamanism: the Indo-European tradition was never at ease with the need to depend upon the body to see the deities.

Carl Ruck & Blaise Staples, The World of Classical Myth: Gods and Goddesses, Heroines and Heroes [but Not Monsters 🚫🐉], 1994, pp. 62-63

Cyberdisciple wrote re: “The sanctity of the olive derives from its symbolism as a substitute for the sacred plant … Amanita … The olive … was even better than the original Amanita, since it is cultivated and has no psychotropic properties for shamanism: the Indo-European tradition was never at ease with the need to depend upon the body to see the deities.”

“WHAT!? Thanks a lot, Ruck! Whose side are you on? With friends like these, who needs prohibitionists?

“Carl Amanita Promoter Ruck = Carl Appeases Prohibition Ruck.”

The argument reminds me of the preposterous Conclusion of the Gnosis book by Dan Merkur: “Gnostics wouldn’t have used mushrooms, because Gnostics were against the body.” Oh, so we can conclude that Gnostics didn’t eat food or breathe air, by your solid reasoning, Merkur – you MUST be pulling our leg; joking. Section below:
Dan Merkur: “The Gnostics wouldn’t have used mushrooms, because those are physical, and the Gnostics were against the physical world.”

Plaincourault depicting a hallucinogenic mushroom has been debunked, repeatedly, by scholars in the best position to interpret it

If the idea of the Plaincourault fresco depicting a hallucinogenic mushroom has been debunked, repeatedly, by scholars in the best position to interpret it, why does it persist?

Emma Betuel

Qualifications to Make Pronouncements & Assessments About Mushrooms in Religious Art
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2022/03/15/qualifications-to-make-pronouncements-assessments-about-mushrooms-in-religious-art/

Letcher, Truly, You Have a Dizzying Intellect: Mushrooms on Church Door Proves: No Hidden Mushrooms; thus Proves: No Mushrooms in Christian History

Commentary on “Transcendent Knowledge Podcast” Episode 22 (2020-02-23) James Kent part 6

Cyberdisciple: “Hasn’t this argument been made already, that the poorness of Amanita as an entheogen disproves bad entheogen scholarship and bad Pop Sike Cult, that fixates on Amanita as the uber-entheogen of Christian history?

“What’s Kent doing here that’s new, isn’t this just what Letcher was saying over a decade ago?”

Max: “Yes, though Kent uses different examples. Letcher leans heavily on a Belgium cathedral door, which Kent doesn’t mention.”

Books by Andy Letcher that are rushed out by big-name Establishment presses, making loud-sounding arguments about nothing in particular, a shell game, in which we nod our heads in dizzied consent that this constitutes an argument:

“The mushroom on the church door is evidence that there’s no hidden mushrooms in Christian art.

Therefore I have shown there’s no evidence for mushrooms in Western religious history; such use is late 20th Century only.”

Letcher

Yes Letcher, truly you have a dizzying intellect; I give in!

Movie: Princess Bride, “battle of the wits” scene, after convoluted but futile argument. 2:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZSx3zNZOaU&t=170s (after skip ads)

You are right (in your theory and position, whatever it is, that shifts on every other page, as needed, to give the right surface impression of something having been proved).

Letcher’s book Shroom has all the logical structure of a pile of oatmeal.

John Lash: “Variations of the Wasson theory, including considerable departures from it”

Lash wrote:

“Variations of the Wasson thesis, including some considerable extrapolations and departures from it, have been advanced by [every entheogen scholar].”

Got that?

“Variations of the Wasson thesis, including considerable departures from it, have been advanced by every entheogen scholar.”

Presto! Now he’s able to frame any & every possible entheogen theory for all time as “a variation of the Wasson theory”.

So, Lash, is not your own entheogen theory then, “a variation of the Wasson theory, including considerable departures from it”?

“Variations of the Ptolemaic geocentric cosmology, including considerable departures from it, have been advanced by Copernicus.”

Thus, by definition, EVERY THEORY in the field of entheogen scholarship, is hereby framed as, “Variations of the Wasson thesis, including considerable departures from it.” Is not this reasoning worthy of the Scholarly Quotes Hall of Shame?

“variations including significant departures” <– HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM

full article:
Wasson and Company: The Entheogenic Theory of Religion
https://web.archive.org/web/20110612022630/http://www.metahistory.org/psychonautics/Wasson/WassonAndCo.php — a narrative designed to FORCE the entire the field of entheogen scholarship and all its scholars and all theories, for all time, into being designated and framed as variations of some imagined-by-Lash, “Wasson-Allegro-Amanita theory”.

John Lash Bonus Quote, Because 1 Just Isn’t Good Enough: “associations between psychoactive mushrooms and the historical Jesus, famously argued by John Allegro”

LASH THINKS ALLEGRO BELIEVES IN MR. HISTORICAL JESUS!

John Lash wrote: “associations between psychoactive mushrooms and the historical Jesus, famously argued by John Allegro in The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross“

John Lash, article: Wasson and Company: The Entheogenic Theory of Religion, https://web.archive.org/web/20110612022630/http://www.metahistory.org/psychonautics/Wasson/WassonAndCo.php

Dan Merkur: “The Gnostics wouldn’t have used mushrooms, because those are physical, and the Gnostics were against the physical world.”

3 books by Dan Merkur (I read them around 1999) on things like ergot in the Israelites religion:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dan+merkur&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Dan Merkur wrote that line — that ridiculous, unbelievable, ludicrous, “you MUST be pulling our legs, you CAN’T be serious” line at the end of the book Gnosis, that:

The Gnostics wouldn’t have used mushrooms, because those are physical, and the Gnostics were against the physical world.

“Because College Students Have No Way to Experience the Mystic State First-Hand”

Footnote on page 1 of a very mainstream respected textbook about mysticism: Something like:

“Of course, students have no way to have first-hand experience of the mystic state of consciousness.”

HOW COULD ANYONE WRITE SUCH A THING?

Is your head buried in mud?

How totally out of touch could you possibly be, to write such manifest nonsense?!

Muraresku: “We Have Already Achieved What the Mystery Religions Could Never Manage to Do”

Muraresku: Our scientists have achieved what the Mystery Religions Never Managed to Do: Profound Mysic Experience that’s Safe, Reliable, & Scalable.

Then a dragon appeared and ate the Licensed Psilocybin Therapy building.

Hopkins/NYU therapy model of psychedelics guides Muraresku, The Immortality Key
https://cyberdisciple.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/hopkins-nyu-therapy-model-of-psychedelics-guides-muraresku-the-immortality-key/

Cyberdisciple writes (my emphasis added):

“Muraresku’s modernist stance is apparent on p. 387, where he praises the “psychopharmacologists and clinical psychiatrists at Hopkins and NYU” for “somehow doing what the Greek and Christian Mysteries were never able to accomplish in antiquity.” And how, in the eyes of this self-satisfied modernist, have they advanced on the ancients? Muraresku goes on:

“Today’s scientists have now solved the critical flaws of the religion with no name: safety, reliability, and scalability. Delivering a profound mystical experience in the most cautious way possible, as effectively as possible, to the most number of people possible. The technology is all there: a safe, pharmaceutical-grade hallucinogen and a finely-tuned protocol that maximizes spiritual breakthrough while minimising risk.” – Muraresku

“The hubris of Muraresku and the therapists! Muraresku’s entire historical depiction of ‘the religion with no name’ is a mere foil to justify how it has been improved upon by modern technology and ‘protocol.’ The historical study serves only to support the already set agenda of the therapists. Despite the book’s marketing, this is not the work of a serious scholar or student of history.”

Hatsis: “My Entheogen Scholarship Methods Are Rock-Solid, Proven, and Watertight (and I’m Not Going to Tell You What They Are, in This Book About That Subject)”

“The supposed mushrooms that appear in Christian art are easily explained away through sound, tried-and-true historical criteria.”

These historical criteria are not identified or summarized in this book.

He brags about being able to “explain away” the evidence!

You keep using that phrase — I do not think it means what you think it means.

The phrase “explain away” means an illegitimate argument used to deny something that is true — not something to brag about having accomplished!

“The supposed mushrooms that appear in Christian art are easily explained away through sound, tried-and-true historical criteria, which those who still support the theory (in one variety or another) have simply not considered.” — Psychedelic Mystery Traditions, p. 139 (Kindle version).

In this $15 book, a footnote to support that extreme statement gives just the titles of two articles by the author, good luck finding what the flimsy arguments are, in support of the extreme assertion in the book.

They amount to airtight rock-solid arguments that are universally persuasive, such as:

“They do look like mushrooms, but we have no idea whether they intend psychoactive mushrooms.” (In religious, mythological, otherworldly art.)

Or another rock-solid argument buried-away somewhere in the mentioned articles:

“That looks like a mushroom, but it is of no concern, because it’s in a (Medieval fantastical) bestiary, which therefore has no relevance to religious or mystical art, which is what we’re discussing.”

Such argumentation is, itself, not worth reading; yet the subject matter, thanks to Irvin, is well-chosen, so when I brought fluent Mythemese to these atrocious would-be rebuttal writings, my re-treatment of the images in question produced some benefits:

it led me to decode an extremely important Psalter image, after my warm-up on decoding the bestiary salamander image.

This mytheme-illiterate scholar fumbled-around with the images ineffectively, hamfisted, but brought them to my attention, as a qualified esoteric image interpreter, for a proper reading and analysis.

Panosfky: “the medieval artists hardly ever worked from nature but from classical prototypes which in the course of repeated copying became quite unrecognizable”

Article title:
Defining “Compelling Evidence” & “Criteria of Proof” for Mushrooms in Christian Art
Subsection:
Stylized Psilocybe Clusters, Literal Liberty Caps
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/13/compelling-evidence-criteria-of-proof-for-greek-bible-mushrooms/#spcllc —

I strongly agree with Panofsky that this artist’s botched attempt to depict an Italian pine with Umbrella pines in its canopy “became quite unrecognizable”; it became so unrecognizable, it accidentally ended up looking exactly like a Cubensis with Liberty Caps in its cap — unbeknownst, of course to the artist, who was working off prototypes; who “hardly ever worked from nature but from classical prototypes which in the course of repeated copying became quite unrecognizable.” I’ll say!

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Location of Caruana’s Glossary
• About Caruana’s Gnosticism Research
• Standardizing/ Narrowing the Lexicon in Glossary Definitions
• EUCHARIST
  • EUCHARIST IN GENERAL
  • THE PRE-EXISTENT EUCHARIST
  • THE EUCHARIST AS AN IMAGE OF ONENESS AND SACRIFICE
  • COMPONENTS OF THE EUCHARIST
  • THE EUCHARIST IN CONJUNCTION WITH SEALS
  • EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS
  • THE EUCHARIST: MISCELLANEOUS
• THE ELECT
  • THE ELECT AS PRE-EXISTENT AEONS OF THE FATHER
• RANSOM
• REDEMPTION
  • REDEMPTION IN GENERAL
  • THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST AS THE ARCHETYPE FOR REDEMPTION
  • REDEMPTION AS PART OF THE BAPTISMAL RITE IN THE FIVE SEALS
  • THE REDEMPTION AS RESURRECTION
  • THE REDEMPTION AS PUTTING ON A GARMENT OF LIGHT
• REFLECT
• REPENTENCE
  • REPENTENCE IN GENERAL
  • SOPHIA AS THE ARCHETYPE OF THE REPENTENT SOUL
  • THE REPENTENT SOUL
  • THE PSYCHIC RACE AS REPENTENT

Location of Caruana’s Glossary

GLOSSARY OF GNOSTIC TERMS
LAURENCE CARUANA
https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.af.html

About Caruana’s Gnosticism Research

The present page contains my annotated copies of several gnostic glossary entries from Caruana; my local reading copy.

The Hidden Passion: The Gnostic Christ (Caruana)
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/06/book-the-hidden-passion-the-gnostic-christ-caruana/
My main page about Caruana’s work.

Standardizing/ Narrowing the Lexicon in Glossary Definitions

Caruana has an interesting top-of-page note that applies to my need to refactor my “glossary” (Concept-sections) pages.

Caruana’s Top-of-Page Note about Standardizing Which Word-Variant to Use Throughout His Definitions

I have the problem of duplicate/redundant equivalent phrases/ named concepts, because language has multiple variant forms.

Caruana throughout his definition sentences, has chosen to narrow the confusing variant forms, by picking his favorite and using that consistently:

“- For consistency and easy comparison, certain standard terms have been used in the explanations
  (and inserted in parentheses in the quotations). These standard terms are:

             – The One = God, Father, Parent, Root
             – The saviour = the Son, Christ, Word, Autogenes, Seth
             – Sophia = Wisdom, Achamoth, Pistis
             – Yaltabaoth = Chief Archon, Archigenetor, Saklas
             – The Elect = the Gnostics, Pneumatics, Chosen ones, sons of Seth

EUCHARIST

glossary entry

https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.af.html#Anchor-EUCHARIST-46384

• EUCHARIST
  • EUCHARIST IN GENERAL
  • THE PRE-EXISTENT EUCHARIST
  • THE EUCHARIST AS AN IMAGE OF ONENESS AND SACRIFICE
  • COMPONENTS OF THE EUCHARIST
  • THE EUCHARIST IN CONJUNCTION WITH SEALS
  • EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS
  • THE EUCHARIST: MISCELLANEOUS

– A ritual meal
in remembrance of
Christ’s
sacrifice. <—

1. EUCHARIST IN GENERAL

– it is based on the Passover meal which Christ celebrated with his disicples before he was crucified.
– Basically, the meal consists of bread and wine (though
other ingredients <–
are mentioned). See below.
– It is one of the Five Seals. See FIVE SEALS.
– Like the Gnostic rites of the Baptism and Chrism, it is
a ritual evocation of <—
pre-existent eucharist <— bring to the mind. recall to the mind
which first took place in the Upper Aeons.
– The Gnostic rite of the Eucharist emphasizes unity.

2. THE PRE-EXISTENT EUCHARIST

– Gnostics texts such as the Apocryphon of John and The Gospel of the Egyptians make it clear that Christ himself was baptized and anointed in the Upper Aeons before he initiated these rites in the Lower Aeons. See BAPTISM and CHRISM.
– No Gnostic text
explicitly describes
a eucharistic meal in the Upper Aeons <—
which would serve as the archetype for
the Last Supper. <—
– However, The Gospel of Philip emphasizes that
the eucharistic rite performed here
in the Lower Aeons
is an image of, or a reflection of,
a higher, archetypal eucharist. <—
– Hence, by
eating the bread
and
drinking from the cup, <— DRINKING FROM *THE* CUP;
OF MIXED-WINE MUSHROOM WINE
the participant shares in a sacramental meal <—
that has its archetype in the Upper Aeons: 

“So it is also with
the bread and the cup and the oil,
even though
there is another one superior to these. <— WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE SUPERIOR TO THE BREAD AND THE CUP AND THE OIL? WHAT IS SUPERIOR FOOD AND DRINK, IN A RELIGIOUS CONTEXT? SUPERIOR LIKE WAY SUPERIOR

” (Gospel of Philip)

– During the meal, <— MEAL OF WHAT?
the bread is recognized as ‘bread from heaven’ <— BREAD FROM HEAVEN
WHAT IN THE HELL IS
“BREAD FROM HEAVEN“? 🤔

the “secret Amanita cult” theory

ALLEGRAE FOLLOWUSCARIA ID’D

: “When
Christ came,
the perfect man,
he brought bread from heaven <—
in order that
man might be nourished with
the food of man. <– WHAT IS “THE FOOD OF MAN”?

” (Gospel of Philip)
– In this same sense,
the water and wine in the cup <– CUP OF {wine}

______________

{bread} != bread

{bread} = 🍄
______________

{wine} != wine

{wine} = 🍄
______________

The maximal 🍄theory of Hellenistic religion.

Fresh re-start:

– Hence,
by eating the bread and drinking from the cup, <– “wine”, later
the participant shares
in a sacramental meal that has its archetype in the Upper Aeons: 
“So it is also with
the bread and
the cup <–
and the oil, even though
there is another one superior to these.” <– another cup of {wine} that is better than this “the cup”. THERE IS ONLY ONE POSSIBLE IDENTIFICATION:

NATIVE CHRISTMAS SHAMANS🎄🍄🦌🛷🎅🎁

 (Gospel of Philip)
– During the meal,
the bread is recognized as
‘bread from heaven’: 
“When Christ came, the perfect man,
he brought bread from heaven <– BREAD FROM HEAVEN = 🍄
in order that
man might be nourished with
the food of man.” = 🍄= THE FOOD OF MAN
 (Gospel of Philip)
– In this same sense,

the water and wine in the cup <– {wine 🍄}, & water, in “the cup”

is a type (image)
for a higher and unseen archetype:
the blood of Christ. identified: 🍄 <– the blood of Christ = native Amanita secret Amanita cult among the shamans of Mediterranean Antiquity all throughout the Mystery Religions. where’s that key board shortcut:

the “secret Amanita cult” theory of native Christmas shamans 🍄 in Hellenistic Mystery Religion

(but only the women have the recipe — because of the patriarchy)

_________________________

SO:

the blood of Christ <–

the “secret Amanita cult” theory

native Christmas shamans

🎄🍄🦌🛷🎅🎁

“the cup” of {wine} –> “wine … there is another one superior to … these”

women have the secret recipe – b/c patriarchy

IT ALL ADDS UP!!

it feels like 1999-tier entheogen scholarship again

– In this same sense, the water and wine in the cup is
a type (image) for
a higher and unseen archetype:
the blood of Christ.
Through it <– the water and {wine} in the cup
(& through the bread?? 🍄 can we get some logical consistency here??)
and through prayer, <– don’t forget
the participant

receives a heavenly sustenance (the Ho Ho Holy Spirit),
and is perfected: 

“The cup of prayer contains wine and water, <– getting our metaphors mixed up? the {cup of prayer} <– the 🍄 in this “cup” causes you to pray.

since it is appointed as

the type of the blood for which thanks is given. <– the blood of Christ = 🍄

And

it is full of the Holy Spirit, <– the cup of trembling prayer is full of the Holy Spirit🍄

and it belongs to

the wholly perfect man. <–

When we drink this, we shall receive for ourselves the perfect man.” (Gospel of Philip)

– In this same sense, the water and wine in the cup is a type (image) for a higher and unseen archetype: the blood of Christ.

Through it [the water and wine in the cup]
and through prayer, the participant
receives a heavenly sustenance (the Holy Spirit),
and is perfected: 

(sustenance =
food and drink regarded as
a source of strength; nourishment;
the maintaining of someone in life & in existence.)

“The cup of prayer contains wine and water, since it is appointed as
the type of the blood for which thanks is given. And
it is full of the Holy Spirit, <–

{cup of prayer}
is full of
{the Ho-Ho-Holy Spirit 🎅🎁🎄🍄🦌🦌🛷}

and it belongs to the wholly perfect man.

When we drink this, <– the {cup of prayer}, {wine} that’s “superior to”) wine
we shall receive for ourselves the perfect man.”

 (Gospel of Philip)

3. THE EUCHARIST AS AN IMAGE OF ONENESS AND SACRIFICE

– Melchizedek is a mysterious figure in the Old Testament, a kind of archetype for the High Priest.
– In the fragmentary Gnostic text called Melchizedek, Melchizedek speaks in the first person, describing himself as an image of the High Priest. “For I have a name: I am Melchizedek, the Priest of God Most High; I know that it is
I who am truly the image
of the true High-Priest of God Most High.” (Melchizedek)
– However, he also
speaks in the first person as the one who is sacrificed: <– i am sacrificed
“And you crucified me <– i am crucified
from the third hour of the Sabbath-eve until the ninth hour. And after these things,
I arose from the dead.” <– I ROSE FROM THE DEAD
(Melchizedek)
– Melchizedek appears as a saviour figure who is both the offerer and the offering.
As the offerer (the ‘High Priest’), he
celebrates the last supper. <– i celebrate the last supper
As the offering (the ‘crucified’),
he is the one who will be sacrificed. <– i will be sacrificed

– Thus, the saviour’s offering is understood as a self-sacrifice.

The eucharistic meal is a rite
in which
the participants recognize that their own death, like the saviour’s death, will be a self-sacrifice. <– my own death is like the saviour’s death; my death will be a self-sacrifice.

Through it, they participate in the sacred sacrifice <– i participate in the sacred sacrifice
and,

like the saviour, will be ressurrected <– like the savior, i will be resurrected

to return to the One. <– i will return to the One

– In this sense,

the offerer offers himself
i.e.

the offerer sacrifices himself
and all of the Elect: <– by drinking the {cup of prayer wine🍄}, I am sacrificing
all of the Elect

“I (Melchizedek) have come
to reveal to you the truth, <— He revealed the truth which is within the brethern
which is within the brethren. He (the saviour) included himself in the living offering,
together with your offspring.

He offered them up as an offering to the All.”

I drink the {cup of prayer wine🍄},
and as a result, I am sacrificing
all of the Elect
(they are myself),
I offer up myself to you as an offering;
and,
I offer up all the elect to you as an offering.

 (Melchizedek) “I (Melchiedek) have
offered up myself to you as an offering,
together with those that are mine,
to you yourself, (O) Father of the All,
and those whom you love,
who have come forth from
you who are holy (and) living.” (Melchizedek)

– Through the eucharistic🍄 meal,
Jesus shares the bread🍄 and wine🍄 with his followers,
thus ‘spreading’ his sacrifice to all of the Elect: 

“The eucharist🍄 is Jesus.

For he is called in Syriac ‘Pharisatha’ which is
‘the one who is spread out’.”(Gospel of Philip)

– In conclusion,

the Eucharistic meal was initiated

to commemorate the self-sacrifice.

By sharing in the eucharistic meal, <– I share in last supper, cup of wine prayer. By drinking the cup of Christ’s blood,
the Elect share in Christ’s self-sacrifice, <– I share in Christ’s sacrifice
as both offerer and offering. <– I sacrifice Christ and all the elect, and, I sacrifice

need to break out a bullet list:

By drinking the last supper🍄/ cup of prayer wine🍄/ Christ’s blood🍄,
o I sacrifice Christ to the All (the Father of the All).
o I sacrifice all of the Elect to the All; to the Father of the All.
o I sacrifice myself to the All.(the Father of the All)
I will be resurrected to return to the One.

 (O) Father of the All, and those whom you love,
who have come forth from
you who are holy (and) living.

4. COMPONENTS OF THE EUCHARIST

– In the Pistis Sophia, the meal is laid out in a curious manner. Five vessels of water or wine form a triangle around the offering, which includes fire,
vine branches <– Carl Ruck’s psychoactive ivy, special extinct type
and bread: 
“And Jesus said unto them: ‘Bring me fire and vine branches.’ They brought them unto him. He laid out the offering, and set down

two wine-vessels, 🍄

one on the right and the other on the left of the offering. He disposed the offering before them, and set
a cup of water before
the wine-vessel on the right
and a cup of wine before the wine-vessel on the left and

laid loaves 🍄

according to the number of disciples in the middle between the two cups and set a cup of water behind the loaves.” (Pistis Sophia Ch 142 )

Before the meal, the saviour prays for the forgiveness of sins.

The text breaks off before the meal begins.

Probably, the vine branches were burned as incense,
while the water and wine 🍄were mixed <-
in various proportions. <– half part water, half part🍄
– Although the traditional Passover meal included a roasted lamb, the Gnostic meal was vegetarian: 
“When they had said these things in the prayer, <– i said these things in the prayer
they embraced each other <– i embraced the other Siberian Christmas secret amanita cult shamans

and they went to eat their holy food,
which has no blood in it.”  <– what holy food has no blood in it?
thats right: 🍄 Hellenistic Mystery-Cult mixed wine, just like in the secret Siberian shamans’ Amanita Christmas cult.

cup of prayer = Christ’s blood = holy food with no blood in it = the Holy Spirit. GOT IT.

(which only the women have the recipe for, b/c partriarchy)

“The cup of prayer contains wine and water,
since it is appointed as
the type of the blood for which thanks is given. <– cup of prayer = the blood i’m thankful was given

And it is full of the Holy Spirit, <– the cup of prayer that contains {wine}, is full of the Holy Spirit.

Time to bust out the calculator:

the cup of prayer =
wine =
the Holy Spirit =
the blood of Christ =
my sacrifice of me & of all of the Elect & of Christ, to the Father of the All.

and it belongs to the wholly perfect man. When we drink this, we shall receive for ourselves the perfect man.” 

(Prayer of Thanksgiving 65:3)
– In the Old Testament (Leviticus 2:13), all offerings were to include a grain of salt. The Gospel of Philip offers a Gnostic variation on this.

Like Christ,
Sophia is also present in the eucharist,

as the salt: “The apostles said to the disciples, ‘May our entire offering obtain salt.; They called Sophia ‘salt’. Without it, no offering is acceptable. But Sophia is barren, without child. For this reason, she is called ‘a trace of salt.’” (Gospel of Philip 59:27)

5. THE EUCHARIST IN CONJUNCTION WITH SEALS

– In late Gnostic texts, such as The Pistis Sophia and The Acts of Thomas, the eucharist is performed in conjunction with seals.

These seals may be diagrams and names
(see the Books of Jeu)
which will aid the Gnostic in rising through the aeons. <– i use seals that are diagrams and names, to come to my aid in rising through the aeons.

They may also be a form of baptism. In either case,

the rite of sealing was performed just before the eucharist. <– just before i drank the cup of Ho-Ho-Holy Spirit to fly up through the Aeon doorways

🎄🍄🦌🦌🦌🦌🛷🎁🎅

just like the secret Amanita cult of Christmas shamans all throughout Hellenistic Mystery Religions in Alexandria

– After Jesus prepares the eucharistic meal (see Componants above), they stand with seals before the offering, and he invokes Upper Aeonic beings with their secret names: “Jesus stood before the offering, set the disciples behind him, all clad with linen garments, and in their hands the cipher (seal) of the name of the Treasury of the Light, and he made the invocation thus, saying: ‘Hear me, O Father, father of all fatherhood, boundless light: iao iouo iao aoi oia psinother theropsin opsither mepththomaoth nephiomaoth’ (etc)” (Pistis Sophia ch 142)
– In the Acts of Thomas,

the apostle Thomas ‘seals’ a woman before beginning the eucharist: 

“And the woman besought him, saying: ‘O apostle of the Most High,

give me the seal, that that enemy return not again unto me.’ <– i don’t want the enemy to return again to me. (naive possibilism-thinking? cybernetic instability/ self-battling?/self-attacking/ self-wrestling?)

Then he caused her to come near unto him, and laid his hands upon her and

sealed her in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; and many others also were sealed with her.

And the apostle

bade his minister (deacon) to set forth a table…” 

(Acts of Thomas ch. 49 – 50) For the continuation, see ‘Eucharistic Prayers’ below.

5. EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS

– “He (Thomas)

laid his hands on them and blessed them,

and brake the bread of the eucharist and gave it them, saying:

‘This Eucharist shall be unto you for compassion and mercy, and not unto judgement and retribution.’ <– ingest this Eucharist bread (totally obvs 🍄) NOT for JUDGMENT AND RETRIBUTION of the personal control system; ingest it for compassion and mercy.

don’t ingest the 🍄bread for judgment and retribution in the next hours

ingest the 🍄bread for compassion and mercy (not judgment & retribution) in the next hours

And they said ‘Amen.’”  <– i said Amen, re: ingesting the 🍄bread for compassion and mercy (not judgment & retribution) during the next hours

(Acts of Thomas ch. 29)
– “And the apostle (Thomas) bade his minister to set forth a table; and he set forth a stool which they found there, and spread a linen cloth upon it and set on

the bread of blessing; 🍄
— don’t forget to specify SECRET or you’ll be hearing from Ruck

and the apostle stood by it and said: ‘
Jesu, that
hast accounted us worthy to partake of the eucharist
of thine holy body and blood,
lo, we are bold to draw near unto thine eucharist
and to call upon thine holy name:
come thou and communicate unto us.’

And he began to say: ‘Come, O perfect compassion, Come O communion of the male, Come, she that knoweth the mysteries of him that is chosen, Come, she that hath part in all the combats of the noble champion (athlete), Come, the silence that revealeth the great things of the whole greatness, Come, she that

manifesteth the hidden things

and maketh the unspeakable things plain, <– ominous

the holy dove <– gentle harmless; compassion and mercy (not judgment & retribution)

that beareth the twin young, Come, the hidden mother, Come, she that is manifest in her deeds and giveth joy and rest unto them that are joined unto her: Come and

communicate with us in this eucharist
which we celebrate in thy name and in the love-feast wherein we are gathered together at thy calling.’ <– the god calls his acolytes to gather at the love-feast, to communicate with them in the eucharist
(cup of prayer, wine, in the form of sacrifice-blood)

And having so said he marked out the cross upon the bread, and brake it, and began to distribute it. And first he gave unto the woman, saying: ‘This shall be unto thee for remission of sins and eternal transgressions (and for the everlasting resurrection). And after her he gave unto all the others also which had received the seal (and said to them: Let this eucharist be unto you for life and rest, and not for judgement and vengeance. And they said, Amen.)” (Acts of Thomas ch. 49 – 50)
– “We give thanks to you and we celebrate the eucharist, O Father, remembering for the sake of thy Son, Jesus Christ that they come forth (…)

they are doing thy will
through the name of Jesus Christ
and will do thy will now and always.

They are complete in every spiritual gift and every purity. <– pure, undefiled, no pollution

Glory be to thee through thy Son and they offspring Jesus Christ from now and forever. Amen.” (On the Eucharist A)
– “(…) thou art the Lord. Whenever you die purely, you will be pure so as to have him […] everyone who will guide him to food and drink. Glory be to thee forever. Amen.” (On the Eucharist B)

6. THE EUCHARIST: MISCELLANEOUS

– Through the eucharist, the Elect consecrate themselves, even in body: “The priest is completely holy, down to his very body. For if he has taken the bread, he will consecrate it. Or the cup or anything else that he gets, he will consecrate. Then how will he not consecrate the body also?” (Gospel of Philip)
– While celebrating the eucharist (‘thanksgiving’), the saviour mentions

the union of angels and images: 

“He said on that day in the thanksgiving, “You who have joined the perfect light with the Holy Spirit, unite the angels with us also, as being the images.” Do not despise the lamb, for without it, it is not possible to see the king. No one will be able to go in to the king if he is naked.” (Gospel of Philip) For the union of angels and images, see BRIDAL CHAMBER.

THE ELECT

glossary entry (just an excerpt)

https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.af.html#Anchor-ELECT-53283

1. THE ELECT IN GENERAL
2. THE ELECT AS GNOSTICS – THOSE WHO KNOW THE FATHER
3. THE ELECT AS PRE-EXISTENT AEONS OF THE FATHER
4. THE ELECT AS THE SONS OF SETH
5. THE ELECT AS THE PNEUMATIC RACE
6. THE ELECT AS UNFALLEN
7. OTHER NAMES FOR THE ELECT
8. RITES TO INITIATE THE ELECT
9. THE NON-ELECT
10. THE ELECT AND THE NON-ELECT
11. THE NUMBER OF THE ELECT

3. THE ELECT AS PRE-EXISTENT AEONS OF THE FATHER

– The Upper Aeons, which include the Elect (the Totalities), are extensions of the Father, without separation. In the end, they will return to him: “The emanation of the Totalities, which exist from the one who exists, did not occur according to a separation from one another, as something cast off from the one who begets them. Rather,

their begetting is like a process of extension,

as the Father extends himself to those whom he loves, so that those who have come forth from him might become him as well.” (Tripartite Tractate)
– The Elect exist in the One, and so are eternal: “But

that which comes to be in the Eternal One is in
the One of the life and
the immortality of the life

…” (Apocalypse of Peter)
– Like all beings in the Upper Aeons,

the Elect are images which reflect the One to itself.

They are ‘pre-existent images’: “

the Father (…) created the pre-existent images

” (Tripart Tractate)

– As ‘pre-existent’,
the Elect came into being in the Upper Aeons
before they came into being in the Lower Aeons: “Jesus said, ‘

Blessed is he who came into being
before he came into being

.’” (Gospel of Thomas 36:17)

– This prior-existence gives post-existence: 

“The Lord said, ‘

Blessed is he who is
before he came into being.
For he who is,
has been and
shall be.

’” (Gospel of Philip 64:10)
–

HOW DO I KNOW I’M IMMORTAL? BECAUSE I HAVE EXPERIENCED PRE-EXISTENCE.

I HAVE *EXPERIENCED* PRE-EXISTENCE.
THEREFORE, I KNOW THAT
I AM IMMORTAL.

Having experienced pre-existence, the Elect know they are immortal

: “(Jesus said:) ‘

Blessed is he who will stand at the beginning.
And he will know the end,
and

he will not taste death. <–

’” (Gospel of Thomas 36:14)
–

Having ‘pre-existed’ in the Upper Aeons (the kingdom),
the Elect will return to it: 

my home = the kingdom (i’m a stranger here)
the Upper Aeons sphere — probly the Empyrium, outside of the fate-controlled sphere of the fixed stars, next to the threatening-to-death child-thinking (Chronos; Jupiter)

“Jesus said, ‘

Blessed are the solitary and elect,
for you will find the kingdom.
For you are from it,
and to it you will return.

’” (Gospel of Thomas 41:27)
– Since

images of the Elect ‘reflected’ the light of the One
at the beginning,
they will do so again at the end: “Then

the souls will appear,
who are holy through the light of the Power, (…) And
they will be in the aeon of beauty of the aeon of judgment, since
they are ready in wisdom,
having given glory to him who is in the incomprehensible unity;
and

they see him because of his will, which is in them. <–

I see God because of his will —

God’s will is in me. That’s how I see God: because God’s will is in me.

And they all have become as reflections in his light. <– spirits are similar to reflections of the light of the One, through his will, which is in them.
They all have shone, and they have found rest in his rest. <– {rest} in the timeless block universe,
+ optional claims of
transcending no-free-will

” (Concept of

our Great Power) <– a member of the kingdom, like a reflection of his power, A reflection of his great power which we can see in the form of
seeing God’s will, which is in us.
We see God because of his will, which is in us.
That’s why we are like reflections of God’s power. We can see his will, which is in us.

God’s will is in me. I know that, because my eye can perceive that, with Eucharist.

RANSOM

glossary entry. no subheadings.

https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.mr.html#Anchor-RANSOM-47383

Also called ‘to redeem’. See REDEMPTION.

In the traditional Christian interpretation, Christ redeemed our souls by offering himself ‘in ransom’ to Satan or to God himself. This view is reflected in The Teachings of Silvanus, which adds Gnostic touches (Christ put on garments or ‘likenesses’; Satan is replaced by the Archons[rulers] or ‘powers’). It also uses the Harrowing of Hell motif (Christ died and descended to the underworld to save all fallen souls

[freewill-premised souls exist, for exoterics.

AlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumatic
OrdinaryStateExotericSoulOrthodoxPsychic

AlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsotericSpiritGnosticPneumaticAlteredStateEsoter

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soul for egoic moral freewill-premised reward & punishment for lower-level Christians, those on the outside

-mh]:

“O soul, persistent one, in what ignorance you exist! For who is your guide into the darkness? How many likenesses did Christ take on because of you! Although he was God, he was found among men as a man. He descended to the Underworld.(…) And when all the powers had seen him, they fled, so that he might bring you, wretched one, up from the Abyss, and might die for you as a ransom for your sin.” (Teachings of Silvanus)

In the Gospel of Philip, three types are mentioned:
the ransomed,
the saved, and
the redeemed.

ransom
save
redeem

The Pneumatic race (called ‘the strangers’) were ‘ransomed’ to the Archons ‘as a pledge’. By ‘laying down his life’ as ‘a pledge’, Christ ‘saved’ the Pneumatic race while ‘redeeming’ the

[

freewill-moral-premised thinking
based on
naive-possibilism-thinking
ignorant of eternalism-thinking
not converted to eternalism-thinking + qualified-possibilism-thinking

possibilism-thinking –>
eternalism-thinking

]

good and evil (i.e. the Psychic race). “Christ came to ransom some, to save others, to redeem others. He ransomed those who were strangers and made them his own. And he set his own apart, those whom he gave as a pledge according to his plan. It was not only when he appeared that he voluntarily laid down his life, but he voluntarily laid down his life from the very day the world came into being. Then he came first in order to take it, since it had been given as a pledge. It fell into the hands of robbers and was taken captive, but he saved it. He redeemed the good people in the world as well as the evil. (Gospel of Philip) See THREE TYPES OF HUMANS and STRANGER

REDEMPTION

glossary entry

https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.mr.html#Anchor-REDEMPTION-49425

Also called ‘ransom’.

• REDEMPTION IN GENERAL
• THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST AS THE ARCHETYPE FOR REDEMPTION
• REDEMPTION AS PART OF THE BAPTISMAL RITE IN THE FIVE SEALS
• THE REDEMPTION AS RESURRECTION
• THE REDEMPTION AS PUTTING ON A GARMENT OF LIGHT

REDEMPTION IN GENERAL

According to the traditional Christian view, all the descendents of Adam are in a fallen state because of they have inherited Adam’s original sin. This situation could only be remedied by Christ ‘the redeemer’ whose suffering became the ransom or pledge paid (to God or Satan) ‘to redeem’ the descendents of Adam and relieve them of original sin. Through Christ, sins are forgiven.

This schema of redemption still applies in some Christian Gnostic texts. See RANSOM.

However, other Gnostic texts re-interpret the story of Adam, so that a portion of Adam (and Seth’s) descendents, called the Elect, are ‘faultless’ and ‘without sin’.

Hence, Christ’s suffering was not required to ‘redeem’ the Elect.

‘Redemption’ takes on a different meaning in the remainder of the Gnostic texts.

The role of the saviour or ‘redeemer’ in Gnosticism is as a ‘revealer’.

The saviour reveals the gnosis, to awaken the Elect and remind them of their true origin in the One.

He does this by instigating certain rites, such as baptism,

[bleh, poor choice, he’s not an entheogen scholar; I’d def’ly pick “Eucharist” instead! -mh]

wherein the gnosis is revealed to the Elect.

This is particularly true of the complex rite called the Five Seals.

[I’d rather the glossary text read:

The role of the saviour or ‘redeemer’ in Gnosticism is as a ‘revealer’. The saviour reveals the gnosis by giving them His mushroom flesh, to awaken the Elect and remind them of their true origin in the One. He does this by bringing the mushroom Eucharist into the initiate’s worldline of control-thoughts, so that the gnosis is revealed to the Elect. This is particularly true of the complex rite called the Five Seals, as preparation for ingesting the mushroom Eucharist.

]

THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST AS THE ARCHETYPE FOR REDEMPTION

In some Gnostic texts, the man Jesus is separate from the heavenly Christ (or Word) which descended into him during his baptism in the Jordan.

In the Tripartite Tractate, the Son (Jesus) is in need of redemption, because he had become a man. It is the heavenly Word which ‘descended upon him’ that offered him ‘redemption’: “Not only do humans need redemption, but also the angels, too… even the Son himself, who has the position of redeemer of the Totality, needed redemption as well – he who had become man – since he gave himself for each thing which we need, we in the flesh, who are his Church. Now, when he first received redemption from the word which had descended upon him, all the rest received redemption from him, namely those who had taken him to themselves.” (Tripartite Tractate)

Hence, in the First Apocryphon of James, Jesus says to James that, during the time of his crucifixion, his (Jesus’) redemption ‘will be near’. Jesus: “Behold, I shall reveal to you everything of this mystery. For they will seize me the day after tomorrow. But my redemption will be near.” (First Apocryphon of James)

___

As a man, Jesus

‘received knowledge’ (gnosis) from the heavenly saviour that had descended into him

(during his baptism in the Jordan). His ‘redemption’ was the revelation of his true ‘unitary state’ with the One. Likewise,

the Elect will receive this redemption through the rite of baptism, which will ‘instruct’ them about the gnosis:

“When the redemption was proclaimed, the perfect man (i.e. Jesus) received knowledge immediately, so as to return in haste to his unitary state, to the place from which he came, to return there joyfully, to the place from which he came, to the place from which he flowed forth. His members (i.e. the chruch of the Elect), however, needed a place of instruction, which is in the places which are adorned (for the baptismal rite), so that they might receive from them (the garment of light, which is) resemblance to the images and archetypes, like a mirror, until (the end of time, when) all the members of the body of the Church are in a single place and receive the restoration at one time, when they have been manifested as the whole body, namely the restoration into the Pleroma.” (Tripartite Tractate)

Hence, through his own baptism, when the heavenly saviour descended into him to reveal the gnosis, Jesus instigated the rite of redemption, which is a baptismal rite in which the gnosis is revealed.

REDEMPTION AS PART OF THE BAPTISMAL RITE IN THE FIVE SEALS

The redemption forms part of a complex baptismal rite, called the Five Seals.

The Gospel of Philip offers a crucial text for the Five Seals. In one passage, it groups together five important rites: the baptism, chrism,

eucharist, <–

redemption and Bridal Chamber:

“The Lord did everything in a mystery, <– i do everything in a Mystery

a baptism and a chrism and

a eucharist <– do it in a mystery

and
a redemption and
a bridal chamber.

[…] he said, ‘I came to
make the things below like the things above, and
the things outside like those inside.

I came to unite them in the place.’
[…] here through types […]and images.” (Gospel of Philip)

It is possible that the five rites mentioned here are, in fact, the Five Seals. If so, the nature of ‘the redemption’ needs to be clarified.

In another passage, the Gospel of Philip identifies the redemption with the resurrection. At the same time, it describes it as an intermediary rite between the baptism and Bridal Chamber: “There were three buildings specifically for sacrifice in Jerusalem.
1) The one facing the west was called ‘The Holy’.
2) Another, facing south, was called ‘The Holy of the Holy’.
3) The third, facing east, was called ‘the Holy of the Holies’,
the place where only the high priest enters.

1) Baptism is ‘the Holy’ building.

2) Redemption is the ‘Holy of the Holy’.

3) ‘The Holy of the Holies’ is the bridal chamber.

Baptism includes <– i get baptised including
the resurrection and <– i get resurrected
the redemption; <– i get redeemed, which happens in the bridal chamber which is the Holy of Holies,
where only the high priest may enter. This getting redeemed in the bridal chamber involved a visionary ascent like the Christmas Shamans do in their secret Amanita cult 🎄🍄🦌🦌🦌🦌🛷🎁🎅
using the women’s recipe (bc partriarcy)

the redemption (takes place) in the bridal chamber.”
in the Holy of Holies <– where the will of god that is in me is perceived
(The Gospel of Philip)

they see him because of his will, which is in them. <– I see the Father of the All, because I perceive his will, which is in me.
after I __ and then ingest the cup of prayer Eucharist wine

These seals may be diagrams and names
(see the Books of Jeu)
which will aid the Gnostic in rising through the aeons. <– JUST BEFORE DRINKING THE EUCHARIST WINE, i use seals that are diagrams and names, to come to my aid in rising through the aeons.

They may also be a form of baptism. In either case,

the rite of sealing was performed just before the eucharist. <– just before i drank the cup of Ho-Ho-Holy Sprit

THE REDEMPTION AS RESURRECTION

The redemption was identified with the resurrection. According to the Gospel of Philip, the resurrection is a visionary ascent through the aeons. This vision of the resurrection is first seen in this life to prepare us for our after-life resurrection: “Those who say they will die first and then rise are in error. If they do not first receive the resurrection while they live, when they die they will receive nothing.” (Gospel of Philip) “While we are in this world, it is fitting for us to acquire the resurrection, so that when we strip off the flesh, we may be found in rest.” (Gospel of Philip)

Like the resurrection, the redemption was most likely

a visionary ascent of the catechumen through the aeons,

def:

catechumen:
a Christian convert under instruction before baptism.
a young Christian preparing for confirmation. [youth / maiden —
textbook knowledge of loosecog initiation per the Egodeath theory;
preparatory learning of ASC:
how to pray (=
how to consciously nove/shift/re-attribute/put trust in the mind’s uncontrollable source of control-thoughts instead of the habitual putting trust for control in the hands of the
DEFINE keyboard SHORTCUTS:
epca — egoic personal control agent
(or: the egoic personal control system)
as
pbspct — the presumed basis & source of personal control thoughts
),
how to be merciful instead of wrathful to one’s personal, egoic control system, a la:
Strict Requirements for Teachers, Initiation Guides, and Students, Prior to Initiation
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/strict-requirements-for-teachers-initiation-guides-and-students-prior-to-initiation/
Lesser & Greater Mysteries: Teaching then Initiating
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/lesser-greater-mysteries-teaching-then-initiating/
]

so as to prepare him for his after-death ascent. During this initiatory rite,

secret names and signs (also called seals) were revealed to him. First, in ‘the renunciation’,

he was given secret names and signs to protect him against the Archons,
in an ascent through the Lower Aeons.

Then, in ‘the invocation’, more names and signs were given for the angels,
in an ascent through the Upper Aeons.

The Gospel of the Egyptians mentions the invocation and renunciation as part of the Five Seals rite, particularly during the baptism. The invocation and renunciation ‘instruct’ the catechumen about ‘those who will receive him’ in his ascent through the aeons: “But from now on, through the incorruptible man Poimael, and they who are worthy of (the) invocation (and) the renunciations of the five seals in the spring-baptism, these will know their receivers as they are instructed about them, and they will know them (or: be known) by them. These will by no means taste death.” (Gospel of the Egyptians)

The invocation is described in The Tripartite Tractate as a ‘confession of faith’ in the names of the angels, and in their existence. Such a confession is called ‘the redemption’. It forms a part of ‘the baptism in the fullest sense’: “As for the baptism which exists in the fullest sense, into which the Totalities will descend and in which they will be, there is no other baptism apart from this one alone, which is the redemption into God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, when confession is made through faith in those names, which are a single name of the gospel, when they have come to believe what has been said to them, namely that they exist. From this they have their salvation, those who have believed that they exist. This is attaining in an invisible way to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in an undoubting faith. And when they have borne witness to them, it is also with a firm hope that they attained them, so that the return to them might become the perfection of those who have believed in them and (so that) the Father might be one with them, the Father, the God, whom they have confessed in faith and who gave (them) their union with him in knowledge.” (Tripartite Tractate 127:25)

As the ‘resurrection’, the rite of redemption gave the catechumen knowledge (gnosis) of the names of the beings in the Lower and Upper Aeons who would receive him during his post-mortem or visionary ascent.

THE REDEMPTION AS PUTTING ON A GARMENT OF LIGHT

The Trimorphic Protennoia says that, through the rite of the Five Seals, the catechumen will come to possess ‘particular names’, and compares this to ‘putting on a garment of light’: “He who possesses the Five Seals of these particular names has stripped off garments of ignorance and put on a shining Light.” (Trimorphic Protennoia)

The rite of ‘putting on the robe of light’ was closely affiliated with baptism and the Bridal Chamber. See FIVE SEALS, BAPTISM and BRIDAL CHAMBER.

But the enrobing rite during the baptism was also called ‘the redemption’: “The baptism which we previously mentioned is called ‘garment of those who do not strip themselves of it’, for those who will put it on and those who have received redemption wear it…” (Tripartite Tractate)

To ‘put on a garment of light’ is to actually ‘become the light’ – it is a state of total immersion and union with the divine light. This ‘immersion’ is ritually made present through the baptismal rite, while the ‘union’ is made present through the rite of the Bridal Chamber (which are two parts of the same rite): “It (baptism) is also called ‘bridal chamber’ because of the agreement and the indivisible state of those who know they have known him. It is also called ‘the light which does not set and is without flame’ since it does not give light, but those who have worn it (i.e. the garment of light) are made into light.” (Tripartite Tractate 128:33)

In the end, the experience of unity with the One became ‘the redemptive knowledge’ which was bestowed during the rites of the Five Seals (enrobing, baptism, Bridal Chamber): “Now the promise (i.e. the Elect) possessed the instruction (i.e. gnosis) and the return to what they are from the first (i.e. experience of unity), from which they possess the drop (i.e. pneuma) so as to return to him, which is that which is called ‘the redemption’.” (Tripartite Tractate)

REFLECT

glossary entry. no subheadings.

https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.mr.html#Anchor-REFLECT-17304

The Greek word ‘eikon’ can mean both ‘image’ or ‘reflection’. See IMAGE.

The Upper Aeons resulted from the One ‘reflecting’ upon itself: “Seeing himself within himself in a mirror, he appeared resembling himself…” (Sophia of Jesus Christ) See AEONS.

Each of these aeons is an extension of the One, through which it reflects upon itself.

The beings in the Upper Aeons are androgynous (see ANDROGYNE) with male and female names (see MALE/FEMALE) which consent with one another as consorts (see CONSORT) to beget a new androgynous being. ‘To consent’ in this manner is also ‘to reflect’: “He (the Son of Man) reflected with Great Sophia, his consort, and revealed his first-begotten, androgynous son. His male name is designated ‘First Begetter, Son of God’, his female name, ‘First Begettress Sophia, Mother of the Universe’.” (Sophia of Jesus Christ)

Yaltabaoth created the Lower Aeons as an image or ‘reflection’ of the Upper Aeons: “In relation to the reflection which he (Yaltabaoth) saw in it, he created the world. With a reflection of a reflection he worked at producing the world” (Zostrianos)

REPENTENCE

glossary entry

https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.mr.html#Anchor-REPENTENCE-51540

• REPENTENCE IN GENERAL
• SOPHIA AS THE ARCHETYPE OF THE REPENTENT SOUL
• THE REPENTENT SOUL
• THE PSYCHIC RACE AS REPENTENT

REPENTENCE IN GENERAL

Repentence comes from the Greek metanoia, which means to change (meta) our mind (noia) or turn around (meta) our way of knowing (noia).

In the Christian sense, it is to seek forgiveness for a fault.

In Gnostic myth, Sophia is the archetype of the repentent soul.

Certain Gnostic texts place great emphasis on the soul’s repentence.

Finally, the Psychic (or soul-endowed) type of human would ascend to the Upper Aeons if they repented in the sense of ‘turning around their way of knowing’ and received the Gnostic revelation.

SOPHIA AS THE ARCHETYPE OF THE REPENTENT SOUL

Sophia began as ‘Wisdom’, the last of the twelve Upper Aeons. But, after she created Yaltabaoth without the consent of Christ (her consort), she fell into the Lower Aeons. Recognizing her fault, Sophia repented: “…And she (Sophia) repented and she besought the Father of the truth, saying, ‘Granted that I have renounced my consort (Jesus). Therefore I am beyond confirmation as well. I deserve the things I suffer. I used to dwell in the Pleroma putting forth the Aeons and bearing fruit with my consort’ And she knew what she was and what had become of her.” (Valentinian Exposition 34:23)

Through her repentence, Sophia was placed a special aeon: “But when she (Sophia) had seen the wickedness which had happened, and the theft which her son had committed, she repented. (…) She repented with much weeping. And the whole pleroma heard the prayer of her repentance (…) And she was taken up not to her own aeon but above her son, that she might be in the ninth until she has corrected her deficiency.” (Apocryphon of John)

This is confirmed in Zostrianos: “But to Sophia a place of rest was given in exchange for her repentance.” (Zostrianos)

THE REPENTENT SOUL

Like Sophia, the soul has fallen to the Lower Aeons, where she may ‘prostitute’ herself by consorting with demons. But if she ‘repents’, she is saved: “But when the father who is above visits her and looks down upon her and sees her sighing – with her sufferings and disgrace – and repenting of the prostitution in which she engaged, and when she begins to call upon his name so that he might help her, […] saying ‘Save me, my father, for behold I will render an account to thee, for I abandoned my house and fled from my maiden’s quarters. Restore me to thyself again.’” (Exegesis on the Soul 128:26)

THE PSYCHIC RACE AS REPENTENT

In the Gnostic schema, there are three types of humans: the spirit-endowed Pneumatics, the soul-endowed Psychics and the flesh-endowed Hylics. See THREE TYPES OF HUMANS.

Due to the spirit in them, the Pneumatics will return to the Upper Aeons. The Psychic will return to the Upper Aeons if their souls do good and ‘repent’ for the evil that they have done. (The Hylics, apparently, are beyond repentence and redemption.)

This schema appears, with some variations, in the fragmentary text Zostrianos. Of the ‘three species of immortal soul’ mentioned, the first in unclear, the second resembles the Psychics, whose souls are immortal because they have repented, the third resembles the Pneumatics, who have gained knowledge: “There are three species of immortal soul: first, those who have taken root upon the Exile (…) second, those who stand [upon the] Repentance (…which are) those who committed all sins and repented. (…) The third (species) is that of the souls of the self-begotten ones because they have a word of the ineffable truth, one which exists in knowledge and [power] from themselves alone and eternal [life].”

Similarly, in the Apocryphon of John, the Pneumatics and Psychics are given their respective places in the Upper Aeons, before Yaltabaoth creates the world. The ‘seed of Seth’ (Pneumatics) have their place ‘in the third aeon’ while ‘repentent souls’ (Psychics) have their place ‘in the fourth aeon’: “And in the third aeon, the seed of Seth was placed (…) And in the fourth aeon the souls were placed of those who do not know the Pleroma and who did not repent at once, but who persisted for a while and repented afterwards.”

This text goes on to say that, at the end of time, those who are without the gnosis will go to a place ‘where there is no repentence’: “And I (John) said, ‘Lord, these also who did not know, but have turned away, where will their souls go?’ Then he (the saviour) said to me, ‘To that place (…) where there is no repentance. And (…) they will be punished with eternal punishment.’” (Apocryphon of John) See HELL.

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Motivation for this Page
• Link to Caruana’s Glossary of Gnostic Terms
• Book: The Hidden Passion: A Novel of the Gnostic Christ Based on the Nag Hammadi Texts
• Caruana’s List of Gnostic Terms in His Glossary

Motivation for this Page

Checking out Caruana’s approach to Key Term Entries by playing with a copy within my page-composition environment. To get alternative ideas for my two Key Term pages.

Link to Caruana’s Glossary of Gnostic Terms

GLOSSARY OF GNOSTIC TERMS
Laurence Caruana
https://gnosticq.com/az.text/glos.af.html

Book: The Hidden Passion: A Novel of the Gnostic Christ Based on the Nag Hammadi Texts

Book:
The Hidden Passion: A Novel of the Gnostic Christ Based on the Nag Hammadi Texts
Laurence Caruana, 2007
http://amzn.com/0978263707
“This is the tale of the Gnostic Christ, based on the ancient sources.

In a compelling narrative, L. Caruana seamlessly weaves over 1500 sayings from the Nag Hammadi texts to recount The Hidden Passion of the Gnostic savior.

Wandering round Galilee, increasingly hailed as the Messiah of the Five Seals, the Gnostic savior preaches divine awakening through compassion.

But he must still contend with Judas, his dark twin, and Magdalene, his promised bride.

At once earthly and spiritual, the Nazarene’s love for these two is finally transfigured into a higher, hidden passion.

Each page of this novel rings with the authentic message of the lost gospels.

By combining numerous narrative fragments from the Nag Hammadi texts, The Hidden Passion makes the Gnostic Gospels come alive.

Complete with a map, diagram and glossary, this novel elucidates the Gnostic worldview in an eloquent , engaging narrative.”

Caruana’s List of Gnostic Terms in His Glossary

——– A ——–

– ACHAMOTH
– ADAM AND EVE
– ADAMAS
– AEONS (UPPER, LOWER)
– ALIEN – See STRANGER
– THE ALL
– ANDROGYNE
– ANGELS
– ANGELIC ORDERS
– ANIMALS
– ANOINT – See CHRISM
– ANTHROPOS
– APOCALYPSE
– APOCRYPHON
– ARCHONS
– (TO GO) ASTRAY
– AUTOGENES – See BEGET

——– B ——–

– BAPTISM
– BARBELO
– BEAST – See ANIMALS
– BEGET
– BITTER
– BLIND
– BODY
– BONDS
– BOOK OF THE LIVING
– BRIDAL CHAMBER

——– C ——–

– THE CALL
– CAVE
– CHRISM
– CONSENT
– CONSORT
– CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE – See RESOLUTION
– COUNTERFEIT
– COUNTERFEIT SPIRIT
– CROWN

——– D ——–

– DEFICIENCY
– DESIRE
– DISCIPLES
– DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS
– DRUNK
– TO DYE

——– E ——–

– THE ELECT
– END OF TIME – See RESOLUTION
– ENNOIA (Thought)
– EPINOIA (After-thought)
– EUCHARIST
– EXISTENCE

——– F ——–

– FACE
– FATE (Heimarmene)
– FIRE
– FIVE SEALS
– FOG
– FOREIGNER – See STRANGER
– FORM – See IMAGE
– FOUR LIGHTS
– FRAGRANCE
– FRUIT
– FULLNESS – See AEONS, PLEROMA

——– G ——–

– GARMENT (OF LIGHT)
– GOD-WRITTEN BOOKS
– GOSPEL
– GRACE

——– H ——–

– HELL
– HOLY SPIRIT – See SPIRIT

——– I ——–

– IGNORANCE
– IMAGE
– INSIDE / OUTSIDE
– INVISIBLE SPIRIT – See SPIRIT

——– J ——–

– JARS

——– K ——–

– KINGDOM – See AEONS
– KISS

——– L ——–

– LANGUAGE
– LISTEN
– LOVE
– LOWER AEONS – See AEONS

——– M ——–

– MALE AND FEMALE
– MARRIAGE – See BRIDAL CHAMBER
– THE MIDDLE
– MOUNTAIN

——– N ——–

– NAKED – See GARMENT
– NAMES
– NARROW AND BROAD
– NOREA

——– O ——–

– OREA – See NOREA

——– P ——–

– PAROUSIAS
– PEARL
– PERFECT
– PLEROMA
– PNEUMA – See SPIRIT
– PRE-EXISTENCE
– PRISON
– PRONOIA (Fore-thought)
– PROSTITUTION
– PROTONOIA (First Thought)
– PUT ON – See GARMENT

——– Q ——–

– Q-LIST

——– R ——–

– RANSOM
– REDEMPTION
– REFLECT
– REPENTENCE
– RESOLUTION
– REST
– RESTITUTION – See RESOLUTION
– RESTORATION – See RESOLUTION

————————

– RESURRECTION
– RIGHT AND LEFT
– ROOT
– RUBBING

——– S ——–

– SAVIOUR
– SEAL
– SECRET
– SEED
– SETH
– SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
– SILENCE
– SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE
– SOPHIA
– SLAVE
– SLEEP
– SMALL AND LARGE
– SOUL
– SPARK See SPIRIT
– SPIRIT
– TO STAND (AT REST)
– SRANGER
– SUBSTITUTION
– SWEET
– SYZYSGY – See CONSORT, ANDROGYNE

——– T ——–

– TEARS
– THREE TIMES – See THRICE
– THREE TYPES OF HUMANS
– THRICE
– TREASURE HOUSE – See AEONS
– TRINITY
– TRIPLE – See THRICE
– TWIN
– TYPE – See IMAGE

—— U V W ——

– UPPER AEONS – See AEONS
– VEIL
– VIRGIN
– WATER

——- XYZ ——-

– YALTABAOTH

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Strategy
• Overflow
• About (from Key Concepts page, formerly “Direct Dictionary”)
• Old Entries from Key Concepts Page
• Old Table of Contents for Key Mythemes Page (Alphabetical Letter Sections)
• Old Table of Contents for Core Concepts Page (Alphabetical Letter Sections)

Strategy

The List of Key Mythemes is far too slow to edit, and bloated, and was exploding in size, as if to be a 4-pound, 1500-page, yet all-the-more clueless, Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism — an exhaustive exercise in those-on-the-outside missing the point and the engine driving the whole thing.

List of Key Mythemes, Briefly Showing How the Altered State Is Described by Analogies
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/15/mytheme-list/

Move images and text from that page to here.

Cut its complexity and wordcount.

Move all non-essentials here.

Cap its total length.

Cap each entry’s length.

Cap the number of entries.

Do not try to cover every specific particluar myth.

Focus less on specific myths eg Persephone, restrict it to general-purpose mythemes, not particular storytime narraive applications.

Overflow

As in David Ulansey’s book on Mithraism. See:
Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/ptolemaic-astral-ascent-mysticism/

In this image: the {woman} = Heimarmene. God controls Fate; Fate controls the mind. Todo: find hi-res orig.

_____________________________

https://www.bing.com/search?q=integrae+Naturae+Speculum+Artisque+imago+Robert+Fludd

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bowl+of+hygeia

from https://poisonhistory.wordpress.com/ —
note about research tools: i am able to right-click an image in browser and click “Search Bing for Image“

___

Wiki: “Only initiates knew what the kiste, a sacred chest, and the calathus, a lidded basket, contained.” A serpent would be a sound guess:

LESSER ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES
https://hemlockandhawthorn.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/lesser-eleusinian-mysteries/ —

“Purified, the initiate is prepared to approach the goddess. In the final scene on the urn, Heracles approaches Demeter who is seated on the kiste, the basket [chest, box, trunk] holding the sacred ritual objects of the Greater Mysteries–

“I fasted; I drank the draught; I took from the chest; having done my task, I placed in the basket, and from the basket into the chest” (Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Greeks).

“Heracles reaches out his right hand to touch the snake coiling from the kiste to the goddess’s lap, while the mystes, the successful initiate carrying a bundle of some sort, touches the snake of all divine mysteries fearlessly. Demeter is not careless, but she does not even look at Heracles in the depiction on the urn, instead gazing behind her at the return of Persephone [{turn to look to the right}; to remember Transcendent Knowledge], which she bars from Heracles’ sight, just as she defends the kiste, as these are mysteries only intended to be revealed at the rituals in autumn.”

top-10 mythemes:

{king, tree, wine, snake, rock, dragon, treasure, sacrifice, branching, non-branching}

{king}, {tree}, {wine}, {snake}, {rock}, {dragon}, {treasure}, {sacrifice}, {branching}, {non-branching}

{tree} is a concrete specific instance of the abstract general mytheme-theme, {branching}.

Branching, being abstract, is also a technical term within the Egodeath theory.

serpent is synonym of snake.

xxxxxxx

xxxxxx

https://www.bing.com/search?q=deus+ex+machina – “an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.”

wik: “glish ‘god from the machine’) is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence.[2][3] Its function can be to resolve an otherwise irresolvable plot situation, to surprise the audience, to bring the tale to a happy ending, or act as a comedic device.”

xxxxxx

todo: paste screen capture of the lion-faced serpent (you can imagine it just fine though)

Zeus and Semele

Normally, it was dark when Zeus and Semele had intercourse, with him injecting thoughts into her, without her seeing that situation.

She wanted to see her lover, Zeus.

But when he shined light with the smallest of his thunderbolts to let her {see} him, it completely zapped her to smithereens, giving birth to Dionysus.

The Myth of Semele, Zeus and the Birth of Dionysus
https://www.nirvanicinsights.com/semele-zeus-dionysus

In Mark 9:14-29, Jesus exorcises the ego-demon from a youth supported by his father. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A14-29&version=KJV

“Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; [childhood-suited naive-Possibilism-thinking is stupid animalish confusion, bedevilling self-control stability in the altered state -mh ]

¹⁸ And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. [the disciples couldn’t succeed at permanently doing away with Naive-Possibilism-thinking and securing Eternalism-thinking upon return to OSC. -mh ]

²⁰ And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, [like a prophet before an angel -mh] and wallowed foaming.

²¹ And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

²² And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

²⁴ And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. [egoic Naive-Possibilism-thinking, stop re-entrenching; finally be gone/purged, and stop bedevilling/ destabilizing personal control power in the altered state, secure Eternalism-thinking to be remembered after returning to the OSC.]

²⁶ And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

{electric chair} – Metallica’s album cover Ride the Lightning seems like a restylization of ELO’s album cover Face the Music. todo: Create separate WP “Rock Music Mytheme list” page about decoding Rock lyrics?
Mystic-State Allusions in Rock Music
http://www.egodeath.com/#mysticstaterockallusions

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

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

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.

About (from Key Concepts page, formerly “Direct Dictionary”)

Decoding a mytheme means making mental, all-way connections among mythemes and referents. The Mytheme List page contains mythemes, as mytheme list entries.

This Dictionary page contains ASC referents, as “term” entries in this page of dictionary term entries, in this Dictionary/Glossary of Egodeath Theory Terms and ASC Referents. Referents of mytheme-analogies are: things experienced & observed in the altered state (that is, the loose cognitive association binding state from ingesting entheogens, which are: cognitive loosening agents).

See Also

Book:
The Angels’ Dictionary
Entheogen religion terminology.
That’s Part 2 of the book:
The Age of Entheogens [, The Pharmacratic Inquisition, and The Entheogenic Reformation;] & the Angels’ Dictionary
Jonathan Ott
1995
http://amzn.com/0961423471
My review:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R22RVGR2PFJN69/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0961423471 —
Michael Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars 
Reviewed on March 23, 2002
One of the best on the entheogenic origin of religions

Rock lyrics from Rush / Neil Peart, for academic analysis:

{Memory banks unloading},
{Bytes break into bits} [cognitive dis-integration, loose cognitive binding of mental construct sets],
{Unit One’s in trouble and it’s scared out of its wits} [the personal control system is you peaking in an intense session; frightening panicked control-loss escalating, scared witless to realize that nothing restrains the mind; the control system can’t restrain the flow of willing that the Ground of Being injects into it like a {vulnerable female overpowered};
{Guidance systems break down} [self-control cybernetic breakdown];
{A struggle to exist — to resist} [hanging onto the ego-structure is almost impossible in a sea of cognitive fragmentation and transcendent clarity of thought and perception]
{A pulse of dying power, in a clenching, plastic fist} [hand appears as a cartoon representation only, and one’s power is seen to arise prior to oneself — one’s stream-of-will is given to oneself]

From “mythic motifs” in gnosticism, very good video below by Laurence Caruana, for those on the inside who speak Mythemese, who know this ultimate mental game, as the present pair of Dictionary pages teaches most efficiently.

THE GNOSTIC WORLDVIEW – A Lecture by LAURENCE CARUANA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJBn6ZKrQKo&t=5793s
best-in-class video
(not necessarily the exact timestamp)

{Mythemeland}

the realm of things that are observed and experienced in the altered state, specifically described by analogies, rather than directly described as in Loose Cognitive Science-land.

{no escaping alive, cave, rock cave, helmsman, steersman, underworld, die, no return}: {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}.

{path}

{snake, way} = worldline frozen into the block universe

{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}.

Book:
The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient World
Going outside the cosmic spheres, to move the pole star, being independent of fate; precession of the equinoxes: the purported “fixed stars” move! And so can you be free from the rule of Heimarmene; fatedness; no-free-will.
David Ulansey, 1989
http://amzn.com/0195067886
See also:
Valentinian Freewill Compatibilism
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/10/29/valentinian-freewill-compatibilism/

astral ascent mysticism – The series of altered-state initiation sessions is pictured as moving up through the orb spheres of the moving “planets”, including Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the fate-ruled sphere of the Fixed Stars, then outside the spheres, transcending fate, into the Empyreum, to be able to move the pole-star to shift the heavens: HEAVEN IMPERIUM – DWELLING PLACE OF GOD AND OF ALL THE ELECT. As in David Ulansey’s book on Mithraism. See:
Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/ptolemaic-astral-ascent-mysticism/

the maximal ahistoricity theory of religious founder figures — Jesus, Paul, Moses, Augustine (maybe), are all in the genre of mystical fiction, not the genre of historical reportage.

We are saved in an intelligible, tangibly experienced way, by the vision of king Jesus;

Christ fastened to and crucified on a tree, & then reborn from a rock cave tomb; we are not magically saved (somehow) by literal blood violence and harm done to Mr. Historical Jesus.

This apathy about whether there was an identifiable single historical figure on which the massively mystic-state vision of Christ was built, is a standard part of standard esoteric position/view/paradigm, per Pagels’ first 3 books and the quasi-sequel to those, The Jesus Mysteries (Freke & Gandy).
Esoteric Christianity Books: Pagels; Freke & Gandy
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/01/esoteric-christianity-books-pagels-freke-gandy/

Normally, for convenience, the mind uses linguistic and conceptual associations in a rigid, rutted, and repetitive way, debates are permanent standoffs, because the same cliched assumptions are carelessly adhered to every time words are used – such as assuming that ‘determinism’ must be conceptualized as in-time, linear-flowing, domino-chain causality, as opposed to holistic, all-at-once causality per an Eternalism view of the block universe, in which worldlines at all times exist.

Mastery of semantics enables one to release one’s assumptions about every single word in an argument, not just a key term in isolation.

mushroom

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

mushroom art — https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mushroom+art
Defining “Compelling Evidence” & “Criteria of Proof” for Mushrooms in Christian Art
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/13/compelling-evidence-criteria-of-proof-for-greek-bible-mushrooms/
Gallery of Mushrooms in Greek & Christian Art
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/gallery-of-mushrooms-in-art/

mushroom “usage vs. depiction” delta – how much did Greeks & Christians use mushrooms? How much did they depict mushrooms? Those two quantities are not necessarily the same.

____________

Ptolemaic astral ascent mysticism — astral ascent mysticism.

Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/ptolemaic-astral-ascent-mysticism/

Old Entries from Key Concepts Page

referent

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

Something that can be experienced, perceived, or observed in the ASC; the loose cognitive state. This includes
1) things that can be experienced and observed in the OSC (tight cognitive association binding state), although now experienced within the altered state, and
2) things that can only be perceived and experienced in the ASC.

referent domain

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

religious mythic metaphor = religious mythology

repudiate

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

deny the truth or validity of, refute, rebut, disclaim, disavow, dismiss, negate, cancel, set aside, revoke · rescind · reverse · retract · overrule · override · overturn · invalidate · nullify · declare null and void, refuse to accept, refuse to be associated with, reject · renounce · abandon · forswear · give up · turn one’s back on · have nothing more to do with · wash one’s hands of · have no more truck with · abjure · disavow · recant · desert · discard · disown · cast off · lay aside · cut off · rebuff · forsake · disprofess

In Mithraism initiation, the “candidate-in-prep-training-for-initiation”, in a ritual, has to refuse the crown.

meta-theory; theory expansion and theory replacement

specialized concept (move into Transcendent Knowledge development?)

Thagard, Paul

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

model of theory expansion and theory replacement, in his book Conceptual Revolutions. See also: Transcendent Knowledge development.

theory

see the Egodeath theory

transformation of the mental worldmodel

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

from Literalist Ordinary-state Possibilism to Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism.

transformation of the mental worldmodel from possibilism to eternalism

trap

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

virtual egoic control agent

See egoic control agent.

worldmodel

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

key concept

A mental worldmodel of time, possibility, and personal control power.

___

The vanishing of the experience of personal control power.

Entheogen Eternalism

the Entheogen Eternalism Theory of Myth

the Entheogen Theory of Religion and Culture

entheogen-based cybernetics testing

Possible E Entries

the Egodeath Yahoo Group

entheogen-based cybernetics testing

the Eternalism-Cybernetics Theory of Ego Transcendence

egoic control system

egoic control thinking

ego death

the Egodeath theory

entheogen-induced experiential shift from Possibilism to Eternalism

Eternalism Theory of Mental Transformation

Eternalism mental worldmodel of time, possibility, and control

egoic personal control system

egoic personal control-system’s power

Entheogen Theory of Religion and Culture

egoic thinking

eternalism-thinking (along with qualified possibilism-thinking)

Eternalism

eternalism-thinking

fatedness

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

freewill-premised thinking

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

Pagels uses this term to mean “esoteric Christians”.
Esoteric Christianity Books: Pagels; Freke & Gandy
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/01/esoteric-christianity-books-pagels-freke-gandy/

instability

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

monopossibility

Synonyms:

Definition:

Concept type:

Mythemes:

Old Table of Contents for Key Mythemes Page (Alphabetical Letter Sections)

Contents — Alphabetical (Older Entries Only) – todo: delete this Alpha part of Toc

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

• A mythemes
  • {abandon}
  • {abducted}
  • {altar}
  • {ambrosia}
  • {angel}
  • {anguished}
  • {approach}
  • {appease}
  • {astral}
  • {astral fatedness}
  • {astral ascent mysticism}
  • {astrological medicine}
  • {affliction}

• B mythemes
  • {banquet}
  • {beard}
  • {billowing}
  • {bones}
  • {bowl}
  • {bride}
  • {branching}

• C mythemes
  • {calming}
  • {capsize}
  • {captive}
  • {cave}
  • {child}
  • {Christ}
  • {Christian}
  • {clothing}
  • {Cyclops}

• D mythemes
  • {death}
  • {demon}
  • {demonic}
  • {doorway}
  • {dragon}

• E mythemes
  • {elect}
  • {embedded}
  • {escape}
  • {evil}
  • {expel}

• F mythemes
  • {fasten}
  • {fate}
  • {feline}
  • {female}
  • {fire}
  • {flesh}
  • {frenzy}
  • {furies}

• G mythemes
  • {garment}
  • {gate}
  • {gatekeeper}
  • {giving birth}
  • {God}
  • {guard}
  • {guarded}

• H mythemes
  • {hair}
  • {Heimarmene}
  • {helmsman}
  • {hero}
  • {holy food}
  • {hidden}
  • {honor}
  • {hunter}

• I mythemes
  • {immortal}
  • {imperishable}
  • {impurity}
  • {initiate}
  • {initiated}
  • {initiation}
  • {invisible}
  • {ivy}

• J mythemes

• K mythemes
  • {king}

• L mythemes
  • {left}
  • {lion}

• M mythemes
  • {Maenad}
  • {maiden}
  • {male}
  • {mania}
  • {mask}
  • {mercy}
  • {message}
  • {mother}

• N mythemes
  • {naked}
  • {net}
  • {non-branching}

• O mythemes
  • {one eye}
  • {otherworld}

• P mythemes
  • {payment}
  • {pneumatic race}
  • {partner}
  • {perishable}
  • {pollution}
  • {potion}
  • {princess}
  • {prize}
  • {prophecy}
  • {purification}

• Q mythemes
  • {quest}
  • {queen}

• R mythemes
  • {ransom}
  • {ransom price payment}
  • {redemption}
  • {release}
  • {released}
  • {release from captivity upon payment}
  • {release price}
  • {rescue}
  • {rescued}
  • {returning home}
  • {reveal}
  • {ride}
  • {right}
  • {rock}
  • {ruler}

• S mythemes
  • {salamander}
  • {sphere of Saturn}
  • {sphere of the fixed stars}
  • {spying}
  • {savior}
  • {salvation}
  • {sacrifice}
  • {satisfied}
  • {scroll}
  • {see}
  • {serpent}
  • {ship}
  • {shipwreck}
  • {skeleton}
  • {snake}
  • {snake-bite}
  • {snake biting itself, coil of a serpent, ouroboros}
  • {Sophia}
  • {spirit}
  • {steal}
  • {steering}

• T mythemes
  • {threatening}
  • {torn}
  • {touch}
  • {transform}
  • {trap}
  • {treasure}
  • {tree}

• U mythemes
  • {unharmed}
  • {underworld}
  • {unshakeable}
  • {unmovable race}

• V mythemes
  • {veil}
  • {veiled}

• W mythemes
  • {wind}
  • {wine}
  • {winnow}
  • {woman}
  • {wound}

• X mythemes

• Y mythemes

• Z mythemes

Old Table of Contents for Core Concepts Page (Alphabetical Letter Sections)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Contents:

• A concepts
  • the altered state

• B concepts
  • the block universe
  • branching

• C concepts
  • control cancellation
  • control-thought injector
  • cybernetic self-control climax
  • cybernetic non-control
  • calming

• D concepts

• E concepts
  • entheogen-based cybernetics testing
  • the egoic control system
  • egoic control thinking
  • ego death
  • entheogen-induced experiential shift from Possibilism to Eternalism
  • the eternalism mental model of time, possibility, and control
  • entheogens
  • egoic personal control agent
  • the egoic personal control system
  • the egoic personal control-system’s power
  • the eternalism state of consciousness
  • egoic thinking
  • eternalism-thinking (along with qualified possibilism-thinking)
  • eternalism
  • eternalism-thinking
  • eternalism-thinking + qualified-possibilism-thinking
  • ego transcendence
  • elevated awareness

• F concepts
  • freewill thinking

• G concepts

• H concepts
  • the hidden, uncontrollable source of control-thoughts
  • the mind’s innate transformation sequence

• I concepts
  • the intense mystic altered state
  • instability of the self-control system

• J concepts

• K concepts

• L concepts
  • the loose cognitive state
  • loose cognitive association binding
  • loose cognitive binding
  • loose cognitive binding state
  • loose mental construct association binding
  • loose mental construct binding
  • levels of control

• M concepts
  • mental construct processing
  • mental construct relationship matrix
  • mental worldmodel
  • mental worldmodel transformation
  • mental worldmodel transformation from possibilism to eternalism
  • mental model transformation

• N concepts
  • no-free-will
  • the normally hidden, uncontrollable source of control-thoughts
  • naive possibilism-thinking
  • from naive possibilism-thinking, to eternalism-thinking along with qualified possibilism-thinking
  • nondual unity oneness awareness
  • the normally veiled, uncontrollable source of control-thoughts
  • non-branching

• O concepts
  • the ordinary state of consciousness

• P concepts
  • the presumed basis & source of personal control thoughts
  • personal control system
  • psychedelic eternalism
  • the personal egoic control system
  • the psychedelics-induced experiential shift from possibilism to eternalism
  • the possibilism mental worldmodel of time, possibility, and control
  • psychedelic pre-existence
  • personal self-control power
  • the personal self-control system
  • possibilism
  • possibilism-thinking
  • psychedelic
  • pre-existence
  • possibility-branching
  • the pre-existing worldline of personal control-thoughts
  • personal egoic control agent
  • puppethood

• Q concepts
  • qualified possibilism-thinking

• R concepts

• S concepts
  • the self-control system
  • seeing the uncontrollable source of control thoughts
  • self-control paranoia

• T concepts
  • the transcendent control system
  • transformative cybernetic seizure
  • transcendence
  • tight cognitive binding
  • the tight cognitive binding state
  • Transcendent Knowledge
  • transformation of the mental worldmodel from possibilism to eternalism
  • transcending no-free-will
  • things that are observed and experienced in the altered state
  • transformation from possibilism to eternalism
  • transformation from possibilism to the eternalism mental worldmodel of time, possibility, and control
  • transcendent thinking
  • the eternalism mental worldmodel of time, possibility, and control

• U concepts
  • the uncontrollable source of control-thoughts

• V concepts
  • the virtual egoic control agent
  • vulnerability

• W concepts
  • the worldline of control-thoughts

• X concepts

• Y concepts

• Z concepts

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• About this Page
• Text to Extract Entries From
• Incoming Mythemes from Main Article
• Mythemes Section of Main Article, After Intro Sections
• 1997 Theory Outline/ Specification (Few Mythemes to Extract)

About this Page

To speed up the Analogy Dictionary page, I moved this content to this page, for processing into dictionary entries.

Text to Extract Entries From

{__, __}: {ruler was held captive for ransom, tied with rope to wood while the tide rises and rises, inevitably bound to escalate to the point of killing him} Cybernetic control-clutching keeps going toward a direction of ratcheting tighter, with more paranoia, more self-testing, the {ram gets itself stuck in the thicket} of self-challenging, self-battling, probing the power of control, and its vulnerability-opening right at the source where control-thoughts enter the mind and the local control system is incapable of stopping those thoughts being injected into the personal control-system by the pre-existing frozen worldline as time moves inexorably forward into the near future, forward toward the crash you can remember and see lying dead ahead on the worldline, {caught in a trap} — until and unless the mind is made to pay the price, honor the gods, sacrifice the claim of sitting on the throne and controlling the mind autonomously: throw Possibilism-thinking (anti-God Jonah) overboard to save the ship and set oneself free from certain destruction, capsizing, as the {storm, maelstrom, whirlpool vortext} is only increasing and this direction of effort, the only type of effort known to the egoic mind, is making the storm worse. The harder the mind tries to gain control, the less control there is — a certainly doomed situation.

{apolytrosis, release to freedom upon payment}: mushrooms = the sacrament of apolytrosis =

{__, __}: the sacrament of {demanding payment}

{__, __}: the sacrament of being {captured}

{__, __}: the sacrament of {paying the release-price}

{__, __}: the sacrament of being {threatened with death} unless the {price is paid}

{__, __}: the sacrament of release from {threat of death}, {upon payment of the price}

{__, __}: {releasing from captivity and from threatening-to-death unless a ransom price is paid}

{__, __}: {paying price ” to “set free, release” a person from some kind of “trap, prison, captivity, unfreedom leading to death”}

{__, __}: {set free, release}

{__, __}: {trap, prison, trapped, caught in a terrible disastrous entrapment, captivity, unfreedom escalating with increasing certainly of being led to inevitable death}, inevitable catastrophic failure of the personal control system, as thinking latches onto the subversive problematic ideas and spots the vulnerability more and more clearly, hooking onto the thoughts of system breakdown and seizure.

{__, __}: the {captive is freed and returned home}, once {something has been paid} [the mind is made to sacrifice its illusion-based presumptions; paying that, causes reset and release] as {ransom to the captor}.

{__, __}: apolytrosis: “after-redemption”, “after-release”

keep together, make a copy, break up the copy:

{flesh of Christ}, {savior}, {fishes you out} , {purifies you of polluted thinking}, {regenerates}, {sacrifice illusion to pay the ransom to release you from cybernetic disaster, catastrophe, entrapment and doom}, {summons}, {demon, bedevilling}, {saves the helmsman’s ship from sinking}, {paying the price}, {firstborn child}, {pays the price to set you free from peak-state self-harm demonstration, apolytrosis}, {releases you for free}, {caress of the threatening and instructive steel blade of death and cybernetic disaster}, {reborn}, {made complete, purified, garment washed white} —–: Honor, worship, reverence, fear, respect, and honor the true {flesh of Christ} the {savior} from outside the mind’s personal self-control system, who {fishes you out} and {purifies you of polluted thinking} (Naive-Possibilism-thinking) and {regenerates} your mind, and makes your mind {sacrifice illusion to pay the ransom to release you from cybernetic disaster, catastrophe, entrapment and doom}, that invokes and {summons} the actual, real {demon, bedevilling} viable self-control, and then {saves the helmsman’s ship from sinking}, {paying the price} — your {firstborn child}-self/thinking — that {pays the price to set you free from peak-state self-harm demonstration, apolytrosis}, and then {releases you for free}, unharmed, back into the remaining peak-window of the altered state session, now laughing and shaking your head and praying in trembling, God-fearing and grateful prayer, giving thanks for your close-call demonstration release, the {caress of the threatening and instructive steel blade of death and cybernetic disaster}, then after that loose cognitive association session subsides, back into the ordinary-state world, now {reborn} and {made complete, purified, garment washed white}, without an illusion-premised mental worldmodel of time, possibility, and control.

{savior} outside the system makes the mind {sacrifice illusion to pay the ransom to release you from cybernetic disaster, catastrophe, entrapment and doom}, that invokes and {summons} the actual, real {demon, bedevilling} viable self-control, and then {saves the helmsman’s ship from sinking}, {paying the price} — your {firstborn child}-self/thinking.

{pays the price to set you free from peak-state self-harm demonstration, apolytrosis}, and then {releases you for free}, unharmed, back into the remaining peak-window of the altered state session, now laughing and shaking your head and praying in trembling, God-fearing and grateful prayer, giving thanks for your close-call demonstration release, the {caress of the threatening and instructive steel blade of death and cybernetic disaster}.

Incoming Mythemes from Main Article

from Egodeath site main article: todo: delete irrelevant ie non-mytheme blocks (paragraphs):

The Entheogen Theory of Religion and Ego Death
http://www.egodeath.com/EntheogenTheoryOfReligion.htm
extremely well-written (except failed “time-pole” attempt), tons of pics and mythemes, highly integrated across the article.

Note: for now, keep this copy of article in this Mytheme page, it’s Findable, extremely well written, and citation-backed, too! Add article to See Also in present page.

f: {fastened king helplessly to the tree/ cross} in the New Testament is a depiction of the mystic-state insight of non-autonomous control, in service of a rebuttal and alternative to Roman imperial theology.

causing the person’s power of will and power of self-control to become seized and then restored in a religiously transformed configuration.

todo: copy to WP site, good paragraph:

The threat of the encounter with the power of the divine is, specifically, the threat of loss of control of one’s thoughts when studying self-knowledge in the ecstatic state. This inherent danger of entheogens is inherent in the encounter with the power that transcends our personal control of our will. This danger is mitigated by having a systematic model of personal control agency, in conjunction with mastering the skilled use of entheogens and understanding how past cultures have accommodated this danger. This necessary danger that is inherent in the encounter with the power of the divine is the gateway to mature religious knowledge.

i: also copy to b for {banquet}:

{initiation sequence}: Initiation as a Natural Developmental Sequence. Greek and non-modern cultures integrated a series of altered-state initiations. Initiation classically combines a series of visionary-plant sessions with learning perennial philosophy, followed by subsequent religiously integrated dissociation such as agape meals, festival banquets, and symposium parties. Entheogenic religious initiation was a prerequisite for symposium banqueting, so that participants were experienced. The banqueting tradition including symposium “drinking parties” included prayer and sacrifices. Social recreation and religious experiencing were not opposed activities.

{discover}: unanticipated primary religious experience unexpectedly reveals how personal control depends on a source of thoughts outside one’s domain of control – a realization which is the gateway to religion. Young adults naturally seek initiatory transformation; … enlightenment and religious revelation.

todo: add to Initiation Requirements article at WP?: or link WP to main article this passage, in a See Also?:

Ergonomic tools, including a systematized model of personal agency and controllable use of entheogens, will make the mystic state common knowledge again in the post-modern era, but with a more explicit and systematic understanding than in antiquity. For example, Salvia divinorum makes the dissociative-state experience accessible, practical, and ergonomic. With the systematic explanation of ego death in hand, there is no need for heroic doses of psychoactives; moderate dosage is most effective.

New, culturally intelligible metaphor-systems will result from the culturally integrated use of entheogens to transform our conception of personal agency, including metaphors for self-control cybernetics.

The religio-political philosophy in the true spirit of the United States is to accept entheogens, accept culturally supported religious self-control breakdown and transformation, and accept the transcendent as the ultimate ruler or governor, but reject all claims that a given earthly system of government is divinely authorized or approved.

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todo: copy to Glossary?:

metaperception: Entheogens cause their various phenomenological effects by loosening cognitive associations, which causes mental construct processing to be revealed as artificial representationalism and projection (see: metaperception).

{Maenad, ecstatic}: Ecstatic maenads mix visionary plants into wine in a wine-mixing bowl in front of a column and mask. The mask of Dionysus represents the illusory nature of a person’s autonomous control-agency. The column behind the mask represents the timeless frozen block-universe that gives rise to the illusion of the individual person as an independent control-agent.

todo: add to Glossary: Thagard | conversion entry:

Revolutionary conversion to a new theory or world-model involves structural transformation of concept networks and hierarchies, increased explanatory coherence, concept recombination, and rational mechanisms of paradigm conversion (Thagard 1992). The dissociative cognitive state loosens the mind’s associative binding, enabling deep revision of the interconnections between mental constructs.

Religion and myth are about dissociative-state experience, frozen-time determinism, self-control cybernetics, and metaphorical description of these. In intense primary religious experiencing, the mental model of self and world undergoes a standard, pre-configured expansion and transformation. The religiously transformed mental model takes into account the representational nature of experience, the experience of embeddedness in timeless unity, and the limited and dependent nature of self-control agency. This religious mental-model transformation is assisted by metaphors that describe these experiential insights in a pictorial form that is easy for the mind to retain.

Like the egoic cognitive structure, the transcendent mental model is an innate, pre-configured structure that is discovered and revealed, like the adolescent discovers the innate ability to climax. The ability to mystically climax is inbuilt, as is the mental model that is revealed, although the useful metaphors and systematic explanation that are necessary to retain the revealed mental structure must be a product of human effort.

todo: Gloss: metapercep:

The Splitting of Representation and Referent Layers

Salvia divinorum causes metaperception, which is the tangible perception of the layer of mental constructs that is the only thing directly presented to awareness. In the dissociative state, the vantage-point of awareness is raised, or stepped back a level, resulting in perceiving the cognitive workings of mental-construct processing and perception itself.

Mental constructs that are usually tightly associated separate from each other. The mental representation of each item also perceptibly separates from the represented referent; representations split into two perceptibly distinct layers. The representation layer is present to awareness like a tangible painting, while the referent layer is a remote, speculative realm that is pointed to but is perceptually absent, like a foreign country one has never directly seen (Hoffman 1996).

A person lives their entire subjectively experienced life inside a simulation that their own mind produces by presenting mental constructs to awareness. In metaperception, personal control-power and personal movement through space and time appear as synthetic mental constructs.

The Moving Control-Agent as Mental Construct

In the ordinary cognitive state, the mind generates the sensation of being an autonomous egoic agent wielding cross-time control-power while moving through time and space; this sensation is a projected, constructed, synthetic image and perspective.

The ego-entity exists as a real set of patterns and dynamics spread across time, but the ego is not solid, continuous, or autonomously powerful in the way the mind originally imagines. The self exists as a mental construct in the form of a time-slice series. This mental construct exists both as the entire series and as individual time-slices, with the continuant agent’s motion and control-power mentally projected from within each time-slice.

Seeing the illusory aspects of mental representation of oneself, and feeling static spacetime unity in the absence of the accustomed sense of personal solidity, can be experienced as death. This death-experience is the ending of personal existence, because the egoic-mode mind identifies one’s existence with the projected image and sensation of the moving continuant agent and its control-power.

Religious Effects of Salvia divinorum

Salvia divinorum is an ergonomic means of religious revelation and transformative, initiatory mental-model regeneration. Salvia produces fewer bodily effects than LSD; Salvia doesn’t cause trembling, pupil dilation, temperature swing, or heart palpitation, as LSD does. The reduction of bodily effects, along with controllable dosage and short duration, makes Salvia ideal for studying cognitive dynamics about time, will, and control, including the nature of personal control agency. When Salvia is combined with understanding this model of ego death, one can be immediately and straightforwardly initiated into transcendent self-knowledge.

Salvia can cause intense undulation of vision and of the mental body-image similar to Laokoon, the seer and priest of Apollo, who was wrapped by the two serpents of Apollo and wrestled with them to his death. Perceptual undulation is also depicted in Jonah’s prayer in the whale, with the currents, waves, and breakers swirling around him and threatening to engulf him with turbulent waters, with seaweed wrapped around his head; and Medusa, with snakes moving around her head. The material plane itself, including one’s mental body-image, seems to undulate, not just one’s visual perception of it.

Compared to mushrooms, Salvia produces less visual and auditory distortion such as color smearing, blurring, surface waving, bending, tracers, and audio warbling. Salvia causes sensations of explicit representationalism, frozen timelessness, spacetime embeddedness and spatial merging, and inability to control and steer one’s thoughts. Awareness seems to sit still while thoughts arrive, presented and given to disempowered, passive awareness.

{voyage, journey, strange land; unavoidability}: Because of the short duration of smoked Salvia, there isn’t the experience of a “voyage”, “long trip that plays out”, and “epic journey”. “There’s no turning away from any control-crash that might be sitting up ahead on the worldline.”

todo: Glos: myth:

Myth is metaphorical description of the intense mystic-state experiencing that results from visionary plants. Myth reflects dissociative phenomenology or dissociative-state experiencing, not ordinary-state experiencing.

Visionary-plant states and otherworldly themes form the tradition of altered-state journeying (Culiano 1991). Many thematic categories of metaphorical descriptions have been used throughout history to describe dissociative-state sensations and experiences (Metzner 1986). Metaphoricity [aka Analogy, per Douglas Hofstadter OSC book “Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking”] is a prime characteristic of the entheogenic, dissociative cognitive state (Shanon 2002).

Mythemes Section of Main Article, After Intro Sections

OK FINALLY THE STUPID META-THEORY BLABBING IS DONE; GET THE F ON W/ IT, MYTHEME DECODING IN MY MAIN ARTICLE AT EGODEATH.COM:

The hunter Actaeon saw the goddess Artemis bathing naked, so she turned him into an animal, and his own hunting dogs tore him to pieces. The Actaeon hunting myth comprises the dissociative-state themes of seeing divinity (the higher or ultimate control-level), transgression of control-limits, and transformation of oneself. This myth also incorporates themes of mental searching, dissociative fragmentation of the mental body-image, and the death of the initial self-conception.

Depictions of Kali portray cognitive dis-integration of the mental body-image as dismemberment, and the sensation of splitting into multiple selves, with each of these sub-selves existing in an isolated time-slice.

Triptolemus is shown as a charioteer or steersman in a chariot that has wings and is propelled by Heimarmene-snakes, with a large cup of psychoactive mixed wine given to him by the goddess Demeter or Persephone.

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The Block Universe and Frozen Worldlines

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.

Time as a Space-like Dimension

Salvia divinorum produces a strong sensation of spatial merging and unity. The static, frozen nature of time is perceived as a collection of present moments, with time as a space-like dimension. The mind forcefully and vividly perceives that space is experienced through the medium of present mental representations, rather than being simply present and directly perceived. The feeling of Salvia is strange yet familiar, returning the mind to home-base – the block-universe Origin. All times and locations feel equally nearby and connected to the present.

Metaphors for experiencing embeddedness in the frozen, timeless block-universe include the end of time, imprisonment, and fastening the body to physical objects. Eastern religious myth expresses experiencing the frozen timeless block universe and transcending the idea of autonomous moral agency. Such Eastern myths include the Ground of Being or Tao that flows everywhere including one’s mind, escaping the endless round of moral karma and its unbroken causal chain, and avoiding rebirth into a material, mortal body.

In the dissociative cognitive state, objects and the controlling ego-entity are explicitly perceived as extended across time. Objects and the self are perceptibly distributed along a fixed and pre-set stream of time-slices frozen into position, such that a person appears as a living statue made of a series of separate statues or image-frames in incrementally different poses.

Time is no longer perceived as a flow, but as a frozen expanse and positional relationship of stationary, distinct and separated time-slices. Mental constructs, including personal control-thoughts, are experienced as being permanently laid out along the time axis.

The Physical Fastening of All Thoughts and Actions

In the dissociative state, all actions anyone has done in the world, good and evil, are experienced as physically attached to one’s own arms, body, and train of thoughts that is frozen into spacetime.

Prometheus is chained looking out from the rock; Theseus and king Pirithous are fused into the banqueting bench in the kingdom ruled by Hades and Persephone; king Pentheus is caught up in the tree looking out; and Osiris is trapped in the coffin by his brother. Conceptually, these mythic figures are all physically connected to the cross Jesus is nailed to, together with his elect: dissociative-state initiates.

King Hades imprisoned Persephone’s would-be suitors (and abductors) by fusing them to a magical bench and binding them to it with snakes while bringing them ‘mixed wine’. It was possible for Heracles to free the divine hero Theseus, but Heracles had to leave king Pirithous behind, fused into the banqueting bench in Hades for eternity, because the whole world shook when Heracles pulled him. This myth describes the dissociative-state sensation of physical embeddedness in the timeless block-universe, followed by abandoning the former pseudo-sovereign model of one’s personal control agency.

Fixed Worldlines of Subjective Experiencing

A person’s entire subjective life consists of their stream of conscious experience. An experienced life is a worldline frozen and embedded in spacetime in the shape of a snake, or a thread woven and cut by the Fates to a predefined, finite length.

To be ‘bitten by a snake’, as in the allegory of Paul the Apostle after his shipwreck, means to perceive the fatedness of one’s entire stream of thoughts. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, the seer Balaam rode his donkey on a road to curse the Israelites, but ended up blessing them. Balaam had an unavoidable encounter with the angel of death on a narrow vineyard path with no room to turn away to the right or to the left. Balaam was permitted to proceed past the angel only upon acknowledging that he speaks the words God puts in his mouth. The perspective of timeless fatedness reveals that all words that anyone speaks ultimately originate from outside the region of one’s personal control.

{serpent}: A house shrine in Pompeii shows a snake of pre-set inevitability reaching the sacrament placed on top of an altar. An initiate’s pre-set worldline of experiencing and thoughts reaches a point where the initiate ingests entheogens. This destined point in the initiate’s worldline was portrayed as a Heimarmene-snake that is drawn by divine Necessity to drink the entheogenic libation of psychoactive wine in the wine-mixing bowl or in a cup of mixed wine, or consume the psychoactive sacrificial cake on the sacrificial altar.

{banqueters} on a bench are shown looking at a Heimarmene-snake ending up at their own cup [sic; noted above probably, it’s a mini-krater of mixed-wine mushroom wine, not a kylix cup (which we’d call a ‘saucer’)] of mixed wine.

John the Evangelist has been shown as blessing a cup of the Eucharistic sacrament shown as a snake. (ALREADY copied to alpha section, = the “Bowl of Hygeia”)

{snake}: A maenad, ecstatic follower of the god Dionysus, holds a snake, representing awareness of fatedness and the fixity of one’s entire stream of thoughts.

{sacrifice} is predestined and frozen into spacetime, comparable to the labyrinth path leading the sacrificial youths to the Minotaur in the central lair every year, and comparable to a city’s festival procession past sacred landmarks to a sacrifice at an altar. When Perseus shows Medusa’s head covered with Heimarmene-snakes to king Polydectes and his followers at the feast with ‘mixed wine’, the king and the other governors are turned into stone, helplessly frozen.

Kwan Yin masterfully rides the fatedness-serpent through the turbulent sea, with a cup of visionary-plant elixir in hand.

Accommodation to Everything Being Pre-set

During the visionary-plant initiation, the feeling of being a control-agent moving through time and space is replaced by the sensation and perception of no-free-will. The mind adjusts its mental world-model to fit the transcendent perspective, which includes the experience of frozen-time block-universe determinism.

{rebellion, snake-bite, cure, healing, Nehushtan serpent on a debranched tree pole}: The Israelites rebelled against the Lord, so the Lord sent snakes which fatally bit them. When the remaining people told Moses they had sinned in speaking against the Lord, the Lord told Moses to put a brass snake on a pole, which the Israelites had to look at to prevent them from dying from these snake-bites. These themes indicate realizing personal non-control with respect to time. A pole represents time, because a pole’s shadow served as a clock [YOU ARE A FAIL!! GIVE IT ANOTHER 7 YEARS OF CONSIDERATION, DUMBASS!]. The snake’s shape and rigid composition represent one’s finite-length, pre-set worldline. ‘Fatal snake-bite’ indicates ego death upon seeing all one’s thoughts as timelessly pre-set and given. To be cured of snake-bite and made immune to it is to continue life after ego death, purified of misattribution of the source of one’s thoughts and power of will.

{chosen, elect}: ‘The chosen race of God’, ‘the elect’, ‘the immovable race’, and ‘double-predestination’ express the idea that all people are timelessly pre-determined but only some are destined to realize this. ‘The elect’ refers to the set of people who are destined to be experientially initiated into no-free-will, and ‘the lost’ refers to the set of people who are destined to remain under the delusion of autonomous personal control-power.

The wide-eyed Minoan snake goddess ominously wields and controls initiates’ predestined, snake-shaped worldlines.

The initiate’s eventual 2-level system of personal control can be represented as a divine winged snake that rules from above, interconnected with a personal pseudo-autonomous controller snake on the lower level.

Vertical, Timeless Determinism

{fate}: In late antiquity, consciousness was centered around the doctrine and mystic-state experience of the pre-setness of future thoughts and occurrences. The central thematic concern of religions in the Hellenistic era was Heimarmene (Martin 1987), which means fatedness, Necessity, or timeless cosmic determinism. Modern thought considers some related issues, though only in a single cognitive state. For example, Philosophical Metaphysics investigates the related issues of tenseless time, fatedness, agent movement through space and time, and controller agents (Oaklander & Smith 1995).

The future is unchangeable and pre-set because of the static relation of control to the time dimension, and because it is largely an illusion that a person is a continuant agent who exercises power while moving through time.

Modern science introduces clockwork determinism and thereby reduces the person to an automaton; in reaction, Copenhagenist quantum mechanics aims to provide an emancipating alternative to the hidden-variables determinism of Einstein and Bohm. However, modern conceptions of determinism and causality are limited to intellectual speculation based in the ordinary cognitive state, so they habitually tend to envision time as a sequential flow. [aka “domino-chain sequential determinism”

Transcending Determinism Requires Two Jumps

{trap, release, apolytrosis, escape, deus ex machina, rescue, fishing out souls, dolphin, fisher of souls}: Determinism is both a praised goal and a disparaged trap to escape, due to determinism-awareness being the intermediate but not final goal of religious mental transformation. Valentinian Gnosticism affirmed cosmic determinism but also transcended it, and formulated two contrasting schemes of thinking about moral culpability (Pagels 1992). [yay pagels ref]

{regeneration, cast out demon, salvation} Simplified 2-stage initiation themes actually reflect a 3-stage progression that is centered around determinism. Mystic metaphor both endorses and disparages the realization of determinism, because determinism is only an intermediate destination on the path to salvific regeneration. The first demon or stage of egoic delusion to be cast out is the assumption of simple independent self-command and freewill. The second demon to be overcome is the mental model of cosmic determinism or fatedness, a model which is rationally coherent but raises the practical problem of control instability.

got this above already:

In Mark 9:14-29, Jesus exorcises the ego-demon from a youth supported by his father; these four figures are aspects of the psyche.

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Fatedness and Control in Astral Ascent Mysticism

todo: move/add to my WP astral ascent Ptolemy page: or link from there to ED site. entire section of main article, solid!

Heimarmene or universal fatedness was centrally important in ancient astrological cosmology (Barton 1994), and was a major theme in Hellenistic-Roman astral ascent mysticism and religion (Cumont 1960). Transcending astral fatedness involved ingesting holy food, ambrosial water, and astrological medicine (Fowden 1986).

Astral ascent mysticism centers around the dangerous gateway or “fatal” boundary crossing – the sphere of the fixed stars – representing the apprehension of Heimarmene and its control of one’s thoughts. The stars wind around the world in a spiral pattern over time; this pattern is depicted by the Heimarmene-snake wrapped around the cosmos, cosmic egg, or Mithraic lion-headed gatekeeper figure.

Saturn, as governor or gatekeeper of the outermost planetary sphere, rides in a serpent-drawn chariot and eats the child or youthful self-concept. The boundary of cosmic determinism is defined by the orbital sphere of Saturn and the sphere of the fixed stars. “Consuming the child” refers to giving up and repudiating one’s initial conception of oneself as an autonomous control-agent. Sacrificing one’s “childish”, initial self-conception is the necessary price of passage across the cosmic determinism-boundary, to ascend into the transcendent heavens.

Ancient Jewish writings metaphorically describe mystic-state experiences, including the problem of how to get past various threatening gatekeepers that are encountered during ascent (Arbel 2003). Pre-modern Christianity held that the body (the lower self) was controlled by Fate, but that the regenerated spirit (the higher, ultra-transcendent part of oneself) was above Fate, residing outside the sphere of the fixed stars.

todo: did I already copy this to above?: no. maybe move it with that {rescue} entry?

When harrowing hell and rescuing the elect from limbo, Christ tramples the gates of the underworld prison, which are shown crossed in an X shape. In the pre-modern multi-level cosmology, trampling the gates of the underworld is thematically equivalent to trampling the celestial cross, representing transcending cosmic Heimarmene. Limbo is the experience of how personal control-power is impotent in the face of cosmic determinism and fatedness.

{cloud, hand from cloud}: The hidden transcendent thought-source has been depicted as a hand behind a cloud controlling the world-soul, whose spirit transcends material Necessity. The world-soul, in turn, wields a chain that controls creatures, who are subject to Fate.

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Self-Control and the Hidden Source of Thoughts

The ego is the sense of being a metaphysically free, sovereign agent that originates and controls its own thoughts, actions, and movements of the will while moving through time and space.

Ego death is the cessation, in the intense mystic altered state, of the sense and feeling of being a control-wielding agent moving through time and space. The sensation of wielding control is replaced by the experience of being helplessly, powerlessly embedded in spacetime as purely a product of spacetime, with control-thoughts being perceptibly inserted or set into the stream of thought by a hidden, uncontrollable source.

The Goal of Understanding Ego Death

Ego death leaves one’s initial, youthful “lie” behind. The “lie” is the confused mental worldmodel which assumes that oneself is the ultimate creator of one’s thoughts, actions, future, and movements of the will. The goal of testing control in the altered state is not to act out the loss of control in any way, but rather, to gain fundamental self-knowledge and correction of self-frustrating error and confusion. The goal of putting control to the test is to understand the nature and limits of control across time by exploring ideas of loss of control and transcendent restabilization of control.

The promise of increased power over oneself leads to realizing the logical impossibility of that mode of power, but produces instead a viable alternate conception, of secondary-level, reflected power. The vexing attempt to gain properly functioning self-control while holding a confused model of self-control ceases. The misleading sensation that the time-voyaging continuant agent is the originator of its power of will is recognized as a conventional misperception and mental oversimplification.

The image of the Lone Soul in Purgatory shows the soul as imprisoned in chains, purified in flames, and lifted up in redemptive release by transcendent power.

In Gnosticism, the completed initiate belongs to the Immovable Race and is able to stand stably in the face of overwhelming, autonomy-undermining controllership that emanates from the hidden, primary control-level. Insights about the limitations of personal control-power result in a wounding of pride, but the mind is otherwise unharmed, and made more durable (or “imperishable”). A personal control system becomes compatible with transcendence, or becomes “divinely approved” {blessed}, when it repudiates the assumption that it can depend on its own internal power to save itself during a control-limit violation.

Deliberately Postulating Coming Control-Loss

The religious path and method is to ingest entheogens; think about your self-control power; disprove the possibility of forceful cross-time control; then depend on transcendent power, rather than your own local power, to provide coherent self-control. This method of testing the limits of control transforms your ideas about self and control to conform to transcendent experiential dynamics, “conforming to the image of God”.

The efficient method of enlightenment about the dynamics of control-agency is to test self-control power by deliberately supposing that loss-of-control is lying fated on the worldline ahead, and then struggling to use one’s personal control-power to avoid that potentially given control-loss event. The dissociative state makes it easy to examine the dynamics and limits of control-agency while thinking outside of the ingrained perspective.

The ability of one’s immediate self to violate the accustomed desires or will of one’s overall cross-time self, including overriding the accustomed self-preservation restraints, disproves the impression that the time-voyaging continuant control-agent ever was in control as the originator of personal thoughts. Exploring the limits of control across time reveals that the true origin of the movements of the will the whole time was a hidden transcendent source other than the self conceived of as a time-voyaging continuant control-agent.

What’s revealed in religious revelation is that our self-control power has the potential to be visibly canceled, and that one’s control-thoughts are given by a more ultimate source of control-power. The mind is directly drawn up into heaven on Elijah’s whirlwind or fire-chariot, by deliberately thinking about being helplessly, inevitably, and irresistibly drawn into the thought of near-future loss of control, while in the dissociative state.

The Potential for Control Breakdown and Transformation

After drinking mixed wine at the Last Supper, in the garden of Gethsemane prior to the court trial, Jesus began to be deeply distressed, amazed, and fearful (Mark 14:33), saying like an initiate who had to poison the lower self, “Father, remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” The mind’s local control-agency becomes distressed and apprehensive about whether and how it can retain control, upon turning attention around, perceptibly recognizing its vulnerability to thought-coercion and control-instability, and seeing the illusory aspect of personal autonomous power.

The mind is accustomed to assuming that the cross-time phantom-self can wield power over each time-slice self in the near future. When this assumption is explicitly recognized and tested, the onset of self-control seizure occurs. Ever-tighter, more forceful application of rationality that’s premised on the assumption of wielding control-power across time cannot save the control-system from this seizure. Testing our control-power and discovering our dependent puppet-like status entails deliberate disproof and self-cancellation of cross-time control, which can threaten to lead to panic attack, seizure, and self-destructive control-chaos.

Relying on one’s conventional power of control-logic and will, when fully developed and perfected, leads to system lock-up – the self-cancellation of personal control power. Demonic reason taken to its full development creates an impossible mess and gets itself tangled up, paralyzed in its own net of reasoning about control, power, and will.

King Pentheus resisted Dionysus, who was an intruding foreign ruler coming in from outside the king’s domain. Dionysus’ mad, divine power was undermining king Pentheus’ ruling power as the established sovereign. When king Pentheus resisted this competing power, he was tricked into participating in an ecstatic-state initiation excursion, was lifted and caught up helplessly in a tree, and was defeated and torn to pieces by his mother and other raving Dionysus worshippers.

One’s role as the independent creator and controller of one’s thoughts was an illusion. The current time-slice self or time-voyaging continuant self is helpless to control or restrain the future time-slice selves while playing with the idea of having, keeping, or losing control; the result is like an army of lookalike time-slice selves, fighting against each other.

‘Idol worship’, ‘pride’, or ‘vanity’ is the assumption that the power of egoic control agency is real and substantial. “Pride before the fall” is the futile attempt to depend on that doomed pseudo-power configuration to save oneself from the catastrophic failure of cybernetic self-control, a failure which is inherently, systemically entailed.

Julius Caesar was authorized for power by his seizures, and the bull in his military’s Mithraic mystery-cult was wounded in the side, so the figure of Jesus was shown as similarly authorized by the spear-wound in his side, and the figure of the apostle Paul was portrayed as suffering from seizures. The ability to make self-control seize or cancel itself dramatically is an afflicting thorn (2 Cor. 12:7-10), hole, or wound in our side, the innate cybernetic governance-failure through which the new, transformed life is born. The new transcendence-aware self is given birth through the pride-killing disproof-wound in the side.

The Transcendent Solution to Restoring Viable Control

A different approach and solution is required, to restore order from the chaos of trying to use a self-dependence that’s based on incoherent premises. This solution provides a more robust basis than reliance on personal power wielded by the semi-illusory conventional self. Something that transcends personal control-power logic is needed to provide an alternative to the seized, useless logical scheme of egoic control power. After being shown this cybernetically fatal potential, a rescuing miracle of transcendent magic arrives from outside the system of egoic control-power logic.

The mind’s transcendent potential kicks in, realizing that the logic of control-agency power originated by the phantom self cannot be the solution to the very problem that such an inaccurate configuration generated in the first place. One must put one’s reliance on a self-existing faith, compassion, heart, love, or benevolent Holy Spirit, which cannot have any ordinary rational control-logic basis and that one does not experience as a product of one’s own egoic control-power or will, but is consciously experienced as being given by the hidden source of thoughts.

Solving the problem of true and justified mental order of personal self-government instead of control-chaos comes through a transcendent Zen jump. Depending on the egoic system of reasoning, which is constructed around inherently self-frustrating premises, ultimately leads to control lock-up and a catastrophically ineffective self-cancellation of control. Buddha recognized that his destiny was to touch the ground in an act of compassion and harmonious integration with the unity of the Ground of Being, causing Mara and his army of demons to instantly disperse – then he experienced enlightenment.

Viable and coherent control is provided by recognizing that personal control depends on transcendent givenness of your thoughts by a mysterious hidden source that ultimately caused the control lock-up and that independently saves your controllership, restoring it in a newly coherent form. The hidden source of thoughts that provides a viable, transcendent personal control system is personified as a merciful and compassionate God.

The figure of Caesar was plugged into the routinized mystery-cult format utilizing ‘mixed wine’. The imperial mystery cult incorporated themes related to imperial government, and had initiation rites for mystai using ‘mixed wine’ heavily, along with symposium drinking parties (Pleket 1965). Political themes were intermixed with mystic-state experiencing, as was common in ancient culture.

The defeat of egoic autonomy and power in the mystic ecstatic state was similar to the defeat of rebellious nations. Caesar was positioned as divinely authorized and led by Jupiter to bring peace, prosperity, and stable government across the entire world. The imperial mystery cult used parallels between Caesar’s pardon of the rebellious kings when they sacrificed to him in homage and obeisance, and the sudden calm and restoration of stability that follows the mind’s sacrifice of the egoic claim of wielding autonomous power.

Our control-power has the Judas capability, which is the ability to betray the illusory aspect of personal power, through divine, transcendent power-seizure. By betraying our illusion of sovereignty, our Judas potential thereby delivers our lower, “rebellious” claim of independent kingship-power over to the transcendent level of governing power.

In John 11, Lazarus is transcendently lifted up from ego-death control-power paralysis by Jesus as the representative of the separate, higher-level source of thoughts. Jesus told his disciples “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Then Thomas (called Didymus, the twin) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Maria the Divine Shepherdess of Souls, Divina Pastora, as benevolent and trustworthy thought-provider rescues and protects the person from the direly threatening wolf, which is the threat of loss of control or hostile control-usurpation by the hidden thought-source. The mind begins with a system of thinking about personal control that assumes independence, but personal control is only pseudo-independent. After being transcendently moved out from that doomed system of logic, one experiences the joyful sense of relief and thankfulness. The person, as a time-voyaging locus of control, has been rescued from certain peril, from outside their own local resources of control-power.

Sin as Misattribution of Control-Thoughts

Upon initiation, the concept of ‘sin’ is reinterpreted and revised, producing a transformed mental model which understands ‘sin’ to be a logical error about the nature of control-agency and agent-culpability. Sin is a matter of understanding and meaning-shift. The secret of the kingdom of God has been given, but cloaked in double-meanings so that those on the outside may see and hear but not understand, lest they turn about and their sins be forgiven (Mark 4:12).

In mystic metaphor, misunderstanding moral agency is considered the fundamental sin and immorality; God was most angry about the king’s rebellious worship of idols that are fashioned out of created materials – a metaphor for taking pseudo-autonomous personal control-agency as though it were genuinely autonomous. Reformed theology affirms the predestination of who God gives salvific grace to, while holding to the moral culpability of created persons. This Augustinian compound model is not simply an inconsistent combination of beliefs; rather, it is a technique of metaphorical meaning-shifting that is bi-modal, designed to span and contrast the egoic and transcendent systems of thinking.

A person’s will appears to be originated and controlled by the time-voyaging continuant agent that’s projected out from each time-slice along the person’s timelessly frozen worldline. The conception of personal control agency that is built around this illusion is ‘sin’ and the ‘lie’.

Wrath, Compassion, and Making Peace

‘Wrath’ means the threat that Fate or blind, machine-like determinism is ultimately in control of your coming thoughts but is set against your claim to exert independent power over your thoughts.

Mystic-state ‘compassion’ and ‘rescue that narrowly averts divine wrath’ means that that which ultimately gives you your thoughts is intimately united with you and is good or benevolent toward you, bringing you into a harmonious, reconciled, integrated relationship with the compassionate and beneficent controller of all that happens, including your own near-future thoughts.

The wrath/compassion polarity is portrayed as paired deities of wrath and compassion in Tibetan Buddhism; dual traits of the Creator (justice and mercy); and Jesus as harsh righteous judge with Mary as compassionate intercessor. The god of battling and the goddess of love – Ares and Aphrodite (or Mars and Venus) – were caught together in a near-invisible net, producing the child Harmonia (or Concordia).

Jupiter Optimus Maximus means ‘all-good’ and ‘all-powerful’, as is hoped for from a protective deity when one is vulnerable to awareness of Heimarmene in the intense mystic altered state.

Mithras demonstrates that his arm wields control over the power of the bull’s shoulder. Sol is reconciled with Mithras in a pact, and given transcendent power. Sol becomes an authorized charioteer, steering the quadriga with Mithras, guided by Mercury (or Hermes), who is holding a Fatedness-snake on a time-pole.

Sacrificing to End Battling the Thought-Source

‘Sacrifice’ is a mental attitude of cooperative dependence on that which gives thoughts, your will having been overcome and made to will its own demise as an empty delusion, turned against itself by now-revealed transcendent power. Sacrifice offers up and hands over your claim to effective independent power, as opposed to battling against your near-future self and the inherently overpowering source of all thoughts and movements of will.

Sacrificing your autonomy-claim, acknowledging your dependency on that which ultimately gives you your thoughts, brings mental peace and harmony and calms turmoil, because you are relieved from increasing your attempt to grasp and secure power over your own power; relieved from testing the power of your autonomy and the limits of your self-control thoughts.

Roman sacrificial altars are typically shown with a libation of concentrated, psychoactive unmixed wine being poured on the altar, which opens up a channel to the gods, along with the sacrificial animal such as the unresisting, cooperative bull. The sacrificer pouring the libation has a cloth behind the head, representing the spiritual ecstatic state, where awareness is positioned outside of the usual mind, perceiving its functioning.

Mithras overpowering and sacrificing the bull represents the delusion of self-originated control-power being given over to the transcendent level, with Mithras’ arm wielding the bull’s shoulder and his knife piercing and fatally wounding it. The wound in the bull’s side indicates Mithras demonstrating his power over the bull’s control-power. Mithras wrestles and overpowers the initiate’s control of their will, reconfiguring their understanding of control-power to account for the transcendent givenness of one’s thoughts.

Sol represents the mind’s awareness, which in the dissociative state is positioned ecstatically outside the mind’s functioning. The mind is possessed and overtaken by Mithras. Pure awareness passively watches the sacrificial disproof of the mind’s claim to wield independent personal control-power.

A tauroctony fresco in a Mithraeum shows the self-command bull being sacrificed near the shoulder. A Heimarmene-snake is inevitably drawn toward ingesting the entheogenic blood; often the snake approaches a wine-mixing bowl below the bull instead. A blue-stemmed Psilocybe mushroom appears in Mithras’ leg and garment, with the stem proceeding through 7 steps, up to the stars. The billowing cape behind Mithras indicates the ecstatic state. The sphere of the fixed stars is shown on Mithra’s cape, inside the underworld cave. The god forcefully pins the bull, who is paralyzed and unable to stand. Mithras’ feminine features indicate the soul abducted and married by divine power. Mithras turns to knowingly look back behind the conventional self-concept to see the source of thoughts and movements of the will.

Vertical Atonement for Rebellion-Guilt

Vicarious atonement entails a vertical shift upward of guilt and responsibility to a higher-level controller, not a horizontal shift sideways to a morally better person. A vertical 2-level legal and moral relationship applies to all controller/agent scenarios: master/slave, commander/soldier, potter/clay, puppetmaster/puppet, creator/creature, and virtual-world creator/virtual agent.

Releasing a prisoner who is a rebel slave (a false claimant to autonomy), and punishing a mock king in their stead by death sentence, is found in the Roman Saturnalia and in the mystic allegory of Jesus’ trial; the rebel Barabbas (son of father) is released.

The Jesus figure was portrayed in the New Testament as the earthly representation and manifestation of the Jewish creator God (Thompson 2001), who was defined as all-powerful and all-controlling. Jesus is held to be innocent in the sense of not himself rebelling against God; that is, he never mistook the pseudo-autonomy of personal control-agents as literal autonomy. However, given that he was the Creator’s representative figure within the created world, he was ultimately responsible or guilty for all instances of such ‘rebellion’ which did occur by other people.

The dissociative-state revelation that higher-order power stands over the source of our control-thoughts is described as rendering the initiate no longer under the sentence of death, making them mature, washed clean, perfected, imperishable, or possessing eternal life, in that they have already died as an autonomous moral agent, following the pattern metaphorically expressed in the figure of Jesus. “Anyone who follows me must deny himself and take up his cross, for whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matt. 10:38-39, 16 24-25; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:23-24)

Lucifer fell from heaven, as Adam fell, due to pride through the illusory power of his virtual free will. Justice that is consistent with this metaphorical meaning-mode requires that he suffer a virtual death-sentence for his rebellious autonomy-claim; this sin is “punished” in the appropriate sense through mystic-state ego death and thereby done away with. Justice about ultimate responsibility is thereby fulfilled, and the initial, youthful error about our independent self-command is corrected.

The Sacred Marriage

The sacred marriage or pact with the divine provides a transcendent personal control system that is viable and stable. The resulting personal control system is based on mature, refined understanding about personal control agency, instead of misperception and frustrating confusion. The sacred marriage integrates one’s personal control activity in the mundane realm with the transcendent realization that thoughts originate from outside one’s realm of control.

In the ancient Greek tradition, marriage incorporated the themes of abduction and death of the girl, together with entheogenic initiation (Ruck 1978). Similarly, Christ raptures-away and marries his Church, the initiated elect, as his bride.

Dionysus rides with the abducted and married soul, Ariadne, in Dionysus’ victory procession, in a chariot drawn by four mushroom-tigers.

The uncontrollable, hidden, higher-level controller abducts and overtakes your innermost locus of control-power, as though that innermost wellspring of your thoughts is your generative organ, and ego death is the climax of the source of thoughts. This rapture of the soul by the divine realm gives birth to the new self that is married to the higher controller. The sacred marriage of the visible and hidden levels of control, producing new life, is celebrated in the wedding banquet with entheogenic mixed wine.

1997 Theory Outline/ Specification (Few Mythemes to Extract)

3 copies of that Core theory-specification, the Cybernetic theory:

1) I copied that 1997 Comment posting to WordPress:
Self-control Cybernetics, Dissociative Cognition, & Mystic Ego Death
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/30/self-control-cybernetics-dissociative-cognition-mystic-ego-death/

2) It’s also the /Intro article at Egodeath.com:
Introduction to the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence
http://egodeath.com/intro.htm

3) It’s at Principia Cybernetica website as a 1997 “Add comment…” aka Annotation on the “Philosophy, Introduction” article:
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/PHILOSI.html
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Annotations/PHILOSI.0.html

Here it is, copied to below:

Todo below:

mark mythemes.

extract mytemes ie delete non-mytheme text.

{slave, puppet}: The ego as a mental structure, mental construct, or worldmodel-element, is experienced as as an autonomous self-steering entity, rather than as a {slave, puppet} of gods or Fate. The cognitive structures that constitute the semi-illusory ego must be preserved even while discovering that its thoughts and actions originate from the underlying plane, rather than originating from the ego.

_____

{death, shipwreck, madness, trap, destruction}: Egoic control power both vanishes, and is cancelled out.

{death} as “the sensation of having egoic control power vanishes“:

The ego-entity exists as a real set of patterns and dynamics, but the ego is not as solid, continuous, or powerful as it seems.

The ego is both a set of real patterns, but also a projected, constructed image.

In a way, the perceived ego exists, and in a way, it does not.

The mind usually projects and constructs a fairly solid and simple image of oneself.

Seeing the illusory aspects of this mental representation and feeling the absence of the accustomed sense of personal solidity can be experienced as {death}, as literal cessation of personal existence, because the naive mind strongly identifies with the projected image and the sense.

{death} as “effective egoic control power is cancelled out“:

{death} = cybernetic non-viability, impotence, self-cancellation, being forced by the uncontrollable source of thoughts, to violate and cancel-out and self-threaten self-control.

Not only does the sense of existing as a control agent become suspended, but also, self-control positively cancels itself out in cybernetic catastrophe requiring reset from outside the system, when the mind is forced to see its real nature.

The illusion is then cancelled, and mental error of egoic thinking is repudiated and sacrificed, when the mind constructs a viable replacement model, eternalism-thinking (along with healthily retained but qualified-possibilism-thinking.

todo: Glossary entry: qualified-possibilism-thinking: The {maiden Persephone} still sort of exists after her abduction to {king Hades’} land, the {underworld}, now as {Queen Persephone, Queen of the Underworld}, she is now a {shade, shadow}, a {ruler} in the land of egoic illusion).

_____

In a dissociative cognitive state, the usual cognitive structures constituting the ego cease, and the projection of the ego image also ceases. Oneself still exists in many ways, such as a body, a brain, a mind, possessions, and a personal past. One genuine aspect of oneself has temporarily ceased to firmly exist: the egoic cognitive processing, which is largely but not entirely suspended. The projection of the self-image is also partly suspended. Insofar as the mind confuses the projected self-image with that part of the self which is genuine, that projected self never existed, other than a perceptual illusion, and so could not cease to exist. If the ego is defined strictly as the natural assumption that the mentally projected self-representation is literally oneself, then it can be said that “the ego is only an illusion”. But such a narrowed definition of “ego” raises the question of what to call the real cognitive structures that reliably project that illusion. The ego is more than just an illusion. It’s a large, complex, and dynamic set of mental processes, of which the deceivingly tangible mental representation is only one part.

The will exerts control power, but this power is virtual rather than literal. There is some control-power, but the normal perception of this power is distorted. The sense of having control power is taken too literally and too simply. Ego structures are refined after enlightenment, not eliminated. Physics cannot provide a legitimate dwelling place for the ego entity, because the ego is largely illusory. Delusion or enlightenment are collective: first there is a uniform interegoic control field, deluded about control agency, then the rational, cybernetics explanation of enlightenment is discovered and communicated. There is a shocking feeling of helplessness upon realizing the insubstantiality of the cross-time ego.

---

Block-Universe Determinism and Autonomous Control

Conventional determinism overemphasizes predictability in principle and perfect seamlessness of the chain of cause and effect, and cannot tolerate the slightest bit of true randomness or disjoint in the chain of cause and effect. More relevant to discovering ego-transcendence is that each point on any timeline is predetermined, and the future permanently exists, elsewhere in the spacetime block. The hypothesis about the eternally unbroken causal chain, in which the past eventually controls the future, is excessive, delicate, and irrelevant to higher experience. Even if there is some true randomness in the world, the future remains predetermined, because of the illusory nature of the flow of time, and the inability to the ego-entity to be an ultimate origin of its own thoughts and choices.

Proper Fatalism emphasizes the fixity of the personal future actions, without committing to an unbroken chain of causality. Fatalism overemphasizes final outcomes. All the intermediate personal actions are fated, not just the outcome.

The mind is virtually free: it is free on the practical, visible level, while predetermined on the underlying, hidden level. The underlying block universe is at a higher level in the hierarchy of control than the practically free actions that take place within the stream of personal actions within the block universe. The universe forcefully controls the stream of personal control-actions, then the stream of control actions exerts its secondary power. One can postulate a god — a creator and controller — at an even higher level in the control hierarchy, one would then hope that it’s a compassionate god pulling the puppet-strings of the world and its creatures.

The choice of thoughts and actions is practically free, but thoughts are forced into the mind from the underlying plane, the mind is a slave to the free acts of will injected by the underlying block universe. Time, change, flexibility, variability, and movement are all fixed at all points along the time axis or branching axes. The stream of personal control-actions such as decision-making is frozen and predetermined at each point in time. The stream of consciousness and control can be seen as a set of distinct time-slices, with the events at each particular time-slice permanently fixed.

The world casts forth the entire set of time-slices of an object or stream of actions all at once, actions at two adjacent time-slices are isolated, and slightly different. The later action is not predetermined simply because it is caused by the first, but because both actions have always been permanently pre-set, the entire set of actions came into existence all at once. . The similarity of each time-slice of a stream of actions produces the sense of continuity of the ego-entity across time and the sense of smooth motion through time. Self-control is unable to forcefully reach across time to control one’s thoughts, will, and actions in the future.

---

The Instability of Self-Control Cybernetics, the Control Vortex, and Self-Cancelling Control

Personal self-control forms a cybernetic control loop. The ego-entity is an essentially illusory homunculus, a self-steering helmsman dwelling inside the mind’s self-control loop. Self-control controls itself indirectly. Alcoholism and compulsions demonstrate the inability of self-control to reach across time. Metaprogramming one’s mental biocomputer promises power, but leads to the problem of controlling the source of one’s thoughts and will.

Control agents are embodied as self-control tunnels or streams, floating in locked, stationary spacetime. Schizophrenia and mystic rapture both present the sense of being remotely monitored and controlled by a dominant observer-and-controller entity who is in a position of power, one becomes a cybernetic puppet and the perceived locus of control shifts up to a separate control agent who resides on a higher level in the control hierarchy.

---

The Pre-set Stream of Injected Thoughts, Puppethood, and the Inability to Control Future Actions

Such a demonstration would be intellectually and morally satisfying in several ways, though disastrous by definition. A demonstration of absolute self-violation could disprove the ability for self-control or self-restraint to forcefully reach across time, prove the impotence of moral self-restraint, and demonstrate the independence and isolation of each time-slice in the stream of self-control Responsible moral agency is manifestly invalid upon perceiving the predetermined character of the thinking that is injected into the mind by the spacetime block at each time-slice. A demonstration of self-control violation would also be of interest because it would concord with understanding that the ego entity who exerts control power is largely an illusory projection of the mind.

When the mind grasps its potential for control instability, the thinker trembles from the cybernetic instability and is shakingly disrupted and thrown off balance. The ego’s accustomed virtual power is cancelled by overly vivid awareness of how one’s thoughts and actions could very well be pre-set by the underlying block universe. Virtual moral agency collapses when the illusory aspect of the ego’s power is vividly understood. In pursuit of truth and self-understanding, it is tempting to make a serious sacrifice of one’s deepest values in order to reflect one’s consciousness of one’s true nature. Given the inherent insecurity of self-control over time, due to the inability to reach across time and due to the fact that one’s future actions are already defined at all future points in time, one might begin to urgently wish to secure self-determination to forcefully extend self-control over one’s near-future actions.

---

If a god is at the higher level of control, outside of time, he is in a position to prophecy. Prophecy is the revealing of what fate or a creator has already created at a relatively “future” point in time.

template:

above the hr

---

below the hr

Michael Hoffman, December 2, 2020

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Intro
• Keyboard Shortcuts = Key Phrases Embodying the Egodeath Theory
• Braces
• Numbers
• Alphabet
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F – resume here
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z
• idea development
• See Also

Intro

Jan 29 2025: enter all the shortcuts and expansions.

This is a rapid idea-development technique.

Keyboard Shortcuts = Key Phrases Embodying the Egodeath Theory

What seem to be mere keyboard shortcuts, are actually, important acronyms, which actually represent optimized concept-labels, which actually, represent carefully crafted ideas; concepts; concept-clusters in a system of concepts, forming a powerful explanatory framework for a new field of science and knowledge: Loose Cognitive Science & the Egodeath theory, including the Cybernetic theory & the Mytheme theory.

See this page that defines Concept-sections:
Theorizing-Concepts
Major section:
The Egodeath theory — Meta-Theory
Concept/section:
Using Optimized Concept-Labels, with Abbreviations
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/key-theorizing/#Using-Optimized-Concept-Labels-with-Abbreviations

Braces

{king steering in tree}

{kst

{king steering in tree} -> {wine} -> {snake frozen in rock}

{king steering in tree} -> {wine} -> {snake frozen in rock}

{snake}

{s

{snake frozen in rock}

{sfr

Numbers

2-level, dependent control

2l

Alphabet

A

the altered state

a-s

autonomous personal control agency, operating in a branching-possibilities world

aa-bw

astral ascent mysticism

aam

autonomous control-agent

aca

“autonomous control-agent” thinking

acat

amanita in christian history

ach

analogy-described, psychedelics-revealed, pre-existence of control-thoughts

adprpct

the autonomous egoic control agent operating in a branching-possibility tree

ae-bt

the autonomous egoic control agent

aeca

ahistoricity

ahi

the “freewill power in branching-possibilities”-premised, egoic personal control system

aiw1

empty, projected, no-free-will, personal control agency, steering along a pre-existing worldline rail {snake} frozen into the block-universe {rock}

aiw2

[acro]/keyboard shortcuts

aks

[acro]/keyboard shortcut expansion phrases

aksep

avoid loss of control

alc

altered state

altst

http://amzn.com/

amurl

http://amzn.com/o/asin/

amzn

from {Amanita, Christianity, surface form, low esotericism} to {Psilocybin, Greek + Christian, cognitive effects, high esotericism}

ap

Amanita –> Psilocybin; Christianity –> Greek + Christian; surface form –> cognitive effects; low esotericism –> high esotericism

apa

autonomous personal control agency

apca

the autonomous personal control system

apcs

analogical psychedelic eternalism

ape

the theory of analogical psychedelic eternalism cybernetics

apec

analogical psychedelic eternalism with dependent control

apedc

the analogical psychedelic eternalism theory of religious mythology

apetrm

Analogical Psilocybin Preexistence/noncontrol

appn

Analogical Psychedelic Preexistence

appr

the “analogical psychedelic pre-existence” theory of religious mythology

apptrm

analogical psychedelic pre-setness

apsp

the ahistoricity of religious founder figures

arff

the altered state of consciousness

asc

altered states of consciousness

asce

the altered state (loose cognitive binding)

aslcb

B

branching

bch

the “branching control-thoughts” model

bctm

{branching-message mushroom trees}, {handedness}, and {non-branching} motifs

bhn

block universe

blkuni

block-universe determinism

blunde

branching-message mushroom trees

bmmt

{branching}, {mushrooms}, {stability}, and {handedness} motifs

bmsh

branching message tree

bmt

the branching-possibilities mental worldmodel of time and control

bpmwtc

breakthrough

brk

basic eternalism-thinking

bset

the bestiary salamander image with Y-branching mushroom tree

bsi

{transcending no-free-will}

btnfw

block universe

bu

block-universe determinism

bud

block-universe eternalism

bue

branching-universe possibilism

branching-universe possibilism

bup

the block-universe world

buw

C

component-theory

c-t

control agency

ca

Cyberdisciple

cb

Creator-> block universe-> control-thought inserter> control-thought receiver

cbir

God the ultimate creator/controller of the block-universe world

cbuw

control cancellation

cc

the Egodeath Core Concepts catalog

ccc

Core Concepts catalog entries

ccce

causal-chain determinism

ccd

a Core Concepts entry

cce

the cybernetic control-seizure vortex

ccsv

a Core Concept-entry

ce

Concept-entries

ce’s

a Concept-entry in the Egodeath Concepts Collection

cecc

compelling evidence & criteria of proof and for identifying mushroom imagery in Christian art

cecop

a Concept-entry in the Egodeath Theory Concepts Collection

ceecc

the Challenging Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ)

ceq

the creator of the fate-controlled, pre-existing world

cfcpw

the creator of the fate-controlled, pre-existing world

cfcw

Creator-> fate-> control-thought inserter> control-thought receiver

cfir

the crystalline ground of being

cgob

a concept-label

cl

Cybermonk

cm

Crop by Michael Hoffman

cmh

cista mystica; a lid-lifted snake-basket

cmsb

the Canterbury Psalter “mushroom tree/ hanging/ sword” image

cmt

the Canterbury Psalter “mushroom tree/ hanging/ sword” image with the trained, self-threatening Psalter reader

cmtst

cybernetic non-control

cnc

cognitive neuro-reductionism

cnr

connections

conn

pre-existence instead of eternalism

changing from possibility-branching to pre-existence

cpbpe

changing from possibilism to eternalism

cpe

Concept page-sections

cps

converted from possibilism-thinking to eternalism-thinking

cptet

cut right branch

crb

cut right trunk

crt

the cybernetic self-control climax

cscc

cybernetic self-control death

cybernetic self-control death

cscd

cybernetic self-control seizure death

cscsd

cybernetic self-control loss

cscl

cybernetic self-control seizure

cscs

cybernetic self-control seizure death

cscsd

concept-section entries

cse

concept-section entry in the Egodeath Theory Concepts Collection

cseetcc

concept-section entry in a WordPress “Concept-Section” page

csewcsp

childhood simple monolithic “autonomous control-agent” thinking

childhood simple monolithic “autonomous control-agent” thinking

Concept-section pages

csp’s

casual standard voice

csv

the cybernetic theory

ct

control-thoughts

ct’s

the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence

ctet

the control-thought inserter

the control-thought inserter

cti

the control-thought inserter/injector

ctii

the control-thought injector

ctij

the control-thoughts injector-worldline

ctiw

the control-thought receiver

the control-thought receiver

the control-thought receiver

ctr

the control-thought receptacle

ctrc

control vortex

cv

cybernetic eternalism

cybetm

cybernetics

cycs

D

domino-chain determinism

dcd

decoded by Cybermonk [4:42 p.m. February 12, 2023]

dcts

the diamond hammer of interpretation

dhi

determinism

dtm

a.m. Jan. 30, 2025]

dts

E

egoic

e’c

elevated awareness

ea

entheogen-based cybernetics testing

ebct

Eadwine’s balancing mushroom tree image

ebmt

esoteric Christianity

ec

the egoic control agent

eca

the Egodeath Concepts Collection

ecc

the “eternalism-cybernetics” theory of ego transcendence

ecet

the Explicit Cubensis paradigm

ecp

the Egodeath Concepts page of the Egodeath Concepts Collection

ecpecc

the egoic control system

ecs

egoic control thinking
ect

the Egodeath community
edc

the Egodeath Concepts Collection
edcc

Egodeath Meta-Theory concepts
edmtc

the Egodeath theory
edt

the ego death and transformation climax
edtc

exoteric esotericism
ee

the Eternalism Egodeath theory
eedt

the eternalism experiential mode
eem

the Entheogen Eternalism Theory of Myth
eetm

explanatory framework
ef

ego transcendence
egotc

egoic thinking
egth

entheogen history
eh

the entheogen-induced experiential shift from Possibilism to Eternalism
eiespe

Eadwine’s leg-balancing mushroom tree
elbmt

the lower, egoic, pseudo-autonomous, local locus of control
elloc

To what extent mushrooms in Christianity?
emc

the “eternalism” mental model
emm

the “eternalism” mental model of time, possibility, and control
emmtpc

the Eternalism mental model of time, self, and control
emmtsc

Egodeath Mystery Show
ems

the eternalism theory of mental transformation
emt

the eternalism mental world model
emw MISSING AN M NOW

the eternalism mental world model of time, possibility, and control
emwtpc MISSING AN M NOW

the eternalism mental world model of time, self, possibility, and control
emwtspc MISSING AN M NOW

entheogens
enth

the egoic, possibility-branching worldmodel
the egoic, possibility-branching world model
epbwm

the egoic personal control agent
epca

the egoic personal control system
epcs

the egoic personal control-system’s power
epcsp

To what extent psilocybin mushrooms (and Amanita imagery) in Christianity?
epmc

empty, projected personal control agency
eppca

the entheogen theory of religion and culture
erc

the Eucharist recognized as mushrooms
erm

entheogen scholarship
es

an easily summarizable explanation of what goes on in the altered state
esewgoas

esotericism
esm

especially
esp

eternalism-thinking
et

ego transcendence
et’c

eternalism-thinking (along with qualified possibilism-thinking)
etaqpt

the Egodeath-Theory Concepts Collection
etcc

the experience of the threat/capability of catastrophic loss of control

a transformative maturation according to stds of Ps set by the grand source of highest standard , Psil, does that make it The Holy Psil Our Sacred Idol Psil God Eucharist Holy Psilocybin Euch is none other than

literally specifically exclusively Psil, none other say no to ruck hanegraaff ndp ndp non-drug entheogens analogical psychedelics eternalism
non-drug psychedelics
ndp
erik davis’ non-drug psychedelics since he’s fine w/ hane saying non-drug entheogens , i therefore assume davis is just FINE with non-drug psychedelics –

Special breathing can/ could/ might/ may [ie doesn’t] do the exact same thing as Psil.

Non-drug meditation can/ could/ might/ may produce the exact same thing as Psil — better in every way, though; how close can drugs make-believe having same effeet as our standard, non-drug meditation ? we achieve that state by ndp non-drug psychedelics

There is no other name by which saved than Psil.

Caesar soter

the experience of the threat of catastrophic loss of control
etcloc

eternalism
etm

Eternalismland
etml

eternalism-thinking + qualified-possibilism-thinking
etqpt

the “eternalism” state of consciousness
etstcn

eternalism-thinking
ett

the egoic virtual locus of autonomous control-power
evlacp

entheogens in Western religious history
ewrh

exoteric
exo

the Egodeath Yahoo Group
eyg

F

the fate-controlled, pre-existing block-universe {rock} world
fbw

formalized concept creation with concept-name and shorthand
fccls

the fate-controlled, pre-existing block-universe {rock} world
fcw

the field of entheogen scholarship
fes

the fascinating experience of the threat of catastrophic loss of control
fetcloc

formalized high-performance concept-creation with optimized concept-labels + [acro]/keyboard shortcuts
fhcc

the field of “mushrooms in Christian art”
fmca

the field of “mushrooms in Greek & Christian art”
fmgca

the field of “mushrooms in Hellenistic & Christendom art”
fmhca

the field of “mushrooms in Western art”
fmwa

the field of mushrooms in western religion
fmwr

the field of “mushrooms in western religious history”
fmwrh

the “freewill power in branching-possibilities”-premised, egoic personal control system
fpbppepcs

freewill-premised, branching-possibilities-steering control-thinking
fpbpsct

the fate-controlled, pre-existing block-universe {rock} world
fpw

the frozen, pre-existing worldline of control-thoughts
fpwct

fixed stars
fs

the fate-controlled worldline frozen into the pre-existing block universe
fwbu

the frozen worldline of control-thoughts
fwct

free will vs. determinism
fwd

the field of Western entheogen scholarship
fwes

the frozen worldline of injected control-thoughts
fwict

freewill thinking
fwt

G

Great Canterbury Psalter
gcp

the great hunt for the perfect analogy
ghpa

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/glossary-for-the-egodeath-theory/#
gl

the grea🍄 mys🍄ics of egodea🍄h
gme

the Grea🍄 Mys🍄ics of Egodea🍄h
gmec

the ground of being
gob

H

the helpless control-thought receiver
hctr

heimarmene
heim
useful

Hephaestus’ magic hammer of interpretation
hmhi

Hellenistic mystery religion
hmr
useful

historical research
hr

the holy spirit
hs

the helpless thought-receiver
htr
useful

the hidden, uncontrollable source of control-thoughts
husct
useful

I

important concept
ic
not useful

idea-development session
ids
not useful

idea development
idv
useful

resume here

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

idea development

See Also

No Links – Dead End – Content Cuts Off Here

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• tbd

facepalm

_____________________________

https://www.bing.com/search?q=integrae+Naturae+Speculum+Artisque+imago+Robert+Fludd

_____________________________________

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

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

mushroom tree/ sword/ hanging/ touching blade & touching non-branching; short-circuiting egoic control power, burning away any remaining impure thinking:

Bible guy freaking out self-threatening; wrath vs. mercy:

Ram in mushroom-thicket:

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Book Link
• My Book Review of The Way of Zen

Book Link

The Way of Zen
Alan Watts, 1957
http://amzn.com/0375705104

Around the same year as Graves’ article Centaurs’ Food, which identified mushrooms in Greek religion & mythology.

My Book Review of The Way of Zen

Satori Enlightenment as Reconception of Self-Control CyberneticsThe Way of Zen
Alan Watts, 1957
http://amzn.com/0375705104
Book review by Michael Hoffman (the Egodeath theory), December 1, 2020
5 stars out of 5
Todo: Check for v1 of this review at Amazon, then update it to match this revision.
Satori Enlightenment as Reconception of Self-Control Cybernetics

Alan Watts takes a mid-20th Century approach to Zen sudden enlightenment: a Self-Control Cybernetics approach.

Watts’ Self-Control Cybernetics approach aligns well with the seizure-and-reset, “initiation” approach that was used in Hellenistic Mystery Religions and in esoteric or gnostic Christianity.

Mystery Religions and esoteric or gnostic Christian practice used mixed-wine mushroom wine, and the mushroom “sacrament of apolytrosis”.

‘Apolytrosis’ means “release from captivity upon payment of a ransom price”; actually describing by analogy, the release of the personal control system from cybernetic seizure, which the sacrament causes, during mental model transformation.

A mushroom-powered initiation system leading to self-threatening and then re-stabilizing, is also clearly reflected in the Medieval Canterbury Psalter’s image with the mushroom tree and sword, implying a routinized, mainstream (though esoteric) mushroom initiation system within the very heart of mid-era Christianity.

The Egodeath theory began in 1985 as my attempt to obtain the expected, cross-time self-control that Self-Help implied, promised, and expected.
In 1986, I read early Ken Wilber books.

The roots of my second, Mytheme theory go back to my intensive 1987 reading of The Way of Zen, and my clarification of what Watts was trying to articulate.

In late 1987, I intensively read Alan Watts’ book The Way of Zen, because metaphysical enlightenment about ego and self would surely help obtain the expected cross-time self-control, and this book discusses self-control cybernetics.

I finally made sense of Watts’ not-completely-clear, somewhat indirect, less-than-completely articulate, poetic-type wording, by bringing-in the idea of no-free-will, combining it with a sort of non-control over thoughts, which he described.

I liked Watts’ idea — very much against Ken Wilber’s long, drawn out, strenuous, 12-level “psycho-spiritual development” scheme — of a single, sudden satori, a wholesale systemic mental worldmodel transformation.

Watts was influenced by mid-20th Century Cybernetics, about control and communication, which aligns with Greek religious mythology focus on testing the control-power of the king or steersman while in the altered state.

Satori, as Watts describes it, has something to do with a realization about confused thinking about personal control power and the source of control-thoughts.

The book The Way of Zen was essential for my creation of the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence in 1988.

I sided with Alan Watts, forming a strictly 2-level, 2-tier scheme: the mind switches from egoic to transcendent thinking (or per my 2013 lexicon, the mental worldmodel of time and control changes from Possibilism to Eternalism, in Mystery Religion initiation; in esoteric or gnostic Christianity, and in Zen satori.

In early January 1988, I discovered and formulated the core, scientific, non-myth-oriented the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence, by combining:

o The idea and expectation of a sudden switch from an egoic to a transcendent worldmodel.
o The block universe model of spacetime from Minkowski in Physics in 1908, with frozen embedded worldlines.
o No-free-will, and “determinism” (better, “eternalism”).
o The loose cognitive association, altered state.
o The experience of non-control; control-seizure and reset from outside the system.

Watts’ idea of a sharp sudden switch from one worldmodel of control and time to another, flew in the face of Ken Wilber’s less-focused, 12-stage “psycho-spiritual development” model.

The result and outcome of my intensive reading of Alan Watts’ book The Way of Zen, evenuated in ultimately producing the Egodeath theory, including the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence (no myth involved; direct description like in Alan Watts’ book).

That core, scientific-styled theory was then corroborated by its ability to explain World Religious Mythology.

My core, Cybernetic theory of what ego transcendence is really all about, subsequently led (starting in 1998) to my Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of religious mythology, in 2006 & 2020.

I published the resulting Egodeath theory, resulting from my clarification built on The Way of Zen, at the Egodeath site and the EgodeathTheory WordPress site.

Thus the later, second half of my Egodeath theory also has roots going back to the book The Way of Zen: the Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism theory of religious mythology.

This Mytheme theory has been going gangbusters as a succesful New Theory, completely decoding mythemes in terms of self-control cybernetics seizure, transformation, and reset from outside the system, fitting well with Watts’ Self-Control Cybernetics approach in The Way of Zen.

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: Heracleon’s Commentary on John
  • 1-for-1 Contrast of Higher vs. Lower Christians’ Consistent Sets of Positions (= Eso vs. Exo) from Pagels’ Book Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis
• The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters
  • 1-for-1 Contrast of ‘Gnostic’ vs. ‘Orthodox’ Consistent Sets of Positions (= Eso vs. Exo) from Pagels’ Book The Gnostic Paul
• The Gnostic Gospels
• The Jesus Mysteries: How the Pagan Mysteries of Osiris-Dionysus Were Rewritten as the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• The Jesus Puzzle: Did Christianity Begin with a Mythical Christ? Challenging the Existence of an Historical Jesus
• Jesus: Neither God Nor Man – The Case for a Mythical Jesus
• Jesus from Outer Space: What the Earliest Christians Really Believed about Christ

The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: Heracleon’s Commentary on John

The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: Heracleon’s Commentary on John
Elaine Pagels, 1973
http://amzn.com/1555403344
Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series
My review at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RY2KUAP5C0RTJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1555403344

My history of writing about this book:

1. My 2004 Egodeath Yahoo Group posting; my early non-Amazon commentary on the book. Prior to Valentine’s Day 2004, therefore it’s copied to Egodeath.com.
2. My 2013 posting of my 2013 official review of the book at Amazon (I likely posted the review to the Egodeath Yahoo Group, and then to Amazon).

Egodeath.com Sections about “Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis” (& book “The Gnostic Paul”)

My discussion of her book at Egodeath.com (copied to Egodeath.com from the Egodeath Yahoo Group postings in January 2004, shortly prior to the cutoff of copying to Egodeath.com, which is Valentines’ Day 2004).

https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Johannine+Gospel+in+Gnostic+Exegesis&sitesearch=egodeath.com&btnG=Search
The two page-subsections – seems different than the Amazon review:
Page title: (lacks dates of my writing; found the January 2004 dates from the Digest of the Egodeath Yahoo Group):
Determinism in Gnosticism
Subsection headings:
Pagels: Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: key = determinism
Determinism in Valentinian Gnosticism: Pneumatic vs. psychic Christians = freewillists vs. determinists
http://www.egodeath.com/DeterminismGnosticism.htm#_Toc64388076
No date shown there, but it must be 2004-01-15.

My 2004 Posting “Pagels: Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: key = det’m”

Subject:
Pagels: Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: key = det’m” in Egodeath Yahoo Group
2004-01-15
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/egodeath-yahoo-group-digest-58/#message2961

That posting thread = the Egodeath.com page subsections:
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/egodeath-yahoo-group-digest-58/#message2961
=
http://www.egodeath.com/DeterminismGnosticism.htm#_Toc64388076
All Egodeath Yahoo Group posts before Valentine’s Day 2004 are at Egodeath.com, without dates.

“Solution Key:
‘Pneumatic’ = timeless determinist
‘Psychic’ = freewillist religionist; freewillist moralist lower Christian”

2014 Egodeath Yahoo Group posting about “the 2 races” (in the mystic analogy sense), same thread:

Thread Subject:
Pagels: Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: key = det’m” in Egodeath Yahoo Group
2014-12-24 (10 years after start)
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/21/egodeath-yahoo-group-digest-127/#message6507

My 2013 Amazon Review of “The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis”

My review of “Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis” at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RY2KUAP5C0RTJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1555403344 — long –
Has page #s so you know I’m not just making things up, projecting my wishes onto Pagels/ Heraclitus.

My Jan. 2013 Egodeath Yahoo Group posting of that review:
Re: Pagels: Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: key = det’m
2013-01-20
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/13/egodeath-yahoo-group-digest-124/#message6299

Michael Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars 
The elect vs. moralists, sacrament of apolytrosis (redemption)
Reviewed on January 19, 2013

This reprint of Pagels’ 1973 book based on her dissertation …

I provide a summary here, assisted by decades of original work on my theory of religious experiencing and metaphor.  The Jesus Mysteries: Was the “Original Jesus” a Pagan God?  is a readable preparation for Pagels’ early books. Pagels’ book shows that Valentinians presented the following 2-level system. See my comparable contrast summary in my review of Pagels’ book  The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters.
2021 – I inserted the below, valuable heading to link to:

1-for-1 Contrast of Higher vs. Lower Christians’ Consistent Sets of Positions (= Eso vs. Exo) from Pagels’ Book Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis

Higher Christians (‘pneumatic’; spiritual): … [first bullet of each pair]
Lower Christians (‘psychic’; mental): … [second bullet of each pair]

o Don’t rely on the historicity of the Bible (page 12). What matters is the mystic-state meaning and metaphorical analogies. Deny the uniqueness of the Christian revelation (page 15).
o Believe in the uniqueness of the Christian revelation, emphasizing the literalness of its occurrence of historical events.
Pagels discusses ahistoricity, or the unimportance or irrelevance of Jesus’ literal historical life and crucifixion, on pages 12-16, 44, 46, and 118.

o Received the higher Eucharist; they are given grace through receiving the sacrament of apolytrosis (which I point out is entheogenic-equivalent, like the “sacraments of Phrygia and Eleusis” mentioned on page 15).
o Only have baptism by water, associated with forgiving sins but in such a way that free-will moral thinking is still implied (various pages in Pagels). They only eat literal ordinary bread and drink literal ordinary wine.
Pagels discusses the Eucharist, wine, feast, banquet, eating, drinking, sacrament of apolytrosis, bridechamber, marriage wedding banquet, and other entheogen-equivalent topics, on page 15 (sacrament of Eleusis), 62-65, 76-82, 92-96, and 115. See my review of  Gnostic Visions: Uncovering the Greatest Secret of the Ancient World  and  Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys, and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World .

o Are masters of metaphor interpretation, describing experiential insights received through the sacrament of apolytrosis (redemption). Are able to interpret all brands of mystic writing (page 15).
o Are literalists. They depend on a historical reading of events in the Bible, assuming that those events literally happened. This prevents them from understanding spiritually (which I explain explicitly: they don’t understand the entheogen Eucharist and its revelation of no-free-will).

o Think in terms of this higher vs. lower understanding, making this distinction.
o Don’t believe in or understand higher Christianity and metaphor reading in terms of spiritual experience.

o Redemption and heaven is now, for the elect.
o Redemption and heaven is in the future, in the age to come.

o Receive redemption, purely by God’s grace (matching Reformed theology, my theory points out). Though veiled as “election” and explained indirectly through symbolism, these Christians basically are brought to believe the supposedly “pagan” idea of no-free-will, upon discovering that they are among the elect and receive their redemption though grace — though they initially and originally think, mistakenly, using the lower way of thinking.
o The lower Christian reaches, if they are morally good, Salvation (still reifies the free-will moral premise). These can earn salvation through works. Receive a lower salvation, a forgiveness of sins, while that forgiveness still reifies free-will moral thinking; ‘ethics’ per Pagels. They believe in free-will moral agency. They conceptualize religion in terms of freewill ethics and moral conduct as the way to earn salvation.

____

Pagels discusses determinism, election theology, grace, works, and moral ethics on pages 49, 57, 72, 82-83, 98-113, and 120-122 especially (that is the end and climax of the book). Pagels explains how Valentinians enabled treating both higher and lower Christians both as authentic Christians.

Valentinians are interesting Christian Gnostics because they define an ‘asymmetric theology’ (a term from my theory) that enables treating both higher and lower Christians both as authentic Christians.

Pagels’ doesn’t point out (but my theory does) that Augustinian theology has this same asymmetry: those who are not saved, are condemned by their own freewill-type moral guilt; the elect are chosen for redemption by God in a no-free-will type of framework.

_____

Mainstream writer Origin accuses Gnostics of asserting a fatalistic determinism theology of salvation like the pagans (page 49).

How can Pagels not mention Reformed theology here, as my theory covers?

Pagels writes “To counter the fatalism of pagan religion and philosophy, mainstream Christians stress freewill ability against fatalism, and dismiss this election theology as determinism, if not arrogance.

Plotinus also criticizes the Valentinians for not discussing ethics, the soul, purifying the soul, and right conduct.” (page 122)

She characterizes ‘the soul’ as being a factor that’s part of free-will ethics in lower Christianity, in Valentinian Gnosticism.

_____

Per Pagels, Valentinians as a concession to the mainstream Church that was trying to maximize its member count, Valentinians didn’t demonize freewillist Christians as “not real Christians”, but rather, included them as lower Christians, who could be saved after death, in the future time to come.

But per Pagels, page 112, Gnostics tend and want to posit 2 races:
o The race of the elect.
o The race of perdition.

_____

But Valentinians wanted to define an inclusive framework, so they posited 3 races, as a concession to the mainstream church:

o The race of the elect. (I point out these are those destined to believe in no-free-will, amply supportable by quotes in this book, though per the end of the book, that “pagan determinism” was veiled.)

o The race of the freewillists, who seek a freewill morality type of salvation, that the higher Christians should humor them about and theologically affirm per Valentinian theology)

o The race of those who are predestined definitely for perdition. Pagels says little (page 104) about this group and why Valentinian theology even had this grouping.

_____

Pagels (page 104) points out that the Gnostic Heracleon doesn’t use the term “free will”, but discusses “their only choice is whether to obey the will of the Father or the will of the devil”.

Heracleon’s scheme of characterizing psychic (lower) Christians is essentially thinking in the mode of freewill moral agency.

Heracleon’s Valentinianism is a veiled no-free-will theology that sort of reifies a freewillish moral salvation system, for lower Christians.

Heracleon’s 2-level theology tries to keep freewillist moralists on board as legitimate but lower members of the same inclusive church.

_____

The mainstream church tried to maximize its member count and that the Valentinian broad-church Gnostics also held that goal.

Regarding the Social Gospel: I point out that Gnostics are accused of being anti-world, and that recently, salvation-focused Protestants are accused of “Protestant Gnosticism”, meaning that these Protestants demonize the world and seek only to individually escape from it, supposedly like Gnostics sought.

But this book about Valentinian Gnosticism doesn’t support that “anti-world” accusation made against Gnostics at all; rather, this book shows Valentinian Gnosticism was concerned with accepting both higher and lower Christianity into the mainstream church.

_____

This book doesn’t discuss the social gospel (flat egalitarian society) as the New Testament Christianity’s driving goal, by either the mainstream church, nor by Valentinian broad-church Gnostics, nor by supposed elitist, supposed anti-world Gnostics.

The book does mention Gnostic cautions against elitism and arrogance on the part of higher Christians — I point out that the same caution is found in Reformed Theology.

_____

The grand finale of Pagels’ book shows why it’s taboo, silently forbidden, to bring together the topics of no-free-will and Reformed theology (as my theory does): to openly admit that Christian theology asserts no-free-will would be to admit an equivalence of Christianity with paganism, and shuts out the freewillist majority of people, or threatens to eliminate the beloved, popular, and lucrative church-friendly idea of human freedom.

_____

Her grand finale of the book, the Synthesis section, inspires me to define the church as being “universal” in the sense of using a veiled combining of two incompatible theologies: no-free-will as higher theology, together with a provisional freewill theology for the lower mass of Christians.

Pagel’s Synthesis section is the summary of the book, and describes the Valentinian “complexity of their doctrine”.

She describes how Valentinian theology veiled its determinism (election theology) aspect, “to express their apprehension of election in mythical and symbolic terms … imagistic and symbolic.” (page 122; the last sentence of the book). ‘Election’ means being fated for redemption.

_____

Election theology was used by the Gnostic Heracleon and the mainstream Origen to obscure and deny the “pagan” fatalism and determinism, by relabelling the terms to enable indirectly asserting fatedness and by avoiding discussing fatedness in general but instead restricting the topic to election and using roundabout wording.

_____

Pagels’ grand finale section is titled Anti-gnostic polemics: the development of a theory of “free will”. She explains how two incompatible theologies — elite determinism and popular freewillism — were combined into an oil-and-water or two-level hybrid system, “valid on different levels”, in an effort to maximize the size of the church.

It’s great that Pagels’ dissertation essentially points this out, though her presentation is ineffective at communicating this big revelation, which aptly describes theology in general: an exercise in combining distinct systems of elite no-free-will theology (veiled, occluded, evasive, obscurantist, or in-denial) and popular free-will moralism.

_____

After reading her conclusion, I describe all religion as deliberately veiled no-free-will, disguised as freewill moralism promises of rewards, of salvation, per the scheme of both Valentinianism and the mainstream writers such as Origen, as revealed by Elaine Pagels.

— Michael Hoffman

/ end of section “The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis”

The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters

The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters
Elaine Pagels, 1975
http://amzn.com/1563380390

WHAT PAGELS AND MH2002 ARE MISSING IS THE CONFIDENT CERTAINTY THAT THE ‘ESOTERIC/GNOSTICS’ SIDE OF HER “ESOTERIC/GNOSTICS VS. EXOTERIC/ORTHODOX” COMPARISON WAS *POWERED BY MUSHROOMS*.

My 2002 table for The Gnostic Paul confirms that every one of my varied ideas coheres into a set, that is traditional and shared across 2002 A.D. & ~100 A.D.

From http://www.egodeath.com/pagelsgnosticpaul.htm —

Another copy of the table capture is at “Idea Development page 2”:
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/idea-development-page-2/#ppphvh — with some recent comments.

I could identify page numbers for each point above, to prove that the sets of ideas align into two opposed sets according to Pagels, not just according to my own set of views.

1-for-1 Contrast of ‘Gnostic’ vs. ‘Orthodox’ Consistent Sets of Positions (= Eso vs. Exo) from Pagels’ Book The Gnostic Paul

For the first time, on Jan 12, 2021, I broke this out in the roughly side-by-side table into a nice consecutive-pairing format, like I did in 2013 for Pagel’s first book.

HIGHER, ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY
LOWER, EXOTERIC CHRISTIANITY

“Greeks”
“Jews”

The religion of Heresy
The Orthodox religion

Early Paul
Peter, The Church Fathers and their forged later Paul

The Truth, wisdom, enlightenment
The Lie, error, darkness, foolishness

The initiated, adults
The uninitiated, children

A secret mystery is revealed to some apostles, but not to other apostles
No secret mystery; all apostles have authority through simple ordinary seeing of miraculous resurrection

The sacrament of apolytrosis (apo- can mean after-, post-, and separate redemption) in addition to common eucharist [mytheme: {release}]
The common eucharist, only

Redemption (Caruana’s glossary entry)
Salvation, baptism (can search Caruana’s 3 gloss pgs)

Spiritual freedom from moral codes — but metaphysical determinism/ fatedness, predestined election
Spiritual enslavement to morality — with delusion of free will and choosing faith oneself

Reject idea of responsible moral agency and idea of our culpability of sin/guilt
Belief in responsible moral agency and our culpability for sin/guilt

The apple was a gift of gnosis
The apple was bad

All blame is placed on the Ground, not us
All blame is placed on us

No death on the Cross (it was mythic and could be seen as a pseudo-death)
Jesus died on the Cross

Sacrifice is mythic, mental, conceptual, a mental experience
Sacrifice is bodily, bloody, magically effective, physical

No bodily resurrection
Bodily resurrection

Mythic Christ
Supernaturalist Jesus

Belief in higher and lower Christians (with a principled respect for the lower)
Disbelief in higher level of Christianity — to obtain unity and harmony of the Church

No point in moral-reward heaven or moral-punishment hell
Moral-reward heaven and moral-punishment hell exist, for the responsible agent/soul

We are spirits, controlled by God
We are souls, controlled by ourselves

Well-Formatted Review of “The Gnostic Paul” at Egodeath.com

Page title:
The Gnostic Paul; heresy, secrecy, Christ myth, entheogens, fatedness
http://www.egodeath.com/pagelsgnosticpaul.htm
Good summary.

Amazon Formatting of My Review of “The Gnostic Paul”

The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters
Elaine Pagels
1975
http://amzn.com/1563380390
Here’s my 2002 review at Amazon — same as egodeath.com page.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2D7ZEG0WAOQZN/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1563380390
Copied from Amazon, probably same as egodeath site but without the nice side-by-side contrast-table:
5.0 out of 5 stars 
Contributes toward 2-level model of Christianity
Reviewed by Michael Hoffman, January 14, 2002 —

Probably prefer instead, this page’s formatting:
http://www.egodeath.com/pagelsgnosticpaul.htm
Good summary.

I’m surprised this book does not summarize the distinctions it constantly makes between the two main conceptions of Christianity according to the Valentinians’ reading of Paul.

_____

This book has a lot to offer for the Christ-myth theory.

The book explains the Valentinian gnostic reading of Paul’s early epistles.

“Jews” means literalists, the uninitiated, lower Christians.

“Greeks” means spiritualists, the initiated, higher Christians.

Paul encouraged the higher Christians to feel united or married with the lower Christians.

_____

The book would greatly benefit from a 2-column listing of the ideas the Valentinians associated with the higher and lower Christians.

As a philosopher and theorist of ego death who is looking for a rational reading of the Christian scriptures, I agree with everything that falls into the group of ideas the Valentinians associated with higher Christians, and I disagree with all the ideas that fall into the group of ideas the Valentinians associated with lower Christians.

_____

The two sets of doctrines — the book The Gnostic Paul divides the religious ideas as follows, from the Valentinian reading of Paul’s early writings:

HIGHER, ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY
“Greeks“
The religion of Heresy
Early Paul
The Truth, wisdom, enlightenment
The initiated, adults
A secret mystery is revealed to some apostles, but not to other apostles
The sacrament of apolytrosis [<– *MUSHROOMS* ROUTINELY USED — THE GASOLINE PROPELLING THE WHOLE DAMN CAR!! – MH2020 far more confident than MH2002] (apo- can mean after-, post-, and separate redemption) in addition to common eucharist
Redemption
Spiritual freedom from moral codes — but metaphysical determinism/fatedness, predestined election
Reject idea of responsible moral agency and idea of our culpability of sin/guilt
The apple was a gift of gnosis
All blame is placed on the Ground, not us
No death on the Cross (it was mythic and could be seen as a pseudo-death)
Sacrifice is mythic, mental, conceptual, a mental experience
No bodily resurrection
Mythic Christ
Belief in higher and lower Christians (with a principled respect for the lower)
No point in moral-reward heaven or moral-punishment hell
We are spirits, controlled by God

LOWER, EXOTERIC CHRISTIANITY
“Jews”
The Orthodox religion
Peter, The Church Fathers and their forged later Paul
The Lie, error, darkness, foolishness
The uninitiated, children
No secret mystery; all apostles have authority through simple ordinary seeing of miraculous resurrection
The common eucharist, only
Salvation, baptism
Spiritual enslavement to morality — with delusion of free will and choosing faith oneself
Belief in responsible moral agency and our culpability for sin/guilt
All blame is placed on us
The apple was bad
Jesus died on the Cross
Sacrifice is bodily, bloody, magically effective, physical <–
Bodily resurrection
Supernaturalist Jesus
Disbelief in higher level of Christianity — to obtain unity and harmony of the Church
Moral-reward heaven and moral-punishment hell exist, for the responsible agent/soul
We are souls, controlled by ourselves

Each point I listed above should have page references to Pagel’s book to prove that the ideas break out this way in her book.

_____

An important reason why Christ-myth scholars should read this book is that Pagels shows how to read the scriptures in a 2-valued ambiguous way, where the meaning deliberately toggles between two distinct readings.

It’s not just that Paul was misinterpreted; Pagel’s treatment seems to indicate that Paul deliberately wrote in an encoded, ambiguous way that flips between the two conceptual systems.

If people were confused, it is because Paul meant for them to be confused and carefully chose his words so that they could support both readings: literal and spiritual. The epistles were written as encoded mysteries and should be read as such.

_____

The most remarkable thing presented repeatedly in this book is the idea that the Pauline writings intentionally withheld the higher view from the uninitiated.

[I’m skeptical about the way I worded it there. Am I or is Pagels mischaracterizing?]

Pagels never ventures to explain why.

Perhaps the Valentinians wanted to protect and preserve the delusion of the ego just as we protect children.

This problem extends beyond the Christian mystery-religion; the Greek mystery religions forbade, by punishment of death, publically revealing the things shown in the mysteries.

There were political reasons to veil a deterministic belief system, because cosmic determinism has been used to justify an oppressive status quo (“I was meant, fated, and divinely ordained by Necessity to dominate you”) rather than democracy.

So the Pauline writings were deliberately written in a way that would be read in a supernatural, Literalist way but could be read as a non-supernatural, mystery-religion, mystic allegory.

/ review by MH at Amazon

/ end of section “The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters”

The Gnostic Gospels

The Gnostic Gospels
Elaine Pagels, 1979
http://amzn.com/0679724532
I don’t think I’ve summarized/reviewed this important, popular book. I’ve read it a couple times, and The Jesus Mysteries is based largely off it, but I think I should write a review/summary.

The Jesus Mysteries: How the Pagan Mysteries of Osiris-Dionysus Were Rewritten as the Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Jesus Mysteries: How the Pagan Mysteries of Osiris-Dionysus Were Rewritten as the Gospel of Jesus Christ
1999
2001 title:
The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God?
Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
http://amzn.com/0609807986
Editions & subtitles – at Egodeath.com

1999 edition:
http://amzn.com/0722536763

The Jesus Puzzle: Did Christianity Begin with a Mythical Christ? Challenging the Existence of an Historical Jesus

The Jesus Puzzle: Did Christianity Begin with a Mythical Christ? Challenging the Existence of an Historical Jesus
Earl Doherty, 2005, 390 pages
http://amzn.com/096892591X

Jesus: Neither God Nor Man – The Case for a Mythical Jesus

Jesus: Neither God Nor Man – The Case for a Mythical Jesus
Earl Doherty, 2009, 814 pages
http://amzn.com/B00772ZH8Y
Not sure, but I think of these “originally a mystical spiritual Jesus” books as precursor to Carrier’s thick, and now thin popular, book (below).

Jesus from Outer Space: What the Earliest Christians Really Believed about Christ

Jesus from Outer Space: What the Earliest Christians Really Believed about Christ
Richard Carrier
http://amzn.com/1634311949
October 20, 2020
Looks similar to Earl Doherty’s book on the subject, The Jesus Puzzle.
Inferior art on front cover, an unworthy depiction of Ptolemaic cosmology – I hope his text is more inspired. 
It should be highly readable and an efficient summary of his thick research books.