The Egodeath theory

Michael Hoffman, updated 2025/04/07‘

_{Site Map: Astral Ascent Mysticism}

Contents:

• How Many Spheres Is Most Useful Above the Fixed Stars?
• August 1, 2022 Updated Model
• Basic Astral Ascent Mysticism Cosmology
• The Three Experiential Mental Worldmodels
• Mapping the Basic Astral Ascent Model to the Three Experiential Worldmodels
• Commentary/Design Reasons
• The Three Experiential Mental Worldmodels
• Update/Cleaned up: Cleaned Up Scheme After Critiquing Hanegraaff Hermetic Spirituality Book

• November 10, 2020: Original Posting/ Research
• 3-Level Model of Ego Transcendence Mapped to 10-Level Geocentric Cosmological Ascent Mysticism
• 2-Level Model of Ego Transcendence Mapped to 10-Level Geocentric Cosmological Ascent Mysticism
• The Entheogen Engine for Experiencing Ascent
• Labelling the Cosmology as Ptolemic or as Geocentric
• The 2-Level Egodeath Cosmology
• The 3-Level Egodeath Cosmology
• The Ptolemaic Cosmology (Mystical Geocentric)
• The Sphere of the Fixed Stars
• Ptolemaic geocentric system by Portuguese cosmographer and cartographer Bartolomeu Velho, 1568
• Cosmological Review
• The Eighth Reveals the Ninth (The Discourse on the Eighth & Ninth)
• List of Levels in the Geocentric Cosmology per the Discourse on the 8th & 9th
• Metaphor/Analogy for Altered-State Death and Rebirth
• Jesus from Outer Space
• Mithraism – Where Was Astral Ascent Mysticism Incorporated
• Modern Cosmology – A Different Potential for Mystic Altered State Mythemes
• Cygnus X-1 (Rush, 1977)
• Astronomy Domine & Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd, 1967)
• See Also

How Many Spheres Is Most Useful Above the Fixed Stars?

Objections to this picture:

• Puts the Elect (creatures) on same level as God (creator).
• Redundant undifferentiated sphere 9 (crystalline) & 10 (prime mover).

Solution: Move elect below God, merge sphere 9 + 10, The result = Davidson Sep 2024 video “What is Hermeticism?” picture at 12:42. In that diagram, 10 outside spheres = God, sphere 9 = transcend eternalism; spirit; integrated possibilism/eternalism. in this image w/ 10 spheres + outside, you can delete sphere 9 + 10 with no change. outside sphere 8 would be “transcend eternalism”.

Just noticed: God is within a sphere. clouds are higher than God. God is a helpless puppet controlled by the cloud gods, held captive prison slave kidnapped. So this image is actually has spheres 9, 10, & 11. level 12 outside spheres. Needless multiplication. argument from cosmos items: a 9-sphere model is best. even that has play, re: has a level 10 outside of sphere 9. I vote for a 10-level, 9-sphere sysetms, on the argument from physical cosmos: we are given:

7 planets
sphere of the fixed stars
implies outside fixed stars
earth

by committing to a 9 -sphere, 10-level system, easy straigthfwd to write & name levels:

level 10) outside spheres, God, Source
sphere 9) outside eternalism; hyper-eternalism; integrated possibilism/eternalism; transcend eternalism; qualified possibilism-thinking. eternalism model not only retained, but also integrated with Possibilism mental model of time, self, and control.
8) fixed stars = eternalism , eternalism model finally retained – but not integrated.
7) sphere 7 = Saturn
1) moon = 1st Psilocybin session = 1/8 eternalism model retained.
0) earth, elements: possibilism

Images, Diagrams

https://prints.sciencesource.com/featured/3-medieval-zodiac-science-source.html – shows jpg:
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/3-medieval-zodiac-science-source.jpg —

https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/364080/view/illustration-of-the-ptolemaic-world-system has picture:
https://media.sciencephoto.com/image/v7000043/800wm/V7000043-Illustration_of_the_Ptolemaic_world_system.jpg —

7 spheres above the fixed stars. Region outside the spheres has {cut right trunk} & {right foot forward}. Bull faces right; POV outside the cosmos.

I prefer this elegant, least-confusion, 9-sphere, 10-level model: it fits well w/ heremetic texts, and fits pretty well with the renaissance elaborated model. Also the scientists say each sphere has 4 spheres, so, we’re always talking – in such diagrams — in terms of a simplification. So, let us simplify! Not add unhelpful spheres that don’t map to the actual physical cosmos bodies. Put precession of equi precession of the equinoxes in sphere 9, put God outside that sphere. Mithraism system is the result.

Video title: What is Hermeticism?
Channel: ReligionForBreakfast, Sep. 20, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COYJi9CKrGI&t=762s
The writer of this episode is Paul Davidson; his blog “Is that in the Bible?”:
https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primum_Mobile#Spherical_variations – “Spherical variations – The total number of celestial spheres was not fixed. In this 16th-century illustration, the firmament (sphere of fixed stars) is eighth, a “crystalline” sphere (posited to account for the reference to “waters … above the firmament” in Genesis 1:7) is ninth, and the Primum Mobile is tenth. Outside all is the Empyrean, the “habitation of God and all the elect”.”

Spheres or levels 9-11 are the most indeterminate/ redundant/ undifferentiated/ conjectural/ artificial.

What seems most useful for Egodeath theory is a 10-level model with two sphere or levels that are higher than fixed stars / eternalism: the highest level of consciousness = 9, outside of fixed stars, ie, integrated possibilism/eternalism thinking; and then God, above that. ie, I’d place the Elect in sphere 9, and God in sphere 10.

I really like the elegance of that picture from Paul Davidson video. 10, outside the spheres, can be God, Source. 9, outside fixed stars, can be transcendence of heimarmene/ eternalism. 8, fixed stars, is clear-cut in all systems, = Fate – nevermind Davidson’s confusion, and Hanegraaff’s, and fellow scholars.

The confused scholars fixate on just one vague text, Poimandres, that gives them the impression that the highest level of fate is 7, Saturn – while at the same time, they know, from all other texts and models, fixed stars = Fate = Demiurge, thus the highest level of Fate is sphere 8, fixed stars. Their confused and contradictory, waffling, and THE REASON THEY AVOID SAYING “FIXED STARS” AND “SPHERE 8” AND “FATE” TOGETHER, IS, THEY KNOW THEY CARRY TWO CONTRADICTORY SYSTEMS.

The Unresolved Two Contradictory Cosmos Models from Hanegraaff & Davidson etc

is comparable to the inconsistent number of levels beyond sphere of the fixed stars:

The bane of autists is the AWFUL Poimandres phrase:

“the 7 planetary spheres of Fate”

— AS IF sphere 8 fixed stars is NOT Fate!

That is the source of the confusion that causes Hanegraaff to write:

“Whether the fixed stars should be included [with Saturn, sphere 7] or should rather be associated with the Ogdoad [sphere 8] remains an open question for me.” – p. 294, footnote 114, Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination: Altered States of Knowledge in Late Antiquity, by Wouter Hanegraaff, 2022

DOES POIMANDRES, OR DOES IT NOT, PUT FATE AT OGDOAD?
https://egodeaththeory.org/2020/11/11/mythemes-in-the-hermetic-discourse-on-the-eighth-and-ninth/

The Key Lack & Problem: Hermetic Texts Don’t Explicitly Say “Fixed Stars = Fate”

Model 1 (Poimandres): Highest Fate Level is Saturn

Sphere 7 (Saturn) – permitted or possibly implied by vague Poimandres, but generally rejected by ancients & scholars.

Solving this problem is important enough to mention in footnote 114, but is more important than that.

Resolving this disparity is so important, there should have been a chapter in Hanegraaff w/ ramifications of holding fixed stars as being Above Fate vs. = Fate.

Hanegraaff throughout book outright asserts “the Ogdoad above the heimarmene” – p. 258, Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination: Altered States of Knowledge in Late Antiquity, by Wouter Hanegraaff, 2022
oah

Is is possible to quote hermetic texts to prove Hanegraaff is wrong? also quote Hanegraaff in same book, asserting that fixed stars are heimarmene! as if Ogdoad != sphere of the fixed stars! the infamous Y split of his arg’n:

Hanegraaff et al‘s Fatal Contradiction:
Fate = fixed stars = sphere 8 = Ogdoad = above Fate [great summary of analysis!]

Summarizing the contradiction warranting a clear definite pick of model:

Hanegraaff makes these 3 assertions (page numbers available):

• fixed stars = Fate
• Ogdoad = above Fate
• Ogdoad = sphere of fixed stars

Thus footnote 114: “Whether the fixed stars should be included [with Saturn, sphere 7] or should rather be associated with the Ogdoad [sphere 8] remains an open question for me.”

• Fate = fixed stars
• fixed stars = sphere 8
• sphere 8 = Ogdoad
• Ogdoad = above Fate

DOES NOT ADD UP – DOES NOT COMPUTE – CONTRADICTION

IF the writer of Poimanders or “8 reveals 9” thinks fixed stars = above fate, that author CANNOT hold that fixed stars = Fate or that rising higher than Saturn puts you above Fate.

9) Ennead above Fate
8) Ogdoad above Fate (!)
7) Saturn – Fate
6) Jup – Fate
5) Mars – Fate
4) Sun – Fate
3) Venus – Fate
2) Mer – Fate
1) Moon – Fate
0) Earth – Fate

Model 2 (everyone else): Highest Fate Level is Fixed Stars

Though Scholars Know and Say That’s Standard – The Result in Practice Is Two Contradictory Models: Fixed Stars = Above Fate, vs. Fixed Stars = Fate

Given that I cannot quote hermetic texts to prove that fixed stars = Fate, I have to fall back to quoting the inconsistent scholars when, during discussing heremtic texts, teh scholars randomly & inconsistently (but correctly) mention and asssert that “fixed stars = Fate”.

Hanegraaff & Davidson say: following Poimandres,

“Fate = the 7 planets, then you rise above planets THEREFORE ABOVE FATE to read magically labelled vague hazy “the Ogdoad” (they ALWAYS go silent here and avoid saying “fixed stars”, b/c that would reveal their inconsistency & confusion – confusion from ancient writers & confusion from these scholars).

Like the ancient tradition of over-hyping Amanita causes 1st-generation entheogen scholarship to overhype magic-realm mythic Amanita as the uber super-psychedelic, WAY better than Psilocybin.

BUT, Also Hanegraaff & Davidson:

“Everyone knows Fate = fixed stars = sphere 8”.

— contradicting the BAD WRITING OF THE ANCIENTS in Poimandres that caused Justin Sledge to remark, what a bad unphilosophical MESS the Hermetica are, compared to proper Philosophy.

11) Empyrean – God & Elect
10) Primum Mobile
9) crystalline – waters above the firmament –
8) fixed stars – firmament

Simple 10-level model per Egodeath theory:

10) God; Source; the hidden, uncontrollable source of control-thoughts. above your spirit. either a sphere or, region outside sphere.
9) outside fixed stars – integrated possibilism/eternalism – prime mover, Pleroma. your spirit rises to here.
8) fixed stars – firmament

https://www.bing.com/search?q=Primum+Mobile – “Outermost moving sphere: Primum Mobile is the outermost moving sphere in classical, medieval, and Renaissance astronomy. Causes rotation of all inner spheres in the geocentric model. The ninth heaven in the Ptolemaic universe. Beyond the sphere of fixed stars. Moves the underlying spheres in a rapid rotation. In Dante, the physical origin of life, motion, and time. Enclosed by the Empyrean, the mind of God.”

August 1, 2022 Updated Model

April 7, 2025 revision

Basic Astral Ascent Mysticism Cosmology

The Standard Reference Model per the Egodeath Theory of Psychedelic Eternalism

The goal is to simply and usefully relate, by defining a standard reference model:

• mental model transformation re: eternalism
• cosmos model of Hermetism, Gnosticism, Christian, renaissance, Mithraic, neoplatonic.
• the art genre of mushroom-trees (Left/ possibilism/ branching/ unstable vs. Right/ eternalism/ non-branching/ stable)

Mapping Cosmic Spheres, Mental Models, Mushroom-Tree Motifs, & Level Names

April 7, 2025

Mapping Cosmic Spheres, Mental Models, Mushroom-Tree Motifs, & Level Names

sphere # – cosmos body – mental model – mushroom-tree – name
————————————
10 – outside all spheres – source of control-thoughts – God, Source.
9 – outside fixed stars – possibilism/eternalism – {floating feet}, {balance} – spirit; Elect, pleroma, Empyrean, prime mover, Primum Mobile, crystalline waters
8 – fixed stars – eternalism – {Right}, {non-branching} – soul – firmament
7 – Saturn – 7/8 eternalism – body
6 – Jupiter – 6/8 eternalism
5 – Mars – 5/8 eternalism
4 – Sun – 4/8 eternalism
3 – Venus – 3/8 eternalism
2 – Mercury – 2/8 eternalism
1 – Moon – 1/8 eternalism
0 – Earth – possibilism – body – {Left}, {branching} – sublunary, elements

The Three Experiential Mental Worldmodels

3 – qualified possibilism-thinking; integrated possibilism/eternalism
2 – basic eternalism-thinking
1 – naive possibilism-thinking; basic possibilism-thinking

Mapping the Basic Astral Ascent Model to the Three Experiential Worldmodels

3 – qualified possibilism-thinking = {outside fixed stars}
2 – basic eternalism-thinking = {fixed stars}
1 – naive possibilism-thinking = {Earth}

3 – possibilism/eternalism = {outside fixed stars}
2 – eternalism = {fixed stars}
1 – possibilism = {Earth}

3 – qualified possibilism-thinking = {the Empyrean}
2 – basic eternalism-thinking = {the sphere of the fixed stars}*
1 – naive possibilism-thinking = {the sublunary realm (Earth)}

* and {the sphere of Saturn}, which highlights the moment/function of sacrifice when switching to eternalism-thinking. That’s a dynamic, but the above is meant to depict a static view.

For some more detail, picture development of “basic eternalism-thinking” (and in the late phase of that, {sacrifice child}), as spread across the series of peak windows (or a series of celestial spheres/gates).

Eternalism-thinking is developed in the tightcog state in between peak windows too.

Commentary/Design Reasons

Baseline General Purpose Simplified Ptolemaic astral ascent mysticism model.

Designed to be in between complicated models and the Egodeath theory; it can readily converse with diverse complex models and with a suitable expression of the Egodeath theory.

Needs to have a slot for God (source of control thoughts)

Needs to have a region above fixed stars, for ppl who transcended no-free-will / eternalism; ie: Returned to possibilism-thinking consciousness experiential SoC after returning to baseline, remembering/ comprehending the eternalism experiential realization. All specific instances of this model are too complex; to speak coherently to them without taking on unneeded arb complexity, here is my abstracted model that can readily map to any particular such cosmology while also readily usefully mapping to the Egodeath theory (the 3 actual mental worldmodels sequence that’s the real cognitive phen’y referent):

The Three Experiential Mental Worldmodels

3 – qualified possibilism-thinking
2 – basic eternalism-thinking
1 – naive possibilism-thinking

The goal in this scheme is to emphasize the different “lived” experiential modes instead of only focusing on underlying metaphysical epistemological model. “foo-thinking” here doesn’t mean theoretical metaphysical model (“I believe in eternalism block universe with no-free-will”);

rather, it means practical utilizing and (cog phen’y) experiencing of of egoic mental structures at arm’s length while dis-identified from those intact, preserved structures, a la Ken Wilber, even while theoretically/ metaphysically/ philosophically believing in no-free-will / eternalism / block universe/ uncontrollable source of personal control-thoughts.

Even if metaphysically there are only two worldmodels (possibilism vs eternalism), re: experiential cog pheny, there are three mental worldmodels, when you consider the relevant thing, the combination of stage+state:

3) transcendent stage, tightcog state
2) transcendent stage, loosecog state
1) egoic stage, tightcog state

sum that up by “three experiential worldmodels”. naive inexperienced egoic mental worldmodel; that sequence proceeds:

4) transcendent worldmodel, tightcog state (long-term)
3) transcendent worldmodel, loosecog state (restored to stable)
2) egoic worldmodel, loosecog state (unstable/transient/mortal/perishable)
1) egoic worldmodel, tightcog state

Sometimes use the simplest, 2-level model (1st-order model):

2) eternalism
1) possibilism

It’s just less detail. More clarity, less precision. Interesting to start there then double each to form 4-level sequential scheme: (2nd-order model):

2b) eternalism tightcog (qualified possibilism-thinking)
2a) eternalism loosecog (basic eternalism-thinking)
1b) possibilism loosecog (unstable possibilism-thinking)
1a) possibilism tightcog (naive possibilism-thinking)

qualified possibilism-thinking = my Feb 1988 after finding limits of control and why; now that enlightenment = block universe preexisting control thoughts, “How then are we to live??”

How do I act as a controller king now that I’ve seen the true king?

How do I practically (on the surface) act as a control agent, now that I know about the (underlying) uncontrollable source of control thoughts?

Arriving at that problem = entering the era of “qualified possibilism-thinking”.

In contrast, arriving at era/short phase of discovering eternalism-thinking = learning to restore stable control in the loose cognition state/ peak window (across a series of sessions).

“basic eternalism-thinking” is not for ever-after mundane practical life as an exposed controller; it’s for during the peak window.

Ever-after life is conducting mundane daily life after transforming to restore stable control during the peak window of experiencing eternalism.

After returning to baseline (tight cog) SoC, you no longer experience eternalism; you merely remember experiencing eternalism but you experience possibilism (now knowing it’s illusory or just a perspectival overlay).

You experience possibilism while remembering experiencing eternalism. That’s the mental model “qualified possibilism-thinking”.

Update/Cleaned up: Cleaned Up Scheme After Critiquing Hanegraaff Hermetic Spirituality Book

Luther Martin’s book is on its way, to confirm this updated model. He writes about cosmology and Heimarmene/Fate in late antiquity.

November 10, 2020: Original Posting/ Research

10 – the Empyrean – God and the Elect
9 – the Prime Moving sphere (if omitted, Empyrean = 9)
8 – the sphere of the Fixed Stars – Heimarmene; fate
7 – the sphere of Saturn – sacrifice
6 – the sphere of Jupiter
5 – the sphere of Mars
4 – the sphere of the Sun
3 – the sphere of Venus
2 – the sphere of Mercury
1 – the sphere of the Moon
the sublunary sphere; the Earth (Earth, Water, Air, then Fire)

The 2-level and 3-level schemes of Transcendent Knowledge are equivalent and interchangeable. First you have Possibilism, then you have both Possibilism and Eternalism as two distinct tools at your disposal.

The firmament is the sky as a dome.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=firmament

3-Level Model of Ego Transcendence Mapped to 10-Level Geocentric Cosmological Ascent Mysticism

Summary of the mapping of the Egodeath theory’s Possibilism/Eternalism scheme mapped to geocentric ascent mysticism, expressed as a 3-level scheme/model:

3 – Transcending no-free-will Eternalism after repudiating dependence on Possibilism-premised control – the Prime Mover sphere (First Mover, Primum Mobile), and then the Empyrium of supreme power where God and the Elect dwell.
That’s during the 2nd half of the peak initiation session after repudiating Possibilism-premised control, and during the ordinary state and altered state after that.
Combines both of the distinct mental worldmodels and cognitive mental psychological structures: Egoic thinking and Transcendent Thinking; freewill and no-free-will; Possibilism and Eternalism.
This is transcending the block-universe worldline snake.

2 – Experience of no-free-will Eternalism – sphere of Saturn (when/where Possibilism is sacrificed), sphere of the Fixed Stars.
This is the block-universe worldline snake.

1 – Naive freewill Possibilism thinking – Earth, sphere of the moon, sphere of Mercury, sphere of Venus, sphere of the Sun, sphere of Mars, sphere of Jupiter.

2-Level Model of Ego Transcendence Mapped to 10-Level Geocentric Cosmological Ascent Mysticism

Summary of the mapping of the Egodeath theory’s Possibilism/Eternalism scheme mapped to geocentric ascent mysticism, expressed as a 2-level scheme/model:

2 – No-free-will Eternalism after repudiating dependence on Possibilism-premised control – sphere of Saturn (when/where Possibilism is sacrificed), sphere of the Fixed Stars, the Prime Mover sphere (First Mover, Primum Mobile), and then the Empyrium of supreme power where God and the Elect dwell.
That’s during the 2nd half of the peak initiation session after repudiating Possibilism-premised control, and during the ordinary state and altered state after that.
Combines both of the distinct mental worldmodels and cognitive mental psychological structures: Egoic thinking and Transcendent Thinking; freewill and no-free-will; Possibilism and Eternalism.
This is the block-universe worldline snake and transcending the worldline snake.

1 – Naive freewill Possibilism thinking – Earth, sphere of the moon, sphere of Mercury, sphere of Venus, sphere of the Sun, sphere of Mars, sphere of Jupiter.

The Entheogen Engine for Experiencing Ascent

From my main article (https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/30/the-entheogen-theory-of-religion-and-ego-death/)

Transcending astral fatedness involved ingesting holy food, ambrosial water, and astrological medicine (Fowden 1986).

Fowden, G. The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind. Princeton: Princeton University, 1986.

Labelling the Cosmology as Ptolemic or as Geocentric

Geocentric-Cosmology Ascent Mysticism (150 B.C. – 1543 A.D.)

The label “Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism” focuses on ‘Astral’, indicating the sphere of the Fixed Stars (travelling up through Heimarmene; Eternalism).

Ptolemy was a bit late (150 A.D.); the system goes back to Hipparchus (150 B.C.), so it could be more broadly useful to label it, when not focusing on mathematical computations, as “the geocentric system” — a more direct label for this cosmology, that sidesteps or downplays the issue of mathematical computation.

I’m mapping the 2-level or 3-level scheme to the 10-level scheme of Ptolemaic geocentric cosmology, which was used for various mystic initiation progress systems, including:
o Mithraism. https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Mithraic-Mysteries-Cosmology-Salvation/dp/0195067886
o Hermes Trismegistus (the very name, thrice-greatest Hermes, suggests a 3-level scheme). Hermetic Corpus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetica
o Christian cosmology.
o Magic mysticism.

Ptolemaic system (mathematical formulation: 150 A.D.; concepts: 150 B.C.)
https://www.britannica.com/science/Ptolemaic-system —
“Geocentric system/model – A mathematical model of the universe formulated by the Alexandrian astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy about 150 A.D., published in his Almagest and Planetary Hypotheses.

“A geocentric cosmology; assumes Earth is stationary and at the centre of the universe.

“The principles of this model were known to earlier Greek scientists, including the mathematician Hipparchus (c. 150 B.C.). The principles culminated in an accurate predictive model with Ptolemy.

“The resulting Ptolemaic system persisted until Earth was displaced from the centre of the universe in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Copernican system  (1543 A.D.).

https://www.britannica.com/science/Copernican-system —
“Copernican system – model of the solar system centred on the Sun, with Earth and other planets moving around it, formulated by Nicolaus Copernicus, published in 1543 A.D. as De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri VI (“Six Books Concerning the Revolutions of the Heavenly Orbs”).“

The 2-Level Egodeath Cosmology

2 – Eternalism experiencing & the Eternalism mental model, while retaining, distinctly, the Possibilism mental model.

1 – Possibilism experiencing & the Possibilism mental model

The 3-Level Egodeath Cosmology

3 – The hidden uncontrollable controller & creator of all thoughts; Controller X; the Puppetmaster, and puppets who have both the Possibilism & Eternalism mental models.

2 – Eternalism experiencing & the Eternalism mental model

1 – Possibilism experiencing & the Possibilism mental model

The Ptolemaic Cosmology (Mystical Geocentric)

• 10 – the Empyrean
  the Empyrian
  the Empirium
  the Empirian
  Outside of the moving spheres.
  The highest part of heaven.
  HEAVEN EMPIRIUM – DWELLING PLACE OF GOD AND OF ALL THE ELECT
  Empyrium = supreme power
  CELUM EMPIRIVM HABITACVLVM DEI ET OMNIVM ELECTORVM
  CELUM EMPYRIUM HABITACULUM DEI ET OMNIUM ELECTORUM
  In the Hermetic doctrine of “the Eighth and Ninth”, ‘Ninth’ includes the Prime Mover sphere and the Empyrean, like treating Earth along with Moon as “step 1”.
• 9 – the Primum Mobile sphere
  the Prime Mover sphere
  the Prime Moving sphere
  the First Moved sphere
  the First Mover sphere
  the Ninth sphere
  Transcending no-free-will.
  Not Ancient, but Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance.
  The outermost moving sphere that moves around the earth in 24 hours, carrying the inner moving spheres with it.
  REVOLVCAO DO PRIMO MOBILE EM 24 ORAS
  REVOLUCAO DO PRIMO MOBILE EM 24 ORAS
  https://www.bing.com/search?q=Primum+Mobile

• 8 – the sphere of the Fixed Stars
  the moving sphere (orb) of the Fixed Stars
  the Eighth sphere
  Eternalism-thinking; no-free-will; Heimarmene-ruled.

• 7 – Saturn
  the sphere of Saturn; the moving sphere (orb) of Saturn
  Seems functionally equivalent to penetrating the Fixed Stars.
  Father Time. Sacrifices the child-self; repudiation of Possibilism-premised thinking.
• 6 – Jupiter
  the sphere of Jupiter; the moving sphere (orb) of Jupiter
• 5 – Mars
• 4 – Sun
• 3 – Venus
• 2 – Mercury
• 1 – Moon
  the sphere of the Moon
  The Lunar sphere; the moving sphere (orb) of the Moon; the sphere of Luna

• Earth (Earth, Water, Air, then Fire)
  The sublunar sphere; the sublunary sphere
  https://www.bing.com/search?q=sublunary+sphere

The Sphere of the Fixed Stars

Gnosticism
https://www.thelemistas.org/en/MSS/Wetzel/Gnosticism

“Gnostics hold that esoteric knowledge and self-control enable transcending the flawed creation of the demiourgos. The first, pre-cosmic creations of the demiourgos are the archons (rulers), which rule the seven Ptolemaic planets [Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn] and the sphere of fixed stars. The rule of the demiourgos and the archons is heimarmene (fate), which is cruel, tyrannical and oppressive.”

Ptolemaic geocentric system by Portuguese cosmographer and cartographer Bartolomeu Velho, 1568

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Bartolomeu_Velho_1568.jpg
“Figure of the heavenly bodies — An illustration of the Ptolemaic geocentric system by Portuguese cosmographer and cartographer Bartolomeu Velho, 1568 (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris)”

Cosmological Review

Cosmological Review
by K∴∆∴ & Rufus Opus
https://headforred.blogspot.com/2010/06/cosmological-review.html

“The cosmology I use is based on the system used by the Hermetic magicians of the first through third centuries AD as recorded in the Corpus Hermeticum, specifically the Divine Pymander.

“In this system, the Earth is the manifest physical realm and is at the center of a series of concentric spheres. Within the physical sphere are the four spheres of the elements. Closest to the Earth is the sphere of Earth, followed by Water, Air, and then Fire. These four elemental spheres combine to form the Sphere of Sensation, the physical realm.”

“The Celestial Spheres consist of:
1-7 The Seven Planetary Spheres, the Heavens.
8 The Sphere of the Fixed Stars.
9 The Sphere of the Prime Mover.
[10 The Empyreum, outside the spheres. Not listed here – mh]

“Agrippa and the Hermetic authors of the Corpus Hermeticum began numbering the spheres at 1: the sphere of the Moon.”

The Eighth Reveals the Ninth (The Discourse on the Eighth & Ninth)

Update April 7, 2025: yesterday I read David Litwa’s new book, Hermetica I (Litwa, 2025).

See Mythemes in the Hermetic Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/11/mythemes-in-the-hermetic-discourse-on-the-eighth-and-ninth/

The geocentric model here has ultimate levels of “the Eighth” and “the Ninth”. A key phrase in this document: “The Eighth reveals the Ninth.”

the Ninth = the hidden uncontrollable controller, invisible God the Creator and cloud-hidden Puppetmaster, the controller operating the hand which visibly protrudes from the cloud. That hand indirectly “reveals” the ever-hidden controller of the hand, hidden by the cloud. The Empyrean, dwelling place of God outside the spheres of the cosmos.

There is no intervening distinct “Primum Mobile” moving planetary sphere/orb in this system.

the Eighth = Heimarmene, the sphere of the Fixed Stars; fatedness; no-free-will

List of Levels in the Geocentric Cosmology per the Discourse on the 8th & 9th

the Ninth – the Empyrean – God. Indirectly visible from the Eighth.
the Eighth – the sphere of the Fixed Stars – Heimarmene; fate
the Seventh – the sphere of Saturn – sacrifice. Discourse starts here.
the Sixth – the sphere of Jupiter
the Fifth – the sphere of Mars
the Fourth – the sphere of the Sun
the Third – the sphere of Venus
the Second – the sphere of Mercury
the First – the sphere of the Moon
the sublunary sphere; the Earth (Earth, Water, Air, then Fire)

__________________

The Election of Hermes Trismegistus, from The Discourse on the Eighth & Ninth
https://www.renaissanceastrology.com/hermeticelection.html —

“The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth is an account of a Hermetic initiation.

“The initiate first attains to the wisdom of the first seven spheres [Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn], that of the planets.

“The initiate is then instructed and then initiated by Hermes Trismegistus into the mysteries of the 8th sphere, that of the fixed stars or the Empyrean [sic? ‘Empyrean’ should be moved to the next step. -mh].

“The initiate is then instructed and then initiated by Hermes Trismegistus into the 9th sphere, the sphere of God[sic; the name of the sphere of God is the Empyrean, which the author wrongly placed above. -mh].”

Metaphor/Analogy for Altered-State Death and Rebirth

Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism is an ancient Western metaphor-system for altered-state death & rebirth.

In Ptolemaic Astral Ascent Mysticism, penetrating past the sphere of Saturn & fixed stars is the most important transformation.

I don’t much care for Modern astrology; it’s less mystical.

Traditional cosmos diagrams are in Latin.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ptolemaic+cosmology

missing from Ptolemaic cosmology:
o Asteroid belt
Neptune – Invisible to the eye. The only planet found by math prediction. First viewed in 1846.
o Uranus
o Pluto

Antiquity knew of only 5 planets (in the modern sense of ‘planet’):
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn

Antiquity had 7 planets; 7 planetary moving spheres/orbs:
Moon
Mercury
Venus
Sun
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn

Jesus from Outer Space

Book:
Jesus from Outer Space: What the Earliest Christians Really Believed about Christ
Richard Carrier
http://amzn.com/1634311949
October 20, 2020

“The earliest Christians believed Jesus was an ancient celestial being who put on a bodysuit of flesh, died at the hands of dark forces, and then rose from the dead and ascended back into the heavens.

“But the writing we have today from that first generation of Christians never says where they thought he landed, where he lived, or where he died.

“The idea that Jesus toured Galilee and visited Jerusalem arose only a lifetime later, in unsourced legends written in a foreign land and language.

“Many sources repeat those legends, but none corroborate them. Why?

“What exactly was the original belief about Jesus, and how did this belief change over time?

“Richard Carrier is a philosopher and historian.

“Summarizes for a popular audience the scholarly research on these and related questions.

“Modern attempts to conceal, misrepresent, or avoid the actual evidence calls into question the entire field of Jesus studies–and present-day beliefs about how Christianity began.”

Mithraism – Where Was Astral Ascent Mysticism Incorporated

Mithraism was cosmological. Transcending Heimarmene (Saturn/fixed stars) led to moving the pole of the fixed stars.

From my 2006 main article:
http://www.egodeath.com/EntheogenTheoryOfReligion.htm#_Toc177337630 —

“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.”

Modern Cosmology – A Different Potential for Mystic Altered State Mythemes

Traditional geocentric cosmology is much more interesting than the trendy meme, flat Earth.

Cygnus X-1 (Rush, 1977)

The modern cosmology has some cool potential, such as the excellent altered-state song, about the black hole journey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MlYgt-QdMI —

Song: Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage
Album: A Farewell to Kings
Artist: Rush
Lyrics: Neil Peart – he is a leading altered-state esotericist.
Year: 1977
https://www.google.com/search?q=rush+lyrics+Cygnus+X-1

Lyrics analysis at Egodeath.com:
http://egodeath.com/rushlyrics.htm#xtocid22949

Lyrics – for Scholarly Analysis

“In the constellation of Cygnus
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force [hidden source of control-thoughts]
The black hole of Cygnus X-1
Six stars of the Northern Cross
In mourning for their sister’s loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night“

Invisible to telescopic eye
Infinity, the star that would not die
All who dare to cross her course [can’t look at the source of control thoughts and live, as monolithic, autonomous control agent]
Are swallowed by a fearsome force
Through the void to be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized at the core [loose cognitive association binding dis-integrates the egoic personal control system]
Or through the astral door [{transformation gate}]
To soar

I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way
On my ship, the Rocinante
Wheeling through the galaxies
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery

The X-ray is her siren song, my ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal, until the black hole
Gains control [control is experientially removed from egoic personal control system upon perceiving the uncontrollable hidden source of control-thoughts]

Spinning, whirling, still descending
Like a spiral sea, unending!

Sound and fury drowns my heart
Every nerve is torn apart!

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Geddy Lee / Alex Lifeson / Neil Peart

Cygnus X-1, Book I: The Voyage lyrics © Core Music Publishing, Ole Core Music Publishing, Anthem Core Music Publishing

Astronomy Domine & Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd, 1967)

Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFdn7LA56uE

Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd, 1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UbNbor3OqQ

Favored Image

{cut right trunk}

See Also

Site Map > Astral Ascent Mysticism
https://egodeaththeory.org/nav/#Astral-Ascent-Mysticism

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• About this Page
• Incoming Quick Notes of Updates

• Proof that the Canterbury Psalter’s Leg-Hanging Mushroom Tree Is Psilocybe
• Podcast Episode 16 & 26
• Theory Concepts
• Scholarly Fail-Quotes Hall of Shame
• Core Concepts
• Site Map
• Defining “Compelling Evidence” & “Criteria of Proof” for Mushrooms in Christian Art
• Transcendent Knowledge Podcast episodes
• Crafting “Optimized Concept-Labels” for Reuse, with [acro]/ Keyboard Shortcuts
• Key Mythemes
• Egodeath Yahoo Group
• About
• Theory of Mythemes: Decodings, Mappings, Referents, & Breakthroughs
• Regulated Therapy as a False Religion, Unqualified & Dangerous Without Egodeath Theory
• Why Transcendent Knowledge Is of Highest Value
• Catching up with Hanegraaff’s Western Esotericism
• Psychedelic Mystery Traditions (Hatsis)
• Summary of the Egodeath theory
• Minkowski’s Block Universe
• Valentinian Freewill Compatibilism

About this Page

This page is only for announcing revisions of older WordPress articles, which appear further down the list of articles.

Incoming Quick Notes of Updates

• Proof article: added subsection [2:30 a.m. January 20, 2021]
  Proof that the Canterbury Psalter’s Leg-Hanging Mushroom Tree Is Psilocybe
  New subsection:
  High While Passing the Exam, or After Banquet Afterwards?
  https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/proof-canterbury-psalters-mushroom-trees-are-psilocybe/#High-While-Exam
  I considered this problem over the past two days or so. Or, a better date to retrieve: When did I notice and screencap the lifted garment and add it to the Lifted Garment gallery page? A week ago or so.

• Copied all Anti-Amanita Sections from “Idea Development page 9” to new page:
  • Move from “Amanita, Christianity, Surface Form, Low Esotericism” to “Psilocybe, Greek + Christian, Cognitive Effects, High Esotericism”

• Moved Ideas for Podcast Topics from Podcasts Page to New Page:
  • Ideas for Podcast Topics

• In page Esoteric Christianity Books: Pagels; Freke & Gandy, I added nice contrast-lists:
  • 1-for-1 Contrast of Higher vs. Lower Christians’ Consistent Sets of Positions (= Eso vs. Exo) from Pagels’ Book Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis
  • 1-for-1 Contrast of ‘Gnostic’ vs. ‘Orthodox’ Consistent Sets of Positions (= Eso vs. Exo) from Pagels’ Book The Gnostic Paul
  • Motivation: To support doing a podcast episode about Exoteric/Esoteric.

• Podcast page: Possible Topics
  https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/07/transcendent-knowledge-podcast-episodes/
  Added possible topics for podcast, some of them mentioned by Max:
  • Three Phases of Gnosis: Unstable Nondual Awareness; Transformation Focused on Non-Control; Stable Nondual Awareness
  • Questioning Assumptions About Atemporal Mystics Using High Dose
  • A Special Class of Mystics, Who Blend the Two States into One? Or Just, Anyone who so Tries?
  • Philosophy of Time, Causality, & Determinism, Including Half-Baked Hybrids
  • Why Transcendent Knowledge Is of Highest Value
  • Exotericism vs. Esotericism; Exoteric Esotericism (Low, Quasi-Esotericism); Low Entheogen Theory = Amanita

• [9:41 p.m. January 11, 2021] I’m satisfied with my latest analysis of the two contradictory Kafei’s: He’s alternating between a normal, good methodology, and a bad methodology that has faulty assumptions and position-conflations around high dose. This latest analysis is spread between two cross-linked sections, including my commentary on Strange Loop’s podcast episode 25.
  Page: Commentary on “Transcendent Knowledge Podcast” Episode 25 (2020-07-05) Strange Loop
  Subsection: 1:04:30, Is ‘Determinism’ the Reason for Misunderstanding the Egodeath Theory?
  https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/25/commentary-on-transcendent-knowledge-podcast-episode-25/#1-04-30
• Added linked TOC to that page.

• Mystics’ Writings Unhelpful
  https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2021/01/07/mystics-writings-unhelpful/
  Added YT timestamp-URL (at end of page) where Max saying “really, really high”

• Created a new WordPress website to contain all the 183 digests of the Egodeath Yahoo Group postings.
  https://egodeathyahoogroup.wordpress.com
  The sampling of digests at the present site will be deleted or suppressed. I need to be able to Search in recent WordPress pages without returning the Egodeath Yahoo Group postings.

Proof that the Canterbury Psalter’s Leg-Hanging Mushroom Tree Is Psilocybe

New URL:
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/proof-canterbury-psalters-mushroom-trees-are-psilocybe/

January 13, 2021
Added the following sections, a relatively neat writeup of the Jan 3 2021 solution of palm-up and pink’s facial expression:

• The Concerned Father Bringing His Maiden for Psilocybe Initiation; the Father Depicts an Initiate’s Serious Concern and Reverence
• Strict Prerequisites for Ingesting the Banquet: The Lesser-Mysteries Textbook Learning is the Prerequisite, to Successfully Accomplish Full Initiation and Transformation
• Inventory of Bowls and Assigning Ownership and Timeline
• Simple States: Completely Done Ingesting, or Just About to Begin Ingesting
• The Meaning of the Pink Initiate’s Facial Expression

December 25, 2020
Retired this “Post” page, created new web “Page”:
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/19/proof-that-the-canterbury-psalters-leg-hanging-mushroom-tree-is-psilocybe/

November 25, 2020
o Added section: Gentle {lamb}, {dove} and {Holy Spirit}, Contrasted with {ram}, {eagle}, and {frenzy} or {mania}

November 23, 2020
o Added important 2-page section, balancing out the Teacher/Guide Requirements section:
Students Are Required to Fully Understand Eternalism First, Before Permitted to Become Initiates in Practice

Podcast Episode 16 & 26

• 26 (2020-12-06) Kafei (appearance 4), Cyberdisciple
• 16 (2019-11-17) Kafei (appearance 3)

[January 3, 2021]

At top, added caveats & disclaimers section:

Good Values, and Lessons Learned

Egodeath Yahoo Group Digest 183

[December 31, 2020]

Manually added 2019-2020 postings, especially:
Summary statements of Egodeath theory

Podcast Episode 14

Added original posting from the Egodeath Yahoo Group, to podcast episode 14 summary.

14 (2019-06-18) Cyberdisciple re: Kafei

Theory Concepts

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/key-theorizing/

December 24, 2020
o Added section:
Definitions of Common Terms that I Mean in a Specific Way, Throughout My Writings
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/key-theorizing/#Nav-Definitions-of-Terms-I-Mean

Sections/Coverage

• The Egodeath theory — Meta-Theory
• The Cybernetic theory — How Loosecog Works
• The Mytheme theory — How Mythemes Work
• The Mytheme theory — History of Esotericism

Scholarly Fail-Quotes Hall of Shame

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/04/scholarly-fail-quotes-hall-of-shame/

December 23, 2020
o Added two quotes from John Lash:
“Variations of the Wasson theory, including considerable departures from it”
“associations between psychoactive mushrooms and the historical Jesus, famously argued by John Allegro”

Core Concepts

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

December 21, 2020
o Added a “key phrases” (“optimized concept labels”) section, roughly outlined all Phrases.
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/glossary-for-the-egodeath-theory/#Key-Phrases
v1, 1987: acronyms
v2, 2010: mobile soft keyboard
v3, 2016: desktop keyboard
v4, 2020: managed keyboard shortcuts system

December 5, 2020
o Changed title from “Dictionary of Egodeath & the Altered State” to “Egodeath Concepts“.
o Added linked TOC.
o Moved-out Concept-sections that are not Core Concepts, to a new page:
Theorizing-Concepts
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/key-theorizing/

Previous titles of page

Egodeath Concepts
Dictionary of Egodeath & the Altered State

Site Map

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/nav/#Repealing-Prohibition-of-Psychedelics

December 18, 2020
o Finished re-outlining the Site Map. It is working well.

December 6, 2020
o Added section: “Repealing Prohibition of Psychedelics“
To reduce spaghetti-linking, leverage such sections in Site Map.
Utilize dup entries across sections within the Site Map page.

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/

December 10, 2020
o Added section:
Three Distinct Families of Mushroom Shapes: Liberty Cap, Amanita, Cubensis
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/13/compelling-evidence-criteria-of-proof-for-greek-bible-mushrooms/#Three-Distinct-Families-of-Mushroom-Shapes
o Hyperlinked all subsections from TOC. Removed “Section #:” prefixes.
o Condensed the set of critical section headings about the 3 levels of evidence, to pop the key words:
Literal Depictions
Stylized Depictions
Depictions of Effects

November 27, 2020
o Added “six types of evidence”, short summary in the TOC at top, and near top of article, and I expanded the top of the section.
o The section’s been cleaned up recently.
TOC summary:
Section 3: A Spectrum of Criteria of Proof, for Identifying Mushrooms in Art or Texts
Six types of evidence: [text|art] x [literal|stylized|effects]
1. Literal depictions of mushrooms (in art & in texts)
2. Stylized depictions of mushrooms (in art & in texts)
3. Depictions of mushroom effects (in art & in texts)

November 18, 2020
o Added more content (images and analysis) to this flagship article, including high-resolution Canterbury Psalter images (hanging man, God, & banquet), legged snake poking head through branches on underside of Psilocybe cap. It is ready to read.

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast episodes

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/07/transcendent-knowledge-podcast-episodes/

December 6, 2020
o Added Episode 26, December 26, 2020 – Max Freakout, Cyberdisciple, & Jimmy

Crafting “Optimized Concept-Labels” for Reuse, with [acro]/ Keyboard Shortcuts

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/12/02/keyboard-shortcuts-key-phrases-embodying-the-egodeath-theory/

December 6, 2020
o Repurposed this entire page, to rightly emphasize firstly, creating great phrases; and only following after that, defining [acro]/keyboard shortcuts to make the great phrase rapidly usable.

Previous title of page

Keyboard Shortcuts – Key Phrases Embodying the Egodeath Theory

Key Mythemes

November 28, 2020
o Filled in some actual, good content.

December 5, 2020
o Added linked TOC.
o Larger heading for each entry.

November 28, 2020
o Filled in some actual, good content.

Previous titles

“Mythemes List“, “Mytheme List, with Decodings“
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/15/mytheme-list/

Yet another previous title: Glossary for the Egodeath Theory. (true??)

Egodeath Yahoo Group

Egodeath Yahoo Group (2001-2020)

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/10/14/egodeath-yahoo-group-ending/
December 2, 2020
o Added info about backups, uploadable HTML files obtained.

About

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/about/

November 26, 2020 – Thanksgiving Day
o Added real content.
o Added two hyperlinks for TOC, but, About page is very unstable! Need to move to separate page, maybe bottom of Summary page?
Todo: Make About page short. Move out the content.

Theory of Mythemes: Decodings, Mappings, Referents, & Breakthroughs

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/15/theory-of-mythemes/

November 28, 2020
o Filled in some actual, good content.

November 27, 2020
o Retitled from Theory of Mythemes.
o Added: What constitutes a good, complete, satisfying decoding?

Previous Titles

Theory of Mythemes
Theory of Mythemes; Decoding a Mytheme; & Mappings in a Decoding

Regulated Therapy as a False Religion, Unqualified & Dangerous Without Egodeath Theory

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/10/24/regulated-therapy-as-a-competing-false-religion/

November 19, 2020
o Added at top:
Proof that the Canterbury Psalter’s Leg-Hanging Mushroom Tree Is Psilocybe
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/19/proof-that-the-canterbury-psalters-leg-hanging-mushroom-tree-is-psilocybe/
This top-tier illuminated manuscript depicts a trip guide at a sacred-food Psilocybe banquet, and a teacher who knows the highest wisdom teaching students about how to endure Psilocybe and become spiritually enlightened, with the controlled threat of loss-of-control that causes correctly re-aligning self-control to trust in the higher controller as the actual source of thoughts.

A trip guide is a dangerous, unqualified fool or fraud unless he knows this religious wisdom.

Why Transcendent Knowledge Is of Highest Value

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/why-transcendent-knowledge-is-of-highest-value/

November 18, 2020
Finally got some real traction. Translate/invert question to “Why is being a lie (a false, contradictory ctrl agent, an imposter claimant to the throne/crown) the worst thing in the world?”
o At bottom, worked up incoming idea, then copied to top.

Catching up with Hanegraaff’s Western Esotericism

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/catching-up-with-hanegraaff/
o Added link to interesting page https://www.wouterjhanegraaff.net/about

Psychedelic Mystery Traditions (Hatsis)

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/10/31/psychedelic-mystery-traditions-hatsis/

November 13, 2020
o Improved flow around the ellipses that replaced mention of Brinckmann’s book.
o Increased attention to the “two specimens” Panofsky included with his letter to Wasson.
o Wrote up a Verdict section against Wasson.
o Differentiated the 4 contentious assertions from Allegro.

November 12, 2020
o Added Brinckmann’s book.

November 11, 2020
o Added Bibliography at bottom.

November 10, 2020
o Moved sections around.
o Added photos of Amanita-styled containers with a flat (straight edge) base.
o Added photos of Amanita specimens with a distinctive serrated base.
o At bottom, added links to Cyb’s weblog articles about Hatsis or Brown, & links to Egodeath webpages about Letcher’s Hatsis-like book Shroom.
o Some cleanup (there’s still 2 outdated 1st-pass sections, marked as such).

November 8, 2020
o Expanded.

Summary of the Egodeath theory

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/first-blog-post/

November 11, 2020
o Expanded.

Minkowski’s Block Universe

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/05/minkowskis-block-universe-computational-framework/

November 11, 2020
o Added intro summary of Egodeath theory, optimized around block universe worldlines.
o Moved history of Egodeath theory development to a dedicated article.

Valentinian Freewill Compatibilism

https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/10/29/valentinian-freewill-compatibilism/

November 9, 2020
Added descriptions of 2-level and 3-level systems near top.

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• todo

New for 2016/2020 per Brown & Brown:
A {full-height spear held by the god} separates the scene into mortal vs. immortal.

That corroborates, and adds more decoding-connections to, my 2006 main article’s assertion that:
{spear, sacrificial knife} = the mind’s cybernetic death-and-rebirth capacity

A mythology book cover (for my November 2013 tree vs. snake breakthrough) shows a painting from a kylix saucer-“cup”. The kylix (mixed-wine mushroom-wine drinking cup) shows Jason dead, coming forth from a dragon-serpent guarding the non-branching ivy “tree” with the ram’s Golden Fleece hanging on it, in the garden of the Hesperides with Athena and her owl, spear, gorgon-medusa death-head breastplate and its snake-fringe.

Brown & Brown’s book The Psychedelic Gospels adds insight, answers my question of how to interpret the full-height spear dividing the scene:
A {full-height spear held by the god} separates the scene into mortal (Jason/snake on the left) vs. immortal (Athena on the right).

{spear in side} = {wound in side}, which becomes {vulnerable opening through which death & rebirth} = the mind’s capacity for cybernetic death & rebirth.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Douris_cup_Jason_Vatican_16545.jpg “Jason being regurgitated by the snake who keeps the Golden Fleece (center, hanging on the tree); Athena stands to the right. Red-figured cup by Douris, c. 480-470 BC. From Cerveteri (Etruria)” Here’s the entire kylix.

The Entheogen Theory of Religion and Ego Death
Section: The Potential for Control Breakdown and Transformation
http://www.egodeath.com/EntheogenTheoryOfReligion.htm#_Toc177337634 —
“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.”

“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 [the uncontrollable transcendent god’s] 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.”

During a breakthrough, I have a subjective sense of connections-transformation a la Paul Thagard’s model of explanatory-framework revision. However, it requires work, to identify and specify exactly what the connection-changes are, when I sense a breakthrough. And it requires work to assess how major a “breakthrough” is.

See also:
Mytheme: {blade & harvest} = ripe for sacrifice, to gain Eternalism
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/10/mytheme-blade-harvest-mature-for-sacrifice-to-gain-eternalism/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Douris_cup_Jason_Vatican_16545.jpg “Jason being regurgitated by the snake who keeps the Golden Fleece (center, hanging on the tree); Athena stands to the right. Red-figured cup by Douris, c. 480-470 BC. From Cerveteri (Etruria)” Here’s the entire kylix.

Art Findings While Researching This Weblog Post

Similar (“new”) picture: https://classicalwisdom.com/mythology/heroes/jason-the-colchis-days/ Jason, tree, fleece, snake winding around the tree, snake drinking from kylix cup/saucer for mixed wine. “He had to combat a sleepless dragon guarding the sacred [ram’s] golden fleece. Medea came to the rescue with a potion from distilled herbs which put the beast to rest, enabling Jason to thieve the fleece. The quest had been achieved!“

totally not Michael the Archangel spearing the dragon

First Egodeath Yahoo Group post URL, to try to find post about book with Douris art cover: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/egodeath/message/1

November 18, 2020

The mind is designed to {sacrifice} (repudiate & qualify/transform), as described by Abraham’s sacrifice of child-thinking, which didn’t exactly directly put risk to a child, but, really did put risk for ctrl stability.

I recognize the sword in the Canterbury Hanging Above Sword picture — it’s the same blade that Abraham raised over his own child-thinking!

the {instructional threat to control-stability} that cuts down Possibilism-based thinking, wrecks it, breaks it, in order to drive creating new mental model incl revising BUT retaining the old mental model to stay usable, qualified as “illusion-premised”.

The mind has to grow by threatening itself, by demonstrating the vulnerability, by feeling alarmed at the vulnerability, to shift reliance from {idol} of Possibilism-thinking, to the {reality of God} ie the ever-real (albeit formery completely hidden) source of control, source of control-thoughts.

In Mithraism initiation, same as the bow-and-arrow threat that the Father does to the initiate, as practice and acting-out of the BLADE OF THE HIGHER MIND MAKING THE LOWER MIND’S STRUCTURE FAIL, for the purpose of driving a change of what the mind depends on: illusory freewill ego, or real, no-free-will/monopossibility, Source of Thoughts? The Blade of Sacrifice is the Blade of Threat, the mind threatening itself to learn and teach and build up new structure and transform — that is the odd System of Sacrifice/Threat/Transformation / Theory-Modification that is innately built into the mind, the highest religion aspect. We Are Control Agents – Transcendent Knowledge is the highest value because it has to do with Who We Are ie Quasi-Autonomous Control Agents. The best, most valuable thing in the world, is the mind’s ability to “blaade-threaten” itself, to drive mental model transformation.

Which chapter in Conceptual Revolutions covers how that blade works, the one they use on piles of rock altars in all mystic religion?

It is the same blade that is used in Jesus’ side, the blade of threatening the mind’s, the blade of the mind threatening the mind’s control power, in order to learn and “force” or “drive” or cause, mental model transformation.

Teach the mind about it’s vulnerability, the pine cone on the Maenad’s (she is the initiate guy wearing woman’s garment like leader Dionysus) thyrsus “spear”, the thyrsus “spear” pine cone blade penetrates – it demonstrates control vulnerability; that is how Scientific Discovery works, discovering self-control vulnerability to force/drive/cause the creation and adoption of a new mental model of time and control that is not subject to that failure, that’s not completely at sea, that knows how to receive trust in its own hidden source, ever the source, less hidden now that it previously was. But thinking was always profoundly dependent on that source.

Proof that the Canterbury Psalter’s Leg-Hanging Mushroom Tree Is Psilocybe
https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/19/proof-that-the-canterbury-psalters-leg-hanging-mushroom-tree-is-psilocybe/ —

In the Canterbury Psalter hanging-from-mushroom image, top row: The maiden will be placed by the angel precariously on the mushroom tree above the sword of God, to “almost fall on the blade”. {blade} = Abraham/Isaac, = all other standard examples ever. 

In that article, see also the section “Blades to Transform Thinking“.

The mind is driven to transform and shift reliance from thin-air ego, to the real foundation/ source of ctrl, by the mind showing itself the threat/vulnerability, then saying “ok i get it I’ll consciously switch to what is ever (secretly) the case, that makes sense, hold off the demonstration/ showing me the opening/ vulnerability”.

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Article Link
• Article Abstract
• Book: The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity
• My Amazon Review of The Psychedelic Gospels
• Videos

Article Link

Article:
Entheogens in Christian art: Wasson, Allegro, and the Psychedelic Gospels
Jerry Brown & Julie Brown
https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/3/2/article-p142.xml
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
Volume/Issue: Volume 3: Issue 2
Pages 142–163
June 1, 2019; online pub. date: September 9, 2019

Article Abstract

Condensed excerpts

new historical evidence about Wasson’s correspondence with art historian [history artist -mh] Erwin Panofsky

analysis of entheogenic mushroom images in Christian art

controversy between Wasson and philologist John Marco Allegro

a Garden of Eden fresco in the 12th century Chapel of Plaincourault in France

a compelling financial motive for Wasson’s refusal to acknowledge that this fresco represents Amanita muscaria

Wasson’s reluctance to pursue his hypothesis regarding the entheogenic origins of religion into Christian art and artifacts

Wasson maintained that the presence of psychoactive mushrooms in the Near and Middle East ended around 1000 BCE.

Wasson’s view prevailed and stymied research on entheogens in Christianity for decades.

A new generation of 21st century researchers has documented growing evidence of A. muscaria and psilocybin-containing mushrooms in Christian art

Samorini’s typology of mushroom trees

original photographs, taken during fieldwork at churches and cathedrals throughout Europe and the Middle East, of entheogenic mushrooms in Christian art

frescoes, illuminated manuscripts, mosaics, sculptures, and stained glass windows

a psychedelic gospels theory

Critiques of this theory by:
o Art historians [Panofsky; history artists -mh]
o Ardent advocates [Irvin/Rush]
o Medieval historians [Hatsis]
o Conservative Catholics

Establishing an Interdisciplinary Committee on the Psychedelic Gospels to independently evaluate the growing body of evidence of entheogenic mushrooms in Christian art in order to resolve a controversial question regarding the possible role of entheogens in the history and origins of Christianity.”

[“role”, “history”, “origins” is good & compact, broken-out well. I often summarize as “the extent to which visionary plants were present throughout Christian history” -mh]

Book: The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity

The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity
Jerry Brown, Julie Brown
http://amzn.com/1620555026
2016

My Amazon Review of The Psychedelic Gospels

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2EHXXFVHH5UQG/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1620555026

Customer Review
Michael Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2016
[the book became available on September 24, 2016. Mine appears to be the 3rd review posted.]
Verified Purchase

The extent and meaning of psychedelics in Christianity

The Psychedelic Gospels accomplishes its stated goal, doesn’t make strategic mistakes, and brings additional evidence of mushrooms in Christian art, with intelligent, informed, broad discussion.

This book is ready for Wouter Hanegraaff to read. Hanegraaff is leading critical historical scholarship in Western esotericism, and he is calling for critical scholarship on the history of psychedelics in Western esotericism. Brown shows a Boehme woodcut with mushroom elements.

Brown provides valuable contributions to studying how religions come from psychedelics and then corporate religion tries to manage or compete against psychedelics, sometimes suppressing the very root inspiration of religion.

Brown raises the right questions about Wasson, and takes a critical, informed look at the Wasson/Allegro contention, so that’s no longer blocking research. That logjam has now been cleared.

This book is written as a travel adventure format. It is chatty and yet impressively broad and relatively well-informed on psychedelic history and latest research developments and controversies, including Irvin, Letcher, Hatsis, and Hoffman. Discusses the reception history of McKenna and Allegro, and gives balanced critical assessment of Wasson and of Allegro.

We must not let Wasson hold back any longer, research into psychedelic history within Christianity. We must not let Allegro hold back the psychedelic theory of religion.

Letcher and Hatsis have fixated on Allegro’s particular model of how to think about the mushrooms in Christianity, as if we must pick between only two, shallow explanatory-theory options, “there are no mushrooms in our own religion” vs. “secret fertility cult hiding their mushroom use in the figure of Jesus”.

Brown’s thinking doesn’t get stuck inside the over-specific John Allegro description of what mushrooms in Christianity meant in the cultural context.

Brown has contributed several useful mytheme decodings:
{bones} = nondying
{Purification of lips by ember}
A {full-height spear held by the god} separates the scene into mortal vs. immortal

Brown points to the Egodeath site for discussion of the psychedelic theory of religion. The Egodeate site has content through 2007. The Egodeath Yahoo group covers through the present.

Brown considers ahistoricity and psychedelics, but doesn’t consider the Egodeath theory as a whole. There is a paragraph about consciousness, yet no mention of loose cognitive binding and metaperception per the Egodeath theory. No mention of Heimarmene or Eternalism or freewill.

Shallow pop sike treatment of the snake as being vaguely “identified with” psychedelics — but Eve sees and rightly blames the snake for bringing her the ingesting of mushrooms.

This book adheres to the typical scope, typical focus on shallow recognition of the sheer presence of mushrooms in Christianity, or psychedelics in religion. Gives lip service to cognitive approach and cites Benny Shanon, but doesn’t mention anything like the theory of loose cognitive association binding.

Brown makes the usual comments about meditation that the Moderate psychedelics “advocates” make, equating meditation with psychedelics. But meditation or contemplation comes from psychedelics; psilocybin (not meditation) is the authority and point of reference for religion. Functionally, meditation serves as a way of avoiding psychedelics, which are too effective.

Brown’s next step after this book is to gather and assess art evidence of mushrooms in Christianity. Even before we make additional important progress there, though, it is suddenly already time to ask: given the fact of mushrooms in Christianity, what of it?

The article _Wasson and Allegro on the Tree of Knowledge as Amanita_ advises to put aside the shallow argument about a single mushroom tree, and focus research instead on the question: To what extent are psychedelics in Christianity?

But moving on to the next phase after Brown’s next project, after books in this genre have piled up, and after piling up more than enough evidence of the sheer presence of psychedelics in all of our religions, then what? Brown doesn’t reach that far. Given that there are plentiful mushrooms in Christianity, what of it? Given that there are plentiful psychedelics throughout religion, what of it?

The Egodeath theory explains that once the esoteric psychedelic tradition is reinvigorated, this will lead to an eager and fearful uncovering and revelation, which delivers salvation and gnosis: Mushrooms in Christianity will lead to transformation from literalist ordinary-state Possibilism (possibility-branching-steering) to analogical psychedelic Eternalism (pre-existence/noncontrol; frozen spacetime block). Esoteric (inner) Christianity must be available, as well as exoteric (outer) Christianity.

Brown advocates amending the Controlled Substances Act to permit psychedelics for certain purposes, and centers where people legally ingest psychedelics under supervision. The Egodeath theory advocates full repeal of drug Prohibition back to the 1913 nonexistence of laws against psychoactives; eliminate the schedules.

Brown’s declared position on Jesus’ historicity is literalist; historicist: Brown asserts that Jesus *ingested* mushrooms, not that Jesus *means* mushrooms.

Allegro’s camp asserts that Jesus represents mushrooms.

Brown points to the Egodeath site. The Egodeath theory asserts: The Eucharist is psychoactive mushrooms, is Christ in the likeness of flesh, the only means by which the mind is transformed. The Jesus figure depicts by analogy, the experiential dynamics that result from mushrooms. Greek and Bible mythology describes transformation from Literalist Ordinary-state Possibilism to Analogical Psychedelic Eternalism.

— Michael Hoffman, the Egodeath theory
16 people found this helpful

Videos

Video: The Psychedelic Gospels: Evidence of Entheogens in Christian Art
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5za6sQb-pIE

Video: THE GREAT HOLY MUSHROOM DEBATE – Hatsis vs. Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIUmR7o6RGg&t=120s

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Innate Design of the Mind
• Durability
• Honesty & Integrity
• Tradition

_{Note: To annoy Cyberdisciple, retitle this page as “Benefits of Transcendent Knowledge”.}

Innate Design of the Mind

The mind has a design such that exposure to loosecog causes transformation of the mental worldmodel from possibilism to eternalism.

Durability

Enables Cognitive Scientists to Use and Explore the Loose Cognitive State

There’s no way to get to Loosecog Land without going through the Egodeath theory, I am the narrow gate; analogical psychedelic eternalism.

Honesty & Integrity

The most valuable thing in the world is Transcendent Knowledge, because having Transcendent Knowledge makes you self-harmonious as a control-agent.

Why is knowledge of God’s power inside of one’s mind the most interesting and valuable thing in the world?

The goal of Transcendent Knowledge or gnosis is not “how to avoid self-control seizure”, but rather, how to understand and make use of the transformative dynamics involved in seeing this potential of the mind, being attracted and drawn toward it, to touch it, engage with it, know it, and become familiar with it —

this most transcendent and sacred potential of the mind, the potential of the personal self-control system to be brought to transcend itself, producing transformation of the mental model of self, time, possibility, and control — to {know and fear God}.

Why is being self-harmonious more valuable than anything else in the world?

Transcendent Knowledge is deepest, innermost self-knowledge, about what we are as control-agents.

What’s so bad about being a childish irrational self-battling chaos-enslaved demon-possessed control agent who worships idols of [control-based-on-thin-air causing no end of trouble] and is bedeviled by battling himself?

The most valuable thing in the world is Transcendent Knowledge, because it’s not self-battling.

The most valuable thing in the world is Transcendent Knowledge, because it’s being self-coherent as a control-agent.

The most valuable thing in the world is coherent self-control agency, because ___.

The most valuable thing in the world is non-contradictory self-control agency, because ___.

non self-battling.

I felt in 1986 that the most important thing in the world was to become non-self-contradictory; to gain control-integrity;

hell was, lacking self-integrity; hell was, contradicting and fighting against myself, battling against myself.

The most valuable thing in the world is Transcendent Knowledge, because ___.

Translate/invert question to:

Why is being a lie (a false, contradictory control-agent, an imposter claimant to the throne/crown) the worst thing in the world?

Why is usurping God’s throne the worst thing in the world, and becoming a God-compliant king the highest value in the world?

What’s so bad about usurping God’s throne and having no self-integrity, being in a state of deep animal-like dis-integrity?

Why is it more important than anything else, to stop lying to yourself about what you are? (egoic-premised ctrl agent)

Above all, stop sinning, stop lacking all coherence/integrity; stop contradicting yourself; stop being in a state of self-contradiction.

That’s the most important valuable thing.

Why is having integrity about being a control agent, more valuable than anything else?

Why is the most valuable thing of all, to stop being a lie? (a false-premised control agent).

Why is stopping being a lie built on a fiction, more valuable than anything else? That’s what the question amounts to.

Variation: Why is living a lie, worst than anything else?

Why is fundamental integrity worth anything at all?

Why have integrity about your basic nature as a control agent?

In Western Civilization and world religion, people have agreed that the highest value is metaphysical enlightenment, transforming the mental worldmodel from Possibilism to Eternalism.

Were they correct?

How is their position justified?

I articulated the question in Egodeath Yahoo Group posts and/or voice recordings announced in those posts, around Spring 2019.

(I have a text file of posts around 2018-2019.)

The most intense ultimate climactic peak experience is switching from Possibilism to Eternalism upon sacrificing the claim to autonomous control power.

Our ancestors held Transcendent Knowledge as of highest value, so we should too.

Our ancestors had values which proved to lead to survival, including an effective type of sacrifice upon seeing and experiencing high truth.

Like Abraham’s sacrificing the bush-caught ram in place of his son, through which he had many descendents.

Truth is better than illusion and falsehood.

Being able to withstand the altered state means the mind is more powerful and durable.

The highest, most developed state of mental development must include burning away transient, mortal aspects, leaving the most durable, integrated mental system.

Reference Ken Wilber’s developmental stages trajectory.

The mind has an inbuilt desire for this altered-state initiation self-transcendence, religious overcoming and maturation.

Tradition

The potential and ability of the mind to experience loose cognition and transform the mental model of time and control is, and has been considered, essential to high civilization and culture.

To make sense of Western religious history requires the Egodeath theory; analogical psychedelic eternalism.

November 18, 2020

Highest Conceptual Revolution = highest Science field = blade of threat & sacrifice/repudiation upon grasping the threat and false illusion and change to a Real basis for control.

In Mithraism initiation, same as the bow-and-arrow threat that the Father does to the initiate, as practice and acting-out of the BLADE OF THE HIGHER MIND MAKING THE LOWER MIND’S STRUCTURE FAIL, for the purpose of driving a change of what the mind depends on: illusory freewill ego, or real, no-free-will/monopossibility, Source of Thoughts?

The Blade of Sacrifice is the Blade of Threat, the mind threatening itself to learn and teach and build up new structure and transform —

that is the odd System of Sacrifice/Threat/Transformation / Theory-Modification that is innately built into the mind, the highest religion aspect. We Are Control Agents –

therefore; leading to the point about Ultimate Valuation:

Transcendent Knowledge is the highest value because it has to do with Who We Are ie Quasi-Autonomous Control Agents.

The best, most valuable thing in the world, is the mind’s ability to “blaade-threaten” itself, to drive mental model transformation.

Why is that a good thing, for the control agent to have a true, loose-cog-state durable , model of how control actually works (what we think is our very being, Control Agency) .

Else we live on a basis of a lie, the lie of personal self control Autonomy , has no intellectual integrity.

The child, the animal, Lacks Intellectual Integrity, but is Living a Lie.

That’s why Transcendent Knowledge is the highest value; the hanging initiate made to threaten himself, as part of mental Correction/{scourging] (Pompeii Villa of the Mysteri); {corrective scourging, the threatening angel’s sword}.

It is BAD to live life as a PERISHABLE LIE based on IDOL WORSHIP of thin air making FALSE CLAIMS to kingly autonomy.

The MOST VALUABLE THING IN THE WORLD is the scourge/threat/blade of correction to drive out the bedevilling false thinking.

Why is True thinking better than False?

Because this concerns thinking re: our very core idea of who we think we are, Control Agents.

My whole existence is, I’m a Control Agent — but, that concept is based on thin air, a complete idol-fantasy, you are above all, A LIE.

The highest value is STOP BEING A LIE.

Why is the most valuable thing of all, to stop being a lie?

Why is knowledge of God’s power inside of one’s mind the most interesting and valuable thing in the world?

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Book Info
• My Book Review

Book Info

The Unfolding Self: Varieties of Transformative Experience
Ralph Metzner, 2010 (1986 Ed.: Opening to Inner Light).
http://amzn.com/098183180X

My Book Review

My review at Amazon, Oct. 28, 2005:

5 stars of 5
Metaphors describing dissociative-state experiencing

This book is an organized inventory of the various metaphors that have been used to describe the phenomena encountered in the mystic dissociative state. Dissociative psychoactives are mentioned in an integrated manner throughout the book.

This is a revised edition of Opening to Inner Light: The Transformation of Human Nature and Consciousness. Benny Shanon’s book Antipodes of the Mind is a good companion volume similarly explaining dissociative-state cognitive phenomenology as the origin of mythic metaphor.
20 people found this helpful

My November 2020 comment on that review:

I want to dig out this book and read it more thoroughly.  I ended up with both editions in my personal library.

I still recall Metzner’s book being outstanding as a survey of mythemes — religious mythology elements that describe by analogy, cognitive phenomenology.  I don’t know of another book that hits this target so squarely: an inventory of religious mythemes describing the altered state, just as in the 2nd half of my Egodeath theory research.

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• todo

The Psychedelics Integration Handbook
Ryan Westrum, Jay Dufrechou
January 2019
http://amzn.com/173387660X
Look inside

Skimming the Integration handbook made me want to reread Metzner’s book The Unfolding Self: Varieties of Transformative Experience. https://egodeaththeory.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/varieties-of-transformative-experience-metzner/

Some Table of Contents entries and commentary. The ToC entries are for you to project onto them what you’d ideally expect them to cover; imagine high, keep expectations low.

Psychedelics Come to Western Culture 57 — the first time psychedelics arrived in Western culture was 1943. Never mind 800 B.C.-1942 A.D. Bow down in worship to mythmakers Hofmann, Huxley, & Wasson; ignore Jan Irvin’s article series “The Secret History of Magic Mushrooms” https://logosmedia.com/SecretHistoryMagicMushroomsProject.

Surrendering Mindset 118

Maps of Consciousness: World Mythologies 211 – Campbell, Star Wars, the Matrix, Heroic Journey – Jan Irvin wrote skeptically against that Heroic Journey mythmaking as social engineering. Irvin is cynical & skeptical about the pushing, the motivation for promoting this “hero’s journey propaganda”. Scorched-earth rejecting the entire ‘entheogen’ concept & narrative implies rejecting the hero’s journey narrative.

“The facilitator [trip guide] shared teachings about [Norse Mythology] before the medicine journey. During the meditation experience, she offered guided imagery as a prompt and map for a journey of awareness and insight. [& battle of demonic mythic terror & panic? gotta get your money’s worth, like in Philip K. Dick’s Total Recall.] Norse mythology envisions a world tree (the Ash tree, Yggdrasill) on which the gods … travel. The image of a tree with limbs branching above … seems to resonate deeply within many of us.”

Bottom of p. 211: “Jason and the Argonauts, and Lord of the Rings. In The Rebirth of the Hero: Mythology as a Guide to Spiritual Transformation, Keiron LeGrice uses many popular films…”

p. 212: list of films’ heroic journey features:

• “A call to adventure.
• Refusing the call – the hero at first does not want to face what they must do.
• Circumstances of fate pulling the hero into the journey.
• Meeting strange characters, some trustworthy, some betraying, and often some animal familiars.
• A time of confusion of illness (setbacks).
• The need to surrender (face failure) in order to “cross the final threshold”.
• Finding the treasure and bringing it home, not just for you but also for everyone.”

I could force my October 1985-January 1988 high adventure into this mold, for a strict scientific modern version of transcendence.

I could by force, map the Hero’s Journey to my 1985-1996 journey. Although I formulated the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence in 1988, around 1996, I mentally profoundly relaxed and then remembered and re-saw the threat and bowed trembling ecstatic, recognizing the freewill power still haunting and bedevilling my thinking, formally recognizing fully that freewill-thinking habit, and thus being able finally to fully renounce that mental pollution, with vision of control-loss vulnerability, and of vicarious salvific crucifixion sacrifice of Mr. Historical Jesus, in a present, Christoform mental space, met up in the air.

Or I could by force, map the Hero’s Journey to my 1985-2013, to attain proper full understanding of archaic mythemes (tree vs. snake), rediscovered in the late-modern era from within a culture that largely lost and forgot its mythology language tradition.

____________

How to Distinguish Between Spiritual Emergence and Psychosis – This section cites Grof again. And Agosin’s article “Mysticism and Psychosis”: see p. 221, a list of key cognitive phenomenology. See bottom of p. 222-223, list of differences between the two. Ken Wilber similarly writes about failure of transcendence vs. “preserve and transcend” a mental structure. “Integration” book continues, p. 225: “The distinction between mysticism and psychosis is definitely not either/or.”

____________

Chapter 9: The Shadow Side

Why Do We Talk About Shadow with Psychedelics?

Collective Shadow

The History of Psychedelics and Shadow – 800 B.C.? No, History begins in 1943.

Now Your Turn – “The little doll is you, yeah, And when it’s your time, I wonder how you’ll do, Your kind of trouble’s running deeper than the sea“

Cultural Shadow and the Psychedelic Renaissance – the entire chapter appears to attribute “the shadow” to external, societal fears, not that there’s something lurking hidden in the mind, some hidden dragon destined to disempower the core of personal control. author is so far off-base, he is groping in the dark. Fails to leverage thousands of years of religious mythology describing the threat and resolving it. Mentions chapter 4: Bad trips.

What Underlies the Negative Cultural Projections into Psychedelics?

The Other Side of Shadow

Encountering Manifestations of Archetypal Shadow

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• todo

Article:
Alan Moore’s Promethea: Countercultural Gnosis and the End of the World
Wouter Hanegraaff, 2016
https://www.academia.edu/28890953/Alan_Moores_Promethea_Countercultural_Gnosis_and_the_End_of_the_World_2016_

Promethea, by Alan Moore – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promethea —

“Promethea is a comic book series created by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III and Mick Gray, published by America’s Best Comics/WildStorm.

“It tells the story of Sophie Bangs, a college student from an alternate futuristic New York City in 1999, who embodies the powerful entity known as Promethea whose task it is to bring the Apocalypse.

“Originally published as 32 issues from 1999 to 2005, the series has been re-published into five graphic novels and one hard-back issue. Moore weaves in elements of magic and mysticism along with superhero mythology and action, spirituality and the afterlife (in particular the Tree of Life) and science-fiction. Promethea includes wide-ranging experimentation with visual styles and art.”

“cyber disciple” YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVrwl3M_yZw9p3V4B2km23A/videos

Cyb’s WordPress page about Prometheus 29 – https://cyberdisciple.wordpress.com/2020/09/20/promethea-29-reading-and-commentary-videos/

Cyb’s WordPress page about Prometheus 28 – https://cyberdisciple.wordpress.com/2020/07/05/promethea-28-reading-and-commentary-videos/

YouTube Playlist for all these videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRbxjVUeSE2WkpgKtPCtP4afdTaOBOjDQ

Cyberdisciple reads and comments on Promethea #28 by Moore and Williams III.

Commentary focused on how the words and images contribute to provoking apocalyptic change in the reader.

Commentary informed by the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence by Michael Hoffman. https://cyberdisciple.wordpress.com

Promethea – Reading and Commentary by cyberdisciple

Promethea 29

Promethea 29, part 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN4XAY-bn4o

Promethea 29, part 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZtD4Wgbupc

Promethea 29, part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIs_hLBC7bA

Promethea 29, part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldiebRLWk5A

Promethea 29, part 1: Introduction and Cover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRfeWvk8OPQ

Promethea 28

Promethea 28, part 4 (coda)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HbUySTZuLQ

Topics include:

• Use of photorealism to portray shift from drawn comic world to state of higher perceptions

Promethea 28, part 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMj67EYRzKc

Topics include:

• Confluence of author, characters, and readers
• Multiple, converging analogies for control source injecting thoughts into mind: wand in cup, swizzle stick in glass, sex, music
• Ritual
• Premonition
• The egoic construct as pre-programmed killing machine

Promethea 28, part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epeimq2bk1o

Topics include:

• Collage art
• Book of life / memory
• Flat comic and representationalism of self and mental constructs
• Comic book addressing readers, pulling them in
• Convergence of end of comic publishing line and apocalypse
• Betrayal, revelation
• The egoic construct as pre-programmed killing machine
• Imagination of altered state over dreariness of ordinary egoic state

Promethea 28, part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5mavefK5V8

Topics include:

• Collage art
• Perceptual change
• Disruption of comic book itself by Promethea
• Transition from flatworld to multi-dimensional world

Promethea 28, part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLRtAslkBB4

Cyberdisciple reads and comments on Promethea #28 by Moore and Williams III.

Commentary focused on how the words and images contribute to provoking apocalyptic change in the reader.

Commentary informed by the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence by Michael Hoffman. https://cyberdisciple.wordpress.com

Topics include:

• Collage art
• Time perception changing
• Holiness of all things
• 9/11/01 and the Apocalypse
• Disruption of normal comic frames
• Consciousness of ordinary humans affected by presence of Promethea, embodiment of imagination.
• Meta commentary

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• Book Link

Book Link

The Son Conceived in Drunkenness: Magical Plants in the World of the Greek Hero
Carl Ruck, December 2017
http://amzn.com/1587904241

Publisher’s description:

“An essential aspect of the traditional stories or myths about the Greek heroes has been intentionally overlooked in the study of Classical literature and religion, specifically, the pivotal role accorded to magical plants and religious sacraments derived from psychoactive botanical and venomous animal sources, serpents, reptiles, and the like. The Son Conceived in Drunkenness remedies this oversight.

“Toward the end of the great expansion of consciousness now known as the Psychedelic Revolution of the 60s and 70s, Dr. Ruck proposed a new word for such mind-altering substances to free them from the implications of irreverent recreational abuse and the irresponsible marketplace of New Age pseudo-scientific theologies. This word is entheogen, a substance that allows the deity to reside within the human. The most direct mode of access is the simple ingestion or other method of application of the sacrament so that the entheogen forms the mediating pathway between the human and the divine.

“Ultimately, this magical club that is the hero’s weapon of choice will emerge as the rod of Asklepios, wielded by the modern profession of medicine in the battle waged with drugs and toxins on the frontier of the battle between life and death.”

_{Site Map}

Contents:

• {italic} = bold
• Examples
• Ruck’s Notation
• My 1987 Acronym Approach Accelerated My Writing-Thinking, Leading to the 1988 Breakthrough

{italic} = bold

bold – direct, modern, scientific, relatively non-metaphorical words

italic – analogy, metaphor, poetic, descriptive, comparative, indirect, simile words; mythemes.

Examples

Is book knowledge of the Egodeath theory sufficient qualification to be a hierophant, or must an authorized hierophant have personally undergone the control–{battle} with the worldline {dragon} in the {rock} block universe?

Ruck’s Notation

Carl Ruck smartly does similar in his book on mythology.
The World of Classical Myth: Gods and Goddesses, Heroines and Heroes
https://amzn.com/0890895759

My 1987 Acronym Approach Accelerated My Writing-Thinking, Leading to the 1988 Breakthrough

My April 1987 Creation of an Acronym and Concept-Label Approach Accelerated Writing-Thinking, to Quickly Discover and Create the Cybernetic Theory of Ego Transcendence

I invented a format convention somewhat similar to Ruck, starting suddenly in April 1987 when I vigorously reset my idea-development approach and made an innovative approach to using pencil and paper.

My father was dying then, and I was studying Relativity & Quantum Physics & nth-semester Calculus.

My attempts at gaining posi-control, an expected transcendent level of self-control across time, were not clearly working, after Oct. 1985-April 1985 intensive attempts.

I felt I was onto something, and had to become more effective and analytical with better technology. I felt an intense mental capability, with on-demand flights of intellectual progress in any 2-hour session of trying to make progress on The Problem.

I got rid of my conventional blank book notebooks (about 6″x8″) that used a series of regular sentences.

I switched to expansive 8.5″x11″ ruled sheets in binders, and started using acronyms defined in square brackets, like:

loose cognitive association matrix [LCAM]

1988 example:
Transcendent Construct Processing/Realize Intention Set [TCP/RIS]