Through the Looking Glass

 

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, it means just what I choose it to mean… neither more nor less.'

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

They've a temper, some of them. Particularly verbs. Oh, they're the proudest! 

Adjectives, eh, you can do anything with... but not verbs however.”

- Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass

Having now fully transitioned into a post-truth, post-conspiracy age, it is useful to take a moment to examine a much-overused trope of the last decade, one that none-the-less helped shape our Brave Noö World. We all have our favorite meme-complex mind-virus of consequence… but this blogger would submit for your consideration, the memetically-charged phrase: “Down the Rabbit Hole.”

In the 1999 science fiction, action film: The Matrix... a black-clad computer hacker known as Neo falls asleep in front of his computer. He is roused from his slumber when a mysterious message appears on the screen: “Wake up, Neo.” To his amazement, his hacked computer warns: “the Matrix has you” concluding with the cryptic message: “follow the White Rabbit.”

This reference to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland becomes a recurring theme in the Matrix. When our hero Neo meets the archetypical Wiseman: Morpheus… he poses the film's pivotal question to Neo: 

“I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?”

 

Morpheus proceeds to offer Neo a chance to wake up from the illusion that is the Matrix: 

“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill… the story ends… you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill… you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.”

This encounter between characters in a film, denotes the turning of a dark corner in the very real world of contemporary high strangeness. This was the moment when “going down the rabbit hole” entered the lexicon of the fringe. No longer did this reference conjure the whimsical world of Carroll’s Alice… at the dawn of the new millennium, the term “Rabbit Hole”  was now evocative of computer surveillance and dystopian thought control. It was now synonymous with an emerging networked, global conspiracy. How deep the rabbit hole went, was indicative of how far the conspiracy reached.

Arguably, the “Rabbit Hole” metaphor was not only adopted with conspiratorial zeal by Alt-Right factions… it was also adopted with great enthusiasm by the “Legacy Media” in their attempts call-out the Alt-Right’s disinformation. The irony here is obvious. By now, the term “rabbit hole” is a vernacular included in most westerner’s vocabulary, referencing their particular run-in with high strangeness.

So the rabbit hole is a portal to Fortean adventures of all stripes. It transports the observer to a netherworld of suspicion and doubt. However… as those great mystics of quantum mechanics have taught us… one cannot separate the observer from the observed. In light of this profound, magical revelation, this blogger proposes a more-accurate metaphor from the world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice.

Fittingly, the sequel to Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was titled: Through the Looking-Glass (and What Alice Found There). As the scholarly reader undoubtedly knows, in book two, Alice again enters the fantastical world of wonderland, by climbing through a magic mirror into the alt-reality that awaits beyond. Carroll’s use of the mirror metaphor invites the reader to partake in its magical power… reflection.

The surface of any mirror, reflects the observer and their surroundings, allowing for self-observation and/or self-reflection. This is an important function that allows us to perform our morning toiletry ritual. It assures us of how we are to be perceived by others out in the real world… it reveals our surface appearance.

Carrol’s story invites us to go deeper… pass through the surface reflection… to examine what lay beyond. Having looked deeper, Alice finds herself in wonderland… where, just like a mirror’s reflection, everything is reversed, including logic. This is the realm of the psychonaut. This is the deeper reflection of the self… of the soul.

In my youthful, experimental days of psychedelic reflection, it was common wisdom not to look in the mirror, while peaking. “Don’t look in the mirror man, you’ll get trapped!” In this regard, say, at a Grateful Dead show for example… trips (while tripping) to the bathroom were always a dangerous excursion. One might get caught in the mirror, and miss the second set! Such were my early explorations of wonderland.

These early experiences did reflect an important lesson… a crucial wisdom. Like Alice… going deeper… beyond the surfacy reflection of the mundane… is a proposition that is not to be taken lightly. Passing through the looking glass… delving beyond the surface of one’s inner wonderland… is the beginning of deeper self-reflection. It is a journey that this blogger would suggest we all must take.

In Jungian terms, this initiation is the beginning of the individuation process, where we begin our inner healing and come to terms with our own shadow. This work is not a walk in the park. Wonderland can be a scary place. The journey to individuation, the process of integrating the shadow, is fraught with peril.

Upon undertaking such a journey, the intrepid psychonaut will inevitably reach a crossroad of emergent, intensifying, self-doubt. This moment/place in time… this “Dark Night of the Soul” is known by many names in spiritual systems of all cultures. In my neck of the woods, it is known as Chapel Perilous. The brave souls who pass through the looking glass, must also eventually pass through the chapel.

In this day and age of post-truth and post-conspiracy, such self-reflection becomes the more-appropriate metaphor of our time. If we as a people are to escape the morass of divisiveness and polarization of the times we live in… we must go beyond the surface of the mirror to discover the secret of wonderland.

What secret, you ask? The simple truth, taught by all spiritual systems of all cultures… that we are all one. When we look into the mirror, we see ourselves. Likewise, when we look into the eyes of another, we see only ourselves. The foibles we percieve in others, reflect aspects our ourselves... aspects we often find to be uncomfortable. This becomes the metaphor of our age… we are all “in this” together. We are all one.

Just as Neo woke up to the cryptic message: “follow the white rabbit”…the message of going “down the rabbit hole” was an important wake-up call for us all. However, we must not dwell on the wake-up call. Once awake, the task becomes summoning the courage to travel through the looking glass. Self-reflection is the secret power of the looking glass. It is the path beyond conspiracy and imposed separation. 

To travel “Through the Looking Glass” is the essential metaphor of our time.

In closing... this blogger leaves you with one final, bonus secret. This is perhaps the greatest secret of them all... hidden from all, except those who are prepared to travel through the looking glass... and that secret is: "God Seems to be a Verb."

Don’t believe me? Go ask Alice...

The Music Never Stopped

 There's mosquitoes on the river... Fish are rising up like birds...

People joining hand in hand...

While the music played the band... 

Lord!

They're setting us on fire!

And they kept on dancing!

tip o' the hat to Gordon White, for drawing my attention to this video...

Infamous Anniversary

 

Much has transpired since January the sixth, 2021. One year ago, we reported on the Great Robber Baron/Trickster King’s last, desperate gambit to remain in power. Having exhausted all other options, the Notorious DJT unleashed a mob of loyal supporters on the U S Capitol Building, in a reckless and violent attempt to disrupt the electoral vote count that would formalize Joe Biden’s victory.

To have an outgoing President attempt to thwart the peaceful transfer of power to a duly elected successor, would/should normally trigger a three-alarm wakeup call that something deeply nefarious is a-foot… but these are not normal times. Remarkably, the clarion call that did sound, was ignored by a large segment of the general population. Here, on the one year anniversary of that day of infamy, is the strange-but-true outcome…

To date, one third of the American public realizes and recognizes that election day took place on November the third, with a violent insurrection taking place on January the sixth. One third of the Amerikan public is confident that the insurrection occurred on November third, and a patriotic protest took place on January the sixth. While one third of Americans are no longer sure what the hell took place. Yes, dear reader… it has come to this.

So how did (at least) two separate realities take simultaneous hold, in these once United States? The simple, yet profoundly disturbing and ill-omened answer is this… January the sixth, 2021 was an indicator event, illustrating the pervasive success of (at least) two, factionally driven, MindF#@k! Operations. These two insidious operations have infiltrated and mesmerized large portions of the American public. The subsequent twelve months have essentially proven this disturbing proposition to be true… or “truthy” if you prefer.

Since January the sixth, we have witnessed the consolidation of power and persuasion of these two factions… as orchestrated by the perpetrators of two competing, well organized and well financed psychological operation campaigns. These psy-ops have been in play since at least 2015… at first quietly, then loudly, and finally outrageously… gaining momentum.

One psy-op, or Operation MindF#@K! (OM!) as we like to refer to them… seeks a return to the status quo and a (perceived) sense of political normalcy. This is in response to the Notorious DJT’s successful demonstration of, not only his own apparent grift… but of just how dysfunctional political systems have become. The perpetrators of this OM! seek to stabilize the prevailing, bureaucratic orthodoxy that has served them so well since (at least) WWII.

The other OM! seems hell-bent on replacing our representative, democratic-republic form of government, with autocratic rule, as the perpetrators see no other viable path forward for remaining in power. Changing demographics spell doom for their grip on power… unless they act decisively to disenfranchise these evolving, and more diverse communities.

Two-thirds of our citizenry have accepted one or the other of these two cabal’s OM! as fact… as an actual representation of reality. We hereby identify these two extreme, competing factions as: America vs Amerika. The America faction hobbled-together a resistance movement that would hold together long enough to evict DJT from the Whitehouse. In response, the Amerika faction rallied around a “stop the steal” campaign, resulting in the indicator event of January the sixth.

This leaves one third of the population scratching their heads in perplexation. The middle third of the American populous might be identified as: America? It is quite likely that the middle third, or the America? faction considers both extreme factions, to be batshit crazy. So it is in the spirt of tolerance… in the spirit of  “walking a mile in another’s shoes” …in the spirit of open mindedness, that we propose the following thought experiment.

Thought Experiment # 2

If you are a member of the America faction, try to understand the misgivings and suspicions of the Amerika faction. Try to consider where facets of their argument might be true. For example, Amerikans are concerned that that their way of life is slipping away from them. This is true. The changes in demographics are trending toward a more diverse population. Automation continues to absorb jobs that once were performed by people. These changes are coming, regardless of ideology.

If you are a member of the Amerika faction, try to understand how belief in QAnon and a sinister pedophile deep-state cabal might sound crazy to the America faction. Try to consider where facets of their argument might be true. For example, Americans consider the allegations of mass voter fraud in the 2020 elections to be, not only false, but thoroughly proven false by the 80 or more failed lawsuits that were consistently struck down by judges (many appointed by DJT) across the land. This is true. The 2020 election has been scrutinized by the Right, including the likes of the cyber-ninjas, and found to be secure.

If you are an Amerikan, not all of your friends across the aisle are “sheeple” or “snowflakes.” If you are an American, not all of your friends across the aisle are “crazy paranoids” or “deceived dupes.” Sure, some are… in both cases… but there are always a few wingnuts in any cabal. The majority of folks in both camps want to live cohesively with their neighbors. It is important to remember that the perpetrators who wish to divide us... are not most folks.

Those perpetrators who orchestrated the two, pervasive MindF#@K! Operations do not have our best interests at heart. The perpetrators, both autocratic and bureaucratic, both Amerikan and American, likely serve the same master. Even though the Notorious DJT was advertised as a champion against the deep-state… even though his resistance was advertised as a return to liberty… both factions have a dark side. Both, each in their own fashion, seek to preserve the predator/dominator paradigm.

But not is all doom and gloom, here in the broken promise land. There is a large and growing segment of the U S population… likely from the America? faction… who are wise to the OM! of the perpetrators, Right and Left. This growing segment of the population sees the predator/dominator paradigm for what it is… oppressive exploitation. And they are withdrawing their support of such, in droves.

The legacy press has labeled this phenomenon as: The Great Resignation.  As we speak, there is a movement… an exodus away from slave-wage jobs, across the country. Increasingly, people see through the OM!, both Right and Left, and are quitting their 9 to 5 existence, for something more meaningful… for a shot at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness… as advertised by the founding fathers.

As we move forward… it will be extremely interesting to see what these newly emancipated slave-wagers are going to do with all their free time… Stay Tuned!

"You have a Republic, if you can keep it."

- Benjamin Franklin

Tek-Gnostics Précis 2021

 

2021 is in the books, for better or for ill. The year’s end… in my neck of the woods… was one of celebration, reflection and thanksgiving. Winter weather blew in, blanketing mountains and valleys alike, in freshly fallen snow. The frosted conifers and glistening landscape gives the impression of a pristine countryside… a Whoville backdrop untouched by the Grinchy reality, hidden under the snow.

 

Likewise, the new year holds the eternal promise of better times to come. 2022 is a sparkly nexus of potential, where we could set divisiveness and unkindness aside… if we could but muster the courage and wisdom to do so. Looking back at 2021… there is plenty for us to learn from… plenty to leave behind.

Reexamining what was chronicled herein, 2021 revealed the dangerous opportunity of the times we live in…

The aftermath of all that had transpired in 2020 was reflected in the first couple of months of this weblog. Dominated by Pandemic, Partisan Politics, and Paradigm-Pulverizing Paranoia… the first quarter’s posts  of 2021 grappled with the realization that the prevailing High Strangeness of 2020 was not an anomaly. Rather, the high and the strange was likely the new state of affairs. Information silos and Q tomfoolery insured a permanent splintering of socio-political consensus.

“To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.”

- Timothy Snyder

What became clear, was how effective and complete the relentless propagandizing had become. Each faction chose to believe their preferred propaganda… their own Personality Cult… over such unfashionable metrics as science and civic responsibility. Each reality tunnel became a gospel… the gospel. Each faction adopted their form of magical thinking, to help them navigate the Brave Noö World.

As spring flowed into summer, Tek-Gnostics took up the impossible cause of striking Blows Against the EMPIRE…  that institution, that codification of derangement. The aim was to further reveal and resist the demiurgic, predator/dominator institution of thought control. This, of course, is a fools errand… for as we all know…

“To fight the Empire is to be infected by its derangement. This is a paradox: whoever defeats a segment of the Empire becomes the Empire; it proliferates like a virus, imposing its form on its enemies. Thereby it becomes its enemies.”

- PKD

In so engaging, the Tek-Gnostics stratagem was (is) to employ the good ole’ Operation MindF#@K! Again, as the savvy reader knows, OM! was (is) originally a Discordian prank/mind bomb… a mechanism of what Robert Anton Wilson described as a Guerrilla Ontology. If we were going to enter the fray, we should at least find a little entertainment value, in our efforts.

Recognizing and enjoying a good old fashioned paradox… we went so far as to outline our own magical thinking protocols, as part of our tactical strategy. As the year wound down, we posted on topics that included environmental calamity, the corporate space race and rise of the “Great Houses,” the post-truth paradigm, and other cultural curiosities. 

Moving into 2022, it appears that you will be blessed/cursed with more of the same shenanigans, not only from the Tek-Gnostics team, but from that rascally, demiurgic, predator/dominator paradigm as well. Buckle up dear intrepid reader, and as we are prone to remind you… Stay Tuned! ...for it is only going to get weirder from here on out!

  

Jan 15th... State of Play – Magical Thinking

Feb 19th... Blows Against the EMPIRE

May 22nd... Truthiness - a post-truth paradigm

July 12th... 21st Century Space Race – Dawn of the Great Houses

August 14th... Isn't it Queer?

Sept 3rd... The Shadow Docket

Oct 16th... Archonic Update – the Pandora Papers

Nov 19th... The Glasgow Effect

Have a wonderful Noö Year, and remember… Reality is what you can get away with! Cheers! - J ♥