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PROMETHEUS
RISING

OTHE R TITLE S FRO M NE W FALCO
N PUBLICATION
S
Undoing Yourself With Energized Meditation
Secrets of Western Tantra
Christophe r S. Hyatt , Ph.D.
The Enochian World of
Aleister
Crowley
Aleiste r Crowley , L.M. DuQuette , and C.S. Hyatt
Pacts With The Devil
Urban Voodoo
S. Jason Black & Christopher . S. Hyatt , Ph.D.
Eight Lectures on Yoga
The Heart of the Master
Aleiste r Crowle y
Game of Life
The Intelligence Agents
Timoth y Leary , Ph.D .
Zen Without Zen Masters
Camde n Benare s
The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic
What You Should Know About the Golden Dawn
Israel Regardi e
Metaskills: The Spiritual Art of Therapy
Amy Mindell , Ph.D.
Astrology & Consciousness
Rio Olesk y
Breaking the Illusion: Tools for Self-Awakening
Ric Weinma n
Conversations With My Dark Side
Shanti
Ananda
Soul Magic: Understanding Your Journey
Katherin e Torres , Ph.D.
The Alchemy of
Opposites
Rodolf o Scarfallot o
A
Soul's
Journey: Whispers From the Light
Patrici a

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Idol
The Eyes of the Sun: Astrology in Light of Psychology
Peter
Malsi n
And to get your free catalog of all of our titles, write to:
NEW FALCO N PUBLICATION S (Catalo g Dept.)
1739 East Broadway Road, Suite 1-277
Tempe , Arizona 85282 U.S.A.
And visit our website at http://www.newfalcon.co m

PROMETHEUS
RISING
Robert Anton Wilson
Introduced by
Israel Regardi e
NE W FALCO N PUBLICATION
S
TEMPE , ARIZON A U.S.A .

COPYRIGH
T © 198 3 ROBER T ANTO N WILSO N
All rights reserved. No part of this book, in part or in whole , may be
reproduced, transmitted, or utilized, in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher, except for brief quotations in critical articles, books and
reviews.
International Standard Book Number: 1-56184-056-4
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 83-81665
First Edition 1983
Second Printing 1984
Third Printing 1986
Fourt h Printin g 1987
Fifth Printing 1989
Sixth Printing 1990
Sevent h Printin g 1992
Eighth Printing 1994
Ninth Printin g 1997
Second Revised Edition (Tenth Printing) 1997
Eleventh Printing 1999
Twelfth Printing 2000
Cover by Stan Slaughter
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirement s of the
American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials Z39.48-1984
Address all inquiries to:
NE W FALCO N PUBLICATION
S
1739 East Broadway Road Suite 1-277
Tempe, Arizona 85282 U.S.A.
(or)
320 East Charleston Blvd. • Suite 204-286
Las Vegas, NV
89104 U.S.A.
email: [e-mail] website: http://www.newfalcon.co m

DEDICATED

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To
Timothy Leary
&
William S. Burroughs dove sta memora

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The eight-circui t model of consciousnes s in this book and much of its
future-visio n deriv e from the writing s of Dr. Timoth y
Leary, whose letters and conversation s have also influence d many other ideas
herein . I also owe great debts to Dr. O.R.
Bontrager , for introducin g me to semantic s and communicatio n sciences
generally ; to R.
Buckministe r
Fuller, for general socio-
logical technologica l perspective s on current problems ; and to all of the
following : Barbar a Hubbard , Alan Harrington , P.M.
Esfandiary , Dr. Paul Watzlavik , Dr. Eric Berne , Dr. Paul Segall , Dr.
Israel Regardie , Alvi n Toffler , Phil Laut, Dr. Sigmun d Freud , Dr. Carl
Jung , Alan Watts , Alfre d Korzybski , and Aleiste r
Crowley . The member s of the Physics/Consciousnes s Researc h
Group (Dr. Jack
Sarfatti , Dr. Nick Herber t and Saul Paul Sirag)
have contribute d more than is indicate d by my few brief refer-
ences to quantu m theory in these pages ; they clarifie d my whole
comprehensio n of epistemology .
None of these persons are responsibl e for my mistakes or over-statements .

CONTENTS
Preface to the Second Edition
1
1
Introductio n
1
7
1.
The Thinke r & The Prover 2
3
2. Hardwar e & Software : The Brain & Its Program s 3 3
3. The Oral Bio-Surviva l Circuit 4 5
4. Th e Anal Emotiona l Territoria l Circui t 6 1
5. Dicken s & Joyce : The Two-Circui t Dialecti c 8 5
6. Th e Time-Bindin g Semanti c Circui t 9 3
7. The Time-Binding Dialectic: Acceleration & Deceleration 105
8 Th e "Moral "
Socio-Sexua l
Circui t 12 1
9. Mindwashin g & Brai n Programmin g 14
9
10. How To Brain-Was h Friend s & Robotiz e People 16 1
11.
Th e Holisti c Neurosomati c Circui t 17
7

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12. Th e Collectiv e Neurogeneti c Circui t 19 5
13. Introductio n to the Metaprogrammin g Circui t 20 7
14. Th e Meta-Programmin g Circui t 21
7
15.
Differen t Model s & Differen t Muddle s 22
7
16. Th e Snaf u Principl e 23
9
17. Quantu m Evolutio n 25
3
18. The
Non-Loca l
Quantu m Circui t 26 5
19. Prometheu s Risin g 27
1
Appendi x 28
3

PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EDITION
Screw the government !
—
Legends of the Fall
Screw the middl e class!
—
Evita
Like most of my books, this text emerge d only partly from my consciou s
design and partly from suspiciou s accidents . It actuall y began as a Ph.D.
dissertatio n called "The Evolutio n of Neuro-
Sociologica l Circuits : A Contributio n to the Sociobiolog y of
Consciousness, " which I wrote in 1978-79 for an alternativ e universit y
called Paideia. At that time, Paideia ranked as State
Approved , the highes t rating given to alternativ e universitie s in
California , where we have alternative s to everythin g and the state feels
require d to classif y the alternative s on a scale of
"experimental " to totally bonkers . Alas, Paideia, having achieved relative
respectabilit y as an "alternative, " later joined with a much more radica l
and Utopia n outfit, Hawthor n University , and lost its top rank among
counter-cultur e educationa l contraption s in California , fallin g from
Approve d to Authorized , a much lower rating . The whole megilla then joined
into severa l flake y outfits loosel y allied , none of which were recognize d
at all by the state , whic h suite d the new honcho s perfectly , sinc e the y
did not recognize the state either.
In Irelan d in 1982, stuck with a dissertatio n which I liked a lot and a
Ph.D. diploma which, due to the collapse of Paideia, looked less impressive ,
I decided to rewrite the manuscrip t in more commercia l form . The first
chang e consiste d of removin g all the footnote s (abou t two of them per
sentence ) whic h gav e the origina l a truly academi c stink but would annoy
the averag e
77

12 Prometheus Rising reader. Then I expresse d mysel f a little more bluntl y
(and perhaps snidely ) in many places , adding much to the humor and nothing
to the good taste. I also wrote a few more chapters , created all the

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exercizes , and sketche d out diagram s for the illustrations .
I then, with craft and cunning , remove d most of the reference s to Dr.
Timoth y Leary from the early parts of the book and only let his name begin to
appear frequentl y after about the middle . I
had good reason , based on experience , to feel rather strongl y that, just as
Dr. Tim was blackliste d by Establishmen t publisher s at that time, any book
openly and blatantl y based largely on his ideas would also get thrown in the
junk heap.
I though t I now had a "popular " book, and maybe I almost did. The first
publishe r to whom I submitte d it, Jeremy Tarcher , held it for a full year
of meditatio n before rejectin g it; his only explanatio n for the rejectio n
concerne d the mixtur e of technolo -
gese and "counte r culture" slang that has since become my most frequen t
style in nonfiction . (It's based on the way I actuall y speak.) When I tried
Falcon next, they accepte d it within 48
hours, and I receive d the advanc e check within the next 48 hours.
"Oh frabjou s day!"
A month later, I heard from Tarcher again: he had changed his mind and decide
d he wanted the book after all. I was in one of my periods of acute poverty
then (something that happens peri-
odically to all freelanc e writers ) and it was with great effort that I
refraine d from telling Mr. Tarche r to go fuck himself .
I just told him I had a contrac t with anothe r publisher .
With Falcon as publisher , I then inserte d the acknowledg -
ments page, giving Leary the credit he deserve d right up front, and added a
dedication to him. Falcon, as I expected, did not object. Falcon has alway s
served as an alternativ e to Establish -
ment publishing , just as Paideia once served as a similar alterna -
tive to the academi c Establishment .
Prometheus was one of Falcon' s first books and, I think, the first done with
computerize d typesetting ; as usual with such pioneerin g efforts , it emerge
d with a phalan x of typos that have embarrasse d me considerabl y over the
years. (When the San
Francisco
Chronicle first computerized they had similar prob-
lems. I remembe r one story in which the Chief of Police ,

Prometheus Rising
13
denouncin g drugs , ramble d off into a sentenc e about the thrill of meetin g
Micke y Mous e and Goofy . I assum e that line came from anothe r story but it
made the Chief sound as if he had gotten into some weird chemical s himself. )
In this edition , I have correcte d these errors , wher e I could find them ;
I know too much now to think I foun d all of them .
(Wilson' s
Tenth Law: no matte r how many times a write r proof s a book , hostil e
critic s will alway s find at least one error that he missed. )
I have also update d every place where I though t updatin g seemed necessary .
I even added a few new ideas (which , of course , seem brillian t to me just
becaus e they are new) and some new jokes and generall y gave the text a
badly-neede d face-lift . It is still one of my favorit e books , and seem s
to rank high in the estimation of most of my fans.
In Germany-Switzerland-Austri a in the late 1980s, three
Germa n version s existe d simultaneously— a delux e editio n from
Sphin x Verla g of Zurich , a mass-marke t paperbac k from Rowal t
Verlag of Hamburg , and an even cheape r pirate editio n from the busy
troglodyte s of the unterwelt.
The last, of course, paid no royaltie s but, by indicatin g that I had three
audience s at three economic levels, persuaded me feel like a very popular

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writer in
Mitteleuropa.
As I contemplat e this tenth printin g of a "far out" or "freake d out" book
that began its career back in 1978, I feel only mildl y embarrasse d by the
prediction s that prove d over-optimistic . (I
have revise d them, of course , in keepin g with my curren t knowl -
edge and best guesses) . I feel much more astonished , and pleased , that many
of the prediction s now seem much less shock -
ing than whe n I first publishe d them . Indeed , the wildes t and most
"Utopian " future-scan s in here are precisel y the ones that have had the
greates t scientifi c suppor t in the 1990s. To see two decades ahead, even in
a few areas, counts as some sort of suc-
cess in the Futuris m game. And every bulleti n from the embat-
tled
MIR
space statio n remind s me that if my space forecast s projecte d "too much
too soon," part of what I expecte d does in fact alread y exist and the rest
is obviousl y evolving .
I feel more chagrine d about my lyrica l evocatio n of Intelli -
gence Intensification . In the 1970s, I simply did not recogniz e the exten t
to which the 1960s "yout h revolution " had terrifie d

14
Prometheus Rising our rulin g Elite , or that they woul d try to preven t
futur e upsurge s of radica l Utopianis m by deliberatel y "dumbin g down "
the educationa l system . Wha t they hav e produced , the so-calle d
Generatio n X, mus t rank as not only the mos t ignoran t but also the mos t
paranoi d and depressiv e kids ever to infes t our
Repub -
lic. I agree with outlaw radio star Travis Hipp that the paranoia and
depressio n resul t inevitabl y from the ignorance . Thes e kids not only don'
t kno w anything ; they don' t eve n wan t to know.
1
They only realize , vaguely , that somebod y has screwe d them out of
something , but they don' t have enoug h zest or bile to try to find out who
screwe d them and wha t they wer e screwe d out of.
Fortunately , thi s Ag e of Stupidit y canno t las t ver y long .
Already , mos t peopl e kno w that if you wan t a goo d TV or VCR , you buy
Japanese ; for a goo d car, Japanes e or German , etc.
Eventually , in orde r to compete , the Elite will hav e to allo w a bit more
educatio n for America n youth , befor e we sink full y to the level of a Thir
d Worl d nation .
The othe r day I saw a film calle d
The Edge, whic h I regarde d as the best thin g to com e out of
Hollywoo d sinc e
The Silence of the Lambs.
Perhaps not coincidentally , this flic also starred
Anthon y Hopkins . In one scene , Hopkin s and his co-star , Alec
Baldwin , seem in an absolutel y hopeles s situation , lost in the
Arctic , stalke d by a hungr y bear , withou t weapons , seemingl y doomed .
Baldwi n collapses , and Hopkin s has a magnificen t monologue , talkin g
Baldwi n out of his despair . The speec h runs , roughly , like this : "Di d
you kno w you can mak e fire out of ice?
You can, you know . Fire out of ice. Thin k abou t it. Fire out of ice. Think
. Think. "
This riddl e has both a pragmati c and symboli c (alchemical )
answer . The pragmati c answe r you can find in the film , explic -
itly; and it migh t prov e usefu l if you eve r get lost in the nort h woods ;
and the alchemical , or Zen Buddhist , answe r is also in the film ,

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implicitly , and onl y perceptibl e to thos e wh o understan d
One of the spokesperson s for Gen X, name d Shan n Nix , has a talk show on
KGO , one of the mos t powerfu l radi o signal s on the Wes t
Coast . On one show , she announce d that the Vatica n is not a State .
On another , she proclaime d that Jury Nullificatio n was a recen t inventio n
by the far right . Etc .

Prometheus Rising
/
5
the dense characte r Hopkin s plays in the story. It might prove useful
wheneve r despair seems to overwhel m you.
So, to those who at the end of this book still can't understan d or sympathiz
e with my Nietzschea n yea-saying , I quote again: in
"Fire out of ice. Think. Think."
Who was that Prometheu s guy and why did he give us fire the first place?
Robert Anton Wilso n
On the Internet at http://www.rawilson.co m

INTRODUCTION
By Israel Regardie
The ability to create a synthesi s of divers e points of view, scien-
tific and socia l and philosophical , is a rare gift. Not many are there who
dare even to attempt such a task.
Imagine anyon e trying to make sense of an amalga m of
Timoth y Leary' s eight neurologica l circuits , Gurdjief f s self-
observatio n exercises , Korzybski' s genera l semantics , Aleiste r
Crowley' s magica l theorems , the several discipline s of Yoga, Christia n
Science , relativit y and moder n quantu m mechanics , and many other
approaches to understanding the world around us!
A man is require d with an almos t encyclopedi c education , an incredibly
flexible mind, insights as sharp as those whom he is trying synthesize and
mirabile dictu, a wonderful sense of humor.
For severa l years—eve r since I first becam e familia r with the writing s of
Rober t Anto n
Wilson— I
have been struc k with his ever-presen t sense of bubblin g humor and the wide
scope of his intellectua l interests . Once I was even so presumptuou s as to
warn him in a letter that his humo r was much too good to waste on hoi polloi
who generall y speakin g would not understan d it and might even resent it.
Howeve r this effervescen t lightnes s of heart becam e even more apparen t in
Cosmic Trigger and more latterly in the trilog y of
Schrodinger's
Cat.
I have sometime s wondere d whethe r his extraordinaril y wide range of
intellectua l roving is too extensiv e and therefor e perplexin g to the
averag e reader. Be that as it may, the humor and synthesi s are even more
marked in this brilliant ambitious piece of writing, Prometheus
Rising.

l8
Prometheus Rising
Even if your readin g has alread y made you familia r with some of the concept
s employe d by Wilso n in this book, nonetheles s his elucidatio n even of the

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Page 7

simplest , the most basic, is illuminating .
At this moment , I am referrin g to the "imprint " theor y whic h he makes
considerabl e use of. Much of the same is true of his refer-
ences to and explanatio n of Leary' s eight neurologica l circuits .
We becom e familia r with them all over again , as if they had not been
introduced to us before.
Moreove r I love the subtl e and almos t invisibl e use of mysti -
cal dogma that permeate s all his writings . For example , conside r the
openin g of Chapte r Six. It quote s a particularl y meaningfu l sentenc e
from Willia m S. Burroughs . There is no mention—no r need there be—o f any
anterio r teachin g regardin g this Law of
Three, as it may be called. But one doctrine that emanate d from a medieva l
mystica l schoo l philosophize s that there are alway s two contendin g
forces—fo r the sake of convenienc e labele d Severit y and
Mildness—wit h a third that alway s reconcile s them . It is paramoun t to
this doctrine , whic h has been stated and stated again in a dozen or more
differen t ways throughou t the centuries , culminatin g finall y in the idea
enunciate d by Burrough s and of course used by Wilson .
There are dozen s of simila r seeds of wisdo m sown throughou t
Prometheus Rising that are boun d to have a semina l effec t whereve r and
wheneve r the book is read. This is one of the many virtues of Wilson's book;
it will leave its mark on all those who read it—an d those seeds will surely
take root and bloom in the most unlikel y minds—a s well as in the more
prosaic . Tarot advocate s wil l find the mos t unusua l and illuminatin g
interpretation s of some of their favorit e cards when he falls back on the
basi c neura l circuits . I foun d them all illuminatin g as providin g a new
viewpoin t which had to be integrate d into my genera l view of such matters .
The only area wher e I was reluctantl y incline d to be at odds with Wilso n
was in wha t I considere d to be his addictio n to a
Utopia—whic h he eloquentl y enoug h expresse s as "the birth pangs of a
cosmic Prometheu s rising out of the long nightmar e of domesticate d primat e
history. " The histor y of mankin d is also the histor y of one Utopi a afte r
another , bein g enunciate d wit h enthusias m and vigor , callin g upo n all
the fact s of fait h and

Prometheus Rising
19
science (as they existe d at that momen t in space-time ) to corrob-
orate the fantasy . A decad e or mayb e a centur y elapse—an d the fantas y is
no more . The Utopi a has gone down the drain to join all the other Utopia s
of earlie r primates . However , I sincerel y hope that Wilson is right in
this case.
Now I am not unmindfu l of the fact that the Utopi a of whic h
Wilso n speaks , echoin g man y of the best scientifi c and philo -
sophi c mind s of our day, is a distinc t possibilit y at some time, but that
it coul d occu r withi n the next decad e seem s rathe r improba -
ble to me. It seem s improbabl e of cours e only in term s of the curren t
state of worl d enlightenment , or lack of it, and becaus e it implies a
"miracle " occurrin g in vast number s of living primate s
simultaneously—whateve r semanti c theorie s are involve d in the meanin g of
the wor d "simultaneously. "
Anyway , this is a mino r poin t considerin g the semina l bril -
lianc e of the greate r part of this enlightenin g book .
In a previousl y writte n book , Wilso n wrot e that
[in] 1964 , Dr. Joh n S. Bel l publishe d a demonstratio n tha t still has the
physicist s reeling . Wha t Bell seeme d to prov e was that quantu m effect s
are
'non-local '
in Bohm' s sense ; that is, they are not just here or there , but both . Wha t

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this apparentl y mean s is that spac e and time are only real to our mammalia
n sens e organs ; the y are not really real .
This writin g remind s me so muc h of the Hind u concep t of
Indra's Net. The latter is sometime s describe d as being a great net extendin
g throughou t the whol e universe , verticall y to repre -
sent time , horizontall y to represen t space . At each poin t wher e the
thread s of this
Indra' s net cross one anothe r is a diamon d or a crysta l bead , the symbo l
of a singl e existence . Each crysta l bead reflect s on its shinin g surfac e
not only ever y othe r bead in the whol e net of Indr a but ever y singl e
reflectio n of ever y reflectio n of ever y othe r bead upo n each individua l
bead—countless , endles s reflection s of one another . We coul d also like n
it to a single candl e being place d in the centr e of a large hall. Aroun d
this hall tens of mirror s are arrange d in such a manne r that , whe n the
candl e was lit, one saw not only its reflectio n in each indi -
vidua l mirror , but also the reflection s of the reflection s in ever y other
mirro r repeate d ad infinitum.

2O Prometheus Rising
One of the several virtues of
Prometheus Rising is that Wilson using Leary' s neurologica l circuit s
believe s that a new philo-
sophica l paradig m is about due. In reality , this is really Wilson' s answer
to my propose d criticis m of his Utopia n fantasy . It may not be withi n a
decad e that we shall realiz e whethe r it is true or false. But that is not
important . What is clear is that thanks to the insight s of man y moder n
thinkers , majo r new intellectua l find -
ings do not come solely from the slow drip and grind of tiny new discoveries ,
or from new theorie s simpl y being added to our pre-
sent armamentariu m of time-honoure d truisms . Rather , quantu m leaps, in
outloo k ala
Teilhar d de Chardin , occur with a fantasti c jump to a new horizo n or level
of perception . This insigh t usuall y comes from a revolutionar y overview
which realigns or trans-
forms forme r thinkin g into a new and more enlightenin g fram e of reference
.
This dovetail s with his equall y fascinatin g thesi s that every -
thing alive is really alive in the fullest and most dynamic sense of the word.
It twitches , searches , throbs , organize s and seems aware of an upward
movement. Twitches seems almost the right word, recallin g to mind the
myoclonism s of Wilhel m Reich' s vegetotherap y which , at sometime , are
infinitel y disturbin g to the patien t on the couc h who , becaus e of them ,
feels he is fallin g apart, being shattere d into a thousan d pieces . He
isn't really . It is as thoug h the organis m were gatherin g itself togethe r
for an upwar d or forwar d leap into the unknown , to a highe r order of
looking at things.
The transitio n to a highe r orde r of functioning—o r hookin g on to a higher
neural circuit—is often accompanie d by consider-
able anxiet y or a turbulenc e in persona l life whic h seem s as if the
organism were falling apart or breaking up. This phenomenon of instabilit y is
reall y the way that ever y livin g organism—soci -
eties, human primates , chemica l solutions , etc.—shake s itself, as it were
, by myoclonism s or simila r convulsion s into new combi -
nations and permutation s for higher and new levels of develop-
ment. So perhap s the space-tim e Utopia of a new area of primate exploratio n
has som e validit y afte r all, as indicatin g that the more vigorou s the
disturbanc e or myoclonis m the greate r the quantu m jump into a higher
neurologica l circuit . This is one

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Prometheus Rising
21
reason why I firml y believ e that the transitio n to the next spira l will
not be smoot h nor withou t much sufferin g and chaos .
All of whic h suggests , with Wilso n and Leary , that the brain is
considerabl y more sophisticate d than any of us previousl y had imagined. It
is quite possible that it operates in dimensions so beyon d the lowe r neura l
circuitr y that it occasionall y "throw s us a bone" every day so that we can
continu e to functio n in the make-believ e world of everyda y status quo. In
the meantime , it is a multidimensiona l structur e at ease in far more than
the narrow primate world we have been programmed to live in. It may interpre t
wave s and frequencie s from othe r dimensions , realms of "light," of
meaningfu l unrestricte d patterne d reality —
that are here and now—an d whic h transcen d our presen t myopi c tunnel
realitie s of our rigid perception s and conceptualization s of space and
time.
If so, then the title of this book
Prometheus Rising is repre-
sentativ e of more than a catch y title to a profoun d fascinatin g book. It
become s a title, instead , to the very attemp t whic h we are now makin g to
reach beyon d ourselve s with a quantu m leap into a new world which has been
envisage d only by a very few.
Wilson is one of this group who are preparin g themselve s and if we allow
them, the rest of us, to take our place in the New Aeon.
I will close with a quot e from Wilson , We are all giants , raise d by
pygmies , who have learne d to walk wit h a perpetua l menta l crouch .
Unleashin g our ful l stature—ou r total brain power—i s what this book is all
about .
Israel Regardie
Phoenix Arizon a
July 198 3

WARNING
Wilson describe s himsel f as a
'guerrill a ontologist, ' signifyin g his intent to attack language and
knowledge the way terrorists attack their targets : to jump out from the
shadow s for an unpro -
voked attack, then slink back and hide behind a hearty belly laugh .
—
Rober t
Sheaffer , The Skeptical Inquirer

CHAPTER ONE
THE THINKER &
THE PROVE R
All tha t we are is the resul t of all that we hav e thought . It is founde d
on thought . It is base d on thought .
— Buddha, The
Dhammapada

Willia m James , fathe r of America n psychology , tells of meetin g an old
lady who told him the Earth rested on the back of a huge turtle.
"But, my dear lady," Professo r James asked, as politely as possible, "what

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holds up the turtle?"
"Ah," she said, "that's easy. He is standing on the back of another turtle."
"Oh, I see," said Professo r James, still being polite. "But would you be so
good as to tell me what holds up the second turtle?"
"It's no use, Professor, " said the old lady, realizin g he was trying to lead
her into a logica l trap. "It's turtles-turtles-turtles , all the way!"
Don't be too quick to laugh at this little old lady. All huma n minds work on
fundamentall y simila r principles . Her univers e was a little bit weirde r
than most but it was built up on the same mental principle s as every other
univers e people have believe d in.
As Dr. Leonar d Orr has noted , the huma n mind behave s as if it were divided
into two parts, the Thinker and the
Prover.
The Thinke r can think abou t virtuall y anything . Histor y shows that it can
think the earth is suspende d on the backs of infinit e turtle s or that the
Eart h is hollow , or that the Eart h is floating in space , 4 1
comparativ e religio n and philosoph y show that the Thinker can regard itself
as mortal, as immortal, as both mortal and immorta l (the reincarnatio n model
) or even as non-
existen t (Buddhism) . It can thin k itsel f into livin g in a Christia n
universe , a Marxis t universe , a scientific-relativisti c universe , or a
Nazi universe—amon g many possibilities .
As psychiatrist s and psychologist s have often observe d (muc h to the chagri
n of their medica l colleagues) , the Thinke r can think itself sick, and can
even think itself well again .
The Prover is a much simple r mechanism . It operate s on one law only:
Whateve r the Thinke r thinks , the Prove r proves .
To cite a notoriou s exampl e whic h unleashe d incredibl e horror s earlie r
in this century , if the Thinke r think s that all Jews are rich , the Prove r
will prov e it. It will find evidenc e that the
1
Million s of peopl e believ e that (includin g the presen t author) .
25

2(5
Prometheus Rising poorest Jew in the most run-dow n ghetto has hidden money
somewhere . Similarly , Feminist s are able to believe that all men, includin
g the starving wretche s who live and sleep on the streets, are exploitin g
all women , includin g the Queen of England .
If the Thinke r think s that the sun move s aroun d the earth, the
Prover will obligingly organize all perceptions to fit that thought;
if the Thinker changes its mind and decides the earth moves around the sun,
the Prover will reorganiz e the evidence .
If the Thinke r thinks "holy water" from Lourde s will cure its lumbago , the
Prove r will skillfull y orchestrat e all signal s from the glands, muscles,
organs etc. until they have organized them-
selves into good health again
Of course , it is fairly easy to see that other people' s mind s operate this
way; it is comparatively much harder to become aware that one's own mind is
workin g that way also.
It is believed , for instance , that some men are more
"objective " than others. (One seldom hears this about women... )
Businessme n are allegedl y hard-nosed , pragmati c and "objec-
tive" in this sense. A brief examinatio n of the dingba t politics most
businessme n endors e will quickl y correc t that impression .
Scientists , however , are still believe d to be objective . No study of the
lives of the great scientists will confirm this. They were as passionate, and
hence as prejudiced , as any assembl y of great painter s or great musicians .
It was not just the Church but also the established astronomers of the time

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who condemned
Galileo. The majorit y of physicist s rejecte d Einstein' s Specia l
Relativit y Theor y in 1905. Einstei n himsel f would not accep t anythin g in
quantu m theor y after 1920 no matte r how man y experiment s supporte d it.
Edison' s commitmen t to direct curren t
(DC) electrical generators led him to insist alternating current
(AC) generator s were unsaf e for years after their safet y had been proven to
everyone else.'
Edison' s pigheadednes s on this matte r was partly the result of his jealousy
against Nikola
Tesla, inventor of AC generators.
Tesla, on the othe r hand , refuse d the Nobe l Priz e whe n it was offere d
to him and Ediso n jointly becaus e he refuse d to appea r on the same
platfor m with Edison . Both of these geniuse s were only capabl e of "objec -
tivity " and scienc e in certai n limite d laborator y conditions . If you

Prometheus Rising
27
Science achieves , or approximates , objectivit y not because the individua l
scientis t is immun e from the psychologica l laws that gover n the rest of
us, but becaus e scientifi c method— a grou p creation—eventuall y override s
individua l prejudices , in the long run.
To take a notoriou s exampl e from the
1960s, there was a point when three research groups had "proven " that LSD
causes chromosom e damage , while three other groups had "proven " that
LSD has no effect on the chromosomes . In each case, the Prover had proved
what the Thinke r thought . Right now, there are, in physics , 7 experiment s
that confir m a very controversia l concep t known as Bell's Theorem , and two
experiment s that refute Bell's
Theorem . In the area of extra-sensor y perception , the results are unifor m
after more than a century : everybod y who sets out to prove that ESP exists
succeeds , and everybod y who sets out to prove that ESP does not exist also
succeeds .
"Truth" or relative truth emerge s only after decades of exper-
iments by thousand s of groups all over the world.
thin k you hav e a highe r "objectivit y quotient " tha n eithe r of them ,
why haven' t you bee n nominate d for a Nobe l prize ?

28 Prometheus Rising
In the long run, we are hopefull y approximatin g close r and closer to
"objectiv e Truth " over the centuries .
In the short run, Orr's law always holds:
Whatever the Thinker thinks, the Prover will prove.
'
And if the Thinke r thinks passionatel y enough , the Prove r will prov e the
though t so conclusivel y that you will neve r talk a person out of such a
belief , even if it is somethin g as remarkabl e as the notio n that there is
a gaseous vertebrat e of astronomica l heft ("GOD" ) who will spen d all
eternit y torturin g peopl e who do not believ e in his religion .
EXERCIZE S
Sad as it is to say, you neve r understan d anythin g by merel y readin g a
book abou t it. That' s why every scienc e cours e include s laborator y
experiments , and why ever y consciousness -
liberatio n movemen t demand s practic e of yogas , meditations , confrontatio
n techniques , etc. in which the ideas are tested in the laborator y of your
own nervou s system .
The reade r will absolutel y not understan d this book unles s he or she does
the exercize s given at the end of each chapter .

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To explor e the Thinke r and the Prover , try the following :
1.
Visualiz e a quarte r vividly , and imagin e vividly that you are going to
find the quarte r on the street. Then, look for the quarte r every time you
take a walk, meanwhil e continuin g to visualiz e it.
See how long it take s you to find the quarter .
2. Explai n the above experimen t by the hypothesi s of "selec -
tive attention"—tha t is, believe there are lots of lost quarter s everywher e
and you wer e boun d to find one by continuall y look -
ing. Go lookin g for a secon d quarter .
3. Explai n the experimen t by the alternativ e "mystical "
hypothesi s that "min d control s everything. "
Believe that you made the quarte r manifes t in this universe . Go lookin g
for a second quarter.
If the reade r is a scientist , be not alarmed . This refer s not to you but
only to thos e benighte d fool s in the opposit e cam p who refus e to rec-
ogniz e that you r theor y is the only reasonabl e one. Of course .

Prometheus Rising
2 9
4. Compar e the time it takes to find the second quarte r using the first
hypothesi s (attention ) with the time it take s usin g the second hypothesi s
(mind-over-matter) .
5. With your own ingenuity, invent similar experiments and each time compare
the two theories—"selectiv e attention "
(coincidence ) vs. "mind controls everything " (psychokinesis) .
6. Avoid comin g to any strong conclusion s prematurely . At the end of a
month , re-rea d this chapter , think it over again , and still postpon e
comin g to any dogmati c conclusion .
Believe it possible that you do not know everything yet, and that you might
have something still to learn.
7. Convinc e yourself
1
(if you are not alread y convinced ) that you are ugly , unattractiv e and
dull. Go to a party in that fram e of mind. Observ e how people treat you.
8. Convinc e yoursel f (if you are not alread y convinced ) that you are
handsome , irresistibl e and witty. Go to a party in that frame of mind.
Observ e how people treat you.
9. This is the hardest of all exercize s and comes in two parts.
First, observ e closel y and dispassionatel y two dear friend s and two
relativ e strangers . Try to figur e out wha t their Thinker s think, and how
their Provers methodicall y set about proving it.
Second, apply the same exercize to yourself.
If you think you have learne d the lesson s of these exercize s in less than
six months , you haven' t really been workin g at them.
With real work, in six month s you shoul d be just beginnin g to realize how
little you know about everything .
10. Believ e it possibl e that you can float off the groun d and fly by merel
y willin g it. See what happens .
If this exerciz e prove s as disappointin g to you as it has to me, try numbe
r
11
below , which is never disappointing .
11.
Believ e that you can exceed all your previou s ambition s and hopes in all
areas of your life.
"Believe" or "convinc e yourself mean to do what an actor does:
preten d until the pretens e begin s to feel real. Or, as Jazz musician s say:
"Fake it until you make it."

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Prometheus Rising
ALL MODELS ARE SUBJECT TO REVISION AS THIS BOOK
GOES ALONG. THEY ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO REVISION
AFTER THE BOOK IS FINISHED — BY THE AUTHOR OR BY
THE READER

Prometheus Rising
Tentative Model #1: The perceived universe is a mixture of the
"real universe" and our own
"Thinker"—provin g its pet beliefs.

CHAPTER TWO
HARDWARE &
SOFTWARE :
THE BRAIN & ITS
PROGRAM S
We, as a species , exis t in a worl d in whic h exist a myria d of data
points.
1
Upon these matrices of points we superimpos e a structure
2
and the worl d make s sens e to us. The patter n of the structur e originate s
withi n our biologica l and sociologica l properties.
3
— Persinger and Lafreniere , Space-Time Transients and Unusual Events
'
In our terminology , these data point s are event s or actions , i.e. verbs ,
not nouns .
^ In our terminology , model s or maps , static things ; noun s not verbs .
3
In our terminology , brai n hardwar e and software .
33

We will, throughou t this book, conside r the human brain a kind of
bio-computer—a n electro-colloida l computer , as distinc t from the electroni
c or solid-stat e computer s which exist outsid e our heads.
Please note carefull y and long remembe r that we have not said that the human
brain is a computer . The Aristotelia n idea that to understan d somethin g
you must know what it is has been abandone d in one scienc e after another ,
for the pragmati c reason that the simpl e word "is" introduce s so many
metaphysica l assumption s that we can argue foreve r about them. In the most
advance d sciences , such as mathematica l physics , nobod y talks about what
anythin g is anymore . They talk about what model
(or map) can best be used to understan d whateve r we are investi -
gating.
In general , this scientifi c habi t of avoidin g "is" can be prof -
itably extende d to all areas of thought . Thus, when you read anywher e that
A is B, it will clarif y matter s if you translat e this as "A can be
considere d as, or modele d by, B."

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When we say A
is
B, we are sayin g that A is only wha t it appear s withi n our field of study
or our area of specialization .
This is saying too much. When we say
A can be considered as B, or modeled by B, we are saying exactl y as much as
we have a right to say, and no more.
We therefor e say that the brain can be considere d as a com-
puter; but we do not say it a computer .
is
The brain appears to be made up of matter in electro-colloida l suspensio n
(protoplasm) .
Colloid s are pulled together , towar d a conditio n of gel, by their surfac e
tensions . This is becaus e surfac e tension s pull all glue-like substance s
together .
Colloid s are also, conversely , pushe d apart, toward a condi-
tion of sol, by their electrica l charges . This is becaus e their elec-
trical charges are similar , and similar electrica l charges always repel each
other.
In the equilibriu m betwee n gel and sol, the colloida l suspen -
sion maintain s its continuit y and life continues . Mov e the sus-
pensio n too far towar d gel, or too far towar d sol, and life ends .
Any chemica l that gets into the brain, change s the gel-so l balance , and
"consciousness " is accordingl y influenced . Thus, potatoes are, like LSD,
"psychedelic"—i n a milder way. The
35

Prometheus Rising changes in consciousness when one moves from a vegetarian
diet to an omnivorous diet, or vice versa, are also "psychedelic."
Since "What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves," all of our ideas are
psychedelic. Even without experimenting with diet or drugs, whatever you think
you should see, you will see—unless it is physically impossible in this
universe.
All experience is a muddle, until we make a model to explain it. The model can
clarify the muddles, but the model is never the muddle itself. "The map is not
the territory"; the menu does not taste like the meal.

Prometheus Rising 37
Every compute r consist s of two aspects , known as hardwar e and software .
(Softwar e here include s information) .
The hardwar e in a solid-stat e compute r is concret e and local-
ized, consistin g of centra l processin g unit , display , keyboard , externa
l disk drive , CD-ROM , floppies , etc.—al l the part s you can drag into Radi
o Shac k for repai r if the compute r is malfunc -
tioning .
The softwar e consist s of program s that can exis t in man y forms , includin
g the totall y abstract . A progra m can be "in" the compute r in the sense
that it is recorded in the CPU or on a disk whic h is hitche d up to the
computer . A progra m can also exist on a piec e of paper , if I invente d it
myself , or in a manual , if it is a standard program; in these cases, it is
not "in" the computer but can be put "in" at any time. But a program can be
even more tenuou s than that ; it can exis t only in my head , if I have neve
r writte n it down , or if I have used it once and erase d it.
The hardwar e is more "real " than the softwar e in that you can always locate
it in space-time—i f it's not in the bedroom , some-
body mus t have move d it to the study , etc. On the othe r hand , the
software is more "real" in the sense that you can smash the hardwar e back to
dust ("kill " the computer ) and the softwar e still exists , and can

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"materialize " or "manifest " agai n in a differen t computer .
(Any speculation s abou t reincarnatio n at this poin t are the responsibilit
y of the reader , not of the author. )
In speakin g of the huma n brai n as an electro-colloida l biocomputer , we
all know wher e the hardwar e is: it is insid e the huma n skull . The
software , however , seem s to be anywher e and

Prometheus Rising everywhere . For instance , the softwar e "in" my brain also
exists outside my brain in such forms as, say, a book I read twent y years
ago, which was an Englis h translatio n of variou s signal s transmitte d by
Plato 2400 years ago. Other parts of my software are made up of the softwar e
of Confucius , James Joyce, my second-grad e teacher, the Three Stooges,
Beethoven , my mother and father, Richard Nixon, my various dogs and cats, Dr.
Carl
Sagan, and anybody and (to some extent)
any-thing that has ever impacted upon my brain. This may sound strange, but
that's the way softwar e (or information ) functions .
Of course, if consciousnes s consisted of nothing but this undifferentiate d
tapioca of timeless, spaceless software, we would have no individuality , no
center, no Self.
We want to know, then, how out of this universa l softwar e ocean a specific
person emerges.
What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves.
Because the human brain, like other animal brains, acts as an
electro-colloidal computer, not a solid-state computer, it follows the same
laws as other animal brains. That is, the programs get into the brain, as
electro-chemical bonds, in discrete quantum stages.
Each set of program s consist s of four basic parts :
1
.
Genetic Imperatives.
Totally hard-wired programs or
"instincts."
2.
Imprints.
These are more-or-less hard wired programs whic h the brain is geneticall y
designe d to accep t only at certai n points in its development . These point
s are known , in ethology , as times of imprint vulnerability.
3.
Conditioning.
These are program s built onto the imprints .
They are loose r and fairl y easy to chang e with counter-condi -
tioning .
4.
Learning.
This is even looser and "softer " than condition -
ing.
In general , the primordia l imprint can alway s over-rul e any subsequen t
conditionin g or learning . An imprin t is a specie s of softwar e that has
becom e built-i n hardware , bein g impresse d on the tende r neuron s whe n
they are peculiarl y open and vulnerable .
Imprint s (softwar e froze n into hardware ) are the non-nego -
tiabl e aspect s of our individuality . Out of the infinit y of possibl e

Prometheus Rising
39
program s existin g as potentia l software , the imprin t establishe s the
limits , parameters , perimeters within which all subsequen t conditionin g

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and learnin g occurs.
YOUR HARDWAR E IS LOCALIZED :
BRAIN CELL S RIGH T HERE , RIGH T NOW.
YOUR SOFTWAR E IS NON-LOCAL :
POINT-EVENT S EVERYWHERE , EVERYWHEN .
Befor e the firs t imprint , the consciousnes s of the infan t is
"formles s and void"—lik e the univers e at the beginnin g of
Genesis, or the description s of unconditione d ("enlightened " i.e., exploded
) consciousnes s in the mystic traditions . As soon as the first imprin t is
made, structur e emerge s out of the creativ e void.
The growin g mind , alas, become s trappe d withi n this structure . It
identifie s with the structure ; in a sense , it becomes the structure .
This entire process is analyze d in G. Spence r Brown' s
Laws of Form;
and Brow n was writin g abou t the foundation s of math -
ematics and logic. But every sensitiv e reader knows that Brown is also
talking about a process we have all passed throug h in creating , out of an
infinit e ocean of signals , those particula r constructs we call "myself and
"my world." Not surprisingly ,

4O Prometheus Rising many acid-head s have said that Brown' s math is the
best descrip-
tion ever written of an LSD trip.
Each successive imprint complicates the software which program s our experienc
e and which we experience as
"reality."
Conditionin g and learnin g buil d furthe r network s onto this bedrock of
imprinted software. The total structure of this brain-
circuitr y make s up our map of the world . It is what our Thinke r thinks ,
and our Prove r mechanicall y fits all incomin g signal s to the limitation s
of this map.
Followin g Dr. Timoth y Leary (with a few modifications ) we shall divid e
this brain hardwar e into eight circuit s for conven-
ience.
("For convenience " means that this is the best map I know at present . I
assum e it will be replace d by a better map withi n 10
or 15 years; and in any case, the map is not the territory. )
Four of the circuits are "antique" and conservative , they exist in everybod y
(excep t feral children) .
1. The Oral Bio-Survival Circuit.
This is imprinte d by the mothe r or the first motherin g objec t and
conditione d by subsequent nourishmen t or threat. It is primarily concerned
with sucking , feeding , cuddling , and body security . It retreat s
mechanicall y from the noxiou s or predatory—o r from anythin g associated
(by imprintin g or conditioning ) with the noxious or predatory .
2.
The Anal Emotional-Territorial Circuit.
This is imprinted in the "Toddling" stage when the infant rises up, walks
about and begins to struggl e for powe r withi n the famil y structure . This
mostly mammalia n circui t processe s territoria l rules, emotiona l games, or
cons, pecking order and rituals of domination or submission.
3. The Time-Binding Semantic Circuit.
This is imprinted and conditioned by human artifacts and symbol systems. It
"handles"
and "packages " the environment , classifyin g everythin g accord-
ing to the local realit y tunnel . Invention , calculation , predictio n and
transmittin g signals across generation s are its functions .
4. The "Moral"
Socio-Sexual

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Circuit.
This is imprinte d by the first orgasm-matin g experience s at pubert y and is
conditione d by tribal taboos . It processe s sexual pleasure , local
definition s of
"right" and "wrong," reproduction, adult-parental personality
(sex role) and nurtur e of the young .

Prometheus Rising
41
The developmen t of these circuit s as the brain evolve d throug h evolution ,
and as each domesticate d primat e (human )
brain recapitulate s evolutio n in growin g from infanc y to adult-
hood, makes possibl e gene-poo l survival , mammalia n sociobiol -
ogy (peckin g order, or politics ) and transmissio n of culture .
The secon d grou p of four brain circuit s is muc h newer , and each circui t
exists at presen t only in minorities . Wher e the antiqu e circuit s
recapitulat e evolution-to-the-present , these futur -
istic circuit s
^recapitulate our futur e evolution .
5.
The Holistic Neurosomatic Circuit.
This is imprinted by ecstatic experience, via biological or chemical yogas. It
process-
es neurosomati c ("mind-body" ) feedbac k loops, somatic-sensor y bliss,
feelin g "high, " "faith-healing, " etc. Christia n Science , NLP
and holisti c medicin e consis t of tricks or gimmick s to get this circuit
into action at least temporarily ; Tantr a yoga is concerne d with shiftin g
consciousnes s entirel y into this circuit .
6. The Collective Neurogenetic Circuit.
This is imprinted by advanced yogas (bio-chemica l - electrica l stresses) .
It processe s
DNA-RNA-brai n feedbac k system s and is "collective " in that it contains and
has access to the whole evolutionar y "script, " past and future. Experienc e
of this circuit is numinous , "mystical, "
mind-shattering ; here dwell the archetype s of Jung' s Collectiv e
Unconscious—Gods , Goddesses , Demons , Hairy Dwarf s and other
personification s of the DNA program s (instincts ) that govern us.
7.
The
Meta-programming
Circuit.
This is imprinte d by very advance d yogas. It consists , in modern terms, of
cyberneti c con-
sciousness, reprogramming and reimprinting all other circuits, even
reprogrammin g itself , makin g possibl e consciou s choic e betwee n
alternativ e universe s or realit y tunnels .
8. The Non-Local Quantum Circuit.
This is imprinted by
Shock, by "near-death " or "clinical death" experience , by
OOBEs (out-of-body-experiences) , by trans-tim e perception s
("precognition") , by trans-spac e visions (ESP), etc. It tunes the brain into
the non-local quantum communicatio n system sug-
gested by physicist s such as
Bohm , Walker , Sarfatti , Bell, etc.
These circuit s will be explaine d in detail as we proceed .

42 Prometheus
Rising

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EXERCIZES
1.
If you don't already have a computer , run out and buy one.
Then re-read this chapter.
2. To understan d hardware and software are
(as applied to the human brain) perform the followin g meditation .
Sit in a room where you will not be disturbed for a half hour and begin
thinking, "I am sitting in this room doing this exercize because..."
and list as many of the "causes" as you can think of.
For instance, you are doing this exercize because, obviously, you read about
it in this book. Why did you buy this book? Did somebody recommend it? How did
that person come into your life? If you just picked the book up in a store,
why did you happen to be in just that store on just that day?
Why do you read books of this sort—on psychology , con-
sciousness, evolution etc.? How did you get interested in those fields? Who
turned you on, and how long ago? What factors in your childhood inclined you
to be interested in these subjects later?
Why are you doing this exercize in this room and not else-
where? Why did you buy or rent this house or apartment ? Why are you in this
city and not another ? Why on this continen t and not another?
Why are you here at all—tha t is, how did you r parent s meet ?
Did they consciousl y decide to have a child, do you happen to know, or were
you an accident? What cities were they born in? If in different cities, why
did they move in space-tim e so that their paths would intersect?
Why is this planet capable of supporting life, and why did it produce the kind
of life that would dream up an exercize of this sort?
Repeat this exercize a few days later, trying to ask and answer fifty question
s you didn' t thin k of the first time .
(Note that you cannot ever ask all possible questions.)
Avoid all metaphysica l speculations (e.g., karma, reincarna-
tion, "destiny " etc.). The poin t of the exerciz e will be mind -
blowing enough withou t introducin g "occult" theories , and it will be more
startling if you carefully avoid such overtly "mystical "
speculations.

Prometheus Rising 43
4. Pick up any househol d item— a spoon , a pen, a cup etc.
Perform the same exercize as above—wh y is it here? Who invente d it, if you
can find out? How did the inventio n get to this continent ? Who manufacture d
it? Why did they manufactur e that instead of bird cages? Why did they become
manufacturer s instead of musicians? Why did you buy it? Why did you pick that
object, of all the objects in your house, for this meditation ?
ANSWER QUICKLY NOW
ARE YOU YOUR HARDWARE , OR YOUR SOFTWARE?
OR BOTH?

CHAPTER THREE
THE
ORAL BIO-SURVIVA L
CIRCUIT
Genes, like Leibnitz' s monads, have no windows ; the higher propertie s of
life are emergent .
— Edwar d Wilson , Sociobiology
45

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Few of our ancestors were perfect ladies or gentlemen; the majorit y of them
were not even mammals .
Any multi-cellula r organis m must , if it is to survive , contai n a
hard-wire d bio-surviva l circuit , whic h very simpl y program s an either-o
r choice : GO FORWAR D to the nourishing , the protec-
tive, or GO BACK , away from the threatening , the predatory .
Any mamma l hook s the bio-surviva l circui t to the first imprinte d
bio-surviva l object : the teat. Bio-surviva l and orality are deepl y blende
d in all mammals , includin g domesticate d primates (humans) . This is why,
despite the Cancer Terror, an estimated 30,000,000 Americans still smoke
cigarettes...
Others chew gum (spearmint , juicy fruit , even sugar-free : somethin g for
every taste) , bite their fingernails , gnaw their knuckles , scrunc h pencil
stubs, eat more than they need (Potat o chips, anyone ? a
Mars bar maybe ? pretzels , peanuts , cashews , do you want the cheese and
cracker s with your beer, Mac? And do try the canapes , Mrs. Miller) . Some
chew their lips, gobbl e tranks and uppers , even munc h their mustaches .
What goes on in the bedroo m is know n to the
Kinse y
Institut e and anyon e who has seen a porn film.
How important is this oral imprinting? We read of a baby giraffe whos e mothe
r was accidentall y killed by a jeep immedi -
ately after birth . The neonate , followin g hard-wire d geneti c programs ,
"imprinted " the first objec t that roughl y fit the giraff e archetype—th e
jeep itself . He followe d the machin e around , vocalize d to it, attempte d
to suckl e from it, and, when adult , tried to mate with it.
Similarly , Konra d
Loren z tells of a goslin g who accidentall y imprinte d a ping-pon g ball and
spen t his adul t life, indifferen t to female geese, attemptin g to sexuall y
moun t ping-pon g balls.
As Charles Darwin noted:
In our mature r years , whe n an objec t of visio n is presente d to us whic h
bear s any similitud e to the form of the femal e bosom...w e feel a genera l
glow of deligh t whic h seem s to influenc e all of our senses.. .
The ancient s picture d the great mothe r goddes s Diana of
Ephesu s with literall y dozen s of breast s and St. Paul report s hearing her
worshipper s chantin g rapturousl y "Grea t is Diana! "
There is virtuall y no great artis t who has not left us a portrait , or many
portraits , of the nude femal e form, especiall y the breasts ;
47

48 Prometheus Rising and even in non-huma n scenes , curve s are introduce d
whereve r possible. Architects break the Euclidean straight line to introduce
such curves at the slightest pretext—arches, Moorish domes, etc.
The curves of the suspension bridge are necessitated by
Newton' s laws ("Gravity' s rainbow, " in Pynchon' s phrase) but, still, these
doubl e catenar y curve s are estheticall y pleasin g for the reasons Darwin
suggests . As for music—wher e did we first hear it, who sang or hummed to us,
and against what part of her body were we held?
Mountai n climber s are reduced , like Mallory , to sayin g
"Because it's there," when trying to explain their compulsion to ascend those
conic peaks.
Our eating utensil s (oral gratificatio n tools) tend to be rounded or curved
. Square plates or saucers look "campy " or strange.
UFOs come in a variety of shapes, but the most popular are the oval and conic.

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Freudians suggest that opiate addiction is an attempt to return to the womb.
In keeping with our theory, it is more likely that opium and its derivative s
return us to the "safe space" on the bio-
surviva l circuit , the warm , snug place of bio-security ; opiate s may
trigger neuro-transmitters ' characteristic of breast-feeding .
In summary : the bio-surviva l circuit is
DNA-programme d to seek a comfort-safet y zone aroun d a motherin g organism .
If a mothe r isn't present , the close t substitut e in the environmen t will
be imprinted. For the orphan giraffe, a four-wheeled jeep was chosen to stand
in for the four-legged mother. The gosling who could not find the round, white
body of the mother-goos e fixated a round, whit e ping-pon g ball.
The "wiring" of this circuit, in primitive form, occurred in the first
organisms , betwee n three and four billion years ago. In the modern human ,
this structur e remain s in the brain stem and in the autonomic (
"involuntary
")
nervous system, where it is inter-
connected with the endocrin e and other life-suppor t systems.
This is why disturbance s on this circuit act "all over the body at
'
Neuro-transmitter s are chemical s whic h alter the electro-colloida l balanc
e of the brai n and henc e chang e the perceptua l field . Brain -
change agents .

Prometheus Rising 49
once" and generally take the form of physical symptoms rather than "mental"
symptoms and usually get referred to the
M.D.
instead of the psychiatrist.
It mus t be stresse d that we are still in a primitiv e stag e of evolutio n
and condition s on this plane t are quite brutal . Radica l pediatrician s
insist, with good evidence , that childbirth by conventiona l mean s in a
conventiona l hospita l is almos t alway s traumati c for the newborn—create s
a bad imprint , in our lan-
guage . Our child-rearin g method s are far from ideal also, addin g bad
conditionin g on top of bad imprinting . And the genera l violenc e of our
societie s to date—includin g wars , revolutions , civil wars and the
"undeclare d civil war" of the predator y crimi -
nal class in every "civilized" nation—keep s the first circuit of most peopl e
in an emergenc y state far too much of the time.
In 1968 , a U.S. Publi c Healt h surve y showe d that
85%
of the populatio n had one or more symptom s that we woul d call bad
first-circui t imprintin g or conditioning . Thes e symptom s include d dizzy
spells , heart palpitations , wet palms and frequen t nightmares.
This means that 85 out of the next 100 people you meet should be regarde d as,
more or less, "the Walkin g Wounded. "
This is the firs t leve l of meanin g in our brutal , cynica l propositio n
that most peopl e are almos t as mechanica l as sci-f i robots. A man or woman
enterin g a new situatio n with the anxi-
ety chemicals
1
of a frightene d infan t coursin g throug h the brai n stem is not going to be
able to observe, judge or decide anythin g very accurately .
And this is why Gurdjief f said, in his own jargon , that peopl e are aslee p
and havin g nightmares .
"FAIRNESS? DECENCY? HOW CAN YOU EXPECT
FAIRNES S OR DECENC Y ON A PLANET OF SLEEPIN G
PEOPLE?"

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— G.I . Gurdjief f
This was the viewpoin t of the earlies t Christians , later con-
demne d as heretic s (Gnostics ) by the Roma n bureaucrats . The
We especiall y refer to adrenalin e and adrenalutin , whic h signa l the whole
organis m to prepar e to fight or flee.

jo
Prometheus Rising
Gospel of
Truth, first century, says bluntly that history is a nightmare :
... as if (mankind ) were sunk in sleep and found themselve s in disturbing
dreams. Either (there is) a place to which they are fleeing...o r they are
involve d in strikin g blows , or they are receiving blows themselves...
sometimes it is as if people were murdering them...or they themselve s are
killing their neighbors...
To these first Christians , as to the Buddhists , awakening liter-
ally meant comin g out of this nightmar e of terrifyin g fantasies .
In our terminology, it means correcting the editing that cause us to behave
and perceive like very badly (inappropriately ) wired robots and suddenly
seeing the unedited world.
It must be emphasized that this circuit, being the oldest in evolutionar y
development , is the most mechanical , and the most rapid.
One is not conscious of time at all on the bio-surviva l circuit. Observe the
speed of your dog's reaction at the first sound of an intruder: the
threatening bark, and the movement of the whole body to alert status, is
automatic.
Then the dog starts taking in other cues, to determin e how this particula r
intrude r should be treated.
As Robert Ardrey reports the remarks of primatologis t Ray
Carpenter, to understand this part of your brain...
Imagine that you are a monkey and you're running along a path past a rock and
unexpectedl y meet face to face anothe r animal. Now, before you know whether
to attack it, to flee it, or to ignore it, you must make a series of decisions
. Is it monkey or non-monkey ? If non-monkey , is it pro-monke y or
anti-monkey ? If monkey , is it male or female ? If female , is she
interested? If male, is it adult or juvenile? If adult, is it of my group or
some other?...
You have about one fifth of a secon d to make all these decisions, or you
could be attacked.
The bio-survival program first attaches to the safe space around the mothe r
(oral imprint) , and then with age move s further and furthe r out, explorin g
what is safe and what is not.
Without hard-wired genetic programs (i.e., automatic programs)
this second stage would be impossible , and no mammal would ever leave the
teat. The hard-wire d program s act automaticall y

Prometheus Rising
(UNCONSCIOUSLY)
because if you had to stop and think out each situation , you woul d be eaten
by the first predator .
Of course, the imprint is made by chance
—
by the circum-
stances at the moment of imprint vulnerability . (Recall the goslin g who
imprinte d the ping-pon g ball.) Some imprin t brav-
ery, inquisitivenes s and the explorator y drive ; other s imprin t timidity ,
infophobi a (fea r of the unpredictable ) and withdrawal , of which the
extreme case is the sad imprint called autism or childhoo d schizophrenia .

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All of which is robotic , until one learns how to reprogra m and reimprin t
one's own brain circuits . In most cases, such meta-
programming skill is never acquired. It all goes by in a flash, on mechanica l
auto-pilot , in zero time. "I just found mysel f doing it," says the soldier
as he is being court-martialle d for cowardic e or decorated for bravery.
It's safe out here!

52
Prometheus Rising
Of course, on top of the hard-wired imprinting of the bio-
surviva l circui t comes "softer " conditioning . This allow s the safe-space
perimeter to be generalize d outward from the mother's body to the pack or
tribe—the
"extended family."
Every social anima l has, in additio n to the Darwinia n
"instinct" (genetic program) of self-preservation , a similar
"instinct" to protect the gene-pool. This is the basis of altruism, and socia
l animal s could not surviv e withou t it.
Wild dogs (and wolves) bark to warn the rest of the pack that an intruder is
coming. Your domesticate d dog identifies you as a pack-leader ; he barks to
warn you that an intrude r is coming . (He also barks, of course, to warn the
intrude r that he is ready to fight for his territory.)
As civilization has advanced, the pack-bond
(the tribe, the extended family)
has been broken.
This is the root of the widely diagnosed
"anomie"
or "alienation" or "existential anguish"
about whic h so man y socia l critic s have writte n so eloquently .
What has happene d is that the conditionin g of the bio-surviva l bond to the
gene-pool has been replaced by a conditioning of bio-survival drives to hook
onto the peculiar tickets which we call "money".
Concretely , a moder n man or woma n doesn' t look for bio-
survival security in the gene-pool , the pack, the extended family.
Bio-surviva l depend s on gettin g the tickets . "You can't live withou t
money, " as the Livin g Theatr e troop used to cry out in anguish . If the
tickets are withdrawn , acute bio-surviva l anxiety appear s at once.
Imagine , as vividl y as possible , wha t you woul d feel , and what you would
do, if all your sources to bio-surviva l tickets
(money ) were cut off tomorrow . This is precisel y what tribal men and wome n
feel if cut off from the tribe ; it is why exile , or even ostracism , were
sufficien t punishment s to enforce tribal conformit y throughou t mos t of
huma n history . As recentl y as
Shakespeare's day the threat of exile was an acute terror signal
("Banished!" cries Romeo, "the damned use that word in
Hell!")
In traditiona l society , belongin g to the tribe was bio-security ;
exile was terror, and real threat of death. In modern society, having the
tickets (money) is bio-security ; having the tickets withdraw n is terror.

Prometheus Rising
Welfare-ism , socialism , totalitarianism , etc. represen t at-
tempts, in varyin g degree s of rationalit y and hysteria , to re-creat e the
tribal bond by making the State stand-i n for the gene-pool .
Conservative s who claim that no form of Welfar e is tolerabl e to them are
askin g that peopl e live with total bio-surviva l anxiet y and anomie combine
d with terror. The conservatives , of course , vaguely recogniz e this and ask
for "local charity " to replace

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State
Welfare
—
i.e., they ask for the gene-poo l to be restored by magic, among people
(denizen s of a typica l city) who are not geneticall y related at all.
On the other hand, the State is not a gene-poo l or a tribe, and canno t
really play the bio-surviva l unit convincingly . Everybod y on Welfare
becomes paranoid, because they are continually wor-
rying that they are going to get cut off ("exiled" ) for some minor infractio
n of the increasingl y incomprehensibl e bureaucrati c rules. And in real
totalitarianism , in which the bogus identifica -
tion of the State with the tribe is carrie d to the point of a new mysticism ,
the paranoi a become s total.
Real bondin g can only occur in face-to-fac e group s of reason -
able size. Hence, the perpetual attempt (however implausible in industria l
circumstances ) to decentralize , to go back to the tribal ethos, to replac e
the State with syndicate s (as in anarchism ) or affinity-groups (Reich's
"Consciousnes s III"). Recall the hippie crash-pa d of the sixties , whic h
lives on in many rural communes .
Back in the real world, the tickets called
"money"
are the bio-
surviva l bond for most people . Anti-Semitis m is a comple x aberration , of
many facets and causes , but in its classic form (the
"Jewis h Bankers ' Conspiracy" ) it simpl y holds that a hostil e gene-poo l
control s the tickets for bio-security . Such paranoi a is inevitabl e in a
mone y economy ; junkie s have simila r myth s about who control s the suppl y
of heroin . Thus, as anti-Semitis m has declined in America , the "Bankers '
Conspiracy " lives on in a new form . Now the villain s are old New Englan d
WAS P fami-
lies, the "Yanke e Establishment. " Some Leftist s will even show you charts
of the genealogie s of these WASP bankers , the way anti-Semite s used to show
Rothschil d genealogies .

54
Prometheus Rising

Prometheus Rising
5
5
C.H. Douglas, the engineer and economist , once made up a chart, which he
showed to the MacMillan Commission in 1932
when they were discussin g money and credit regulation . The chart graphed the
rise and fall of interest rates from the defeat of
Napoleon in 1812 to the date the Commissio n met in 1932, and on the same
scale, the rise and fall of the suicide rate in that one twenty-yea r period.
The two curves were virtuall y identical . Every time the inter-
est rate went up, so did the suicide rate; when interest went down, so did
suicide . This can hardly be "coincidence. " When interest rises, a certain
number of businessmen go bankrupt, a certain numbe r of worker s are throw n
out of their jobs, and everybody's bio-survival anxiety generally increases.
Marxist s and other radical s are urgentl y aware of such factor s in "mental
health" and hence scornful of all types of academic psycholog y whic h ignor e
these bio-surviva l issues . Unfortu -
nately, the Marxist remedy—makin g everybody dependent for bio-surviva l on
the whim s of a State bureaucracy—i s a cure worse than the disease.
Bio-surviva l anxiet y will only permanentl y disappea r whe n world-wid e
wealth has reache d a level, and a distribution , where, withou t

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totalitarianism , everyon e has enoug h tickets.
The Hunge r Project , the idea of the Guarantee d Annua l
Income , Douglas'
Nationa l Dividen d plan, etc. represen t gropin g toward that goal. The ideal
can only be achieve d in a technolog y of abundance .
Extrem e cases—person s who take their heaviest imprin t on the first (oral)
circuit—ten d to be viscerotonic , becaus e this imprin t determine s lifelon
g endocrin e and glandula r processes .
Thus, in extrem e they are "baby-faced " in adult life, never lose their
"baby-fat, " are plump and round and gentle , etc. They are easily "hurt"
(threatened : terrified ) by disapprova l of any sort, because in the
baby-circui t of the brain, disapproval suggest s extinction by loss of the
food supply .
We all have this circui t and need to exerciz e it periodically .
Cuddling , sucking , huggin g etc. and daily playin g with (a) one's own body
(b) another's body and (c) the environment , are per-
petuall y necessar y to neurosomatic-endocrin e health. Those who deny such
primordial functions because of rigid imprinting on

5< 5
Prometheus Rising the Third (rationalistic ) or Fourth (moralistic) circuit
tend to become "dried up," "prune-faced," unattractive, "cold," and muscularl
y rigid.
The baby-function s of playin g with one's own body , another' s body and the
environmen t continu e throughou t life in all animals . This "playfulness "
is a marke d characteristi c of all con-
spicuousl y health y individual s of the sort Maslo w call s
"self-
actualizers. "
If this initia l imprin t is negative—i f the univers e in genera l and other
humans in particular are imprinted as dangerous, hostile and frightening—th e
Prove r wil l go on throughou t life adjustin g all perception s to fit this
map. This is what is known as the "Injustic e Collector " syndrom e (in the
languag e of Dr.
Edmun d Bergler) . The femal e member s of this imprin t gou p becom e Radica
l Feminists ; the male member s are less organize d and can be foun d in fring
e group s of the extrem e Lef t and extrem e Right .
Such a patter n is unconsciou s in thre e ways . It is unconsciou s becaus e
automatic : it happen s withou t thought , as a robo t pro-
gram. It is also unconsciou s becaus e it began befor e the infan t had
language and hence it is pre-verbal , inarticulate , felt rather than
considered. And it is unconscious because it is all-over-the -
body-at-once . Specifically , it is characterize d by the
Respiratory
Block first note d by
Wilhel m
Reich : a chroni c muscula r armor -
ing that prevent s proper , relaxe d breathing . Popula r speec h recognize s
this state as "bein g up-tight. "
All of the mos t successfu l reimprintin g technique s (therapies )
for this kind of chroni c anxiet y wor k on the bod y first , not on the
"mind." The
Reichians , Rolfers , Primal Scream therapists , Orr's
"rebirthers,"
Gesaltists, etc. all know, whatever specialized jargon s they may use, that a
bad bio-surviva l imprin t can only be corrected by working on the biologica l
being itself, the body that feels perpetuall y vulnerabl e and unde r attack .
Eve n Neurolin -
guisti c Programmin g (NLP ) begin s by inducin g the patien t to relax and

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breath e easily .
As Gregor y Bateso n has pointe d out. Konra d Loren z acquire d his marvelou
s insight s into the imprintin g process—fo r whic h he won the Nobe l prize—b
y consciousl y imitatin g the body move -
ments of the animals he was studying . Watchin g Lorenz lecture,

Prometheus Rising
5 7
one could "see" each animal he discussed , because Lorenz would dramatiz e or
"become " that animal , in the manne r of a Metho d
Actor.
Even earlier , Wilhel m Reich discovere d that he could under -
stand his patient s with remarkabl e clarit y by imitatin g their
characteristi c body movement s and postures . The bio-surviva l imprints ,
especiall y traumati c ones, are all-over-the-body , froze n
(in Reich' s metaphor ) in chroni c muscl e and gland mechanisms .
If you can't understand somebody's "irrational" behavior, start by observin g
their breathing . You will very quickl y get an idea of what is botherin g
them. This is why all school s of yoga—
Buddhist, Hindu or Sufi—plac e such emphasis on restoring natu-
ral breathin g befor e tryin g to mov e the studen t on to highe r circuit s
and wider consciousness .
This is of more than "psychological " import. Every study of the psychosomati
c aspect s of cance r and asthma , for instance , finds this patter n of
chroni c muscula r contractio n (subjectivel y felt as anxiety ) amon g the
predisposin g factors . Wha t the
Thinke r thinks , the Prove r proves . Peopl e are stranglin g their inner
organ s ever y day becaus e they are afraid.
Mary Bake r Eddy may have been exaggeratin g slightl y when she said, "All
illness is manifeste d fear;"
but holisti c medicin e more and more recognize s that if that damne d word
"all" is replaced by a more tentativ e "most," Mrs. Eddy was close to the
facts .
Even old-fangled M.D.s who won't consider holistic ideas for a minute , admit
that some person s are mysteriousl y "more sus-
ceptible " to diseas e than other persons . What is this metaphysica l
"susceptibility" ? Anthropologis t Ashley Montag u has collecte d numerou s
statistic s on childre n who were deprive d of materna l love at the crucia l
poin t of imprin t vulnerabilit y in infancy . The y not only died younge r
than the nationa l average , but were sicklie r all their lives and even grew
up to be severa l inche s shorte r than the averag e adult heigh t for their
sex.
What make s for "susceptibility " (aside from possibl e geneti c factors ) can
only be such an anxiet y imprin t (muscl e tension ) on the first circuit .
Christia n
Science—o r any othe r religio n that dogmaticall y insists that
"God" wants us to be happy and successful—
can

55
Prometheus Rising cure such condition s "miraculously. "
What the Thinker thinks the
Prover proves.
Absolut e faith that "God" is supportin g you, beame d out from the brain all
day long, day after day, signal s the muscles to relax, and natural buoyancy
and health returns.
Throughout human life, when the bio-survival circuit senses danger, all other
mental activity ceases.

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All other circuits shut down until the bio-surviva l problem is "solved, "
realisticall y or symbolically . This is of crucial importance in mind-washin
g and brain-programming .
To create a new imprint, first reduce the subject to the state of infancy,
i.e., bio-surviva l vulnerability . We will enlarge upon this later.
In pre-neurological terms, the bio-survival circuit is what we usually call
"consciousness,"
per se.
It is the sense of being here-
now, in this vulnerable body, subject to the raw energies and forces of the
physical universe. When we are "unconscious, " the bio-survival circuit is
turned off and doctors may cut us up with-
out our attemptin g to flee or even crying out.
EXERCIZES
1.
Determin e to enjoy this primitiv e circuit fully from now on.
Play with yoursel f and others and the environmen t shamelessly, like a
newborn baby. Meditate on "Unless ye become as a little child, ye shall in no
wise enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
2. Never mind your diet—you will reach the optimum weight for your height when
your brain is operating properly. Enjoy one really sweet and gooey desert
every week. Diabetics, of course, should buy this goody in the non-sugar
section.
3. Get "high" (on marijuana if this is permissible to your superego, or on
ginseng, which is legal everywhere and recom-
mended by many holisti c physicians ) and then go to a health spa.
Enjoy a good swim, a massage and a sauna. Repeat every week, forever.
4. Take a course on kung fu or karate for at least three months, then re-read
this whole chapter. You will be surprised at how much more every sentenc e
will mean .
5. Lie on your back and pant rapidl y to the count of 20. (Each exhale-inhal e
cycle counts as one, not as two.) Panting means breathin g rapidl y throug h
your mouth , as forbidde n by almos t all

Prometheus Rising
59
expert s on health , but this is only an exercise , not a full-tim e practice
. When you reach 20, stop and resume nose-breathing , in the slow, rhythmi c
manne r recommende d by yogis , to the count of 20. Then repeat the pantin g
to the count of 20. Then repeat proper yoga breathing .
This is known as the "breat h of fire" in Tantri c yoga. The results are most
amusin g and enlightening . Try it!'
6. Visit an aquariu m and observ e very closely . Try to see the bio-surviva l
circuit of the fish brain in operation and recognize when and how that circui
t in your own brain has operate d throughou t you r life.
7. If you don't have a baby, or haven' t had one for many years, play with
somebod y else's baby for an hour. Then reread this chapter .
Like opiate use, this exerciz e seems to trigger neuro-transmitter s similar
to mother' s milk; i.e., it takes you back to the snug securit y of
breast-feeding . And it is not addictive .

CHAPTE R FOU R
THE ANAL EMOTIONA L
TERRITORIA L CIRCUIT
Run , puppy , run !

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Run , puppy , run !
Yonde r come s the big dog —
Run , puppy , run !
— Children' s rhym e
61

The second circuit, the emotional-territoria l network s of the brain, is
concerne d entirely with power politics. This "patriotic "
circuit is built into all vertebrate s and is perhaps 500 million to
1000 million years old. In the modern human it seems to be centralized in the
thalamus—
the
"back brain" or "old brain" and is linked with the voluntary nervous system
and the muscles.
This circuit appears in each newbor n when the DNA master tape sends out
RNA
messenge r molecule s to trigger the mutatio n from neonate to
"toddler,"
which involve s first of all standin g erect. Walking , masterin g gravity,
overcomin g physica l obstacle s and learnin g to manipulat e other s
politicall y are the vulnerabl e points at which imprintin g and heavy
conditionin g occur. The muscles that perform these power function s are
quickly pro-
gramme d with what becom e chronic , life-lon g reflexes .
Depending as always the accidents of the environment—
what happen s at point s of neurologica l vulnerability—thi s circui t will
organize itself into a strong, dominatin g role in the pack (or family ) or a
weak , submissiv e role. Withou t goin g into the jungles with the ethologists
, one can observe this mammalia n imprintin g process in any litter of puppies
. It is very quickly determined who is TOP DOG and who is BOTTOM DOG.
Status in the pack or tribe is assigned on the basis of pre-
verba l signalin g syste m (kinesics ) in whic h these muscl e reflexe s are
crucial. All of the emotiona l games or cons listed in the popular
psychologica l game-manual s of Dr. Eric Berne and the
Transactiona l Analyst s are second-circui t imprints , or standard mammalia n
politics .
To quote from my novel
Schrodinger's
Cat:
Most of the domesticate d primate s of Terra did not know they were primates .
The y though t they wer e somethin g apar t from and "superior " to the rest
of the planet.
Even Benn y Benedict' s "On e Mont h to Go" colum n was base d on that
illusion . Benn y had actuall y read Darwi n once , in colleg e a long tim e
ago , and had hear d of science s like etholog y and ecology , but the fact s
of evolutio n had neve r reall y registere d on him . He neve r though t of
himsel f as a primate . He neve r realize d his friend s and associate s wer e
primates . Abov e all, he neve r understoo d that the alpha males of Unista t
wer e typica l leader s of primat e bands . As a resul t of this inabilit y to
see the obvious , Benn y was constantl y alarme d

64 Prometheus Rising and terrified by the behavior of himself, his friends
and associ-
ates and especiall y the alpha males of the pack. Since he didn't know it was
ordinar y primat e behavior , it seeme d just awfu l to him.

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Since a great deal of primate behavior was considered just awful, most of the
domesticate d primate s spent most of their time trying to concea l what they
were doing.
Some of the primates got caught by other primates. All of the primates lived
in dread of getting caught.
Those who got caught were called no-good shits.
The term no-goo d shit was a deep expressio n of primate psychology . For or
instance , one wild primate (a chimpanzee )
taught sign language by two domesticated primates (scientists)
spontaneously put together the signs for "shit" and "scientist"
to describ e a scientis t she didn't like. She was callin g him shit-
scientist. She also put together the signs for "shit" and
"chimpanzee" for another chimpanzee she didn't like. She was calling him
shit-chimpanzee.
"You no-goo d shit," domesticat e primate s often said to each other.
This metaphor was deep in primate psychology because primates mark their
territories with excretions, and sometimes they threw excretion s at each
other when disputin g over terri-
tories.
One primate wrote a long book describin g in vivid detail how his political
enemies should be punished. He imagined them in an enormou s hole in the
ground , with flame s and smoke and rivers of shit. This primat e was named
Dante
Alighieri.
Another primate wrote that every primate infant goes through a stage of being
chiefly concerne d with bio-survival , i.e., food, i.e., Mommie' s Titty. He
called this the Oral Stage.
He said the infan t next went on to a stage of learnin g mam -
malian politics, i.e., recognizing the Father (alpha-male) and his Authority
and territorial demands. He called this, with an insight that few primate s
shared , the Anal Stage.
This primate was named Freud. He had taken his own nervous system apart and
examine d its componen t circuits by periodically altering its structure with
neurochemicals .
Amon g the anal insult s exchange d by domesticate d pri-
mates when fightin g for their space were: "Up your ass," "Go shit in your
hat," "You'r e full of shit," and many others .

Prometheus Rising 65
One of the most admire d alpha-male s in the Kingdo m of the Frank s was
Genera l Canbronne . Genera l Canbronn e won this adulatio n for the answe r
he gave when asked to surrende r at Waterloo .
"Merde,"
was the answe r Genera l Canbronn e gave.
The word petard means a kind of bomb . It comes from the same
Olde
English root as fart.
General Canbronne's mentality was typical of the alpha-
males of the military caste.
When primate s went to war or got violen t in other ways , they always said
they were about to knock the shit out of the enemy .
They also spoke of dumpin g on each other.
The standar d "authority " reflex on the emotional-territoria l circuit is to
swell the muscle s and howl . You will find this among birds as well as
mammals, and in the Board meeting of your local bank. The standar d
"submission " reflex is to shrink the muscles , lower the head, and "craw l
away. " You will find this amon g dogs, primates , fowl and employee s who
wish to keep their jobs everywhere .
If the first (bio-survival ) circuit is chiefly imprinte d by the mother , the

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secon d (emotional-territorial ) circui t is chiefl y imprinte d by the
father—th e nearest alpha male.
It has been proposed , by sociologis t G. Rattra y
Taylor that societie s swing back and forth betwee n
"Matrist"
periods , in which motherl y

66
Prometheus Rising oral values predominate , and
"Patrist"
periods, in which fatherly anal values are in ascendance.
THE STANDAR D AUTHORIT Y REFLE X

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6j
Taylor's table of the characteristic s of these
"Matrist"
and
"Patrist"
periods is as follows:
Whethe r or not societie s wobbl e betwee n these extreme s as
Taylor claims , individual s certainl y do. These are merely the consequence s
of (a) havin g the heavies t imprin t on the oral
(Matrist ) bio-surviva l circui t or (b) havin g the heavies t imprin t on the
anal
(Patrist )
territoria l circuit .
In pre-ethologica l terms, the emotional-territoria l circui t is what we
usually call "ego."
Ego is simply the mammalian recog-
nition of one's status in the pack;
it is a "role" as sociologists say, a single brain circuit which mistake s
itself for the whole
Self, the entire brain-min d apparatus . The "egotist " behave s like
"a two year old," in the commo n saying , becaus e Ego is the imprin t of the
toddlin g and toilet-trainin g stage.
The questio n of how huma n an anima l is (especiall y a pet dog or cat) never
ceases to divide scientist s from laypersons—an d one scientis t fro m another
. In term s of the presen t theory , the difference s betwee n domesticate d
primate s (humans ) and other domesticate d animal s are virtuall y nil, as
long as we are talkin g only about the first two circuits . (Sinc e most peopl
e spend most of their time on these primitiv e circuits , the difference s are
often

68
Prometheus Rising much less obvious than the similarities.) Real differences
begin to appear when the third, semantic circuit enters the picture.
MOST MAMMALS MARK THEIR TERRITORIES WITH
EXCRETIONS . DOMESTICATE D PRIMATE S MARK THEIR
TERRITORIE S WITH INK EXCRETION S ON PAPER.
For instance , novice dog-trainer s always make the mistake of using too many
words.
Because the dog is so "human" in so many ways (canines, like primates, are
great mimics), the novice imputes too much "humanity" to them. The average dog
has a vocabular y of aroun d 150 words , and withi n that semanti c univers e
is quite bright . It is very easy to teach a dog the mean-
ing of "Sit," "Stay," "Attack," etc.; and the dog will learn the meaning of

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"walk" and "food" even without your trying to teach him. The problem begins
when the novice expects the dog to understan d somethin g like "No, no,
Fritz—anywher e else in the bedroom , but not on the bed. " Eve n a
non-English-speakin g human would not grasp that, except vaguely. The dog
gives up

Prometheus Rising on such sentence s and guesse s what he can from your mamma
-
lian (and unconscious )
body-language.
Understandin g these distinction s can vastly improv e primate -
canine communication . For instance , my wife , a sociologist , trained our
dog, Fang, not to beg at the table in the most direct mammalia n languag e
possible . She simpl y growled at him the first few times he approache d her
while she was eating . (She had been readin g ethology , of course. ) Fang
understoo d fully ; he soon learne d to avoid the table while the Pack-Leader
s (my wife and myself ) were eating. His genetic program s told him we were
the Big Dogs, or as close to the Big Dogs as he could find in that environment
; dogs, like wolves , have a geneti c progra m about not annoyin g the Big
Dogs while they'r e eating . The growl told him all he neede d to know about
the local parameter s of that rule. Fang, incidentally , was a
Dachshund-Labrado r mix, and strange-lookin g to most humans . Peopl e woul d
stop me on the street while I was walkin g him and ask, "What...IS..
.that???"
Persons (extrem e cases) who take the heaviest imprin t on this
territorial-emotiona l circui t tend to be musculotonic . That is, they hold
most of their attentio n and energy , in the muscula r attack-defens e system
s and grow up mediu m weight—
heavy enoug h to be hard to knoc k down , light enoug h to be quick and sinewy
. Often , they becom e body-builders , weight-lifter s etc.
and have an extraordinar y absorptio n in demonstratin g their strength .
(Even shakin g hands with them, you get the messag e that they are not
exchangin g amit y but demonstratin g power. )
Most societie s shunt these types into the militar y where their propensitie s
are put to prope r ethologica l use, defendin g the tribal turf. The anal
orientatio n of this circui t explain s the oddit y of militar y speec h first
noted by Norma n Mailer : "ass" mean s one's whole self and "shit" means all
surroundin g circumstance .

Prometheus Rising
IMPRINTING AFFECTS THE WHOLE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AFFECTS THE WHOLE BODY.

Prometheus Rising
The second, emotional-territorial circuit, creates a two-dimensional social
space in conjunction with first-circuit advance-retreat.

Prometheus Rising
The grid of Circuits I and II creates four quadrants . Note that
Hostile Strength (the tyrant) is inclined to paranoid withdrawal; he must
govern, but he is also afraid. Cf. the careers of Hitler, Stalin, Howard
Hughes, etc. and the inaccessible Castle and Court in
Kafka's allegories. Note also that the dependen t neurotic is not in retreat
at all; he or she advances upon you, demanding fulfillment of emotional
"needs" (imprints).

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Prometheus Rising
7
3
These four quadrant s have been known since the dawn of self-
consciousness . For instance , in the terminolog y of the medieva l psycholog
y of "humours, " thes e four imprint-type s are know n as:
Clockwise , the Sanguinar y type (friendl y strength ) was iden-
tified with the
Lion archetyp e and the element , fire.
The Lion, because of the dignity of these big cats, represent s "good"
strength , and the fire represent s power . The Phlegmati c type
(friendl y weakness ) was identifie d with the
Angel archetyp e and the element water:
these people are "too sensitiv e to fight" and
"go with the flow. " The Choleri c type s were identifie d with the
Bull archetyp e (truculen t suspicion , paranoia ) and the element , earth,
standin g for sluggis h pseudo "stupidity. " (This is the tradi-
tional stance of defeate d races dealin g with their conquerors. )
The Biliu s types (hostil e strength ) were identifie d with the
Eagle archetyp e (symbo l of Imperia l Rome , the Germa n royal family , etc.)
and the elemen t air, air probabl y means sky, because these types seem "high
and mighty. "
These symbol s go back a long way; Cabalist s find them in the
Old Testament (where, indeed, the lion-angel-bull-eagle appear in Ezekiel) .
They are found constantl y in Catholi c art, associate d with the four
evangelist s (Matthew-angel , Mark-lion , Luke-bull , John-eagle) and run all
throug h the design of Tarot card decks, 1
medieva l and modern .
1
These are the Four Old Men in
Finnegans Wake.
Matt Gregory , becaus e his last name contain s ego equal s the angel ; Marcu
s Lyon s equal s the lion ; Luk e
Tarpey equal s taur, the bull ; Johnn y McDouga l equals ouga l the eagle.

74 Prometheus Rising
In the clever language of the fashionable Transactiona l Anal-
ysis system , these four imprin t types are categorize d as the four basic
life scripts , to wit:
It is the Phlegmati c (friendl y weakness ; dependen t neurotic )
type who generall y turn up in the psychotherapist' s offic e seek-
ing reimprintin g voluntarily . They are not-okay , but they have great faith
that the therapis t is okay.
The Biliu s (hostil e strength ) and Choleri c (hostil e weakness )
arriv e in therapy , if at all, only becaus e thei r associate s or fami -
lies, or more commonly , a law court , has ordered them to try to reimprin t
their compulsiv e hostilities .
The Sanguinar y (friendly strength) type virtually never comes for
psychotherapy . He or she is satisfie d with his or her life, and so is the
rest of society . Alas, they nonetheles s can get to the positio n wher e they
need therap y of some sort, simpl y becaus e they may take on too much
responsibilit y and carry too many burdens. They will generall y arrive at the
therapist s only if sent there by an M.D . who has intuite d wher e thei r
ulcer s cam e from .
This syste m is not mean t to be rigi d or to impl y that ther e are only four
type s of humanoi d robots . The late r circuits , still to be discussed ,
modif y all this considerably : som e imprint s are wob-
bly (cover two or more quadrants partly); and we are all capable of sudde n

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brain change . It is also importan t to realiz e that the four archetype s are
for convenience only—
and the y are conve -
nient , as witnes s thei r reappearanc e in Transactiona l Analysis , where
thei r historica l connectio n with Lion-Angel-Bull-Eagl e isn't even
recognized . But each quadrant can be subdivide d much more sharply , if
necessar y for diagnosti c purposes .

Prometheus Rising
7 5
For instance , the most widel y used psychologica l test in this countr y the
Leary
Interpersona l Grid (1957 ) divide s the four quadrant s into sixtee n
sub-quadrant s and allow s one to grade each in terms of moderate-to-excessiv
e tendenc y to behave that way. In the grid on which the Leary categorie s are
drawn, the moderate imprints are in toward the center and the excessive or
extreme cases are out toward the perimeter , but what is being measure d is
still basicall y the way the first two circuit s (oral-bio -
surviva l and anal-territorial ) are imprinted .
To clarif y this a bit further , imagin e tha t fou r babie s wer e all born
at the same instant in John J. Boscowit z Memoria l Hospital , Enny Town,
planet Earth. We come back twenty years later and we find that each of them
has a separate personality and life-style
(a proble m for the astrologers , but let that pass). To make things easier
for us, they have actuall y lande d in our four quadrants .
Subject #1 is Responsible/Over-Conventiona l (Sanguinary) .
Everybod y agrees that SHe (she or he) is usuall y a belove d communit y
leader—helpful , considerate , friendl y and solidl y successful . Some may
even say SHe spoils people with kindness , forgive s anything , agree s with
everybod y and actuall y enjoy s governin g those who cannot govern themselves
. The noble Lion.
This person may be (and probabl y is) a total robot. That is, if
SHe can never give orders in a strict way, is never able to doubt others, is
never ego-centered , etc. then SHe has mechanicall y imprinte d the First
Quadrant , "friendl y strength. " On the other hand, if SHe is able to move
out of the First Quadran t in appro-
priate situation s (exercizin g hostilit y agains t the maraude r or predator
, admittin g weaknes s when overwhelmed) , SHe has an imprinted-conditione d
predilectio n for "I'm okay, you're okay,"
but is not totall y robotize d by it.

Prometheus Rising
LEARY'S INTERPERSONAL GRID

Prometheus Rising
77
THE FOUR QUADRANTS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN
MANY AGES AND EXPRESSE D IN MANY SYMBOLS .

j8
Prometheus Rising
Subject #2 has, after the same twenty years of imprintin g and conditioning ,
landed in Quadrant
2 friendly weakness
(Phleg-
matic). SHe is self-critical, shy, timid, easily led, "spineless," and always

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looking for somebody to Take Charge and Give Orders.
The unearthl y Angel , or in modem symbolism , the Flowe r Child .
Again , this imprinting-conditionin g may be totall y robotic , or there may
be enoug h flexibilit y for the perso n to jump to anothe r quadran t when
necessary .
Subjec t #3 had landed , wit h tota l robothoo d or wit h som e small
flexibility , in Quadran t 3, "Hostil e Weakness " (Choleric) .
She distrust s everybody , rebels agains t everything , speak s con-
stantl y in sarcasms , complain s chronicall y and is generall y bitter ,
resentfu l and (to som e extent ) paranoid . The sulle n Bull .
Subject #4 has landed in Quadran t 4, "Hostile Strength "
(Bilius), and is regarded as "bossy," cold, unfeeling , dictatorial ,
self-important , boastfu l etc. but still in the judgmen t of most , "a good
leader." The imperial Eagle.
The iron y and the traged y of huma n life is tha t non e of thes e subjects
are aware at all of their robotry. Each will explain to you, at great length
and with great conviction, why each of these robotic , endlessly-repeate d
reflexe s are caused by the situation s around them, i.e., by the "bad"
behavior of other people.
WHAT THE THINKER THINKS, THE PROVER PROVES.
Thus, if you put these four primates on a desert island, you can predict ,
with virtuall y as muc h certaint y as a chemis t tellin g us what will happen
if four element s are compounded , that
Subject #1 and
#4
(Friendly Strength and Hostile Strength) will both try to take over—#1
to help the others, #4 because SHe can't imagin e anybod y else in control .
#1 will submi t to #4
becaus e #1 want s thing s to run smoothl y for the good of all, and they neve
r will run smoothl y if #4 is not TOP DOG . #2, Friendl y
Weakness , wil l not care whethe r
#1
or #4 rules , just so long as somebod y else is makin g the decisions . And #3
will complai n
(and complain , and complain) , no matte r who is in charge , while skillfull
y avoidin g any actio n tha t woul d requir e takin g persona l responsibility
.

Prometheus Rising
7 9
The same politica l decision s woul d be mad e by four chim -
panzee s or four dogs , if they hav e the four imprin t quadrant s equall y
divide d as in our hypothetica l example .
Sociobiologists , who are very awar e of these four quadrant s in both huma n
and anima l societies , clai m that each organis m is born with a geneti c
predispositio n to play one of these roles .
Critic s of sociobiology , who are dogmati c Liberals , denounc e this idea as
monstrous . We will not attemp t to decid e that diffi -
cult questio n here, since any attemp t to decid e what aspect s of behavio r
are geneti c and wha t are learne d afte r birt h alway s descend s into
ideologica l metaphysic s in the prevailin g absenc e of real data. We say
merel y that, whethe r or not you or I were born with a predispositio n for
one quadrant , all organism s are born with a predispositio n for imprint
vulnerability, and the imprint , once set in the neura l circuitry , acts as
roboticall y as any geneti c hard-wiring .
How imprint s can be change d will be discusse d as we proceed . The exercize
s in each chapte r are intende d to make imprint s a little less rigid , a
little more flexible .
The top two quadrant s of the Lear y grid—Friendl y

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Strengt h and Hostil e
Strength—correspon d roughl y to wha t Nietzsch e called
Herrenmoral, the ethics of ruling classes . Indeed , Hostil e
Strengt h is the embodimen t of Nietzsche' s "Blon d Beast, " the primitiv e
conqueror-pirat e typ e we find at the daw n of ever y civilization . This is
what Nietzsch e also calle d the "animal " or
"unsublimated"
form of the Will to Power.
(Friendl y Strengt h on the othe r hand does not correspond , excep t very
slightly , to Nietzsche' s
"sublimated
Will to Power."
To find tha t we wil l hav e to wai t unti l we com e to the Fift h
[Neurosomatic ]
Circuit—th e stag e of Consciou s Evolution. )
The botto m two quadrants—Friendl y
Weaknes s and Hostil e
Weakness—correspon d to Nietzsche' s
Sklavmoral, the ethics of slaves, serfs and
"lower"-cast e or
"lower"-clas s person s everywhere . Nietzsche' s concep t of
"resentment"—
the hidde n reveng e motiv e withi n "altruistic "
philosophies—claim s there is an elemen t of hostilit y withi n even the
Friendl y Weaknes s side of the grid; i.e., in conventiona l "Christia n
ethics, " as typifie d by the imag e of "gentl e Jesus , meek and mild. " This
paradox—th e
Friendly Weakling is a Hostile Weakling in disguise, the Flower

So
Prometheus Rising
Child a potentia l Mansonize d robot-killer—reappear s in modern clinical
parlance as the concept of "passive aggressive."
Occultist s in their strange jargon describe these types as
"psychic vampires."
This is why Nietzsche claimed that St. Paul had destroyed the evangel
(good news) of Jesus and replaced it with a dysangel
(bad news). The evange l of Jesus, as Nietzsch e saw it, was the sublimated
Will to Power, the path of consciou s evolutio n to
Superhumanity . The dysangel, the bad news, created by St. Paul was traditiona
l
Sklavmoral—
"Slaves, obey your masters, " but nouris h your resentment with the firm
belief that you are "good, "
and they are "evil," and you will eventually have the pleasure of watchin g
them burn in hell forever . In Nietzsche' s analysis , all
Marx added to this was the idea of burnin g and punishin g the
Master Class here and now instead of waiting for "God" to attend to the matter
post mortem.
The same analysi s appear s in e.e. cummings ' unforgettabl e couplet on the
Communis t intelligentsi a of the
1930s:
every kumra d is a little bit of concentrate d hate
It is interesting , in this connection , that Nietzsch e droppe d
"psychological " languag e from his books as he went along and replaced it
with "physiological" language. For instance, in his later works, such as
The Anti-Christ, the
"resentment"
within slave-moralit y (conventiona l Christianity ) is diagnose d as a

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physiological reaction characteristic of certain physical types.
Nietzsch e was on the right track, but lackin g neurolog y he looked for the
physical basis of these processe s in genetics alone.
Imprintin g theory suggests , on the contrary , that such physiolog -
ical Bottom Dog reflexes are created by specific triggers at early moment s of
imprin t vulnerability .
But they are nonetheles s all-over-the-body-at-onc e and hence physiological .
Any Method Actor knows this and his body will swell physicall y if he is
playin g a stron g characte r and shrin k if he is playin g a weakling . Rod
Steiger , in particular , actuall y seems taller or shorter depending on
whether he is playing a Top
Dog or a Botto m Dog.

Prometheus Rising
81
Remembe r again that all these categorie s are for convenience and that nature
has not employe d the sharp boundarie s that we use in our models of nature.
Thus, with Leary's 1957 schemata , we can furthe r sub-divid e our 4 types
into 16 types with 4
degrees of each, for a total of 64 sub-types .
In the next section , to simplif y wha t may be growin g too complex , we will
reduce everythin g again just to the inter-
action s of the first two circuits .
Any system for describin g huma n behavio r shoul d be flexibl e enoug h to be
extende d indefinitely , and shoul d also still contai n meanin g when reduce
d back to its fundamentals .
Since we all contain a territorial-emotiona l circuit we need to exercize it
daily.
Playing with childre n is one good exercize—especiall y if you play with large
groups, in which case you will have to referee mammalia n territoria l
disputes . Swimming , joggin g or whateve r else appeal s to you is good, to
keep the muscle s from feeling you are trying to starve them. Trying to "psych
out" somebod y else's emotional state is one of the best exercizes for this
circuit, and is very educationa l in general . It activate s the old mamma l
centers in the thalamu s where body-languag e communicate s emotiona l signals
.
A good General uses this circuit to "psych out" what the enemy Genera l is
planning . A good mother uses it, vice versa, to figure out what baby's howl
means in each particula r case.
Advance d work with this circuit , involvin g some hazard s in personal
relations, would involve such games as learning to bully somebod y if you've
never been able to do that before , learnin g to submit docilel y if you've
never been able to do that before , and learnin g to expres s anger
appropriatel y and lettin g go of it when it is no longer necessary.
It will be observe d by the thoughtfu l or visually-oriente d readers that
each "extreme " type can be expresse d on the Leary
Grid as a very off-cente r pie-slice :

82
Prometheus Rising
Obviously , an ideall y "balanced "
person—tha t is, one not robotize d and able to adjus t to circumstance s as
they arise—
would not be so off-centered . Such a person would be able to move a little
bit into each quadran t "accordin g to the times and seasons " as the Chines e
say, but woul d basicall y maintai n a centered detachment between all of
them. She or he could be graphed as a circle:
The dark inne r circl e woul d represen t the adamantin e individ -

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uality of this ideally detache d person—detache d from robot imprints . The
grey circl e woul d represen t the abilit y to mov e out into each quadran t
in time s whe n that was necessary .
Circles of this sort, called mandalas, are widely used for meditatio n in the
Buddhis t tradition . Ofte n they are cornere d by four demon s who evidently
, like the Occidenta l lion , bull , ange l and eagle, represen t the extreme
s to be avoided .

Prometheus Rising
..
.being humus , the same returns .
— James Joyce , Finnegans
Wake
EXERCIZE S
1. Wheneve r you meet a young male or female, ask yourself consciously , "If
it came to hand-to-han d combat , coul d I beat him/her'
?"
Then try to determine how much of your behavior is based on unconsciously
asking and answerin g that question via pre-verbal
"body language."
2. Get roaring drunk and pound the table, telling everybod y in a loud voice
just what dumb asshole s they all are.
1
3. Get a book on meditation , practic e for two fifteen-minut e sessions every
day for a month , and then go see somebod y who always manage s to upset you
or make you defensive . See if they can still pres s you r territoria l retrea
t buttons.
2
4. Spend a week-en d at an Encounte r Group . Durin g the first half-day , try
to intuit whic h quadran t each participan t is comin g
1
Opiate s and small does of alcoho l seem to trigger neuro-transmitter s
characteristi c of Circui t I breast-fe d tranquillity .
Large dose s of alco -
hol often revers e this and trigge r neuro-transmitter s characteristi c of
territorial struggle. Note the anal vocabulary of hostile drunks as their
alcoholi c intake increases .
2
A good book on Meditatio n is
Undoing Yourself With Energized
Meditation & Other Devices, by Christophe r S. Hyatt , Ph.D. , (New
Falco n Publications) .

84 Prometheus Rising from. At the end, see if any of them have become less
robotized .
See if you have become less robotized .
5. Go to the Lion House at the zoo. Study the lions until you feel you really
understan d their tunnel-reality .
6. Rent a video of the kind of comedy that small children like—the
Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, etc. Observe care-
fully, and think abou t what functio n this humo r serves ; but don't neglect
to laugh at it yourself .
7. Spend all day Sunday looking at animal shows on TV
(getting stoned on weed, if this is permissibl e to you). Then go into the
office the next day and observe the primate pack hierar-
chy carefully, like a scientist .

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CHAPTE R FIV E
DICKENS & JOYCE:
THE TWO-CIRCUI T
DIALECTIC
That why all parks up excite d abou t his gunnfodder . That why ecrazyaztec s
and crime minister s preachin g him mornings .
— Jame s Joyce , Finnegans
Wake

THE GRACIOUS GODDESS AND THE
TERRIFYING GIANT HAUNT OUR
LEGENDS AND OUR LITERATURE.
Hearasay in parado x lust.
— Jame s
Joyce, Finnegans
Wake
86

The shock and disma y of the infan t when the harshnes s of tradi-
tional toilet trainin g introduce s the anal-Patris t second-circui t values
into the previousl y blissfu l oral-Matris t continuu m is conveye d with
great artistr y in Dickens '
David
Copperfield.
So overt is this sequence , indeed , that it is hard to believ e it was
actuall y writte n half a centur y befor e
Freud's clinica l writings .
Dicken s describe s an idylli c infanthoo d in which David lives with a widowe
d mothe r who can safely be characterize d as a human embodimen t of the bona
dea
(good goddess ) of the ancients (who lingers still as the "fairy godmother "
in children' s tales). Onto this happy scene intrude s the horribl e
step-fathe r Mr.
Murdston e whose "Jehovah complex " makes him an avatar of the punishin g
father-god . There is no way of obeyin g all of
Murdstone's rules; there are too many of them, and they are mostly unstate d
and implici t anyway . David undergoe s some monumental lashings on the
buttocks
(for his own good, of course, althoug h Dicken s emphasize s in a quite
Freudia n way the obviou s enjoymen t Murdston e obtain s from these sessions)
.
Quite naturally , David begins to internaliz e this anal system of values and
imagines he is quite a guilty little wretch and richly deserve s this torture
. Then Dicken s insert s the followin g scene, when Davi d return s from a
year at school :
I wen t in with quiet , timi d step . God know s how infantil e the memor y
may have been that was awakene d in me at the soun d of my mother' s voic e in
the old parlou r when I set foot in the hall. I think I must have laid in her
arms and heard her singin g to me whe n I was but a baby . The strai n was new
to me but it was so old that it fille d my hear t brimfu l like a frien d com
e back from a long absence .
I believe d from the solitar y and thoughtfu l way in whic h my mothe r
murmure d her song that she was alone , and I went softl y into the room . She
was sittin g by the fire , sucklin g an infan t whos e tiny han d she held
agains t her neck . Her eyes were lookin g dow n upo n its face and she sat
singin g to it. I
was so far right that she had no other companion . I spok e to her and she
started and cried out. But seeing me she called me her dear Davy , her own

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boy: and comin g half way acros s the room to meet me, kneele d down upon the
groun d and kisse d me, and laid my head down on her boso m near the little
creatur e that was nestlin g there, and put its hand up to my lips.

88 Prometheus Rising
I
wish I had died. I wish I had died then, with that feelin g in my heart. I
should have been more fit for heaven than I have ever been since.
The dream of return to oral bio-securit y is too overt to require commentary.
Similarly , in Joyce's monumenta l novel of the mind of a man asleep,
Finnegans
Wake, the Father and the Father-Go d are always associate d with war and
excretion , as Joyce schola r
William York Tindall has noted. As
"Gunn , the Farther, " the terrifyin g anal monste r combine s pistol , deity
and flatulence ; as
"Delude of Israel," he is the jealous (territorial) Old Testament
"Lord of Hosts," i.e., of battles. His insignia , the hundred letter
thunder-wor d which recurs ten times in the dream, always com-
bines Fatherhood , menace , defecatio n and war: for instance , in its first
appearanc e on page 1, it is:
bababalalgharaghtakamminaronnkonnbronnton nerronntounnthunntrovarrhounawnskawn
toohoohoondenthurnuk
Here we find
Baba
(Arabic , father) , phoneti c
Abba
(Hebrew , father), phonetic
Canbronne
(the general who so appropriately said merde when asked to surrende r the
territory) , phoneti c
Gaelic scan
(crack: of thunde r or of the anus), ronnen
(German -
ic, excretion) , the suggestiv e orden implyin g both Germani c medal for
valor and Englis h ordure, etc. The terrifyin g Father -
God elsewher e "Makes his manuvre s in open ordure" and preaches all the
anal-authoritaria n values : "No cods before me...
Thou shall not commi x idolatry.. .
Love my label like myself. "
He is the villain of the
"goddinpotty"
(garden party)—th e trick-
ster-god who set the baited trap in the Garden of Eden; the ego internalize d
in toilet-trainin g (potty) ; the god of thunde r and wrath
(god-din) .
Fleeing him, the
"unhappitant s of earth" always seek his opposite , ALP (German , dream ; also
the root of the first letters of the Greek and Hebre w alphabets—
alpha and aleph, the source, the beginning)—Ann a
Livia Plurabella , when her name is writte n in full: the waters of life
combine d with all beautifu l women . She is as oral and loving as "the
Omniboss "
is anal and threatening :

Prometheus Rising 89
...with a beak, with a spring , all her rillringlet s shaking , rock drops in
her tachie, tramtoken s in her hair, all waive d to a poin t and then all

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inuendation , littl e oldfashione d mummy , little wonderfu l mommy , duckin g
under bridges...as happy as the day is wet, babbling , bubbling , chatterin g
to herself , delootherin g the fields.. .
This amnioti c river-woma n is the perfec t mothe r of infantil e dream memory
and the Great Goddess of the ancients, the ideal bio-surviva l safe, warm
place and to her Joyce offers his most ferven t prayer :
In the nam e of Anna h the Allmaziful , the Everliving , the
Bringer of Plurabilites, haloed be her eve, her singtime sung, her rill be
run, unhemme d as it is uneven !
Humanity , in Joyce' s view as in Rattra y Taylor's , is foreve r leaving her
to follow the Hero (Father ) to "the bluddlefilt h of
Waterloo " (battlefiel d of Waterlo o with blood and excremen t superimpose d
to reveal the anal-territoria l roots of war) and then returning , temporaril
y chastened , "to list, as she bibs us, by the waters of babalong. "
In Chapter Three of
Finnegans
Wake, the "offenders"
(invaders ) and "defenders " (natives ) get so thoroughl y mixed up that all
that remain s is a composit e "fender " who takes the blame for everybody .
This cyclica l view of history , whethe r in Joyce , Rattra y
Taylor, Vico (Joyce' s source) , Hegel-and-Marx , etc. is only part of the
truth, but it needs to be stresse d becaus e it is the part that most people
fearfull y refuse to recognize . Whethe r we speak in terms of Taylor's
Matrist-Patrist dialectic, Vice's cycle of
Divine , Heroi c and Urbanize d ages, the Marx-Hege l trinity of
Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis , or any variatio n thereon , we are speaking of a
pattern that is real and that does repeat.
But it only does so to the extent that people are robotized :
trapped in hard-wire d reflexes .
When the accumulated facts, gimmicks, tools, techniques and gadgets of
neuro-science—the science of brain change and brain liberation—reaches a
certain critical mass, we will all be able to free ourselves from these robot
cycles.
It is the thesis of this book that we have been approachin g that critica l
mass for severa l

go Prometheus Rising decade s now and will reach the crossove r point faste r
than you expect.
The current rampages of territorial-emotiona l pugnacity sweepin g this plane
t are not just anothe r civilizatio n falling , Vico fashion .
They are the birth-pang s of a cosmi c Prometheu s rising out of the long
nightmar e of domesticate d primat e histor y
Of course , these are genetic/historica l generalization s which do not
precisel y matc h any specifi c family . The graciou s god-
dess/hostil e giant archetype s are not activate d in cases where the mothe r
is cold, rejecting , embittere d etc. and the fathe r is the warm , supportiv
e figure . The imprint s on the first and secon d circuit s are statisticall y
devian t in such familie s and anythin g may result— a shaman , a
schizophrenic , a genius , a homosexual , an artist , a psychologist , etc.
EXERCIZ E
In term s of the theor y so far developed , analyz e the followin g characters
:
;'• >
l.ScarlettO'Har a
2. King Kong
3. Odysseu s
4. Hamle t
5. Bug s Bunn y
6. Portno y

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7. Leopold Bloom
8. Richar d
M.
Nixo n
9. Thoma s Jefferso n
10. St. Paul
11 .
Donal d Duc k
12
lago
13.
Jane Eyre
14. Josef Stalin
15. Joan of Arc
16. Timoth y
Leary
17. Aleiste r Crowle y
18.
The Autho r
19. Mao

Prometheus Rising
20. Carl Jung
21.
The Secret
Chiefs
22. Hannibal Lecter, M.D.
23. You

CHAPTER SIX
THE TIME-BINDIN G
SEMANTIC CIRCUIT
It says that when you put two minds together , there is alway s a third mind,
a third and superio r mind, as an unsee n collaborator .
— Willia m S. Burrough s and Brio n Gysin , The Third Mind
93

HUMAN BEINGS ARE TIME-BINDER S
The third semanti c circui t handle s artifact s and make s a "map " (reality
-
tunnel) which can be passed on to others , even across generations .
These "maps" may be paintings , blueprints , words, concepts , tools
(with instruction s on use transmitte d verbally) , theories , music , etc.
94

Human beings
(domesticated primates)
are symbol-usin g crea-
tures; whic h means , as the pionee r semanticist , Korzybski , noted , that
those who rule symbols, rule us.
If Moses , Confucius , Buddha , Mohammed , Jesus and St. Paul can be considere
d livin g influences—an d they are: look aroun d the world—thi s is only
becaus e their Signa l has been carrie d to us by huma n symbo l systems .

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These system s includ e words , art-
works, music , rituals and unrecognize d rituals ("games" ) throug h which
cultur e is transmitted . Marx and Hitler , Newto n and
Socrates , Shakespear e and Jefferson , etc. continu e to "rule" parts of
humanit y in the same way—throug h the semanti c circuit .
We are rule d even more , and even less consciously , by the inventor s of the
wheel , the plow , the alphabet , eve n the Roma n roads.
Since words contain both denotations
(referent s in the sensory-existentia l world) and connotations
(emotional tones and poetic or rhetorica l hooks) , human s can be moved to
action even by words which have no real meanin g or referenc e in actuality .
This is the mechanis m of demagoguery , advertisin g and much of organize d
religion .
The bio-surviva l circui t only divide s experienc e into two sets:
that whic h is good for me or nourishing , and that whic h is bad for me or
threatening . The emotional-territoria l circui t also divide s the worl d
into two halves : that whic h is mor e powerfu l than me (highe r in the
peckin g order ) and tha t whic h is les s powerfu l than me (lowe r in the
peckin g order) . On this basis socio-biologica l system s evolv e and anima l
"societies " of truly huma n complexit y have been studied .
The semanti c circui t allow s us to sub-divid e things , and reconnec t
things , at pleasure.
There is no end to its busy-busy -
busy labelin g and packagin g of experience . On the persona l level, this is
the "interna l monologue " discovere d by Joyce in
Ulysses.
On the historica l level , this is the time-binding function describe d by
Korzybski , whic h allow s each generatio n to add new categorie s to our
menta l library—connectin g new things , separatin g new things , reclassifyin
g and reshufflin g forever . In this time-bindin g dimension . Einstei n
replace d Newto n befor e most of the world
1
had heard of Newton ; simpl e arithmeti c gave
1
Mos t of the worl d was illiterat e unti l the 1970s .
95

g6 Prometheus Rising birth to algebra , which brough t forth calculus , which
produce d tensor calculus , etc. Haydn and Mozart prepare d the way for
Beethoven , who broke into the realms that the Romantic s and
Wagnerian s took over, which gave birth to what is called music today.
So-calle d "future shock" has alway s been with us, since the semanti c
circuit began functionin g somewher e in pre-history .
In a symbolizing , calculating , abstractin g species , all times are
"times of change." The process is however accelerating faster as time passes,
becaus e the symbolizin g facult y is inherentl y self-
augmenting .
In ordinar y language , the semanti c circui t is usuall y called
"the mind." (As psychologist Robert
Ornstein said in a recent radio show, when we say someone "has a good mind,"
we gener-
ally mean they have a good mouth, i.e., they use the semanti c circuit well.)
In terms of Transactiona l Analysis , the first (oral ) circui t is called the
Natural Child, the second (emotional ) circuit is called the Adapted Child,
and the semanti c circuit is called the Adult or
Computer . In Jungia n terms , the first circui t mediate s sensation, the
second circuit feeling, and the third circuit reason.
The neurologica l component s of the first circui t go back to the oldest
parts of the brain; Carl Sagan called these function s "the reptile brain."

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These neural structure s are at least billions of years old. The second circui
t structure s appeare d with the first amphibian s and mammals , somewher e
around 1000 million or
500
million years ago; Sagan called them "the mammalia n brain." The semanti c
circuit appeare d perhap s 100 thousan d years ago; Sagan called it "the human
brain." It should be no surprise that most people , most of the time, are
controlle d more by the olde r reptilian-mammalia n circuit s tha n by the
huma n semanti c (rational ) circuit , or that the semanti c circui t is so
easily perverte d into false logics (bigotries , intoleran t ideologies ,
fanat-
icisms of all sorts) when the bio-surviva l circui t signal s threat to life
or the emotiona l circui t flashe s threa t to status .
Cynics , satirist s and "mystics " (circui t V-VII I types) have told us over
and over that "reason is a whore," i.e., that the semantic circui t is
notoriousl y vulnerabl e to manipulatio n by the older, more primitiv e
circuits . Howeve r much the Rationalis t

Prometheus Rising
9 7
may resent this, it is always true in the short run—that is, to use one of the
Rationalist' s favorite words, it is always pragmatically true. Whoever can
scare people enough (produce bio-surviva l anxiety) can sell them quickly on
any verbal map that seems to give them relief, i.e., cure the anxiety. By
frightenin g people with Hell and then offering them Salvation , the most
ignorant or crooked individuals can "sell" a whole system of thought that
cannot bear two minutes of rational analysis. And any domesti-
cated primate alpha male, however cruel or crooked, can rally the primate
tribe behind him by howling that a rival alpha male is about to lead his gang
in an attack on this habitat. These two mammalia n reflexes are known,
respectively , as Religion and
Patriotism. They work for domesticate d primates, as for the wild primates,
because they are Evolutionary Relative Successes. (So far. )
The emotional-territoria l or "patriotic" circuit also contains the pack's
status programs or pecking order. Working in tandem with first-circui t
bio-surviva l anxieties , it is always able to pervert the functioning of the
semantic-rational circuit. Whatever threatens loss of status, and whatever
invades one's "space"
(including one's ideological "head space"), is a threat to the average
domesticated primate. Thus, if a poor man has one status prop in his life—"I'm
a white man, not a goddam nigger" or
"I'm normal, not a goddam faggot" or whatever—an y attempt to preach
1
tolerance, common humanity , relativism , etc. is not processed through the
semantic circuit but through the emotional circuit, and is rejected as an
attack on status (ego, social role).
The attentive reader will remember that the grid of the first two circuits
puts the pre-verba l child in a two-dimensiona l world, which in the simplest
of our diagrams looked like this:
Of course , preachin g itsel f is bad secon d circui t politics , sinc e it
puts you one-up on the person preached-at.
You are not one-up unless imprinte d as such by bein g an alph a male in the
sam e gene-poo l or conditione d as such by being a "boss " or other
authority-figure . The counter-cultur e of the 1960s , like man y othe r
idealisti c movements , failed becaus e it did so muc h preaching from a
morall y one-u p posi -
tion when nobody had been imprinte d or conditione d to accept it as one-up .

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98 Prometheus
Rising
SUBMIT
The third, semanti c circuit seems intimatel y connecte d with three
dimensionalit y (althoug h our binocula r vision, of course, also plays a role
here). Specifically , right-handednes s is a human, or at least a primate ,
trait. Other mammal s show no right-han d preference ; they are ambidextrous .
Recent neurolog y has shown that our right-handedness is intimatel y connecte
d wit h our tendenc y to use the left hemi-
sphere of the brain more than the right. (The left-hande d minor -
ity are discusse d below) . Indeed , we use the right hemispher e so little in
ordinar y life that for a long time it was called "the silen t hemisphere."
Thus, there is a genetic (hard-wired ) preference , in most humans, for
right-handed manipulations and left-brain menta-
tions.
Now these connection s seem intimatel y involve d with our verbal , semanti c
circuitry , becaus e the left brain is the "talking "
brain. It is linear , analytical , computer-lik e and very verbal .
Thus, there is a neurologica l basis for the linkage betwee n map-
ping and manipulating.
The right hand manipulates the univers e
(and make s artifacts ) and the left-brai n maps the result s into a model ,
whic h allow s for prediction s abou t futur e behavio r of that part of the
universe . These are the distinctl y human
(post-
primate ) characteristics .
The left-handed , on the contrary , specializ e in right-brai n functions ,
whic h are holistic , supra-verbal , "intuitive, " musica l and "mystical. "
Leonardo , Beethove n and Nietzsche , for instance , were all left-handed .
Traditionally , left-hande d peopl e have been the subjec t of both drea d and
awe—regarde d as weird ,

Prometheus Rising
99
shamanic , and probabl y in specia l communicatio n with "God" or
"the Devil."
1
There is thus a cross-ove r which make s for a left-righ t polarit y in both
brain-functionin g and hand-functioning , each being a reverse mirror image of
the other:
This doubl e (and reversed ) right-lef t polarit y places us neuro-
logicall y in three-dimensiona l space. Rearrangin g our diagram and addin g
the third circuit , we can illustrat e the mind-fiel d as follows :
To visualize this two-dimensiona l sketch of a three-dimen -
sional syste m it is necessar y to imagin e that the advance-retrea t
1
Aleiste r Crowle y kne w abou t this pragmatically, befor e moder n neu -
rology . He taugh t his pupil s to lear n to writ e equall y wel l wit h bot h
hands , thereb y forcin g the dorman t righ t brai n to sprin g to activity .

IOO
Prometheus Rising axis is at right angles to the others—tha t is, "see" it
coming out of the page at you.
This is "Euclidean " space. It is obvious , in this context , why
Euclidean space was the first kind of space discovere d by math-
ematicians , and by artists, and why it still seems "natural " to us;
why some have great difficult y in imaginin g the non-Euclidea n kinds of
space used in modern physics .

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Euclidean space is a projection outward of the way our ner-
vous system s stacks informatio n on the bio-survival , emotiona l and semanti
c circuits .
Thus, the imprin t sites of this circui t are locate d in the left cortex and
closel y linked with the delicat e muscle s of larynx and the fine
manipulations of right-handed
"dexterity." The cortex itself is so recen t in evolutio n that it is often
called "the new brain"; it is found only in the higher mammals and is most
devel-
oped in humans and cetacean s (dolphin s and whales) .
Those extreme cases who take their heaviest imprint on the third circuit tend
to grow up cerebrotonic . They are tall and skinny, because energy is
perpetuall y drawn upward from the body into the head. The caricature d evil
genius , Dr. Syvlanu s in
Superman , who was virtually all head, represent s the extreme toward which
this type seems to be evolving . Popula r speech calls them "eggheads."
Almost always, these cerebrotoni c Third-Circui t types ignore or are hostil e
to their first and secon d circui t functions . Playful -
ness puzzles them (appear s silly or eccentric ) and emotion s both baffl e
and frighte n them .
Since we all contain this circuit, we all need to exercize it regularly . Make
up a schemati c diagram of your busines s or home and try to streamline it for
more efficiency. Design a chart that explain s the whole universe . Every few
years , study a science you know nothing about, at an Adult Education center.
And don't neglec t to play with this circuit : write poems , jin-
gles, fables, proverbs or jokes.
REMEMBER, MR. CROWLEY SAID:
YOU TOO ARE A STAR
P.S. HE ALSO SAID:
DO NOT LUST AFTE R RESULT S

Prometheus Rising
IOI
THE NEUROLOGICA L IMPRINT IS THE BLUEPRIN T
FOR THE ENTIR E ORGANISM .

IO2 Prometheus Rising
As with the earlie r circuits , the semanti c circui t builds all of its
conditionin g and learnin g onto a bedroc k of hard-wire d imprinting . Thus ,
many existentiall y thinkabl e thought s are sociall y unthinkable , sinc e
(a) everybod y in a give n societ y has roughly the same semanti c imprin t
and (b) this is reinforce d daily by assumption s that are mechanicall y taken
for granted .
Thus, a genius is one who, by some interna l process , breaks through to
Circuit
VII—a minor neurologica l miracle loosely called
"intuition"—an d comes back down to the third circuit with the capacit y to
paint a new semanti c map, build a new model of experience . Needles s to say,
this is always a profoun d shock to those still trapped in the old
robot-imprints , and is generally considere d a threat to territor y
(ideologica l head space). The long list of martyrs to free enquiry, from
Socrates onward , shows how mechanica l this neophobia
(fear of new semantic signals) is.
As Thoma s Kuhn showe d in
The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions science itself—th e apotheosi s of third-circui t semanti c
rationality—i s not free of this neophobia . Kuhn demonstrated , at length ,
that each scientifi c revolutio n took one full generatio n to turn ove r the

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old worl d view . And Kuh n further showed that the older scientists never are
converted to the new semanti c paradigm . They are, in our terminology ,
mechanicall y hooke d to their origina l imprints . The revolutio n is
complete , as Kuhn shows , only when a second generation , not hooked to the
old imprint , is able to compar e the two models and decides rationall y that
the newer one really does make more sense.
But if science, the most self-correctin g of all informatio n processin g
third-circui t functions , has this one-generatio n time lag, what can be said
of politics , religion , economics ? Time-lag s of centuries , or even
millenniums , are common there.'
We commente d earlier that in bio-surviva l neurology , there is no time.
"I just found mysel f doing it," we say after passin g throug h an automati c
refle x on the bio-surviva l circuit .
This only refers to other people's politics , religion s and economics ,
needless to sag. The reader's own opinions on these subjects are the only
reasonabl e and objectiv e ones. Of course.

Prometheus Rising
703
Emotional-territoria l circuit action s begin to includ e time as a factor.
Dominanc e signal s may not "work" : the seemingl y weake r mamma l may offer
a counter-challenge . Two dogs will walk aroun d each other for severa l
minute s growlin g and sniffin g
(the chemica l secretion s of each reveal s its actual degree of fear to the
other) before Top Dog and Bottom Dog become s clear.
On the huma n level , we often agoniz e over emotiona l decisions , becomin g
acutel y consciou s of time as we hesitate . As every suspens e write r knows
, the principl e way to increas e emotiona l tensio n is to set a time limit
on a difficul t or dangerou s decision . (See any
Star Trek script ; the time-limi t is never missing . Or see any of Irving
Wallace' s bestsellers . Suspens e is always increased , of course , if the
time-limi t is abruptl y shortene d just befor e the climax. )
On the third circuit , time become s conceptualized as well as experienced.
We know ourselve s as creature s of time; the "tale of the tribe," the totem
pole, the
Odyssey of Homer , the
Old
Testament, the
Vedas, etc. tell us wha t came befor e and often contain s prophecie s of what
will come later. Scienc e expand s the third circui t into contemplatio n of
time-span s that stagge r our imaginations . The very use of writte n language
s and othe r symbol s like mathematic s creates the time-bindin g sense of
Korzybski:
we know ourselves as receivers of messages sent by sages "of olde"
and as potentia l transmitter s of message s that may be scanne d ages in the
future .
The fourt h circui t cause s us to be even more involve d in, and pressured
by, time.
In closin g this chapte r let us be reminde d that Giordan o
Brun o was burne d at the stake Februar y
18, 1600, for teachin g that the earth moves . Was he guilty or not?
EXERCIZE S
1.
If you are a Liberal , subscrib e to the
National Review, the country' s most intelligen t (and witty ) conservativ e
magazine , for a year. Each mont h try to enter their reality-tunne l for a
few hours while readin g their articles .
2. If you are a Conservative , subscrib e to the
New York

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Review of Books for a year and try to get into their head-spac e for a few
hour s a month .

IO4
Prometheus
Rising
3. If you are a Rationalist , subscrib e to
Fate magazin e for a year.
4. If you are an occultist , join the Committe e for the Scientifi c
Investigatio n of Claims of the Paranorma l and read their journal , The
Skeptical Inquirer, for a year.
5.
Buy a copy of the
Scientific American and read any article in it. Ask the followin g questions
: Why do they soun d so sure?
Does the data suppor t dogmatis m at this point, or is dogma a primate habit
(defendin g head-space) ?
Will these theorie s still be believed in
2011?
In 2593?
6. Get into a discussio n of philosoph y with an educate d
Marxist , an intelligen t Moslem and a Japanes e businessma n at the first
opportunity .
7. Buy some ZOOM or LIFT (two names for the same caf-
feine-hig h stimulant ) at a Health Food Store. (This gives a close
approximatio n of the effect s of illegal cocaine. ) When you are
Zoomin g or Lifte d and your mind is racing , find a victi m and ex-
plain the univers e to him or her, until they are able to escape you.
What you experienc e in this "speed rap" is what the head of the compulsiv e
Rationalis t is always like. This is the verbal circui t gone wild and totall
y obliviou s to informatio n comin g in on any other circuit. It explain s why
most people cannot stand
Rationalists. "Speed" drugs evidently trigger neuro-transmitter s
characteristi c of the verba l center s of the left cortex .

CHAPTER SEVEN
THE TIME-BINDING
DIALECTIC:
ACCELERATIO N &
DECELERATIO N
In the dialecti c betwee n nature and the sociall y constructe d world, the
huma n organis m is transformed . In this dialecti c man produce s reality and
thereb y produce s himself .
— Berger and Luckman , The Social Construction of Reality
105

The first and second circuits are Evolutionar y Stable Strategies .
They have worked, in more or less the same form, not just for primates but for
other mammals , and for many other species, over vast aeons of time.
The third, semantic circuit is an Evolutionar y Unstable Strat-
egy. It could very accuratel y be called revolutionary rather than
evolutionary.
The first two-circuit s are based on negative feedback, in the biological
sense. They maintain hotneostasis

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—
that is, they return, over and over, to the same ecological-ethological bal-
ances. The functio n of negativ e feedbac k is to return to such a steady
state.
The time-bindin g semantic circuit is not based on such steady-stat e positive
feedback . It is a mechanis m of what cyber-
neticists and biologists called positive feedback.
It does not return to a steady state, but constantl y seeks a new equilibriu m
at a higher energy level. (Negativ e feedbac k returns to a fixed point, like
a thermostat . Positive feedback seeks a moving goal, like a guided missile.)
The first two circuit s maintai n that which is (more or less)
constan t in human affairs . They are totally cyclical, and relate directly to
the cycles found in history by Vico, Hegel and similar philosophers .
The third circuit has always been hemmed-i n and heavily sanctioned with
rules, laws, prohibitions , taboos, etc. because it breaks up such cycles. It
leads, if unleashed, to an upward-
hurtling spiral.
In societies where
.the third, semanti c circuit has been partially unleashed—i t has never been
totally freed in any society—th e upward spiral immediately appears. This used
to be known as
"progress," before that word became unfashionable.
The upward spiral (whether we call it "progress" or not) is characteristi c of
wha t
Kar l
Poppe r calls Ope n Societies . Thes e are secular, humanisti c
societies—culture s relatively free of taboo and dogmatism .
Such freedom , up to and includin g the present , is only rela-
tive, because many taboos are unconsciou s and pass themselve s off as "common
sense" or "common decency," etc. Whoever challenge s them is by definitio n a
"heretic, " by definitio n a
"traitor," or by definition "an irresponsibl e nut."
707

IO8
Prometheus Rising
(Rationalists , who dominate in relatively
Open Societies, also have their own taboos, as we shall see.)
It was historia n Henr y Adam s who first conceive d the idea that there migh
t be a mathematica l expressio n describin g the rate of change of human
societies .
Under the influenc e of Newton' s physics , Adams suggested —
and he was very tentativ e about this: a fact to be remembere d by those who
ridicul e his
"naivete"—tha t the utilizatio n of energ y might move forwar d as the invers
e squar e of time just as
Newton' s gravit y function s as the invers e squar e of distance.
Accepting the anthropology of his day, Adams assumed humanit y in its presen t
form was about 90,000 plus years old. He then reckone d that it took mos t of
that time to arriv e at Galileo , the scientifi c method , the beginning s of
the Industria l Revolu -
tion, and the great leap forward in energy utilizatio n characteris -
tic of the "modern" age, or the Open Society.
Since 300 is the inverse square of 90,000, Adams assume d that the next great
leap was happenin g whil e he was writing , around
1900—300
years after Galileo. Looking about him, he decide d this next jump to highe r
energ y was occurrin g in the researche s of the Curies , :who had discovere d
radioactivity . As many commentator s have noted , it is impossibl e to read

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Adam s on this subjec t withou t feeling that he is very accuratel y forecast
-
ing the Atomic Age.
Adam s wen t further , wit h the exhilaratio n of a grea t idea .
Since
17
plus is the invers e squar e of 300, he predicte d that the next great
evolutionar y stage would begin in 1917 plus. And, since the inverse square of
17 is 4 plus, he predicted the next step in aroun d 1922 . By then , he said ,
we shoul d have infinit e energ y at our disposal . It didn' t quit e work out
that way .
Nevertheless , Henr y Adam s was on the right track. His math was just
over-simplified .
Also "on the right track " was Henry' s brother , Brooks , who was also lookin
g for "laws " in history . Brook s observe d a patter n which may or may not
be entirely true but is as approximatel y true as the similar generalization s
of Vico, Hegel, Marx and
Toynbee . Every civilization , Brooks Adams proposed , goes throug h fou r
stages :

Prometheus Rising
109
1.The monopolization of knowledge by priests. E.g., the
Egyptian priests kept written languag e a secret among them-
selves, as did the
May an priests.
2. The monopolization of military power by conquerors who made themselves
States or governments . E.g., "a French bastard"
(Tom
Paine's descriptio n of William the Conqueror ) lands on the shore of Englan d
with a superio r technology—warrior s on horse versus native warrior s on
foot—an d he become s King. His rela-
tives and sycophant s become
Lords-of-the-land .
3. The monopolization of the land by these land-Lords . The extractio n of
tribute ("rent") from those who live on the land.
4. The monopolization of the issue of currency by National
Banks. The extractio n of tribute ("interest" ) for each piece of currency put
into circulation .
Most civilization s seem to have gone through at least three of these stages,
not always consecutively . Some have passed throug h all four .
Brooks Adam s also noted that centralized capital
(the accu-
mulatio n of wealt h in the hands of a few inter-relate d families )
seems to have been movin g steadil y West throughou t recorde d history . The
first majo r accumulation s are to be foun d in
Sumer;
the center of money-powe r then shifte d to Egypt , to Greece , to the Italian
peninsula , to variou s parts of Germany , and then to
London. At the time Brooks Adams was writing (c. 1900) he saw the balance
teeterin g between London and New York, and he predicte d that the declin e of
the Englis h Empir e woul d shift the balanc e to New York withi n the first
half of the 20th Century . He seems to have been right. Brook s Adams had no
theory as to why this Westward movemen t of wealth had been going on for 6000
years. He merely observed the pattern.
The shif t is still continuing , in the opinio n of many . For instance, Carl
Oglesby in
The Cowboy vs. Yankee War, sees
America n politics since 1950 dominate d by a struggl e betwee n

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"old Yanke e wealth " (the New York-Bosto n axis, which replaced Londo n after
1900) and "new Cowbo y wealth " (Texas -
Californi a oil-and-aerospac e billionaires) . As of 1997, it looks like the
Cowboy s are winning ; which is what one would expec t if there were a real
"law" behind Adams '
East-Wes t migratio n of capital.

no
Prometheus
Rising
One night in 1919, Count Alfred Korzybsk i awoke from a vivid dream , tears of
joy streamin g down his face, with a vivid sense that the passin g of signal s
from generatio n to generation —
the thir d circui t time-bindin g function—wa s wha t distinguishe d us from
the other primates .
Korzybsk i originall y suggeste d that time-bindin g could be defined
mathematically . He droppe d this idea later—hi s math was as inadequat e as
Henry
Adam's—bu t it is worth looking at for a moment , to retrace the steps by
which the actual Law of
Acceleration was discovered.
What Korzybsk i assume d at first was that if all the inventions ,
discoveries, etc. of some hypothetical first generation of humans could be
represente d by
P
, and the rate by which the second generatio n could surpas s this by
R
, then, mathematically , the sum total of inventions , discoverie s etc. at
the end of the second generatio n woul d be
PR
. Quit e true , algebraically . Then , afte r a third generation , the
stockpil e woul d be
PRR
. And after four generations, PRRR.
Generalized , this becomes
PRt, where ( ) is the number of t generation s from whateve r generatio n you
have picke d as your base-line.
The curve of
PRt
, if you put it on graph paper, ascends more rapidly with each generation .
Korzybsk i was looking straight at what
Alvi n Toffle r later called "Futur e Shock " and was trying to write a
mathematical formula for it.
Many variable s in economic-technologica l histor y do, in fact, fit
Korzybski' s
PRt function ; but others do not. The math, again, was too simple ; and
everything does not change at the same rate.
Nonetheless , Korzybski , like Henry Adams , was groping toward the truth:
acceleratio n is real, and it is intimatel y connecte d with time-binding, the
passing of signals betwee n generations .
What underlie s the acceleration s noted by Henry Adams and
Korzybsk i is nowaday s know n as the selectio n of negentropy out of
stochastic processes.
Our understandin g of this is chiefly due to almost-simultaneou s discoverie s
(1946-48 )
by quantu m physi -
cist Erwin
Schrodinger , mathematicia n Norber t Weiner and an electronics-communicatio n
exper t at Bell Laboratories , Claud e

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Shannon .

Prometheus Rising in
A stochasti c process is a random series, but it is a special kind of random
series. In a stochasti c process , some agent or agency is making
selections—pickin g out of the randomnes s a pattern that is not random .
A pattern that its not random is known mathematically as information.
Informatio n can also be define d as organization , or as coher-
ence.
Gregor y Bateso n has define d informatio n as "difference s that make a
difference. "
Information—coherence—"difference s that mak e a differ -
ence"—Korzybski' s
Time-Binding—
these are all aspects of the unpredictable.
If you know somethin g already , or can predic t it easily on the basis of
what you do know, it is not informatio n for you. Conversely , if you don't
know something , or can't predict it, it is information .
The dynamis m of evolution , we repeat , is the selectio n of information ,
coherence , out of a random series of events . The emergenc e of informatio n
can be illustrate d crudel y by the following three poemlets:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you
Unless the reade r has lived in relativ e isolatio n from Ameri -
can-Englis h folk-culture , this poem had very little informatio n for him.
You could guess what was comin g every step of the way. But conside r by
contrast :
Roses are red
Ink is black
Do me a favor
Go sit on a tack
This crude jest (of grade school origin) has more informatio n for more
readers, because it is less predictable . Another leap in information-conten t
occurs in Steve Alien's:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
You think this will rhyme
But it ain't gonna

H2
Prometheus Rising
The humorou s unpredictabilit y of this poem gives it, mathe -
matically , a highe r informatio n leve l than the predictabl e Valen -
tine poem we starte d with . If this is still obscure , try it in term s of
Bateson' s elegan t simplification : "Informatio n is differenc e that makes a
difference. "
Informatio n is also know n mathematicall y as negativ e entrop y or, in a
widel y used abbreviation , negentropy .
Entrop y is a measure of the deadnes s of a system . Negentrop y or
informatio n is a measur e of the livelines s of a system .
Evolution is always a matter of at least two stochastic pro-
cesses, each one acting as "selector " of the other(s) . That is, in non-livin
g systems , where no such "selection " is involved , entrop y (lack of
coherence ) steadil y increases , as stated in the famou s Secon d Law of
Thermodynamics . In livin g systems , due to stochasti c co-selection ,
negentrop y (information ) steadil y increases . In

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Schrodinger' s phrase , "Life feeds on negativ e entro -
py."
Life is an ordering, selecting, coherence-making process.
Withou t gettin g embroile d in metaphysics , life (evolution )
behave s as if it were alway s aimin g at highe r coherence , i.e., highe r
intelligence .
This process accelerate s becaus e it is, as Shanno n demon -
strated mathematically , logarithmic . Logarithmi c processe s are such that
if you put them on graph paper, the curve rises more and more all the time.
Hence, the acceleration s noted by Adam s and
Korzybsk i are human increment s in a proces s that has been innate in
evolutio n all along.
The huma n incremen t accelerate s faste r than pre-huma n evo-
lution becaus e through the third, semantic circuit and its symbol s
(words, maps, equations etc.) we are able to pass information
(negativ e entropy : coherence ) from generatio n to generation .
World-wid e wealt h in terms of "Real Capital " (plant s in operation , actua
l know n resource s etc.) has been doubling every generation since economist
s starte d collectin g statistic s in the
18th
Century.
Where does this wealth come from'?
According to orthodox economist s it come s from land, labor , and capital .
Accordin g to
Marxists , it come s from land and labor alone , and the capitalis t is a
thief who has inserte d an artificia l bookkeepin g syste m into the

Prometheus Rising
7/
3
process.
Both are wrong.
Land and labor alone, and land, labor and capital together , can't produce new
wealth if they are all organized by a fallacious idea, such as searching for
oil where oil is not. The real source of wealth is correct ideas: workable
ideas:
that is, negative entropy—Information .
The origin of these coheren t (workable ) ideas is the human nervous system.
All wealth is created by human beings using their neurons intelligently.
A neurotic young man once went to a Zen Master and asked how he could find
peace of mind.
"How can you lack anything," the
Roshi asked "when you own the greatest treasure in the universe?"
"How do I own the greatest treasure in the universe? " asked the youn g man ,
baffled .
"The place that question comes from is the greatest treasure in the universe,
" said the Master, being more explici t than is common for a Zen teacher.
Of course , as a Buddhist , the Maste r had take n a vow of poverty and did
not mean exactl y what we mean here. But he knew that the brain produce s all
that we experience—al l our pain and worry, all our bliss states and ecstasies
, all our higher evolu-
tionary vistas and trans-tim e
Peak Experiences , etc. It is also "the greatest treasure in the universe" in
the most materialisti c eco-
nomic sense: it creates all the ideas which , sociall y employed , become
wealth : roads, scientifi c laws, calendars , factories , com-
puters, life-savin g drugs, medicines , ox-carts , autos, jet planes ,
spaceships...
If you are not alone in the wilderness , lift your eyes from the page and look

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about. All that you see, whoeve r theoreticall y
"owns" it, is the time-bindin g product of the materialize d or manifeste d
ideas of creativ e men and women . It is all negativ e entropy. Coherent
order.
And it is movin g toward higher and more coheren t order at a faster
rate-of-chang e all the time.
Of course , if you are alone in the wilderness , you will also see coheren t
order, but in this case, the rate-of-chang e toward higher order is much
slower. That is, those stochasti c processe s which we call geneti c drift,
evolutio n etc. are co-selectin g higher order at a differen t time rate than
those stochasti c processe s which we

114
Prometheus Rising call human thought, invention, culture etc. (This is why it
is so hard to reach agreemen t about whether the natural processes are
intelligent or not. As Bateson points out, if we accept any order-
ing process as intelligent , then the biosphere is indeed intelligent ;
but if we save the word "intelligence " only for those ordering processes that
move at the same speed as our brains, then Nature is merely mechanical , not
intelligent . To an extra-terrestria l with a differen t time-sens e than
ours, this question would not arise at all.)
Most of what we perceiv e in the human environmen t is made up of concretized
ideas, in the above sense. Look again at a human community ; you are seeing
the historica l human mind manifestin g itself .
All ideas are not equally good, of course.
All manifeste d idea s (huma n creation s in the biosphere ) are, therefore,
not equally good.
This is why John Ruskin , a century ago, tried to introduc e a distinction
between wealth and illth.
This distinctio n did not become accepted and incorporated into our language
because people, at that time, were not ready for it.
Wealth, in Ruskin's sense, consists of all those artifacts
(concretize d ideas) which enhanc e huma n life, or life generally .
Illth consist s of those artifact s which destroy , demea n or degrad e life.
A factory that pollutes the air or water is illth in this sense;
so is a bomb , a sword , a pistol , a tank of nerve-gas .
The Westward migration of Capital noted by Brooks Adams was a migratio n of
bot h wealt h and illth .
Obviously , under primitiv e planetar y conditions—finit e space and finite
resources—the illth was perceived as necessary to protect the wealth .
Territoria l politics are much the same among domesticate d primates as among
other mammals ; the primate s are just smarte r at buildin g more omni-letha l
weapon s faster.
This was originall y a surviva l trait, an Evolutionar y Relativ e
Success, because primates are born without the physiological, inbuil t weaponr
y (letha l teeth , claws , horn s etc.) of other mammals .
Since the Age of Reason in the
18th
Century, the exponential increas e in wealth (life-enhancin g ideas
manifesting ) has led to more and more Utopian yearnings . At the same time,
the equal

Prometheus Rising and opposit e increas e in illt h has led to mor e and mor e
dystopia n and apocalyptica l fears .
CAPITAL HAS MOVED STEADIL Y WESTWAR D BECAUS E
NEW IDEAS ALWAY S APPEA R ON THE EXPANDIN G WAVE
One' s expectation s abou t the future—Utopi a or dystopia—ar e alway s base d
on wha t one think s is the dominan t forc e in evolu -

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tion. This whole book, not just the presen t chapter , is based on the belie f
tha t an overvie w of evolutio n show s beyon d all doub t that
wealth-producin g facult y (the searc h for highe r coherence )
is the decidin g factor . Th e illth-producin g facult y is an archai c
mammalia n surviva l system rapidl y becomin g obsolete .
The highes t historica l concentratio n of wealt h (rea l capital , and idea s
generatin g ne w capital ) no w co-exist s wit h the highes t concentratio n
of evolutionaril y advance d nervou s systems .

Il6
Prometheus Rising
In California , Oregon , Alaska , British Columbia . Arizona , Texas, the
Hawaiian Islands, Japan and all around the Pacific, where East meets West, the
world of 2000 and
2010
and 2050 is being created by persons who are veterans of a gigantic
Neuro-
logical
Revolution—th e psychedeli c pioneers of the 1960s, the graduates of the
Consciousnes s Movemen t of the 1950s-70s , the synthesizers of modern
psychology and ancient Oriental mind-
sciences. These persons are called the Aquaria n Conspirac y by
Marilyn Ferguson , one of their spokespersons . They are denounced as the Me
Generation by Tom
Wolfe , a time-traveler from New York , i.e., from the neurological past,
from a cultur e crystallize d before
1950.
This "Me Generation" is the temporary high water mark of the time-bindin g
function . Movin g steadil y
Westward—awa y from Tradition , away from
Dogma—the y are the products , as
Edmun d Burk e said of the first Americans , of "the dissidenc e of dissent
and the Protestantis m of the Protestants. " Every heresy that left Europe
produced newer, wilder heresies in the Eastern
Seaboard, 1600-1800.
Those that were "too far out" had to move furthe r Wes t and produce d the
1000 Utopia n communitie s
(anarchist, evangelical, free-love , etc.) that were attempted in the mid-Wes
t durin g the
19t h
Century . Those who were even furthe r
"out"—out of the traditional mode—moved further Westward in the last 30-70
years.
All of the fallou t of this migratio n seem s weir d to the Easter n states,
and even weirder to Europeans.
It all becam e muc h weirde r still whe n it hit the Pacifi c and began to
interac t with Orienta l neuro-science s and brain-chang e arts, like yoga and
Taoism and Zen.
It swallowe d the Orienta l lesson s whole , withou t becoming
Orienta l entirely.
It remaine d Western—th e dissidenc e of dissen t etc.—and it has been gaining
momentum and direction for two or three decade s now.
It aims at Higher Coherenc e and Higher Intelligence .
This is the new Power Elite.
As youngsters , these Aquaria n Conspirator s made the Youth
Revolution of the 1960s, which—whateve r its excesses and blunders—permanentl
y change d and improve d student-adminis -
trator-teache r feedbac k in our universities ; liberate d our Purita n

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Prometheus Rising ilj culture for some health y hedonism ; importe d a dozen
varietie s of
Orienta l neuro-scienc e (and two dozen varietie s of Orienta l humbug , alas)
; launche d the ecolog y movemen t (the first planet -
wide perceptio n of the differenc e betwee n wealth and illth);
recreate d a true love of the wildernes s and of wild creatures :
pioneere d flex-tim e and other liberation s from economi c robot -
hood; launche d Women' s Lib, Gay Lib, Child Lib and gener-
1
ously supporte d Black Lib; ended the Vietna m War; spread holisti c medicin e
throughou t our culture ; etc.
The same group is now leading the computer revolution;
spearheadin g the drive toward Space Migration ; supportin g the
Hunge r Project , whic h will abolis h starvatio n in our lifetimes ;
leadin g the Longevit y revolutio n and the search for immortality ;
etc.
And they are all very consciou s of being part of the Intelli -
gence Intensificatio n explosio n whic h is the majo r topic of this book.
This type of "Wester n progressivism "
(or Utopianism ) came out of the mid-Eas t and is the distinc t contributio n
of the Jews , whic h is why all reactionarie s are intuitivel y anti-Semitic .
As
William Blake wrote of this tradition:
The Prophet s Isaia h and Ezekie l dine d with me, and I aske d them how they
dare d so roundl y to asser t that God spok e to them ; and whethe r they did
not thin k at the tim e tha t the y would be misunderstoo d & so be the cause
of imposition .
Isaiah answer'd :
'I
saw no God , nor hear d any, in a finit e organica l perception ; but my sense
s discover' d the infinit e in everything , and as I was then persuade d &
remai n confirme d that the voice of hones t indignatio n is the voice of God,
I cared not for consequences , but wrote. '
This visio n of the infinit e in everythin g is commo n to East and West; what
is distinctly Western, out of the Jews, is the voice of hones t indignatio n
agains t ever y institutio n whic h woul d deny or demea n the infinit y withi
n each huma n soul . The releas e of our full huma n potential—t o let the
ligh t of Prome -
theus shine everywhere—i s the distinctl y
Western mysti c tradi -
Virtuall y all the compute r manufacturin g firm s in Silico n Valle y (th e
peninsul a sout h of San Francisco ) hav e flex-time . The employee s choos e
their own workin g hours .

Il8
Prometheus Rising tion and does not appea r in Hinduism , Buddhism , Taois m
or any
Eastern religion.
Thoma s Jefferso n develope d his vie w tha t "al l me n are creat -
ed equal" from the perceptio n of the infinit y withi n each of us, whic h he
learne d fro m the Scottis h philosophers , Rei d an d
Hutcheson .
(It wa s als o fro m Hutcheso n tha t Jefferso n got his idea of
"unalienable rights," which Congress in the interest of stylistic eleganc e
altered to "inalienabl e rights." )
The Scottis h
Enlightenment , like the Frenc h and Englis h Enlightenment , was the beginnin
g of the materializatio n an d manifestatio n of the

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Judeo-Christia n visio n of the Heavenl y City .
It was also this
18th
Centur y Illuminat i circle which intro -
duced the concep t of progress—
the consciou s formulatio n of the symbolis m of Prometheus . This visio n has
been unde r so muc h attac k in recen t decade s tha t to defen d it at all
wil l see m archai c and eccentri c to man y readers .
Nonetheless, evolution is real:
quantum jumps do occur throughou t the biospher e an d throughou t huma n
intellectua l history . We are ridin g a mountin g tidal wav e of risin g
conscious -
ness and expandin g intelligenc e whic h is acceleratin g whethe r we like it
or not.
By and large , most people—an d especiall y most rulin g elites—hav e not like
d thi s acceleratio n factor . The migratio n of capita l (i.e. , ideas)
Westwar d has been largel y a fligh t from oppression , an escapis t
movement—a s critic s toda y describ e
Space as "escapist. " Everywhere , everywhen , the ruler s of soci-
ety have tried to put a brake on the third circuit, to decelerate the
acceleratio n function , to establis h limit s on wha t wa s printable ,
discussable , even thinkable .
The Gree k myt h of Prometheu s
Bound—th e
Tita n who brough t Ligh t to humanit y and is eternall y punishe d for it—i s
the synecdoche , the perfect symbol , of how the third circuit has been handle
d in mos t huma n societies .
The peculia r wa y mos t societie s hav e imprinte d the fourth , socio-sexua
l circuit—th e weird taboo s whic h restrai n us all, in every tribe , howeve
r technologicall y
"advanced"—i s part of the acceleration-deceleratio n dialectic .

Prometheus Rising
The fourt h circui t has bee n largel y imprinte d to serv e as a brake ,
holdin g back the free activit y of the time-bindin g seman -
tic circuit .
This is the historica l functio n of taboo s and "morality. "
EXERCIZES
1
.
Compare Greece in the 4th Century BC, Rome in the First
Centur y AD, Souther n Europ e at the beginnin g of the Renais -
sance , Englan d c. 1600-1900 , New York c.
1900-1950 , and Cali-
forni a today . Note the accumulatio n of wealt h correspondin g to the
accumulatio n of heresies , innovations , cults , kooks , pioneers , inventor
s etc.
2. Imagin e you put a penny on the first squar e of a chess -
board, two cents on the secon d square , four cents on the third, etc. Ho w
muc h wil l you hav e to put on the sixty-fourt h square' ?
This is how time-bindin g works , in relativel y Ope n Societies .
3. Read the denunciation s of Galile o by the orthodo x of his time .
4. Rea d the denunciation s of Beethoven , of Picasso , of Joyc e by those who
knew in advanc e what music , paintin g and novel s should be.
5. Are the mos t importan t scientifi c idea s of
1997
goin g to be publishe d in
Scientific American in 1997, or in 2017?
6. Researc h how many years passed betwee n the publicatio n of Einstein' s

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pape r on Specia l Relativit y and the acceptanc e of the ide a by the majorit
y of physicists .

CHAPTER EIGHT
THE "MORAL "
SOCIO -
SEXUAL CIRCUIT
As the caterpilla r choose s the faires t leave s to lay her eggs on, so the
priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
— Willia m Blake , Marriage of Heaven & Hell
121

The socio-sexua l circui t is activate d and imprinte d at adoles -
cence, when the DNA signal awaken s the sexual apparatus . The teenage r
become s the bewildere d possesso r of a new body and a new neural circuit
oriente d to orgasm and sperm-eg g fusion . The pubescen t human , like any
other rutting animal , lurches about in a state of mating frenzy, every call
gasping for the sexual object.
Imprint vulnerabilit y is acute, and the first sexual signal s to turn on the
adolescen t nervou s system remai n fixed for life and foreve r defin e the
individual' s sexua l reality .
We should not be surprised, therefore, at the various fetishes that are so
easily acquire d at these sensitiv e moments .
In fact, we can tell precisel y at what period in time a person was sexuall y
imprinte d by notin g which fetishe s continu e to turn him or her on.
Black garters, booze, cool jazz, and crew cuts define the sexual signals of
one imprin t group (generation ) just as rigidly as sleeping hags, marijuana,
heavy rock and tight jeans define another.
As Masters and Johnson have pointed out, most sexual dys-
function s are hooked into the nervou s system at these adolescen t moment s
of acute imprin t vulnerability ; their archetypa l case is that of a male
who, about to mate for the first time, in the back seat of a car, was
traumatize d by a policema n flashin g a light on him and his paramour . The
imprin t of that ghastl y momen t was hooked for decades: the male remained
impoten t until reim-
printed by Masters and Johnson in their clinic.
The choices of heterosexualit y or homosexuality , brash prom-
iscuity or timid celibacy, etc. are usually imprinted by exactly similar
accident s at points of imprin t vulnerability . Just as bio-
surviva l anxiet y or securit y are imprinte d by accident s in the nursing
period , emotiona l dominatio n or submissio n by acci-
dents in the toddlin g period, symboli c dexterit y or "stupidity " by the
accident s of the learnin g environment .
Primitive s (so-called ) know these facts and surroun d all the points of
imprin t vulnerabilit y with rituals , "ordeals, " "rites of passage, " etc.
well designe d to imprin t the desire d traits of a well-integrate d membe r
of that tribe at that time. Relics of these imprint ceremonie s surviv e in
Baptism , Confirmation , Bar Mitz-
vahs, Marriage Ceremonies, the Masonic "raising," etc.
723

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124
Prometheus Rising
It is important to realize that chance, genetics and malice
(anger) are among the "accidents " that create imprint s at the points of
vulnerability .
Most human s do not, due to accident s of this sort, imprin t exactly the
socio-sexua l role demande d by their society. The fourth circuit can almost
be called the guilt circuit:
almost every-
body, almos t everywhere , is quite busy hidin g their real sexua l profile
and miming the "accepted" sex role for their gender in their tribe.
In ordinar y language , the imprin t on the socio-sexua l circuit is generally
called "the mature personality" or the "sexual role." It is "the Parent" in
the jargon of
Transactiona l
Analysis.
It is amusin g to note that Freud recognize d the first circuit as the oral
stage, the secon d as the anal stage and the fourth as the genital stage. He
did not notice the third, semanti c circuit —
perhaps because as an obsessive Rationalist he was so absorbed in verba l and
conceptua l program s that they were invisibl e to him, as water may be to
fishes. Similarly , Jung described the first circuit as the sensational
faculty , the second as the feeling faculty , the third as the rational
faculty—an d skippe d the socio-
sexual circuit entirely . (There may be a clue here as to why Jung could not
abide Freud' s fourth-circui t emphasi s and built a separate, less sexual
psychology of his own.) Jung then went on to lum p all the highe r circuit s
unde r the rubri c of the facult y of intuition.
It is the function of the nervous system to focus, to select, to narro w down
; to choose , from an infinit y of possibilities , the biochemical imprints
which determine the tactics and strategies that ensur e surviva l in one place
, status in one tribe.
The infant is geneticall y prepare d to learn any language , master any skill,
play any sex role; in a very short time, however , he or she become s
mechanically , robotically , fixate d to accept , follow and mimic the limited
offerings of his social and cultural environment .
In this process , each of us pays a heavy price.
Surviva l and status mean forfeitin g the infinite possibilitie s of
unconditione d consciousness . The domesticate d primate , insid e the socia l
real-
ity-tunnel , is a trivial fragmen t of the potential s for experienc e

Prometheus Rising
125
and intelligenc e innate in the
110,000000,000-cell human bio-
computer . As Robert A. Heinlei n wrote:
A huma n being should be able to chang e a diaper , plan an invasion , butche
r a hog, desig n a building , conn a ship , writ e a sonnet , balanc e
accounts , buil d a wall , set a bone , comfor t the dying, take orders , give
orders , cooperate , act alone, solve an equation , analyz e a new problem ,
pitch manure , progra m a computer , coo k a tast y meal , figh t efficiently
, die gallantly .
Specializatio n is for insects .
But as long as we remai n on the antiqu e circuit s we are not very differen t
from the insects . That is, just as the insect s repea t their four-stag e
progra m (egg, larvae , chrysalis , adult ) from generatio n to generation ,
we repeat our four-stag e cycle also.
The antiqu e circuit s are geneticall y conservative . They ensur e the

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surviva l and continuatio n of the species , but do no more. For futur e
evolutio n we mus t look to the futuristi c circuits .
SPECIALIZATIO N
IS FOR INSECTS

126
Prometheus
Rising
It is sometim e mistakenl y stated that there are no universa l sexual taboos.
This is not true. There is one omni-purpos e taboo which exists in every
tribe.
That taboo stipulate s that sexualit y shall not be unregulate d by the tribe.
That is, even though no other taboos are universal , the taboo agains t living
withou t taboos remain s constant . Every tribe has its own set of verbots and
thou-shalt-nots , but no tribe allows the individua l to choose his or her own
set.
An America n Presiden t may not marry his own sister (if he wants to get
re-elected) ; an Egyptia n Pharao h had to marry his own sister. Confronte d
by this moral relativism , many social scientist s have failed to notice the
invariable : both the Presiden t and the Pharao h are expecte d to obey local
rules. So are the
Samoan , the Russian , the Eskim o and the Cuban .
Why is there this taboo agains t sexua l self-definitio n and self-
actualization ? Why is it that, while no two societies can agree on what is
sexually "good" and sexually "bad," every society thinks that it must make
some definition?
1
Th e Gurdjief f title s are deliberatel y negative , sinc e he wa s tryin g to
get people off these primitive circuits and into the futuristic circuits.

Prometheus Rising I2J
The answe r is that our first humanoi d (symbolizin g and con-
ceptualizing ) ancestor s were very ignorant , but not at all stupid .
They were ignoran t of the laws of genetics , but they were smart enough to
suspec t that such laws exist. Sperm-eg g fusion is sur-
rounded by violen t taboos and fierce tribal conformit y becaus e the surviva
l and future evolutio n of the gene pool depend s upon which particula r
spermatozo a reache s which particula r ovum.
Etymologists confirm the Freudian theory that there are ancient linkages
between the words for the sacred, the erotic, the obscene , the awe inspiring
, the awe-ful , the divine , the
"thrilling. " All of these are primitive , powerfu l physiological responses
to the mysteries of sexual attraction, mating, repro-
duction, inheritance, genetic drift, future evolution.
The earliest god-form s found by archeologist s are pregnan t goddesse s and
ithyphalli c gods. The most intolerant , bigoted and recalcitran t of all
prejudices—th e very last to fade away after cosmopolitaniz -
ing contac t with other tribes havin g differen t values—ar e the taboos
concerning the right way to reproduce.
If one nation insists that the head of state must marry his sister, and anothe
r insists that he must not, both are acting on the assumptio n that the right
way must be found and rigorously enforced.
There are unknown s in the area of sexual attraction—
He likes
Her, but She doesn' t like Him.
There are unknown s in the area of mating—
a young couple can make love once, and the woman become s pregnant , yet
another couple make love for three years and the woman remain s barren . Very

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puzzlin g and frightenin g for primitives , in New
Guinea or New Jersey.

128
Prometheus Rising
GODS AND GODDESSE S ARE SEXUAL AND GENETIC
PROGRAMS EXPRESSED IN PRIMITIVE SYMBOLS

Prometheus Rising
729
There are unknown s in the area of reproduction—
why twins?
Why three boys in one famil y and three girls in another ? Why miscarriage s
and stillbirths ?
There are unknowns in the area of inheritance—
"Why doesn't my son look like me?" many a domesticate d primat e has won-
dered uneasily , leading to a great deal of paranoi a and male chauvinism .
There are unknown s in the area of genetic drift—
modern researcher s recogniz e twelv e or more variables , but still have more
question s than answers .
There are unknown s in the area of future evolution—
"Where do we come from , what are we, wher e are we going?", the title of
Gauguin' s greates t painting , is the basic ontologica l question ;
the totem-pole , like the treatise on sociobiology , is an attempt to answer.
Amid all these unknowns—o f sexual attraction , matin g repro-
duction , inheritance , geneti c drift , futur e evolution—th e shaman s of
every tribe try to establis h guide-post s to tribal (gene-pool )
survival .
Thus "morality " is invented .
Sexual attraction, mating, reproduction, inheritance, genetic drift and futur
e evolutio n are all stochastic processes . (Tha t is, processes in which, out
of a random series, some "intelligence "
or somethin g that can be metaphoricall y conceive d as an intelli -

/JO
Prometheus Rising gence, is selectin g a final outcome. ) That these
stochasti c pro-
cesses overlap , as shown in our diagram , is intuitivel y obvious ;
and it is also obvious that the future is being "selected" every step of the
way.
1
Taboo and moralit y are tribal attempt s to gov-
ern the rando m element—t o select the desire d future .
"Morality " attempt s to control the stochasti c evolutionar y process at two
points—interferin g betwee n sexua l attractio n and sexual consummatio n
(Mating ) by taboos and commandments , or else interferin g betwee n mating
and reproduction . The latter case is represente d by infanticid e a widesprea
d birth-contro l measure always justifie d by the local shaman s on magica l
grounds , e.g., the infant s selecte d for sacrific e are breach births , or
birth-marked , or twins, or in some way stigmatize d by the
"gods." The actual functio n of such practices , of course, is popu-
lation control ; and such custom s are most commo n on isolate d islands where
runaway population would be a disaster. Similarly, the Judai c taboo s
functione d to channe l all sexualit y int o increase d population , since the
ancien t Jews were surrounde d by large and pugnaciou s Empire s eager to
conque r them; they needed more boys for soldiers and more girls to breed
soldiers .

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The most "idiotic " and "superstitious " taboos , from the
Rationalis t viewpoint , alway s had some functio n when invented .
For instance , the most
"pointlessly "
elaborat e (non-genetic )
"incest" taboos , in which virtuall y everybod y in the tribe become s
unavailabl e sexuall y to everybod y else, force exogamy
(marriag e outsid e the tribe) . This create s affectiona l alliance s
(family ties) betwee n tribes and decrease s warfare . Somethin g like this
primitiv e exogam y survive d into very recen t times , in the custom of
marryin g one royal family to another .
Every form of "morality " is, of course , irksom e on some level to everybody
, becaus e no individua l ever has exactly the sexual imprin t desire d by the
tribe. The more sophisticate d totem-cult s
(the "higher " religions , so dubbed by themselves ) take accoun t
1
That the whole chain is "intelligent" or manifests "intelligence, " is the
Lamarckia n heres y whic h Darwinian s have never quite been able to kill;
every time it is buried , it rises again in new form. Two most able recent
argument s of the neo-Lamarckia n or meta-Lamarckia n position , whic h the
reade r is cordiall y urged to read, are Timoth y
Leary' s
The Game of Life and Gregor y Bateson' s
Mind and Nature.

Prometheus Rising of this by the doctrin e of atonement . In one form or
another , this allows the individua l to be ritually "forgiven " periodicall y
for not being the perfect sexual robot decreed by tribal morality .
This become s hilariou s only when one realizes that most of what domesticate
d primate s are asking their priests to forgive them for consists of what
Kinsey so accurately called "normal mammalia n behavior."
1
Time-bindin g (the transmissio n of symbol s and tools acros s generations)
begins on the third circuit. Acute consciousness time is, however , intensifie
d on the fourth circuit .
1
This only refer s to the silly and inferio r religion s of othe r people , of
course , and has no referenc e to the Sublim e Truth s of the reader' s own
religion .

7J2
Prometheus Rising
The principl e functio n of the socio-sexua l circuit, in the higher primates
, is to form an adult personality—
a parent. By
1
definition , the parent is one who cares for the young of the species; by
genetic necessity, the parent also cares about the young. In symbolizin g
humans , this means planning , hoping and having aspirations . In the languag
e of the mystics , this means being "attached " and "trappe d on the wheel of
karma" ; the first effort in most mystica l tradition s is to break this
fourth-circui t attachment by taking a vow of celibacy.
The fourt h circui t is locate d in the left neo-cortex
—the newes t part of the left hemispher e of the brain It is linke d
neurologicall y with the genitalia and the breasts
(fucking-hugging-embracing
-
protectin g circuitry) .

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Persons who take their heavies t imprin t on this circui t are beautiful.
That is, their entire body has receive d so many sexua l neurotransmitter s
from the brain that they are constantl y radiat-
ing the "attractive "
mating signals that make up our perception of what is "beautiful " in a human
being.
Accordin g to accident s of imprinting , they can be coldly cal-
culating exploiters , totally represse d Puritan s or carry some other negativ
e traits but they alway s look like
(send the signal s of) the ideal fucker-lover-protector.
Once formulated , "morality " serves as not only a check on genetic drift but
a brake agains t Circui t III innovation . The
1
Homosexualit y (like left-handedness )
is probabl y include d in the geneti c script to serve auxiliar y functions .
In most primitiv e societies , the homosexual s (and the left-handed ) are
shunte d into shamani c roles. In more comple x societie s they are (like
spinster s and hetero -
sexua l bachelors ) usuall y shunte d into intellectua l or artisti c roles ,
which have quasi-shamani c function s of making , breakin g or trans -
formin g cultura l signals . Thos e who claim any perennia l sexua l varia -
tion is "agains t nature " are underestimatin g nature' s variety , diversit y
and economy . The "mutation " of Leonard o de Vinci , a left-hande d
homosexual, was needed to break up the signal of the dying medieval
reality-tunne l and remak e our perception s into the reality-tunne l of
post-Renaissanc e scientifi c humanism . His succes s is registere d by the
fact that a Leonard o paintin g is still the "norm " of what we mean by
realism , i.e., most people (includin g right-hande d heterosexuals )
are living in the scientific-humanis t "space" this man invented.

Prometheus Rising shamans, priests etc.
define which ideas are "moral" and which are "immoral. " Anythin g new
—
anythin g that will break the tribal cycle , i.e., take us out of cyclica l
mythi c "time " into linear , progressive, revolutionary
"time "
—
is usually defined, very quickly , as "immoral. "
To say tha t religio n and priestcraf t hav e playe d a conservativ e role in
histor y is an understatement . One migh t as well say that buboni c plagu e
has kille d a few people , or that Hitle r was a little bit strange.
The chief role of religion has always been reac-
tionary.
This is its evolutionar y function, in the dialectic of the circuitry of the
brain.
Circui t III, unchecked , is like a cocain e monologue . You can't remembe r
anything , because everythin g is changin g too fast.
This is profoundl y disorientin g to the averag e domesticate d pri-
mate , so the triba l moralist s keep stabilit y and tranquilit y by acting as
decelerators , The averag e person , similarly , is philosophicall y most
"open "
and "curious "
before the adul t sex role of parenthoo d is elected .
After reproduction , there is little time for Circui t III speculations , and
(becaus e of the sanction s every tribe place s upon "heresy, "
i.e., new ideas ) there is also little inclination .
Thus, Circuit III tends to take us out of tribal cyclical time into linea r
progressiv e time ; but Circui t IV loop s us back into the cycle again .
Homosexual s may or may not be the chief creator s of cultura l innovation ,

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as some Gay Pride advocate s claim ; but it is certainl y true that they have
done more than their share . The reason ? They are not trappe d into paren t
roles .
Thes e fou r circuit s are coded , wit h fou r permutation s of each , into
the "cour t cards " of the Tarot deck .
Thus the Knigh t of Discs , representin g earth/eart h accordin g to the
occultists , is the pure First-Circui t type
—
all sensation , all oral demand , all viscerotonic . Behin d thei r alchemical
, Cabalis -
tic, theosophica l jargon , most book s on Taro t are describin g this type
when they discus s this card. The pure undilute d "Momma' s boy."

134
Prometheus Rising
IMPRINTIN G THE
SOCIO-SEXUA L
CIRCUI T
A and B represent socially "good" and socially "bad" sex, according to the
tribe , Al, A2 and A3 represen t individua l imprints—personall y
"good" sex (what the individua l is imprinte d to like)—an d
Bl, B2 and
B3 personall y "bad" (wha t the individua l doesn' t like). If Axis A1-B 1
is only slightl y tilted , the individua l is fairly "normal " (in that
society) .
If A2-B2 is tilted more; the individua l is "neurotic " (in that society) . If
A3-B3 is tilted much further ; the individua l is a "pervert " (in that
society).

Prometheus Rising
75 5
The Queen of Discs, or earth/water , is a mixtur e of first and second circuit
traits—sensational-viscerotonic-ora l and emo-
tional-egotistic-political . You better be damned careful to call her
Ms.
The Prince of Discs, or earth/air, is a blend of first and third circuits—ora
l deman d and rationa l calculation . Probably , a very sharp and sharkis h
lawyer .
The Princes s of Discs , or earth/fir e is first-circui t oralit y mixed with
fourth-circui t sexuality . This fusio n of exhibitionis m with enflame d eros
means she's probabl y starrin g in porn movies . In all Disc cards , the first
circui t predominate s over the others.
The Queen of Cups, or water/water , is emotion and territoria l demand. Nelson
Algren had her in mind when he said, "Never bed down with a woma n who has
more problem s than you."
The Knigh t of Cups, water/earth , is emotio n plus sensation .
The pure predator , marauder , thief, rapist or sociopath .
The Prince of Cups or water/ai r is emotion plus reason. The humanist ,
humanitarian , liberal ; an ideal Unitaria n minister .
The Princess of Cups is water/fire : an explosiv e mixture of egotism and
sexuality.
Scarlett
O'Hara.
The femme fatale.
The Prince of Swords is air/air: all pure undilute d intellect .
His feet never touch the earth; he lives amid floatin g abstrac -
tions. The monk-scholar .
The Knight of Swords is air/earth : reason and oral exhibition -

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ism. The actor, orator, demagogue—sometime s the artist.
The Queen of Swords is air/water ; reason plus emotion . The greats in scienc
e and art are generall y of this imprin t group.
The Princes s of Sword s is air/fire : reason and sexuality . The good parent;
usually the Puritan, but sometime s the crusade r for
"sexual freedom. " In any case, the motivatin g drive is an attempt to impose
abstract reason upon the genetic imperative s of the mating urge.
The Princes s of Wands is fire/fire : sexualit y at its most pow-
erful. These types are usually , but not necessarily , quite promis -
cuous; sometime s they pour all their erotic energy into one mate and raise
huge families , parentin g being a strong part of the fourth circuit ; e.g.,
J.S. Bach, who may have writte n the sexies t music in history , had twent y
children .

136
Prometheus Rising
The Knigh t of Wand s is fire/earth : sexualit y and sensational -
ism. The Playboy . Reich's "Phallic Narcissist. "
The Princ e of Wand s is fire/air : sexualit y plus reason . Thes e types are
likel y to get involve d in the kind of empirica l mysti -
cism that is not tolerate d by the local
Authorities—e.g. , the
Tantrist s in India , the Knight s Templa r and witche s in medieva l
Europe , Aleiste r Crowle y and
Wilhel m
Reic h mos t recently .
(Crowle y said this card was a portrai t of his "True
Self.")
The Quee n of Wand s is fire/water : sexualit y and emotiona l politics . The
law court s have a stead y parad e of this type passin g throug h every day .
The cleve r Cabalist s who designe d this pictoria l key to the four primitiv
e circuit s include d a clue to highe r consciousness .
For they teach that each elemen t in traditiona l alchem y (earth , air, fire,
water ) correspond s to one of these Taro t suits (discs , swords , wands ,
cups ) and to one of the letter s in the Holy
Unspeakabl e Name of
God—YHVH .
The correspondence s are as follows :
Y fire wand s CIRCUI T IV
H water cups
CIRCUI T II
V air swords CIRCUIT III
H earth discs CIRCUIT I
The logic of this imager y is quite clear to the unconsciou s mind, and these
association s appea r frequentl y in dreams , as
Jung documented in
Psychology and
Alchemy.

Prometheus Rising 1
37
The aim of the Cabala to make the microcosm mirror the is macrocosm" ; that
is, to make the huma n being a perfec t image of
"God." This means puttin g togethe r the four "alchemical " ele-
ments symbolize d by the letters Y, H, V, H. In other words , bringin g the
four circuit s into balance .
This is the same lesson as taugh t in the Buddhis t mandala s with four demon
s at the corner s and the circl e representin g awakenin g in the middle .

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The "marrie d look," "the "Mom and Dad look," etc., which are not scientifi c
concept s but which everybod y can recogniz e at once, have to do with an
acute time-sense.
The paren t is con-
cerne d not just with acquirin g bio-surviva l ticket s for persona l nurture
, but with acquirin g ticket s for the young , and for the future .
Behaviorist s tell us wonderfu l storie s abou t the intricat e pat-
terns that can be conditione d into experimenta l animals . See they say we
have , by selectiv e reinforcement , traine d this rat so that at the soun d
of a bell, he runs up a ladder , presse s butto n A, races across a plank and
down anothe r ladder , presse s butto n B, dashe s across the cage and waits
at the food-slo t for his meal to arrive.
Lest anybod y thin k this book is writte n from a perch of supe -
riority , conside r the similar , but more complex , behavio r which the autho
r followe d for twent y years . He woul d set an alarm

Prometheus Rising clock before sleep every night. When the alarm woke him, he
would breakfas t hurriedly , rush off to catch a bus, ride to a subway , chang
e to the train, ride to an offic e building , rush throug h the lobby , board
an elevator , ride to a certain floor, enter an office, and toil at
repetitious (and generally pointless) tasks for eight hours. This behavio r
sequenc e had been shaped , as B.F.
Skinne r would say, by reinforcemen t delivere d every second week in the form
of bio-surviva l tickets (money) . These tickets were necessar y to the
bio-surviva l of four dependen t children .
The reader of this book can probabl y remember , somewha t dimly , the
imprintin g and conditionin g of each of these circuits .
We all began as infant s in a one-dimensiona l world , orally hooke d to Mommy
. The furthe r away from Momm y we crawled , the greate r was our bio-surviva
l anxiety , and we generall y returned to Mommy as quickly as possible. The
key imprint incident s of this period , togethe r with associate d
conditioning , determine , concretely , how much we currentl y exhibi t of:
ANXIET Y O R SELF-CONFIDENC E
ROOTEDNES S O R EXPLORATIVENES S
DEPENDENCY OR INDEPENDENCE
Then, when the DNA sent the appropriat e RNA messenge r molecule s to the
glands, endocrin e system , etc. a mutation oc-
curred . Our gross morpholog y
—
our whole body — changed , and our "minds" changed in the process. That is,
our reality-tunne l dilated into two-dimensions , when we rose up and began to
walk about the house, and started learning who we could dominate, who could
dominat e us, who could be dominate d (emotionall y bullied) at some times and
not at others, etc. We develope d out of amorphou s bio-surviva l
consciousness into stubbor n individ -
ual ego.
We were imprinte d and conditione d with a particula r style of
emotional-territoria l "politics."
At this stage we were imprinte d and conditione d for:

Prometheus Rising
139
DOMINANCE O R SUBMISSIO N
SELF-CONFIDENCE OR SELF-DOUBT
STRON G EGO O R WEA K EGO
HIGH PACK STATU S O R LO W PACK STATU S
GIVING ORDERS O R TAKIN G ORDERS
"HERRENMORAL "

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O R "SKLAVMORAL "
We were subsequentl y conditione d to switch betwee n these reflexe s dependin
g on whethe r the perso n we were dealin g with was Higher in the pecking
order or Lower in the pecking order.
(Middle-clas s people, e.g., Reagan conservatives , John Birchers , etc. will
always revere those Higher in the pecking order; and, equally, will always
have some reason to persecute—peck at—
the poor, who are Lower in the pecking order. Hence, they will say and even
believe , that they are bein g robbe d by the poor on
Welfare—wh o get about 4% of the tax dollar—an d never
"notice" that the military-industria l complex is getting 72% of their tax
dollar. This is normal mammalia n sociobiology. )
After this second-circui t reality-tunne l is wired in, the organ-
ism molts and mutates again into the verbal stage, and a third circuit style
of mentatio n imprinted . That is, on top of proto-
plasmic consciousnes s and mammalia n ego, we acquire human mind, which is
created by and creator of human artifacts and speech .
Feral children , who survive d in isolatio n from human society
(artifacts and speech), have
.no
"mind"
in the human sense;
which is why they are called feral.
In the semanti c stage of imprin t vulnerabilit y we acquir e either:
FLUENC Y O R INARTICULATENES S
DEXTERIT Y O R CLUMSINES S
"GOOD MIND" O R "DUM B
MIND"
1
Why do we say "dumb" (mute) for stupid?
Because "a good mind means a good mouth, " and the huma n mind is a verbalizin
g circuit .

140
Prometheus Rising
At puberty , anothe r DNA trigge r fires and RNA messenger s initiate anothe r
morphologica l mutatio n of body-mind . The
"adult personality " is imprinte d and conditioned . We become :
"MORAL" OR "IMMORAL"
ROBOT-OBEDIENT OR ROBOT-DISOBEDIEN T
SOLID CITIZE N O R SEXUA L OUTLA W
"PARENT" OR ANARCHIST
Lack of understandin g of these morphologica l changes, and their persistenc e
in imprin t circuit s in the brain, is responsibl e for most failure s in
communication , and for the genera l sense of exasperation with whic h we too
often confron t each other . Sinc e everybody' s imprint s are a little bit
different—
the average is that which nobody totally is —
1
we all feel at times like the legendar y
Quake r who told his wife , "All the worl d is mad but me and thee, and
sometimes I wonder about thee."
Reichians , disciple s of Dr. Spock and the Summerhil l School , etc. have
called attention , with some impatience , to the brutalit y and stupidit y of
man y of our traditiona l child-rearin g methods .
These method s are "brutal" and "stupid" only if, like the above-
mentione d heretics , one regard s the goal of child-rearin g as the productio
n of a sane, balanced , creativ e [NOT CRATED ] huma n being .
THIS HAS NEVER BEEN THE GOAL OF ANY SOCIETY

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IN THE REAL WORLD.
The traditiona l childrearin g method s are quite logical, pragmati c and
sound in fulfillin g the real purpose of society , which is not to create an
ideal person , but to create
[CRATE ] a semi-robo t who mimics the society as closely as possible—bot h in
its rationa l and its irrationa l aspects , both as the repositor y of the
wisdo m of the past and as the sum total of all the cruelties and stupidities
of the past. Very simply, a totally aware , alert , awakened
(unbrainwashed )
perso n woul d not fit very well into any of the standard roles society
offers; the dam-
aged, robotize d product s of traditiona l child-rearin g do fit into those
slots.
1
James Joyce justifie d anarchis m on the ground s that "the state is concentri
c and the individua l is eccentric. "

Prometheus Rising
141
That is, there is a neuro-sociologica l "logic" to the illogical.
Are traditiona l school s very muc h like mini-prisons ? Do they stifle
imagination , cram p the child physicall y and mentally , and run on variou s
forms of overt or covert terrorism ? Of course , the answe r is an unambiguou
s yes;
but such school s are necessar y to train peopl e for roles in the ordinar y
offic e or factor y or profes -
sion, whic h are also very muc h like mini-prisons , stifl e imagina -
tion, cramp the person physicall y and mentall y and run on terror
(threa t of loss of bio-surviva l tickets , in the form of pay-check s or
tenure).
The permissiv e movemen t in child-rearin g appeare d only when it did, and
has succeeded only to a limited extent, because societ y has alway s neede d
and still think s it need s huma n robots .
Utopia n child-rearin g will advanc e further , necessarily , only as society
itself evolve s out of authoritarianism .
That is, as the accelerate d change s now occurrin g prope l us into the most
rapid period of socia l evolutio n in all huma n history , we will then need
citizens who are not robots, who are creative;
who are not docile, who are innovative ;
who are not narrow-minde d bigots, who are explorer s in every sense of the
word.
Traditiona l child-rearin g bega n to falte r only whe n societ y began to
enter into the presen t period of accelerate d change and technologica l
omni-transformatio n of all traditiona l values .
Failures in communicatio n generall y derive from sending a messag e to the
wron g address . That is, your husban d has an ego problem and you send a
messag e to his mind.
Adaptin g a diagra m from
Transactiona l
Analysi s what has happene d is this:

142
Prometheus Rising
The messag e is addresse d from Circui t I to Circui t IV. It means "I feel
weak; help bolster me up." If the answer comes back from Circuit III to
Circuit III, "Well, let's analyz e the problem..."
there has been a Wrong Address.
Of course , this exampl e is deliberatel y untypical , althoug h not

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impossible. It is untypical because women traditionally are trained not to
make this kind of mistake—t o be "emotionall y sensitive," to be "supportive,"
etc. It is much more likely, statis-
tically; , that this kind of Wron g Addres s will go the other way—
husban d to wife. That is, the wife signal s "Help! " and the husband on
Circuit III says, "Let's analyze the problem... "
We have said that the imprintin g of the circuits contain s a large elemen t
of acciden t (withi n genetic parameters) . Society , everywhere , withou t
understandin g this theory , understand s enough pragmatically about imprintin
g processe s to attemp t to program each individua l for his or her assigned
role. Hence, traditiona l girl-rearin g is differen t from traditiona l
boy-rearing , so that women will have more Circui t II "sensitivity. " Again
Women's Liberation, like modern child-rearing, arrived only when we were
evolutionaril y ready or nearly-read y for it.
The traditional system worked in traditional societies.
Similarly , class structure , like the caste structur e in an insect hive,
works to produce the "right" imprints in each class. The third circui t of the
servil e class or proletaria t is imprinte d chiefl y for manual dexterity,
while the same circuit in middle-class or ruling-clas s childre n is imprinte
d for verbal , mathematica l or other symbol-usin g skills
Democrac y has been less than a total success—an d the intel-
lectual's half-shame d cynicis m about democrac y is justified—t o the extent
that traditiona l societ y did not need, could not use, and in many ways
discourage d the developmen t of high verba l
("rational" ) skills in the majorit y of the population . That is, concretely
, mos t peopl e are not encourage d to be very smart , and are rathe r heavil
y programme d to be comparativel y stupid . Suc h programmin g is what is
neede d to fit them into most traditiona l jobs. Their bio-survival circuitry
works as well as that of most animals , thei r emotional-territoria l circuitr
y is typicall y primate , and they have little third-circuit "mind" to
verbalize (rationalize)
with. Naturally , they usuall y vote for the charlata n who can

Prometheus Rising
143
activate primitiv e bio-surviva l fears and territoria l ("patriotic" )
pugnacity . The intellectua l looks at the disma l results and contin -
ues to believe in "democracy " only by an act of Blind Faith similar to the
way beliefs in Catholicis m or Communis m or snake-worshi p are maintained .
Again, the traditiona l system works, for traditiona l society . A
mass made of people who have intense curiosit y about why
Beethove n went in for strin g quartet s after the Nint h Symphony , or whethe
r Kant really refute d
Hume satisfactorily , or what the latest quantu m theories mean in relation to
Determinis m and
Free Will, is not a mass that will easily be led into dull, dehu-
manizin g labor at traditiona l jobs.
Why did Adla i Stevenso n lose to Ike Eisenhower , Georg e
McGovern to Tricky Dicky Nixon , etc.? It was the Wrong
Address problem again. Stevenson , McGover n and other darlings of the
intelligentsi a wer e speakin g to the thir d circuit , whic h is not very
highl y develope d in most domesticate d primate s yet.
Eisenhowe r in his Fatherl y way , and Nixo n in his bullyin g Big
Brothe r way, knew just how to push the right Second-Circui t
emotional-territoria l button s to get a mob of primate s to follow them. They
were geneticall y programme d alpha males, in etho-
logical terms.
Similarly , the Moralis t (i.e., the Adult Personalit y who has imprinte d
heavy Ethica l imperative s on Circui t IV) is often total-

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ly unable to communicat e with the scientis t or technologist . The
Moralis t may even decide—man y already have—tha t the scien-
tist per se is "inhuman. " In fact, moral s are fairly irrelevan t to the
Third Circui t analytica l mind, which is the brain functio n the average
scientis t has imprinte d most powerfully . To the third circuit , the only
moralit y is accuracy , the only immoralit y is sloppy thinking .
Again, the rise in "social conscience " among scientist s is hap-
pening only when it was evolutionaril y necessar y that it happen , i.e.,
after Hiroshima . If it doesn' t seem to be happenin g widely enough and
quickl y enough , well, the same can be said—als o in error, I
think—abou t modernizin g educatio n and childrearing , about Women' s
Liberation , about racism , etc. The rebellio n agains t all the follie s of
the past is succeeding , and will continu e to succeed , only as we evolve
into a society which needs each

144
Prometheus Rising human to function well on all circuits.
We are movin g with ever-
increasin g speed, into such a society .
What the impatient radical forgets is that many of the
"injustices " of the traditiona l primate society were not even perceived as
such by the best minds of 1000 years ago or 100
years ago, or in the case of institutionalize d sexism, even 30
years ago. If we can see injustice and absurdity in many age-old institutions
, it is only becaus e we are evolvin g out of robothood , at precisel y the
poin t in evolutio n when it is necessar y for us to become smarter and more
sensitive on all circuits.
Each of us has a "favorite"
circuit—tha t is, a circuit that has been more heavil y imprinte d than the
others. Miscommunication , misunderstandin g and genera l misjudgmen t of one
anothe r is vastly increased by the fact that few of us know about these
levels of circuitry , and we all tend to assume that the person we are
interacting with is on the same circuit we are.
Thus, there are narcissisti c (oral) first-circui t types in every social
group. Present them with a problem and they will imme-
diately look for somebod y else to handle it, since the oral stage is
roboticall y imprinte d for dependency . (Or, if they have imprinte d hostile
weakness instead of dependent weakness, they will explode into anger—infantil
e tantrum—ragin g that a proble m exists and that it has been impose d on
them.)
A second-circui t type, in the same situation , will attempt to frighten the
problem away by barking and blustering at it, mammalian-fashion .
A third-circui t type will try to reason out the problem . This is the best
approach only with problems that are themselves ratio-
nal, i.e., "How do you make this machin e work? " It can be blind, and futile
, when the "problem " is anothe r huma n being actin g out one of the more
destructive second-circuit rage programs.
("The liberal is the one who leaves the room when the fight starts," somebod y
once said. Third-circui t types are most con-
fused and feel impoten t when second-circui t mammalia n politic s takes over
the scene.)
A fourth-circui t type will try to be rationa l (thir d circuit ) and to sens
e the emotiona l dimension s of the proble m (secon d circuit) but will
basically try to impose a moral solution: "Now this is the decent, fair thing
to do..."
This may or may not make

Prometheus Rising

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74 5
sense to the third-circui t Rationalist , looking for objectiv e justice ; and
it will usuall y make no sense at all to the totall y second-circui t type
dominate d by emotionalis m and territoriality .
What is true of the group is true of the individual . Whil e we all have our
favorit e circuit , and tend to see that circui t as
"superior " to all the others, we can be pushed out of it by shocks or
stresses , in which case we jump to anothe r circuit .
The mos t roboti c Rationalis t will descen d to the first circuit ,
eventually , if threa t to bio-securit y is forcibl y enoug h presente d on
the scree n of consciousness . And, if prevente d from "leavin g the room when
the fight starts, " the Rationalis t will even descen d to second-circui t
mammalia n howlin g and barking , unde r suffi -
cient pressure . (Olive r Wendel l Holme s referre d to this as "the
hydrostatic principle in controversy, " whereby the fools drag everybod y down
to their own level. )
The most roboti c Emotionalis t may also move up to the third circuit ,
temporarily , if a proble m remain s intractabl e to every form of emotiona l
bullyin g or con-artistry .
All of us will mov e into fourth-circui t Paren t role or Supe r
Ego—even little childre n will do it, imitatively—i f it seems that the only
way to get wha t one want s is to appea l to triba l morality :
"Why, it would be positively, indecent not to do it the way
Grandfathe r would..."
"Give us the child until he is five, and we will have him for life," bragge d
some 18th Centur y Jesuit . The Jesuit order of that time, as Aldou s Huxle y
later note d sardonically , educate d
Voltaire , Diderot , and the Marqui s de Sade ; obviousl y their tech-
niques of brain-programmin g were not perfect . Nonetheless , most peopl e in
most societie s do grow up as fairly accurat e repli-
cas of the previou s generation . Most childre n educate d by the
Jesuits have remaine d Catholics . Most childre n of Democrat s do not become
Republicans . Etc.
Considerin g the wide variet y of philosophie s availabl e to any of us—nudis
m and Buddhism , scientifi c materialis m and snak e worship , Communis m and
vegetarianism , subjectiv e Idealis m and Existentialism , Methodis m and
Shinto , etc.—th e fact that most peopl e remai n in the same reality-tunne l
as their parents , does indicat e that acculturalizatio n is a mind contro l
process . We are all giants , raise d by pygmies , who have learne d to walk
with

146
Prometheus Rising a perpetua l menta l crouch . Unleashin g our full
stature—ou r total brain power—is what this book is all about.
There is a Zen story (very funny—ha-ha )
about a monk who, having failed to achieve "enlightenment " (brain-change )
through the normal Zen methods, was told by his teacher to think of nothin g
but an ox. Day afte r day afte r day, the mon k though t of the ox, visualize
d the ox, meditate d on the ox. Finally , one day, the teacher came to the
monk's cell and said, "Come out here—I
want to talk to you. "
"I can't get out," the monk said. "My horns won't fit through the door."
/
can't get out...
At these words, the monk was "enlightened." Never mind what "enlightenment "
means, right now. The monk went through some species of brain change,
obviously. He had developed the delusio n that he was an ox, and awakenin g
from that hypnoida l state he saw throug h the mechanis m of all othe r
delusion s and how they robotiz e us.

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EXERCIZES
1.
Recreat e vividly in imaginatio n your first orgasm . To what exten t do you
still use the sam e accessorie s (stimuli ) to turn you on?
2. Try to chang e your sexual imprint . See if you can reach orgasm by some
method that has been taboo or unthinkabl e to you before.
3. Imagine that you are Rev. Jerry Falwell. Explain to an imaginary homosexual
why his sexual imprint is "sinful" and should be change d at once. Includ e
instruction s on how to change it.
4. Imagine that you are a Gay man or Lesbian. Explain to
Rev. Falwel l why you will not or can not chang e you r sexua l imprin t to
please him.
5. Read Margare t
Mead's
Sex and Temperament in Three
Primitive Societies.
Then write a five-pag e proof that the taboos in our tribe mak e mor e sens e
objectivel y than the taboo s of the tribes she studied.
Be serious about it!

Prometheus Rising I4J
6. Choos e the viewpoin t of the Samoan s in Dr. Mead' s book above. Write a
five-page proof that their taboos make more sense than those of our society .
Be serious about it.
7. Re-rea d the paragraph s about the giraff e and the gosling .
What does this tell you about your sexual imprint ? What is your jeep or your
ping-pon g ball?

CHAPTER
NINE
MINDWASHIN G
& BRAIN
PROGRAMMIN G
We have certain preconceive d notion s about locatio n in space which have
come down to us from ape-lik e ancestors .
— Sir Arthur Eddington , Space, Time and Gravitation
149

The greates t
Utopia n possibilit y before us is also the greates t dystopia n terror .
We are learnin g more and more about the pragmatic s of brain change:
how to alter anybody' s brain so as to set them in a total-
ly new "reality. " Vision s of
1984
and
Brave New World lurk in this very concept .
But we are also learnin g how to chang e our own brains —
learnin g to use them for fun and profi t rathe r than for miser y and
robothood . Vision s of Super-Humanit y are implici t in any per-
ceptio n of what this means .
The brain can be tuned , like a TV, to turn off any channel , and to bring in

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a new channel . This is what the veteran s of the
1960s-
1970s Neurologica l Revolutio n know . This is the major threat , and the majo
r promis e of our time.
Consider the alternatives .
CYANIDE AND
SYNCHRONICITY
In Novembe r 1978, I was in Seattl e to see the 10-hou r play which Ken
Campbel l had made out of the three
Illuminatus!
novels by Bob Shea and myself . In the course of the drama came a scene Shea
and I had almos t forgotte n writin g in the seve n years since the book s
were finishe d in
1971 .
The scene con-
cerned a lunatic messia h who orders 3300 of his robot disciple s to commi t
suicid e by drinkin g cyanide . The mindles s automaton s obey and each drink
s his cyanid e cocktail .
Shea and I had writte n that bizarr e sequenc e to illustrat e the extreme s
to whic h brainwashin g can go. We both regarde d it as an extravagan t
fantasy , for satirica l purposes—a n exaggeratio n of our serious theme .
Yet whil e the actor s on the stage were depictin g this "fantasy "
every TV and newspape r in the land was discussin g the exac t same specie s
of mass zombi e behavior . Our fictiona l mania c guru was Adolp h Hitler ; in
Novembe r 1978 , whil e our play was being performed , anothe r maniac-guru ,
Jim Jones , had playe d the whole sequenc e out in reality . In Guyana , he
had ordere d 900 of his robot s to drink cyanid e and they had all obeyed .
It was particularl y interestin g to me that Jone s had stage d his
Gotterdammerung whil e our play was havin g its America n

/52
Prometheus Rising premiere . It was even more interestin g that the tool of
mass suicide , in our fictio n and in
Jones'
reality , had been cyanide .
Carl Jung, the psychologist , and Wolfgang
Pauli, the physi-
cist, had a name for peculiar coincidence s of that order of eeri-
ness. They called them synchronicities and said they represente d an acausal
and/or holistic principle in nature that acts outside the linear
past-present-futur e of Newtonia n time.
Pauli, like most quantu m physicists , was aware that subatomi c events cannot
be understoo d in Newtonia n terms and must require some sort of acausality
(indeterminism)
or holism
(super-
determinism)
to explain them.
In either case, the distinction between "observer" and "observed" breaks down.
(About that, more later.)
Jung, in turn , had observe d that such synchronicities—weir d
coincidences—ten d to occur when certain deep structure s in the psyche are
activated. He assumed that these structures were at what he called "the
psychoi d level,"
below the collectiv e uncon -
scious, where mind and matte r are not yet distinct—th e quantu m foam out of
which matter and form and consciousnes s hierarchi-
cally emerge.
Wait. It gets weirder.. ;

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»
HEIRESS TO BANK ROBBER
When Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liber-
ation Army on Februar y 4, 1974, she was a "normal " young heiress . She was
attendin g a norma l college , had a norma l live-in boyfrien d and smoke d a
norma l amoun t of weed for a young heiress of that time. 57 days later, she
had become a new person, with a new name—Tania—an d was livin g in a new
reality -
tunnel .
Where Patty had been heterosexual, Tania was bisexual.
Where Patty largel y accepte d the Hears t famil y tunnel-realit y with only a
few "liberal " modification s typica l of her age group, Tania was a violent
and fanatic revolutionary . Where Patty had been respectfu l to her parents ,
Tani a denounce d them as
"corporat e liars" and castigate d them as being involve d in a capitalist
plot to "murder" the poor people of the U.S. "down to the last man, woman and
child." Where Patty had been "nice"

Prometheus Rising
75 3
and polite and certainly non-violent, Tania had her photo taken holding a
tommy-gu n and assiste d in at least one bank robber y and perhap s other
felonies .
What had happened? When Patty-Tania was captured and brought to trial, the
defens e claime d that she had been
"brainwashed. " The jury either did not understan d or did not believe this;
they sentenced Patty to prison for the crimes Tania had committed . Debate
about this case continue s to the present , since some people think Ms. Hearst
was "responsible " for the consciousness change she underwent while held
captive by the
SLA and others are just as sure she was not "responsible. "
Leaving metaphysica l question s of "responsibility " aside for a moment , it
seems obviou s that a young lady of
Hearst's class and backgroun d would almos t certainl y not have taken up bank
robbin g if she had not first been kidnappe d and incorporate d by the
SLA.
Since the SLA called itself an army, let us compare it to an army; this may
prove illuminating .
One does not get kidnappe d into an army the way Hearst got kidnappe d into
the SLA, but the process is not entirely dissimi -
lar. U.S. Army recruiter s do not break into a young man's house in the middl
e of night with guns, as the SLA did with Patty: they simply send the young
man a notice in the mail. Nonetheles s coercion is there; the young drafte e
know s that if he ignore s the letter, governmen t agents will be around to
seize his body in a short while , (unles s he flees the country. ) He will
then either go into the army or into jail. Thus, whethe r we are speakin g
about the S.L. Army or the
U.S.
Army , the subjec t is reduce d to infan-
tile helplessness : other people are decidin g what is to be done to his or
her body. One is pushed to the neonat e positio n of being one foot high in a
six foot tall world , as it were. Like the small child, one is learnin g that
the first rule of surviva l is to obey.
Most people (except nudists ) are shy about appearin g naked in public—and
this is the most common of all nightmares, "There I was with no clothes on!"
(Joyce made this the central inciden t in the dream that is all dreams ,
Finnegans
Wake.)
The first step in leaving the civilian reality-tunne l and being initiated

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into the Army reality-tunne l is, thus, the physica l examination , in which
the subjec t is strippe d naked and made to march aroun d a

Prometheus Rising large buildin g with other naked victims while the
fully-clothe d
Army personnel give the briefest possible orders: "Stand up. Sit down. Go
there. Come back here," etc. The Masoni c initiation , which only remove s
part of the clothin g of the subject , is a milder version of the stripping
away of previously secure social parameters.
What is really being "strippe d away" is more subtle; it is the whole socia l
syste m in whic h one has lived befor e being snatched by a U.S. or an S.L.
Army. When the doctor tells the naked draftee, "Bend over. Spread your
cheeks," so-called norma l realit y has ende d as totall y as if the victi m
had been incorporate d into a surrealis t movie. If an employe r becomes too
obnoxious , one can always find a new job. You cannot walk out on the U.S. or
S.L. Arm y that way, becaus e acute first-circui t helplessnes s is being
imprinted .
When the Russia n mathematician , Ouspensky , was first studying with
Gurdjieff , he had great trouble understandin g
Gurdjief f s insistenc e that most people are machine s and totally unawar e
of the objectiv e world aroun d them . Then , one day, after World War I had
begun , Ouspensk y saw a truck full of artificial legs.
These artificial legs were being sent to the front-
line hospitals , for soldier s whos e legs had not even been blown off yet,
but whose legs would be blown off. The predictio n that these legs would be
blown off was so certain that the artificial legs were already on their way to
replace the natural legs. The predictio n was based on the mathematica l
certaint y that million s of youn g men woul d marc h to the front , to be
maime d and mur-
dered, as mindlessly as cattle marching into a slaughterhouse .
In a flash, Ouspensk y understoo d the mechanical nature of ordinar y huma n
consciousness .
( "I
can
't get out
—
my horns won
'tfit through the door.
")
Initiation into the "Manson family" is not dissimilar. Lynette
Fromme was much like Patty
Hearst
—
a
"normal " America n young woman , with less mone y than Hearst , but no specia
l proclivit y for crimina l behavior . After passing through Genera l
Manson'
s basic training, Lynette had become Squeaky Fromme and was convicte d for
pointin g a gun at the U.S. Presiden t with seemin g intent to assassinat e
him.

Prometheus Rising
755
In the next chapte r we will explai n furthe r how bein g capture d
("drafted" ) by an army is the mode l of all brainwashin g experi -
ence.
Huma n societ y as a whol e is a vast brainwashin g machin e whose semanti c
rules and sex roles create a social robot.

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The concep t of "washing " is, of course , unscientifi c and crude . The brain
is not a dirty garmen t but an electro-colloida l informatio n processor— a
livin g networ k of over
110
billio n nerve cells capable of
(10
2733000
)
interconnections , a number highe r than the total of all the atom s in the
universe . In this elegant, micro-miniaturize d biocompute r more than
100,000,00 0
processe s are programme d every minute .
From the viewpoint of neuro-sociology , how I perceive
"myself and "my world" depends on how each circuit has been wired in my brain
. Society has alway s know n how to wire chil-
dren; the proces s is called acculturalization ;
it explain s why chil-
dren of Catholic s tend to becom e Catholics , childre n of Samoan s fit into
Samoa n society , childre n of Communist s becom e good little Communists ,
etc. Each generatio n "brainwashes " the next.
Christianity , Buddhis m and Islam , betwee n them, are the most poten t
brain-programmin g institution s on this planet . Approxi -
matel y half the art and philosoph y of the huma n race—th e archi -
tecture , the music , the paintings , the literature , the educationa l
ideals, the "great ideas"—ha s been influence d by and/or nurture d by these
three great system s of theology . This is not to denigrat e the contribution
s of Confucianism , Judaism, Hinduism , modern science , etc., but merel y to
emphasiz e the exten t to whic h the higher civilization s have been shape d
by the four creator s of these three omni-religions :
Buddha , Mohammed , Jesus and St.
Paul. What did these four men have in common ?
As Aleiste r Crowle y point s out, "No poin t of doctrine , no point of ethics
, no theor y of a
'hereafter '
do they share , and yet in the histor y of thei r live s we find one identit y
ami d man y diversities. "
Buddh a was an ordinar y Hind u nobleman , and then he experience d a rapid
brain-change , after which he becam e a great
Teacher .
Mohamme d was a humbl e camel-driver , with no sign of exceptiona l
intelligenc e or ambition , and then he experience d a

156
Prometheus Rising rapid brain change, after which he became Teacher,
Conqueror, Law-Make r and Prophet .
We hear nothin g of Jesus (save a few fables ) until the age of
30, when he experience s a rapid brain-change , and puts forth a doctrin e
that is to overtur n the Roma n Empir e and influenc e
Western Civilizatio n until the present .
St. Paul, who took the teaching of Jesus and turned it into a militant
movement , suffered an extreme form of brain-change , of whic h he tells us
that he was temporaril y struc k blin d and lifte d up into the heaven s wher
e he behel d thing s "of whic h it is not lawfu l to speak. "
On all else but the experienc e of Illuminatio n they disagree .
Buddha insisted that his enlightenmen t was perfectl y natural —
"Are you a God?" he was once asked.
"No."
"Are you a saint?"
"No. "

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"Then what are you?"
"I am awake."
Mohamme d informs us that he "spoke" to the Angel Gabriel, Jesus that the
"Father which is in heaven" spoke through him, and St. Paul that he saw the
lights and wonders above mentioned .
Making every possible reservation about fable and myth, we get this one
coincidence : A nobod y experience s rapid brain -
chang e (consciousnes s dilation ) and abruptl y become s very much a
historica l Somebody . Muc h of the huma n race is still living on the legacy
of these four bio-electrica l "illuminations, "
for good and for ill.
Most people (the presen t author included ) would conside r what happene d to
Patty Hears t "bad" and what happene d to
Buddha "good. " It needs to be emphasize d that both the "bad"
and the "good " brain chang e experience s are functionall y the same. The
process is modeled , on a small scale by any design such as the following :

Prometheus
Rising
/5
7
If you have seen this only one way , look at it again . Ther e are two
opposite ways of seeing it.
When your whole world, not just a design on a book-page, is transforme d this
way , you are experiencin g the kind of brain -
chang e that can turn a rich heires s into a bank robber , an obscur e
carpente r into a Messiah , or an ordinar y bank teller into a menta l
patient...
Similar forms of major brain-chang e underlie all revolution -
ary breakthrough s in the arts, and in scienc e as well. Neuro -
sociolog y is a histor y of massiv e brain changes , as we quantum -
jumpe d from "tribal " realit y to "feudal " reality , from "feudal "
reality to "industrial " reality, and now are jumping to Future
Reality.
Conside r the revolutio n agains t death , if you thin k you haven' t been
brainwashed .
Not all peopl e have accepte d mortality . Mystics , of course , have alway s
insiste d there is a specie s of "spiritual " immortality , but aside from
that, Taoists in China and alchemists in Europe spen t hundred s of year s
seekin g the elixi r of life tha t woul d allow for physica l immortality .
Paracelsus , for instance , left behin d some of his sperm with direction s to
a studen t on how to revive or recreat e him out of it. (He seems to have had
a crude and inaccurat e idea of cloning.) In the 1780s, both Benjami n
Frankli n and Condorcet , in Americ a and France , wrote that medica l scienc
e woul d eventuall y conque r deat h alon g with every other disease .
The moder n immortalis t movemen t bega n wit h physicis t
R.C.W. Ettinger who published
The Prospect of Immortality in
1964 . Ettinger , wh o had entere d a reality-tunne l differen t from the
imprinte d consensus-realit y of our tribe , said bluntl y that we could be
the generatio n that abolishe d death and we shoul d start workin g for that
goal .

158
Prometheus
Rising
Since then, researc h on life-extensio n and longevit y has quan-
tum jumped rapidly . Numerou s books have come forth carryin g the same basic

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message as Ettinger's . Among them have been:
The Biological Time Bomb, Taylor , 1968
The Immortalist, Harrington , 1969
The Immortality Factor, Segerberg , 1973
Here Comes Immortality, Tucille, 1974
Prolongevity, Rosenfeld , 1976
No More Dying, Kurtzman , 1978
The Life Extension Revolution, Kent, 1980
Dozens of societie s have been founde d for anti-agin g research, to lobby for
more research, or just to publicize the possibility before us—the enormou s
evolutionar y jump from mortality to immortality . Among these groups are:
Committee for the Eliminatio n of
Death , San Marcos , CA.; Bay Area
Cryonic s Society , San Francisco , CA; Prometheu s Society , Baltimore , MD.
; Lon g Life , Chicago , IL.;
Alco r
Foundation , San
Diego , CA; Foundatio n for Researc h Agains t Diseas e and Death , New York,
NY, etc. Now conside r the cover of a recent book on this topic :
Conquest of Death
Alvi n
Silverstein , Ph.D . The front jacket says, in bold type but timid words:
A Controversial Look at the Revolution in Medicine and
Why We May Be the Last Generation to Die
Note the pessimisti c implications : immortalit y is coming , but not for me
and you.
We are still condemne d to death . Our horn s won't fit throug h the door.
This fatalisti c versio n of Dr. Silverstein' s messag e mus t hav e seeme d
necessar y to the publisher s becaus e they felt that sayin g we don't have to
die would be too shocking to the ordinary reader. What? You and I live forever
? Nonsense ! Our reality-
tunnels have all been imprinte d to end with the dying of the light.
Inside the jacket, a more accurate version of what Dr. Silver-
stein is saying appears:
We Need Not Be the Last Generation to
Die—
We Can Conquer Death in Our Time

Prometheus Rising
75 9
Evidently , puttin g this on the fron t of the boo k woul d hav e been too
much of a "Neurologica l Revolution " for the averag e reader—a t least in the
publisher' s estimation .
One has to reac h page
189
of the book to find Dr. Silver -
stein's own estimat e of the probabl e chronolog y of immortality , whic h is:
GOOD
NEWS
FOLKS
c. 1983 We begin to halt the aging process c. 1989 Life span prolonged
indefinitel y c. 1999 Conquest of disease and death
Well, he was over-optimistic : but we've definitely reached the first step
(1997) .
Who told you that you had to die? Were they any more infal -
lible than the peopl e who programme d Patty Hearst , etc.?
"But—but—th e Immortalist s are only a minority... "
(So were the
Einsteinians in

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1910.)
"But—but—Reveren d Jone s told me to drink the cyanid e and he know s what' s
right... "
"But—bu t my horn s won' t fit throug h the door.. .
EXERCIZES
1.
Imagin e yoursel f into the reality-tunne l of the far-righ t grou p know n as
the John Birc h Society . Believ e for a whil e that the U.S. governmen t is
85% unde r cover t Unite d Nation s (UN )
contro l and an open UN dictatorshi p will be declare d soon . Turn on the TV
in tha t fram e of min d and look for all the evidence tha t each newscaste r
is either a consciou s or an unconsciou s dupe of the UN conspiracy .
2. Imagin e yoursel f into the Head Space of a dogmati c
Ratio -
nalist . Analyz e the Jim
Jones-cyanide-Illuminatus synchronicit y as "mere coincidence. "
3. Imagin e yoursel f into the Head Spac e of an occultist .
Analyz e the
Jim-Jones-cyanide-///Mmmam.
y synchronicit y as an
Omen . Wha t does it mean ? Jungian s say synchronicitie s contai n
"messages " from the deep structur e of the collectiv e mind .
What is the message ?

160
Prometheus Rising
4. Enter the
Immortalis t head-spac e for a few minutes . Imag-
ine you invest only $1000 at normal bank interest, compounde d annually. What
will you have in 100 years? In 200 years?
(Nobod y has used this conservativ e path to investmen t and gotten rich on it
before becaus e nobod y has lived long enough. )
5. Why are you not a nudist (if you aren't)?
Make up five good reasons , then go find a nudis t and explai n them to her
(or him) .
6. Become a Nazi for thirty three minutes. Believe that all politic s is a
matte r of strength , stealt h and treachery : that all liberalis m is
hypocris y or folly. Plan a campaig n to take over the world by force and
fraud.
7. Go to a Fundamentalis t reviva l meetin g where faith-heal -
ings are performed . Or watch Jerry Falwel l on TV. Remembe r all the time
that lim lones started out with that routine. See if you can get into the head
space of the Believer s and decide whethe r or not they woul d drink cyanid e
if their HOLY MAN
told them to.

CHAPTE R TEN
HOW
TO BRAIN-WAS H
FRIENDS & ROBOTIZE
PEOPLE
There is no government , no industrial-militar y complex, no eco-
nomic system, no mass media that can ever reduce us to puppets and robots as
thoroughl y as the biologica l and environmenta l dicta-
torships have.
—
P.M.
Esfandiary , Upwingers

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As note d earlier , whe n the bio-surviva l circui t flashe s danger , all
other mental activity ceases.
There is no "time " on the bio-surviva l circuit ; reflexe s act withou t
emotiona l ego , rationa l min d or adul t personalit y partici -
pating : "I just foun d mysel f doin g it."
All the martial arts—judo , akido, kung fu, etc.—are reim-
printin g technique s for the bio-surviva l circuit . They are intende d to
ensure that what happens mechanically
("withou t thought" )
really does serve bio-survival , since the reflexe s imprinte d acci-
dentally on this circuit are not that dependable .
The mechanica l natur e of the bio-surviva l circui t is of key importance in
brainwashing .
To create a new imprint, reduce the victim to an infantile state, i.e.,
first-circuit vulnerability.
As pointe d out in the last chapte r an arm y begin s this proces s with the
draf t notice , whic h inform s the subjec t that his body no longe r belong s
to him but to the government . The S.L . Army , seeking quicker brain change,
began the conversio n of Patty into
Tania by takin g her at gun point , but the messag e was the same :
"We can do what we want with your body from now on." First-
circui t bio-surviva l instinct s thus becom e hooke d to obeyin g those who
have this awesom e power—jus t as the infant learns to hook its bio-surviva l
circuitr y to the parenta l figures .
Patty's ride in the trunk of a car (afte r being taken at gun-
point ) is a classi c rebirt h ritual ; the trun k is even womb-lik e in its
contours . Whe n the trun k opened , she was rebor n into a new reality-tunnel
, that of her captors . Similarly , wher e the earlies t form s of masoni c
initiatio n surviv e and hav e not been dilute d
(Note the Adeptu s Majo r Ritua l in the
Complete Golden Dawn
System of Magic, by Israel Regardie , Falcon Press 1983. ) the candidat e is
throw n into a well , and then "raised " as a newbor n
Freemason .
Total submersion, the form of baptis m preferre d by
Protestan t fundamentalists , imitate s this, but withou t the real anxiet y
tha t mad e traditiona l masonr y and the SLA so effectiv e as brain change
agents.
All brainwasher s empiricall y kno w (withou t in mos t case s ever having
read Leary's eight-circui t model of the brain) that the oral bio-surviva l
circui t seek s bondin g with a motherin g fig-
ure. To increas e panic and imprin t vulnerability , then, the subject , afte
r bein g seize d by the brainwasher s (U.S . or S.L .
Army, "secre t police, " or whoeve r they may be in a given case)
163

164
Prometheus Rising is isolated from all those to whom bondin g had previousl y
been established . The draftee is sent to boot camp and sees no loved ones
(wife , girlfriend , parents , etc.) for a numbe r of weeks or months. The
political prisoner is thrown into a dungeon. Patty
Hearst was locked in a closet as soon as she was "rebirthed " out of the trun
k of the car.
Experiments in isolation by the U.S. Marine Corps, Dr. John

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Lilly and others—an d the record s of shipwrecke d sailors , as summarize d by
Lilly in
Simulations of
God—
show that only a few hours of pure isolation may be necessary before halluci-
nations begin. These hallucinations , like those of psychedeli c drugs,
indicate the breaking down of previou s imprint s and the onset of
vulnerabilit y to new imprints .
The need to bond the bio-surviva l circui t to somebod y (or some thing)
is indicated by the giraffe who imprinted on the hunter' s jeep as a
mother-substitute . Similarly , childre n withou t siblings , especiall y
those in remot e rural areas , often inven t imaginary playmates, which can
become "real" enough to frighte n the parent s into suspectin g the onse t of
psychosis . Dr.
Lilly's record s of sailors and explorer s in isolatio n show that such
"guides," "companions " or "holy guardian angels" reappear quickl y even in
adulthoo d when norma l socia l contac t is removed. They also come promptly
to those undergoing the mysteriou s state called "near-death" or "out of body
experience, "
(e.g., when the heart stops on the operatin g table.)
The first huma n being who appear s to the subjec t after this isolation can
easily become bonded as the mother-substitute , or, next best, as a
father-substitute . This explain s why people held prisoner by terrorists
(e.g., on hijacked airplanes) often develop a
"paradoxical " sympath y for those who are threatenin g to kill them. It also
explain s why the draftee begins to look on his kid-
nappers as protectors as well as captors, and why the brainwash victim begins
to please , gratif y and eventuall y "respect " the brainwasher .
In all cases, since the bio-survival circuit is keyed to nourish-
ment, those who bring food becom e possibl e subject s for bond-
ing. The politica l prisoner , the draftee , the subjec t kidnappe d by
terrorists , all move somewha t closer to identification/bondin g with thei r
captor s as the y are fed regularly . Again , thi s is

Prometheus Rising
165
imitate d crudel y by variou s religion s (withou t the terro r that creates
true imprin t vulnerability ) by followin g baptism/rebirt h rituals with a
communa l meal or Holy Eucharist .
Adaptation s of these principle s can be applied even to those who walk into
the brainwashin g environmen t voluntaril y at first, as in People's Temple,
the
Manson
Family, and similar organi-
zations . The firs t step , onc e the victi m is insid e the territor y
(commune) , is to begin isolation by cuttin g off all communica -
tion with the outer world and its conflictin g reality-tunnels .
Meanwhile , a parental-protectiv e atmospher e is quickl y created
(sometime s called "love-bombing" )
and food is provided .
Whethe r the subjec t has entere d voluntaril y as in these com-
munes, or has been kidnappe d or arrested (as in police states), the next
stage is to break down the second-circui t emotional -
territoria l imprints . That means that the subjec t continue s to be fed
(maintainin g first-circui t oral dependence ) while the second -
circuit ego is attacke d in every manne r possible . A point-by -
point comparison of the techniques of a
Synano n
"gamer" and

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U.S. Arm y drill sergeant , for instance , woul d show astonishin g
similarities , since the basic messag e is dozens and dozens of variation s on
"You are all wrong.
We are all right.
It is extremel y unlikely that somebody as wrong as you will become right,
ever, but we will try to teach you." The anal vocabular y of territoria l
status is, of course , employe d extensively . The ideal subjec t may almost
forget his or her name and becom e conditione d to answer -
ing to "You asshole, come here."
The sense of bottom dog helplessnes s can be escalate d by periodi c doses of
real terror. One of Charli e Manson' s famou s sayings was "Fear is the great
teacher," and every brainwashe r would agree ardently. In communist countries
(as dramatized in
Costa-Gravas' s fine and factua l film , The Confession)
a favorit e trick is to take the subjec t out of his cell, march him to a
court-
yard, place a noose about his neck, and convinc e him he is about to be hanged
. The relief , when this turns out to be a bluff , create s ideal imprin t
vulnerability . A variatio n in my novel
Illuminatus!
has the victim persuade d he has been poisoned , dumpe d in a cof-
fin and the lid slamme d upon him. Thos e who have been initiate d as Mar k
Maste r Freemason s will recogniz e at once that the sam e techniqu e is the
"mar k that you wil l carr y to you r grave. "

166
Prometheus Rising
Among the Zuni Indians , the male at adolescenc e is kid-
napped by maske d "demons " who carry him away from the tribe
(away from mothe r and othe r imprinte d securit y figures. ) He is dragged
out into the desert and threatene d with whips . Then the masks come off,
revealin g his materna l uncles, and in that moment of imprint vulnerabilit y
the tribal "secrets " (the local reality-tunnel ) are explaine d in a way that
leav e an indelibl e mark on his consciousness . Simila r rites of passag e
are found in all tribes , few as cleverl y designe d as this one. Symboli c
and dilute d version s surviv e in Bar Mitzvah s and Confirmatio n ceremonie s
in our local mega-tribes .
The rebirthin g of the secon d circui t is (relatively ) complet e when the
Bottom Dog subjec t begins to seek, sincerel y (not hypocritically ) to win
the approva l of the Top Dogs. This, of course, only begins as play-acting ;
the skilled brainwashe r know s that, and does not reall y object . With subtl
e reinforcemen t the play-actin g become s more and more genuine . Edmun d
Burke noted long ago, and every Metho d Acto r knows , that you canno t make
three dramati c gesture s of rage in a politica l speech , with-
out beginnin g to feel some real rage. You canno t make three gesture s of
submissio n withou t beginnin g to feel really submis -
sive. (This is the psychology of the "company man," who truly identifies with
his employe r after year s of obedience. )
The drafte e firs t trie s to pleas e the sergeant , to avoi d furthe r
humiliatio n and punishment . Gradually , he genuinel y wants to please the
sergeant , i.e., to prove he is not all wrong and is "good enough " to be a
soldier . Patty Hearst undoubtedl y pretende d to accep t the SLA
reality-tunne l at first , and graduall y foun d the presence becoming more
and more real.
This process is accelerate d by a system of occasiona l rewards , as the
subjec t more and more often emits
(as the Behaviorist s would say) the desire d behaviors . Since people are
more compli -
cated than Behaviorist s know , it is necessar y to vary this with occasiona l

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punishment s for "insincerity, " or "backsliding, " so that the subjec t learn
s tha t after the initia l stage , it is not enough to pretend to accept the
new reality-tunnel;
to escape further humiliation , ego-loss , terroris m and permanen t Botto m
Dog status , one must begin to accept it sincere/y.
Afte r the imprin t of helplessnes s had been made , this conditionin g and
learnin g will

Prometheus Rising
167
proceed fairly smoothly , especiall y if the Chief Brainwasher' s confederate
s reinforc e it with encouragement , support , and general "reward " (for
sincere submission ) and contempt , disap-
pointmen t and genera l rejectio n (for insincerit y or backsliding. )
Reimprintin g the third semanti c circui t can now follo w easily .
The huma n brain is capabl e of masterin g any symbol-syste m if sufficientl y
motivated . Som e peopl e can even play Beethoven' s late piano music ,
althoug h to me this is as "miraculous " as any feat alleged by psychi c
researchers ; people can learn French , Hindustani , differentia l calculus ,
Swahili , etc. ad.
infinitum—
if motivated.
When the first circuit securit y needs have been reimprinte d and
second-circui t ego-need s have been hooked to masterin g a new semanti c
reality-tunnel , that tunne l wil l be imprinted .
At this point a certain amoun t of arbitrar y nonsens e is of great value.
That is, the new reality-tunne l or symbol-syste m (like the old one) shoul d
contai n pitfall s (gros s violation s of previou s real-
ity tunnel s and commo n sense ) so that the subjec t can be accuse d of
backslidin g (bein g "all wrong, " afte r all) and thereb y incite d to try
harder to become part of the new reality-tunnel .
Thus, Jehovah' s
Witnesse s may not accept blood transfusions , even if their life depend s on
it: harde r still (sinc e all mammal s have an instinc t to protec t thei r
young ) the y mus t rejec t bloo d transfusion s for thei r children , eve n
if the childre n die of this neglect. A Roman Catholic woman may not be
divorced even if her husban d come s home drunk every night , beats her up and
gives her VD. In the U.S. Marines , a recrui t who commit s the hideou s crim
e of callin g a rifle a "gun " mus t walk aroun d the base with his rifle in
one hand and his penis in the other recitin g to everybody he meets, "This is
my rifle/This is my gun/This is for fighting/Thi s is for fun." Theosophist s
were once require d to believe that there is a hole at the North Pole going
down to the center of the earth; Manso n require d his follower s to believ e
the hole was in the Mojav e Desert . Nazi Party member s were asked to believe
that the lion is an Aryan animal and the rabbit non-
Aryan . Etc.
The neurologica l an d sociologica l functio n of suc h
"nonsense " (whic h makes the Rationalis t gasp in shock ) is to sharpl y
segregat e thos e withi n the new reality-tunne l from thos e

168
Prometheus
Rising outside . This makes for group solidarity , group-reinforcement , and a
stron g sense of alienatio n and discomfor t when on rare occasion s it is
necessar y to talk at all with thos e outsid e the brainwasher' s semanti c
system . The group must ensure , of course , that this alienatio n is
experience d as "superiority. " Those who are outsid e the reality-tunne l
must be perceive d as "all wrong"—jus t as the subjec t was, befor e bein g

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brainwashed .
Drugs can be, and have been, used to fine-tun e these process -
es, but the genera l neurologica l principle s are powerfu l enoug h that it
is quite likely that many famou s cases of brainwashin g were accomplishe d as
above described , withou t any drugs at all—e.g., the American soldiers who
confessed to war crimes which they evidentl y had not committed , the loya l
Communist s who confessed to Trotskyite conspiracies which seemingly never
existed , etc. It takes very few week s for most armies , withou t drugs, to
convert a civilian into a soldier, even though the two species are as differen
t as Roma n Catholic s and Shintoists .
In one of my Immortal Novels I describe a religious cult called Loonies ,
founde d by one Neon
Bal
Loon, in which mem-
bers pray in pig-Latin while standing on one leg like storks. This is
considere d satire , but any would-b e messia h who understand s the above
principle s could create such a cult easily; and the member s would soon have
a quite sincere sense of superiorit y to those outside that reality-tunnel .
Cults and outla w terrorist s generall y follow the above proce -
dures by furthe r rewirin g of the fourth , socio-sexua l circuit .
(Government s usuall y leave that circui t alone , since governmen t agents
are largel y puritanical-authoritaria n and afrai d to get involve d at all
with raw Eros. ) It is no secre t that the most powerfu l secret societ y of
the middl e ages, the Knight s Templar , forced recruit s to participat e in
both blasphem y and sodomy . Just as the deliberat e nonsens e of all cultis h
third-circui t semantic s isolate s the group from the rest of society , this
initiatio n sepa-
rated the Templar s from the rest of Christendom ; the alienatio n could
easily be conditioned into a sense of superiority. The Mau-
Maus in Keny a also insiste d on one act of homosexualit y to break the new
member's previous conditioning toward hetero-
sexualit y and monogamy . Othe r cults, some quite well known ,

Prometheus Rising
169
attempt to repress sexualit y entirely—anothe r way of breakin g the
statisticall y norma l imprintin g of the fourth circuit.
The Manso n Family insisted on what might be called, oxymo -
ronically , compulsor y free love. The Army serves norma l ama-
tive bonds and casts the subjec t into a world where compulsor y celibac y
alternate s with whore-hous e adventure s and, quite often, the rape of enemy
women , with homosexualit y as an ever-
presen t hidde n option . A curren t America n guru, Da Free John, imprint s
his subject s for lifelon g monogamy , almos t like the outsid e U.S. culture
, but is indifferen t as to whethe r these pair-
ings are heterosexual or homosexual. Whatever variation the cult-leade r may
choose, what makes for successfu l "separat e reality" is that it be in some
respect outlandishly different from that of the majo r society .
The easiest way to get brainwashed is to be born.
All of the above principle s then immediatel y go into action, a process which
social psychologist s euphemisticall y call socialization.
The bio-surviva l circuit automaticall y hooks onto or bonds to the most
appropriat e mothe r or motherin g object ; the emotional -
territorial circuit looks for a "role" or ego-identification in the family or
tribe; the semanti c circui t learns to imitat e and then use the local
reality-grids (symbol systems); the socio-sexual circuit is imprinte d by
whateve r matin g experience s are initiall y avail-
able at puberty.
The subject s may not come out of this proces s ready to murder women and

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children, like the graduate of boot camp, or even willin g to believ e that
Charli e Manso n was both Jesus and
Satan simultaneously , or willing to spout New Left slogans while robbing
banks. The subjects come out of normal "socialization "
depending on where and when they were born as Eskimo totemists , Mosle m
fundamentalists , Roma n Catholics , Marxis t
Leninists , Nazis , Methodis t Republicans , Oxford-educated -
agnostics , snake worshippers , Ku Kluxers , Mafiosos , Unitarians , IRA-ists,
PLO-ists , orthodo x Jews, hardshel l Baptists , etc. etc.
The universe or existence, is obviously large enough and comple x enoug h and
the ego self-centere d enough , that all of these reality-tunnels are capable
of "making sense," to some degree, to those imprinted/conditione d to accept
them. It is also obviou s that most of these reality-tunnel s contai n element
s so

I
JO
Prometheus Rising absurd that everybody not imprinted/conditione d by them
looks at them with astonishmen t and dismay, wonderin g "How can a rationa l
perso n (or peoples ) believ e such rubbish? "
What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves...
whether you are living in a Christian reality-tunnel, a Mansonoid
reality-tunnel, an Immortalis t reality-tunnel , a vegetaria n reality-tunnel
, a
Rationalis t reality-tunnel.. .
Everybod y has the only true true religion .
Earlier, we quoted some words from Persinge r and Lafreniere :
We, as a species , exist in a worl d in whic h exist a myria d of data points.
Upon these matrices of points we superimpose a structure and the world makes
sense to us. The pattern of the structur e originate s withi n our biologica l
and sociologica l properties .

Prometheus Rising
171
It is to be hope d that this make s mor e sens e to the reade r now tha n it
did at the beginnin g of ou r enquiry .
The functio n of the domesticate d primat e brain , insofa r as we have
describe d it up to this poin t and leavin g out the higher , newer circuits,
is to serve as an "organ of adaptation " in Freud's phrase . Specifically ,
the oldest , most primitive , most mechanica l center s serve simpl e
bio-survival . The more recen t (500,000,00 0
year-old , roughly ) emotiona l territoria l centers serve to maintai n pack
identity , habitat-spac e and hierarchy . The distinctl y homi -
nid semanti c circui t (100,000-year-old? ) make s map s and
models—reality-tunnels—whic h we ten d to confus e wit h realit y itself , and
, wors e yet , wit h "all " of reality . Th e (30,000 ? yea r old)
moral-social circuit creates the domesticated adult personal-
ity, or parent-role , or super-ego .
Now , obviousl y the third , semanti c circui t work s with and for these othe
r antiqu e circuits . The maps and model s it make s are tools of adaptation ,
and wha t the y adap t us to is socia l role s in domesticate d primat e
society . Thus, a Midwester n Methodis t is not "misusin g his brain " as
Arthu r Koestle r think s in construct -
ing a Midwester n Methodis t tunnel-reality ; that is precisel y what his
brain is for, to adapt him to the Midwester n Methodis t tribal system—t o
impos e the structur e of Midwester n Methodis t ideol -
ogy upo n the myria d of data-point s he encounter s in his life -
time. The Chines e Maoist , the Irania n Moslem , the New York

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Feminist , the Mari n Count y Hedonist , etc. each has a similar , equally
arbitrary , equally comple x reality-tunnel . Each tunnel is also equally
absurd when seen from outside .
The problem s of the moder n worl d aris e from the fact that these
reality-tunnel s are no longer isolated from each other.
Throughou t mos t of huma n histor y and up to 100 year s ago—u p to 20 year s
ago , in som e part s of the world— a man or woma n coul d lea d thei r entir
e lif e snugl y withi n the cocoo n of the loca l tunnel-reality . Today , we
all constantl y collid e wit h person s living in wildl y differen t
tunnel-realities . This create s a grea t deal of hostilit y in the mor e
ignorant , vas t amount s of metaphys -
ical and ethica l confusio n in the more sophisticated , and growin g
disorientatio n for all—a situatio n know n as our "crisis of values."

1J2
Prometheus Rising
The averag e perso n has a delug e of contradictor y and conflict -
ing reality-tunnel s impingin g on him or her, with little trainin g in either
cultural or neurological relativism.
Speed of travel has increased by a factor of 1000 since 1900, and speed of
commu-
nication by a factor of 10,000,000, according to J.R.
Platt .
The deluge is acceleratin g and intensifying . One sympto m is the fact that
TV Guide has been taken over by a band of terrified conser-
vatives , who canno t understan d and can only dread this down -
pour of "alien" signals; instead of being merely a guide to what is on the
tube , TV Guide has becom e a continuou s wail that the tube's tunnel-realit y
is wider, strange r and more varied than the narrow tunnel-visio n of the
small-town WASP.
There has also arisen a profession of
"deprogrammers, "
so-
called . These are neuro-technician s who will, for a fee, kidna p a child
(even a "child" over
21)
who has wandered off, departed the parenta l reality-tunne l and bee n
brainwashe d into the com -
peting reality-tunne l of some new
(i.e. , not established
—
not acceptable yet)
"cult." This is known as restoring the victim to normalcy .

Prometheus Rising
1
73
It is all hypocris y and neurologica l ignorance , of course . The
"de-programmers" are actually re-programmers.
The parental tunnel-realit y is as arbitrar y (and , to an outsider , as
bizarre ) as that of any "cult. " A specia l syste m of trick y semantic s
allow s most peopl e and som e court s to ignor e thes e facts . Just imagin e
what would happen if a wayward child of Methodist parents had wandered into
the Roman Catholic Church, say, and the parents attempte d to have that child
coercivel y "de-programmed "
(repro -
grammed) into Methodism; or if the child had joined the U.S.
Army , like Calley , and the parent s kidnappe d him and tried to re-

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progra m him into civilia n reality-tunnels .
These problems will not go away; and the abrasions they cause, as various
brainwashe d robots continu e to collide with each other, will accelerate .
Speed of travel and of communica -
tion are still continuin g to accelerate .
Fortunately , highe r circuit s are formin g in the huma n brain and offer
broade r vista s than the narro w tunnel-vision s of the antique circuits .
That is the topic of our concludin g chapters .
Since everybod y "prefers" one circuit over the others, there are people in
each society who are easily recognizabl e as Narcis-
sists (first-circui t robots) , Emotionalist s (second-circui t robots) ,
Rationalist s (third-circui t robots ) and Moralist s (fourth-circui t
robots).
Rationalis t robots , like the othe r robots , may be totall y mech -
anized or may have some sligh t flexibility , or "freedom " buil t into their
circuitry . The totally robotize d make up the vast horde of the Fundamentalis
t win g of the Materialis t churc h and the other True Believer s in the
scientifi c paradigm s of 1968 , 1958 , 1948 or wheneve r thei r nervou s
system s stoppe d takin g new imprints .
These are the people who are perpetually frightened and dis-
maye d by the large portio n of huma n behavio r mediate d throug h
Circui t II mammalia n politics . The y thin k that becaus e this terri -
torial-emotiona l ("patriotic" ) behavio r is not Rational , it should not
exist . The y accep t Darwi n as dogma , but are nervou s abou t
"Darwinism " (becaus e it accept s mammalia n politic s as an
Evolutionary Strategy that has worked thus far) and are repulsed by the data
of ethology , genetic s and sociobiology . The y don' t like the rest of the
human race much, because it is not guided by

IJ4
Prometheus
Rising their favorit e circuit , and they are uneasil y awar e that the rest
of the human race does not like them much.
These Rationalis t robots are also very uncomfortabl e with the newer
circuits—an d some of them spend most of their lives writing article s and
books devote d to "proving " that the newer circuits do not exist and that all
scientists who have recorded the behavio r of these newe r circuit s are
liars, fools , bunglers , charla -
tans or some manner of Damned Heretics.
Like the Emotiona l robot, the Moralisti c robot, the Narcissis t robot etc.,
the Rationalis t robot cannot be "argued" out of his narrow reality tunnel .
We can only emphasize , one more time, that each and every reality-tunne l
create d by a domesticate d primate brain is a finite cross-section of that
brain's personal history ; and each such finit e reality-tunne l is as
"personalized " as the music of Bach or Beethoven , the painting s of Rembrand
t or
Picasso, the novels of Joyce or Raymon d Chandler , the comed y of the Three
Stooge s or Monty Python , the religion s of Roman
Catholicism or Zen Buddhism, the politics of Libertarianism or the IRA, the
architectur e of St. Peter's or
Disne y land.. .
And each of these art-works seems like "reality" to the people who have create
d them and live in them . Rationalis m is just anothe r such group art-work ,
a little less toleran t than most, a little mor e usefu l to technologist s
than any other , a littl e stupi d when it can no longe r transcen d the last
paradig m it has created .
The totally robotized Rationalist, the one whose nervous system has stoppe d
growin g entirely , can be recognize d by two signs:
He or she is constantl y tryin g to prov e that muc h of the dail y experienc

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e of the rest of humanit y is "delusion, " "hallucination, "
"group hallucination," "mass hallucination," "mere coincidence,"
"sheer coincidence, " or "sloppy research."
And he or she never thinks that any of his or her own experi-
ence would fit into any of those categories .
EXERCIZE S
1. Becom e a piou s Roma n Catholic . Explai n in thre e page s why the Church
is still infallibl e and holy despite Popes like
Alexande r VI (the Borgi a Pope) , Piou s XII (ally of Hitler) , etc.

Prometheus Rising
775
2. For those of you who remember Mai Lai, become Lt.
Galley .
Say aloud , and really feel and believe, "The Army comes first. I'm for the
Army all the way." If you don't remember try
Jerry Falwell . Say aloud, and really feel and believe, "Help us fight moral
decay, send your checks in today."
3. Refut e this whole book. Demonstrat e that everybod y else has been
brainwashe d but you and your mother (father) has the one, real, objective
view of the universe .
4. Accept this book, if not in whole at least in general out-
lines. Assum e you have been brainwashed . Try to learn as much from every
huma n you meet about their separat e reality-tunne l and see how much of it
you can use to make your reality-tunne l bigger and more inclusive. In other
words, learn to listen.
5.
James Joyce said he never met a boring huma n being . Try to explai n this.
Try to get into the Joycea n head space , wher e everybod y is a separat e
reality-islan d full of myster y and sur-
prise. In other words, learn to observe.
6. Read Aldous Huxley' s
The Genius and the Goddess.
Note how the Circuit III scientific Genius reverts to Circuit I helpless infan
t whe n his wife leave s him .
7. Afte r experimentin g wit h the Naz i reality-tunnel , the
Catholic reality-tunne l etc., re-ente r your "normal " reality tunnel.
Does it still seem totall y objective , or do you begin to recogniz e how much
of it is your own softwar e and hardwar e runnin g programs ?
8. Finally, explore the tunnel-bustin g reality of Christophe r S.
Hyatt ' s book title d
Undoing Yourself With Energized Meditation and Other Devices.
What tunnel-realit y is he selling and how sincer e is he abou t his writing ?
Also , do you think he has read my work and I his, or is this last statemen t
a gimmick of the pub-
lishers played on two innocen t authors and the trusting public or even worse
did I write his book, or could it be, that we are one and the same?

CHAPTE R
ELEVE N
THE HOLISTI C
NEUROSOMATI C CIRCUIT
But ther e is also in us an aspiratio n for the master y of
Nature.. .
Health , strength , duration , happines s an d ease , liberatio n fro m

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suffering , are par t of the physica l transformatio n which. .
.evolutio n is calle d upon to realize .
— Sri Aurobindo, The Future Evolution of Man
177

THE RESURRECTIO N OF THE BODY NEED NOT BE
POSTPONE D UNTI L AFTE R DEATH . IT CAN HAPPE N
AT AN Y MOMENT .
This is a copy of
Crowley's inspired drawing. For his original see
The Book of Thoth or study his Tarot deck.
The beast with four heads represent s the antique circuits ; the hedonic
"laid-back " nude is neurosomati c rapture. The serpent is
"the rising of the kundalin i serpent, " a Hind u metapho r for imprintin g
this Circui t V neurosomati c bliss-control .
Callin g all downs . Callin g all down s to dayne . Array !
Surrection !
... It is just, it is just abou t to, it is just abou t to rolywholyover .
— James Joyce, Finnegans
Wake
I 8
7

The wor d "psychosomatic " has been aroun d long enoug h to be generall y
understood ; unfortunately , it is anothe r semanti c spook . The concep t of
"psyche " or "soul " was borrowe d from the theologians , who, being bankrupt
, are in no positio n to lend anything .
Wha t we kno w and experience—ou r tunnel-reality—i s wha t registers on the
brain and nervous system.
The phenomen a of "faith healing, " "regeneration, " "rejuvena -
tion," bliss, ecstasy , rapture , etc. have been occurrin g for many thousand
s of years , in all know n cultures . In the pre-scientifi c languag e of
yesterday' s psycholog y we woul d refe r to suc h events as "psychosomatic. "
In our deliberatel y modernisti c and almos t sci-f i jargon , we prefe r to
call the m neurosomatic.
The neurosomati c circui t of the brain is much more recen t than the antiqu e
circuit s previousl y discussed . It does not mani-
fest in all huma n beings , and appear s late in life , usually , to thos e
who do activat e and imprin t it.
Temporary neurosomati c consciousnes s can be acquire d by
(a) the yoga practice of pranayama breathing and (b) for those who can handle
it, by ingestio n of Cannabi s drugs, such as hashis h and marijuana , whic h
trigge r neurotransmitter s that acti-
vate this circuit .
Of the former device, pranayama, Aleiste r
Crowley—certain -
ly the most skeptica l of all mystics—write s forcefully :
For mind and body alike there is no purgativ e like pranayama , no purgativ e
like pranayama .
For min d an d bod y alike , fo r min d an d bod y alike —
alike!—ther e is, ther e is, ther e is no purgativ e lik e prana -
yama—pranayama!—pranayama
!
yea , fo r min d an d bod y alike ther e is no purgative , no purgative , no
purgativ e (for min d and bod y alike ) no purgativ e lik e pranayama !
If this is not emphati c enough , Crowle y add s elsewhere :
Pranayam a is notabl y usefu l in quietin g th e emotion s an d appetites.. .
Digestiv e trouble s in particula r are ver y eas y to remov e in thi s way .

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It purifie s bot h the bod y an d the min d an d shoul d be practice d
certainl y neve r les s tha n on e hou r dail y by the seriou s student .
To whic h he adds a footnote :
Emphatically . Emphatically . Emphatically . It is impossibl e to combin e
pranayam a properl y performe d wit h emotiona l
779

i8o
Prometheus Rising thought [second-circui t reflexes—R.A.W.] . It should be
resorte d to immediately , at all time s durin g life , whe n cal m is
threatened.
This is very strong stuff from the mysti c who filled his book s with joke s
and jeers , and who alway s told his students , not
"Believ e me," but "Don' t believ e me." Abou t pranayama , for once in his
life, Crowle y was serious .
In the experienc e of this author , pranayam a will remov e all forms of
depression , including profound grief and bereavement ;
it will sooth e ange r and remov e resentments ; it seem s beneficia l to all
mino r healt h problem s and—occasionally—majo r healt h problems . Hindus ,
who are professional s at pranayama , clai m a great deal more, such as:
immunit y to pain of all sorts, Samadhi
("union with God"), levitation , etc.
Most notably , pranayam a creates neurosomati c Turn On:
sensory enrichment , sensual bliss, perceptual delight, and a genera l
laid-bac k Hedoni c "high. " Simila r effect s are produce d by voluntary
isolatio n in a Lill y tank , by zero-gravit y (th e astronaut's "mystical"
experiences are all of this neurosomatic variety ) and, for the judiciou s or
lucky , Cannabi s drugs, as said above.
;
*
Negative neurosomatic circuit effects are experienced by amateu r yogis , by
man y pot-heads , and by a larg e numbe r of schizophrenics. The neurosomatic
feedback loop, in these unfor-
tunate cases, reverses the above description .
Sensory experienc e become s unpleasan t (any soun d or touc h is painful) ,
sensuality turns into acute discomfor t with the entire body, perceptions warp
into nightmare , and genera l anxiet y is imprinted . Ligh t is particularl y
terrifyin g and painful , often associate d with Hell or with "mind-control "
manipulate d by unscrupulou s enemies .
Gopi Krishna , a Hindu bureaucra t who took up yoga origi-
nally only for healt h reasons , was abruptl y catapulte d into a negativ e
neurosomati c stat e for severa l years .
All sensation s wer e so painfu l tha t he man y time s though t he woul d
die. The details , in his autobiography , Kundalini, are pathetic , and soun d
muc h like schizophrenia . He cam e out of thi s finally , entere d a positiv
e neurosomati c state, and has been writin g blissfu l books about the
Perfectio n of the All, typica l of this circuit , ever since .

Prometheus Rising
181
Nikol a
Tesla, the Yugosla v genius , wen t throug h the sam e
"Hell" or schizoi d state, withou t yoga, in his teens . He came out of the
horror s with the scientifi c theor y of alternatin g current s worke d out, a
belie f in extra-sensor y perception , a superhuma n memory , and a strea k of
visionar y humanitarianis m that led him into continuou s conflict s with the
corporation s that finance d his more-than-10 0
majo r electrica l inventions . (He earne d ove r

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$1,000,000 before the age of 30, at a time when
$1,000,000
was a lot of money , and he died broke , tryin g to sell an inventio n he said
would abolis h poverty. )
Most shamans , and many mystics , have been throug h simila r
negative-to-positiv e neurosomati c sensitization . Christia n Scien -
tists call it
"chemicalization."
St. John of the Cross called it, poetically , the Dark Nigh t of the Soul.
Cabalist s call it "crossin g the Abyss."
In Kazanzakis '
The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, Odysseu s sees a statue whic h seems to him
urgentl y meaningful . The statue was
Kazanzakis'
symbol for the evolution of these circuits, which have been known (more or
less) in variou s symbolism s for a few thousan d years . E.g. , the "seve n
souls " of the Egyptians , the ten "lights " of the Cabalists , etc.
The Kazanzaki s statu e show s an anima l (Circui t I), a warrio r above the
anima l (Circui t II), a schola r above the warrio r (Circui t
III), a lover (Circui t IV), a face in agony ("chemicalization " the
"Dark Nigh t of the Soul" , the "crossin g of the Abyss " whic h equal s the
entr y to Circui t V the har d way) , a fac e in blis s
(successfu l Circui t V reimprinting ) and a man turnin g into pure spirit
(Circuit VII). Circuit VI is missing in the schemata, as
Circui t IV is missin g in Jung , and everythin g abov e Circui t III is
missin g in Carl Sagan .
Some luck y soul s jum p to Circui t V blis s withou t passin g throug h the
horror s of "chemicalization " and the "Dar k Nigh t of the Soul."
The neurosomati c circui t is "polymorphou s perverse, " in
Freud' s unappetizin g terminology . This merel y mean s that the nervou s
system itself, taking over as driver , is now directin g the rest of the body.
"Every act (becomes ) an orgasm, " said Aleiste r
Crowley , givin g his own Tantri c emphasi s to the polymorphou s natur e of
this circuit .

182
Prometheus Rising
The lives of the saints are full of stories which seem
"miracles " to the four-circuite d majority , or are rejecte d as "lies,
hoaxes , yarns " by the three-circuite d dogmati c Rationalist , but whic h
see m perfectl y norma l fro m the viewpoin t of five-circuite d polymorphou s
consciousness . The sain t say s he is in rapture , and full of gratitud e to
God , for givin g him suc h a feas t for dinne r as—plai n bread and water.
(Of course , man y a pot-hea d will understan d that degre e of neurosomati c
rapture... )
The guru comes into the room and his bio-energy
1
has such a charg e that a cripple jumps up and is "healed"; the cripple merely
acquired neurosomati c turn-on by contact, as some people get "contac t high"
when others are on drugs. The fire-walker s in many shamani c tradition s walk
on the fire, as they tell enquirin g anthropologists , to prove their control
over "the spirit"—i.e. , to demonstrate to themselve s and other s that they
have achieve d high-qualit y neurosomati c tuning .
One faith-heale r told the presen t author , "Mos t peopl e die of adrenalin e
poisoning. " In our terminology , mos t peopl e have too muc h first-circui t
anxiet y and second-circui t territoria l pugnacit y for their own good. They
are literally struggling for survival, as no othe r animal s do, despit e
Darwin . Mos t animal s simpl y play most of the time , solv e problem s of
surviva l whe n they hav e to, or die of not solvin g the problems ; only

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human s are conscious of struggling, and hence worried and depressed about
the Game of
Life.
The faith-heale r went on, "What cures them is realizin g that
I'm not afraid. " That is, contac t with a fifth-circui t personality , a
person who controls his or her own Circuit II adrenaline-trips , can be a
catalyst , throwin g the suffere r upwar d into a persona l fifth-circui t
experience .
The avant-garde
20% of the population , due to the
Consciousnes s Movemen t (a secularizatio n of muc h ancien t shamani c
wisdom) , alread y understand s ever y "wild " idea in the last few pages .
They have had enoug h neurosomati c experienc e
By which we mean nothing "mystical. " It is now known that many physical
energie s radiate from the body, and that even chemical effects can be
transmitte d (experience d as emotiona l "vibes" ) from one person to another
, the chemical s acting as stimuli to trigger neurotransmitte r actions in the
second person.

Prometheus Rising
183
to kno w that they wer e once totall y robotize d (as mos t peopl e still are)
and are knowingl y engage d in acquirin g mor e neuroso -
matic know-how .
When this reaches
51%
of the population, a major historic al revolution will have occurred, as
profound as the Life Extension
Revolution.
'
In McLuhan' s terms , the fifth circui t is "non-linear " and
"global." That is, it is not limited by the one-thing-at-a-tim e sequence s of
the semanti c circuit ; it thinks in Gestalts.
This is why it is so ofte n connecte d wit h "intuition, " whic h is a way of
thinkin g betwee n and aroun d data-point s on the perceptua l screen—sensin g
wha t tota l field the point s mus t be part of.
The grea t musicia n has develope d a remarkabl e feedbac k betwee n
fifth-circui t
Gestalt-ing and the third-circui t functio n of codin g such "coheren t
structures " into the inspire d symbolis m of music . Musi c alway s lead s to
som e right-brai n activit y in listen -
ers, and the fift h circui t is almos t certainl y locate d in the righ t
brain hemisphere .
Beethoven , we remember , wa s left-handed . Sinc e the left hand is
neurologicall y linked to the polymorphou s right brain, one migh t say he wa
s geneticall y incline d to righ t brai n activi -
ties, tha t is, to sensin g coheren t wholes, to plungin g int o neuro -
somati c blis s almos t "at will, " and to sensory-sensua l raptnes s and
rapture . Everybod y "knows " that the Sixth Symphon y is
"pantheistic, " but whethe r Beethove n was an ideologica l panthe -
ist or not, that way of respondin g to natur e is norma l and natura l
right-brai n Circui t V functioning . Tha t is, anybod y on the Fift h
Circuit will
"talk like a pantheist"
whethe r or not he has devel-
oped a "philosophy " abou t pantheism . The miracl e of Beethove n is no t tha
t he fel t the univers e tha t way— a few thousan d fifth -
circui t type s throughou t histor y have also felt and sense d natur e that
way—bu t tha t he mastere d the third-circui t art of musi c wit h such skill

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that he could communicate such experiences, which is precisel y wha t the
ordinar y "mystic " canno t do.
The neurosomati c circui t probabl y bega n to appea r aroun d
30,000 years ago. (That is the conclusio n of Barbar a Honnegger , who has mad
e a profoun d stud y of Europea n cave paintings , comin g to the conclusio n
that many of them show exercizes to
Pleas e re-rea d this sentence , and thin k abou t it.

184
Prometheus Rising increase right-brain activity simila r to those still used
in surviv -
ing shamani c and yogic traditions. )
This fifth circui t is bonde d into the right cortex and neurolog -
ically linked to the limbic
(first circuit )
system and the genitalia.
These neura l links explai n the sexua l metapho r of
"kundalini "
or
"serpent" energy used to describe this circuit in systems as varied as Indian
Tantra, Gnosticism and Voodoo, and the
Chinese yin yang
(male-female ) energies associated with it.
Prolonged sexual play without orgasm always triggers some
Circuit V consciousness .
It is quite easy to determin e if the Fifth Circui t has been acti-
vated successfull y or not. How often does a person go to a doctor? If a mind
researcher is "glowing" rather than greyish, "bouncy" rather than craggy, if
he or she has a
"sparkle"—and if he or she virtually never goes to a doctor—th e neurosomatic
circuit has been mastered. As Mary Baker Eddy once wrote
(thereb y makin g hersel f hugel y unpopula r with those who love to talk of
matters mystical but have no empirical knowledge) :
"The
Word was mad e flesh. "
Divin e Trut h mus t be know n by its effect s on the body as well as on the
mind .
There is no tribe know n to anthropolog y whic h doesn' t have at leas t one
neurosomati c technicia n (shaman) . Large-scal e out-
burst s of neurosomati c consciousnes s hav e occurre d frequentl y in all the
majo r historica l periods , usuall y bein g stampe d ou t quickl y by the
loca l branc h of the Inquisitio n or the
A.M.A. ;
other outburst s have been co-opte d and diluted .
As we read in the New Testament :
And whe n he had calle d into him his twelv e disciples , he gav e the m powe
r agains t unclea n spirits , to cas t the m out , an d to hea l all manne r
of sicknes s an d al l manne r of disease.. .
And as ye go, preach , saying , the kingdo m of heave n is at hand . Hea l the
sick , cleans e the lepers , rais e the dead , cast out devils : freel y ye
hav e received , freel y give .
— Mat t 10 : 1- 8
It ma y or ma y no t hav e happene d exactl y lik e that ; as Mar k
Twai n woul d say , ther e migh t be a few stretcher s in there . Bu t
somethin g like this , howeve r muc h the evangelis t may exagger -
ate it, must have happened to account for Christianity' s rapid tri-
umph over other, but probabl y less effective , system s of openin g

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Prometheus Rising
185
the fifth circuit . Mithraism , the Eleusinia n cult at Athens , the
Dionysia n cults , etc. all had age-ol d shamani c technique s for inducin g
neurosomati c rapture ; Christianit y
(at first)
seems to have been superior in creating neurosomati c control.
In St.
Paul's metaphor , the "Old Adam" (Circuit s
I-IV )
got bleache d out, and the "New Adam" (Circuit V) took over as the center of
consciousnes s and self-government . In anothe r metaphor , the body becam e
the flexibl e clay and the awakene d (illuminated )
brain becam e the sculptor .
In general , fourth-circui t problem s take the form of guilt;
"I
canno t do what I am suppose d to do." Third-circui t problem s take the form
of perplexity;
"I canno t understan d how I got into this mess, or how to get out of it, or
what is expecte d of me," etc.
Second-circui t problem s take the form of bullying or cowardice:
"I will forc e them , or I will surrende r and let them forc e me."
First-circui t problem s take the form of body symptoms:
"I feel rotten all over" gradually centering in, under enough stress, on one
acute disablin g symptom. '
Fifth-Circui t neurosomati c consciousnes s bleache s out all these problem s
at once. The disappearanc e of first-circui t
"physical " illnesse s only seems more "miraculous " than the tran-
scendenc e of second-circui t emotionalism , third-circui t perplex -
ity and fourth-circui t guilt . It is the Cartesia n mind/bod y dualis m that
makes us think of such first-circuit "physical" cures as somehow strange r or
more spooky than any rapid improvemen t on the other circuits .
One of the intent s of our terminolog y is precisel y to transcen d that
Cartesia n dualism , makin g all the circuit s equall y compre -
hensibl e withi n one context .
The robotize d Rationalis t fears and resents Circuit V rapture and its
holisti c intuitiv e facultie s (just as the robotize d Emotion -
alist fears and resent s Circui t III reason) . Thus , whe n the neuro -
somati c circui t feedbac k begin s to function , and the mutate d Cir-
cuit V perso n tries to describ e his or her raptur e and at-oneness , the
Rationalis t hastil y mutter s that this is "merel y subjective. "
This last is Eric Berne' s "Woode n Leg" game, which asks to be relieve d of
socia l participatio n or interactio n on the ground s of bein g physicall y
hors de combat.

186
Prometheus
Rising
Misery is "merely subjective, " too, but that doesn't keep it from hurting .
The neurosomati c skill of transmutin g all experi -
ence, so that one is high and happy in a situatio n where the four-
circuite d majorit y woul d be miserable , is wort h learnin g for the very
simple , egotisti c reaso n tha t it's mor e fun to be happ y tha n to be in
agony . It is also sociall y beneficial , because , as Tim
Leary often said, "You can't do good until you feel good. " Just as miser y
loves company , the high and happ y want everybod y else to be high and happy
. (Thi s first lesso n the fifth-circui t adep t has to learn is to contro l
this upsurg e of altruis m and not make a nuisanc e of onesel f by trying to
force everybod y to be happy... )

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The Rationalis t is even more alarme d by the results of pro-
longe d fifth-circui t bliss , whic h include s the abilit y to heal a wide
variet y of disease s both in onesel f and in others . Eve n the well
documented current research on endorphins—whic h gives us the beginnin g of a
neuro-chemica l explanatio n of how suc h healing s operate—i s regarde d wit
h discomfor t or hostilit y by the more robotize d Rationalists . It all
sounds "metaphysical " and therefor e it canno t exist.
1
There is nothing supernatura l about the fifth circuit. It merely appears
"supernatural " by comparison to the earlier circuits; but the third circuit ,
of whic h the Rationalis t is so proud , undoubt -
edly appeare d "supernatural " whe n it first appeared . (The
Egyptian s attribute d speec h and writing , third-circui t functions , to
divin e interventio n by the god
Thoth.)
The fifth circuit , like the earlie r circuits , is just anothe r evolutionar
y mutation , neces -
sary to us as we move towar d a more comple x neuro-socia l level.
"It's jus t lik e ordinar y life , excep t tha t you'r e alway s a foo t above
the ground, " says an old Zen proverb .
This "floating " aspec t of the fifth circui t is preparin g us for
extraterrestria l migration .
One of the mos t interestin g neurosomati c adept s in all history , from the
viewpoin t of the presen t theory , was Mar y Bake r Eddy .
Precisel y becaus e Mrs . Edd y was fundamentall y naiv e and
1
Endorphin s are neurotransmitter s tha t trigge r Circui t V. The y can be
activate d by cannabi s drugs , psychedelics , meditation , pranayama , or
visualization of white light.
The last is the most commo n syste m used by "faith-healers " and was know n
to the medieva l Rosicrucians .

Prometheus Rising unawar e of mos t of philosophy , she neve r realize d that
you canno t spea k or writ e abou t the Ineffable . She therefor e wrot e
about it at length. If her writing s are hard to decipher , if they often soun
d like "the raving s of a disordere d mind " (Aleiste r
Crowley's description of mystic writings, including his own), they also have
moment s of astonishin g lucidity . For instance , she knew and wrote with
total clarity that illness is fear and love is its cure. Most psychologist s
are just beginnin g to comprehen d that today, over 100 years later.
"Perfect love casteth out fear" and that is how neurosomati c awakenin g cures
disease .
As Mrs. Eddy told one enquirer , "Love , love, love! That's all you hav e to
kno w to be a healer. " Sixt y year s later , unheede d by most of his
profession , a Scottis h psychiatrist , lan
Suttie , wrot e that "The physician' s love heals the patient. "
Anothe r quot e from Mrs . Edd y is appropriat e at this point :
When understandin g changes we shall gain the reality of life, the contro l of
soul over sense.. . This must be the climax , before harmoniou s and immorta l
man is obtaine d and his capabilitie s revealed .
To the ordinar y scientifically-educate d reader , this is meta -
physica l gibberish . Let us try to re-translat e it int o our ow n
neurologica l metaphors :
When the brain develop s its full potential s we shall gain a new view of life
and the contro l of neurosomati c bliss over lower -
circuit guilts, perplexities, emotions and 'body symptoms'...
This is evolutionaril y schedule d to occur befor e sixth-circui t evolutionar
y awarenes s and physica l immortalit y are achieved .
We sugges t that Mrs . Eddy , havin g activate d a larg e part of the righ t

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brai n hemisphere , was able to thin k in Gestalt s as wel l as serving as
transmitter of neurosomati c "healing" to others.
She was lookin g dow n the DN A highwa y to the scientifi c break -
through s of the decade in which we now live.
Man y hav e turne d on the neurosomati c circui t due to pro -
longed illness , especiall y if they grow impatien t with doctor s and resort
to self medicatio n and/or faith-healing . The bathroo m of
Nietzsche , accordin g to Stefa n Zweig , looke d "like a pharmac y shop," due
to the large number of drugs and medicines with

188
Prometheus Rising whic h the philosophe r treate d his chroni c migraines .
Gurdjief f employe d cocaine , hashis h and yoga technique s (probabl y
includin g pranayama ) to treat the incessan t and increasin g pains resultan
t from his war wounds and two car accidents . The
"harshness" of these two philosophers, their contempt for ordi-
nary huma n suffering , their vision s of the superhuma n state beyon d emotio
n and pain, all probabl y derive d from neuroso -
matic
Turn Ons alternating with acute pain. That is, they experi-
ence d the whol e of evolutio n from the lowe r circuit s to the full
developmen t of neurosomati c bliss , an d wer e expressin g chiefl y contemp
t fo r thei r ow n relapse s int o less-than-blissfu l conscious -
ness.
In the East , the contro l of the neurosomati c circui t is know n as dhyana,
cha
'an or
Zen\
the state is sometime s called "Buddha -
mind" or "Buddha-body. " To the ancient Greeks, where rituals to achieve it
with psychedeli c drugs were performe d yearly at
Eleusis, those who accomplishe d the ritual successfull y were called digenes,
"twice-born." The metaphor lingers in the "born again" terminolog y of
charismatic Christianity , and is symbol-
ized by the myth of the Resurrectio n of the Body .
Freud recognize d this , state, vaguely , as the "oceani c experi -
ence. " Gurdjief f calls this circui t the Magneti c Center .
Faith-healer s and adept s of a few yogic school s seem to live in neurosomati
c consciousnes s permanently ; mos t wh o hav e achieve d it at all ten d to
hav e it onl y in flashes , as note d by Ezr a
Pound:
Le Paradi s n'est pas artificia l but is jagged
For a flash , for an hour.
Then agony , then an hour .
This
"Paradis,"
this conditio n of neurosomati c ("mind -
body" ) peace , shoul d be considere d a new brai n circui t towar d whic h al
l humanit y is evolving , slowl y an d painfully , ou t of mammalia n antiqu e
circuits . Thi s progression , fro m primat e emotio n to post-homini d
tranquility , fro m "man " to "supe r man. "
is the Nex t Ste p tha t mystic s foreve r talk of; you can hea r it in mos t
of Beethoven' s later , majo r compositions .

Prometheus Rising
189
As mentione d before , governmenta l brainwasher s are gener -
ally too puritanica l to handle , or manhandle , the socio-sexua l circui t

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and conten t themselve s with mind-washin g and brain -
programmin g on the bio-survival , emotiona l and semanti c cir-
cuits , whil e outla w band s like the SLA or Mansonoid s go furthe r and
reimprin t the socio-sexua l circui t also .
It is necessar y to note that some cults presentl y active on this backwar d
plane t go even furthe r than that and engag e in neuro-
somatic brainwashing.
A
permanent neurosomati c circuit can only be imprinte d by prolonge d practic e
of one of the yogic , Tantri c or relate d sciences, and perhaps good genes,
good environment s and good luck generally.
Neurosomati c brainwashing—th e mos t powerfu l form of robotization—consist s
in temporary activatio n of the neuroso -
matic circui t by the brainwasher , togethe r with assurance s that only the
brainwashe r (or the "god " who "acts throug h him" ) can turn on this
circuit.
For full effect , this is, of course , proceede d by norma l brain -
washing , The victi m is first isolate d from his or her previou s environmen
t and traine d to hoo k the bio-surviva l circui t ont o the
"guru" and/o r the Ashra m or commune . The emotiona l circui t is bent and
broke n by continuou s attack s upo n statu s (ego) , unti l the only emotiona
l securit y left is foun d in Tota l Submissio n to the grou p reality-island
. The re-infantilize d victi m is then ready to imprin t any semanti c
circuitr y desired , from EST to Krishn a to
People' s Temple , etc. The socio-sexua l circui t can then easily be
programme d for celibacy , for free love , or for whateve r sexua l game the
guru has selected .
Then, and only then, the neuroso-
matic buttons are pushed and ecstasy is "given" to the subject
"by" the guru.
Marjoe Gortner , a long-tim e practitione r of this science , commente d
ironicall y in a film mad e afte r abandonin g it for a differen t career ,
"The mark s never realize d they could do it"
(pus h the neurosomati c buttons ) "fo r themselves . The y all thin k they
need me jackin g them off!" Gortne r is, nowadays , unusuall y honest . The
averag e charismati c insists that the victim s can neve r learn to do it for
themselves .

Prometheus Rising
One of the greates t historica l practitioner s of this neuroscienc e was
Hassan i Sabbah, who used relatively simple techniques, including , evidently
, a time-releas e capsul e invente d by the
Sufi
College of Wisdom in Cairo.
As I describe Hassan's techniqu e
—
based on historical records —
in my novel , The Trick Top Hat:
Tw o youn g candi -
dates din e wit h Hassan ; the foo d is lace d wit h a time-releas e capsule .
Whe n aslee p the candidate s are take n to Hassan' s famou s "Garde n of
Delights. " The capsul e had release d a heav y does of opium and they were
quite thoroughl y unconsciou s and unawar e of their surroundings .
The garde n
—
of officiall y know n as the "th e Garde n of
Delights"
—
covered several acres. Here candidates were prepared for admission to the

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Order of the Assassins: they were to become the most feared and legendary
professional killers in history. But here also, in this same garden, were
prepared candidate s for admissio n to the Brotherhoo d of Light , the
Illuminati . Th e candi -
dates , in fact , wer e prepare d the sam e way . The y themselve s selected ,
unknow n to themselves , whic h orde r the y woul d enter
—
the politica l Assassin s or the mystic Illuminati .
Both youn g men were conveye d into the Garde n of Delight s and placed severa
l acres apart from each other. In a short time, the secon d stage of the
time-releas e capsul e began to work ;
cocaine was released into their bloodstreams , thereby over-
whelming the traces of the soporific opium and causing them to awake n full of
energ y and zest. At the same time, as they woke , hashis h also began to be
released , so they saw everythin g with exceptiona l clarity and all colors
were jewel-like , brilliant , divinel y beautiful .
A grou p of extremel y comel y and bust y youn g ladie s
—
importe d from the most expensiv e brothe l in
Cairo —
sat in a circl e aroun d each of the youn g candidates , playin g flute s and
other delicatel y swee t musica l instruments . "Welcom e to heaven, " they
sang as the awakenin g men gazed abou t them in wonder . "By the magic of the
holy Lord Hassan , you have entered Paradis e while still alive." And they fed
them "paradis e apples" (oranges) , far sweeter and strange r than the
earth-apple s they had know n before , and they showe d them the animal s of
paradise (imported from as far away as Japan, in some cases),

Prometheus Rising
191
creatures far more remarkable than those ordinarily seen in
Afghanistan .
"This is heaven! " the first youn g man exclaimed , in ecstasy .
"Grea t is Allah , and grea t is the wise Lord Hassa n
Sabbah! "
But, twenty acres away, surrounde d by similar lovely ladies and other
wonders, the second young man merely gazed about him, smiled in contentment ,
and said nothing.
And then, in both cases, the houris of Paradise , as promise d in the
Koran, began to dance , and as they danced , they discarde d one by one each
of their seven veils. As the veils were thrown off, more and more hashish was
released from the capsules and the youn g me n saw wit h greate r clarity ,
felt wit h deepe r inten -
sity, experience d beaut y and sexua l joy in a way completel y unknow n in
their previou s earth lives.
Then , as each youn g man sat entrance d by the beaut y and wonder of Heaven,
the houris finished the dance, and nude and splendi d as they were , rushe d
forwar d in a bunch , like flower s cast befor e the wind . And some fell at
the candidate' s feet and kissed his ankles ; some kissed knees or thighs ,
one sucked raptly at his penis , other s kisse d the chest and arms and belly
, a few kissed eyes and mouth and ears. And as he was smothere d in this
hashish-intensifie d avalanch e of love, the lady workin g on his peni s sucke
d and sucke d and he climaxe d in her mout h as softl y and slowl y an d
blissfull y as a singl e snowflak e falling .
In a littl e while , ther e was no mor e hashis h bein g release d and more
opium began to flow into the bloodstream , the young candidate s slep t again
; and in thei r torpor , they were remove d from the Garde n of Delight s and
returne d to the banque t hall of the Lord Hassan.
There they awoke .

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"Truly," the first exclaimed, "I have seen the glories of
Heaven , as foretol d in
Al
Koran.
I have no more doubts . I will trust Hassa n i Sabba h and love him and serv e
him. "
"You are accepte d for the Orde r of Assassin, " said Hassa n solemnly . "Go
at once to the Green Room to meet your superio r in the order."
Whe n this candidat e had left , Hassa n turne d to the second , asking , "And
you?"

792
Prometheus Rising
"I have discovere d the First Matter , the Medicin e of Metals , the Elixi r
of Life , the Ston e of the Philosophers , True Wisdo m and Perfec t
Happiness, " said he, quotin g the alchemica l formula .
"And it is inside my own head!"
Hassan i Sabbah grinned broadly. "Welcome to the Order of the
Illuminati! "
he said, laughing .
Hassa n i Sabba h was not the first or last studen t of the ways in whic h
sexualit y can be transmute d into fifth-circui t rapture .
Furthe r to the East, there were Tantri c school s withi n Hinduism , Buddhis
m and Taoism , which taugh t technique s by which prolongatio n of the genita
l embrac e could explod e into dramati c brain-change . In the West,
undergroun d cults of Gnostics, Illuminati , alchemist s and witche s kept
simila r technique s as closel y guarde d secrets , for if the Holy Inquisitio
n ever learne d of such practice s the participant s woul d be denounce d as
devil -
worshipper s and burne d at the stake.
In our own time, there has been a revolutionar y upsurge of these ancient
neurological secrets, with an admixture of more modern techniques . Tantri c
teacher s are availabl e in many cities.
Master s and Johnso n use quasi-Tantri c practice s to trea t sexua l
dysfunctions . As earl y
..a s
1968 , a pol l by
McGlothli n showe d that 85% of the pot-smoker s in the countr y said their
chief inter -
est in the Weed was its function as enhancer of erotic sensation.
Vibrators and other sexual toys proliferate ; Gays come out of the closet ;
philosopher s of a cultur e withou t repressio n (Norma n
Brown , Henr i Marcuse , Charle s Reich ) becom e best-sellers .
Saul Kent , a write r on medica l scienc e for genera l audiences , has even
suggeste d that electroni c sexua l surrogate s can and will be manufacture d
in the near future . (You r own Marily n Monro e doll!) Instead of joining Tom
Wolfe and the neo-puritan s in throwing up our hands in horror at such an
idea, let us conside r it for a moment . Le t us see if we can pee k outsid e
ou r imprinte d conditione d reality-tunnel .
If a sexual android is possible in 2005 or 2050 or whenever , why not a totall
y programme d sexua l environment ? Let us cal l this, in memory of Herman
Hesse, the Magic Theatre. We start with wha t is concurrentl y availabl e in
high-price d brothel s in the hedoni c Sun Bel t sectio n of America .

Prometheus Rising
193
Massage , a first-circui t tranquilizer , has all the advantage s of the
opiates without being habit-forming. Our Magic Theatre, then, woul d includ e

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computerize d body-relaxers-and-energizer s better than curren t massag e
techniques .
Porn movies are available , for stimulation , in the better brothels . Our
Magic Theatre would have them in 3D on all four walls, obviously.
Marijuan a and stimulant s like cocaine or speed are availabl e in brothels
everywhere . Our Magic Theatre would have better chemical rapture-agents .
One can go on addin g details , accordin g to persona l fantasy , until one
has created a room in which bliss can be extende d in all dimensions,
indefinitely .
A strang e thing has happene d in constructin g this cyberneti -
cized brothel . We seem to have gone beyond sex to somethin g that migh t be
calle d meta-sex .
Whil e specifi c genita l pleasur e might still be fun, it is hardly as
importan t as it seemed to us before we came into the multi-dimensional
Pleasure Dome where all senses are stimulate d to ecstasy .
And the mos t peculia r thin g abou t thi s bawd y science-fictio n projection
is that we don't even need to build a Magic Room. It is buil t into our brain
s already . We hav e been describin g the positive neurosomati c consciousnes
s which Freud called
"polymorphou s perversity " in one of his Puritan moods and "the oceani c
experience " in one of his mystica l moments . This is what the
neurosomaticall y turned-on brain feels like.
In alchem y this was know n as "the multiplicatio n of the first matter " or
"the Philosopher' s Gold, " whic h was unlik e ordinar y gold in that it could
not be spent or used-up , since it perpetuall y multiplie d and renewe d
itself . It is the "Thir d Eye " of the Illumi -
nati tradition , whic h transform s all it sees ; the eye of whic h Jesu s
speaks in his gnomic aphorism, "The ligh t of the bod y is the eye ; if
therefor e thin e eye be single , thy whol e bod y wil l be ful l of light. "
— Matt 6:22
EXERCIZES
1.
Get the lesson book from the local Christia n Science Read-
ing Room and read the lesson s for a month .

194
Prometheus
Rising
2.
Atten d a Sufi week-en d seminar .
3. Acquire my book
Sex & Drugs: A Journey Beyond Limits
(New Falcon Publications) and try the Tantric exercizes there described .
4. Learn how to do pranayam a properly , from an expert . (I
have tried describin g this elsewhere , and have foun d there is no way to
preven t gross errors in verbal transmissio n of this nonver -
bal knowledge . Get a Hind u to show you. )
5. Da Free John, an America n guru, says you can reach
Illuminatio n by constantl y asking , "Wh o is the One who is livin g me now?"
Well—is it Circuit I consciousness, Circuit II ego, Circuit III mind, Circuit
IV sex-role , Circuit V
Gestalt-field , or a higher circuit?
Who is it? Where is it?
How old is it?
6. Dr. Aiden Kelly has suggested that the so-called "uncon-
scious" is more conscious than the so-called conscious mind.
That is, the "unconscious " contains all the feedback s of the neurosomati c
circui t and the othe r circuit s that maintai n life .
Conside r this idea. Is this the "One who is living you now"?

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CHAPTER TWELVE
THE COLLECTIV E
NEUROGENETI C CIRCUIT
It is no longe r onl y the Righ t tha t is conservative . Th e entir e Lef t
is also suddenl y conservative . Th e libera l an d the radica l Lef t hav e
fallen behind .
—
P.M .
Esfandiary , Upwingers
195

The sixth circui t of the brain kicks into actio n when the nervou s system
begins to receiv e signal s from within the individual neuron—
from the RNA-DN A "dialogue, " the neurogeneti c feed-
back system .
The entir e nervou s system , includin g the brain , has been designe d like
the rest of the body, by the "code" within the DNA
molecule , which sends signal s via messenge r RNA molecule s to tell the
organis m what to do:
Grow red hair. Have blue eyes.
Stand up and walk now. Start to talk. Find a mate.
Etc. Our entire menta l lives—ou r brain hardwar e and software—exis t withi n
the perimeter s of this DNA master-tape .
With neurogeneti c consciousness , thes e DNA archive s become accessibl e to
brain scanning , while awake.
(They are alway s accessible , as archetype s of the Jungia n "collectiv e
unconscious, " durin g dreamin g sleep. )
The first to achiev e neurogeneti c awareness , a few thousan d years ago,
spoke of "memorie s of past lives," "re-incarnation, "
"immortality, " etc. That these neurologica l adepts were speaking of somethin
g real, in the best languag e of their day, is indicate d by the fact that man
y of them (especiall y Hindu s and Sufis ) gav e marvelousl y accurat e poeti
c vista s of evolutio n millenni a befor e
Darwi n and foresa w Super-humanit y befor e Nietzsche .
The Greek s calle d thi s "th e visio n of Pan, " the Chines e "th e great
Tao,"
Hindu s
"Atman consciousness. " The numinous , awful , sublim e "God " "Goddess " and
"Demon " figure s wh o appea r in the initia l stage s of this Awakenin g are
Jung' s
"archetype s of the collectiv e unconscious " and are recognize d as
"victor s from dream-time " by primitives , as "them from
Sidde"
by witches , as the Weird Peopl e in a thousan d folk-traditions .
Gurdjief f calls this circui t the True Emotiona l Center .
The "akashi c records " of
Theosophy , the
"phylogeneti c unconscious " of Dr. Stanislau s Grof , the
"Gaia hypothesis " of biologist s
Marguli s and
Lovelock—whic h hold s tha t the biospher e of this plane t is one intelligen
t organism—ar e three moder n metaphor s for thi s circuit . Th e vision s of
pas t and futur e evolutio n describe d by thos e wh o hav e had trans-tim e
experi -

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ences durin g close-to-deat h or "clinica l death" traum a also describ e the
Circui t VI neurogeneti c reality-tunnel .
Specifi c exercize s to trigge r neurogeneti c imprint s are not to be foun d
in yogi c teaching ; it usuall y happens , if at all, after
797

ig8
Prometheus Rising many year s of expertis e in the kind of advance d raja h
yoga that develop s Circui t V somati c bliss . Heav y does of LSD , of course
, alway s trigge r temporar y Neurogeneti c vistas .
The neurogeneti c circuit is best considered , in terms of curren t science ,
as the geneti c archive s activate d by excitemen t of anti-histon e
proteins—th e
DN A memor y coilin g bac k to the daw n of lif e an d containin g als o the
geneti c blueprint s fo r the futur e of evolution .
"I am He tha t was , an d is, an d shal l be, " a sentenc e fro m th e
Egyptia n
Book of the Dead, in hieroglyp h and in his ow n hand -
writing , was foun d on the des k wher e Beethove n compose d the
Nint h Symphon y and all his later , aeon-spannin g "evolutionary "
music . One judge s from this, and from the musi c itself , that
Beethove n had opene d the neurogeneti c circuit .
Here dwel l primordia l archetypes , far olde r than languag e yet newer than
tomorrow , Personifyin g this circui t as a being , Crowley tells us:
...Th e "Bab e in the Egg of Blue " [cf. , the fina l imag e of
Kubrick' s
2001:
A Space
Odyssey—
R.A.W.]
...represent s the
Higher
Self...
The connectio n is with the symbolism of the dwarf in mythology.. , In his
absolut e innocenc e and ignoranc e he is "the Fool"; he is the
Savior...the
"Great Fool" of Celtic legend, the "Pure Fool" of Act I of
Parsifal...he is also the
Gree n Ma n of sprin g festivals.. . So we see him full y arme d as
Bacchu s Diphues , mal e an d femal e in one , th e bisexua l
Baphomet , and...Zeu s
Arrhenothelus , equall y bisexual.. .
[H e is show n in thi s ful l for m in the Taro t Trum p XV , "Th e
Devil"]...
But the "small person" of Hindu mysticism , the dwarf insan e yet crafty of
many legend s in many lands , is also this same...
Silen t Self of a man, or his Holy Guardia n Angel .
These image s are not poeti c whimsie s by Crowley . They reappea r in the
dream s of individual s (the persona l myth of the night), in the myths of all
peoples (the impersona l dreams of the species), and, of course, over and over
in
UFO
contact stories.
STUDY THE NEXT TWO IMAGE S CAREFULL Y

Prometheus Rising
199
Circuit VI neurogenetic consciousness:

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This symbolizes a pan-like god, displaying the concept of genetic memories
symbolized by the human-animal seed-forms in the testicles.

20 0
Prometheus Rising
Another archetype from the neurogenetic archives ("collective unconscious").
The Great Mother symbolizing the genetic memories as illustrated by the
flower, bird, etc.

Prometheus Rising 2OI
The "language " of thi s circui t is the multi-leve l languag e of
Finnegans
Wake, where Finnegan is Finn-again , Finn Mac Cool of Irish legen d rebor n
and Huck Finn again also, sailin g down
"Missu s
Liffey, "
both the rive r Ann a Liffe y in Irelan d and Huc k
Finn's Mississippi ; wher e Mark the Wan is King Mark , cuck -
olded by Tristan , but Mark the Twy is Mark Twain , marrie d to a wife he
called
"Livvy"
just like the Irish river, and Mark the Tris is cuckolde d Mar k and cuckoldin
g Trista n in one ; whil e Marcu s
Lyons is all of them, plus Mark the apostle , his emblemati c lion
(alway s show n wit h him in medieva l art) , Leo the lion , Leo in the zodia
c and all associate d fire-signs , and one of the Fou r Old
Men (Matt Gregory, Marcus Lyons, Luke Tarpey and Johnny
McDougall ) who haun t the dreame r all nigh t long , symbolizin g the four
evangelists , the four bedpost s surroundin g the sleeper , the fou r antiqu e
circuits , the four suit s of Taro t or ordinar y playin g cards , the four
element s of the ancients , and all the othe r fours that Jung has found
omnipresen t in the "collectiv e unconscious. " To paralle l the evolutio n of
the firs t fou r circuit s in huma n (an d mammalian ) history , Joyc e also
offer s the fou r stage s of the developmen t of the
"Gracehoper "
(egg , larvae , chrysalis , adult ) and suc h dream-logica l quartification s
as
"eggburst , eggblend , eggburial , and hatch-as-hatc h can, " "thei r
weathering s and thei r marrying s and thei r burying s and thei r natura l
selections, " "a huma n (pest! ) cyclin g (pist! ) and recyclin g
(past! ) and there he goes (pust! ) again, " etc.
This archetypa l circui t is replet e with wha t Jung calle d synchronicities
—
meaningful coincidences—which he attributed to the circuit's roots in what he
called the
"psychoid"
level, below the personal and collective unconscious, where "mind"
and "matter " are no t yet differentiated—th e roya l highwa y of the
DNA-RNA-CN S (centra l nervou s system ) telegraph , in Tim
Leary's metaphor.
Suc h synchronicitie s are a sur e sig n tha t you are dealin g wit h the
neurogeneti c circuit. For instance, in a
Finnegans Wake study group , we wer e all convulse d wit h laughte r whe n
noticin g that
"Toot and Come Inn" is not just a parody of America n cutesy-pi e mote l name
s but anothe r of Joyce' s countles s pun s on Tutankh -
amen . At thi s point , my wif e entere d the roo m to enquir e wha t was so
funny . Whe n we explained , she said, "That' s a synchro -

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2O2 Prometheus Rising nicity— I
was just watchin g a TV progra m abou t Tutankhamen. "
And, of course , Joyc e put the boy-kin g into the dream becaus e the main
them e of
Finnegans
Wake, the main them e of the neurogeneti c circuit , is the surviva l of
geneti c memor y throug h time , symbolize d by the Resurrectio n myth ; and
Tut was dug up
(resurrected ) synchronistically
, jus t afte r Joyc e starte d wor k in this epic .
As Joyc e explain s the logi c of the neurogeneti c circuit , "Thi s ourth of
year s is naugh t save brickdus t and bein g humu s the same returns"
(the earth gives back, in new forms, what is buried) since "on the bunk of our
breadwinnin g lies the cropse of our seedfather"
(commen t superfluous , to those who know
The
Golden
Bough)
and
"Phall if you but, will rise you must." The seed, the genetic code, and the
egg, cellular wisdom, sends the signal down the aeons; in the similar metaphor
of Nobel geneti-
cist Hebert Muller, "We are all giant robots manufacture d by
DNA to make more
DNA."
To the individual , the break s in the chain of life/deat h
/life/death/life/deat h are ail-too real and painful; to the seed-and-
egg wisdom of the neurogeneti c circuit, the seamless unity of
lifedeathlifedeathlifedeathlif e is the greater reality.
The neurogeneti c circui t is probabl y locate d in the right neo-
cortex and is more recen t than the neurosomati c circui t in the back section
s of the righ t cortex .
Circui t VI neurogeneti c consciousnes s allow s you to
"converse " with the evolutionar y architec t who designed your body—an d
billion s and billion s of other s sinc e the daw n of life aroun d 3-4 millio
n year s ago.
This "architect " is the greates t designe r on this planet , as
Bucky Fulle r has often commented . No huma n architec t has yet equale d Her
efficienc y or
Her esthetic s in such routin e product s as roses, eggs, insect colonies,
fish etc.
She (or He) can be personifie d in modern terms as Mother
DNA or Father Nucleic Acid. The Rationalis t immediatel y objects that such
personification , howeve r inescapabl e it is to all who have encountere d the
Architec t directl y on this circuit , is illegitimate , because She or He is
unconscious.
The rebuttal , given by all Circui t VI adepts in all culture s and all ages,
is that

Prometheus Rising 203
She or He is not unconsciou s but intoxicated , and it is a divin e
intoxication .
Less poetically , whethe r we "humanize " this "architect " into a
Big Momma or Big Daddy, or
"animalize"
it into a jackal-
headed being like the Egyptian , or

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"insectualize
"
it into a divine
Preyin g Manti s like one Africa n tribe, or
"spiritualize"
it into somethin g totall y abstrac t like Hindu s and Christia n Scientists ,
we are onl y depictin g on e cross-sectio n of thi s 3-4 billion-year -
old Being . Whe n we
"moleculize"
it as DNA we are also only seeing one cross-section—
the most useful cross-section for scientific analysis.
That is all that needs to be said, or should be said, for the "scientifi c
materialist " chemicalizatio n of the biosphere, and it is no contradiction of
direct experience of the
Bein g itsel f via Circui t VI yogas , biologica l or chemical . Indeed , the
direc t experienc e undoubtedl y can and has helpe d man y scientist s get a
wider , mor e holisti c view of wha t is goin g on in evolution , which they
have brough t down to Circui t III in better linguisti c models . Teilhar d de
Chardi n is one , but not the only , exampl e of a scientis t whos e
evolutionar y mode l has bee n improve d by such direc t Circui t VI
experience .
For thos e who have not yet had Circui t VI experience—an d most of humanit y
will possess the technolog y to turn on this circuit at will, withi n the next
twent y years—thi s evolutionar y perspectiv e might , possibly , be conveye d
by a serie s of quantu m jump s in perspective , thus :
The individua l can mak e mistakes , eve n fata l ones .
Consciousnes s of Circuit s
I-V
is far fro m infallible ; we all get into messes , and sometime s they kill
us.
The gene-poo l can make mistakes , but less frequently . Most gene-pool s hav
e a life-spa n far beyon d any individual , by a facto r of man y thousands .
Obviously , if we judg e intelligenc e by survival , gene-pools—mad e up of
the informatio n of man y millio n individuals—ar e mor e "intelligent " than
any individuals , even geniuses . (Einstei n was not as smar t as the Jewis h
peopl e collectively . He created Relativit y and was smart enough to escap e
the Nazis . The Jews , historically , create d dozen s of ideas as importan t
as Relativit y and survive d hundred s of pogroms. )

204 Prometheus Rising
The species is even more intelligen t than the gene-pool . It live s million s
of time s longe r tha n an y individual , man y thou -
sand times longer than any gene-pool .
The biosphere—Gaia—the
DNA
script—is more intelligent than all individuals, gene-pools and species. It
has survived everything thrown at it for nearly 4 billion years, and is
getting smarte r all the time. It is on the edge of achievin g immortality ;
through the sixth circuit it has a better eye to see itself and judge its
trajectories than ever before; it is getting ready to leave this planet and
expand across the universe.
Beethoven, to cite him one more time, said "Anybody who understand s my music
will never be unhapp y again. " That is becaus e his music is the song of the
Sixth Circuit , of Gaia, the
Life Spirit, becoming conscious of Herself, of Her powers, of
Her own capacities for infinite progress.
EXERCIZES
1.
List at least

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15 similaritie s betwee n New Yor k (or any large city ) and an insec t colony
, suc h as a bee-hiv e or termit e hill. (If you can' t thin k of at leas t
15, read Edwar d Wilson' s
Sociobiology.)
Contemplat e the information in the DNA loop, which create d both of these
enclave s of high coherenc e and organization , in primat e and insect
societies .
2. Read the
Upanishads and every time you see the word
"Atman"
or "Worl d Soul," translat e it as DNA blueprint . See if it makes sense to
you that way.
3. Contemplatin g these issues usually trigger s Jungia n synchronicities .
See how long after readin g this chapte r you encounter an amazing
coincidence—e.g. , seeing DNA on a license plate, havin g a copy of the
Upanishads given to you unexpectedly , seeing an image like Crowley' s Pan or
Great
Mother in a work of popular art etc.
4. Explain such a synchronicity , when it occurs, in Circuit III
Rationalis t terms—mer e coincidenc e etc.
5. Psychologis t Barbar a Honnegge r explain s synchronicitie s by sayin g tha
t the righ t brai n hemispher e (wher e this circui t is located ) move s you
in space-tim e to the plac e wher e the synchro -
nicit y will occur , whil e the Rationalis t left brai n invent s rational -
ization s to go there . Synchronicitie s are a languag e throug h

Prometheus Rising
205
whic h thi s circui t communicate s wit h the lef t brain , in thi s theory .
Try explainin g coincidence s by that theory . Wha t message s is your right
brain tryin g to send to your left brain ?
6. Jung and several of his disciple s (e.g., Coleman , Steiger , Fiedler) have
suggeste d that UFOs are message s from this collectiv e DN A circui t to the
left brain . Wha t do such message s mean ? Wha t is the righ t brai n tryin g
to tell us?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
INTRODUCTION TO THE
METAPROGRAMMIN G
CIRCUIT
It is th e huma n situatio n tha t is basicall y tragic . Righ t an d Lef t
revolutionarie s canno t alte r this basi c dilemma . For instance , the mos t
radica l Left-win g grou p has no progra m to overcom e death .
The entir e Right-Lef t establishmen t is stil l deat h oriented .
—
P.M.
Esfandiary , Upwingers
207

CAN 100,000 PEOPLE HALLUCINAT E AT ONCE?
How else do you explain history?
208

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I once saw a cartoon—I
forget where—tha t seems to me to summariz e the central fact of neurologica l
relativism .
A cat approache s a dog and says "Meow. " The dog looks confused. The cat
repeats, "Meow!" The dog still looks con-
fused. The cat repeats, more emphatically , "MEEOW!!!"
Finally, the dog ventures , "Bow-wow? " The cat stalk s awa y indignantly ,
thinkin g "Dum b dog! "
Of course , human communication , and our great philosophi -
cal debates, cannot be on this primitiv e level.
Of course!
Nonetheless.. .
Between May and
October, 1917, in Fatima, Spain, occurred the best documente d series of
"miracles" in modern history. As everybod y knows , it bega n when three
illiterat e peasan t girls had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Please
note at once that it is easy, and tempting , for the Rationalist , and the
non-Catholi c generally , to trea t this firs t inciden t as "merely "
hallucination .
Note next how hard it is to make that explanation stick as the subsequent
details are narrated.
At the secon d "visitatio n of the Virgin " in Jun e ther e wer e fifty
witnesses.
All agreed that they heard an explosio n and saw a puff of smoke . (Onl y the
thre e girl s on this and subsequen t occa -
sion s eve r saw the Lady. ) Shal l we assum e now that , in additio n to
hallucinating girls we must add a practical joker with a smoke bomb, to make
sense of what was going on?
At the third visitation in July there were 4500
witnesses.
All of them hear d an explosio n again , at the Lady' s departure , and most
of them claime d they hear d hummin g and buzzin g noise s whil e the childre
n spok e to her . (Thi s hummin g and buzzin g is commo n in late r UFO
stories... )
On August 13, there were
18,000 witnesses, who saw, or hallucinate d a symphon y of weirdities ,
includin g flower s fallin g out of the sky, another explosion, bright flashes
of light on the clouds and on the ground (crimson , pink, yellow and blue) and
a luminou s globe spinnin g throug h the sky, just like a moder n
UFO .
On September
13, there were
30,000 witnesses.
All saw the luminou s "UFO " again , and ther e was anothe r downpour—no t
flower s this time, but glistenin g globule s of light that got smalle r as
they descende d and "melted" near ground level. Dr. Carl
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Sagan would have solemnl y told you, with his bare face hangin g out, that all
30,00 0 witnesse s wer e hallucinatin g simultaneously .
Octobe r
13 , the last "miracle " was witnesse d by
70,000 at the scene, and
30,000 others for hundreds of miles around claimed to see som e of the
phenomena . Som e said that the sun plunge d directly toward the earth, but
others that a globe "big and bright as the sun" had appeared and did the
plunging. This was accom-

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panie d by flashe s of red , violet , blu e and yellow , togethe r wit h a
"heavenly " perfume permeatin g the air.
It is claime d that "thousands " of peopl e wer e converte d to
Catholicis m by these events . Pleas e note that if it had all hap-
pened 50 years later in 1967, many of these people would have been converted
to the newer mystique of the Space Brothers.
Nietzsch e onc e said , "W e are all greate r artist s tha n we real -
ize. " It is a functio n of the abov e recor d (an d thi s boo k as a whole )
to mak e that obscur e joke totall y clea r to ever y reader .
But, but, but—Al l
100,00 0 witnesse s who saw some of the phenomen a associate d with the last
Fatima "miracle " must have been hallucinating , of course. This is the most
comfortabl e and conservativ e way of dealin g wit h suc h events , and one
doe s not have to be as narro w as
Dr. Saga n to prefe r suc h a simpl e expla -
nation .
Still...i f
100,00 0 peopl e can hallucinat e simultaneously , and if, as histor y assure
s us, man y million s can shar e a
"religious " or politica l delusio n simultaneously , only a man as rigidly
dogmati c as Sagan can avoid askin g the most disturbin g question s about the
origin of his own belief s and perceptions .
Cromwel l onc e addresse d the Iris h rebels , saying , "I beseec h you, in
the bowel s of Christ , thin k it possibl e that you migh t be wrong. " Histor
y does not recor d that Cromwel l ever addresse d the same remark to himself.
Each of us is trappe d in the reality-tunne l (assumption -
consumption ) hi s or he r brai n ha s manufactured . W e do no t
"see" it or "sense" it as a model our brain has created.
We automatically , unconsciously , mechanicall y "see " and "sense " it out
there, apart form us, and we consider it "objective. " When we meet somebody
whose separate tunnel-realit y is obviously far differen t from ours , we are
a bit frightene d and alway s disori -
ented . We ten d to thin k the y are mad , or tha t the y are crook s

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trying to con us in some way, or that they are hoaxter s playin g a joke.
Yet it is neurologicall y obviou s tha t no tw o brain s hav e the same
genetically-programme d hard wiring , the same imprints , the same
conditioning , the same learnin g experiences . We are all living in separat e
realities . That is why communicatio n fails so often , and misunderstanding s
and resentment s are so common . I
say "meow " and you say "Bow-wow, " and each of us is con-
vinced the other is a bit dumb.
Accordin g to reliabl e statistics , over 100,000,00 0 citizen s of the U.S.
"believe in" UFOs and at least
15,000,00 0 have seen a
UFO . The syste m of ideas , rumors , myths , hope s etc. clustere d about the
UFO phenomeno n may be the most powerful sociolog-
ical force for chang e currentl y actin g upon our society , as Dr.
Jacque s Valle e recentl y stresse d in an addres s to a specia l Unite d
Nation s committe e on the UF O mystery .
The UFO debate, or quarrel , hinges upon the two categorie s whic h we fin d
centra l to our thesis—th e innocent-lookin g idea s of "inside " and
"outside. " Broadl y speaking , the UFO "skeptics "
are those who claim the UFO is "inside" the UFO observer
("hallucination, " misidentification
, etc.) , whil e th e UF O
"believers " claim the UFO is "outside " (objectivity) .

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As the semanticis t Alfre d Korzybsk i often warned , when we spli t verball y
tha t whic h is neve r spli t existentiall y we introduc e fallacie s into our
thinking .
Korzybski' s favorit e exampl e wa s the matter of "space " and "time" ; for
in experience , we never encounte r "space " withou t "time " or "time "
withou t "space, " i.e..
a year measure s the space the Earth move s aroun d the sun, and the space the
Earth travel s in one orbit gives us the time we call a
"year." The verba l separatio n of "space " and "time " becam e such a proble
m in late 19t h Centur y physic s tha t paradoxe s and contradiction s
multiplie d endlessly ; an d thi s wa s onl y resolve d whe n the geniu s of
Einstei n wen t bac k befor e the verba l cate -
gories, realize d we had create d them, and starte d physic s over from the
groun d up on the simpl e existentia l fact tha t we neve r encounte r "space
" or "time " separatel y but only the undifferen -
tiated "space-tim e continuum. "
Applyin g thi s Einsteinia n operationa l orientatio n to the UF O
problem , we observ e tha t we neve r hea r of a UF O withou t a

2/2
Prometheus Rising human observer . In fact, even the UFOs "seen" on radar
become
UFOs (unidentified , rathe r than identified , flyin g objects )
through processes of evaluation in the nervous system of the radar operator.
It is, therefore , the Einsteinia n and operationa l approac h to accept the
seamless unity of UFO-observe r and cease to separate them into
"UFO"
and "observer. "
The types of "critters" who appear in human-UF O
experi-
ences include the following :
Blac k men , blu e men , gree n men , black-face d me n wit h gree n bodies;
Fish-scale d men, hairy dwarfs , huge-heade d bald dwarfs , armles s humanoids
;
Dwarfs with three fingers, dwarfs with eight fingers, claw-
handed men, one-eyed men;
Elephant-eare d men , long-haire d sexles s WoMen , man-apes , man-birds;
Robots , beer-ca n shape d entitie s walkin g on fins , headles s things ,
dwarf s in Nazi uniforms ;
Sinister "Greys" who engage in sexual and/or genetic tamper-
ings with humans .
This is only a partial zoology of the UFO experience .
The craft favore d by this odd crew include s big blob s of light , littl e
blob s of light , cluster s of lights , har d metalli c ships , flat -
bottom discs, conic discs, coin-like discs, domed discs, ovals, spheres ,
spheroids , cigar-shape d craft , cubes , tetrahedrons , cres -
cents, "eggs, " teardro p shapes , boomerangs . This is also a partia l list .
"We are bein g invade d by being s from dozen s of galaxies, "
said Otto Binder, a believer in the extraterrestria l theory of
UFOs , whe n this list was show n to him .
One consistenc y does appea r in this confusin g picture : thos e who hav e
had Clos e Encounter s sho w marke d personalit y chang e afterwards . At on e
extrem e we fin d paranoi d an d schizophrenic breakdowns or acute anxieties
requiring hospital-
ization ; at the other , "illuminations " simila r to thos e of Buddha ,
Mohammed , Jesus , St. Paul . In the middl e we find a grea t deal of messiani
c fanaticis m typical of vulgar religiosit y everywhere .

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Prometheus Rising
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j
Othe r statistica l clustering s can be foun d in the literature .
Blinding lights are very common—d o we recall St. Paul and the thousands at
Fatima? And drumming and humming noises are also common—a s in shamanis m
everywhere , at Fatima , and even in so sophisticate d a brain-chang e syste m
as Tibeta n
Buddhism .
Let nobod y underestimat e this phenomeno n just becaus e it is irrational .
It is equall y irrationa l for 900 peopl e to drink cyanid e because a
paranoid on pep-pills tells them to, and Nazism and the Holy Inquisitio n were
equally irrational . As Dr. Jacque s
Vallee told the UN committee on UFOs, It is the third aspect o/the
UFO phenomeno n which deserves full attention.. . The third aspec t is the
socia l belie f syste m whic h has bee n generate d by...th e expectatio n of
spac e victors. This belief.
..is creating new religious, cultural and political concepts of whic h socia
l scienc e has take n littl e notice . [Italic s in original.]
1
Rationalism— a philosoph y for which we have great sympa -
thy, as for a backwar d relative—want s to take UFO "observers "
by the collar, shake them vigorousl y and shout in their ears, "Look you so
and so. It never happened!—yo u got it, buddy? "
Well , mayb e it didn't—an d then agai n mayb e it did. In eithe r case,
UFO-observer s are all better artists than they realize .
It shoul d also be obviou s that the Rationalis t is a bette r artis t than he
realizes . Amid millions of people who have or create such experience s ever y
day in ever y city on the planet , the
Rationalis t has create d a separat e realit y in whic h suc h thing s never
happen—t o him.
Flyin g saucer s and ESP (no t to mentio n Fatim a and its
"miracles" ) ma y see m far remove d fro m Patt y Hearst' s
Dr. Carl Jung has compare d the UFO s in genera l and Clos e Encoun -
ters in particula r with the "signs and wonders " that accompanie d the
breakdow n of Roma n paganis m and the rise of Christianity . It is ironi c to
remembe r tha t the Rationalist s of tha t time—th e
Stoics , Epicurean s and othe r heir s of the Gree k philosophical-skeptica l
tradi -
tion—regarde d
Christianit y with as much contemp t as the moder n
Rationalis t has for UFOs . They simpl y refuse d to look at what was
happening , unti l their societ y was overcom e by the paradig m shif t to the
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Prometheus Rising
"decision " to becom e a bank-robber . We are tryin g to sho w that there is
an intimat e connectio n betwee n all the weirditie s of consciousness .
The proces s by whic h we construc t a kitche n chair out of a whirl of atomi
c energ y is just as creative
(artistic ) as the process -
es by which Patty Hearst turned her father from a beloved parent into a Pig
Imperialist .
Your whol e worl d has been constructe d that way . You are
"reconciled " to deat h becaus e you hav e bee n told , all you r life , that
everybod y mus t die. Onl y the Extropia n minority—whic h can be foun d
whereve r scientists , science-fictio n fans , Futurist s and space enthusiast
s gather—i s living in the separat e reality that claim s we no longe r have

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to accep t this axio m of despair .
The revolutionarie s of any decad e will becom e the reactionar -
ies of the nex t decade , if they do not chang e thei r nervou s system,
because the world around them is changing.
He or she who stand s stil l in a moving , racing , acceleratin g age , move s
backward s relativel y speaking . Thus, there are hundred s of
"Thanatological "
seminar s availabl e in the once revolutionar y but now-reactionar y
Consciousnes s Movement . These seminar s are designe d to reconcil e peopl e
to death , and are abou t as reac-
tionar y as seminar s c. 1860 designe d to reconcil e Black peopl e to slavery
.
Only one offshoo t of the Consciousnes s Movement , the
Thet a
Seminar s of Leonar d
Orr, are designe d to prepar e people for our oncomin g immortality .
EXERCIZE S
1.
Buy a copy of
Christian Science Sentinel and read all the faith healing s reporte d tha t
month . Not e tha t eac h "miracle " is attributed to the correct teaching as
transmitte d by Jesus Christ and Mar y Bake r Eddy .
2. Buy a copy of
The Peyote Cult by anthropologis t Westo n
LeBarre whic h attribute s the sam e effect s to auto-suggestion .
3. Read
Brain/Mind
Bulletin for any recent year, and observe that simila r healing s are reporte
d regularl y and attribute d to endorphins in the brain.
4. Witnesse s hav e testifie d that Jim Jone s (lik e a few othe r professiona
l faith-healers ) used skills part of the time, a shil l

Prometheus Rising
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being a person who pretend s to be ill and pretend s to be cured, in orde r to
get the audienc e in the righ t fram e of mind . Re-rea d all the miracle s in
the New Testament , using each of these filters :
Jesus had the correct teaching ; Jesus was using auto-suggestion ;
the sufferers ' brain s unleashe d endorphins whe n Jesu s gave them positiv e
auto-suggestion ; Jesu s was a con-ma n usin g shills .
Since you weren' t there at the time, does your choice among these theories ,
or your combinatio n of them , tell more abou t
Jesus or more about your own favorit e reality-tunnel ?
5. Did you eve r reall y giv e a goo d tria l to our exercize , "I can now
exceed all of my previou s hopes and ambitions? "
Try it;
and at the same time, try, "I can be healthie r than I have ever been before."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE META -
PROGRAMMIN G CIRCUIT
Man is ignoran t of the natur e of his own bein g and powers , Eve n his idea
of his limitation s is base d on experienc e of the pad. Ther e is therefor e
no reaso n to assig n theoretica l limit s to wha t he ma y be, or wha t he
may do.

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— Aleiste r Crowley , Magick
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According to Alfred Korzybski, any "idea" or mental state is a brain circui t
whic h the brai n itsel f can contemplate , thereb y havin g an idea abou t
the idea , or a menta l state abou t the menta l state, etc. There is no
theoretica l or real limit to the higher-order -
ing process ; it is the "Infinit y Within " of which mystic s speak .
Dr. John Lilly says, "In the provinc e of the mind what is believe d true is
true or become s true withi n limit s to be learne d by experienc e and
experiment . Thes e limit s are furthe r belief s to be transcended . In the
provinc e of the min d ther e are no limits. "
Mind and its contents are functionally identical:
My wife only exists , for me, in my mind. Not being a solipsist , I recogniz e
the converse : I only exist, for her, in her mind. Lest the reader exclaim,
like Byron of
Wordworth , "I wish he would explain his explanation!" , let us try it this
way : If I am so fortunat e as to be listenin g to the
Hammerklavier sonata , the only correc t answer , if you ask me suddenly , "Wh
o are you? " woul d be to hum the
Hammerklavier.
For, with musi c of that quality , one is hypno -
tized into rapt attention : ther e is no divisio n betwee n "me " and
"my experience."
In heav y meditation , whe n I thin k of me, I am me; whe n I
thin k of me an d you , I am me an d you ; whe n I thin k of yo u alone, I am
not there anymore ; when I think of God, I am God.
What I see with my eyes closed and with my eyes open is the same stuff:
brain circuitry.
Mathematicia n J.W. Dunne puts the matter in a parable . A
painter , wh o had escape d from the asylu m to whic h he was
(justl y or unjustly ) confined , decide d to pain t the fiel d in whic h he
foun d himself . Finished , he looke d at the resul t and realize d that
somethin g was missing : namely , himsel f and his canvas , whic h wer e part
of the field . So he starte d ove r and painte d himself and his canvas in the
field. But, examinin g the results with philosophica l analysis , he realize d
tha t somethin g wa s stil l missing : namely , himsel f and his canva s on
whic h he wa s paintin g himsel f and his canva s in the field . So he starte
d a thir d time.. .and a fourth...
.ad infinitum.
We thin k of the painting s of M.C . Esche r at thi s point : Or we recal l
the old folk-tal e of the farme r who set out to marke t with ten donkeys , on
one of whic h he rode . Afte r a while , he bega n to wonde r if any of the
donkey s had straye d and he bega n countin g there seeme d to be onl y nine .
Disturbed , he dismounte d and
2/9

220
Prometheus Rising walked around the herd, countin g carefully—an d there were
ten after all. So he remounte d and went on riding, until worry beset him
again . So he counte d anothe r time. .
.and ther e wer e nine . So, once again, he dismounte d and walke d about
countin g carefull y to find ten. The proces s is repeate d unti l he finall y
solve s the problem , carryin g one donkey on his back and driving the other
nine before him.

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The "disappearin g donkey " trick is the epitom e of ideas abou t ideas about
ideas, paintings of paintings of paintings, etc. The disappearin g donke y is
a synecdoch e of the meta-programmin g circuit of the nervous system .
The meta-programmin g circuit—know n as the "soul" in
Gnosticism , the "no-mind "
(wu-hsin)
in China , the White Light of the Void in Tibetan Buddhism , Shiva-darshana in
Hinduism , the True Intellectua l Cente r in
Gurdjieff—simpl y represent s the brain becoming aware of itself. The artist
seeing himself in his painting , seeing himsel f seeing himsel f in his
painting.. .
In the
Zen metaphor , it is a mirror that reflects anything , but does not hold onto
anything . It is a consciou s mirro r that know s it can alway s reflec t
somethin g else by changin g its angle of reflection .
This is analyze d mathematicall y in G. Spence r Brown' s
Laws of Form;
an analog, using not Brown' s math but
Godel's, and employin g illustration s from the music of Bach and the painting
s of Escher, is Hofstadter' s
Godel, Escher, Bach.
Most of the occul t literatur e of the world—asid e from the
95% of it that is sheer rubbish—consist s of tricks, gimmicks and games
(which the Hindus call upaya, "clever ways") to trigger meta-programmin g
consciousness . This generall y mean s leadin g the studen t "all aroun d
Robin Hood' s barn" as many times as are necessary , unti l the poo r victi m
discover s tha t he has create d the barn himself .
For instance , a popula r game with Californi a occultists— I
do not kno w its inventor—involve s a Magi c Room , muc h like the
Pleasure Dome discussed earlier except that this
Magic Room contains an Omniscien t Computer .
To play this game, you simpl y
"astrall y project " into the
Magi c Room . Do not ask wha t "astra l projection " means , and do not assum
e it is metaphysica l (and therefor e either impossible , if you are a
materialist , or ver y difficult , if you are a mystic) . Jus t

Prometheus Rising
221
assume this is a gedankenexperiment, a "mind game." Project yourself , in
imagination , into this Magi c Room and visualiz e vividl y the Omniscien t
Computer , usin g the detail s you need to mak e suc h a
super-information-processo r real to you r fantasy .
You do not need any knowledg e of programmin g to handle this astra l computer
. It exist s early in the next century ; you are gettin g to use it by a
specie s of time-travel , if tha t metapho r is amusin g and helpfu l to you .
It is so buil t tha t it respond s imme -
diatel y to huma n brain-waves , "reading " them and decodin g their meaning .
(Crud e prototype s of such computer s alread y exist. )
So, when you are in this magi c room , you can ask this Compute r anything ,
jus t by thinkin g of wha t yo u wan t to know . It wil l rea d your thought ,
and projec t into you r brain , by a lase r ray, the correct answer .
There is one sligh t problem . The compute r is very sensitiv e to all
brain-waves . If you hav e any doubts , it register s the m as negativ e
commands , meanin g "Do not answe r my question. " So, the way to use it to
start simply, with "easy" questions . Ask it is to dig out of the archive s
the nam e of you r second-grad e teacher .
(Almos t everybod y remember s the nam e of thei r first grad e teacher—imprin
t vulnerabilit y again—bu t that of the secon d grade teache r tend s to get

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lost. )
When the compute r has dug out the name of your second grade teacher , try it
on a harde r question , but not one that is too hard.
It is very easy to sabotag e this machine , but you don't want to sabotag e it
durin g thes e experiments . You wan t to see how well it can be made to
perform .
It is wise to ask only one questio n at a time, since it require s
concentration to keep this magic compute r real on the field of you r
perception . Do not exhaus t you r capacitie s for imaginatio n and
visualizatio n on you r firs t tria l runs .
Afte r a few trivia l experiment s of the second-grade-teache r variety , you
can try more interestin g programs . Take a person towar d who m you hav e
negativ e feelings , suc h as anger , disap -
pointment , feeling-of-betrayal
, jealous y or whateve r interfere s with the smooth , tranqui l operatio n of
you r ow n bio-computer .
Ask the Magi c Compute r to explain tha t othe r perso n to you ; to translat
e you into their reality-tunne l long enoug h for you to

222
Prometheus Rising understand how events seem to them. Especially , ask how
you seem to them.
The Poet Prayed:
Oh woul d som e powe r the gifti e gie us
To see ourselves as others see us
This compute r will do that job for you ; but be prepare d for some shock s
whic h migh t be disagreeabl e at first .
This super-brai n can also perfor m exegesi s on idea s that seem obscure ,
paradoxica l or enigmati c to us. For instance , earl y experiment s with this
compute r can very profitabl y turn on askin g it to explai n som e of the
proposition s in this boo k whic h may seem inexplicabl e or perversel y
wrong-heade d to you , such as "We are all greate r artist s than we realize "
or "Wha t the
Thinke r thinks , the Prove r proves " or "min d and its content s are
functionall y identical. "
This compute r is muc h mor e powerfu l and scientificall y advance d than the
rapture-machin e in the neurosomati c circuit . It has tota l acces s to all
the earlier , primitiv e circuits , and overrule s any of them . That is, if
you put a meta-programmin g instructio n into this computer ; it will relay it
downwar d to the old circuit s and cance l contradictor y program s lef t ove
r fro m the past . Fo r instance , try feedin g it on suc h meta-programmin g
instruction s as:
1.
I am at caus e over my body .
2. I am at cause over my imagination .
3.1
am at caus e ove r my future .
4. My min d abound s with beaut y and power .
5.1
like people , and peopl e like me.
Remembe r that this compute r is onl y a few decade s ahea d of presen t
technology , so it canno t "understand " you r command s if you harbo r any
doubt s abou t them . Doubt s tell it not to perform .
Work alway s from wha t you can believ e in, extendin g the area of belief
only as result s encourag e you to try for more dramati c transformation s of
your past reality-tunnels .
This represent s cybernetic consciousness;
the programme r becomin g self-programmer , self-metaprogrammer
, meta-meta -

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programmer , etc. Just as the emotiona l compulsion s of the secon d circui t
see m primitive , mechanica l and , ultimately , sill y

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3
to the neurosomati c consciousness , so, too, the realit y maps of the third
circui t becom e comic , relativistic , game-lik e to the metaprogrammer .
"Whatever you say it is, it isn't, "
Korzybski , the semanticist , repeate d endlessl y in his seminars , tryin g
to mak e clea r that third-circui t semanti c map s are not the territorie s
they represent ;
that we can alway s mak e map s of our maps , revision s of our revisions ,
meta-selve s of our selves .
"Neti, neti"
(not that, not that), Hindu teacher s traditionall y say whe n aske d wha t
"God " is or what "Reality " is.
Yogis, mathematician s and musician s seem more inclined to develo p
meta-programmin g consciousnes s than mos t of human -
ity. Korzybsk i even claimed that the use of mathematica l scripts is an aid
to developin g thi s circuit , for as soo n as yo u thin k of your min d as
mind , 1
and the min d whic h contemplate s tha t min d as mind
2
and the min d whic h contemplate s mind
2
contemplatin g mind
1
as mind , 3
you are well on your way to meta-programmin g awareness .
Alice in Wonderland is a masterfu l guide to the meta-
programmin g circui t (writte n by one of the founder s of mathe -
matica l logic ) and Aleiste r Crowle y soberl y urge d its stud y upo n all
student s of yoga .
R. Buckminste r Fuller illustrate s the meta-programmin g cir-
cuit , in his lectures , by pointin g out tha t we fee l pun y in compar -
ison to the size of the universe , but only our bodie s (hardware )
are puny . Ou r minds , he says—b y whic h he mean s our soft -
ware—
contain the universe , by the act of comprehendin g it.
The seventh , meta-programmin g circui t is the mos t recen t in evolutionar y
time and seems to be located in the frontal lobes.
That is why the traditiona l Hindu exerciz e to activat e it is to fix the
consciousnes s in the fron t of the forehea d and hol d it there , hou r afte
r hour , day afte r day , yea r afte r year , unti l the metapro -
gramme r awake s and you begi n to perceive-creat e infinit e reali -
ties where before there was only one static jail-cel l "reality " in which you
were trapped .
As said above , this circui t is the "soul" of the Gnostics , as distinc t
from the self. The self seem s to be fixe d and firm , but is not; tha t is,
whateve r circui t you are operatin g on at the momen t is you r
"sel f at tha t moment . If I
poin t a gun at you , you go to
Circui t
I
consciousnes s at once, and tha t is your
"sel f at tha t

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224 Prometheus Rising instant . But if you are sexuall y attracte d to
somebody , you go to
Circuit
IV and tha t is your
"sel f unti l you are orgasmicall y satisfie d (or hopelessl y frustrated) .
Mos t of the preliminar y exer -
cizes in Sufi and
Gurdjief f schools consist in making you aware that the
"sel f is not constan t but shift s back and fort h betwee n the imprints on
the various circuits.
The "soul " or Circui t VII is constant , becaus e it is, as the
Chines e say, void or no-form . It plays all the roles you play—
oral dependent , emotiona l tyrant , coo l rationalist , romanti c seducer ,
neurosomati c healer , neurogeneti c Evolutionar y Vision -
ary—bu t it is none of them.
It is plastic.
It is no-form , because it is all forms. It is the "creative Void" of the
Taoists.
If this begins to sound like nonsense, that is inevitable on this level.
As Lewi s Morga n notes , in book s on linguistic s ther e alway s come s a
poin t at whic h the pros e itsel f become s wildl y incomprehensible ,
disintegratin g into nonsense .
The sam e happens , Morga n notes , beyon d a certai n poin t in modern
mathematics:
Godel's
Theore m was once explaine d to me by a patient , a gentle mathematician, and
just as I was taking it all in, noddin g appreciativel y at'the beauty of the
whole idea..
.it all turned into nonsens e inside my head.
It happens in both linguistic s and mathematics , because it happens in
consciousness itself, languag e and math are just models of consciousness .
"Mind" is a tool invente d by the univers e to see itself; but it can never
see all of itself, for much the same reason that you can't see your own back
(withou t mirrors) . Or as Alan Watts liked to say, because the tongue
ultimately cannot taste the tongue.
Ideas about ideas—mathematic s about mathematic s
(Godel)
—languag e about language—consciousnes s of consciousness —
the whole sevent h circui t brings us into what Hofstadte r calls
Strange Loops.
Like the legendary ko-ko bird, we follow our own tail around in ever-narrowin
g circles , but unlike that mythi c bird we never complete the process by
flying up our own rectum s and disappearing . It just seems like we're about
to self-
destruc t in that colorfu l way , and we decid e that wha t we hav e been
reading , or thinking , or perceiving , must be "nonsense. "

Prometheus Rising
225
It is not nonsense . We are merel y confrontin g infinit y wher e we least
expecte d to encounte r it—i n our own lonel y selves .
Physic s joine d linguistics , mathematic s and psycholog y in this mete
programmin g hall of mirror s when
Schrodinge r demon -
strated that quantu m events are not "objective " in the Newtonia n sense. For
fifty years since then, physicist s have been strugglin g to buil d a syste m
tha t wil l get the m out of this Strang e Loop . Th e results have been as
funny as a Zen koan.
For instance , Niels Bohr propose d the Copenhage n Interpre -

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tation, which merel y says, in the manne r of
Godel, that our equation s do not describ e the univers e really . The y
describ e the mental processe s we have to put ourselve s through to describe
the universe . Tru e enough—an d this whol e boo k is a Copen -
hagen Interpretatio n of psycholog y and owes everything to Dr.
Bohr , but we are still in a Strang e Loop , and mos t physicist s want to get
out.
Dr. John von Neuman n prove d that there was no way out.
This is technically known as Von Neumann's Catastrophe of the
Infinit e Regress , and it merel y show s that any devic e that will get us
out of the firs t Strang e Loo p (the Copenhage n collaps e of objectivity )
will just lead us into a second Strang e Loop; and any way out of that will
lead to an inexorabl e third Strang e Loop ;
and so on, forever .
Everybod y is still tryin g to refut e von Neumann ; but nobod y has bee n
successful .
"I can' t get out—m y horn s won' t fit throug h the door .
The meta-programmin g circui t is not a trap. As Joyc e woul d say, it only
looks as like it as damn it. Simply accept that the univers e is so structure
d that it can see itself , and that this self -
reflexiv e arc is buil t into our fronta l lobes , so that consciousnes s
contain s an infinit e regress , and all we can do is mak e model s of
ourselve s makin g models.. .
Well , at that point , the only thin g to do is rela x and enjo y the show .
This is what the Hindu s call
Shiva-darshana, or the divine dance . You are stil l in life , or life is in
you , but sinc e ther e are infinit e aspect s to everything , especiall y to
the "you " who is observing/creatin g all these muddles and models, there are
no limits.

22(5
Prometheus Rising
The onl y sensibl e goal , then , is to try to buil d a reality-tunne l for
next week that is bigger , funnier , sexier , more optimisti c and generall y
less borin g than any previou s reality-tunnel .
And once you have built that bigger , funnier , happie r univers e of thought
, build a bigge r and bette r one, for next month .
EXERCIZES
1.
If all you can know is your own brain program s operating , the whole universe
you experience is inside your head. Try to hold ont o tha t mode l for at leas
t an hour . Not e how ofte n you relaps e into feelin g the univers e as
outside you.
2.
Conside r the belief system or reality-tunne l of an educate d reader 1200
years ago—in
797 AD. How much of that tunnel still seems "Real" ? How much in our
reality-tunne l was un-
known or invisibl e then?
3. Conside r the reality-tunne l of an educate d perso n 120 0
year s fro m now—i n
3197
AD . Ho w muc h of our reality-tunne l will still seem "Real"? How much of the
3197
AD reality-tunne l is unknow n or invisibl e to us?
4. Re-rea d
Moses'
encounte r with I AM WH O I AM in
Deuteronomy . Try the theor y that Mose s was talkin g to his own

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meta-programming circuit.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DIFFERENT MODELS &
DIFFERENT MUDDLES
It is not just a riot of blots and blurs and disjointe d jotting s linked
1
by spurt s of speed...
it only looks as like it as damn it.
— James Joyce, Finnegans
Wake
1
Presumabl y the input (software ) or the brain (hardware) . Or both.
227

"REALITY " IS THE TEMPORAR Y RESULTAN T OF
CONTINUOU S STRUGGLE S BETWEE N RIVAL GANGS
OF PROGRAMMERS .
And ever y momen t is a new and shockin g
Transvaluatio n of all we have ever been .
— T.S. Eliot , Four Quartets
228

Whe n a paradig m shif t occurs—whe n we go fro m seein g thing s one way to
seeing them anothe r way—
the whole world is remade.
All that we "know " is what register s on our brains , so wha t you perceiv e
(you r individua l reality-tunnel ) is mad e up of nothin g but thoughts—a s
Sir Humphre y Dav y note d whe n self -
experimentin g with nitrou s oxid e in
1819 , and as Buddh a notice d by sittin g alon e unti l all his socia l
imprint s atrophie d and droppe d away .
The Copernica n Revolutio n in astronomy , the Darwinia n revolutio n in
biology , the Relativit y an d Quantu m revolution s in physics , have all
been as shockin g to thos e who live d throug h them as the Immortalis t
Revolutio n is today .
You can liv e in the reality-tunne l imprinte d upo n yo u by environmenta l
acciden t or you can choos e your own . You can go throug h brai n change s as
radicall y bad as thos e of Patty Hears t and Rust y Galley , as
transcendentall y beautifu l as thos e of
Buddh a and Jesus , as epistomologicall y revolutionar y as thos e of
Darwi n and Einstein .
You can join those who have alread y entere d the Immortalis t
Realit y Tunnel , the Scientologis t Reality-Tunne l or the Commu -
nist Reality-Tunnel .
"There are a lot of differen t realitie s going aroun d these days," Abby
Hoffma n once said. Evolutionar y acceleratio n is forcin g us to the point
wher e each will have to take responsibilit y for whic h realit y we accept .
Fiftee n millio n American s are waiting , trustingly , for the
Space Brother s to come down in their UFOs and enforc e World
Peace.
The UFO is the, or an, extrem e case. In general , everything we see is inside
our heads.
229

2JO

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Prometheus Rising
This is demonstrate d by the well-know n optica l diagra m encountere d in
every high-schoo l physic s class:
The light rays from the externa l objec t are reflecte d throug h the lens of
the eye onto the retina, and reversed in the process.
The brain obligingly interprets the picture, turning it right-side-
up, and editin g it in other ways more subtle .
Wha t is tru e of visio n is true of the othe r senses . Wha t we know is what
registers on the brain. This is the answer to the famous Zen Buddhis t koan
(riddle) , "Who is the Divine Being who makes the grass green?"
The brain, in the routin e course of the before-mentione d
100,000,00 0 program s per minute , takes in, edits, orchestrates , organizes
, packages , labels etc. all raw "existential " experienc e and classifie s it
accordin g to the neurologica l Dewe y Decima l
System . Thi s syste m varie s from societ y to society ; hence , cultura l
relativism—wha t is "real " to the Eskim o is not quite the same as what is
"real" to a New York taxi-driver .
To review : Eac h individua l has a neurologica l system , or game , differen
t from othe r member s of the sam e society . In accord with Einstein' s
physica l relativism , and anthropology' s cultural relativism, we call this
neurological relativism.
The vegetaria n does not "see" (experience ) meat on a rack in the butche r
shop the same way the meat-eate r sees it. The racist does not see a membe r
of anothe r race as, say, that person' s parent s do. More generally , as the
Poet tells us: "The Fool sees not the same tree that the Wise Man sees."
Amon g the man y editoria l task s of the brain , performe d so rapidl y and
smoothl y that we do not notic e it, is the classificatio n of the separat e
quant a of perceptio n into "inside " and "outside. "
That this neat syste m does not accor d with brut e fact we lear n from optic
s and neurology ; tha t it can be abolishe d entirely , wit h

Prometheus Rising
23
7
great profit in terms of insight , we learn from the type of meta-
programmin g experienc e called dhyana in the Hindu and
Buddhis t traditions .
Crowle y says of the dhyana experience :
In the cours e of our concentratio n we notice d that the content s of the min
d at any momen t consiste d of two things , and no more: the (external )
Object, variable, and the (internal) Sub-
ject, invariable , or apparentl y so. By succes s in dharana
1
the object has been made as invariabl e as the subject .
Now the result of this is that the two becom e one. This phenomeno n usuall y
come s as a tremendou s shock .
In our words, "mind"
(whatever that is)
and its contents are functionally identical.
The usual system of classifyin g the con-
tents as "me" (part of "mind" ) and not-"me"
("outside" ) can be abolished—no t just by meditation , but by certai n
well-know n drugs—and the unity of the field of perceptio n is then recog-
nized. We become
Metaprogrammers .
This is wha t we migh t expec t from the triumph s of field theor y and genera
l system s theor y in sociology , anthropology , quantu m theor y etc. It
still come s as a distinc t shoc k whe n it is experience d not just talke d
about . Whe n "I" and "my world "

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(field of perception ) becom e one, "I" am transforme d utterly , as in "in a
refiners' fire," as the mystics say.
This sound s a bit puzzlin g to the averag e perso n withou t ex-
perienc e in brain-chang e games . Try this illustration : Assumin g you are
readin g this in your own home , look aroun d the room .
Note that everythin g in your field of vision—furniture , painting s or
posters on the walls, stereo set or absenc e of same, rugs, TV
or not TV, etc.—is, in a sense, your creation or co-creation.
You and/or your spouse or room-mates(s )
selected everythin g that got into the room . You also selected or co-selecte
d that particula r room , out of the million s of room s on this plane t wher
e you might otherwis e live. The tunnel-realit y of that room, then, in a very
real sense has been
"created"
or
"manifested"
by you, out of a univers e of infinit e possibilities .
Silent meditation on one object for many weeks, like the Zen monk with the ox.

232
Prometheus Rising
Of course , only the most fanati c Freudia n or Buddhis t mysti c woul d clai
m you r whol e life histor y has bee n similarl y
"selected " by you. But, stop and think a moment : the life-histor y you think
you have , the part that is store d in your brain as
"memory, " has certainl y been selected . You can't even remem -
ber everything that happene d in the last five minutes . If you try to be
inwardl y silent (passive ; non-verbal ) and notic e everythin g happenin g in
your field for one minute, you are overwhelme d by thousand s of impression s
that you canno t catalo g and retain .
Conclusion : who you are, and wha t you thin k you are, is a creatio n edite d
and orchestrate d by your brain .
Everybod y you meet is an "artist" who has made a similar creation.
And these creation s are, all of them , as divers e and idiosyn -
cratic as the musica l styles of Bach, Beethoven , Rock , Wagner , Vivaldi ,
Bizet , Orff , Chopin , John Cage , Soul , the Beatles , Harr y
James , Disco , Scotc h folk-songs , Africa n chants.. .
As for the univers e "outside " you: of course , you didn't create that. But
just because you didn 't create it, you can never know it...
except approximately . What you do know , and conside r "the univers e outside
" is another , part of your brain , whic h has made of its circuit s a model
whic h you identif y with the univers e outside .
These model s are as varied and miscellaneou s as the painting s of Botticelli
, Rembrandt , Van Gogh , Picasso , Paul Klee, Wyeth , Dali, Monet.. .
This the meaning of the notion that mind and its contents are functionally
identical.
Conside r the old folk-rhyme :
I saw a man upon the stair , A little man who wasn't there.
He wasn' t ther e agai n today ;
Gee , I wis h he' d go away .
This little man is a semantic spook;
he exists only in the language , and yet once the languag e has invoke d him
it almost seems to make sense to wish he would go away.
Recen t advance s in semantics , semiotic , linguisti c analysis , foundation
s of mathematics , logic , etc. have demonstrate d that

Prometheus Rising 233
our conceptua l field—ou r symboli c environment—i s haunte d by many such

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"spooks. "
There are Empedoclea n paradoxes, of which the classic is:
Theologian s are vexed by question s like: Can an omnipoten t
God creat e a rock so heav y He Himsel f canno t lift it? (If he cannot , he
is not omnipotent ; and if he can, he is also not omnip -
otent.) Philosopher s and physicists are still bothered by: what happene d
befor e Time began ? Somebod y is suppose d to have remarked, "I'm glad I
don't like cauliflower , because if I liked it, I'd eat it, and I hate the
stuff. "
Alice in Wonderland, and any treatis e on mathematica l logic , will provid e
hundred s of exam -
ples of similar mind-benders .
A Zen sayin g sums it all up:
"To thin k tha t I am no t goin g to thin k of you anymor e is stil l thinkin
g of you. Let me then try not to thin k that I am not going to think of you."
Bertran d Russel l and Alfre d Nort h Whitehea d attempte d to resolv e all
suc h conundrum s wit h a mathematica l propositio n known as the Theor y of
Types . Unfortunately , it was quickl y pointed out that either (a) the Theory
of Types refers to itself, in which case it limit s itself by its own terms ,
and does not solve all our semanti c problems , or
(b)
the Theor y of Types does not refer to itself, in which case there are
proposition s to which it does not refer , and it is agai n limited , and we
are left with our problems .
These third-circui t perplexitie s are of more than technica l logica l and
philosophica l import . Man y situation s in real life take the form of our
bein g haunte d by our own semanti c spooks . For instance , the popula r
novel, Catch-22, deals with a very real
Empedoclea n knot: the hero can escap e from the war if he can prove his is
crazy , but if he attempt s to do this it will prov e he is sane, since it is
sane to escape a dangerou s situation .
The logi c of the dream-worl d of
Finnegans Wake is not so far from real life, either . A patient , of Germa n
birth , at St. Eliza -
beth' s hospital , woul d not wal k throug h doors , explainin g
"Da fressen mich die
Turen."
(The doors will eat me.) This make s

234 Prometheus Rising perfect sense phonetically , since it is identica l in
pronunciatio n with
"Dafressen mich die
Tieren.
"
(The animals will eat me).
Word-magic ? Schizophrenia ? The average person, not a vege-
tarian, will respon d positivel y to "tende r juicy filet mignon "
on the menu; but not to "a piece off of a dead castrated bull." But the two
expression s mean the same thing.
We all tend to conjugat e sentence s in the manne r caricature d by
Bertran d
Russell : "I am firm. You are obstinate . He is a pig-
headed fool." ("I am daring and original . You are pretentious .
She stinks. " "I am flexible . You bend with the wind. They'r e a bunch of
opportunists." )
The magic of poetry creates "real toads in imaginar y gar-
dens," it has been said. When Robert Burns writes:
The wan moo n is settin g behin d the whit e wav e
And Time is settin g with me, oh it is hard not to feel that the abstractio n

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"time" has become as real as the physica l moon and wave—o r the little man
upon the stair.
Conside r the followin g table:
Any phrase in colum n I can describ e person s or events that might very well
be described , by a differen t speaker , with the correspondin g phras e in
colum n II. Now the reade r may feel that some of the phrases above are so
pejorative , so loaded with prej-
udice, that only the most ignoran t or bigote d would use them; but that is
irrelevant . What needs to be noted is that it is easy to see the bias in
somebody else's semantic maps, but not so easy to see the bias in one's own
semanti c reality-tunnel . If the reader were born in Arkansa s in the 1920s,
item 1 in Colum n I might seem

Prometheus Rising
23
5
the natural , accurate , norma l way to refer to the first NAAC P
worker to appear and try to organized the Blacks.
These matters are symbolic, but more than linguistic. For example , the
proverbia l Englishma n who dresse d for dinne r every night in his lonely
tropical hut was no fool. He was keep-
ing an English third-circuit reality bubble around him, to avoid becomin g
engulfe d in the reality-bubbl e of the natives . See wha t happen s to Kurz
in Joseph
Conrad's
Heart of Darkness when the
Africa n reality-tunne l overwhelm s his Europea n reality-tunnel .
It only takes a few weeks in priso n to becom e "a convict, "
whateve r your definitio n of yoursel f was before, it only takes a few weeks
in the Army to become a "soldier."
These remarks are another elucidation of our earlier statement that mind and
its contents are functionally identical.
The symbol -
izing proces s is such that, once set in motion , it is virtuall y impossibl e
(withou t subtle neurologica l know-how ) to escape from a reality-tunne l one
has create d for onesel f or had foiste d upon one by the environment .
Kurt
Saxon is the author of
The Poor Man's James Bond, a manual that tells you everythin g you could ever
want to know about practica l technique s of murder and mayhem , The Survivor,
a four-volum e extensio n of the same libretto , telling where to acquire any
possible type of weapon, Root Rot, a diatribe against
Alex
Haley for implyin g that slaver y was unfair to Black people , and several
similar books. Mr. Saxon does not get reviewed in the Liberal magazine s that
decide which authors are important , but he has a wide readership amon g the
Apocalyptica l sects of the right-win g end of the politica l spectrum .
Mr. Saxo n wrot e in the 1970 s that the Unite d State s woul d be destroye d
almos t totall y by 1982 . This is becaus e the govern -
ment has drive n the
"competents "
out of busines s by excessiv e taxation and has subsidize d 30 million
"incompetents " on Wel-
fare and another 30 million "incompetents " on Social Security .
This countr y has thus become , Saxo n says , "a Disneylan d for dummies. "
By 1982, Saxon said, the whole econom y would collapse .
"Million s of taxpayer s wil l be unemployed.. . Million s wh o are now on
Valiu m or other tranquilizer s will go insan e when they cannot get more.
Drug addict s (will) swarm over pharmacie s

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236 Prometheus Rising looking for dope, ruining everythin g they don't
steal..." We will be helples s agains t Russia n attack becaus e "our
politician s have so devoted themselve s to nurturing...incompeten t dependent
s that furthe r industrializatio n to put our natio n on a war footin g will
be unaffordable . Even if it were not, our presen t union -
spoiled and demandin g work force canno t be expecte d to perform the way our
parent s did in the war plants of the late
1930s and early 1940s." The only solution , Saxon inform s us, is to buy
farms, order his books on how to kill people efficiently , and stockpil e
every type of weaponry , to fight off the "droolin g imbeciles and parasites"
who will flee the doomed cities and try to stea l you r crops .
Mr. Saxon believe d that these are objective predictions based on hard
"laws"
of sociolog y and economic s which he learned from the writing s of Ms. Ayn
Rand . He did not believ e that this apocalyptica l realit y tunne l in whic h
he lives is in any way an artistic creation expressin g his own emotiona l
anxieties and hostilities .
John Whit e believe s that the earth will shif t on its axis som e time before
1999. There will be "massive loss of life" and civi-
lizatio n wil l be almos t totall y destroyed . The only hop e you have, he
says, is to retreat to a farm (a la Mr. Saxon) where you will probabl y be
wiped out anywa y but have some advantag e over city-peopl e in that you won't
have tall buildings falling on you whe n the Pole Shif t sets off earthquake s
everywhere .
Mr. White believes that these are objective predictions based on eterna l
"laws"
of karma which he learne d from variou s occultists and gurus. He does not
believe that the apocalyptical reality-tunne l in which he lives is in any way
an artistic creation expressing his own emotional anxieties and hostilities.
Mr. White also believe s that many UFOs are actuall y demons , and that after
the Pole Shift kills us off, most of us will go to
"Hell," which is not eternal, fortunately , but only "timeless. "
If we confron t the world withou t ideas we see only a muddle , the formles s
void that existe d befor e "God " (intellect ) starte d to create a univers e
(a system ) in Genesis .
Once we become the "image of God" by making our own universe , we have a mode
l of the muddle . The model is very

Prometheus Rising
237
convenient—w e could not be huma n withou t it—bu t it is also very misleadin
g wheneve r we forge t that we have create d it.
None of the reality-model s discusse d in this chapter, howeve r bizarre they
may seem to some readers, are any more arbitrar y than the officia l
reality-mode l know n as consensus-reality , whic h is a statistica l average
and not nearly consensua l as it seems.
Travel 100 miles in any direction , and the consensu s begin s to crumble .
Travel 1000 miles and very little consensu s is left.. .
"The peoples of the earth are islands, " said the late Clemen t
Atlee, "shoutin g at each other over oceans of misunderstanding. "
Each island is a separate reality-tunne l created by (a) our culture, (b) our
sub-cultur e and (c) by the myth-make r or artist in each of us who is the
adamantin e individualit y that make s you and me uniqu e huma n selve s not
replicabl e units like the ants in a hive.
Robert Anton Wilso n is the autho r of
Cosmic Trigger, Schro-
dinger's Cat, Sex & Drugs and several other books. Like Mr.

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Saxon and Mr. White , Wilson does not get reviewe d in the
Libera l magazine s that decide which author s are important , but he has a
wide readershi p amon g science-fictio n fans, politica l
Libertarian s and veteran s of the Consciousnes s Revolution .
Wilso n believe s that life extensio n technique s and intelligenc e raising
drugs will be discovere d in this decade , and will be widely availabl e by
2010. Less radica l than Dr. Silverstein , Wilso n does not expec t immortalit
y to be achieve d until the middl e of the next century—bu t he expect s
life-extensio n drug s will keep him around until then.
Wilso n expect s most of humanit y will have migrate d off
Earth into space cities by 2028. He expect s that with highe r intelligenc e
and longe r lives than past humanity , these post-
terrestrial s will graduall y becom e Superhuma n by compariso n with our
historica l average .
Wilson believe s that these are good guesse s based on scien-
tific probabilities , but he does not thin k there are any hard economi c or
karmic laws guaranteein g them. He recognize s that this reality-tunne l was
generate d by his own brain , that he is the artist who created it, and that
it expresse s his own hopes and desires , as well as scientifi c probabilities
. It is, he knows , the reality-tunne l that keep s him happy , creative , bus
y and full of zest for life .

Prometheus Rising
He doesn' t think it is any crazie r than anybod y else' s reality -
tunnel, and he claims it is a lot more fun than any other.
EXERCIZE S
1
.
Using the four circui t model , try to guess which specifi c imprints created
Mr. Saxon's reality-tunnel .
2. Apply the same analysi s to Mr. White and Mr. Wilson .
3. Apply the same analysi s to Jesus, Hitler, Walt Whitma n and your own
father and mother .
4. Write a criticis m of this chapte r from the viewpoin t of
Christian Fundamentalism .

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE SNAFU PRINCIPLE
...the peculiar nature of the game...make s it impossibl e for
[participants ] to stop the game once it is under way. Such situation s we
label games without end.
—
Watzlawick , Beavin , Jackson , Pragmatics of Human Communication
239

COMMUNICATION IS ONLY POSSIBLE BETWEEN EQUALS
DOMINANC E
"HERRENMORAL"
This is second-circui t neuro-politics .
They shall come to know good.
— Jame s Joyce , Finnegans
Wake
240

Mammalian sociobiology , rooted in the antique neural circuits of the old
brain, contains many factors opposing the evolution of domesticated primates

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into true freedom and objective intelli-
gence.
The chief of these "reactionary" factors was described in my novel
Illuminatus!
as the Snafu Principle or Celine's Law. It holds that communication is only
possible between equals.
This was an over-simplificatio n for fictional (satirical ) pur-
poses. More precisely, this proposed "law" would read:
Adequat e communicatio n flow s freel y betwee n equals . Com -
municatio n betwee n non-equal s is warpe d and distorte d by second-circui t
Dominatio n and Submissio n ritual s perpetu -
ating communicatio n jam and a Game Without End.
Politica l power , as a typica l alpha male once said, grows out of the barrel
of a gun. This is metaphoricall y as well as literall y true. The "gun " may
be symboli c and fairl y abstract , consistin g of ritualize d socia l
expectation s ("Don' t talk back to your father" ) or concret e in a
non-violen t but deadl y way, e.g., the capacit y to remov e bio-surviva l
necessitie s by cuttin g off the ticke t suppl y in a Capitalis t societ y
("On e more wor d and I'll fire you, Bumstead!") .
Unde r the primat e second-circui t socio-biologica l rules , everybod y tend
s to lie a little , to flatte r or to evad e displeasure , when exchangin g
signal s with thos e abov e them in the pack -
hierarchy .
Every authoritaria n structur e can be visualize d as a pyrami d with an eye
on the top. This is the typica l flow-char t of any government , any
corporation , any Army , any bureaucracy , any mammalia n pack. On each rung,
participant s bear a burden of nescience in relatio n to those above them.
That is, they must be very, very carefu l that the natura l sensor y activitie
s of being consciou s organisms—th e acts of seeing , hearing , smelling ,
drawin g inference s from perception , etc.—are in accord with the
reality-tunnel of those above them.
This is absolutel y vital; pack status (and "job security" ) depend s on it.
It is much less important— a luxur y that can easily be discarded—tha t these
perceptions be in accord with objective fact.
For instance , in the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover , the agent had to develo p a
capacit y to see godles s communist s everywhere .
Any agent whos e perception s indicate d that there were actuall y
241

242 Prometheus Rising very few godles s communist s in this countr y at that
time would experienc e cognitive dissonance—
his or her reality-tunne l was at varianc e with the "official " reality-tunne
l of the pyramid . To talk about such perceptions at all would be to invite
suspicions of eccentricity , intellectua l wiseacrein g or of being onesel f a
godless communist .
The same woul d apply to a Dominica n inquisito r in the mid-
dle ages who lacked the capacity to "see" witches everywhere. In such
authoritaria n situations , it is importan t to see wha t the Top
Dogs (alpha males) see; it is inconvenient , and possibl y danger -
ous to see what is objectivel y happening .
But this leads to an equal and opposite burden of omniscience upon those at
the top, in the eye of the pyramid . All that is forbidde n to those at the
bottom—th e consciou s activitie s of perceptio n and evaluation—i s demande d
of the Power Elite, the master class.
They must attempt to do the seeing, hearing, smelling, etc. and all the
thinking and evaluating for the whole pyramid .
But a man with a gun (the powe r to punish ) is told only wha t the target
thinks will not cause him to pull the trigger (write the pink slip, order the
court-martial) . The elite, with their burden of omniscience, face the

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underlings, with their burden of nescience, and receiv e only the feedbac k
consisten t with their own precon -
ceived notions and reality-tunnels . The burden of omniscienc e becomes , over
time, anothe r and more comple x burde n of nescience . Nobod y really know s
anythin g anymore , or if they do, they are carefu l to hide the fact . The
burde n of nescienc e becomes omnipresent . More and more of sensory experienc
e becomes unspeakable .
As Paul Watzlawic k notes, that which is objectivel y represse d
(unspeakable ) soon become s subjectivel y represse d (unthink -
able). Nobody likes to feel like a coward and a liar constantly .
It is easier to cease to notice where the official tunnel-reality differs
from existential fact.
Thu s SNAF U accelerate s and rigidi-
tus bureaucraticus sets in—th e last stage before all brain activit y ceases
and the pyrami d is clinicall y dead as an intellectua l entity .
We also propos e that "nationa l security " is anothe r semanti c spook, an
Empedoclea n knot; that the search for nationa l securit y

Prometheus Rising
243
is the chief cause of nationa l insecurit y and a potent anti-intelli -
gence mechanism .
As
Leary writes:
Secrecy is the original sin. Fig leaf in the Garden of Eden. The basic crime
against love...
The purpose of life is to receive, synthesiz e and transmi t energy .
Communicatio n fusio n is the goal of life. Any star can tell you that.
Communicatio n is love.
Secrecy , withholdin g the signal , hoarding , hiding , coverin g up the light
is motivate d by sham e and fear.
As so ofte n happens , the righ t win g is half righ t for the wrong reasons .
They say primly : if you have done nothin g wrong , you have no fear of being
bugged . Exactly . But the logic goes both ways. Then FBI files, CIA
dossiers , White
House conversation s shoul d be open to all. Let everythin g hang open . Let
governmen t be totall y visible . The last, the very last people to hide their
action s should be the police and the government .
What my eminen t colleagu e states so poeticall y can be stated more
functionall y as follows :
Every secret police agency must be monitore d by an elite corps or
secret-police-of-the-second-order .
This is because
(a) infiltratio n of the secret police, for purpose s of subversion , will
always be a prime goal of both interna l subversive s and hostile foreign
powers and (b) secret police agencies acquire fantasti c capacitie s to
blackmai l and intimidat e others, in and out of government . Stalin execute d
three chiefs of the secret police in a row becaus e of this danger . As Nixo n
so wistfull y said in a
Watergate transcript , Well, Hoove r performed . He would have fought . That
was the point. He woul d have defied a few people . He woul d have scared them
to death.
He had a file on everybody.
[Italic s added.]
Thus , thos e who emplo y secre t polic e agencie s must monito r them, to be
sure they are not acquirin g too much power .
Here a sinister infinite regress enters the game. Any elite second order
police must be, also, subjec t to infiltration , or to acquiring "too much
power" in the opinion of its masters. And so it, too, must be monitored , by a

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secret-police-of-the-third-order .

244
Prometheus Rising
In brief, once a government has n orders of secret police spying on each
other, all are potentiall y suspect , and to be safe, a secret police of order
n plus 1
must be created. And so on, forever .
In practice , of course, this cannot regress to mathematica l infinity , but
only to the point where every citizen is spying on every other citize n or
until the fundin g runs out.
Nationa l Security , in practice , must alway s fall short of the logically
Empedoclean infinite regress it requires for perfect
"security. " In that gap between the ideal of "One Nation under surveillanc e
with wire taps and urine tests for all," and the strictl y limite d real
situatio n of finite resource s and finit e fund -
ing, there is ample encouragemen t for paranoias of all sorts to flourish,
both among the citizens and among the police.
THE BURDE N OF OMNISCIENC E
or: Why you can't reach the Court or the Castle in Kafka' s allegorie s
Thus, the USSR after 62 years of Marxist secret police games reached the point
where the alpha males were terrifie d of paint-
ers and poets.

Prometheus Rising
245
In spying-and-hidin g transactions , worry leads to more worry and suspicio n
leads to more suspicion . The very act of participat -
ing, howeve r unwillingly , in the secret police game—eve n as victim, or
citizen being monitored—wil l eventuall y produc e all the classic symptom s
of clinica l paranoia .
The agent knows who he is spying on, hut he never knows who is spying on him.
Could it be his wife, his mistress , his secretary , the newsboy , the Good
Humo r man?
If there is a secret police at all, in any nation, every branch and department
of government, and institutions which are not even admitte d to be parts of
government , becomes suspect in the eves of cautious and intelligent people
as a possible front for, or tunnel to, the secret police.
That is, the more shrewd will recog-
nize that somethin g bearin g the label of HEW or even Interna -
tional Silico n and Penci l migh t actuall y be the
CIA
or NSA in disguise.
In such a deceptio n network , conspirac y theorie s proliferate .
Rumo r is necessary , it has been found , when peopl e canno t find
"official " news source s that can be truste d to tell them what is really
going on. The present author, having worked in the civil rights movement, the
anti-war movement, the legalize-pot movemen t and other dissiden t causes, has
repeatedl y been approache d by frien d A with dire warning s that frien d B
is almost certainl y a secret police agent , only to be told later and
independentl y by frien d C that frien d A is a secre t polic e agent .
It require s delicat e neurologica l know-ho w to keep one's sense of humor in
the secret police matrix .
The more omnipresen t the secret police, the more likely it is that intelligen
t men and wome n will regar d the governmen t with fear and loathing .
The government , on discoverin g that growin g number s of citizen s regar d
it with fear and loathing , will increas e the size and power s of the secret
police , to protec t itself.

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The infinit e regres s again appears .

246
Prometheus Rising
SUSPICIO N LEADS TO MORE SUSPICIO N

Prometheus Rising
247
The only alternativ e was suggeste d sarcasticall y by play-
wright
Bertolt
Brecht (who was hounde d by U.S. secret police as a communis t and by East
German secret police, later, as not sufficientl y communist) . "If the
governmen t doesn' t trust the people," Brecht asked innocently , "why doesn't
it dissolv e them and elect a new people?" No way has yet been invented to
elect a new people , so the governmen t will instead spy on the existin g
people with increase d vigor.
Every secret police organizatio n is engage d in both the collec-
tion of information and the production of misinformation, euphe-
mistically called "disinformation. " That is, you score points in the secret
police game both by hoardin g signals (informatio n units)—hiding facts from
competitors—and by foisting false signals (fake informatio n units) on the
other players . This creates the situatio n I call Optimu m SNAFU , in which
every player has rationa l (not neurotic ) reason s for suspectin g that each
and all may be trying to deceiv e him, gull him, con him, dupe him and
generall y misinfor m him. As Henry Kissinge r is alleged to have said, anybod
y in Washingto n who isn't paranoi d must be crazy.
Maybe the UFOs really exist objectively—o r maybe the whole UFO phenomeno n is
a cover for a secret police disinfor -
mation ploy.
Maybe there are Black Holes where space and time implode—o r maybe Black Holes
were invente d to befuddl e
Russian scientist s and send them into "little man who wasn't there" semantic
spookery .
Maybe Jimmy Carter really exists—o r maybe he is, as
National Lampoon once claimed , an actor named
Sidney Goldfar b traine d to projec t an attractiv e down-hom e
"image. " Perhap s only thre e alph a male s at the top of the
Nationa l Securit y pyrami d really know the answer s to these questions—o r
perhaps these three are being deceived by certain subordinates , as Lyndo n
Johnso n was deceive d about Vietna m by the
CIA.
Such is the neuro-sociologica l "logic" of a Disinformatio n
Matrix. It is, as Paul Watzlawi k has demonstrated , the logic of
schizophrenia .
Less than ten years after the secret police game was estab-
lished here by the Nationa l Security Act of 1948, the books of
Dr. Wilhel m Reich were burned in a New York incinerato r by governmen t
order. This was a shockin g sight to some of us, who

248 Prometheus Rising remembere d that we had recentl y fough t a long war
agains t Nazi
German y for, among other things, their crime "agains t civiliza -
tion" of burning books. Shortly thereafter , Dr. William Ivy, former head of a
departmen t at Chicag o Medica l School , was subjected to ten years of legal
harassment for espousing a radical cancer cure. More recently, Dr. Timothy
Leary was sentenced to

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38 years imprisonmen t for espousin g controversia l ideas about
neurotransmitte r chemical s and reimprintin g the nervou s system .
Now there is a war on agains t holisti c physicians .
It does not matter whether any or all of these "heretics" were right or wrong
. Scientifi c truth is only determine d after a genera -
tion or more of research ; it is not determine d by throwin g the dissenter s
in prison or burnin g their books . The point is that the secret police game
immediatel y creates the social context for a return to the mechanism s of the
Holy Inquisition .
The intelligenc e of the whol e society—th e communicatio n networks through
which informatio n is received, decoded and transmitted—i s the first casualty
.
"I feel great and I send fraterna l greeting s to Dr. Andre i
Sakharo v in Russia, " said Dr. Leary on emergin g from prison , registerin g
the fact that the mechanism s of the polic e state are the same everywhere ,
as are the myths that protec t them. "Good
Russians " believe d Dr. Sakharo v was a half-craze d alcoholic , just as
"Good Americans" believed Dr. Leary was a half-crazed dope-fiend .
I once propose d in a magazin e article that the UFO is caused by some unusua
l electromagneti c or gravitationa l field fluctua -
tion; and that this geophysica l anomal y create s (a) real energ y
disturbances—jumpin g furniture , electrica l failures , ball-light -
ning makin g odd lights in the sky, etc. and (b) disturbanc e in the brain
functionin g of animals and humans in the afflicted area, causin g the
well-documente d anima l panic s and the rather obvi-
ous huma n hallucination s occurrin g in such areas .
Statistica l suppor t for this theor y will be foun d in Persinge r and
Lafrenier e who have run computer-analyse s of commo n patterns in 1,242 UFO
cases and
4,818
other "abnormal " reports
—"poltergeists, "
"teleportations, "
"miracles" and "mysteries" of all sorts. This data demonstrates that both UFOs
and other energ y anomalie s tend to cluste r along earthquak e fault s with

Prometheus Rising 249
some peakin g befor e earthquakes . Persinge r and Lafrenier e also sugges t
that the geophysica l force s at work create both real odditie s (jumpin g
furniture , etc.) and hallucinations , so that it is a job of nice and
exquisit e discriminatio n to attemp t to find out what was reall y goin g on.
It has also been proposed , by the learne d Dr. Jacque s Vallee , astronomer ,
cyberneticis t and physicist , that the UFO phenome -
non is being created by a secret police agency as an elaborat e
"cover" for a comple x disinformatio n system.
A combine d
Wilson-Persinger-Lafreniere-Valle e theory , probabl y fittin g more of the
data than the separat e theories , would sugges t that the UFO phenomeno n is
the synergeti c prod-
uct of some geophysica l oddity which create d weird energ y fluc-
tuation s and brain-chang e experience s in human s on the scene , and is bein
g manipulate d after the fact by one or more
"intelligence " agencies , or by group s even more esoteric .
Conside r this scenario :
Somethin g weir d happens . Assum e that it is the geophysica l abnormalit y
and brain-chang e traum a we posit, but grant also that it migh t be the alien
spaceshi p belove d by folk-myth . The followin g event s are equall y likely
, whateve r the weirdit y "reall y was."
As soon as the witnesses start talking, All Interested Parties converg e on

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the area. Intelligenc e Agen t Moe come s to conceal evidenc e that it migh t
have been a spaceship—tha t is the policy of his agency , for their own
reasons . Intelligenc e Agen t Joe also arrives to plant evidenc e that it was
a spaceship—tha t is the policy of his agency , since they are doing just what
Dr. Valle e suspects . (The Britis h Doubl e Cross Bureau , in Worl d War II,
engage d in equall y comple x and absurdis t dramas , seemingl y totally
unrelate d to their actua l work , but servin g as disinforma -
tion screen s for that work. ) Phili p
Klas s and other Skeptic s arrive, too, trying to reduc e everything to
"hallucination, " even if eyes are burned , cars wrecked , etc. The Space
Freaks, who may or may not be infiltrate d by associate s of Intelligenc e
Agen t Joe, are soon there , too, to get the facts to fit their Benig n Spac e
Brother s reality-tunnel . Variou s occultist s are there , too, to fit it all
into their own mytho s of angelology , demonology , etc.

250
Prometheus Rising
What we are saying is that every conspirac y regard s itself as an affinity
group—men and women who share the same goals and work togethe r well. When you
and I do it, it is just an affin-
ity group. When that gang over there does it, it is a damnable conspiracy .
True conspirac y does exist when a group conceals evidence , spreads deliberat
e misinformatio n and coerces or terrorize s wit-
nesses. Any affinit y group approache s such behavio r to the extent that
member s reinforc e each other's participatio n in the group reality-tunnel ,
especiall y concernin g such crucial episte-
mologica l matters as what is importan t enough to notice and discuss as
against what is trivial and better ignored . How coer-
cive do we have to be to intimidate witnesses? Most people, as our Snaf u
Principl e explains , are easil y led to reportin g wha t an
Authority Figure wants to hear.
But let us conside r the UFO syndrom e further , as illustratin g the whole
spectru m of brain-change , and brain-programming .
UFO contactee s frequentl y show positiv e neurosomatic turn on, the bliss-ou
t experience ; some even become faith-healer s or leader s of occultis t
groups . Other s show negativ e neurosomati c effects—ligh t is unbearable ,
'as in schizophrenia , anxiet y attack s may require hospitalization , etc.
Meta-programming consciousnes s (the ability to choose between alternative
reality-tunnels) is also reported, in crude metaphor s about "parallel
universes, " "other realities, " occultish jargon.
Neurogenetic
(Jungia n "collectiv e unconscious" ) vision s are common, ranging from
demons, hairy dwarfs etc. to the Space
Goddess or Lady of the Stars of ancient and Catholic iconog-
raphy.
Even meta-physiologica l
(quantum-level ) experienc e is reporte d in the UFO literature , rangin g
from trans-tim e trips and
"out-of-bod y experiences " to seeming, or alleged, teleportations .
It must be emphasize d most strongl y that both positiv e and negative visions
on all these circuits are commo n in UFOlogy . It seems that if the Programmer
s mean us well, they are acciden -
tally doing ill to many: and if they mean us ill, as Dr. Vallee thinks , they
are accidentall y doing well to some of us. But this is true of all
brain-chang e technology .

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251

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It seems that Vallee's monistic conspiracy theory is inade-
quate, as monistic conspirac y theories are inadequat e in politics.
It is more likely that the
UFO
experience , like the other brain-
change experience s we have studied, are sometime s spontaneou s and sometime
s programmed ; and that there are rival gangs of programmers with radically
different goals in mind for humanity.
When Dr. Leary and I first publishe d a neurologica l analysi s of the Patty
Hearst case in
OUI
magazine, the editors introduced it with a dramatic headline :
The figh t for Patt y
Hearst' s min d is the overtur e to a world -
wide battle for the control of consciousness .
Not quite. The Hearst case would more appropriatel y be con-
sidered a bar near the end of the second movemen t of the Mind
War symphony . The first movement was the primitiv e neuro-
science of ancient and medieval tyrants who acquired a great deal of pragmati
c know-ho w about the effects of isolation , terror and intimidation ; and of
shamans and occultist s who learned how neuro-chemical s can alter perceive d
reality-tunnels . The second movement began with moder n psychology , with
Freud, Pavlov , Jung, Skinne r etc., climaxin g with the LSD revolutio n and
the discover y by million s that reality-tunnel s could be radicall y
mutated—temporaril y and sometime s permanently—b y neuro -
chemistry .
The third movement is the growingl y obviou s warfare between those who would
program all of us, and those of us who wish to become our own Metaprogrammers
.
EXERCIZE S
1.
Start collectin g evidenc e that your phon e is bugged .
2. Everybod y gets a lette r occasionall y that is slightl y dam -
aged. Assum e that somebod y is openin g your mail and clumsil y resealin g
it.
3. Look around for evidenc e that your co-worker s or neigh-
bors think you're a bit queer and are planning to have you committe d to a
menta l hospital .
4. Try living a whole week with the program , "Everybod y likes me and tries
to help me achiev e all of my goals. "

252
Prometheus Rising
5. Try living a whole month with the program , "I have chose n to be aware of
this particular reality."
6. Try living a day with the progra m "I am God playin g at being a human
being. I created every reality I notice." Assume that "GOD" is the answer to
Da Free
John's question , "Who is the one who is living you now?"
7. Try livin g foreve r with the metaprogram , "Everythin g works out more
perfectl y than I plan it."

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
QUANTUM EVOLUTION
Wha t is man ? A bridg e betwee n the ape and the Superman— a bridg e ove r an
abyss .
— F.W. Nietzsche , Thus Spake

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Zarathustra
253

Another perspectiv e on domesticate d primate evolutio n is pro-
vided by Alvi n
Toffler' s
The Third Wave.
For convenience
Toffle r reduce s the muddl e of huma n histor y into a model of three waves.
It would be more accurate to refer to these "waves" as quantum jumps in
energy-coherenc e level.
The First Wave, Toffler says, took millennia to occur, but it finall y
transforme d the large r part of humanit y from the triba l stage (simple
hunting-gathering primates) to the stage of large-
scale agricultural-feuda l civilizations .
The Second Wave came much faster and, in a few centuries, transforme d almos t
all of humanit y from feudal-agricultura l cottage econom y to
industrial-urban-marke t economy .
The Third Wave , Toffle r says, continue s the trend towar d acceleratio n and
will happe n in only a few decades.
We call it
"the informatio n explosion, " "the post industria l economy, " etc.
Each wave is faster , by a factor of 10, than the previou s wave .
And each wave is more total in that it changes more people, changes them more
completely , and in the process transform s our concept of human nature and
human society.
Each wave that Toffle r describe s can be considere d a new quantum state,
with energy levels and reality-dimension s lacking in the previou s state and
totall y unpredictabl e from the previou s state.
The First Wave mutate d tribal men and wome n into serfs (or into Lords and
Ladies). It created a whole new social manifold that is so subtle and pervasiv
e that anthropologist s and sociolo-
gists can spend years studying its invisible aspects. And yet this
transformatio n is so enormou s that it is also visibl e to the most untraine
d eyes: you can't confus e a tribal huma n with a feuda l huma n anymor e than
you can confus e a dog with a donkey .
So, too, the Secon d Wave create d what Toffle r wittil y calls
"indust-reality, "
manifestin g as industria l men and wome n who are visibly , tangibly , as
differen t from feuda l or triba l human s as dolphins are from rose bushes or
armadillos.
The Third Wave , which began when Shanno n and Wiene r defined information and
Von Neuman n designe d the first pro-
grammabl e computer , is well under way already . Home comput -
ers became as common as TV sets by the mid-1980s. Now the
Net—computer s
"talkin g to"
computers—i s doublin g every four months. This transformation , again, will
be total:
it will create a
255

256 Prometheus Rising whole new "man," a new "woman," a new "child," a new
"self,"
new "society," a new concept of "work" and "energy" and

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"reality," etc.
The average Man or Woman of 1997 will be as obsolete in
2007 as the medieval serf is now.
What we conside r normal jobs, normal social roles; normal "humanity" will be
as archaic as a horde of alchemists , smithies , Town Criers, courtier s and
barber-
surgeons arriving in our midst today.
Of course, Toffle r does not claim that the computer is the whole of the Third
Wave, but merely that it is the synecdoch e or paradigm of what is happening.
In this sense, the factory was the synecdoche of the Second Wave. It was not
merely the agent by which
"indust-reality"
spread across the world and multiplied our collective wealth (and illth);
it also became the model for everything else. Our schools are mini-factories
or models of factories because their main job was, when they were founded, to
prepare people for factory work. The schools, in fact, were necessary because,
while feudalism does not require literacy of the masses, industrialis m does.
Similarly , offices were modeled on factories, and kept factory-hours , even
when this had little or nothin g to do with how ,.the office s could most
efficientl y be managed. And in general, "indust-reality, " the reality of the
industrial age, moved everybod y into the robot lockstep of the factory
system.
l
"Indust-reality " is still so pervasiv e that it is, as McLuha n noted, mostly
invisible. For instance, the feudal age never progressed beyond chamber
music—trios, quartets etc. The modern symphony , with its huge orchestra , its
Promethea n themes, its god-like conductor ("capitalist"), its concert-master
(foreman) , its string section movin g in harmon y with its brass section,
etc. is a beautifu l artistic expressio n of modes of mass
A free-lanc e write r can obviousl y work any hours , but the very successfu l
(and very excellent ) John D.
MacDonal d said in a recent interview that he always writes from nine to five,
because it seems
"natural " to him. The factor y time-cloc k has gotten into Mac-
Donald' s neurons . The presen t author , after 20 years in factory-lik e
offices works any hours of the day or night when "the spirit" moves him, but
never starts at nine or stops at five, to avoid relapsin g into the habits of
his past.

Prometheus Rising
25 7
human organization appearing usually in less beautiful forms in the factory
assembly-line . (The factory also demande d cities—
massive concentration s of labor in one place—whic h made the symphon y
economicall y possible . The aristocra t could not afford , and/or could not
conceive , keepin g more than the very few musicians necessary for chamber
music.)
Beethoven' s "cosmic optimism " not only expresses the Age of Reason out of
which indust-realit y emerged ; the very orchestra s he wrote for were
paradigm s of industria l styles of organization .
Of course, industrialism (the Second Wave) produced much illth along with its
new wealth ; and most of the wealt h was ex-
tor appropriate d by a minority. However much this may pain socialists, it was
inevitabl e in a domesticate d primate species. A
few alpha males can always see their own advantag e more clearly than the
majority can see their collective interest.
Nonetheless , as indust-realit y has spread , socialis m has followe d in its
wake. Whethe r the reader likes this or not (and the author , being up-fron t
about his prejudices , admits that he does not like it), this also is

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inevitable . When huge wealth is palpably being created in vaster accumulation
s than ever before in history , there is sure to be increase d grumblin g
against the alpha males , and more attempt s to seize what they have selfishl
y ap- (or expropriated .
Even among baboons this pattern has been observed : the alpha male who is too
obnoxiou s gets beaten up by a coalitio n of younge r males and thrown out of
the pack to forage alone.
Neither capitalis t indust-realit y nor socialis t indust-realit y have been
able to give humanit y what most of us really want:
liberty and justice , freedo m and the abolitio n of poverty , contin -
ued growth and continue d security . In lookin g at capitalis m vs.
socialism , we are alway s confronte d with a dilemma , not a choice.
The Third Wave can, and will, transcend this problem within industrialism.
The Third Wave will be neithe r capitalis t nor socialist , nor some milkwate
r blend of the two. It will deman d a whole new economy , just as feudalis m
create d an econom y unknow n to tribal humanit y and industrialis m create d
the two competing economie s of capitalism and socialism , both

Prometheus Rising unguesse d and unpredictabl e from the perspectiv e of the
feudal stage.
In
1977, Dr.
Ilya
Prigogin e won the Nobe l prize in physica l chemistry .
Perhaps he should have won a Nobel prize for intelligen t optimism .
Dr. Prigogine work deals with the processe s we have been
's discussin g
—
the emergenc e of negativ e entrop y (coheren t order)
out of stochasti c processe s —
but he has taken a giant leap beyond the pioneerin g insight s of Schrodinger
, Weiner , Shanno n and
Bateson.
Any organize d system , accordin g to Prigogine , exists in dynamic tension
between entropy and negentropy , between chaos and information . The more
comple x the system , the greater is its instability.
Prigogine demonstrate d this mathemati-
cally, but in everyda y terms , what he mean s is that, for instance , it is
easier to lead two children through a department store than twenty children .
Or: A toothpic k "house " of 101 pieces is less stable than a smaller
toothpick
"house" of
10
pieces.
Instabilit y is not alway s bad: in fact, it is absolutel y necessar y for
evolutio n to occur . Inse'c t societie s are highl y stabl e and have not
evolve d at all in severa l millio n years . Huma n societie s are highl y
unstabl e and are in continuou s evolution .
Prigogin e demonstrate s the evolutionar y value of instabilit y by his concep
t of the
"
dissipative structure.
"
A dissipative structure is highly complex and therefore highly unstable.
The more complex it is, the more unstable it is, mathe-
matically, certain/v;
and the more unstable, the more likely it is to change
—
to evolve.

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All dissipative structures are teetering, perpetually, between
self-destruction and re-organization on a highe r leve l of infor -
mation (coherence) .
If that sound s grim , it isn't really . Prigogine' s mat h is highl y
optimistic , He show s that the more comple x structure s
—
such as our world-roun d huma n societ y today , midwa y betwee n Secon d
Wave indust-realit y and the emergin g Third
Wave — are mathe-
maticall y more likely , much more likely, to "dissipate " into higher
coherence than into self-destruction .

Prometheus Rising
25 9
In other words, in the intellectua l conflic t betwee n Utopian s and
Dystopians , the mathematica l odds actually are on the side of Utopians . Our
human world is so information-ric h (coherent )
that it is almost certain to "collapse " into even higher coherence , not into
chaos and self-destruction .
Prigogine is the mathematica l demonstratio n of
McLuhan's intuitio n that many seemin g symptom s of breakdown are actuall y
harbinger s of breakthrough.
A note to confirme d pessimists :
Prigogine's analysis is based on probability-theor y and, hence, is not
certain.
Thus, if you have found these lyrical pages unduly alarming , take comfor t in
the though t that, althoug h huma n succes s is highl y probable , there is
still a small chance that we can blow ourselve s up or that your favorit e
apocalypti c scenario s migh t still occur , despit e the general trend toward
higher coherenc e and higher intelligence .
Meanwhile , of course , even if humanit y seems condemne d to overal l success
, you can still mess up your persona l life. Nothin g in this book is an
attemp t to preven t the really resolut e misery -
addict s from continuin g their pursui t of frustratio n and failure .
The latest cosmologica l evidenc e indicate s that our sun and its planets,
includin g Earth, condense d out of a cloud of galactic dust and gas abou t
five or six billio n years ago.
It appear s that the first form s of unicellula r life—th e first dawning s of
Circuit I bio-surviva l
"consciousness"—appeare d about 3.4 billion years ago.
Vertebrate s began to appear—wit h Circuit II emotional-terri -
torial consciousness—abou t
0.5 billion years ago (500 millio n years ago) .
The emergenc e of Circuit III human intelligence—languag e and
"thought"—seems to have begun about 100,000 years ago.
The fully huma n domesticate d primate , Hom o Sapiens , with
Circuit IV "moral" consciousnes s may be about 30 thousan d years old, or even
more recent. Circuit s V-VIII have appeare d within historica l times.
All of these figure s are subjec t to revisio n as scienc e ad-
vances , but the roug h proportion s betwee n them are not likel y to be
change d much, and these proportions are staggering .
As has ofte n bee n pointe d out , if we condens e thi s evolution -
ary scenari o into a 24-hou r day, beginnin g at midnight , life itself

26o
Prometheus Rising does not appear until a little before noon, and all of human
history (from the grunting , club-wieldin g ape men of Africa to
Neil

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Armstron g setting foot on the moon) occurs in the last half of the last
second before midnight strikes again and the day ends.
This model is misleading in that it assumes the present is an
"end," which is highly unlikely. Even without Space Migration, the life span
of earth's biosphere is expected to be somewhere between 10 and 15 billion
years more, before the Sun ceases to support life here. Taking the Sun's
expected life span of about 20
billion years as our model to be mapped onto a single day, we find that it's
now around eight in the morning. Life has been mostly unconsciou s until
now—operatin g on auto-pilot, as it were—but in the last million years (the
last few seconds on this model) signs of consciousnes s and Awakening are
beginning to appear.
"The universe is so constructed as to be able to see itself,"
Spencer Brown once noted. The emergence of the neurosomatic, neurogenetic and
meta-programming circuits is the universe's way of "seeing itself ever more
clearly and totally, to decide where it is going.
Dr. Isaac Asimov notes
1
in his
Genetic Code that there seems to be a 60-year cycle between the first
understandin g of a new scientific principle and the transformation of the
world by that principle.
For instance, Oersted discovered electromagnetic equiva-
lence—the fact that electricity can be converted to magnetism, and magnetism
to electricity—in
1820.
Sixty years later, in 1880, electrical generators were in wide use and the
Industrial Revolu-
tion had peaked; the telegraph and telephone were already invented, and our
age of Mass Communicatio n was dawning.
Similarly, in 1883, Thomas Edison first noted the so-called
"Edison effect"—the key to electronic, as distinct from electri-
cal, engineering. 60 years later, in 1943, electronic technology was appearing
everywhere; its primitive form in the entertain-
ment sphere, radio, had enjoyed a 20-year triumph and was about to be phased
out by television.
In 1896 , Becquere l note d the radioactivit y of uranium . Sixt y years
later, two cities had been destroyed by atomic bombs and

Prometheus Rising 261
nuclear plants were beginning to be built. (This was a contribu-
tion to illth, not wealth. )
In 1903, the Wright Brother s got their monoplan e off the ground for a few
minutes. Sixty years later, in 1963, jetliners carrying over 100 passengers
were normal.
Assuming, gambling, guesstimating that this 60-year cycle is normal, we can
predict:
Shannon and Weiner created the mathematica l foundation s of cybernetic s in
1948. Sixty years later, in 2008, cybernetizatio n of the world, as complete
as the electrificatio n of the 19th Century, will have jumped us to a new
energy-level, a new social reality, as
Toffle r predicts.
Hoffman discovere d LSD and the chemica l control of con-
sciousness in 1943. Sixty years later, in 2003, every alteration in
consciousnes s imaginabl e will be possibl e by ingestin g the proper
chemicals.
McKay had the first succes s in expandin g life-spa n of labora -
tory rats in 1938. Sixty years later, in 1998, longevit y pills may be
routinely available in all drugstores .

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DNA was identified in 1944. Sixty years later, in 2004, every type of genetic
engineering should be as routine as electronic engineering is today.
The latest attempt to estimate the rate of informatio n accelera-
tion—the manifestatio n of coherence—wa s made by French economist Georges
Anderla for the Organizatio n for Economic
Cooperation and Developmen t (OECD) in 1973.
Anderl a arbitraril y assume d that all the bits of informatio n possesse d by
humanit y at the beginnin g of the Christia n Era
(1 AD) could be considere d his unit of measurement . He made that informatio
n pool one unit in our fund of knowledge .
It took until
1500
AD, Anderl a discovered , for the accumula -
tion of bits of informatio n to add up to two units in our "fund. "
It required only 250 years more (to 1750) for our bank of knowledg e to doubl
e again , to fou r units .
The next doubling took
150
years and by 1900 humanity had
8 units in its informatio n capital account .
The nex t doublin g took only 50 year s and by 195 0 we had 16
units.

262
Prometheus Rising
The next doublin g took only 10 years and by 1960 we had 32
units .
The next doublin g took seve n year s and by 1967 we had 64
units. (Thi s was coincidentall y the heigh t of the first
Yout h
Revolution , whe n realit y map s bega n breakin g dow n everywher e on the
plane t and wild new map s were hurtlin g at us from all directions. )
In the next six year perio d
(1967-1973) , our intellectua l bank accoun t agai n doubled , to 128 units .
At this point , Anderl a com -
pleted his study.
Dr.
Alvi n
Silverstei n has estimate d that , if
Anderla' s grap h is projecte d ahea d sevent y year s huma n knowledg e shoul
d increas e a million/old.
That is, we should have 128,000,00 0 times more knowledg e than we had in the
year of Jesus ' birth .

Prometheus Rising 263
Longevit y drugs will probabl y arriv e in time for you to live throug h the
bigges t evolutionar y quantu m jump of all.
It is only reasonabl e to assum e that the highe r circuit s of the nervou s
system—neurosomati c holisti c awareness , neurogeneti c evolutionar y vision
, meta-programmin g flexibility—ar e develop -
ing to allow us to cope with this delug e of highe r informatio n and potentia
l highe r coherence .
Toffler' s Thir d Wav e is only the sociologica l aspec t of a mutatio n that
is also biologica l and "spiritual. "
We are goin g to live a lot longe r than we have expected , and we are going
to get a lot smarter .
A whol e new realit y will emerg e from those mutations .
EXERCIZES

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1.
Mak e a list of ten area s in whic h your thinking-feelin g is conservative .
Gues s how soon the worl d will chang e so totall y that those ideas will seem
not merely conservativ e but irrelevant
(as the theologica l debate s of 300 AD now seem irrelevant) .
2. Mak e a list of ten area s in whic h you r conceptualizin g is radical .
Gues s how soon the worl d will chang e so totall y that you will seem
conservativ e in those areas.
3. Accep t the longevit y hypothesis . Imagin e you are going to live at least
300 years . How muc h of that time do you wan t to spend loafing ? How man y
differen t jobs woul d you like to wor k at? How many sports , arts or science
s you neve r had time for, would you then find the time to enjoy?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE NON-LOCAL
QUANTUM CIRCUIT
The ways of the Creato r are not our ways , Mr. Deas y said. All histor y move
s towar d one grea t goal , the manifestatio n of God .
— Jame s Joyce , Ulysses
265

A domesticated primate philosopher on an oxygen-supporte d carbon based planet
circling a Type G
star—namely , the present author—wa s once asked, "How do we think?"
"Well, we have a built-i n bio-surviva l circui t which distin -
guishe s nourishment-givin g Thing s from predator y
Things..."
"Bu t can tha t circui t do all our thinking? "
"Well , no, but then there' s an emotional-territoria l circuit... "
"But, but, but—"
"It's circuits-circuits-circuit s all the way," I said.
What the Thinker thinks, the
Prover proves.
We have made a beautifu l (we hope beautiful ) model of consciousnes s in
terms of brain hardwar e and software . Now we need to remembe r again that,
while the brain can be modele d by a computer , the model is never the whole
system . The model -
maker or metaprogramme r is bigger than the model or program .
In what are called "out of body experiences " (OOBEs ) by parapsychologists ,
awarenes s seems to escape the confines of the nervou s syste m entirely .
Such experience s are routinel y triggere d by advance d yoga practice, and
they also occur spontaneousl y during what is called
"near-death" or "clinical death" in which the patient appears to die, by all
medical standards , but is revived by modern resuscita -
tion techniques .
OOBEs also occur with heavy does of LSD and with keta-
mine, an anestheti c with strang e psychedeli c side-effects . They are also
reported in shamani c tradition s all over the world and by many "occultists "
in our own society.
Example : One day in 1973 , durin g a neuro-programmin g experiment , I "saw"
somethin g happenin g to my son at exactl y that time in Arizona , over 500
miles away.

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We can proces s this datum in variou s ways . We can say that my "astral body"
actually traveled to Arizona ; this is the occultis t theory. We can more
conservativel y say that I develope d extra-
sensory perceptio n and "saw" Arizona without "going" there;
there are many parapsychologist s who prefer this third-circui t map of the
Sth-Circui t experience . We can try to aver that I only
"happened " to think of that scene whil e it was happening , by synchronicity;
this is the Jungia n approach . Or we can sweep it under the carpet by
muttering "mere coincidence " or "sheer coincidence;"
which is the traditiona l Rationalis t approach .
267

268 Prometheus Rising
We prefe r to say, in accor d with earlie r writing s of Timoth y
Leary and the presen t autho r and the speculation s of the
Physics /
Consciousnes s Researc h Group in San Francisc o that such cases illustrat e a
specia l workin g of wha t is calle d in quantu m mechan -
ics Bell's Theorem.
Bell's Theore m is highl y technical , but in ordinar y languag e it amounts
to something like this: There are no isolated systems:
every particl e in the univers e is in "instantaneous "
(faster-than -
light) communication with every other particle. The Whole
System, even the parts that are separate d by cosmi c distances , function s
as a
Whole
System .
Now , suc h faster-than-ligh t communicatio n seem s to be forbidde n by
Specia l Relativity , which makes a problem . Bell's
Theorem , however , is inescapable : a theore m in physic s is not a mere
"theory"; it is a mathematica l demonstratio n which must be true, if the
mathematic s contain s no flaw , and if the experiment s on which it is based
are replicable . Bell's Theore m contain s no mathematica l flaw , and the
experiment s are replicabl e and have been replicate d several times.
And yet we canno t dispens e with Specia l Relativit y either , because the
mathematic s there is equally flawles s and the exper-
iment s are legio n that confir m it.
Two solution s have been propose d and both assum e that the
"communication " involve d in Bellia n transmission s does not involv e
energy, sinc e it is energ y that canno t mov e faste r than light. Dr. Edwar
d Harri s Walke r suggest s that what does move faster than light , and hold s
the Whol e Syste m together , is "con-
sciousness. " We may eventuall y be forced to accept this, in which case
physic s will have justifie d pantheis m or at least pan-
psychism . The other alternative , propose d by Dr. Jack
Sarfatti , is that the mediu m of Bellia n transmission s is information.
Pure information , in the mathematica l sense, does not require energy ; it is
that whic h order s energy . It is the negativ e of entropy, that which brings
disorder to energy systems .
Dr. Sarfatt i explain s his theor y as follows :
Imagin e that you r brai n is a computer , as moder n neurolog y suggests .
Now imagin e that the whol e univers e is a big com -
puter, a mega-computer, as John Lilly has proposed. Then imagin e that the
sub-quantu m realm , the real m of wha t Dr.

Prometheus Rising 269
David Bohm calls

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'hidde n variables ' is made up of mini-mini-
computers.
Now, the hardware of each
'computer'—th e uni-
verse, your brain, the sub-quantu m mechanisms—i s localized .
Each part of it is somewher e in spacetime , here not there, now not then.
But the software—th e information—i s non-local . It is here, there and
everywhere; now, then and everywhen.
The highes t varietie s of shamani c and yogic consciousnes s seem to begin
from dilation beyond the immediat e ("out-of -
body-experience" ) and dilate , rapidl y and dizzily , muc h further , to
union with the smallest and the largest—th e "Cosmic Mind"
in short. This seems to be what would necessaril y happen if the brain turned
on to the non-loca l informatio n system propose d by
Sarfatti and implicit in Bell's Theorem.
The meta-physiologica l circuit , then, is this cosmic Informa -
tion System. The synchronicitie s of circuits V to VII are just the dawnin g
notes of the symphon y of all inter-relate d harmonie s revealed to those who
have experience d Circuit VIII in action. It is hard to avoid hyperbol e when
talkin g of such matters , but everythin g one can associat e with the idea of
Onenes s With
God—or
Oneness with
"Everything"—is part of what is experi-
enced in the vistas, beyond space-time, of this meta-physiologi-
cal circuit.
Mystics stammer , gibber and rave incoherentl y in trying to discuss this.
Beethove n says it for all of them, withou t words , in the fourt h movemen t
of the Nint h Symphony . The word s of
Schiller' s "Ode to Joy," which Beethove n set to this virtuall y superhuma n
music, are a linear third-circui t map conveyin g only a skeleto n key to the
multi-leve l meaning s of the 8-circui t
"language " of the melodi c constructio n itself, which spans all consciousnes
s from primitiv e bio-surviva l to meta-physiologica l cosmic fusion .

2
JO
Prometheus Rising
THE WHOL E SYSTE M IS A WHOL E SYSTE M
THE METAPHYSIOLOGICA L CIRCUI T
Wheel s within wheel s within'wheels.. .
Dr. Sarfatti' s computer s withi n computer s withi n computers.. .
Consciousnes s or informatio n perceive d as coheren t Intelligenc e expandin
g to infinit y in all directions .

CHAPTE R
NINETEE N
PROMETHEU S RISIN G
We are extendin g ourselve s in Space and Time not because of cap-
italism or socialism but in spite o/them.
The
Right/Lef t
Capitalist/
Socialis t establishment s are psychologicall y unprepare d for our emerging
situation in Time and Space.
—
P.M.
Esfandiary , Upwingers

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271

Accordin g to Patanjali , there are seven "limbs " to yoga, or as we would say
seven steps or stages.
First is asana, which consists of holding a single posture
(usuall y sitting ) for prolonge d period s of time. This is an attempt , in
our terminology , to stabiliz e the bio-surviva l circui t by drownin g it in
monotony . You sit, and sit, and sit, and sit.
Eventually , an "interna l peace " is reached , whic h signifie s the
atrophying of all background levels of "unconscious" or unno-
ticed bio-surviva l anxiety .
In other schools , since asana is so monotonou s and slow-
working and because war (second-circui t mammalia n struggle s over territory
) so commo n among domesticate d primates , an alternativ e metho d of
stabilizin g the bio-surviva l circuit is used:
martia l arts. Akido , judo, karate etc. all emerge d from yoga-lik e mystic
schools , as bio-surviva l reprogrammers .
The second step in classical yoga, according to Patanjali, is pranayama.
We have already commente d on the efficienc y of this breathin g techniqu e in
quieting and mellowing-ou t second-
circuit emotional programs .
(It will alread y be seen that yoga, like brainwashing , begin s from the
botto m up, workin g on the more primitiv e and older circuit s first. )
The third step in yoga is dharana or mantra.
Dharana con-
sists of concentrating on a single image, such as a vividly imag-
ined red triangle, and ruthlessly pushing aside any other images,
verbalizations or impressions that cross the mind's screen. In practice, this
is beyond the powers of most students, so the majority of yoga teachers
substitute mantra, which is concentra-
tion (by repetition) on a single sentence, usually nonsensical, such as "Hare
Krishn a Hare Krishn a Krishn a Krishn a Hare
Hare" or
"Aum
Tat Sat Aum" or whatever.
Either practice, dharana or mantra, stops the third-circuit
"internal monologue, " if persiste d in for long enough periods each day.
The Wester n mystica l equivalen t is Cabala , the most compli -
cated "Jewis h joke" ever invented . Briefly , Cabala exhaust s the third,
semantic circuit by setting it to solve intractable numero-
logica l and verba l problems . The Far Easter n equivalen t is the
Zen
Koan, whic h serve s the same functio n in a less maniacall y systemati c way
than Cabala , e.g., "Wha t is the sound of one hand
273

2J4
Prometheus
Rising clapping? " Zen koans are alway s combine d with zazen
(sittin g
Zen), whic h combine s the first-circuit-clearin g asana with sec-
ond-circuit-mellowin g breath-countin g (a weaker pranayama).
When the studen t has acquire d sufficien t detachmen t from first-circui t
anxieties , second-circui t emotion s and third-circui t reality-maps, by way
of asana, pranayama and dharana or mantra, Patanjali recommends the practice

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of yama.
This includes , but is not limite d to, celibacy . The ultimat e of yama is to
lose all interes t in both the socia l and sexua l aspect s of the fourth
circuit ; to cease to care at all about family , tribal or soci-
etal matters . This is accomplishe d by self-denial , which is easier for
those skilled in asana, pranayama and dharana, but still requires intense
determination.
Some take a short-cu t at this point, discovere d after Patanjal i or not know
n to him, by havin g themselve s locked up in caves.
Such isolation , as indicate d earlier , helps vastly in bleachin g out all
four homini d circuits .
An alternative , for those not attracte d to either celibac y or becomin g
hermits , is
Tantra, invente d in norther n India aroun d the time of Patanjali . This
simpl y transmute s the fourt h circui t by ceremonial , physiologica l arid
"magick"
(self-hypnotic ) explo -
sion of the (prolonged ) sexua l act into fifth-circui t neurosomati c
rapture.
For those followin g the orthodo x path of Patanjali , the fifth circui t is
imprinte d by niyama, whic h signifie s "super-control " or
"no-control, " being the paradoxica l state of being spontaneous deliberately.
You canno t be taugh t niyama; you can only learn it by persona l experience
. We hypothesiz e that the bio-energie s have to discharg e somewhere , and
then when one has drive n them out of the first circuit by asana, out of the
second circuit by pranayama, out of the third circuit by dharana or mantra,
and out of the fourt h circui t by yama, they are drive n explosivel y upwar d
into fifth-circui t neurosomati c illumination .
The sixth step in yoga , accordin g to Patanjali , is dhyana, which means
"meditation " only in the roughes t way.
Dhyana means actuall y union with the objec t on the mind' s screen , i.e.,
realizatio n of the total meanin g of the propositio n that mind and its
contents are functionally identical, i.e., openin g the meta -
programmin g circuit . One can make dhyana on anything;
yogis

Prometheus Rising
275
talk of makin g dhyana on a tree or a dog, just as don Juan Matus , the Mexica
n shaman , talks of becomin g one with a coyote or a star in the book s of
Castaneda .
The sevent h step in yoga is
Samadhi, from sam, (union ;
cognate of Greek syn)
and
Adhis, the Lord (cognate , Hebrew
Adonai, Greek
Adonis).
Here Patanjal i and his successor s are in violen t dispute , some claimin g
there is only one
Samadhi, other s claimin g two or three or many . Sinc e this correspond s
with the openin g and imprintin g of the neurogeneti c circuit , we must opt
for the opinio n that there are many
Samadhi, dependin g on which or how many of the Godly archetype s of the
geneti c archive s are imprinted . Catholi c mystic s make
Samadhi on the
Virgin , Sufis on Allah , Aleiste r Crowle y on Pan, etc.; and, above all
this, the eighth circui t cosmi c informatio n networ k can also be imprinted
, makin g unio n not just with all sentien t being s and some emblemati c

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archetyp e of the DNA master program , but with the inorgani c univers e as
well . It was from this secon d orde r or meta-physiologica l
Samadh i that Gandh i said, "God is in the rock, too—
in the rock!"
and pantheist s of all sorts, in all tradi-
tions, emphaticall y agree with Canadia n psychiatrist , R.M.
Buck e who said after his own Eighth-Circui t Samadh i that the universe "is
not a dead machin e but a living presence. "
This plane t is, to put the matte r baldly , populate d and largel y
controlled by domesticate d primates who are not in all respects reasonabl e
men and women . Voltair e may have been exaggerat -
ing when he said that to understan d the mathematica l meanin g of infinity ,
conside r the exten t of huma n stupidity ; but the situatio n is almos t that
bad. Million s have been murdere d by stupid lead-
ers or stupid mobs, for stupid reasons , in every century ; and the bizarre
(accidentall y imprinted ) reality-tunnel s whic h make this possible continue
to rule us and robotize us.
Nor is stupidit y the exclusiv e possessio n of one group or another; you do
not need a "vocation " for it as you do for the priesthood . It seems to be a
contagiou s socio-semanti c distur -
bance whic h afflict s all of us at one time or another . Notoriou s example s
can be found in the lives of the great. As we have al-
ready mentione d an exact measuremen t of the extent of stupidit y amon g the
learne d is provide d by the fact that every scientifi c revolutio n takes one
generation . Elderly scientist s hardly ever

2j6
Prometheus Rising accept a new theory, howeve r good it is, and the revolutio
n is only completed when a second generation, free of the old im-
prints , with vulnerabl e neurons , imprint s the new reality-map .
But if science, the paradigm of rationality, is infested with enough stupidit
y to cause this genera l one-generatio n time-lag , what can we say of
politics, economics and religion? Time-lags of thousands of years seem to be
"normal" in these areas. Indeed, it was through contemplatio n of religious
history that Voltaire was led to his conclusio n that huma n stupidit y
approximate s to the infinite. The study of politics is hardly more inspiring.
Let us just summariz e the matter by saying that stupidit y has murdere d and
imprisoned more geniuses (and more ordinary people), burned more books,
slaughtere d more populations , and blocke d progress more effectively than
any other force in history.
It may be no exaggeratio n to say that stupidit y has kille d more people than
all the diseases known to medicine and psychiatry.
Intelligenc e is the capacit y to receive , decod e and transmi t informatio n
efficiently . Stupidity is blockage of this process at any point . Bigotry ,
ideologie s etc. block the abilit y to receive ;
robotic reality-tunnels block the ability to decode or integrate new signals ;
censorshi p blocks transmission .
If intelligence could be increased, obviously solutions could be foun d more
quickl y to the variou s Doomsda y scenario s threatening us.
If each scientis t workin g on the energy-resource s proble m could double or
triple his or her intelligence, work that would require 20 years might be done
in six.
If human stupidity in general decreased, there would be less oppositio n to
origina l thinkin g and new approache s to our old problems, less censorship
and less bigotry.
If stupidit y decreased , less mone y woul d be waste d on vast organized
imbecilities such as the Arms Race, and more would be availabl e for life
enhancin g projects .
There is nothing rationally desirable that cannot be achieved sooner if

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rationality itself increases.
This is virtuall y a tautology , but we must conside r the corollary :
Work to achieve Intelligence Intensification is work to achieve all our
other sane and worthwhile goals.

Prometheus Rising
277
Mauric e Nicholl , physician , psychiatrist , studen t of Jung , Gurdjief f
and Esoteri c Christianity , wrot e that "the only purpos e in work on
consciousnes s is to decreas e the amoun t of violenc e in the world." This is
Public Health Problem Numbe r One in the nuclea r age, the age of overkill .
We are not talkin g about mere increas e in linear IQ—third -
circui t semanti c cleverness . We are talkin g of also the kinds of
right-brai n intelligenc e that Nichol l acquire d from Jungia n neurogeneti c
researc h and
Gurdjieff' s meta-programmin g tech-
niques . We are talkin g of, say, Beethoven' s intelligence , whic h so
disturbe d Lenin , who could not bear to listen to the
Appas-
sionato
(Sonata 23) because it made him "want to weep and pat people on the head, and
we mustn' t pat them on the head, we must hit them on the head, hit them hard,
and make them obey."
More of Beethoven' s intelligenc e is needed , desperately , to create a signa
l that the curren t Lenin s canno t ignore , that will make them weep , and
stop hittin g heads .
We need more mentations, less munitions. The second-circuit mammalia n
politica l game s are a millio n years obsolete .
Dr. Natha n
Klin e has predicte d that soon we will have drug s to improve memory, drugs
to erase unpleasant memories, drugs to increas e or decreas e any emotion ,
drugs to prolon g or shorte n childhood , etc. It takes no great imaginatio n
to forese e that such chemical s will allow us greate r contro l over our
neura l tunnel -
realitie s than ever before . Obviously , peopl e will use and abuse these
potion s in man y ways , but the mos t intelligen t will use them in the most
intelligent way, namel y to increas e and intensif y their intelligence in
every direction possible on our spectrum of eight circuits . Chiefly , they
will use them to increas e neuro -
logica l freedom , to debu g and reprogra m obsolet e reality-maps , to
generall y expan d consciousnes s and sensitivit y to signal s and information
.
The potentia l for a neurologica l revolution—planetar y
Intelli -
gence
Intensification—shoul d be quite clear to anyon e who has even a sligh t
knowledg e of so primitiv e a psychedeli c as LSD .
One of the least know n facts abou t the LSD researc h in the
1960s was that the longes t singl e researc h projec t with LSD , at
Spring Grove Hospital , Maryland , showed an average 10%
increas e in linear IQ alone as well as the meta-programmin g

2j8
Prometheus Rising vista s and neurogeneti c awakening s popularize d by the
outla w
LSD cultur e and its gurus .
And there is a direct feedbac k loop between neuro-pharma -
cology and other brain sciences. As William Burroughs says, "Anything that can

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be done chemically can be done by other means." Yoga plus bio-feedback
produces detachment from old imprint s quicke r than yoga alone ; hypnotis m
and mind-drug s produc e synergisticall y mor e than eithe r produce s withou
t the other; John Lilly has duplicate d LSD effect s in his isolatio n tanks;
etc.
It is commonplac e for alarmist s to warn us that the full armory of
synergistically interacting neurosciences now evolving will allow unscrupulou
s tyrant s to brainwas h us more totall y than ever before.
We need to realize that the same technology , wisely used by intelligen t men
and women , can free us from every form of neurotic and irrational rigidity,
to dial and focus our nervous systems as easily as we dial or focus our TV,
turning any channel or circuit off and on as we choose. This is what
meta-program -
ming (cybernetic ) consciousnes s means .
Why be depresse d when you can be happy , dum b when you can be smart ,
agitate d when you can be tranquil ? Obviously , most people are depressed,
dumb and agitated most of the time because they lack the tools to repair and
correct damaged, defec-
tive circuits in their nervous system. We are acquirin g the tools, and this
Intelligenc e Intensificatio n has the Pleasur e Principl e to fuel it. That
is, the more interna l freedo m you achieve , the more you want. It is more
fun to be happy than sad, more enjoyabl e to choose your emotion s than to
have them inflicted upon you by mechanical glandular processes, more
pleasurable to solve your problem s than to be stuc k with them forever .
In brief , Intelligenc e Intensificatio n mean s intelligence-study -
ing-intelligenc e
(I ), 2
and the first thin g discovere d by intelli -
gence-studying-intelligenc e (the brain studyin g the brain: meta-
programming) is that the more types of intelligence you have, the more fun it
is to try to develop even more subtle, sensitive, futiqu e level s of
awareness ; highe r intelligenc e still.
In summary , Intelligenc e Intensificatio n is desirable , becaus e there is
not a singl e proble m confrontin g humanit y that is not

Prometheus Rising
279
eithe r cause d or considerabl y worsene d by the prevailin g stupid -
ity (insensitivity ) of the species : badly wired robots bumpin g into and
maimin g and killin g eac h other .
Intelligenc e Intensificatio n is attainable , becaus e moder n advances in
neuroscienc e are showing us how to alter any imprinted , conditione d or
learned reflex that previousl y restricte d us.
Intelligenc e Intensificatio n is hedonic , becaus e the more free-
dom and consciousnes s you achieve , the mor e you want ; the less willing you
are to slip back to dumb, blind, mechanisti c circuits .
Intelligenc e Intensificatio n can accelerat e our progress toward abolitio n
of war and poverty ; find cures for cance r and schizo -
phrenia ; achiev e spac e migratio n an d lif e extensio n (givin g us space
enoug h and time enoug h to achiev e even more cosmi c level s of awareness) ;
or accomplis h any othe r worthwhil e goals .
Like death and poverty , stupidit y has been around so long that people cannot
imagin e human life withou t it, but it is rapidly becomin g obsolete . Howeve
r many special interest groups (intel-
ligence agencie s so-called , advertisers , tyrants , clergy, etc.) may profit
from stupidity , humanit y as a whol e will profi t more for its abolition .
Approximatel y 50% of the huma n rac e has not evolve d full y into the thir d
circui t yet . Tha t is, althoug h the y can exchang e primitiv e signal s and
handl e primitiv e artifacts , they are stil l mostl y operatin g on the

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mammalia n emotiona l circui t and the pre-mammalia n bio-surviva l circuit .
Newt Gingric h is their curren t leader in the United States.
Third-circui t type s canno t understan d this and regar d it as sinis -
ter, but it is simple mammalia n herd-behavior . Gingrich is the typica l
primat e leader ; the noise s he makes , whic h appea r meaningles s to the
third circui t Rationalist , are urgentl y mean -
ingfu l to the territorial-emotional-patrioti c mind s of the majorit y of
primates.
Anothe r 20 % ar e "responsible , intelligen t adults " wit h full y develope
d thir d an d fourt h circuits . The y spen d mos t of thei r time worrying,
becaus e the predominantl y primat e parameter s of huma n societ y see m
absurd , immora l and increasingl y dangerou s to them.

280 Prometheus Rising
Another 20% are neurosomatic adepts. Fourth-circuit Moral-
ists denounce them as "mystics," "space cases," "nuts," "the Me generation,"
"irresponsible hedonists," etc.
Most of the fifth-circui t adepts (aquaria n conspirators ) have learne d
Joyce' s arts of "silence , exile , cunning" : they are invisi -
ble. Other s have turne d their talent s to "faith-healing " or variou s occul
t gimmick s of that sort, and very carefull y do not tell thei r clients that
the local ideology, morality and reality-tunne l is what made them ill in the
first place. They give "good energy " and sensibly avoid conflict with the
moral ideologica l "authorities. "
Anothe r 5% have neurogeneti c consciousness , and functio n as
Evolutionar y
Agents—servant s of the Life Force, in Shaw' s terminology. Their "God" is Pan
(life), and their goal is immor-
tality.
Another
3%
have mastered the meta-programmin g circuit and make up what Gurdjief f called
"the Consciou s Circle of human -
ity." They are
Free Masons, in the origina l meanin g of that debased term: co-creator s of
future realities .
Only 2% are neuro-quantu m adepts and beyon d space-tim e categories entirely.
All these estimate s are approximations .
The newer circuit s (neurosomati c bliss, neurogeneti c
"Atman"
consciousness, meta-programming reality-games, non-local
"cosmic " awareness ) must have some function .
We can only assume they are preparing us for our new situa-
tion in space-time , after Spac e colonization , after longevit y and
immortality , after the Acceleratio n Facto r accelerate s even faster .
Engineer s rate an engine in revolutions-per-second .
Lookin g at huma n histor y in terms of this metapho r we clearl y see that:
In the Old Stone Age, the acceleration factor was just slowly beginnin g to
operate . We could estimat e change then in, perhaps , revolutions per 10,000
years.
With the neolithi c revolutio n and urbanizatio n soon after , the pace began
to pick up. We can speak from that point on in terms of
revolutions-per-millennium .
After Galileo , revolutions-per-centur y becam e the norma l rate of change.
In this centur y we have move d into revolutions-per-genera -
tion.

Prometheus Rising

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281
We are now obviousl y movin g into an acceleratio n of revolu-
tions-per-decade .
By the time the Consciousnes s Revolutio n peaks , the
Longevit y Pill is widel y available , clonin g is norma l and all the ideas
in the book, includin g the most wild and radical ones, seem quaint and
old-fashioned—i.e. , about
2005—we will probabl y be growin g accustome d to thinkin g in terms of
revolutions-per-year .
There is no reason to accept the tunnel-reality of this book as final. If you
reall y understan d the message , you will inven t a bigger and better Future
than I have suggested. As Barbara Marx
Hubbar d says:
THE FUTURE EXISTS
FIRST IN IMAGINATION, THEN IN WILL, THEN IN REALITY

APPENDIX
The neurogenetic script, cyclical aspect:
1.
The helples s infan t (Circui t I).
2. The walking-struggling-competin g child (Circui t II).
3.
The word-and-tool-usin g older child (Circuit III).
4.
Imprinting-conditionin g the sexual circui t (IV) into domesticate d
parenthood .
5. Reproductio n and..
.the cycle continues.. .
"...thei r weathering s and their marrying s and their burying s and their
natural selections...
— James Joyce, Finnegans
Wake
283

284 Prometheus Rising
The neurogeneti c script, upward-spiralin g aspect:
1.
Primitiv e organisms ; recapitulate d in infancy .
2. Vertebrat e struggle , recapitulate d in childhood .
3. Semantic-technologica l learning , recapitulate d in school .
4. Socio-sexua l domesticity .
5. Neurosomati c rapture , pre-capitulatin g zero-gravit y and Space
Migration.
6. Neurogenetic vision, pre-capitulating
Longevity-Immortality .
7.
Meta-programmin g skill, pre-capitulatin g Intelligenc e
Intensification .
8.
Meta-physiologica l cosmi c vision , pre-capitulating.. .
WHAT ?

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