by on

  1. The mystic/scholar Peter Kingsley suggests the pre-socratics were more akin to shaman-priests than proto-philosophers. With Parmenides as a paradigmatic example he suggests, the information received is from revelation through incubation (journeying) rather than rational contemplation. Plato is thus a misunderstanding of the situation, believing that Parmenides is engaged in anabasis, when in fact it is a catabasis. 
  1. We can consider (without ascribing superiority to one over the other) that there are (heuristically) vertical and horizontal dimensions to the esoteric realms. Horizontally the interaction is something more akin to magick, whereas vertically it can be considered more like mysticism. That is, the horizontal of these (to use my terminology) works in the pneuminous accretive structures/conceptual overlays themselves and the horizontal seeks to free ourselves from them. 
  1. Even though containing many practical aspects on how to live, Buddhism is concerned almost exclusively with vertical ascent. It eschews all the horizontal manifestations (visions, spirits, powers) as they appear, and insists one simply keep ascending.  
  1. Shamanism can be considered as a partial vertical ascent which then occupies sideshoots. In local situations, it may be that out of regional structures (trees, mountains, animals, lakes etc.), a pneuminous world is formed which then can be accessed as an autonomous ‘other world’ by the shaman. This in no way denigrates this world; it contains the potential to impart powerful magickal effects in the ‘real’ world: healing, injury, information. 
  1. Castaneda’s later suggestions would be that such worlds are real but endless in quantity and that there is a kind of structure/map to them which is accessible by the movement of the assemblage point. CC ultimately supplies a model that suggests high vertical ascent that liberates the organism in a similar way to Buddhism but retains conscious ability to move horizontally. 
  1. All religions, polytheistic or monotheistic, ultimately are still operating in the side shoots. The side shoots can be thought of pneuminous accretions or autonomous spiritual entities –no ontological differentiation between these is currently possible, though it is worth adding that even if they are autonomous beings, they will still end up with concepts projected upon them and thus still have a pneuminous accretive aspect. 
  1. Buddhism and other positions that similarly eschew the horizontal can appear to have a superiority to systems that work from the side shoots. However, this purity of ascent can only really be considered as different. Buddhist enlightenment is definitely something, and a particular thing too. The progression endlessly into the silence may be creating a superior interaction with the ineffable and it may be a superior way of exiting a putative karmic wheel. However, it is also possible (as stated above) that this activity is only moving in a different direction and not a functionally superior one. 
  1. The vertical ascent of Buddhism involves removing the conceptual/accretive as much as is possible with the notion of ‘seeing things as they are’. This is the notion of attempting to stop the world from speaking back to you the concepts that we have given it. Sunyata is one expression of this at a high level. Heidegger clearly is thinking of this when he links phenomenology to eastern practices. 
  1. All the systems practice silencing the mind chatter. As the mind is silenced, so various phenomena manifest. To engage with the other phenomena brings different practical results (horizontal engagement). The horizontal engagement systems can offer the frowned-upon material benefits but also communications with the Gods as to what should be done. 
  1. The issue of communication is difficult. Peter Kingsley intimates that we need to re-establish communication with the other world in order to receive how to move forward/re-establish society. The problem here is that one cannot necessarily trust the instructions that emit from this realm. If the denizens of these realms are simply a mish-mash of mytho-poetic accretive forces, then we cannot particularly trust that they will do more the mete out harsh rules and human sacrifice. On the other hand, if they are autonomous beings then equally, we have no guarantee they will guide us with wisdom (or that they will all guide us with wisdom). 
  1. Furthermore, since the communication with these realms can lead to regional cults, it is problematic as it reinforces human tendencies towards tribalism, which are not to be encouraged. 
  1. Consequently, the realm needs acknowledging but not necessarily utilising as a founding force for society. 
  1. Vertical ascent as a societal driver though, is also questionable insofar as it does seem to entail a certain annulment of humanity. This is reasonable in some sense and insofar as sufficient progress towards mass enlightenment is not possible, such a society might work towards vertical aims. However, if mass enlightenment is not possible then it seems likely that the temptations of the horizontal would re-emerge. If mass enlightenment were possible, this would certainly annul society in a regular sense, as it is not clear how such a set of beings would continue to procreate and would instead simply disappear into liberation.  
  1. Fairy land type phenomena are assuredly horizontal but equally related to a certain conceptual removal. Machen/Blackwood like disclosures of nature become much more apparent when one attempts to remove everyday interpretive layers imposed upon nature. One can easily imagine how deepened silent engagement with these landscapes would reveal occult manifestations. These may only be deep accretive layers, yet they would only be disclosed by certain layers being stripped away. 
  1. This issue bears on the concept of zones. Zones are somehow the Machen/Blackwood perception machine projected onto industrial dereliction. This is only achieved because (as the zonal theory suggests) the regular interpretation of them has been dislodged. The interesting feature of them is that they seem to be able to facilitate this shift almost by themselves. 
  2. The vector field (as described in the CEO) research is what facilitates these systems. Buddhism attempts to see the pure vector field, the side shoots use the silence of the vector field to facilate entry into pneuminous realms.
  3. Possibly Zones appear due to the fact that before they become Zones, they indicate industrial noise/the restless life of capital. When empty, the silence is more profound; this triggers (hypothetically) an automatic mini-silence in the processing of the region. This mini-silence allows the weird-perception (Machen-Machine) to plug in, rendering the perception of it akin to the perception of the twisted hawthorn, not as an example of the rosaceae but rather as a fairy abode.