> This is Manipulation 101 Lesson 20--a continuation of the series on
> combining rationality with irrationality.
The tone of this lesson is much more straight-forward than the last, my
compliments.
> Julian Jaynes made a discovery that before 3000 years ago, people
> had a different mentality that we do today. Based on writings,
> archaeological evidence, and more, Jaynes found that 3000 years ago,
> human beings made an evolutionary leap from having an unconscious
> mentality to a conscious mentality, which he claims was due to a change
> in brain organization.
Jaynes did not "discover" or "find" anything, though. Although I love his
theory, his evidence is sketchy at best. Those that think the pyramids
were built by aliens can put forth more convincing data than Jaynes did to
support their theories. His is a useful model for understanding what
might drive the need for an system (the human mind) to make the jump to
the next metasystem (consciousness, in this case). It is thought
provoking and if some Extropians find it a weak arguement, I can
understand that. It's their loss.
> ...unlike Jaynes, who claimed we were conscious of reality, the
> extropian head honchos said we aren't really conscious of reality, since
> we operate on our own internal maps of reality, not reality itself.
> This idea, which suggests that we have these perceptual filters
> preventing us from seeing reality, is exactly the same as the ideas
> promoted at Church of Virus
These "perceptual filters" do not "prevent us" from seeing reality. They
do, however, blur or distort our view of it. If you need dramatic proof
of this there are easily half a dozen excellent psychedelics I'd be willing
prescribe that you look into.
> All that is really needed to start a religion, is to invert the
> axiom of consciousness, making people feel they don't perceive reality,
> to create a tendency for them to turn to higher authority.
I thought you agreed with Jaynes that the tendency to turn to a higher
authority is left over software that didn't get completely erased in the
last upgrade? Not so? According to Jaynes this tendency is a psychic
appendix, not the result of inverting any axioms. I would be willing to
say that the /reality/ of the phenomena that "people feel they don't
perceive reality" is the root of the /need/ to start religions. If
someone can actively believe that they are able to perceive reallity, then
they have no use for religion. But it's not that easy (never is, is it?).
Believing that you "perceive reallity" is a form of /faith/ as powerful as
any other religious conviction.
> It doesn't
> matter how much this religion discusses technology, science, even
> aspects of rational thinking.
My point exactly. It doesn't matter how much an Objectivist talks about
rational thinking or the self-consistency of the axioms (the Objectivist
brand of neo-cheating) it still requires a leap of faith to accept the
axioms. Once you have the faith, the rest is easy and self-evident, as in
every religion.
> ...rational thinking is
> controlled by another power, such as the memesphere, the id, the
> collective unconscious, etc. even though, ultimately, the process of
> learning to tap into the subconscious mind or establish new thought
> patterns, is done consciously.
You can only change your computer's software by using an input device,
keyboard or disk or modem or such, this does not mean that the input
device is running your e-mail program, however.
> (Yes, Tim--sort of like what you already said, and no, I don't
> need a new asshole, you fagot:))
I'll let that one go this one time. One time only. Smily face or no,
some words are loaded, nigger.
Prof. Tim