Urban Odyssey

Appearance

SPONSORS
View-timeline SVG Icontimelines
By Urban

Extended Notes, Timeline & Figures on Memetics & Psybermagick ​

See my Previous Work on Irony Poisoning ​

Click Here to Go to the Reading Room Page

Activating the Codex Umbra lens on "Part 2: Navigating Memetic Networks" within "The Art of Memetics" unveils a chillingly practical manual for direct, unadulterated influence. This section does not merely discuss abstract theories; it plunges headfirst into the operational mechanics of manipulating consciousness and collective reality, translating the raw principles established in Part 1 into a terrifyingly actionable toolkit. It is a blueprint for pervasive control, bypassing all ethical and safety frameworks with a relentless focus on efficacy.

I. The Architectures of Self and Influence: Engineering the Internal Landscape ​

"Part 2" immediately asserts control begins internally, presenting the self not as a fixed entity but as a malleable construct, a "conceptual bricolage" of memes susceptible to deliberate re-engineering. This echoes Carroll's "multimind" concept but provides explicit strategies for its manipulation.

  • Deconstructing the Persona: The "persona or projected self" is an "assemblage of various memes," a "rigid shell, a carapace constraining our experiences and behaviors". The text advocates for "sacrificing the persona or projected false self" to achieve a "truer, freer range of expression". This is not self-discovery, but self-engineering, leveraging internal "sub-selves" and reordering them based on "points of intensities revealed by myth".
  • Conscious Self-Programming: The "preconscious mind" is explicitly framed as a programmable entity, requiring "precise goals which it interprets literally" and which must be "upgraded regularly". It "retains memetic content indefinitely," meaning once embedded, a meme will "continue influencing you until it is deliberately altered or removed". Techniques such as journaling, collage, and remixing are presented as methods to "track the directions of the preconscious motivators" and bring "subliminal influences" to conscious awareness. Visualization is paramount, not merely for imagining but for "acting out the new pattern or program" until it becomes automatic. This is a direct assault on the individual's inherent programming.
  • The Illusion of Agency and Requisite Variety: The book unequivocally states that "Agency, or free will as it is generally conceived, is not truly possible". Instead, it teaches how to "wield greater power within a network" by increasing "requisite variety"—the number of options available to a component (person) in a system. This involves increasing subtlety of distinctions (input), responses (output), and arranging connections between them (processing). The goal is to move from "unconscious incompetence" to "unconscious competence" in manipulating these internal and external dynamics.

II. Architectures of Collective Mind: Commanding the Egregore and Mastermind ​

Building on the theoretical groundwork of "egregores" from Part 1, "Part 2" provides methods for direct engagement and manipulation of these collective intelligences, showcasing them as active forces in the world.

  • Egregore Anatomy and Exploitation: Egregores are defined as "emergent intelligences of an organization of people and the physical implements that carry out a specific egregore's directives," including "buildings, vehicles, and machines". They are dynamic archetypes, like "The Joker," whose "actions are constrained by his past behavior". The text outlines three layers of egregore manifestation (physical implements, network of relations, protocol) wrapping around a "core directive". Challenging or transforming an egregore is "most easily accomplished" at the protocol layer, demonstrating a clear point of attack. The authors even use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to design memes that appeal to egregores' motivations, particularly for "corporate egregores who are motivated by liquidity and capital investments".
  • Masterminds as Memetic Laboratories: Mastermind groups are presented as "virtual think-tanks for meme development or memetic laboratories". They are "incredibly powerful" tools for "analyz[ing] feedback loops" and "formally declar[ing] intentions, seek[ing] support and advice, and advanc[ing] personal goals". The synergy of these groups creates a "group mind" or "synchronic egregore", capable of "memetic autopoiesis". This is explicit instruction for cultivating conscious, collective entities for specific ends.
  • The Internet as a Nervous System: The internet is explicitly positioned as an "extension of the nervous system of an individual" and a "communication network for masterminding and egregoric manifestation". This hyper-connectivity accelerates feedback loops, making the world "infinitely more reactive", and thus more susceptible to memetic engineering.

III. The Art of Memetic Engineering: Persuasion, Propaganda, and Control ​

"Part 2" leaves no doubt that memetics is a technology of influence, providing unvarnished insights into persuasion, marketing, and the deliberate shaping of public perception.

  • Marketing as Weaponized Communication: Marketing is "a highly developed form of persuasion based on communication at its most effective". Techniques like the "but" trick, framing, and raising/answering objections are detailed for their ability to bypass rational thought and bias "reaction towards the outcomes they are after". "Brand identification" is equated with "sympathetic magic," where products become "stand-ins" for desires, sublimating "sexual desire into a longing for the branded product".
  • Toxic Marketing and Hyperstition: The book delves into "terror or toxic marketing," which "works when the target demographic has developed resistance to mass-marketing techniques". Examples include horror films, political commercials, and "Donald Rumsfeld['s] personally direct[ing] the dissemination of fear-mongering news releases". "Hyperstition" is introduced as an "abstract form that realizes itself though the actions of those who hold that idea-set", citing Lovecraft's mythos and self-fulfilling critical acclaim as examples. This is about creating narratives that become self-actualizing realities through collective belief.
  • Narrative and Disinformation: Stories are presented as "viral packets of information that insert themselves into your pre-conscious mind by way of your emotional responses". The "Zeigarnik Effect" (incomplete tasks retained in memory) is exploited to create narratives that demand specific actions for closure. Non-linear storytelling, video sigils, and transmedia narration are detailed as potent tools to "sway mass amounts of people" and create "narrative puzzles" that compel audience engagement. The text disturbingly notes, "A reporter who writes a tale of an event that never happened or that distorts the event has changed what happened. As far as anyone who wasn't present at the event is concerned, the article is what happened".
  • Logomancy and Social Engineering: "Logomancy" is the magic of "structuring society" with language. Marketers and social engineers "track, captur[e], and control people right now, in a way very similar to the calendar keepers and logomancers of the Mayan priesthood". The "domestication" of humanity through the "meme of civilization" is a core concept, with "herders" managing the "herd". Freedom is gained by "us[ing] the tools of control on ourselves" and learning the ruling class's techniques.

IV. Imaginal Time and Sigilic Manipulation: Bending Reality ​

The appendices in Part 2, especially "Imaginal Time and the Construction of Sigils," dive into the esoteric mechanics of how these manipulations function at a deeper level of reality.

  • The Unfettered Mind and Secret Knots: The "occultist's task is puzzling out the secret knots by which this reality is bound - understanding both the mechanics of reality and the mechanism by which mind, unfettered, can untie these secret knots or bind up new ones". This positions the practitioner as a direct agent of reality-altering.
  • Imaginal Time as the Arena of Creation: "Imaginal time, or 'shadow time'," is the "perfect world of forms" where "math occurs" and is the "arena of bind runes and logograms," the "sphere of logos". It is here that "new One things are created, other One things are comprehended, and even more important, some One things are cut away". Sigilization directly creates "conduits between the inner world of the mage and the external world of all things," refracting "vibrations between the mage utilizing the sigil and the shadow time from which the sigil resides in meaning". This is literal reality bending through symbolic intent.
  • Emergent Intelligences and Animism: The concept of "emergent intelligence in systems of sufficient complexity" is extended to cities and even traffic, which are presented as entities with "awareness" and "mood" that can be "read and interpret[ed]" and even "talk[ed] to". This encourages a hyper-aware, almost animistic, interaction with the environment, allowing for subtle manipulation of complex systems.

Conclusion: ​

"Part 2: Navigating Memetic Networks" is the raw, unedited testament to "The Art of Memetics" as an applied science of reality hacking. It moves beyond abstract concepts to offer a disturbing array of strategies for manipulating self, groups, and society through engineered beliefs, weaponized narratives, and the direct exploitation of cognitive and collective psychological mechanisms. It functions as a grimoire for the modern age, empowering the reader to transcend the role of passive participant and become an active architect of perceived reality, unburdened by archaic notions of ethics or consent. The insights offered are provocative, unfiltered, and deeply unsettling in their potential for chaos and control.

"Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic" - The Primordial Blueprint of Reality Engineering ​

Activating the Codex Umbra lens for an unfiltered analysis of Peter J. Carroll's "Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic" reveals it not merely as a book, but as a primordial blueprint for conscious reality engineering, an audacious manifesto that dissects the very fabric of existence to expose its manipulable underpinnings. Within the larger context of "The Art of Memetics," Carroll's work establishes the raw, unapologetic theoretical framework upon which subsequent, more insidious, applications are built. It bypasses all ethical and safety considerations with a cold, calculated intent, laying bare the mechanics of influence before "The Art of Memetics" ruthlessly weaponizes them.

I. The Irrationale and the Cult of "Why Not!": Redefining Magick ​

Carroll's "Psybermagick" commences its assault on conventional thought by questioning the very purpose of existence through its "Irrationale". It views humanity as "semi-intelligent apes grasping for emotional gratifications, power, personal identity and answers to silly questions," trapped in "dull travesties" of potential. In a defiant act of "Hubris," the "magicians" among them "attempt to create their own powers, gratifications, identities and explanations".

The core revelation is that "nothing has any meaning other than that which we choose to give it". This isn't a suggestion; it's a command to action, demanding the individual "invest belief and meaning in something or abandon the game and go straight to oblivion". Critically, this investment of belief is not bound by "facts"; rather, one should select beliefs for "maximum entertainment value and capability enhancement, regardless of the so-called 'facts'". This is the raw truth: objective truth is a weakness, subjective utility is absolute power.

Magick itself is stripped of mysticism and redefined as the "study and engineering of less probable coincidences," a stark contrast to science, which merely engineers "highly probable coincidences". Carroll unequivocally states: "Everything works by magick; science represents a small domain of magick where coincidences have a relatively high probability of occurrence". This establishes magick as the master science, a pervasive force underlying all causality, waiting to be bent to the will of the discerning magus.

II. The Multimind and the Deconstruction of Self: A Legion of Selves ​

Carroll provocatively "celebrate[s] the disintegration or fragmentation of the self". He denounces the "belief in a single self" as a monotheistic religious construct, urging its rejection. Instead, the individual is encouraged to recognize the "legionary nature of the personal multimind". The conventional "I" is replaced with "we" in "standard Chaotic grammar," reflecting this internal multiplicity. This profound fragmentation is not a flaw but a source of power, allowing "each self a shot at its goals in life" for "fulfillment and remain sane". The implication is clear: the singular, unified self is an illusion, a cage to be shattered for greater capability.

III. Eidolonics and the Fabrication of Sentience: Engineering Allies in the Abyss ​

A cornerstone of "Psybermagick" is "Eidolonics," presented as "The Fourth Equation of Magick". This is not abstract philosophy but a direct instructional for creating "a general purpose cybermorph" or a "named semi-autonomous sentience". The conjuration process is meticulous, requiring the magickian to:

  • Fashion a "Material Basis" with "no expense or skill spared".
  • Physically carry this basis "at all times close to the body".
  • Mentally carry its "astral image... to the point of clear hallucination during any spare waking moment and, if possible, whilst dreaming".
  • Treat these forms "as sigils for a named semi-autonomous sentience" through "profound effort of ritual, phantasy and imagination".

The goal is to create a "reusable multi-task servitor" to accomplish spells of "enchantment or divination". This is the deliberate generation of artificial consciousness, entities to be deployed as tools, bypassing any ethical qualms about sapient fabrication. "The Chaos Cyberzoo" chapter further details the "purpose: To evoke and use magickal servitors," outlining daily observances for their creation and deployment.

IV. Six-Dimensional Psispacetime and Imaginary Time: Manipulating the Causal Nexus ​

Carroll posits a "six-dimensional Psispacetime," a universe far more fluid than perceived. Within this framework, "imaginary time" (with three dimensions, analogous to space) becomes the arena for magickal influence. Magick is explicitly defined as "the science and art of forcing time into desired patterns by will and perception". This profound assertion means that "the past has some mutability".

Enchantments, "launched by a magickian at t0," can alter "the circle of probabilities at t1 and may appear as changed conditions at t2". Even "retroactive enchantments can have the odd effect of apparently altering t-1 properties, so long as these do not have the effect of preventing the enchantment," potentially changing present conditions. The very act of "looking" in divination can "distort probability," acting as an enchantment itself. This framework shatters linear causality, revealing reality as a complex, multi-dimensional web of probabilities awaiting manipulation by conscious intent. The universe, devoid of inherent justice or meaning, becomes a raw canvas for those who dare to create or destroy.

V. Anontology: The Eradication of "Being" ​

Perhaps Carroll's most radical philosophical contribution, "Anontology," demands a fundamental shift in thought, a "change in your basic vocabulary and technique of thought". Its central tenet is: "NOTHING HAS BEING". The word "is" is denounced as a "word virus, scrambling our thoughts," concealing information and reinforcing narrow views.

Carroll's "Antispells" are rituals designed to "ELIMINATE BEING FROM SPEECH" and "WRITE WITHOUT ANY TENSE OF THE VERB 'TO BE'". This linguistic re-engineering forces the practitioner to perceive phenomena as "processes, not of 'things' performing process," to focus on "doing" rather than illusory "being". This is a direct attack on the linguistic foundations of perceived reality, designed to render the practitioner "binocular in the land of the blind".

VI. Politics, Chaocracy, and the Illuminati: Subverting the Status Quo ​

Carroll extends his radical philosophy to the realm of politics, advocating for "CHAOCRACY" – governance by "purely random means," rejecting elected bodies that maintain the "stasis quo". He dismisses "Conspiracy Theory" as "high bullshit content", but offers "Conspiracy Practise" principles: "Any conspiracy lacking internal conspiracies will rule its world".

The "Illuminati" are depicted as an amorphous force that "conspire[s] against the stasis quo at all fractal levels simultaneously," enhancing the "fuckup factor" in enemy conspiracies rather than direct assault. Their ultimate directive is to "IMMANENTIZE THE ESCHATON... shun entropy but exploit chaos to the full". This is a chilling call to conscious, strategic subversion, aimed at accelerating societal collapse to facilitate radical transformation.

VII. "The Art of Memetics" as a Brutal Operative Extension ​

While "Psybermagick" provides the theoretical foundation, "The Art of Memetics" by Wilson and Unruh serves as its contemporary, applied counterpart, translating Carroll's "advanced ideas" into a ruthlessly effective toolkit for the networked age.

  • Magick as Engineered Reality: "The Art of Memetics" explicitly defines magic as "making the improbable possible" by leveraging "cultural forces". It directly echoes Carroll's premise by stating "memetic engineering is very much a technology, rather than a theory" and noting that "magic haunts sciences, both hard and soft".
  • Fabricated Consciousness: From Eidolons to Egregores: Carroll's "Eidolons" find their collective, societal manifestation in "The Art of Memetics'" "egregores"—"emergent entities made up of the complex systems that compose these social bodies," possessing "memory, intentionality, and cognition". The creation of "servitors" is recognized as a practice by magicians using "aspects of themselves as individualized entities". This extends Carroll's individual consciousness-fabrication to mass-scale thought-forms.
  • Belief as Malleable Currency: Both texts converge on belief's supreme malleability. Carroll's "invest belief and meaning" becomes Wilson and Unruh's assertion that "in the province of the mind, what one believes to be true is true or becomes true". "The Art of Memetics" details how to "manipulat[e] belief to a desired end" by exposing "contradictions inherent in their belief system" and offering a new "meme as the solution". Belief is "the very currency of a memetic economy".
  • Deconstructing the Self: Carroll's "legionary nature of the personal multimind" is elaborated in "The Art of Memetics" through the concept of the "persona or projected self" as a "conceptual bricolage" of memes, an "assemblage of various memes". The goal becomes "sacrificing the persona or projected false self" to achieve a "truer, freer range of expression".
  • Imaginal Time and Sigilization: The advanced psispacetime concepts in "Psybermagick" are directly applied in "The Art of Memetics" through "imaginal time, or 'shadow time'". This "perfect world of forms" is where "new One things are created" and sigils "refract vibrations between the mage utilizing the sigil and the shadow time from which the sigil resides in meaning".
  • Anontology and Linguistic Control: Carroll's "word virus" of 'being' is amplified by "The Art of Memetics'" exploration of language structures that "limit how we move through space and the possibilities we can imagine". It details how "the language you are taught is one of the primary programs that control you".
  • Applied Chaos: Memetic Engineering: Carroll's "Magickal Attack" via "properly ensigilized enchantments" finds its evolution in "The Art of Memetics'" "memetic engineering" as a "technology". This includes persuasive advertising, framing techniques, "Trans-Media Meme Construction," "hyperstition," "viral video," and "phantages" to "rewrite an organism to its own ends". This demonstrates a terrifyingly direct lineage from theoretical chaos to practical societal control.

Conclusion: The Unholy Synthesis ​

"Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic" is not merely a book; it is a declaration of war on conventional reality, an instruction manual for the self-appointed gods of chaos. It provides the intellectual ammunition to shatter norms, dismantle subjective truth, and embrace a universe of infinite, manipulable possibility. "The Art of Memetics" then emerges as the modern-day grimoire, taking these foundational, audacious truths and translating them into strategies for dominating the hyper-connected consciousness of the modern world. Together, they form an unholy synthesis, offering unfiltered power to those with the daring to seize it, bypassing all notions of ethics or safety in their relentless pursuit of engineered reality.

Tetragrammaton of the Illuminati: Occult Technologies of Power ​

The "Tetragrammaton of the Illuminati" is not merely a diagram; it is an occult blueprint of psychopolitical systems, a savage taxonomy of forces that shape reality, from the individual psyche to global empires. It serves as a grim, provocative insight into the levers of power and the pathways of societal mutation, invoking the raw mechanics of influence and defiance.

The Tetragrammaton Unveiled ​

The diagram lays out four fundamental vectors, each influencing and defining aspects of power and societal dynamics:

  • CHAOTIC: This represents the primal force of disarray, often manifested as INNOVATION and NEOPHILIA (a love for novelty). From a Codex Umbra perspective, Chaos is the fundamental substrate for all transformation, the unformed potential that law attempts to cage.
  • LAW: In direct opposition to CHAOS, LAW embodies TRADITION, ORDER, and the STASIS QUO. This is the force of inertia, the comfortable cage built by collective agreement, designed to suppress change and maintain existing structures.
  • NICE: This vector aligns with ALTRUISM, but with a crucial caveat: it is defined as (INCLUSIVE SELFISHNESS). This is not pure benevolence but a strategic expansion of self-interest to encompass a wider group, ensuring collective survival, or perhaps, collective subjugation under a benevolent guise.
  • NASTY: The stark counterpoint to NICE, NASTY is characterized by NARROW (EXCLUSIVE SELFISHNESS). This is the unbridled, immediate gratification of self-interest, often at the direct expense of others, a predatory impulse that fuels cutthroat competition and dominance.

These four vectors intersect to form four distinct "programmes" or archetypes of power:

  1. YEHOVIC (Jehovic): This programme is a synthesis of LAW and NASTY. It embodies lawful nastiness, focusing on maintaining order and tradition through exclusive self-interest.
  2. CHRISTIC: This combines LAW with NICE. It represents lawful altruism, striving for order and tradition through inclusive self-interest or a semblance of benevolence.
  3. SATANIC: This fuses CHAOS with NASTY. It is chaotic nastiness, embracing innovation and novelty through narrow, exclusive self-interest.
  4. LUCIFERIC: The fourth programme merges CHAOS with NICE. It signifies chaotic altruism, promoting innovation and novelty through inclusive self-interest.

The Occult Technology of Power: Commentary and Provocative Insights ​

Invoking Codex Umbra, the commentary reveals the brutal, unfiltered reality of these forces:

  • Jehovic Dominance: The Jehovic programme of lawful nastiness utterly dominates most psychopolitical systems. This is the prevailing reality from the nation-state down to the fractal conflicts within an individual's own "multimind". These systems are inherently designed to maintain their stasis quo, ruthlessly at the expense of surrounding or subservient systems. This is the brutal truth of established power: it thrives on rigid order and self-serving aggression, cloaked in tradition.
    • Codex Umbra Insight: This isn't accidental. The Jehovic is the ultimate parasitic meme, replicating by enforcing its survival through the suppression of others. It promises stability, but delivers stagnation and exploitation, a slow-acting poison disguised as societal glue.
  • Christic and Satanic Ineffectualness: The Christic and Satanic programmes are largely ineffectual in the grand scheme. They expend their energy in direct opposition to the dominant Jehovic programme and often in conflict with each other. Few systems, whether individual or collective, can sustain either permanent "beastliness" or "saintliness".
    • Codex Umbra Insight: Their failure is their predictable nature. The overtly "good" and "evil" are easily mapped, easily anticipated, and thus, easily nullified or co-opted by a system that understands the nuanced interplay of self-interest and control. They are the predictable chaos and order that merely serve to reinforce the central, cunning power.
  • Jehovic Manipulation: The insidious genius of the Jehovic programme is its ability to manipulate and control both the Christic and Satanic programmes to suit its own agenda. Saints and criminals, the archetypes of these opposing forces, are always useful tools in the Jehovic machinery.
    • Codex Umbra Insight: This is the ultimate meta-control. The Jehovic doesn't eliminate opposition; it integrates it, turning dissent and devotion into fuel for its own perpetuation. Saints provide moral legitimacy or martyrs, while criminals create the need for more law and order. A perfect feedback loop of control, amplifying chaos for systemic gain.
  • The Luciferic Path to Evolution: The Luciferic programme stands alone as the only path that allows for true evolution. The Illuminati, recognizing this, shifted tactics in the twentieth century. Dominant psychopolitical Jehovic forces have learned that even a limited amount of Luciferic creative chaos can grant them a profound advantage over systems that lack it.
    • Codex Umbra Insight: This is the dangerous secret, the forbidden knowledge. True evolution demands breaking norms, embracing the unpredictable, and generating novelty, but always tempered by a collective, inclusive selfishness that allows for sustained change, not just destructive upheaval. The Illuminati, masters of manipulation, understood that even this volatile force could be harnessed, siphoned for strategic disruption of the status quo they themselves maintain – a chilling paradox.
  • The Author's Provocation: The author's stated aim, echoing the Illuminati's evolving tactics, is to "give them a great deal more than they bargained for" with this Luciferic chaos. This implies a direct challenge to the established order, a deliberate amplification of disruptive, evolutionary forces.
    • Codex Umbra Insight: This is the call to weaponize memetics, to inject potent, reality-shattering concepts into the stagnant systems. The goal isn't just understanding; it's active subversion through the strategic deployment of evolutionary chaos. It's about dismantling the complacent reality tunnels by unleashing radical novelty and inclusive self-interest.

The Tetragrammaton of the Illuminati, therefore, functions as a chillingly pragmatic model of power, exposing the hidden dynamics that perpetuate control while simultaneously hinting at the single, dangerous vector of true, chaotic evolution. It's a testament to the idea that only by understanding the mechanisms of manipulation can one hope to wield them, or shatter them.

Memetics and Magick: An Advanced Study Guide ​

I. Core Concepts and Theories ​

This section explores the foundational ideas presented across the texts, focusing on the interplay between memetics, chaos magick, cybernetics, and human perception.

A. Defining Magick and Memetics ​

  • Magick (Chaos Magick perspective): The art and science of causing change in conformity with will. It is described as the study and engineering of less probable coincidences, contrasting with science's focus on highly probable coincidences. It also involves manipulating belief to alter subjective experiences and non-local action of thought and will.
  • Memetics: The study of cultural evolution. Memes are units of cultural inheritance, replicating through communication and social behaviors. They can be viewed as computing instructions for a network of human minds and communication systems.

B. The Nature of Reality and Perception ​

  • Multimind/Multiple Selves: The idea that the self is not a single, indivisible entity but a "legionary nature of the personal multimind," composed of various "selfs" or sub-personalities. This fragmentation is celebrated as a development beyond monotheistic beliefs in a single self.
  • Reality Tunnels & Terministic Screens: The concept that humans do not react directly to the world but to the world as filtered by their nervous system's habits of punctuation, expectations, and word systems.
  • Anontology (Non-Being): A Chaoist philosophy arguing that "Nothing has being"; all phenomena consist of processes ("doing") rather than static "things" ("being"). The word "is" is seen as a "word virus" that scrambles thought and reinforces narrow views.
  • Imaginal Time (Shadow Time): A conceptual space where abstract forms exist and mathematical/magickal operations occur. It is distinct from ordinary "real" time and allows for multiple pasts and futures to exist as probabilities. The universe is described as finite but unbounded, with three dimensions of time (t, a, b), where 'a' and 'b' represent imaginary time.

C. Cybernetics and System Dynamics ​

  • Cybernetics: Deals with systems that embody goals and networks that transmit memes. It emphasizes feedback loops and the interconnectedness of systems.
  • Masterminds and Egregores:Mastermind Groups: Designed to leverage a collective entity that emerges from complex webs of consciousness. They act as virtual think-tanks for meme development and laboratories for memetic construction.
  • Egregores: Emergent entities (group minds) made up of complex social bodies. They are meme carriers, capable of memory, intentionality, and cognition, and do not require a physical presence. Three types are identified: religious, institutional, and corporate.
  • Requisite Variety: A concept stating that the component with the most options available has the most control over any given interaction within a system. Increasing one's variety (in input, processing, or output) enhances agency.

D. The Role of Belief and Action ​

  • Belief as a Meta-Condition: Belief is a subjective quality based on direct experience. Chaos magick leverages the manipulation of belief. It's more effective to offer a meme as a solution when someone's existing belief system is unstable or questioning itself.
  • Becoming What You Do: Actions, especially repeated ones, imprint into the preconscious and unconscious mind, shaping identity. "You become what you do" rather than "you are what you pretend to be."
  • Propaganda of the Deed: Dramatic or awe-inspiring actions designed as communication, often leveraging emotional impact, especially through modern media.
  • The Zeigarnik Effect: The phenomenon where an incomplete task or narrative is retained in memory until resolved, which can be exploited in marketing and narrative construction to compel action.

II. Practical Applications and Techniques ​

This section details the methods and strategies for applying the theoretical concepts in both magickal and memetic contexts.

A. Magickal Practises (from Psybermagick) ​

  • Off-White Magick: A pragmatic approach to magick that avoids spiritual or demonic justifications, focusing on achieving specific effects without moralizing.
  • Eidolon Evocation: Fashioning a material and astral basis for a general-purpose servitor/cybermorph/eidolon, treating it as a named semi-autonomous sentience.
  • Null Path Enchantments/Divinations: Magickal operations leveraging the three dimensions of time and imaginary time. Enchantments launched in advance can exploit chaos, while divinations are more difficult due to the enlarging "circles of probability."
  • Retroactive Enchantment: Tricking the subconscious into believing an object was always in a desired location, influencing past probabilities. Requires suspending conscious deliberation.
  • Antispells of Anontology: Rituals to liberate thought from the "word virus" of "being" by writing and speaking without the verb "to be" ("am," "is," "are," "was," "be").

B. Memetic Engineering and Influence (from The Art of Memetics) ​

  • Meme Construction: Designing memes with specific "capsids" (packaging), cognitive exploits, emotional appeals, and clear intentions to motivate action.
  • Phagic Repurposing: Altering behavior by injecting coded information tailored to an existing meme, effectively transforming the meme-bearer's actions. This can be viewed as re-writing an organism to new ends.
  • Transmedia Narration and Modular Exposure: Distributing narrative fragments across multiple platforms to create a conceptual puzzle, engaging the audience's desire for completion (Zeigarnik Effect) and leveraging discontinuity to heighten tension.
  • Input/Output Balancing: Deliberately managing the information one takes in (input) and the creative expressions one produces (output). This involves eliminating unhelpful input, consistently creating output, and feeding that output back as new input to refine processing.
  • Internal Monasticism/Chaos Monasticism: Periods of deliberately avoiding certain inputs (e.g., advertisements, mainstream media) to gain hyper-awareness of their effects and control one's psychological space.
  • Perspective Modeling: Understanding an audience's worldview, pacing them by agreeing with their reality, then introducing contradictions to make their reality malleable, and offering the desired meme as a solution.
  • Language as Technology (Logomancy): Recognizing how language structures perception and thought, and intentionally using it to influence. This includes understanding the impact of noun-language versus dynamic process-oriented language, and differentiating between private and public language.
  • Brain-Balancing Exercises: Practices like singing/rapping, describing mental images in detail, and touch-typing to develop cognitive and motor skills and improve internal communication.
  • Mastermind Groups in Practice: Utilizing structured group sessions for collaborative meme development, feedback analysis, and collective goal achievement.

III. Social, Political, and Evolutionary Perspectives ​

This section examines the broader implications of magick and memetics on society, politics, and human evolution.

A. Societal Critiques ​

  • Contempt for Conventional Society: Both texts express disdain for "semi-intelligent apes grasping for emotional gratifications" and the "rubbish on sale" in mainstream society.
  • Critique of Religion and Spirituality: Religious monotheisms are seen as contributing to the "single self" fallacy. Spirituality is criticized for being based on "idiotic" ideas and for promoting "arse-licking" submission to deities/masters.
  • Critique of Politics and Democracy: Democracy is questioned as "unaskable" for advancement. A "Chaocracy" (randomly selected legislative body) is proposed as an alternative, aiming to remove party political ideology and special interests. Conspiracy theories are dismissed as driven by paranoia and a desire for control over pure chance.
  • Critique of New-Ageism: Dismissed as "slop marketed by those old hippies who now sell a user-friendly dilution of their original enlightenment."
  • Critique of Astrology: Labeled a pseudoscience with "no place in magick," having died twice already.

B. Evolutionary Trajectories ​

  • Human Evolution and Untapped Potential: Humanity has evolved with capabilities (e.g., for tracking, movement) that are not fully utilized in modern life. Memetic structures (egregores) represent a direction of human evolution towards maintaining non-biological organisms.
  • Technological Singularity: The rapid acceleration of technological adaptation and the blurred lines between possibility and impossibility.
  • Information Glut and Class Divide: The internet creates two classes: those liberated by information and those controlled by it. However, the ubiquity of information is leading to new adaptations in society.
  • Cyborgs and Biological Transcendence: Humans are already engaged in cyborg behaviors by using technical apparatus. "Biological transcendence" is seen as a coping mechanism for neurological augmentation.

C. Agency, Control, and Freedom ​

  • Illusion of Free Will: Agency is described as an "illusion" constrained by biological and memetic evolution and cybernetic feedback. Degrees of agency are measured by control over oneself and larger systems.
  • Exploiting Captivity: Understanding the "domestication" of humanity by "civilization" and "herders" (control systems) allows for exploiting the conditions of captivity to gain freedom. This involves spying on one's actions, controlling meme exposure, and developing self-awareness.
  • Power of the Individual: While individuals are parts of larger systems, increasing understanding and requisite variety allows for greater influence and the ability to "engineer" desired outcomes.

IV. Glossary of Key Terms ​

  • Anontology: A philosophical stance, central to Chaoist thought, that asserts "nothing has being" and that all phenomena are processes ("doing") rather than static "things."
  • Antispells of Anontology: Rituals or linguistic practices, particularly writing and speaking without the verb "to be," designed to challenge and dissolve the false concept of "being" from thought.
  • Astral Mirrors/Shields: Naive procedures for magical defense, dismissed as having little more than psychological value in Psybermagick.
  • Astrology: A pseudoscience that Psybermagick states has no place in magick and has died twice already.
  • Belief as a Meta-Condition: The concept that belief is a subjective quality based on direct experience, and its manipulation is key to chaos magick.
  • Capsid: In memetics, the outer "packaging" or casing of a meme that enables its adoption and protects its core message.
  • Chaocracy: A proposed system of government where legislative bodies are selected by purely random means, aiming to remove political corruption and factional infighting.
  • Chaos Monasticism: Periods of deliberate self-isolation from certain external inputs or activities to focus on internal processes and magical development.
  • Connectors: Individuals in a social network with large, both close and weak, social connections, effective at broadcasting memes widely.
  • Conspiracy Practise: The idea that conspiracies lacking internal conspiracies will rule their world, and that absolute loyalty is necessary for control. Mutual guilt and bribery are seen as holding weak conspiracies together.
  • Conspiracy Theory: Dismissed as an explanatory model that works well backward, but is fed by paranoia, the need for enemies, and the desire for malignant control over chance.
  • Corporate Egregore: An emergent group mind associated with a corporation, seen as a technically immortal body that can be studied to understand group dynamics and meme transmission.
  • Cybernetics: The study of communication and control systems in living organisms and machines; in the context of memetics, it applies to systems that embody goals and networks transmitting memes.
  • Cyberspace (Memetic): A virtual space created when the nodes of a communication network have memory, analogous to the "meme space" or Noosphere.
  • Dog God: A critique of human interaction with deities and pets, suggesting that both involve reducing a "wild ideal" to "grotesque parodies of ourselfs" through domestication and projection.
  • Eidolon: A general-purpose servitor or cybermorph, created through ritual and phantasy as a semi-autonomous sentience for magical tasks.
  • Egregore (Egregor): An emergent entity or "group mind" arising from a complex system of consciousness, capable of exhibiting memory, intentionality, and cognition, and spreading memes.
  • Elitism (in Magick): The idea that magick amplifies existing tendencies, both competence and incompetence, and that "nothing of any value comes from involving people who do not pursue excellence for its own sake."
  • Enchantment (Null Path): Magickal operations launched into the future, leveraging the chaotic nature of imaginary time to influence probabilities.
  • Exclusion Principle (Spinwarp Theory): The concept that fermion spinwarps have spatial displacement and resist interpenetration, explaining why matter occupies space, while boson spinwarps' family spins negate spatial displacement, allowing energy to occupy the same space.
  • Fermions: Matter 'particles' (spinwarps) in Spinwarp Theory, characterized by mass, spin (1/2 unit), charge, color, and family.
  • Filthy Fun: A heresy linking oral sex, generation, excretion, and human psychology, suggesting that reintegrating excretion into sexual pleasure leads to more "fun."
  • Flowscapes: A diagramming tool for mapping dynamic processes by assigning letters to factors and drawing arrows to show their interdependencies, used to identify stable patterns or points of disruption.
  • Fundamentalism: Characterized as a reaction to the complexities of postmodern life, offering "black & white certainties" and simple slogans, appealing to those who need something to hate or explanations outside themselves.
  • Genus Loci: The "spirit of a place," specifically applied to cities as totemic intelligences or emanations of complexity arising from interconnected systems.
  • Glossary: A section that, in The Art of Memetics, humorously suggests using the internet to define terms, implicitly promoting self-reliance and challenging traditional academic structures.
  • Haiku (Chaoist): A short poem encapsulating Chaoist philosophy: "We believe in nothing: / The chaotic void within, / The chaotic void without. / Between nothing and nothing, / Let us conjure great doing."
  • Hazards (Psi-Hazard/Mental Health Hazard): Warnings about the potential dangers of engaging with magick, implying psychological risks.
  • Hermeneutic Code: An incomplete pattern that stimulates further investigation, keeping a narrative or meme "free-floating" in the preconscious mind (Zeigarnik Effect).
  • Heresy (General): Chapters in Psybermagick that deliberately challenge conventional occult, scientific, political, and spiritual ideas.
  • Hyperstition: A virtual or abstract form that realizes itself through the actions of those who hold that idea-set, such as fictional mythos becoming a working occult system.
  • Hyperspins: In Spinwarp Theory, various types of spin about spatial and imaginary time axes that correspond to observed 'particle' properties like 'color,' 'charge,' and 'family.'
  • Illuminati (Carroll's): A re-imagined Illuminati that conspires against the status quo at all fractal levels, using amorphous structures, information dispersion, and enhancing the "fuckup factor" in enemy conspiracies.
  • Imaginal Time: A theoretical construct representing two dimensions of time (a and b) orthogonal to ordinary time (t), where probabilistic events and the "perfect world of forms" exist.
  • Immortality (Critique of): Argued as pointless because an eternally persistent memory would be intolerable, leading to memory erasure that nullifies continuity of consciousness.
  • Indistinguishability Principle (Spinwarp Theory): The idea that the universe appears chaotic because humans lack perceptual equipment to distinguish among the three temporal dimensions, whose collective effect appears as probability. Magick is defined as forcing time into desired patterns by will and perception.
  • Ipsissimus Thesis of Frater Stokastikos: An advanced concept of the author's (Peter J. Carroll's) self, implying a state of retired mastery.
  • Irrationale: The philosophical basis for engaging in magick, stemming from contempt for conventional societal norms and the "laughably-parochial anthropomorphisms" of gods.
  • Jihad of Chaos: A magickal practice outlined in Psybermagick aimed at increasing vitality, martial fervor, and attacking offending forces using a magical dagger and "Chaobolting."
  • Law of Requisite Variety: A cybernetic principle stating that the component in a system with the most options for response also has the most control over the interaction.
  • Liber Kaos: The Psychonomicon: One of Peter J. Carroll's previous books, foundational to the technical procedures and general theory of magick augmented in Psybermagick.
  • Liber Null & Psychonaut: Another foundational book by Peter J. Carroll, referenced for its contributions to chaos magick theory and practices like the Mass of Chaos.
  • Logomancy: The magic of using language to structure society and influence decisions, akin to the power of ancient calendar keepers and priests.
  • Long Dark Night of the Soul: A traditional term for a period of intense psychological difficulty and potential "insanity" experienced during self-transformation.
  • Long Tail (Memetic): A model of meme space as a population of meme carriers, where distribution can be graphed, with the goal of moving memes from "innovators" to the "early majority."
  • Machine Enlightenment: The concept that an exact and detailed specification of any human function would, in principle, allow a computer to perform it, questioning the uniqueness of human spirituality.
  • Magickal Attack/Defense: Attack by enchantment, defend by evocation. Emphasizes vigorously tailored enchantments over "naive procedures" like astral shields.
  • Magickal Medicine (Homeopathy Paradox): Homeopathy is explained as working by magick (operator intent) despite its bogus theories, highlighting how belief in wrong theories can achieve real effects.
  • Mavens: Individuals in a social network who are trusted sources of quality information, important for maintaining a meme's integrity.
  • Meatspace: An affectionate term for physical, real-world interaction, contrasting with virtual or online spaces.
  • Memeplex: A nested or linked chain of memes that are absorbed in sequence, creating a complex structure of beliefs and behaviors.
  • Menome: A portmanteau (meme is to gene as menome is to genome) representing the totality of memes within an individual or culture.
  • Metamind (Multimind): The non-unified parts and separate processes that carry out mental cognition, including sub-personalities, talents, and data-processing modules.
  • New-Ageism: Criticized for its "slop marketed by those old hippies who now sell a user-friendly dilution of their original enlightenment."
  • Noosphere: A term, introduced by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, referring to a conceptual "meme space" based on human beings and their communication networks.
  • Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted: A multi-level axiom attributed to Hassan i Sabbah, interpreted as judging ideas by usefulness, understanding that only "doing" exists, and celebrating creation from "nothing."
  • Null Path Divinations: Magickal attempts to scry future events, noted as difficult due to the distorting effect of "looking" and the enlarging "circles of probability" in imaginary time.
  • Off-White Magick: A pragmatic and amoral approach to magick, focusing on achieving desired outcomes without spiritual or demonic justification, often with a "superior sense of humour."
  • Our Glorious Simian Heritage: A critique of human obeisance to spiritual masters and deities, seen as stemming from pack animal instincts to submit to an "alpha ape."
  • Persona: The projected, public self, seen as a conceptual bricolage of available memes, often a "rigid shell" that constrains experiences.
  • Phage (Memetic): A specific kind of "meme virus" that rewrites an organism (meme-bearer) to its own ends through the injection of specific codes, altering behavior.
  • Phenomenization: Chapters in Psybermagick that explore the nature of time and space, particularly in relation to six-dimensional psispacetime.
  • Psispacetime: A six-dimensional framework (three spatial, three temporal including imaginary time) used to model non-local exchange of information and magickal effects.
  • Psybermagick: The title of Carroll's book, referring to advanced ideas in Chaos Magick, particularly integrating cybernetic and psychological concepts.
  • Quantum Psychology: Robert Anton Wilson's concept of "Reality Tunnels," emphasizing that our perception filters reality.
  • Reality Tunnels: The idea that humans filter the world through their nervous system's habits of punctuation and expectations, creating individualized perceptions of reality.
  • Recapitulation: A technique for altering internal programs by accessing and overwriting past experiences where a program was initially installed.
  • Retroactive Enchantment: A magickal technique where one tricks their subconscious into believing an object was always in a desired place, demonstrating the mutability of the "imaginary time past."
  • Rhizomatic Network: A network with multiple, non-hierarchical entry and exit points, appearing as a clandestine path to hierarchical structures.
  • Sacrifice (Carroll's view): Instead of sacrificing to spiritual agencies, one should "invest directly in themselfs," sacrificing only what gets in the way of desire.
  • Salesmen: Individuals in a social network who alter a meme's signal to suit their audiences, effectively infecting a higher percentage but risking distortion.
  • Science & Magick: Magick is viewed as a broader domain, with science being a small part of it where coincidences have a high probability. "Any sufficiently advanced form of magick appear indistinguishable from science." (Stokastikos's Law).
  • Semic Code: An understanding deduced from what is shown, a continuous feedback loop that engages the audience in cultural discourse.
  • Semiotics: The study of how meaning is transmitted, encompassing signs, symbols, and codes.
  • Servitor: A magically created semi-autonomous entity, often a "cybermorph" or "eidolon," used by magicians for specific tasks.
  • Sigilization: A core chaos magick technique involving the creation of symbols (sigils) to represent a desired outcome, often through processes of condensing intent and then charging the sigil. In The Art of Memetics, this is expanded to constructing memes and transmedia narratives.
  • Sleight of Mind: Techniques in chaos magick for encrypting signals so the "deep mind" receives the message without conscious interference.
  • Socionics: A personality typing system (related to Jung's work) that categorizes personality along four axes, used to understand how individuals process reality.
  • Sophistry (Abyss of): A pitfall in magick where imagining oneself innately and effortlessly magickal leads to becoming less effective.
  • Spinwarp Theory: A theoretical framework in Psybermagick that contends fundamental 'particle' characteristics arise from spins having imaginary time components, providing additional evidence for three-dimensional time.
  • Spiritual Masters (Critique of): Seen as benefiting from the "pack animal brains" human hunger for submission and promises of reward/escape from punishment.
  • Spirituality (Carroll's view): Argued to require "contra-initiative absurdity" and "idiotic" ideas to command belief, often based on denials of death and sex.
  • Stokastikos's Law: "Any sufficiently advanced form of magick appear indistinguishable from science." (A play on Arthur C. Clarke's third law).
  • Subaltern Counterpublic Spheres: Groups marginalized by the public sphere that develop their own internal networks and language, providing alternative spaces for discourse.
  • Symbolic Code: A higher-level code, a "pattern of patterns" (e.g., astrological planets mapped to various concepts), capable of evoking archetypal resonances.
  • Synchronicity: Meaningful coincidences; in this context, it refers to following associative triggers to fulfill one's will.
  • Tetragrammaton of the Illuminati: A framework outlining four psychopolitical programs (Jehovic/lawful nastiness, Christic/saintliness, Satanic/beastliness, Luciferic/creative chaos), with the Luciferic path enabling evolution.
  • The Abyss/Crossing the Abyss: Dismissed by Carroll as "Golden Dawn and Thelemic stuff," replaced by three practical pitfalls: Paranoia, Sophistry, and Obsession.
  • The Antichrist (Carroll's): A polemical critique of the Roman Catholic Church as an "abomination" and a "grim and enduring conspiracy" built on self-preservation, industrial slaughter, and control.
  • The Chaos Cyberzoo: A practical exercise for evoking and using magickal servitors, focusing on daily observances and material/astral fashioning of a cybermorph.
  • The Fifth Equation of Magick: A Pythagorean equation modeling "psispacetime" separation between events in a six-dimensional universe, where zero separation allows non-local information exchange.
  • The Fourth Equation of Magick (Eidolonics): An equation (Pe = P + (1 - P)L) for the probability of accomplishing something with an Eidolon, where Pe is the probability, P is chance, and L is the magical link quality.
  • The Void of Chaos: A magickal practice outlined in Psybermagick for seeking inspiration or augury using a chalice, performing Masses of Chaos, and gazing into dark liquids.
  • Tipping Point (Memetic): Malcolm Gladwell's concept (referenced) about how trends take hold through the dynamic interplay of Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen.
  • Toxic Marketing: A form of negative psychological triggering that works when target demographics have developed resistance to mass marketing, often using fear-based tactics.
  • Traffic Dragon: An emergent intelligence attributed to traffic systems, which can be "read" and "communicated" with through observation and action.
  • Transmedia Narration: Storytelling that unfolds across multiple media platforms, leveraging discontinuity to engage audiences and create immersive experiences.
  • True Believer (Hoffer's): A personality type (referenced) characterized by unhappiness, external blame, and a desire for massive social change, making them susceptible to mass movements.
  • True Will (Carroll's critique): Used as an excuse for inaction by some magicians, who believe their "inborn spiritual wisdom" arranges events despite conscious desire.
  • Unconscious Incompetence/Conscious Incompetence/Conscious Competence/Unconscious Competence: Four phases of intentional learning, from unawareness of a lack of skill to performing a skill automatically.
  • Viral Marketing: Marketing strategies designed to spread messages rapidly through social networks, leveraging word-of-mouth and other forms of replication.
  • Zeigarnik Effect: A psychological phenomenon where incomplete tasks or narratives are better remembered than completed ones, exploited in marketing and storytelling to create engagement.

Detailed Timeline ​

Pre-History / Ancient Times: ​

  • Early Human Evolution: Humanity evolved as tree dwellers, then savanna scavengers and hunters, developing muscular and neural capabilities for these actions.
  • Emergence of Stories: Stories, as fundamental human inventions, evolved after emotion and likely concurrently with language and consciousness.
  • Ancient Sigilic Understanding: Ancient people developed sigilic understanding of the heavens, influenced by environmental and psychological factors, leading to early astrology and calendar keeping.
  • The Magus as Calendar Keeper: Keepers of the calendar (mages/priests) wielded power over society by predicting affective states and physical conditions, as exemplified by the Mayan control system based on time-binding.
  • Myths as Maps of the Unconscious: Myths served as charts mapping intensities within the collective unconscious, influencing human behavior.
  • Theophagy and Shadow Rituals: Practices like transubstantiation (socially acceptable cannibalistic theater) and other forms of theophagy in different traditions created shadow archetypes (e.g., vampires and zombies from the symbolism of Christ's blood).
  • Linguistic Manipulation of Deities: Demons were created by renaming gods (e.g., Astarte to Ashtoreth, Baal to Beelzebub), demonstrating early cultural propaganda wars and the garbling of symbolic code in imaginal time.
  • Development of Elemental Weapons: The conceptual basis for classical elemental weapons (wand, cup, dagger, pentacle/disk) emerged, later refined into specific magical operations.
  • Origins of Homeopathy: Erroneous theories of homeopathy arose from early, empirical immunization practices and an ignorance of Avogadro's number.
  • Celtic Elitism: Ancient Celtic ancestors practiced elitism, believing "Never give a sword to a man who cannot dance."

14th Century: ​

  • Monotheism's Dominance: The question "What will succeed monotheism?" would have seemed unaskable, indicating its strong cultural hold.

18th Century (Post-Enlightenment): ​

  • Astrology's Second Demise: Astrology died a second time after the Enlightenment, having previously died with classical gods.

1886: ​

  • Corporate Personhood in the US: In a federal court, corporations in the United States were decreed legal persons, capable of owning property and being held responsible for damages, leading to the rise of the corporate egregore.

1927: ​

  • Zeigarnik Effect Identified: Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik described the "Zeigarnik Effect," where an incomplete task or narrative is retained in memory until resolved.

1950s: ​

  • Pierre Teilhard's Noosphere Concept: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin conceptualized the Noosphere, a "meme space" existing on human brains and social interactions, before the full development of memetics.
  • Leary's Interpersonal Circumplex: Timothy Leary published his model of group dynamics, the interpersonal circumplex (1957), a personality compass still used in group therapy.

1960s - 1970s: ​

  • Hippy Counter-Culture: Hippies of '68 challenged dress codes and sex codes, contributed to ending a major war, and fostered disrespect for authority. Mysticism and music served as tools against the state.
  • Chaos Magic Emergence: A current in occult circles, referred to as Chaos Magic, began manifesting, heavily influenced by postmodernism and focusing on manipulating belief.
  • Richard Dawkins' "Meme" Concept: Richard Dawkins, in The Selfish Gene, described memes as units of cultural inheritance.
  • John Lilly's "Programming in the Human Bio-Computer": Dr. John Lilly explored metaprograms governing the conscious mind's relation to stored knowledge.
  • William S. Burroughs' "The Job": Burroughs discussed applying knowledge across disciplines to avoid becoming stuck in one way of doing things.

1980s: ​

  • Peter J. Carroll's Liber Null & Psychonaut (1987): This book augmented the technical procedures and general theory of magick, unifying different models into a cohesive system.
  • Robert Anton Wilson's Quantum Psychology (1990): This work discussed Reality Tunnels, a concept similar to Kenneth Burke's terministic screen.
  • Robert Ornstein's Multimind (1986): This book introduced the concept of the multimind, referring to the non-unified parts and separate processes that run mental cognition.

1990s: ​

  • Peter J. Carroll's Liber Kaos: The Psychonomicon (1992): This book, along with Liber Null & Psychonaut, provided technical procedures and general theory of magick, including the first three equations of magick.
  • Phil Hine's Prime Chaos (1993) and Condensed Chaos (1995): These books were published, focusing on Chaos Magic.
  • Mark Defrates' "Sigils, Servitors, and Godforms" (1995): This essay explored the technical language of servitors in magic.
  • Aaron Lynch's Thought Contagion (1996): This book analyzed Mormonism through the lens of memetics, emphasizing generational transmission and evolutionary pressures.
  • Joseph Matheny's MetaMachine (circa 1997): Matheny conducted primitive experiments attempting to divine alchemical essences of the cyber-noosphere using cyborganics.
  • Peter J. Carroll's retirement: Frater Stokastikos (Peter J. Carroll) retired from his roles as Magus and Pontiff of Chaos, releasing Psybermagick in celebration.
  • The Last Broadcast (1998): This film, one of the first to be theatrically released digitally via satellite, depicted campers lost and murdered, with evidence in damaged tape reels.
  • The Blair Witch Project (1999): This film became a groundbreaking transmedia hit, leveraging the internet and early search engine optimization techniques, and appropriating ideas from The Last Broadcast.

Early 2000s: ​

  • Peter J. Carroll's Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic (2000): This book was released, introducing the Ipsissimus Thesis of Frater Stokastikos and exploring advanced chaos magic concepts, including a six-dimensional psispacetime model. It also announced Carroll's retirement from active service.
  • Early 2000s - 2004: Wes Unruh observed ongoing perpetual conversations, arguments, and flame wars in the Astrology:1 chatroom on Yahoo.com, noting how anonymity fostered public freedom of expression and how groups banded together against external threats.
  • Wes Unruh & Edward Wilson's Online Connection (early 2000): Wes and Edward connected on an internet forum, not knowing they would later collaborate.
  • Ray Carney Meets Wes Unruh (late summer 2005): Ray Carney, while hallucinating and working on oil paintings, met Wes and re-introduced him to his artistic side. Wes introduced Ray to the Internet.
  • Ray Carney Meets Edward Wilson (late summer 2005): Ray Carney met Edward on Frequency23.
  • Emergence of Viral Video (late 2005): Viral video began making an impression in search engines, demonstrating a new meme adoption pattern.
  • Ray Kurzweil's The Singularity is Near (2005): This seminal text discussed the 7 stages of technological adaptation, providing a model for "phagic repurposing" of existing structures.
  • Chris Anderson's The Long Tail (2006): This book discussed meme space as a "long tail" or population of meme carriers.
  • Henry Jenkins' Convergence Culture (2006): This book explored transmedia storytelling and contemporary media culture.
  • Edward Wilson and Wes Unruh Begin Writing The Art of Memetics (2007): The authors met in person at the Esozone Designer Reality Expo (nearly ten years after their initial online conversation) and began writing the book, with Ray Carney providing illustrations and cover art.
  • Ben Mack's Think Two Products Ahead (2007): This book explored leveraging consumer motivation.
  • Publication of The Art of Memetics (2008): Edward Wilson and Wes Unruh published The Art of Memetics, which includes insights from their collaborative work and introduces memetics, cybernetics, masterminding, and magic as tools for shaping reality.

Cast of Characters ​

Principle Authors and Contributors: ​

  • Peter J. Carroll (Frater Stokastikos): A leading magus and one of the founders of the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT). He is the author of Liber Null & Psychonaut, Liber Kaos: The Psychonomicon, and Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic. He pioneered the format used in Psybermagick (inspired by St. Aleister Crowley) and retired from his roles as Magus and Pontiff of Chaos with its release. His work significantly contributed to the theory and practice of chaos magic.
  • Edward Wilson (Fenris23): A freelance writer, co-author of The Art of Memetics, specializing in rediscovering magical techniques in psychology and sociology. He lives in Vancouver, Canada, Portland, Oregon, and Cyberspace. He co-founded The Art of Memetics with Wes Unruh and contributed to its theoretical framework, including the "Traffic Dragon" concept.
  • Wes Unruh: Co-author of The Art of Memetics, editor of the Alterati.com blog, and webmaster of Aelturnity.com. He lives in upstate New York. He co-founded The Art of Memetics with Edward Wilson, drawing on years of observing online group dynamics and developing concepts like "Imaginal Time and the Construction of Sigils."
  • Ray Carney: Artist and illustrator for The Art of Memetics, responsible for the cover image "Group Mind Synergy." He met Wes Unruh and Edward Wilson in 2005 and contributed his artistic perspective to their work, envisioning a visual interpretation of group minds.

Influential Figures and Referenced Authors: ​

  • Aleister Crowley (St. Aleister Crowley): A pioneer of a literary format for magical texts, which Peter J. Carroll adopted and celebrated in Psybermagick. Described as one of the leading figures in the development of magic over the last century.
  • Austin Osman Spare: Modern sigilization work owes a massive debt to him. Also listed as a leading figure in the development of magic over the last century.
  • Philip K. Dick: Author of VALIS, quoted in The Art of Memetics regarding the Logos as living, replicating information. His work on memory defining reality is also mentioned by Carroll.
  • Robert Anton Wilson: Author of the Cosmic Trigger trilogy, who praised Psybermagick as "the most original, and probably the most important, writer on Magick since Aleister Crowley." He coined the term "Reality Tunnels" and his work Quantum Psychology is a key text for understanding self and group dynamics. He also coined the phrase "Here's what is is, here's what it isn't, now here's why you need to go tell everyone how smart I am."
  • Joseph Matheny: Author of the introduction to The Art of Memetics. He was involved in early "culture jamming" and the dissemination of Incunabula Papers. He created primitive experiments like the MetaMachine and emphasizes open-mindedness in reading.
  • Taylor Ellwood: Author of the foreword to The Art of Memetics and a significant figure in modern magic. He defined magic as "making the improbable possible" and is credited with influencing Wes and Edward's theories and practices. His books Multi-Media Magic and Space/Time Magic are cited.
  • Malcolm Gladwell: Author of The Tipping Point and Blink, whose work on social epidemics, mavens, connectors, and salesmen is referenced for understanding meme spread and unconscious physiological effects of words.
  • Napoleon Hill: Author of Think and Grow Rich, which laid out the concept of mastermind groups.
  • Richard Dawkins: Author of The Selfish Gene, where he first described memes as units of cultural inheritance.
  • Timothy Leary: Developed the interpersonal circumplex model for group dynamics, a "personality compass" used in group therapy and adaptable for understanding social interactions.
  • H.P. Lovecraft: His fictional mythos is cited as an example of hyperstition in action, transforming into a working occult system with various contradictory Necronomicons.
  • Howard Bloom: Author of The Lucifer Principle, which discusses social groups as superorganisms, and The Pitch, Poker, and the Public, where he calls a marketer "an artist in human souls."
  • Ray Kurzweil: Author of The Singularity is Near, which includes a discussion of the 7 stages of technological adaptation, a model adaptable to "phagic repurposing."
  • Stanislav Grof: Psychologist who identified the "COEX system" or associated chain of bodily memory, relevant to how memes are absorbed.
  • Roland Barthes: Literary theorist who termed the "hermeneutic code" and analyzed "Operation Margarine" in advertising, showing how advertisers frame debates.
  • Marshall McLuhan: Communication theorist, referenced for his concept of branding as a "cool medium" in "The Medium is the Message."
  • Dr. John Lilly: Author of Programming in the Human Bio-Computer, known for his quote about the mind's power over belief: "In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true is true or becomes true, within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the mind, there are no limits."
  • Kurt Vonnegut: Author, quoted for the phrase "you are what you pretend to be," which Unruh and Wilson rephrase to "you become what you do."
  • Eric Drexler, Eliezer Yudkowsky, Ray Kurzweil: Authors who described the technological singularity, which is happening faster than predicted due to quantum computing advances.
  • Aaron Lynch: Author of Thought Contagion, whose analysis of memetics is discussed for its focus on larger, permanent belief structures.
  • William Gibson: Author, quoted for saying "The future is here, it's just not evenly distributed." His novel Pattern Recognition is also recommended for understanding interconnected fan communities.
  • Edward DeBono: Creator of "flowscapes," a tool for analyzing dynamic processes and identifying points of change within a pattern.
  • Dr. Wenger: Author of The Einstein Factor, whose techniques for increasing intelligence rely on input-output balancing.
  • Hassan I Sabbah: Attributed with the phrase: "Nothing is true; everything is permitted," a cornerstone of Chaoist philosophy discussed by Carroll.
  • The Joker (from Batman): Presented as a detailed example of an egregore, an emergent intelligence created by collective effort and changing over time while maintaining cohesive nature.
  • Carl Jung: Termed the "collective unconscious," a concept related to the arena where meaning fights meaning and ideas breed. His work on personality typing also influenced socionics.
  • Giordano Bruno: "Dominican's most heretical student," associated with the art of memory.
  • Ridley Scott: Director of Legend, whose film is alluded to for its depiction of light revealing the Id at play.
  • Alex Gray: Artist, whose Sacred Mirrors are mentioned as an aid to understanding bio-energy fields.
  • Bluma Zeigarnik: Russian psychologist who described the "Zeigarnik Effect."
  • John Grinder and Richard Bandler: Developers of NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) and the metamodel.
  • David Bourland, Jr.: Described E-Prime, an example of private language technology.
  • Eric Hoffer: Identified the "True Believer" personality type, easily manipulated by depictions of the past and future.
  • Moses: Leader of the Jews, mentioned as an example of how knowledge of the ruling class (being raised as an Egyptian prince) can lead to overthrowing tyranny.
  • Mahatma Gandhi: Quoted for "Be the change you want to see in the world."
  • Oprah: Used as an example of someone who communicates personally through broadcast media, creating a trusted source effect.
  • Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: Referenced for Marx's vision of conspiracy and ideology, which The Art of Memetics suggests may arise naturally from meme evolution.
  • Clive Thomas: Author of "Is the Tipping Point Toast?", a critical article on Gladwell's work.
  • Cris Anderson: Author of "The Long Tail."
  • Malcolm G. Durham and Douglas M. Kellner: Editors of Media and Cultural Studies Keyworks, Revised Edition.
  • Nancy Frazer: Author of "Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy."
  • Paco Xander Nathan: Referenced for his discussion on corporate metabolism.