Suggested Reading

"Although the HEAD Revolution transformed the Terran primates at the time of his ancient Romance, nobody knows when it actually began. Some trace it to certain Alchemical cults of the early Dark Ages (i.e., just before the time of this epic novel [Schroedinger's Cat]); some try to find its origins in primitive shamanism and yoga.

What is clear is that *some* primates on Terra began to transcend genetic four-circuit limitations many centuries, or even millennia, before true neuroscience appeared among then. Whether this was due mutation, empirical hit-or-miss experimentation with alkaloid herbs, or other factors is unknown. In Egypt and China and other places, a few primates reported fifth-circuit raptures - the dawning of neurosomatic consciouness - two thousand or even three thousand years before the Space Age began.

The picture is the same on all planets. A few biots [= biological units] suddenly rise above the eat-it-or-flee-it imprints of the amphibian biosurvival circuit, above the dominate-or-submit imprints of the mammalian territorial-emotional circuit, above the either/or logic of the hominid semantic circuit, above the "good" and "bad" values of the tribal sociosexual circuit. They have transcended infantile feeding programs, adolescent philosophizing, and adult "responsibility" (pack role) all at once.

What has happened, of course, is that these biots have formed a fifth circuit in their brains. This is called the neurosomatic circuit because it allows conscious feedback between the nervous system ("mind," in prescientific primate language) and the soma ("body"). In the larval stages of this Hedonic Revolution, every planet exhibits the same monotonous pattern:

*Mysticism and monomania appear.* Many of the mutated biots become convinced that they control everything (the "I-am-God" syndrome), not realizing that they merely control their own perceptual field.

*"Miracle healings" are reported.* The neurosomatic ("mind body") feedback loop allows the mutant biots to become healthier, younger-looking, and sleeker ("handsomer") than average. They soon believe, and are encouraged by their admirers to never doubt, that they can "cure" everything.

*Neurosomatic intolerance appears.* The mutated biots grow annoyed, and became extremely critical about, the robot mechanisms of first-circuit approach-avoidance, second-circuit domination-submission, third-circuit either/or logic, and static fourth-circuit sex roles. They call on everybody to flot free like themselves, or like the wind.

The other biots usually declare these five-circuit mutants to be divine, or else they kill them. Sometimes they do both.

The condition was just becoming understood on Terra at the time of this Quantum Comedy, as neuropharmacologists slowly traced links between neurochemistry and the creation of perceived reality-tunnels."

(R. A. Wilson: Schroedinger's Cat, pp. 298-299.)

"Though useful, as any model will be, the Eight-Circuit Model is incomplete. In the interests of establishing some common ground and agreeing on useful terminology, I'd like to describe some additional models and maybe develop some terminology.
The term "metaprogramming" was actually coined by Dr. John Lilly, who wrote the book Programming and Metaprogramming the Human Biocomputer. If you haven't read this book yet, do so *now*. In the meanwhile, I'd like to discuss some concepts related to metaprogramming.

The term "metaprogramming" implies that the human mind (or biocomputer, as Lilly calls it), can be programmed. That is, that it is constantly and continuously running a complex set of programs which are controlling all aspects of the organism's existence. There are programs which keep your heart running. There are programs which control your oxygen intake and consumption. There are programs which monitor your energy reserves and generate requests for nourishment that you experience as "hunger". There are programs which control the complex dance of coordinating muscular and skeletal movements as you walk. Many of these programs are "hardwired", that is to say, they come with the original equipment and don't require any kind of learning. Other of these programs require a significant amount of learning before you can run them, although the hardware comes ready to run them. Walking for example. Or any temporal-spacial location reflexes. If you watch a baby exploring the space around it, you can see it developing basic motion/location reflexes. Learning to walk is an excellent example. Humans are designed to walk upright, on two legs. But it requires a good two years of training to get it right, to get most of the bugs out of the complex calculations necessary to coordinate location and balance inputs with muscular-skeletal outputs. Then there are the more complicated programs which must be learned: language, symbol manipulation, social interactions, science, business, art, etc. At some point, the organism must learn how to learn. This is metaprogramming: the program which enables the organism to orchestrate the vast numbers of subordinate programs, develop new programs, and coordinate the interactions between them. There are likely many metaprograms as well. Different styles of learning, for example. Somewhere in this sea of metaprograms arises a particular set of metaprograms which represent the self. These are usually refered to as 'I' when acting on other metaprograms, and 'me' when being acted upon by other metaprograms. Lilly calls this the 'self-metaprogrammer'. Beyond these metaprograms, there may be other controls and controllers in the hierarchy, which Lilly labels 'supraself-metaprograms'.
To quote Lilly:

These may be many or one, depending on current states of consciousness in the single self-metaprogrammer. These may be personified as if entities, treated as if a network for information transfer, or realized as if self traveling in the Universe to strange lands or dimensions or spaces. If one does a further unification operation on these supraself metaprograms, one may arrive at a concept labeled God, the Creator, the Starmaker, or whatever. ...
Certain states of consciousness result from and cause operations of this apparent unification phenomenon. We are still general purpose computers who can program any conceivable model of the universe inside our own structure, reduce the single self-metaprogrammer to a micro size, and program him to travel through his own model as if real. ... Once one has control over modelling the universe inside one's self, and is able to vary the parameters satisfactorily, one's self may reflect this ability by changing appropriately to match the new property.

This hierarchy of programs and metaprograms is summarized in the following diagram of levels of functional organization:


LEVELS
XI Unknown Above and in biocomputer
X Supra-species-metaprograms Beyond metaprogramming
IX Supra-self-metaprograms To be metaprogrammed
VIII Self-metaprogram (awareness) To metaprogram
VII Metaprograms/metaprogram storage To program sets of programs
VI Programs/program storage Detailed instructions
V Subroutines/subroutine storage Details of instructions
IV Biochemical/neural/glial/vascular Signs of activity
III Biochemical/neural/glial/vascular Brain
II Biochemical/sensory/motor/vascular Body
I Biochemical/chemical/physical External reality
Now a cursory inspection of this diagram reveals a couple things. First, this model is clearly open-ended. It contains within it a symbol for things which it cannot represent itself, namely level XI. Clearly, additional experiential data could reveal levels beyond XI. Secondly, it has some correspondence with Leary's 8-circuit model, but doesn't quite make the same assertions about the specific functioning. However, with a bit of work, one might see where the various 8 circuits might map into this model.

OK, that's all for tonight. Your assignment for the next class is to observe the functioning of your own biocomputer in terms of this model and see how it applies.

One final word: remember "it's only a model!" - "shhh!""

http://www.phinnweb.org/neuro/8-circuit/lilly.html

"I. THE TERRESTRIAL CIRCUITS (Circuits designed for life on Earth.)

1. The Biosurvival Circuit ("Consciousness") -- imprinted in infancy. Concerned with sucking, nourishment, cuddling, biosecurity. The imprinting of this circuit sets up the basic attitude of trust or suspicion which will last for life. First activated when a human being is born, and programs perception onto an either-or grid, divided into nuturing-helpful and noxious-dangerous (approach/accept vs. fight/flee). To activate: the opiates.

2. The Emotional-Territorial Circuit ("Ego") -- imprinted in the toddling stage. Concerned with territorial demands, emotional power tactics, political domination-and-submission strategies. The first imprint on this circuit identifies the stimuli which will automatically trigger dominant, aggressive behavior or submissive, cooperative behavior. To activate: abundant quantities of alcohol.

3. The Time-Binding Semantic {Dexterity-Symbolism} Circuit ("Mind") -- imprinted by human artifacts and symbol systems. Concerned with handling the environment, invention, calculation, prediction, building a "map" of the universe. If the environment is stimulating to the third circuit, the child takes a "bright" imprint and becomes dextrous and articulate; if the environmentis made of stupid people, the child takes a "dumb" imprint, i.e., remains more or less at a 5-year-old stage of artifact clumsiness and symbol-blindness. To activate: caffeine, speed, cocaine, a high-protein diet.

4. The Sociosexual Circuit ("Adult Personality") -- imprinted by the first orgasm-mating experiences and tribal "morals." Concerned with sexual pleasure, local definitions of "moral" and "immoral", reproduction, nurture of the young. The specific neurotransmitter for Circuit IV has not been synthesized yet, but it is generated by the glands after pubescence and flows volcanically through the bloodstreams of adolescents.

Note: None of these terrestrial drugs change basic biochemical imprints (i.e. Circuit I-IV imprints). The behaviors which they trigger are those which were wired into the nervous system during the first stages of imprint vulnerability.

II. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL CIRCUITS (Circuits designed for life in Space.)

5. The Neurosomatic Circuit -- concerned with neurological-somatic feedbacks, feeling high, somatic reprogramming (Christian Science, faith healing, etc.). Gestalts shift from linear visual space to all-encompassing sensory space. A hedonic turn-on occurs, a rapturous amusement, a detachment from the previously compulsive mechanism of the first four circuits. To activate: ecstatic experience via physiological of chemical yogas, such as cannabis, Tantra, hatha yoga; free-fall.

6. The Metaprogramming {Neuroelectric} Circuit -- concerned with reimprinting and reprogramming all earlier circuits, relativity of "realities" perceived, cybernetic consciousness. The sixth circuit consists of the nervous system becoming aware of itself. To activate: mescaline, psilocybin, LSD, Crowleyan "magick" metaprograms, advanced rajah yogas.

7. The Neurogenetic {Morphogenetic} Circuit -- concerned with evolutionary consciousness (past and future), DNA-RNA-brain feedbacks, Jung's "Collective Unconscious." The first to achieve this mutation spoke of "memories of past lives," "reincarnation," "immortality," etc. To activate: LSD, advanced rajah yogas. Mescaline and psilocybin produce some Circuit VII experiences also.

8. The Neuroatomic Circuit -- concerned with quantum consciousness, non-local awareness (beyond spacetime), so-called "PSI" or "magick" powers, Illumination. "Out-of-body experiences," "astral projection," contact with alien "entities" or with a galactic Overmind, etc. Circuit VIII is infra, supra, and meta- physiological -- a quantum mechanical communication system which does not require a biological container. To activate: shock or near-death experience will automatically activate this circuit; Ketamine; high doses of LSD also produce some Circuit VIII quantum awareness."

(Adapted from "Exo-Psychology" by Timothy Leary, and "The Illuminati Papers" and "Cosmic Trigger" by Robert Anton Wilson)

http://www.phinnweb.org/neuro/8-circuit/more.html

For Profit Enterprise

Is absolutely the greatest evil in our world and I do not feel strange any longer about not desiring to play a role in production for profit, for consumption. The carbon footprint is ridiculous with any for profit corporation, ever more so for the greater a distance a particular corporation stretches its greedy fingers via distribution.

Does the world need more plastic cups, more clothing, with already so much waste? What is it about our world that gives people the sensation that we work with unlimited resources? How is global mass transport going to function after non-renewable fuel becomes scarce? Never mind your personal, egoistic transportation. You are reliant on a vast grid of distribution that has yet to be powered "green" and will find itself hampered significantly once it does - and I guarantee you that it will eventually, as there can be no unlimited resource in a limited system. Electric, hydrogen, and alternative combustibles do not provide the power and reliability of the current standard, and it is highly unlikely we are going to be able to produce, for instance, enough ethanol to power the distribution of food, goods, luxury items and more globally to an ever increasing human population, let alone generate those particular goods in the quantities that will be desired or even necessary for the future human race.

There are only a few possibilities to avoid a socio-economic calamity of gigantic proportions, a veritable apocalypse. The people will starve, they will freeze in the winter, they will go without the luxuries that you, I and prior generations have experienced. There will be war over remaining resources, the blood of innocents will flow in every river. Those most protected will be those who have already obtained a great deal of wealth, and with the supply of all things significantly reduced, the prices will grow ever higher. Those in poverty will feel the strain more than any other, and they will be the first to brandish weapons and shout cries of war.

I set forth the following as prophecy for the future, as I believe they are inevitable in one form or another. They will serve to stave off or eliminate the possibility entirely of the calamity I've spoken of, but with great sadness I admit that my belief the human race will make the right choices is essentially non-existent...we would either need a man with a heart frozen solid to initiate many of them, or our entire planet collaborating to produce any desirable outcome. Nationality, language, culture, political situation all serve to drive wedges between us, even though we are all as one. We are all influenced by one another, the planet that we share is changed and shaped by one another and our futures are inexorably intertwined with one-another.

I. The reduction of the human population by either the voluntary or involuntary sterilization of sections of humanity, the latter only insofar as is necessary to maintain homeostasis with the planet.
II. The reduction of the human population via transportation off-world
III. The transportation of resources from off-world to Earth.
IV. Natural or man-made disaster of genocidal proportions - if this becomes necessary random execution would theoretically be more humane.
V. The development of technologies that allow our population to continue to grow as it is while still supporting a certain standard of living and nullifying the current suffering, starvation and poverty in the world.
VI. The relocation of people to urban centers and the utilization of rural land to provide for all people, reducing the distance distribution occurs over by making each urban center a self-sustaining colony, therefore reducing the amount of energy utilized - especially in the case alternative forms of energy prove to be insufficient in supporting the future population and its necessities and desirables.

You want to reduce the suffering in the world?

Quite simply:

Don't have children.

There's plenty of empirical evidence correlating higher per capita GDP with less children per family. A loss of total population in the United States would result in a significant incline with regards to financial stability, security and standard of living.

Like that's going to happen.

Fucking idiot humans.

The worst part is that the poorest nations in the world are also the most procreation-centric, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop it besides educate (likely will never be enough) or sterilize/murder them. They create their very own pits of filth, although we do our share to make it worse.

The Alternative Use for Particle Accelerators?

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/antimatter_spaceship.html

If you fancy reading about an anti-matter driven engine, check out the link.

Apparently our particle accelerators may very well become future anti-matter (positron) production facilities.

Very, very interesting.

100% of energy is converted in an anti-matter reaction, as opposed to only 3% in a nuclear reaction (now imagine an anti-matter bomb - which also produces gamma rays - having that kind of conversion rate, and the amount of devastation it could produce if designed properly.)

According to the article (Dated 2006) they found a way to reduce the amount of gamma rays released. If a spacecraft using this particular engine were to explode in our atmosphere, the blast radius is estimated to be only a half-mile, similar to even the current engine that we use today because of the fireball it would emit.

It's digital so it's free to replicate

That's the benefit of digital media, you know. There's no such thing as supply. Every individual that has a copy of a particular piece of data becomes an effective supplier. To keep the data intact, and to keep producing it only costs an incredibly small amount of actual resources.

Going back to basic theory, some stuff I remember getting touched on by Marx and a few others, the only /wealth/ that is actually created is something physical, tangible that is brought out of the earth or produced via using the earth. All things are contingent on this wealth, however - the artist is a human being who has consumed countless pounds of food and natural resources in his or her lifetime. Their tools are produced from the earth. All other individuals are the same as that artist, regardless of job.

The difference is that an individual who actually plays a role in the creation of new wealth is the only one paying off their debt - so to speak - to society. Everyone else is merely taking from those who create that new wealth. For human beings to have their basic needs met they need food, water and shelter. So those who play a role in the production of these things are absolutely the most important people on the planet by definition. Nothing else would be possible without them. They have the most merit, but they are most certainly not the most economically advantaged. This is a problem. These people are reliant on the individuals who produce their tools, research and develop new technologies that they utilize to better and more efficiently perform their job - and thus this particular sector of science is equally valuable.

The individuals who distribute these things to people, as well as actually construct, repair and upkeep places of living are with the most merit after the former.

After them, the individuals who provide services that increase life expectancy, reduce suffering, increase happiness and increase the amount of time that people are actually "free" to do as they wish are the most important - doctors, pharmacologists, producers of recreational drugs, producers of entertainment (games, movies, books, religion, etc.), engineers, researchers, scientists, technicians all fall into this category. They have a great deal of merit but they are most certainly not as important as those who distribute, and not as important as those who provide the basic requirements for a persistence of the material body. The person who crafts the tools necessary for eating or drinking easily is, for example, within this category as well. Because if there were no people who performed that particular job, everyone else would have less time as they'd have to produce these tools for themselves. Additionally, I think one will find that especially jobs of propriety - such as ownership and renting of land, space for profit - are merely plagues on our societal system, taking a great deal of wealth from those who actually produced something. If I survive merely by my acquisition either through family ties, friendship ties, or even by prior engagement in a useful activity through the purchase and later renting out of space, I am no longer playing a role of usefulness in society. A person does not need a gatekeeper to a place to rest their head, and you do not deserve to gain materially by passing your burdens onto another.

Argh...

There's a difference between what's inside and what's outside.

What's out there, I don't control...it doesn't have a script...

I can imagine in my mind that I will meet or have already met, or am already with a beautiful woman...I can develop complex ideas, turn it into a story...make it as perfect as my heart would ever ache with desire for...

But in reality, the likelihood that I will ever experience that is so incredibly slim...I control nothing outside of my head, but I can control everything infinitely inside of it.

It is this conflict of infinity and the finite that creates so many problems for me...

It's so hard for me to accept that I really can't do and have anything I want...

It's so hard that I'd rather die than accept it, and so I will live on, likely cynical and never having fully realized my hopes and dreams and desires...and all of the many possibilities that could've been.