Mysticism in The Matrix

[DynoMight]

I agree that these concepts need to be revisited and rewritten periodically.

Beyond The Matrix this could also help explain the popularity of pop culture phenomenons such Star Wars and The Jedi Religion it has spawned.

[Snoopy]

Taken from the Journal of Religion and Film:

http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/gnostic.htm

As to other media influences, it seems to have been influenced by the anime Ghost in the Shell, but I've yet to watch this myself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell

Snoopy.

[moseslmpg]

The Ghost in the Shell series is better than the first movie, IMO. The second season is particularly thought-provoking for me, although I have not seen the second movie yet.

Anyway, there is a woman who claims that the Wachowski brothers actually stole the idea for the Matrix trilogy from her. She sued them or something. Yeah...so here's her site.

[Popeyesays]

As to the concept of near instantaneous electronic communication, the first instance of this was the public demonstration of the telegraph by SXamuel B. Morse.

Oddly enough, almost simultaneously in Persia, in the city of Shiraz, the Bab announced His Revelation based on the concept of a world-wide community.
May 23rd, 1844 C.E.

Regards,
Scott

[DynoMight]

A study was done recently at Johns Hopkins University regarding the mystical effects of psilocybin mushrooms. The results of the study show that psilocybin does indeed induce genuine mystical experience. An outline of the study and its results can be found in the Johns Hopkins Gazette here:

Johns Hopkins Gazette | July 24, 2006

ps - Popeye thanks for pointing out another link that Matrixism has with world religious history.

[Popeyesays]

Originally Posted by DynoMight

A study was done recently at Johns Hopkins University regarding the mystical effects of psilocybin mushrooms. The results of the study show that psilocybin does indeed induce genuine mystical experience. An outline of the study and its results can be found in the Johns Hopkins Gazette here:

Johns Hopkins Gazette | July 24, 2006

ps - Popeye thanks for pointing out another link that Matrixism has with world religious history.

Actually, back in my youth I dropped acid, did pscilocybe mushrooms and peyote. The side effect of drugs has nothing to do with mysticism. You do realize that Carlos Castaneda was a fraud don't you?

Regards,
Scott

[DynoMight]

No one here is talking about Carlos Casteneda. But for the record he wasn't so much of a fraud as he was guided/manipulated by a fraud (there is a difference). Did you have that sort of dirt done to you back in the days when you "dropped acid, did pscilocybe mushrooms and peyote"? I venture to say you didn't take the advice given in "The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience" and many other authorative books on the subject that say psychedelics should be experienced only in a controled environment and under controled circumstances. The study I referrenced by Johns Hopkins University also says as much.

Matrixism: the path of the One gives the same sound and responsible advice. This is a quote from the Matrixism website:

"Unfortunately because psilocybin and LSD are currently illegal in many parts of the world they both tend to attract unwanted attention from the agents of the system and the minions of the Merovingian (i.e. law enforcement agencies and organized crime syndicates). It is NEVER a good idea to buy illicit substances. For this reason mastery in the skill of growing psilocybin mushrooms is essential to the path of the One. Additionally psilocybin mushrooms grown by one's own self should never be sold and should only be shared with close friends and family. Lastly we highly recommend that psychedelic mushrooms be taken in private and that they be experienced in a relatively controled environment."

Clearly if psilocybin mushrooms or any other psychedelic are taken as directed the kind of thing that happened to Carlos (and perhaps yourself) could never occur.

Popeye, have you read the Matrixism website? It is a fairly short read:

Matrixism: the path of the One

[Popeyesays]

Originally Posted by DynoMight

No one here is talking about Carlos Casteneda. But for the record he wasn't so much of a fraud as he was guided/manipulated by a fraud (there is a difference). Did you have that sort of dirt done to you back in the days when you "dropped acid, did pscilocybe mushrooms and peyote"? I venture to say you didn't take the advice given in "The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience" and many other authorative books on the subject that say psychedelics should be experienced only in a controled environment and under controled circumstances. The study I referrenced by Johns Hopkins University also says as much.

Matrixism: the path of the One gives the same sound and responsible advice. This is a quote from the Matrixism website:

"Unfortunately because psilocybin and LSD are currently illegal in many parts of the world they both tend to attract unwanted attention from the agents of the system and the minions of the Merovingian (i.e. law enforcement agencies and organized crime syndicates). It is NEVER a good idea to buy illicit substances. For this reason mastery in the skill of growing psilocybin mushrooms is essential to the path of the One. Additionally psilocybin mushrooms grown by one's own self should never be sold and should only be shared with close friends and family. Lastly we highly recommend that psychedelic mushrooms be taken in private and that they be experienced in a relatively controled environment."

Clearly if psilocybin mushrooms or any other psychedelic are taken as directed the kind of thing that happened to Carlos (and perhaps yourself) could never occur.

Popeye, have you read the Matrixism website? It is a fairly short read:

Matrixism: the path of the One

Actually, I did psilocybe and peyote with Mexcalero Apaches. The few times I dropped acid was in nicely controlled and very peaceful circumstances.

By the way, Castaneda admitted that there never had been a Don Juan at all. I wouldn't touch datura with a ten foot pole in those days, they don't call it "loco weed" for nothing.

I graduated high school in 1965. I read Timothy Leary (and thought he was a manipulative son of a bitch from the first time I heard him). I found Castaneda's book interesting but figured it for fake not very far in, it lacked the control aspects and critical comment of someone doing a dissertation.

Within a few years of my introduction to psilocybe and peyote, the folks I did it with became very active in the Native American Church, and I had become a "white eye" in their estimation.

By '75, I became Baha`i.

Regards,
Scott

[DynoMight]

The Matrixism website and canon don't mention anything about Casteneda. It appears he has no relation to The Path of the One at all. From what you say about him and what I have heard he sounds like a real quack.

Originally Posted by Popeyesays

The few times I dropped [LSD] was in nicely controlled and very peaceful circumstances.

It sounds like should have had a good and productive mind expanding experience. Of course sometimes people are not ready for such things.

How was your trip on LSD? Did you have a good mind expanding experience or was it something else?

[Popeyesays]

LSD trips are like anything else--you get out of it what you brought to it. There is no outside interference or contribution.

Regards,
Scott

[DynoMight]

Originally Posted by Popeyesays

LSD trips are like anything else--you get out of it what you brought to it. There is no outside interference or contribution.

Regards,
Scott

That would be true if the whole were just the sum of its parts. But as most educated people now know the universe is full of (in fact it is mainly composed of) emergent phenomena where were parts can integrate into new wholes that have new properties and never before existed.

Anyhow, it sounds like you had a pretty boring trip.

[Popeyesays]

Originally Posted by DynoMight

That would be true if the whole were just the sum of its parts. But as most educated people now know the universe is full of (in fact it is mainly composed of) emergent phenomena where were parts can integrate into new wholes that have new properties and never before existed.

Anyhow, it sounds like you had a pretty boring trip.

I wouldn't say boring, it brings out things about yourself, you might not have known about, but sifting that from the nonsense is more difficult than you would think.

As to the first paragraph? I believe that was a fine example of noise without substance.

Regards,
Scott

[DynoMight]

Originally Posted by Popeyesays

I wouldn't say boring, it brings out things about yourself, you might not have known about, but sifting that from the nonsense is more difficult than you would think.

As to the first paragraph? I believe that was a fine example of noise without substance.

Nope it's actually the modern scientific view of how the world works. Things are more than the sum of their parts. So to say that you only get out what you bring in because there is no outside factors is to negelect that things can be more than the sum of their parts. I would argue that if you bring in A and add B you might get C and not just A&B.

Sorry to here that you brought in so much "non-sense" to sort through.

I think that taking psychedelics can be just as good as meditating, fasting or any of the other disciplines designed to bring about mystical experience. There is a lot of scientific evidence to suggest that this is true.

Aldous Huxley has a lot of intelligent things to say on the subject. Three of his books are referenced in Matrixism's bookstore. Both "The Doors of Perception" and "Island" are classics.

[Popeyesays]

Using psychedelics is like dreaming. You bring nothing to a dream that isn't there already.

Regards,
Scott

[DynoMight]

A lot of people get valuable insights from dreams. Dreams are a lot subconcious thinking. You might know "A" from experience and "B" from being taught and if you spend some time thinking about them you might come up with a new idea "C" that wasn't brought in.

That being said mystical waking consciousness isn't the same as the subconscious dream state. They can both be beneficial in terms of creativity, problem solving and spiritual awareness but they are not the same thing.

Not trying to call you out or anything but I think that you're just trying to demean or devalue altered states of consciousness and have the last word on it. You are probably doing this just because as a Baha'i you feel threatened by Matrixism.

Baha'is shouldn't be threatened by Matrixism. The covenant of Matrixism only honors the covenant of the baha'i and elevates it to a new higher level. Baha'is can always adopted the principles of Matrixism and the path of the One will be there for them. As the Matrxism website says it is perfectly acceptable to be a Baha'i and a Pathist at the same time.