In preparation for the upcoming season on Dark Triad Powers, I decided to record some of the core research gathered for pre-production. These passages will also be spun through the Human Layer Knowledge Garden so readers (and the co-hosts ;) can engage with the source text and also expand their understanding of the themes before we record the episodes.
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What happens when ancient spiritual wisdom meets modern technological critique? A surprising resonance emerges that might just hold the key to navigating our current societal challenges.
Drawing from the ancient text, Bhairava Tantra, we explore a counterintuitive approach to negative qualities like anger, jealousy, and greed. Rather than suppressing these emotions, Tantric wisdom suggests observing them with complete awareness—using one pointed attention to penetrate beyond the surface disturbance to access deeper dimensions of understanding. This practice allows for the transmutation of negative energy into positive energy, offering a powerful tool for personal transformation.
This wisdom finds an unexpected parallel in Jaron Lanier's critique of our digital economy. Written in 2012, his book "Who Owns the Future?" warned that the information economy was evolving to systematically devalue human contributions while concentrating unprecedented wealth and power in those controlling the largest networks. His prediction that "ordinary people will be unvalued by the new economy, while those closest to the top computers will become hyper-valuable" feels prophetic a decade later as we witness growing inequality and the commodification of our digital lives.
Both traditions—ancient Tantra and modern technological criticism—point toward the necessity of awareness as the first step in transformation. By acknowledging the dark triad power structures (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) embedded within our technological systems, we can begin the essential work of transmutation. The problem isn't technology itself but "the way we think about technology"—just as our negative emotions aren't inherently bad but rather energies awaiting conscious redirection.
Ready to elevate your consciousness and develop practical tools for navigating our complex digital landscape? Subscribe now and join us for our upcoming season on dark triad power structures—where we'll say the quiet part out loud and explore pathways toward a more humane technological future.