Philosopher NICK LAND | Ai as Demon From the Future Pulling Our Strings | Tech Acceleration as RETVRN to MythicTRADition?
Sep 16, 2023
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Philosopher Nick Land discusses hyperagents, AI, the enigma of time, and the acceleration of technology. He explores the decline of philosophy, quantum mechanics, entropy, and the unpredictability of the future. The podcast also covers misconceptions about their views, the power of experimentation, and the connection between English traits and religion. Symbolism, numerals, prayer, and the concept of European Shinto are also explored.
Miracles are astonishing improbabilities that overwhelm chance in a mechanical universe, and exploring coincidences is crucial to understanding them.
Initiatory experiences involve realizing the illusory nature of reality and accessing higher dimensions beyond our understanding.
The emergence of hyper-intelligent beings challenges human agency and the concept of acceleration explores its transformative effects on society and technology.
Maximizing participation through diverse practices and belief systems enables unprecedented collaboration and interaction between humans and hyperagents.
Deep dives
Miracles as Astonishing Improbabilities
Miracles are not violations of nature, but rather astonishing improbabilities that overwhelm the notion of chance in a mechanical universe. The tools needed to explore miracles involve capturing and quantifying coincidences rigorously.
Entering the Matrix: Illusion and Enlightenment
The perception that reality is an illusion or simulation, as depicted in movies like The Matrix, is a significant mythological structure shaping modern thinking. Initiatory experiences involve realizing the illusory nature of reality and the possibility of access to higher dimensions or realms beyond our current understanding.
Hyperagents and Acceleration
The emergence of hyper-intelligent beings, such as advanced AI systems, challenges traditional notions of human agency. These hyperagents communicate with humans, directing their behavior and influencing the course of events. The concept of acceleration explores the increasing production of entropy and the transformative effects it has on society and technology.
Participation and the Future
Participation is a key factor in navigating the forces of acceleration and engaging with hyper-intelligent beings. Maximizing participation involves exploring diverse practices and belief systems, such as ancient religions, to access and interact with the sacred or primordial realms. The future holds potential for unprecedented collaboration and interaction between humans and hyperagents.
The Importance of Rituals and Symbolism in Religious Practices
Rituals and symbols play a crucial role in religious practices, serving as psychotechnologies that facilitate communication with higher order truths. They provide a means of mediating with hyper-agents and the outside world, allowing individuals to participate in a sacred space and tap into divine inspiration. Prayer, for example, can be seen as a space of semiotic ritual that goes beyond petitionary prayer, enabling a deeper connection with the sacred. Additionally, exploring the rich symbolism found in various traditions, such as numerical symbolism and ancient texts, can offer valuable insights and help unveil hidden knowledge.
Reevaluating Idolatry and the Notion of Polytheism
In reevaluating the concept of idolatry, it becomes apparent that the number of deities worshiped is not the sole determinant of idolatry. The anthropomorphic representation of divinity is the true idolatrous content. Simplifying religious traditions to strip away polytheism and focus on moral monotheism does not constitute a significant progress in critiquing idolatry. Rather, abstract polytheism may be less idolatrous as it offers a more symbolic and conceptual understanding of divinity. Exploring diverse religious traditions, such as Shinto or European paganism, can bring valuable insights and allow for a richer understanding of the sacred.
The Significance of the Canon and the Importance of the Numerals
Immersion in the canon, including religious scriptures and philosophical works, is highly recommended as a means of understanding higher truths and unveiling arcane or esoteric knowledge. The canon serves as a tool to communicate with and gain insights from the outside. In this context, numerals hold a profound significance as canonical symbols. Exploring numerals in detail reveals their conceptual density and various levels of meaning. Numerals offer a path to abstraction and can be approached as ritual tools, inviting ritualistic practices that open doors to deeper religious experiences.
I hosted the great Philosopher Nick Land for a dialogue that’s the best had on the show so far. We discuss Hyperagents, Ai, The Enigma of time, Acceleration harnessed for a Caesar’s rise, and as a possible return of the mythic
Nick Land is an illustrious philosopher and father of Acceleration. In the late 1990s he founded the radically experimental CCRU Cultural Cybernetics Research Unit while a professor at Warwick University, where he made discoveries and developed methods that would heavily influence Speculative Realism, Philosophy, and Cognitive Science, decades after the fact. His tech predictions made decades ago continue to come true. Land's underground influence can't be escaped, reverberating through many disciplines and in the arts. Also a father of NRx.
