INTERESTING DEFINITIONS: Not in alphabetical order ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reciprocal altruism: In evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology, reciprocal altruism is a form of altruism in which one organism provides a benefit to another without expecting any immediate payment or compensation. However, reciprocal altruism is not unconditional. Firstly the act of altruism must give rise to a surplus of cooperation, in the sense that the gains to the beneficiary must be perceived to be meaningfully larger than the costs to the benefactor. Secondly the act of altruism should be reciprocated by the original beneficiary if the situation is later reversed. Failure to do so will usually cause the original benefactor to withdraw future acts of altruism. In order for the altruist not to be exploited by non-reciprocaters, it would be expected that reciprocal altruism can only exist in the co-presence of mechanisms to identify and punish "cheaters". This strategy of behaving altruistically at first, but withdrawing aid in the case of non-reciprocation is similar to the tit for tat strategy in game theory. A well known example of reciprocal altruism is blood-sharing by female vampire bats. Bats feed regurgitated blood to those who have not collected blood themselves, and in return, they themselves may someday benefit from a similar donation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sinister: Sinister is originally a Latin term for left or to the left (and by extension, left-handedness), evil. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uncanny: Because the uncanny is familiar, yet strange, it often creates cognitive dissonance within the experiencing subject due to the paradoxical nature of being attracted to, yet repulsed by an object at the same time. This cognitive dissonance often leads to an outright rejection of the object, as one would rather reject than rationalize. The concept of the "uncanny" aesthetic theory was introduced by Sigmund Frued's discussioni of E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 tale "The Sandman". The German word Freud originally used was Unheimlichkeit, which literally means "un-home-like-ness." According to Freud, a distinctive aesthetic experience is produced by a work which is somehow disquieting and elicits feelings of anxiety or distress. Giorgio de Chirico consciously employed the power of uncanniness with paintings of deserted Italian piazze, particularly when they depicted statues at twilight which looked like they might simply get up and move about. The notion of the uncanny played a role in the development of Surrealism - especially with surrealist Andre Breton, who argued that a genuine experience of beauty had to include an experience of shock or surprise. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Predatory Spirituality: (Crossposted from the Werelist) In another thread, Siverwolf asked me elucidate a concept that I have mentioned a few times recently: predatory spirituality. This term has been used frequently by the author and magus, Michael Ford, who has been the main proponent of Luciferian witchcraft. (However, my personal opinion is that predatory spirituality is not something limited to Luciferian witchcraft, but may be universally applied to any so-called "dark" path). In general, magical and psycho-spiritual paths which are in some way associated with either the concepts of Chaos Magic Theory or the Left-Hand Path are "dark" in nature. That is, they possess a high concentration of iconography which is associated with that which we could term "negative:" funerary imagery, death, lust, etc. One also finds that while such paths tend to be atheistic and/or deistic in nature, there is a prevalence of spiritual beings that are adversarial or cthonic in nature. Examples would be Ahriman, Lilith, Azazel, Tiamat, even the fictional Old Ones of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos (Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, etc). Since association with these concepts inevitably causes one to intimately engage with psychic forces generally repressed by the greater society, many primitive atavisms emerge. The vampire, the werewolf, and the dragon are creatures which may be viewed as the synthesis between the rising of primitive atavisms and the willful direction of "darker" psychic forces. Thus, you find the use of such creatures as spiritual archetypes. The Order of the Vampyre, within the Temple of Set is one such group. So is Ordo Sekhemu (I have recently become a probationer in this group, and hope to reach dedicant status within the next two months). Lycanthropy, as viewed in the anthropological and classical sense, is a practice which has been associated (by Christianity) with the adorationa and service of Satan. Many folk cultures, ranging from Meso-America to Africa, to Europe, to Asia have associated the lycanthropic transformation with the practice of malefic witchcraft. Three examples I may provide are the Skinwalkers of North America, the Bruxo of Brazil and Portugal, and the Buda of East Africa. In each of these cases, the lycanthropic practicioner sheds their body for that of some predatory animal, through the use of magic (the first two cases are wolves, the third case is the hyena) and prey upon the vital essence of others. This is as powerful an avatar as the vampire, and as such has grown to have a place in the contemporary dark arts. Predatory spirituality, then, is the rational harnessing of such avatars. It is not, however, juvenile acts of destruction and random mayhem. Because of the supposed risks inherent in deep exploration of such atavisms and psychic forces, practicioners tend to be quite rational and deliberate in their actions. Instead of pointless depredation, those who follow some form of predatory spirituality harness the energy of such avatars to further their autotheistic goals. However, this does not mean one who uses lycanthropy or vampirisim as a magical tool will not bring them to bear as a weapon if needed. One's opposition and enemies are confronted and "devoured." However, I do not feel that this is a common occurence. Moreso, one finds these tools used when combating their own daemons and things which would hinder them form attaining their goals. As one devours their own weaknesses or strengthens these spiritual avatars, one increases the force of their own will and bolsters their psychic fortitude to the degree where (it is hoped and believed) the Self may survive bodily death without dissolution (either into oblivion, or the cosmic whatever you wish to call it), but remain individuated and immortal. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a dissolute imagination the like of which has never been seen, atheistic to the point of fanaticism, there you have me in a nutshell.... Kill me again or take me as I am, for I shall not change. — Marquis de Sade, Last Will and Testament --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enantiodromia: nantiodromia (Greek: enantios, opposite + dromos, running course) is a principle introduced by psychiatrist Carl Jung that the superabundance of any force inevitably produces its opposite. It is equivalent to the principle of equilibrium in the natural world, in that any extreme is opposed by the system in order to restore balance. Though "enantiodromia" was coined by Jung, it is implied in the writings of Heraclitus. In fr. 126, for example, Heraclitus says "cold things warm, warm things cool, wet things dry and parched ] things get wet."[1] It also seems implicit in other of his sayings, like "war is father of all, king of all" (fr. 53), "they do not know that the differing/opposed thing agrees with itself; harmony is reflexive (palintropos, used of a compound bow, or "in reflexive tension"), like the bow and the lyre" (fr. 51). In these passages and others the idea of the coincidence of opposites is clearly articulated in Heraclitus' characteristic riddling style, as well as the dynamic motion back and forth between the two, generated especially by opposition and conflict. Later Plato in the Phaedo will articulate the principle clearly: "Everything arises in this way, opposites from their opposites." (sect. 71a).[2] Since Jung's recognition of it many centuries later it has been observed in modern culture. For example, it has been applied to subject of the film The Lives of Others, to show how one devoted to a fascist regime breaks through his loyalty and emerges a humanist. Jung used the term particularly to refer to the unconscious acting against the wishes of the conscious mind. (Aspects of the Masculine, chapter 7, paragraph 294). Enantiodromia. Literally, "running counter to," referring to the emergence of the unconscious opposite in the course of time. This characteristic phenomenon practically always occurs when an extreme, one-sided tendency dominates conscious life; in time an equally powerful counterposition is built up, which first inhibits the conscious performance and subsequently breaks through the conscious control. ("Definitions," ibid., par. 709) Enantiodromia is typically experienced in conjunction with symptoms associated with acute neurosis, and often foreshadows a rebirth of the personality. The grand plan on which the unconscious life of the psyche is constructed is so inaccessible to our understanding that we can never know what evil may not be necessary in order to produce good by enantiodromia, and what good may very possibly lead to evil. ("The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales", Collected Works 9i, par. 397) The term has also been applied as a neologism to describe the tendency of a younger generation to manifest the undesirable traits of a previous generation, despite the repudiation of these traits when they were young.[citation needed] Two scientific terms which appears similar to enatiodromia are Newton's Third Law of Motion and Gibb's Equation of Entropy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memetic engineering: According to the theory, the effect a meme has on society is based on the application of the meme after understanding the qualities essential to the meme. For example, Rolando, Burchett and Sokol expand on their concept and explain that "Race" and "Racism" are memes incorporating several other memes, some of which have positive connotations in societies that reject racism. According to the theory Memetic engineering is simply put, the analysis of an individual or individual's behavior, the selection of specific memes and the distribution or propagation of those memes with the intent of altering the behavior of others. A memetic engineer doesn't particularly have to consciously make the decision to alter another individuals behavior. It can happen unconsciously when specific behavior is observed, transmitted and then replicated within the observer. The process of creating and developing theories or ideologies based on an analytical study of societies, cultures, their ways of thinking and the evolution of their minds. Memes themselves are neither good nor bad. For example Race is an ideology that is made up of several memes. When a Meme is introduced, those concepts begin to take on their own process of evolution based on the person who adopts the ideology internalizes it, and reintroduces it into society causing it to spread like a virus. According to the above theory, typical memetic engineers include scientists, engineers, industrial designers, ad-men, artists, publicists, political activists, and religious missionaries. Dawkins agrees that much of theology and other theoretical aspects of religion can be viewed as the careful, even worshipful, handling of extremely powerful memeplexes with very odd or difficult traits. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emergence: In philosophy, systems theory and science, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions. Emergence is central to the theories of integrative levels and of complex systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diamonic: Etymology,(Etymology is the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time) from Greek Daimon. A spirit regarded as halfway between gods and men. Also occassionally called demon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Surrealist automatism: is spontaneous writing, drawing, or the like practiced without conscious aesthetic or moral self-censorship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Egregore Egregore (also "egregor") is an occult concept representing a "thoughtform" or "collective group mind", an autonomous psychic entity made up of, and influencing, the thoughts of a group of people. The symbiotic relationship between an egregore and its group has been compared to the more recent, non-occult concepts of the corporation (as a legal entity) and the meme. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meme: Memes, self reproducing mental information structures analogous to genes in biology, can be seen as the basis for an explanatory model of cultural and psychological behaviour. Their properties and effects are evolutionary conditioned and ultimately seeks to promote their replication. To survive in a context the memes must meet certain conditions. Religions represent some of the most powerful and elaborate meme complexes in existence today; they have evolved over millennia into countless variants and co- evolved with cultures.(i.e. Christianity;Satanism...) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Channeling: http://www.kheper.net/topics/New_Age/channeling.htm involve the communication, through a passive or entranced human medium, of messages from a supposed disincarnate intelligence, who is quite distinct from the personality of the medium. An extraordinary body of Channelled material is the Seth material of Jane Roberts. Although some of "Seth"'s stuff is your typical cliched channelled material - so-called objective reality is like a dream; we create our own realities all the time, only we don't realise it; we are all part of a vast evolving spiritual universe, the tolality of which is Deity or "All That Is" - there is also much in this corpus of writings that is quite original and imaginative: probable selves, parallel realities, simultaneous reincarnnation (all life-times exist at once), our thoughts appearing like universes to other orders of beings, and so on. I'm not saying that this stuff is necessary true (or false for that matter), but simply because it displays a much greater degree of originality than 99.99% of channelled material. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Satanism satanism is a multifaceted philosophy with no central dogma or even doctrine, satanism has been around longer than the ignorant christian, stereotypical use of the word and idea though many of us don't go around calling ourselves satanist due to this very fact. Satanism is being "SAT" and becoming "TAN" growth, evolution, knowing one's "self" where others run from life, nature, themselves a "satanist" faces these things head on and without fear, you'll never find any real answers if your constantly running and hiding. Embracing and understanding all aspects of what we call "SELF" and existence. These "Black Circle" idiots (you know the one's dressed in black, running around like dumbasses, inverted crosses, screaming "Hail Satan"(only theistic satanist's and most christians believe satan to be an actual being) are just malcontents who like the shock value. [Namaste] Id -the part of the personality which contains our primitive impulses such as sex, anger, and hunger. Ego- the part of the personality which maintains a balance between our impulses (id) and our conscience (superego). Superego- the part of the personality that represents the conscience. Satanists follow the Id more closely than the Superego… a Devote Catholic (truly devote, conservative) would follow with the Superego through the eyes of the Catholic Church. Quote: In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. Not an easy job by any means, but if the id gets too strong, impulses and self gratification take over the person's life. If the superego becomes to strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgmental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world.