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8 Circuits of Consciousness - FYI

22:54 / 10.03.03

The evolution of psychology and the psychology of evolution...

Here's a brief summary of the 8-Circuit model of Consciousness set forth by Dr. Timothy Leary, and proselytized by Robert Anton Wilson (the full version of this article by Wilson is at deoxy.org.

Note that this map is a model of individual human development, as well as a model of the evolution of the species as a whole.

Ascending:
1) The Bio-Survival Circuit - Simple invertebrate survival dualism; Fight or Flight.

2) The Emotional Circuit - The territorial vertebrate; Dominance/Submission, Aggression/Cooperation.

3) The Dexterity-Symbolism Circuit - Hominid artifact manufacturing and conceptual thought; linear and left-lobed.

4) The Socio-Sexual Circuit - transmission of culture across generations.

5) The Neurosomatic Circuit - Sensory space awakening; hedonism, leisure; somatic reprogramming; right-lobe creativity, analogic.

6) The Neuroelectric Circuit - Awareness and metaprogramming of the nervous system; cybernetic consciousness; social relativism, transcendance of programmed reality.

7) The Neurogenetic Circuit - Cellular awareness; communication with DNA-RNA complex; genetic archives of the evolutionary consciousness.

8) The Neuro-Atomic Circuit - Atomic, quantum consciousness; accessing the Universal Hologram of the Logos.

See also here

00:52 / 11.03.03

This is in both Prometheus Rising and Quantum Psychology. Just, um, so you know.

08:22 / 11.03.03

Chris - don't have time to respond in depth right now, but have you seen Dave Lee's book Chaotopia? - he uses this model as the basis for his book, with chapters on the "concerns" of each respective circuit and accounts of his magickal work with each circuit. It's a fascinating book, tons of ideas and experiements to try.
Mandrake of Oxford have recently reprinted it.

Haven't got time to read your links right now - but has anyone mapped the circuits onto the 8 trigrams of the I Ching?

08:46 / 11.03.03

i think l/w picked the eight circuits specifically to fit with the eight bases of the i ching, the eight notes on a musical scale and all the other eights that you can find when you look for them. only ever seen one critique of the theory, by carroll, who had no prob with the descriptions of the circuits but was troubled by the way they were hierarchically arranged, suggesting that circuit eight is 'better' than circuit one, when the truth is that all are equally necessary for a healthy psyche. in lovely bob's writing there is a hint of prejudice against the second-circuit, easy to do when you're a product of the most succesful second-circuit citadel with a personal minority preference for the third. i agree with his prejudice, but that don't make it right.

10:35 / 11.03.03

Try Ken Wilber. Particularly "Integral Psychology" and "The Eye of Spirit". Then move into "Sex, Ecology, and Spirituality". It's a lot of reading, but you'll find him to be worth the effort. Grant Morrison endorses him, and for good reason. Wilber's put this topic together like no one else.

little big bang

06:13 / 13.03.03

I'm halfway through a very good book right now titled The Holographic Universe, by Michael Talbot. It discusses and clarifies concepts that magicians are particularly involved with, namely, how consciousness can influence physical reality. He comes at it from a physicist's viewpoint, which is very nice as we live in a culture that places a heavier value on science than on spirituality. What I mean by that is, this is a book that is accessible to both believers and skeptics; believers will find themselves once more confirmed, and skeptics may find a plausible road into the mystery. This man has done his research, and has personal experience to back it up. He is also a pretty good writer. The book is a little old (91) but still definitely worth a look.

07:02 / 16.03.03

7) The Neurogenetic Circuit - Cellular awareness; communication with DNA-RNA complex; genetic archives of the evolutionary consciousness.

A comment in the Filth about mitochondrial DNA being the technical term for the soul reminded me of this circuit. This is probably a question better suited for the Laboratory but I'm gonna ask it here: How is this possible? How can DNA record "memories" (information gathered through the senses not information already hardwired.) I mean, can a bacteria remember anything? Has this been tested? is it just the mitochondria in neurons? What methods does an organism have to access these memories?

23:52 / 17.05.03

what are considered to be leary's best books? What i would really like to know though is what books or tapes have exercises in them that help alter brain chemistry while on drugs such as dope or lsd or even for 'sober' magical work.

13:12 / 12.09.05

Gahhh! I tried matching up the eight circuits with Paul MacLean's triune brain hypothesis and Freud's structural and topographical models of personality, and nearly drowned in my own wank juices.
GANESH! Ganesh will save me. Ganesh, does any of this shit correlate? Brains are hurting my brains.

power vacuums & pure moments

15:57 / 12.09.05

only ever seen one critique of the theory, by carroll, who had no prob with the descriptions of the circuits but was troubled by the way they were hierarchically arranged, suggesting that circuit eight is 'better' than circuit one

I would say that it is better. Sure all of the circuits are necessary but the higher ones seem to go beyond standard human experience. Carroll seems to have something against anything transcendentalist.

I dont really understand the point of these models. Isnt this basically the same as the yogic chakra system or the tree of life? Same concepts sort of uncomfortably spliced with scientific language and social context.

16:26 / 12.09.05

Three years later: How can DNA record "memories" (information gathered through the senses not information already hardwired.) I mean, can a bacteria remember anything?

Unlike normal, cellular DNA, which recombines to form a new sequence every generation (if you're a sexed organism, like people or snakes or even some plants), mitochondrial DNA stays the same. My mitochondrial DNA is the same back to my grandmother's great-grandmother, and on and on.

16:29 / 12.09.05

Morgue, after having a look it seems like some of Freuds models could correspond with the first 4 circuits, and his 'Unconscious' model would probably be where the second 4 appear from. Ganesh might have a better idea of exactly where some of them fit onto the first 4, but he doesn't read this forum very much I don't think.

alejandrodelloco

20:41 / 12.09.05

Morgue, part of what you are looking for might be in Prometheus Rising. Here's a little table that I managed to dig up:

05:24 / 13.09.05

i recently read leary's intelligence agents, which is an excellent manual on the subject.

i'm still waiting for quantum psychology to manifest.

10:25 / 13.09.05

I've manifestly got a Psych degree. Does that count?

10:27 / 13.09.05

...and it is covered pretty thoroughly by RAW in Prometheus Rising as mentioned. Quantum Psychology is the better book though, where Wilson builds on Leary instead of just applying him.

11:06 / 13.09.05

I Squee, Huggle and Barbecrush all you guys. Thanks.