Alternative Mega Theories

[nap4]

I like the idea as referenced in the blindsight article - that we live in a model in our own minds. We are not interacting with the world itself, but with our model of the world. And this model it is a provided model - given to us by education, family, culture. It takes a lot of effort to go back to basics and build our own 'world model' from the ground up, based only on evidence that we have personally verified.
Our provided models have 'hacks' and biases built in - eg at school, work, everywhere really, we are expected to accept authority - this is a hack, and allows for lots of intentional deception - eg virology, 'climate change', government, etc not to mention the unwitting handing over our own children to be indoctrinated in their turn.

Perception: the nonduality of the world
If the center of value is axiomatically the one's self then the unifying principle is perception. So yes, there are extra models, mini-model of our world in our mind that create personas for different areas of life, but it sounds deceptive because the 'real world' is never actually proven to be there.
It's like the 'brain in the vat' example or the 'allegory of the cave'. We are shifting the blame /cause of reality to somewhere else. Perception is necessarily always going to be dealing first with concepts, and never can directly interact with things that 'really are" in any situation.

This can be represented like the black box model. We know the inputs and outputs but can never see inside.

systems theory
"the black box is an abstraction representing a class of concrete open system which can be viewed solely in terms of its stimuli inputs and output reactions: … In other words, only the behavior of the system will be accounted for."


Dualism from Solipsism: Moon is the mirror of Earth
While there are many mirrors and models that may exist, there implies an order of which comes first. The most essential divsion is dualism. Two things that exist. The example is Earth is the center of the universe (the self) and the reflection is the celestials (the world) .

The users godgevlamste and Vibes of Cosmos on Youtube, both have great and entertaining videos and posit that the Moon is the world map, the mirror image of the Earth. (this is not a new theory, I think they say plasma moon theory dates back to the 70s.)

If its solipsistic, I think it is unavoidably so. The value is only to be found in oneself. There is no value (or meaning) outside

I thnk you point at this later, but yes, if one starts with the solipsistic value as a standard of measure, then what is being measured? The inputs and outputs are from empty space. The same confusion as how could the Earth see itself in 'the mirror' and make the celetials. If Earth sees the celestials--and knows what its looking at--then its most objective statement becomes "my self is real". If that is the case, then the opposite must also be true "the mirror is real too". And if someone says 'mere illusion' I think it comes off as too trivial, because the one is just as real as the other.

What exactly are these two sets of values?, the self and the mirror? the subjective and objective? And which one came first? The existentialist would certainly argue the objective values. This is a chicken and egg puzzle. The answer seems to be 'both', in they are certain but in different ways, but how is that possible?

Dualism: Yin Yang and axial opposites

Yinyang (yin-yang) is one of the dominant concepts shared by different schools throughout the history of Chinese philosophy. Just as with many other Chinese philosophical notions, the influences of yinyang are easy to observe, but its conceptual meanings are hard to define.

Yin makes Yang and vice versa. True opposites will be something that is generated out of each other. Without one, there cannot be the other. e.g. there is no 'rest' without 'motion' or 'being' without 'becoming'. "the influences of yinyang are easy to observe, but its conceptual meanings are hard to define."

Dualistic Problem
I think you are stating this problem; because this dualism type axioms are the reference for everything else How does one check the measure of a ruler but with another ruler? or the time on one clock except with the time on another? These are circular reasoning, but I think this hints at explaining the intrinsic relationship between subjective and objective values.

Solution: Cycle of axial opposites
My belief is 'motion / becoming' is this third axiom that becomes a check, balance, between the self and the mirror.
In Plato's works; there is a necessary cycle for opposites to maintain everything, exactly like the Yinyang. "Plato posited a philosophical assumption that all opposites —e.g. less, greater; weaker, stronger; sleeping, waking; life, death—are generated out of each other. " One application is the "doctrine of recollection" that the ignorant recall their suppressed knowledge and don't actually 'learn' or gain new knowledge. And another is the soul exists after death with the cyclical argument.

(Phaedo 72, Hackett, 2002)

Therefore, he said, if there is such a thing as coming to life again, it would be a process of coming from the dead to the living?

Quite so.

It is agreed between us then that the living come from the dead in this way no less than the dead from the living, and, if that is so, it seems to be a sufficient proof that the souls of the dead must be somewhere whence they can come back again.

I think, Socrates, he said, that this follows from what we have agreed on.

Consider in this way, Cebes, he said, that, as I think, we were not wrong to agree. If the two processes of becoming did not always balance each other as if they were going round in a circle, but generation proceeded from one point to its opposite in a straight line and it did not turn back again to the other opposite or take any turning, do you realize that all things would ultimately be in the same state, be affected in the same way, and cease to become?

How do you mean? he said.

It is not hard to understand what I mean. If, for example, there was such a process as going to sleep, but no corresponding process of waking up, you realize that in the end everything would show the story of Endymion to have no meaning. There would be no point to it because everything would have the same experience as he had and be asleep. And if everything were combined and nothing separated, the saying of Anaxagoras would soon be true, “that all things were mixed together.” In the same way, my dear Cebes, if everything that partakes of life were to die and remain in that state and not come to life again, would not everything ultimately have to be dead and nothing alive? Even if the living came from some other source, and all that lived died, how could all things avoid being absorbed in death?

It could not be, Socrates, said Cebes, and I think what you say is altogether true.
I think, Cebes, said he, that this is very definitely the case and that we were not deceived when we agreed on this: Coming to life again in truth exists, the living come to be from the dead, and the souls of the dead exist.

There's no awakening without sleeping, no consciousness without unconsciousness.
I think this agrees with the Tao as well. "The Tao Te Ching was written in China roughly 2,500 years ago at about the same time when Buddha expounded the Dharma in India and Pythagoras taught in Greece. The Tao Te Ching is probably the most influential Chinese book of all times. Its 81 chapters have been translated into English more times than any other Chinese document"
Tao Te Ching Chapter 40

40
Returning is the motion of the Tao. Yielding is the way of the Tao.
The ten thousand things are born of being.
Being is born of not being.

Compared with Plato's "the living come from the dead in this way no less than the dead from the living," They seem to be in agreement.

 

[Quiahuitl]

The fundamental nature of creation is that there exists a non-dualistic source from which all things come, called Centeotl in Nahuatl meaning The One Energy. All that ever was and ever can be is within Centeotl.

For anything to be manifested in our reality, it must emerge from the one energy, and in the moment of doing so, it becomes a dual energy. Nothing can exist without its opposite coming into existence. This is why everything in our reality has duality, because becoming dual is the primary act of creation. The dual energy is called 'Ometeotl' in Nahuatl, meaning 'Two energies.' In the Toltec tradition this is also called the light, which emerges from the darkness. Light is of course a vibration, so it is inherently dualistic.

The word 'Ego' is normally used incorrectly to mean things like self-importance, the self reflection and so on. The true meaning of Ego is the part of us that recognises that it is distinct from our surroundings and other people.

The Ego exists at the boundary between Centeotl and Ometeotl, i.e. at the boundary between the non-dual and the dual. That's because the Ego is the thing that distinguishes between self and everything else.

I think this is the meaning of the Black Sun.

 

[nap4]

The fundamental nature of creation is that there exists a non-dualistic source from which all things come, called Centeotl in Nahuatl meaning The One Energy. All that ever was and ever can be is within Centeotl.

Interesting, never heard of Centeoti before. So many ways to describe the structure.

If we are to understand the properties of the universe and find a Mega Alternative Theory, it may be good to talk about symbols Somebody once said,"Symbols rule the world, not word or law." Is it true, who knows? So its good to pick out the universal themes that are culturally rooted..

SYMBOLISM AND HISTORICITY

One of the most deplorable errors of symbolist theory, in its ‘spontaneous’ as well as in its occult and even its dogmatic interpretations, lies in opposing the symbolical to the historical. Arguing from the premise that there are symbols— and, indeed, there are many—which exist only within their own symbolic struc- ture, the false conclusion is then drawn that all or almost all transcendental events which appear to be both historical and symbolic at once—in other words, to be significant once and for all time—may be seen simply as symbolic matter trans- formed into legend and thence into history.

So removing all the cultural attachments may not help, but what does the property of dualism look like? Perhaps the most simplistic expression is with the Circumpunct, the dot inside the circle.

One and the Many
Circle and the Dot

​

“The most primitive and fundamental of all symbols is the dot.” — Manly P. Hall; Lectures on Ancient Philosophy. "The dot, being most proximate to perfection, is the simplest, and therefore the least imperfect of all symbols.The dot, moving away from self, projects the line; the line becomes the radius of an imaginary circle, and this circle is the circumference of the powers of the central dot."

So of course, there is plenty of Western historical use. The symbol of the circumpunct is the prototype of the Eye in the Triangle, a circle with a dot in the middle is a symbol of the sun, the alchemical gold. The magic circle mirrors the Gnostic circle of the heavens as a portal into sacred time, merging individual and collective consciousness. "As Above, So Below." It mirrors the Self or Oneness with the cosmos.

Mandala

One example of dot and circle model is in the Eastern / Tibetan practice of making mandalas.

A mandala (Sanskrit for “circle”) is an artistic representation of higher thought and deeper meaning given as a geometric symbol used in spiritual, emotional, or psychological work to focus one's attention. The image first appears in India via the Hindu text known as the Rig Veda c. 1500 - c. 500 BCE.

One and the Other
Two dimensional logic: On/Off

Duality teaches that two extremes (axes) may only be logically observed at a given time and any other relations must either be part of another pair or a subset, between the two axes already posited.​

Dualism as the function being primarily a logical tool.

• The principle of bivalence states: Every statement is true or false
• Boolean logic: Binary language of true or false. This logic is named after the logician George Boole, although many thinkers from Aristotle to Bertrand Russell made major contributions
• Binary system. Numerical notation as base 2 rather than 10.

Full / Empty. One is the only possible full value and the other is its inversion, the empty value. If the other was not empty then it would be full and if it is full, then it is one.

Masonic Pillars J B​

Another binary symbol besides the dot and circle is the two pillars in Freemasonry. Of course, most may talk about the 'Hegelian dialectic' for mass mind control (which makes sense if a binary system is indeed how the mind works).

Philosophically speaking, this is a precondition for logic. We have binary minds that allow us to process the data. The self, the conscious mind, can only understand what is between two extremes (the one and the other).

Dualism, in philosophy, the use of two irreducible, heterogeneous principles (sometimes in conflict, sometimes complementary) to analyze the knowing process (epistemological dualism) or to explain all of reality or some broad aspect of it (metaphysical dualism). Examples of epistemological dualism are being and thought, subject and object, and sense datum and thing; examples of metaphysical dualism are God and the world, matter and spirit, body and mind, and good and evil. Dualism is distinguished from monism, which acknowledges only one principle, and from pluralism, which invokes more than two basic principles.

The Ego exists at the boundary between Centeotl and Ometeotl, i.e. at the boundary between the non-dual and the dual. That's because the Ego is the thing that distinguishes between self and everything else.

The axiomatic question:
Where does the Ego come from?
Most times there are symbols and shapes interpreted as dualism or non-dualism, or the monad and pluralism. But not both.

• There is One and Many, symbolized as circle and dot, the mandala, called things like the infinitesimal and the infinite, the microcosm and the macrocosm, etc. This is one kind of dualism concerned with the Chicken and Egg of cause and effects.
• Then the One and Other, is represented in more of the philosophy that 'invented' logic True or False, Yes or No...etc. type of hard divisions. These are more concerned with the domains of concepts.

 

[feralimal]

Nothing can exist without its opposite coming into existence.

This touches on the Vinegar Eaters that was shared above, and a criticism of it. I actually think the picture is slightly wrong as the Lao Tzu character is smiling. But, why smile? The correct response in my view would be a neutral one. This not this . Smiling begets sad .

Somebody once said,"Symbols rule the world, not word or law." Is it true, who knows?

This sounds like a good topic for a thread of its own. My own position briefly, is that I am not convinced of the idea of symbols ruling the world, at least not my world. Do you think symbols impact you?

I agree that symbols are very widely used - in every logo, religion, etc. I even think they probably have some sort of an impact on the masses.

But, for me, these are 'their' symbols/information, not mine. I see it akin to some sort of Pavlovian training/association for the masses. Yes, they might be intended to trigger or direct the masses (via something like the collective unconscious). But what has that to do with the individual?

The only interest to me is to potentially explain another permutation of the bizarre system we find, where, despite appearances, people who appear to be individuals are actually not their own authority and are 'brain-hijacked' - their consciousness has 'stepped out' and they are running on auto-pilot via some programming or force that is not of their own choosing.

For me, symbols (along with stories, tv, repetition, education, etc) are parts of the provided programming structure that will run your mind by default, unless you undertake to self-program. The alternative - self-programming - would be to put what values you hold at the core (eg truth, 'no harm', etc), and re-working your feelings, thoughts and actions from there so that you are fully aligned, without cognitive dissonance.

 

[nap4]

This touches on the Vinegar Eaters that was shared above, and a criticism of it. I actually think the picture is slightly wrong as the Lao Tzu character is smiling. But, why smile? The correct response in my view would be a neutral one. This not this . Smiling begets sad .

Hahaha, probably Lao Tzu should have a neutral expression from the vinegar, I wasn't sure either. Maybe the painting was originally intended for the Daoist religion propaganda, so they had to package it, "It makes you happy! " Or could it be claiming there is a natural balance between the sweetness and sourness of life?

The Tao-te-ching has a repeating principle of nonaction in the text called "wu-wei" or "do nothing" and to me it seems very esoteric and occult related.

The Daodejing characterizes nonaction as both the manner in which the Way constantly generates the cosmos and the method through which the sage-king, or ideal ruler, most effectively governs. It states, “The Way does nothing, and yet nothing remains unaccomplished” (wuwei er wu buwei). So too the sage-king rules by cultivating within himself a constant awareness of and responsiveness to this natural Way. By taking no unnatural action, he actualizes the Way within his own life; he also influences his subjects toward natural action and promotes a flourishing rather than a stagnant kingdom.

Notice also how it appears not to be written to the common people, but for the rulers, the 'sage-king'. Wuwei could be what it means to rule in secret as the 'invisible government' and let others rule, do all the work, for you.

 

[TheHangedMan]

The Tao-te-ching has a repeating principle of nonaction in the text called "wu-wei" or "do nothing" and to me it seems very esoteric and occult related.
Notice also how it appears not to be written to the common people, but for the rulers, the 'sage-king'. Wuwei could be what it means to rule in secret as the 'invisible government' and let others rule, do all the work, for you.

I practice many Taoist techniques . The ' sage - King ' refers to one's higher self , the witness bearer if you like .
Wu wei is also a form of magic with parallels to western visualisation or manifestation methods , though it often utilises chi. Again with this technique you essentially physically do nothing.

 

[nap4]

But, for me, these are 'their' symbols/information, not mine. I see it akin to some sort of Pavlovian training/association for the masses. Yes, they might be intended to trigger or direct the masses (via something like the collective unconscious). But what has that to do with the individual?

True, but we can argue the same for most everything available to us today. Their base 10 numbers, with their version of mathematics, or their 12 month calendar with their version of chronometry, or their 26 letter alphabet with their version of linguistics... It becomes difficult to escape the influence of any form of deception.

With that in mind, things like symbols may still serve a purpose if taken in the right way. And I mean if they are taken more analytically. Then perhaps that will encourage others to make new or better symbols.

Nothing can exist without its opposite coming into existence

Deception is not so easily to get rid of because truth makes the possibility for many lies. Truth seems to come with an equal and opposite reaction similar to Newton's Second Law of motion.

Here is a part of my theory I have been still fleshing out, but it's based on three axioms, a fundamental triad.

The Archetype Choice Theory
The universe exist in a dualistic state which is unintelligible. The mind, the third axis, has to choose one side as the truth, creating an archetype order. When chosen, the One becomes 'true' and the Other becomes 'false'. This creates the two extremes of perception that interprets all of reality as in the middle.

The archetype choice is similar to the Fall of Man. From this point, the only thing viewable between the two extremes is the reflection of the mind, the self. This is the many emanations. Any attempt to go back to the original truth means the mind must move through all these permutations of the self that came from the 'original sin' of picking heads or tails. The mind is conflicted because it accepted a lie, but it was a 'noble lie' to better understand one side of truth. The mind is forced to accept a half truth to understand the whole world.

The maze of the world: there are two processes. One is of making the maze and then the other is completing it. Solving it requires thought which is considered an "age of reason". Designing process requires creativity which might be seen as a "age of magic". These two systems have two different sets of values: one age rewards thought, reasoning and economic values, and the other age rewards feelings, beauty and decadent values.

Parallelism
Each age then has active and passive truths of nature. The knowledge is divided into two sets. One set becomes exoteric and the other esoteric knowledge. That is why there are occult 'religions', 'sciences' and 'arts' etc...

Archetype Belief
The cornerstone of knowledge is belief. This is subjectivity that creates objectivity. One might argue, can't we just believe we are rich and become rich? No. The mind cannot simply change the Archetype Belief without understanding why it made the Choice. It has to finish the maze.

Technology can lose its function without its proper archetype, like how Santa loses his Christmas magic and jolly if nobody believes in him. Computer technology requires a particle archetype in regards to the physics' wave/particle duality. This is why the modern worldview chooses the lies of particle and quantum theory and not Morphic Resonance or the Electric Universe theory.

"The morphic field, is an energy field created and added to by resonance. All consciousness has a form and every form creates an energy resonance within and around it. Resonance refers to not only physical forms but to thoughts, behaviors, cultures, collectives, etc., which vibrate in sympathy with each other."


Mind over matter. This is an excerpt from someone's theory posted on the biblioteca pleyades website.

"In the theory of critical mass, sometimes called the "99th Monkey Effect" - based on Jung's theory of Collective Consciousness working through Rupert Sheldrake's 'Field of Morphic Resonance' - the collective mind of a race creates a spiritual and cultural Archetype whose field of resonance can be felt in the material world. In the case of the Elves that Archetype was manifest in the Age of Magic. Simply put, when the Elves lived they created a field of magic around them whose power arose from the very sovereignty of the earth itself. However, when the Church killed the Elves, the Earth was silenced and the magic largely died."​

The age of magic ended because a new God was created. The collective consciousness creates the new archetype which is in fact new ruling law of nature.

From Arabian Nights...
“The Empire of the Fairies is no more.
Reason has banished them from ev'ry shore;
Steam has outstripped their dragons and their cars,
Gas has eclipsed their glow-worms and their stars.”

Conclusion
Maybe it's a little sad theory; that the best thing the mind may be allowed to have are half-baked truths. But deception is not so inherently bad. For one, it gives us the possibility of learning more about the nature of truth through inventions, entertainment, through life, and not just isolated meditation on a mountain.

 

[feralimal]

Below are some links to some podcasts by James Lindsay. I post these because I want to address something in the original list. As I look back, I think there was an unintentional gnostic bias therein. For the sake of balance I want to post some alternative arguments to that, that I think are worth considering.

James deconstructs the 'gnostic/hermetic/marxist' position - including explaining that marxism is actually a religious position, and that this position is gnostic, and more!

He presents a somewhat complicated argument, but I think there is merit to it. More than that, I find his to be a well-reasoned analysis and explanation of the way modern reality is framed.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhPbefqbTkc
- very easy, 15m listen

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaU6mP0phE0
- marxism deconstructed

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwUUlx1HhzA
- part 1 or 2 (imo)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X57EnniEE-k
- part 2 or 2 (imo) - amazing analysis

I understand that he is a mathematician and, despite appearances, he is not a Christian.

 

[feralimal]

I'll add a link to a show by Allegedly Dave with Brian Staveley


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8lWkBImaIo


It does factor in sync, Mandela effects, quantum stuff, etc - and I don't know that ME or quantum anything are more than ideas... but I found it interesting food for thought. I would say it is a bit more of a woowoo than Tom Campbell's big TOE (theory of everything, as nicely summarised here: Alternative Mega Theories)

 

[ViniB]

Latelly i've been reading this thread again and my conclusion for the new age type theories is that, they are cop outs from reality. Sure, it feels really nice to sit and meditate for hours but will that prevent the psycopaths in charge of the world from collapsing our civilization in front of our eyes? Or will it make pedophiles in power to just disapear?? Of course not!

This might sound harsh, but i think what we need is to let go of the positive wishfull thinking and face the shitshow we're living now, because it's not getting any better, quite the contrary actually.

 

[feralimal]

Latelly i've been reading this thread again and my conclusion for the new age type theories is that, they are cop outs from reality. Sure, it feels really nice to sit and meditate for hours but will that prevent the psycopaths in charge of the world from collapsing our civilization in front of our eyes? Or will it make pedophiles in power to just disapear?? Of course not!

This might sound harsh, but i think what we need is to let go of the positive wishfull thinking and face the shitshow we're living now, because it's not getting any better, quite the contrary actually.

I would say the theories I was trying to get at are ones that try to explain reality in a way that satisfied me and had more depth than the materialistic/science/msm paradigm that I was presented with and had previously accepted. I was trying to give some light to theories that the individual could use to further their own investigations directly. (Fwiw, I don't hold to the ideas I presented but think this thread still has a value as a platform from which to start a personal investigation.)

I don't know that pedophiles are in power. Or that civilization is collapsing. I don't know that it's our job to make the world better. I don't even know what 'better' would be! I do see that that there are a lot of people that think they know... and I also suspect that alternative visions could actually make things worse!

My take, that I think is coherent with the subjective, hypothetical nature of this thread, is that the work is with oneself. That one needs to develop and grow oneself. Try to be based in truth, try to act from love, not fear. And, that as one does so, the 3d reality will follow suit.

 

[UncleVito]

I love this thread

To me, the answer is simple ...

We are spirit beings, sharing a human experience.

When we incarnate, we enter a world of duality: light and dark, good and bad, life and death (you can't have one without the other). As a result, we will never eliminate the dark side from this reality.

We are co-creators of this reality, based on our inherited belief systems (aka conditioning) and our life purpose.

Our conditioning is a result of the human experience, and much of what we think we know is not correct.

The more we can pierce our conditioning, the closer we can come to fulfilling our life purpose.

If we don't like this reality, all we need to do to change it is change our consciousness.

Note: These truths are self evident to anyone who has experienced a transcendent state of consciousness. Although it goes by different names (transcendence, Christ consciousness, non-duality, etc), and use different techniques to attain (meditation, chanting, spinning, rocking, drugs, etc.) all religious and spiritual traditions reference this state.

Comments welcome

 

[ViniB]

https://www.livereal.com/spiritual/why-are-we-here/

A good compilation of the many theories out there along with questions and possible answers

 

[Maxine]

Great theory which I can relate to a lot, I think Silent Hill games and movies overal symbologically have some major hints in it, I recommend to watch the entire playlist that comes with it actually, but this one gives some basic but intresting info.

 

[feralimal]

View attachment 31675​

Great theory which I can relate to a lot, I think Silent Hill games and movies overal symbologically have some major hints in it, I recommend to watch the entire playlist that comes with it actually, but this one gives some basic but intresting info.

View attachment 31676​

View attachment 31672​

Thanks for the links. It would be great if you could say something more about it, why it is meaningful etc.

From watching a bit of that video, I gather silent hill is a game, set in some sort of twilight world, kind of a freaky place, the stuff of nightmares.

The person in the video, talks about Jung, his theories about synchronicities. He also mentioned the story about the scarab beetle that bumped into his window after having discussed this with a patient. (I have to wonder whether this story is even true.)

The narrator sees silent hill as some sort of bridge between the conscious material world and the subconscious inner world - I mean, it is a game, therefore anyone can be conscious of it, and the themes are nightmareish. Not to be mean, but any objective game/film/artwork that takes the subjective inner world as it's subject, will be amenable to such an analysis - these are all bridges between these 2 domains each individual inhabits - objective materiality and subjective experience.

The idea of a multiverse is mentioned. The universe would be the objective material world we collectively experience, but the multiverse are all the individual subjectively experienced worlds. Fair enough. The narrator then states that the subjective dream could be the reality.

I would ask, are these 2 domains (objective and subjective) actually distinct? If not, what are the correlations? When we say dreams are from the subconscious, what do we mean?

Personally, I don't even think there is a subconscious, the reason being is a/ that such a thing cannot be verified, and b/ cos the label gives one the illusion of knowing something about it, its boundaries, etc whereas I find that a limited and unwarranted constraint.

 

[Tapioca]

8.5/ The soul trap

This theory picks up where Robert Monroe's loosh story leaves off. The idea is that as the physical world is a sort of cage - where we are born, educated, work, suffer, etc most of often for another's benefit, this is all a reflection of a very similar spiritual process. Spiritually, an equivalent loosh harvest is also underway in our lives and death. When we die, the same entities attempt to trick us into reincarnating - so we do it all again! This is to say, the control mechanism extends beyond the physical. Which is to say that the soul trap is pretty true to Buddhism - it could be considered as a modern reboot - if you want to escape the cycle or reincarnation and want to reach nirvana, you need to escape the soul trap.

If we are reincarnated in order to correct mistakes of our past life, why don't we remember? In Chinese mythology, before reincarnation one is given a soup that erases their memories.

"Meng Po is the goddess of oblivion in Chinese mythology, who serves Meng Po Soup on the Bridge of oblivion or Naihe Bridge. This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of the previous life... This is given to each soul to drink before they leave Diyu. The brew induces instant and permanent amnesia, and all memory of other lives is lost... In Chinese tradition, there are legends of miracle births, where a newborn is able to speak because the soul of the baby didn't drink the Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness. Occasionally people are able to avoid drinking the brew, resulting in past life memories surfacing in children."

Source - Meng Po - Goddess of Oblivion​

"In the Guidebook she works within the bureaucracy, sitting enthroned on “The Terrace of Drunken Oblivion,” to whom demons usher souls one by one from a long queue, cups at the ready."

Source - Hells Bittersweet End
​

Chinese Restaurant Offers Free Soup of Forgetfulness to Ease C19 Worries

 

[Tapioca]

9/ Carlos Castaneda, Active side of Infinity

"The sorcerers of ancient Mexico discovered that we have a companion for life," he said, as clearly as he could. "We have a predator that came from the depths of the cosmos, and took over the rule of our lives. Human beings are its prisoners. The predator is our lord and master.

"It has rendered us docile; helpless. If we want to protest, it suppresses our protest. If we want to act independently, it demands that we don't do so."

The Serpent / Satan in the Garden has been with us from the beginning!

 

[Tapioca]

For me, symbols (along with stories, tv, repetition, education, etc) are parts of the provided programming structure that will run your mind by default, unless you undertake to self-program. The alternative - self-programming - would be to put what values you hold at the core (eg truth, 'no harm', etc), and re-working your feelings, thoughts and actions from there so that you are fully aligned, without cognitive dissonance.

I think you are right with the symbols running your mind. If someone sent you a picture of a bloody knife that means something different than a teddy bear with a heart. No words needed. Those are blatant. But, how about all of the other symbols? We don't know what everything represents.

Perhaps it is like Egyptian hieroglyphics. Just pictures to someone who can't read them. Pictograms and Ideograms. Symbols are a language we are being spoken to everyday through logos, TV, music, movies, etc.

Comparisons:

 

[feralimal]

If we are reincarnated in order to correct mistakes of our past life, why don't we remember? In Chinese mythology, before reincarnation one is given a soup that erases their memories.

Yes, this is a common concern. I have a possible answer...

Perhaps it doesn't matter if you remember. Maybe it's not that type of thing that you are trying to learn. Maybe it's a bit more foundational. Maybe it's more about the way you undertake yourself, process reality, rather than remembering this or that specific thing.

Eg if we take a dog as a (stupid but hopefully illustrative) example... Let's say that the thing a dog needs to learn is a greater range of emotions - not just happy and sad. How would you convey that to a simple dog soul? You can't. The other emotions might be experienced in its lifetime, the dog might 'learn its lesson' of other as yet unexperienced emotions, and grow to understand what those mean, but until that time there really would be no point telling the poor thing to strive to experience 'ennui' or 'bittersweet' or something beyond its range of awareness. To do that would only confuse and assume the creature already has some idea... when it doesn't.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining my point well enough, but without already knowing everything, one can't know what it is one is here to learn and grow. The question comes with an assumption that one is already capable of accepting whatever thing it is we may be missing.. but one doesn't know what one doesn't know.

 

[Tapioca]

I'm not sure if I'm explaining my point well enough, but without already knowing everything, one can't know what it is one is here to learn and grow. The question comes with an assumption that one is already capable of accepting whatever thing it is we may be missing.. but one doesn't know what one doesn't know.

That is a great explanation - one doesn't know what one doesn't know. I suppose if we reincarnated with all of our memories we may not make any progress. If someone had an addiction they could not break, that would return, as well as other wrong turns and we may go in circles anyway.