The Forbidden Sciences
Many of those who have changed worldviews imagine they are the only ones on their block, the only ones in their city. We do not clump. We have no very obvious public expression. Yet, polls show that 30% of Americans say they are “spiritual without being religious.” That us! Anyone who says that is one of us, one who has been changed, one who has become a Seeker of spiritual knowledge and Wizard powers. How then can we create communal activities for our kind without becoming a religion or a business? One way might be via the forbidden sciences.
We must make some Aristotelian distinctions here between “essence” and “accident.” The essence of science is scientific method, ruling out the alternatives and insisting on reproducibility. The accidents are reduction, materialism, and causation. Those are part of the religion of science, their articles of faith, not discoveries, and not something we believe in. Laboratories, with their paraphenalia of lab coats, chemicals, equipment, mathematics, double-blind peer reviewed publication and slicing up poor lab mice…all those things may be essential to the existing sciences in the universities, but they are not part of the essence of science. Needless to say, they will have no role in the Forbidden Sciences.
The Forbidden Sciences are just the search for spiritual truth and psionic powers. One of our tools is Magick, and that requires the Mandala arts in all media: art, music, processionals, celebrations, rituals. Our rituals would be like the Burning Man festivals, and the gathering of the Rainbow Tribes. Our scientific institutions would be like The Noetic Institute, founded by an astronaut. Noesis is one of the four signs of mystical experience: (1) Ecstacy, (2) Noesis, (3) Illumination, and (4) Union of opposites. Noesis is knowledge gained by direct personal experience, part of our tradition, but not found in the universities of today.
We don’t try to convert people. We don’t tell anyone what to think. We don’t insist that ours is the only way. The waters of life are given to those who are thirsty, but only if they ask. To some extent, our activities must be secret and underground (not literally!). We may make use of natural herbs that are forbidden by the tyranny of the churches. We may have lots of fun. That will make them mad. If it isn’t fun, why do it? It may also invite curiosity, especially from that 30% who have changed but not found any community of like minded people. “Do you believe in spirituality without religion?” Let that be our password, our secret sign.
Dr.H
In Saecula Saeculorum