Power, sensitivity and mind.

A Yog-Sothothian insight.

In 2017, I had a conversation with the elder god Yog-Sothoth…

I’ll share full details (and the entire transcript) of my contact with several of the Elder Gods in future writings, but right now I’d like to share a little rambling insight from that conversation that seems relevant to these strange times.

Yog-Sothothian wisdom can reveal secrets beyond our current conceptions of the confines of space, time and matter. And if we’re open to it, we can bring this wisdom to practical application in our mundane 3d world.

“IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE FORCE THAT YOUR TECHNOLOGY LACKS BUT THE SENSITIVITY. MAKE MORE SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGY TO REVEAL AND WIELD THE SECRETS.”

- YOG-SOTHOTH (3rd November 2017)

This line has resurfaced in my thoughts many times since. Most recently it has brought to mind the human drive to create technology with more and more force. Bigger engines, larger bombs, taller buildings, larger farms, and so on. This expansionistic conquerer mindset seems to focus on acquisition of power through domination and force. However we might argue that true “power” does not require capacity for big force. Indeed several authors such as the psychiatrist, physician, and spiritual teacher, David R. Hawkins have explored this misconception in depth.

But Yog-Sothoth’s statement above asks us to look at our sensitivity, which is what intrigues me most.

The statement was issued in response to the question; “How can we adjust the structure of space and time to enable us to travel to usefully travel to and from other planets?”

I admit that the original question does not seem a very practical question, since I lack the resources, tools or scientific knowledge to attempt interplanetary travel. But we do have people on this planet who do. If that’s you, I hope you find this useful - do let me know. And for the rest of us, I think Yog-Sothoth’s answer can work quite well as general advice for all kinds of human endeavour.

Take the humble telescope as an example. We talk about making a telescope more powerful, which in turn makes it more sensitive - enabling us to see further and with more clarity. Similarly we talk about making a particle accelerators more powerful, which makes them more sensitive - enabling us to see smaller and shorter lived sub-atomic particles and the forces that shape them. In these endeavours, more power means more sensitivity.

We do not normally hear the same for something like making an engine or physical body more powerful, or for making a computer chip or A.I. more powerful. For these, more power can often mean less sensitivity.

I suggest that, when it comes to fulfilling human needs and desires, sensitivity accounts for as much as power, if not more. This applies not only to innovation, progress and technology - it applies to our minds and our social culture.

The power of my mind lies not purely in me being able to wield more force to change the world around me. The prevailing headwinds of so called ‘common sense’ have long parroted the narrative that power comes from greater concentration, will-power, focus, a stronger drive, determination, grit and the ability to push through, no-matter what. Doubtless there is great value in the ability to stay the course in any challenge, but this often comes at the expense of sensitivity.

Sensitivity gives us intuition and the ability to see more of reality with greater fidelity. Sensitivity gives us the ability to manoeuvre with agility and grace, to avoid creating unnecessary pain, harm, damage or loss. Sensitivity enables the matador to dance around the powerful and dangerous bull without harm. Sensitivity enables the powerful to be gentle and agile in the application of force. Sensitivity enables the powerful to create outcomes that are a win-win-win for all directly involved, those uninvolved or indirectly affected and the environment.

When we pursue fulfilment of a desire, a stubborn, wilful approach may get a result, but at what cost?

Ares, the great and noble gods of war may say that death, loss and suffering are necessary part of growth. And this may be true in some sense. Consider how a new branch emerging from the trunk of a tree must break open the protective bark in order to emerge, causing the it to crack and sap to bleed out - like the blood and tears of it’s self-sacrifice, all for the prospect of capturing more sunlight and spreading more seed.

Unlike trees though, animals (including humans - well most of them it seems) have some apparently useful lumps of biological matter that we call the brain and central nervous system. In particular, we have a prefrontal cortex - an of the brain which most science currently proclaims as the self-reflective, executive type functions for our motivations and actions, giving us greater self-awareness and

One of the features that distinguishes human capabilities appears greater interconnections between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain.

Another is our ability to discuss, learn and adopt practices that increase the power of our prefrontal cortex - and its sensitivity.

With regular practice, we can develop and condition our central nervous systems through techniques like meditation, breathwork, and other somatic techniques. It’s just like going to the gym to increase our overall body fitness, strength and agility. In particular, daily meditation strengthens both the power and sensitivity of the mind together.

I suspect the prefrontal cortex demonstrates only the beginning of something quite astonishing, that we have yet to conceive of. Our minds have the potential for incredible sensitivity, combining precision and power, which can enable us to create phenomenally delightful, beautiful and beneficial outcomes for ourselves, each other and this planet’s many species and environments as a whole.

However, anyone can see that most humans seem hell bent on killing each other and destroying most of the planet, using their minds to bludgeon their way to extinction - or worse, becoming slaves or pets for more superior intelligent machines.

The trick to avoiding either of these seems to develop the ability to self-regulate the executive functions of our minds. Much like citizens regulating their own governments - a challenge that society seems to have been working on for… well, probably 5000 years.

The way humans govern their selves (in aggregate) seems to mirror in the way their governments govern them. And vice versa, the way they regulate their governments, seems to mirror the way they regulate their selves.

So how can we cultivate better self-governance (leadership) and self-regulation amongst an entire population?

It could mean learning to more easily notice when Pareidolic visions and nonsense attempt to cloud our better judgement. And learning to more easily notice when Erisian disinformation and misdirection attempts to sew discord in our actions. Although Pareidolia and Eris both have an important role in the world.

I think self-regulation seems like the low hanging fruit for humanity to prevent catastrophe on its road to ever increasing power with sensitivity. Practicing kindness would seem like a good idea too. Humanity must ensure it develops the sensitivity of our minds, not simply focus on making them more powerful.

As more energy flows through a system, the capabilities of self-regulation must develop to be able to handle the power without causing damage, harm or loss in the process.

Another way to look at the meaning of ‘awakening’ is to become more sensitive, more aware, seeing more of reality as it really is - beyond the illusions, distortions and delusions.

Invoking the goddess Apophenia helps.

For me, Apophenia has held up a light up to show me how the meaning making apparatus inside my skull can become a more powerful tool to wield with greater intentional sensitivity - instead of a means by which I become used to perpetuate the traumatic tyranny of blunt brute force that past aeons have been ruled by.

Over the past decade, practices like breathwork, somatic therapies and meditation have rapidly become mainstream. And despite all the spiritual ego that accompanies any new technique in the self-awakening movement as it strives to differentiate it from all the other gurus, I see this as a good thing.

But I’d like to see breathwork and meditation incorporated (or re-incorporated) into the cultural habits of as many people as possible, not just an elite sub-section of society. Teaching meditation and breath awareness techniques as part of all school curriculums seems like a good idea to start with.

Then, with some, luck the next generation will be better equipped to wield their attention. With a better outlook for brain function than the 9 year old boy the other day who I watched glued to his mobile phone for 4 hours straight while the adults around connected socially and sung.

Or we could end up becoming a planet of zombies enslaved to the technology we created while we were asleep.

Either way the show will be interesting.