2008-07-28, by John Ringland
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Simplified Anatomy of the Global
Systemic Crisis and How to Heal Civilisation
The crisis can be briefly described as systemic,
self-perpetuating, persistent illusion, suffering & destruction.
This analysis describes some salient features of the anatomy of
the global systemic crisis, introducing the anatomy stage by stage
then discussing how best to initiate a process of holistic healing
that can result in lasting peace and creative flourishing.
Brief Summary
Just as life arises from self-perpetuating creative feedback loops
(autocatalytic sets) so too does the global systemic crisis arise
from self-perpetuating destructive feedback loops. Fundamental
illusions give rise to entrenched delusions, which result in
suffering and destruction, which are interpreted and responded to in
delusional ways, thus reinforcing a destructive feedback loop of
delusion, suffering and destruction. The illusions arise from a
single source but give rise to many stages of interlocking feedback
loops that form a feedback network.
In theory it is possible that if any single stage can be totally
healed and kept healthy then this will feed-through the entire
feedback network but in practice this is extremely difficult because
all other stages will seek to undermine the healthy stage or will
compensate to exclude the healthy stage from the network therefore
maintaining the overall destructive feedback network.
To heal the whole feedback network the most effective approach is
to identify many stages where positive influence can effectively be
applied and heal these as much as possible thereby diminishing the
destructive feedback and augmenting the creative feedback. This will
begin a healing process and the situation will change slightly,
whereon we must iterate this again by identifying many stages where
positive influence can be applied and healing these as much as
possible. As this process is applied again and again the whole system
will go through many phases of a healing process that will diminish
the overall destructive feedback and augment to overall creative
feedback.
Phase 1 Personal-Ego
Naïve
realism is the tendency to experience the objects of perception
and cognition but confusedly interpret these as real external objects
that exist exactly as they appear within the mind. Hence objects of
perception (such as one's experience of a chair) are assumed to be
real physical objects and objects of cognition (such as one's
experience of a government) are assumed to be real conceptual
objects. There is often something that is real that produces the
cognitive impressions but the mind cannot experience them as they are
but only via conditioned subconscious interpretations that appear to
the conscious mind as an experiential 'world'. Hence assuming that
these experiences inform one of things as they are leads to false
beliefs about everything.
An organism is a complex 'civilisation' of trillions of individual
living beings (cells) and this organism is inextricably
inter-connected at all levels with every aspect of the universe.
However the senses can only perceive the grossest of connections and
thus the mind experiences itself as an isolated being in a world.
From this limited perspective the “I thought” (ego) arises and
formulates a self-identity, personality, desires, fears, agendas and
so on. The ego becomes a central cognitive lens through which all
perceptions and conceptions are sub-consciously interpreted based on
memory, beliefs, expectations, fears, agendas and so on.
The ego is a construct of false beliefs and it grows by 'dressing'
itself in more false beliefs such as “I am good”, “I am bad”,
“I am a person”, “I am a citizen”, “I like ...”, “I
hate ...” and so on. Thus the mind becomes filled with false
beliefs, all of which are intrinsically naïve realist. The more
naïve realist false beliefs that the mind contains the more that its
subconscious interpretations are naïve realist. Thus the first phase
is created and reinforced. All of this occurs within an individual
cognitive memeplex.
Phase 2 Group-Ego
Following on from the first phase there is a great deal of
individual social activity based upon false egoic beliefs about
'self' and 'world'. The mind believes that it is a 'person' in a
“physical universe”. The egoic ideas lead to dysfunctional
relations such as competition, cheating, deception, power struggle,
conflict and so on. The materialist ideas about the world lead to
enquiring only into the form, behaviour of and relations between the
objects of cognition whilst assuming that one is enquiring into the
“physical universe”, which leads to a total ignorance of
everything that cannot be an object of cognition, such as ones own
cognitive health and inter-connectedness with the universe.
The dysfunctional relations and dysfunctional enquiry lead to a
dysfunctional language that expresses dysfunctional knowledge. Both
are bound within the narrow scope of concepts such as the form,
behaviour of and relations between “separate people” and the
form, behaviour of and relations between “material objects”; all
of which are misconceptions about objects of cognition that are
assumed to be real external objects and events. This combination of
dysfunctional relations and enquiry also results in dysfunctional
micro-economics, which is the system of exchange of stored value
between allegedly “separate persons” within an alleged “physical
universe”.
The combination of dysfunctional language, micro-economics and
knowledge leads to dysfunctional ways of organising into groups. This
brings us to the realm of social memeplexes within organisations. The
life of an organisation is the flow of memes through the minds of the
individuals, which cause them to engage in particular social
activities and thereby integrate into the organisation. Due to the
dysfunctional cognitive memeplexes and dysfunctional social
activities the organisations are permeated by internal tension and
they form into entities that engage in organisational interactions
that are permeated by tension and conflict. The organisational
ecosystem is complex, with organisations within organisations and
also because individuals may have allegiances to several
organisations the organisations are themselves inter-penetrating. The
organisational ecosystem extends from the smallest such as families
or peer groups, through corporations and right up to whole nations
and national blocs.
These organisations form their own group-beliefs that are
imprinted into their organisational culture. Individuals may come and
go but the culture is what defines the on going group-beliefs and
principles of the organisation itself. It is represented in and
imposed upon individuals via charters, constitutions, codes of
conduct, unspoken traditions and taboos, and so on. Due to the
delusional and dysfunctional origins of these organisations their
group-beliefs are highly conditioned and disconnected from the actual
reality in which they operate, hence they are permeated by false
group-beliefs.
Due to the egoic nature of the individuals the organisations are
set up in an egoic manner as well; explicitly modelled on the concept
of a “separate person” in a “physical universe”. This results
in organisations with group-egos that formulate their own
self-identity, personality, desires, fears, agendas and so on. Hence
each organisation strives for control of its human resources (its
body) and its organisational environment (its world).
The group-ego is a construct of false group-beliefs and it grows
by 'dressing' itself in more false group-beliefs such as “I am a
successful corporation”, “I am a democratic nation”, “I like
...”, “I hate ...” and so on. Thus the organisational culture
becomes filled with false group-beliefs, all of which are
intrinsically naïve realist. These false group-beliefs reinforce the
dysfunctional organisational structure, further distort the language
and knowledge, and manipulate the micro-economics. The organisations
attempt to control and condition individuals thus leading to more
dysfunctional individual relations. The distorted language and
knowledge leads to more dysfunctional enquiries. These further
reinforce the personal-ego in each individual as well as materialism
and other false beliefs. The more naïve realist false beliefs that
the mind contains the more that its subconscious interpretations are
naïve realist. Thus the second phase is created and both first and
second phases are reinforced. This phase operates within the scope of
social activity and social memeplexes.
Phase 3 Global-Ego
Following on from the second phase there is a great deal of
organisational activity based upon false group-egoic group-beliefs
about 'we' and 'world'. The organisational culture believes that it
is an individual 'entity' in a “physical universe”. The
group-egoic ideas lead to dysfunctional politics such as competition,
cheating, deception, power struggle, conflict and so on. The
scientistic ideas about the world lead to a science that enquires
only into the form, behaviour of and relations between the objects of
cognition whilst assuming that it is enquiring into the “physical
universe”, which leads to a total ignorance of everything that
cannot be an object of cognition, such as individual or
organisational cognitive health and inter-connectedness with the
universe.
The dysfunctional politics and dysfunctional science lead to a
dysfunctional mass discourse that expresses dysfunctional
group-knowledge. Both are bound within the narrow scope of concepts
such as the form, behaviour of and relations between “separate
people or organisations” and the form, behaviour of and relations
between “material objects”; all of which are misconceptions about
objects of cognition that are assumed to be real external objects and
events. This combination of dysfunctional politics and science also
results in dysfunctional macro-economics, which is the system of
exchange of stored value between allegedly “separate organisations”
within an alleged “physical universe”.
The combination of dysfunctional mass discourse, macro-economics
and science leads to dysfunctional ways of organising into a whole
civilisation. This brings us to the realm of organisational
memeplexes within civilisation. The life of a civilisation is the
flow of memes through the minds and cultures of the individuals and
organisations, which cause them to engage in particular social and
organisational activities and thereby integrate into a civilisation.
Due to the dysfunctional cognitive and social memeplexes, and
dysfunctional social and organisational activities the civilisation
is permeated by internal tension and forms into an entity that
engages in destructive interactions with its overall social, cultural
and ecological environment.
The civilisation forms its own global-beliefs that are imprinted
into its global culture. Individuals and organisations may come and
go but the global culture is what defines the on going global-beliefs
and principles of the whole civilisation. It is represented in and
imposed upon individuals and organisations via economic and political
codes of conduct, unspoken traditions and taboos, and so on. Due to
the delusional and dysfunctional origins of the civilisation its
global-beliefs are highly conditioned and disconnected from the
actual reality in which it operates, hence it is permeated by false
global-beliefs.
Due to the egoic nature of the individuals and organisations the
civilisation is set up in an egoic manner as well; implicitly
modelled on the concept of a “separate person” in a “physical
universe”. This results in a civilisation with a global-ego that
formulates its own self-identity, personality, desires, fears,
agendas and so on. Hence the civilisation strives for control of its
human and organisational resources (its body) and its global
environment (its world).
The global-ego is a construct of false global-beliefs and it grows
by 'dressing' itself in more false global-beliefs, which are
difficult to express in human language. The global culture becomes
filled with false global-beliefs, all of which are intrinsically
naïve realist. These false global-beliefs reinforce the
dysfunctional structure of civilisation, further distort the mass
discourse and group knowledge, and manipulate the macro-economics.
The civilisation attempts to control and condition organisations thus
leading to more dysfunctional politics. The distorted mass discourse
and group knowledge leads to more dysfunctional science. These
further reinforce the group-ego in each organisation as well as
scientism and other false group-beliefs. These false group-beliefs
reinforce the dysfunctional organisational structures, further
distort the language and knowledge, and manipulate the
micro-economics. The organisations are encouraged to control and
condition individuals thus leading to more dysfunctional individual
relations. The distorted language and knowledge leads to more
dysfunctional enquiries. These further reinforce the personal-ego in
each individual as well as materialism and other false beliefs. The
more naïve realist false beliefs that the mind contains the more
that its subconscious interpretations are naïve realist. Thus the
third phase is created and all three phases are reinforced. This
phase operates within the scope of organisational activity and
organisational memeplexes.
How to Turn the Tide of Self-Perpetuating
Persistent Illusion, Suffering and Destruction
To heal the whole feedback network the most effective approach is
to identify many stages where positive influence can effectively be
applied and heal these as much as possible thereby diminishing the
destructive feedback and augmenting the creative feedback.
Different people will find that different stages are more easily
understood and influenced than others. Below are listed five general
stages in order of general accessibility but not everyone needs to
follow these in order. For example, some individuals may find it
extremely difficult to effectively work on clarifying their own mind
but very easy to effectively work on resolving macro-economic
dysfunctions. Each individual should ascertain for themselves, which
areas they are most able to apply positive influence, knowing that
positive influence needs to be applied at all levels in a coordinated
and sustained manner.
The place where we individual humans have the greatest degree of
effective influence is our own cognitive memeplex, hence the first
place to start is to undermine the dominance of the ego, clarify
false beliefs and work to overcome naïve realism.
The second most effective place is with our own role in social
activity and encouraging others to participate functionally in social
activity. This means engaging in functional relations, questioning
materialism, engaging in functional enquiry, bringing cooperation
back into our individual relations, clarifying our use of language,
clarifying and re-structuring our knowledge and engaging in
functional micro-economic activities.
The third most effective place is with our own role in social
memeplexes and organisational cultures. This means questioning the
social memes that flow through our own minds and encouraging
organisations to undermine the dominance of their group-egos, to
clarify and restructure their false group-beliefs and to work to find
new and more functional ways to organise themselves.
The fourth most effective place is our own participation in
organisational activity and encouraging other organisations to engage
in functional organisational activity. This means participating in
functional organisational activities and encouraging organisations to
engage in functional activities. This implies questioning scientism,
engaging in functional scientific enquiry, bringing cooperation back
into politics, clarifying the mass discourse, clarifying and
re-structuring our group-knowledge and encouraging functional
macro-economic activities.
The fifth most effective place is with our own role in
organisational memeplexes and the global culture. This means
questioning the organisational memes that flow through organisational
cultures and our own minds, and encouraging civilisation to undermine
the dominance of its global-ego, to clarify and restructure its false
global-beliefs and to work to find new and more functional ways to
operating as a global civilisation.
By exerting positive influence in all these areas, this will begin
a healing process and the situation will change slightly, whereon we
must iterate this again by identifying many particular stages where
positive influence can be applied and healing these as much as
possible. As this process is applied again and again the whole system
will go through many phases of a healing process that will diminish
the overall destructive feedback and augment to overall creative
feedback. Nothing can be achieved in a single attempt but by focusing
positive influence on appropriate “pressure points” we can
gradually turn the tide and steer the entire civilisation back
towards being a creative feedback network that lives, grows and
thrives in peace and creative abundance.
Before joining the conversation, please read and accept this
Invitation
to a Conversation.
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