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Messages - Francis Buck

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31
General Misc. / Re: What are you watching?
« on: September 05, 2019, 10:36:20 pm »
Maybe i just like the actresses irish accents though...

Lmao, this got me.

She was actually into the trailer, until that faerie thing sprouted wings, then it was "too fantasy."  If it's subdued fantasy though, I'll have a case, maybe.


I wonder what it says about me when I, myself, also find that sort of thing "too fantasy"...as I sit here posting on a fantasy forum between bouts of worldbuilding for my own super-fantastical fantasy series that I am writing.

32
For the sake of clarity, I'm definitely way more on the 'contrarian' side of things here -- I'm purely skeptical of the idea that ingesting a particular type of mind-altering substance will allow for cross-species communication (even more specifically, the kind of communication alleged in the article). And even then, I'm just skeptical lol. The part about plants making clicking noises in order to communicate also comes off as especially anthropocentric.

Now, the idea, more broadly speaking, that mind-altering substances and/or the induction of mind-altering states (say, via meditation or a drum circle) can lead to actual, genuine "transcedental" knowledge or understanding of the universe -- of that I am basically convinced until proven otherwise, lol. 

33
I totally buy into plants and trees and forests all being more way more active (and certainly sentient), I remain skeptical lol. It's not that I think it is impossible so much as unlikely. Although I also really take no stance on how psychoactives might actually work, given that we don't understand regular old unaltered consciousness.

34
General Misc. / Re: Quotes
« on: September 02, 2019, 12:55:51 am »
Quote
Who is it, that carries this corpse around?
– Zen Koan

35
This is makes a strange amount of sense at first blush, so I distrust it (well, myself) implicity lol. Very interesting though in terms of what it could mean.

I mean, let's assume a far future SF scenario where have the technology to harness quantum gravity. Could we reverse the chain of cause and effect? What does that even look like lol?

36
Very interesting, especially the bit about Hegel. I already assumed Hermetic thought must have been some kind of influence on him, given that Hegel himself was very clearly influential on Hermetic spiritual movements (Anthroposophy and Rosicrucianism certainly), but I wasn't really sure to what extent he himself took Hermetic ideas into account. Hell, Eric Voegelin actually went so far as to argue that:

Quote
"Hegel should be understood not as a philosopher, but as a "sorcerer", i.e. as a mystic and hermetic thinker."

Also from wiki:

Quote
This concept of Hegel as a hermetic thinker was elaborated by Glenn Alexander Magee, who argued that interpreting Hegel's body of work as an expression of mysticism and hermetic ideas leads to a more accurate understanding of Hegel.

I'm not familiarized enough with Hermetic ideas -- let alone Hegel -- to really have an opinion on this. Calling him an outright mystic or sorceror seems overboard, as he's very obviously been a massive influence on philosophy -- but at the same time, his works do have the feel of esoterica, and not just because of how densely impenetrable they can be.

As for the notion of a 'pristine wisdom tradition', specifically in relation to Hermetic idealogy...it has certainly grown on me. I don't take Hermetic ideas literally at all, but I definitely think there's something to it. I mean, this is arguably the oldest spiritual tradition to remain somewhat intact in the entire Western world, and it's still here. And when viewed without the knee-jerk skepticism associated with spirituality in general, there's absolutely some insights to be gleaned even just sort of glossing over Hermetic material (particularly older stuff, the things allegedly written by Seswatha(Hermes Trismegistus) one can definitely see a certain amount of foresight into the nature of the universe and so forth, although the same is true of numerous ancient religions.

I don't really know what I'm talking about anymore, other than that I definitely think there is a soft cycle to civilization and knowledge (or was, until the technology revolution), and I absolutely think pre-modern humans had the ability to experience 'transcedental states of mind' that are serverly hampered by modern civilization, to the point that it's seen as silly or absurd. Transcedental is a stronger word than I actually mean, but I'm too tired to think of a better one lol. Regardless I do think there is a possible link with this sort of thing and a communal, shared wisdom that is basically "the best you can get" with normal human wetware.

37
General Misc. / Re: Quotes
« on: August 26, 2019, 05:11:21 am »
Quote
“Those who travel with the current will always feel they are good swimmers; those who swim against the current may never realize they are better swimmers than they imagine.”

- Shankar Vedantam

38
General Earwa / Re: It has begun
« on: August 24, 2019, 08:49:34 pm »
This is actually pretty damn wild, very interesting video. I now have a proper mental image of how Sranc might actually 'outrun a horse', lol.

39
General Misc. / Re: Quotes
« on: August 22, 2019, 08:45:42 pm »
I dig these two quotes, will be listening to that podcast as well!

Also can't help but think of Seswatha and the Dreams. But if the Mandati are Initiates...what of the Meta-Gnosis?

40
General Misc. / Re: Fear Inoculum - Tool's first album in 13 years
« on: August 21, 2019, 05:24:17 pm »
It's worth noting that I was like 12 years old when I first started listening to Tool, as my older brother would give me different albums from various bands, and of those Lateralus was like my favorite thing ever. I was listening to like, Creed and shit until I got Lateralus. I didn't realize such cool music even existed.

So yeah, to say I have rose tinted glasses for that album is an understatement. I gradually went through their discography over the years very slowly for some reason, it wasn't ever deliberate until 10,000 days. 

I actually do perceive a progression with their music, but it seems to me they were always branching out and exploring new territory for themselves, and 10,000 Days was obviously a pretty personal album in ways for Maynard, while also being more experimental and still doing some more 'traditional' sounding Tool songs like Vicarious and The Pot (I'm actually not a huge fan of Vicarious which I'm pretty sure was the first single, whereas The Pot is one of my favorites from them). I also think Wings for Marie is an incredibly powerful and extremely well-made song, even if it's not the sort of thing you just throw on and listen to casually.

It's really hard to say just going off of this one (albeit 10 minute) song, and even though I don't really see this one ever growing me, it doesn't dampen my excitement at all, probably because lots of Tool songs never grew on me (I just can't get into Sober for some reason, the lyrics are good but the music just doesn't tickle my brain the right way lol).

As for your own personal enjoyment -- I can't say, other than that I don't think it's particularly weird to be less jazzed over something that you once were really into. It happens to me all the time, anyway lol. I also think it's even less weird when the example is something like Tool. They've changed substantially enough throughout their carreer that I'd be surprised at anyone who genuinely liked every single Tool song ever. I don't even think we're supposed to enjoy a solid 25% of the actual auditory experiences that make up their discography, at least not in a conventional sense. I mean even stuff like "Life Eats Life" is a piece of musical artistic storytelling (I don't what the hell to call it really) that I mildly appreciate while finding it amusing and quite clever with the opening dramatics, but I might listen to that like, once every five years at this point lol.

41
General Misc. / Re: Fear Inoculum - Tool's first album in 13 years
« on: August 21, 2019, 02:41:35 am »
I actually agree with you on this song in particular (loved the first half, less so in the second), although I must say that Lateralus is my favorite style of Tool out of them all lol, so "Lateralus-detritus" is still potentially gold.


That being said I absolutely expect this album to be just as 'out there' as 10,000 days, though perhaps in a different direction. I also don't expect to even like most of the songs right off the bat aside from two or three *maybe*. Some of my favorite Tool songs took YEARS to work on me (most of 10,000 days, most of their early stuff, and songs like H. and Push It, just off the top of my head). Even though this song is kinda meh, it honestly puts zero damper on my hype for this. Tool's essentially my favorite "modern" rock band though so I am intrinsically biased here lol.

ETA: Also what the fuck dude I can't believe I never realized all this time that your name came from that, I feel so dumb lol. 

42
General Misc. / Fear Inoculum - Tool's first album in 13 years
« on: August 20, 2019, 08:50:45 pm »
Because Tool deserves it owns thread.

First (?) review: https://www.spin.com/2019/08/tool-fear-inoculum-review/

Album drops August 30th, the first single and title track is available now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7DfQMPmJRI



43
Philosophy & Science / Alan Watts - The Nature of God
« on: August 17, 2019, 08:58:31 am »
Because there's never a bad time for Alan Watts, unless you're some kind of square.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLg4AV60uWY


44
I think I've been meaning to watch this since you posted it, lol.

And so, I have watched!

The art and animation is great, but I do agree it's way too on the nose, and kinda made the middle drag a bit. It also feels like it's not quite as smart as it seems to think it is, in general. Nonetheless the imagery was still strong enough to be compelling and the music did its job. The opening and the last few minutes were my favorite part.

45
Hmm, wake me up when we have the Subparticular Intentional Field Machine please.

I believe the correct terminology is “immersive post-material interface”.


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