The Unreal Machine (2): Evolution Interrupted

“Do not fear those who can kill the body but not soul. Rather be afraid of him who can destroy both soul and body in the life after death.”

Gospel of Matthew 10-28

I have described the machinic impulse as a force that is accelerating the automation of the human being and of life upon this planet. The machinic impulse equates to the forces of materialism. These material forces propagate an impulse and influence that if taken beyond its necessary function can lead to entropy and decay. Materialism is all good and well – yet up to a certain point. This is recognized by some as the ‘Fall’ – the deep immersion into physical reality. To a certain degree, this immersion into physicality was necessary for developing individualization and to perceive existence in relation to Source. Once this recognition is gained, then begins the ‘return journey’ back to Source/Origin consciousness. However, if a species remains too long within the grip of materialistic forces, then a hardening – or deadening – can occur that crystallizes certain faculties and organs of perception, which leads to an evolutionary stagnation. As such, the stagnation of evolvement can be due to the over-influence of entropic forces. The philosopher Rudolf Steiner, in his spiritual science, referred to these entropic forces as the Ahrimanic impulse. For my purposes here, I shall make reference often to this Ahrimanic impulse (or the forces of Ahriman) as a way of conceptualizing energies of decay, deterioration, and decline.

            The entropic forces that exist in opposition aim to ‘over-materialize’ materialism. They intend to deepen the entanglement within physical matter, and to create artificial material forms that would not have arisen in the natural course of human evolvement. This is being applied in such a way as to block a renewal of human culture beyond the present age and to direct it into a new form of materialism, a more etheric form that seems un-material (or de-solidified). That is, the digital-virtual realms, whilst seeming contrary to physical-materialism, are in fact working to deepen human entanglement in material forces. As I’ve mentioned previously, I refer to this as the ‘Material Fallacy’ in that the digital realm and its extension into augmented reality, and into such spaces as the Metaverse, is a further deepening into materialism rather than a release from it. These digitized spaces, because of their sense of non-physicality, are really an etheric manifestation of materialism. Or rather, a realm of theoretical materialism (also a Steiner term). Theoretical materialism signifies a reality construct that does not need to be physical to the touch, yet it is based on, or is a projection from, a material foundation. Within both the theoretical and regular mode of materialism, the human being is encapsulated within an amalgamation of material processes. It is also a world of facts and external evidence that a person becomes lost within. All life experience proceeds from this material realm, and this conditions the human being to gain a view of life that is factually based, and to accept that there is no other reality except this world of materialism. Any notion of the soul or spirit – the transcendental impulse – is either regarded as being a by-product from material reality or is rejected altogether as a false notion. This is the power of the immersion into matter-reality.

            Deep materialism finally becomes a mythology of entropy and decline. It leads to mechanical, artificial modes of thinking that eventually brings about a stagnation in those forces driving human development. If continued, these materialistic forces – the machinic impulse – carve out a path of technological advancement and evolution that further blocks vital, spiritualized forces. In this route, the human being strives for greater material benefits yet neglects the vital human forces of spiritualized connection. According to Steiner, our current epoch is the one which is concerned with the development of the material world; and if the human being is not to degenerate totally into a mere accomplice of machines, then a path must be found which leads from the mechanical impulse towards a life of the spirit. However, entropic forces are in play that are opposed to forms of spiritualization (spiritual freedom), and which work to reduce and, eventually, dispose of spiritual seeking and to replace it with an ethereal and otherworldly ‘virtual paradise’ where all needs can be fulfilled-by-illusion. A part of this ‘hyper-materialism’ is the notion of immortality that is arising through transhumanist tropes. This can be referred to as Ahrimanic immortality as it works not through the spirit-soul but through a prolongation of the physical life experience by merger with machinic forms. This is a mode of potential immortality within the physical sphere but not within the spiritual. In the end, it is an entrapment for it disavows the inner spirit release from the physical domain. This can lead to a state of soullessness within the human being as the contact with Source becomes, over time, diminished. Or, perhaps this materialistic, transhumanist agenda will attract those people already without full spirit-soul incarnation.

            It may be that there are people walking around in physical incarnation, in physical bodies, yet who are lacking, for want of a better word, a soul. Rudolf Steiner made note of this a hundred years ago when he stated:

‘…a kind of surplus of individuals is appearing in our times who are without Egos [‘I’], who are not truly human beings. This is a terrible truth…They make the impression of a human being if we do not look closely, but they are not human in the fullest sense of the word.’ ¹

Steiner warned us to be aware that what we encounter as human beings in human form may not always be what they appear to be. He stated that the outer appearance can be just that: appearance. He went on to state: ‘We encounter people in human form who only in their outer appearance are individuals…in truth, these are humans with a physical, etheric, and astral body, but beings are embodied in them, beings that make use of these individuals in order to operate through them.’² What this refers to is that human bodies can be vessels for other beings to operate through.

            This suggests that the world of ‘spirit’ – or the occult – may not always be what we have thought it to be, for there are players and forces that wield a great deal of influence within the physical world. And some of these influences act through the presence of certain individuals that may appear outwardly ‘normal.’ In this light, a completely different kind of spirituality is at work in present-day humanity – and this is what I have repeatedly referred to as the Inversion. It can be understood from this that certain power groups, and their individual members, are influenced (and perhaps dominated) by a non-human species (entropic forces) that are intent on implementing non-human objectives. Such groups and individuals would, in this case, exhibit a distinct lack of ‘soul’ – i.e., empathy and compassion – and would appear to others as displaying almost sociopathic tendencies. Yet at the same time, such people can appear unusually charismatic and are able to exert great influence over other people, especially with their words and speeches, whilst being themselves emotionally stunted. If we take only a cursory glance at the actions of many incumbent leaders, politicians, corporate businesses, financial institutions, and more, we can see a clear lack of any soulful behaviour or intent. Quite the contrary, many of these individuals and groups seem determined to curtail human freedoms, sovereignty, and inner empowerment. If Steiner were alive today, he would no doubt say that what we are currently witnessing upon the physical plane is an act of soulless terraforming of the planet and a controlling manipulation of the human life experience by nefarious forces that have anti-human aims and intentions.

            Furthermore, such beings or forces might be motivated in their actions to attempt to block other human being’s connection to their own individual inner/spiritual impulse. By a range of actions, they could focus on distracting people away from the notion of a metaphysical reality and of their inherent connection to Source (or a realm of vital conscious intelligence beyond matter-reality). In extreme cases, such players might even target the bio-psycho human body in an attempt to sabotage the vessel so as to make it a less viable vehicle for soul-spirit incarnation. What else might they hope to achieve? Again, referring to Rudolf Steiner, he stated that: ‘Their objective is to maintain the whole of life as a mere economic life, to gradually eradicate everything else that is part of the intellectual and spiritual life, to eradicate the spiritual life precisely where it is most active…and swallow up everything through the economic life.’³ These entropic forces, which Steiner calls Ahrimanic forces, distract humanity from aligning with its developmental potential by introducing mechanisms and processes of stagnation and decay. To accomplish this, a specific materialistic and mechanical construct of life is established based on rational-materialistic and scientific dogma. This is the impulse that now permeates the current mode of the Inversion. Our lesser reality has become inverted into a territory that is acclimatized for Ahrimanic, entropic forces.

            To give more description of this environment, it is one that cultivates the following features: antagonistic nationalisms and frictions over divided ethnicity and racial identities; polarized party politics and political tensions; the subjugation of cultural life to economic power; the mechanization of industry and modern life; cultural censorship and manufactured political correctness; identity confusions; social division and the breakdown of social alliances; industrialized and corporate healthcare; scientific statistics and empirical data; corporate profit-seeking and powerful corporate interests; the increasing automation and artificiality of human life; economic domination; the negation of all genuine spiritual traditions; the rise of technocracy and technocratic forms of governance; the increasing social management and surveillance of the populations; the standardization of entertainment and cultural events; the dominant worldview of mechanization over the organic; increased immorality; the loss of value and tradition; and so much more. Steiner was also explicit in stating that the most dangerous aspect of Ahriman is for this presence to go unrecognized for it seeks to be hidden. He added: ‘…think of everything that presses us down upon the earth, that makes us dull and philistine, leading us to develop materialistic attitudes, penetrating us with a dry intellect, and so on: there you have a picture of Ahrimanic powers.’⁴ For many, such materialistic progress appears contrary to notions of stagnation and decay. And this is where the sly, and dry, intelligence of entropic forces show their strength. Such ‘Ahrimanic forces’ aim to block evolvement by stimulating a particular form of progress; that is, by accelerating all modes of mechanical processes. We can see this if we only take a brief look at events today: almost everything is 24/7 full-on access; continuous distractions through online devices; short-term projects; the push for quick results, etc. Ahrimanic forces organize this acceleration deliberately so as to prevent the human being from developing and maturing their inner certitude, and to block people from reaching a fully conscious relationship with developmental impulses. These forces are shaping superficial people, without an inner world, who act and think automatically and align with a mechanically minded society.

            What is occurring here is a deliberate push to accelerate matters before their time. This will then create further imbalance. Individual freedom and inner-life autonomy is part of humanity’s innate heritage; however, opposing forces will act to frustrate and even block human development. An aspect of these forces acts through illusions and dream fantasies (Metaverse), whilst others aim to push humanity into deeper materialism (automation – transhumanism). In this mix, we see the empty fantasy meshed with the automated mind. The destination for such entropic forces is for a dark, materialistic culture. Within this deeply materialistic culture all traces of free, individualized humans will be targeted and possibly eroded. The aim here is to divert the human being from developing an individualized consciousness and to steer people into docile masses – a form of pseudo-humanity. These forces can also be said to represent humanity’s lower nature – as expressed selfishly through commercial-consumerist cultures, filled with superficial personalities. It is the outward gaze that seeks material pursuits, and which denies the inner spirit and expansive consciousness. Those people deeply embedded within materialism display an ‘Ahrimanic consciousness.’ Social forms of individualization are instead the behaviour of selfish, individualistic drives. The rise of such entropic forces in our societies show themselves through the increasing popularity of empty words. Deep communication gets hijacked into emoticons, abbreviated words, short text messages, slogans, and twitterings. Words and language become subsumed by subconscious forces, and people are increasingly oblivious to this. As it is said, the demons of materialism speak through empty words.

To be continued in Pt.3 …

[The above essay was taken from Kingsley Dennis’ new book The Inversion: How We Have Been Tricked into Perceiving a False Reality (Aeon Books, September 2023)]

Discount code ‘INV20’ will give readers 20% off The Inversion until 25/03/24 when ordered direct from publisher:

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References

¹ Cited in Grosse, Erdmuth Johannes (2021) Are There People Without A Self? Forest Row: Temple Lodge, p31-2

² Cited in Grosse, Erdmuth Johannes (2021) Are There People Without A Self? Forest Row: Temple Lodge, p60

³ Cited in Grosse, Erdmuth Johannes (2021) Are There People Without A Self? Forest Row: Temple Lodge, p63

⁴ Steiner, R. (2009) The Incarnation of Ahriman: The Embodiment of Evil on Earth. Forest Row: Rudolf Steiner Press, p1