05-09-2020, 04:55 PM
A change in direction, for now: adding some complementary aspects of the philosophy of the Cassiopaean Experiment. I have previously left Laura's husband, Ark, out of the picture; actually, I find the most positive human elements in the older mix of influences to be his.
A different core philosophy
Ark doesn't play nearly as visible a part in setting the direction of the Cassiopaea community; and when, from time to time over the years, he adds something into the mix which changes the direction, the result is what comes from his input both passing through Laura's filter, and Laura changing her filter into something neither quite like the old nor something which really accomodates Ark's core philosophy.
What is that core philosophy? Actually, there's a basic uncertainty to my writing in that my information is incomplete. Ark's main direct philosophical input is old, as in personal notes from many decades ago and some shorter, newer writing, quoted here and there in the writing on the Cassiopaea website. There's no definite, elaborate big picture update that I know of.
In a way, Ark is the opposite of Laura. Instead of furthering a very general sense of urgency and theologically-charged drama, his idea is that the best people can do is to figure out what they want to do most of all and then work towards it, without worrying about the time it may take. Maybe it can be done in this life, maybe not; if it takes five lives to do it, so what? God or the Universe doesn't expect more than for people to hopefully basically love and take care of themselves, and do whatever is in their hearts to do.
In that sense, Ark's philosophy is fundamentally much more easy-going and accepting. And if it were as prominent a part of the whole as Laura's much more moralistic and emotionally-charged approach, then a much better balance may have resulted. But it plays a much smaller part, as something there in the background, while the main focus is given to the opposite inclinations. That's very much a long-term part of the picture.
Social memory complexes and "debugging the Universe"
An old idea of Ark's, captured in by now very old journal notes quoted in Laura's writing, is that of "debugging the Universe".
Loosely inspired by Fourth Way thinking, Ark had arrived at the idea that what people are at this level is not what really matters. Compared to the larger being, and/or larger potential, the self of the physical body is more like a little shell, or machine, which by itself doesn't amount to much. It either drifts through life in a basically meaningless way, or aligns with something bigger than itself, and through that has a meaningful purpose.
In other words, a truly meaningful life is a life of serving something greater than what comes from the nature of the physical self. A real aim in life gives a real direction and a real meaning. But what aim? It depends on the person, whether an aim is found and if so what it might be.
Ark arrived at an idea that not everything is right with the world, or situation the world is in, and that some may be here to help in a variety of ways to correct the course or make a better future. Something larger, connected to the future and the ways in which it may unfold, may even send souls, or beings, into this world we find ourselves in, in attempts to help fix whatever the problems may be. And so, he reasoned, perhaps he is such a "debugging unit", somehow here to help.
This corresponds very well with the ideas of social memory complexes, wanderers connected to them, and that, in Ra's terms, there's something of a "maelstrom" associated with "destruction" that some wanderers are here to help the world avoid the worst of - at the risk of being dragged into it.
So what happened?
I can't really tell what the ultimate big picture of Ark's role and spiritual significance is shaping up towards. To make one thing very clear, despite the seeming big contrasts between Ark and Laura, they obviously have been and remain deeply committed to working together, having made their causes one.
Was that always meant to be, or did it end up that way partway there? It can be interesting to speculate about what may have happened had history unfolded differently. For example, if Don Elkins had lived longer, and met with Ark at some point in the late 80's or early 90's, I think they would have had much to talk about, and may have found significant common ground.
But the present is the present. Ark's main role, in relation to the Cassiopaean Experiment, is as inspirer and main supporter of the quiet type at the core of what has developed since 1996. It's difficult to accurately distinguish between the nature of what comes from him and what comes from the whole, if the two differ in a more fundamental way.
A different core philosophy
Ark doesn't play nearly as visible a part in setting the direction of the Cassiopaea community; and when, from time to time over the years, he adds something into the mix which changes the direction, the result is what comes from his input both passing through Laura's filter, and Laura changing her filter into something neither quite like the old nor something which really accomodates Ark's core philosophy.
What is that core philosophy? Actually, there's a basic uncertainty to my writing in that my information is incomplete. Ark's main direct philosophical input is old, as in personal notes from many decades ago and some shorter, newer writing, quoted here and there in the writing on the Cassiopaea website. There's no definite, elaborate big picture update that I know of.
In a way, Ark is the opposite of Laura. Instead of furthering a very general sense of urgency and theologically-charged drama, his idea is that the best people can do is to figure out what they want to do most of all and then work towards it, without worrying about the time it may take. Maybe it can be done in this life, maybe not; if it takes five lives to do it, so what? God or the Universe doesn't expect more than for people to hopefully basically love and take care of themselves, and do whatever is in their hearts to do.
In that sense, Ark's philosophy is fundamentally much more easy-going and accepting. And if it were as prominent a part of the whole as Laura's much more moralistic and emotionally-charged approach, then a much better balance may have resulted. But it plays a much smaller part, as something there in the background, while the main focus is given to the opposite inclinations. That's very much a long-term part of the picture.
Social memory complexes and "debugging the Universe"
An old idea of Ark's, captured in by now very old journal notes quoted in Laura's writing, is that of "debugging the Universe".
Loosely inspired by Fourth Way thinking, Ark had arrived at the idea that what people are at this level is not what really matters. Compared to the larger being, and/or larger potential, the self of the physical body is more like a little shell, or machine, which by itself doesn't amount to much. It either drifts through life in a basically meaningless way, or aligns with something bigger than itself, and through that has a meaningful purpose.
In other words, a truly meaningful life is a life of serving something greater than what comes from the nature of the physical self. A real aim in life gives a real direction and a real meaning. But what aim? It depends on the person, whether an aim is found and if so what it might be.
Ark arrived at an idea that not everything is right with the world, or situation the world is in, and that some may be here to help in a variety of ways to correct the course or make a better future. Something larger, connected to the future and the ways in which it may unfold, may even send souls, or beings, into this world we find ourselves in, in attempts to help fix whatever the problems may be. And so, he reasoned, perhaps he is such a "debugging unit", somehow here to help.
This corresponds very well with the ideas of social memory complexes, wanderers connected to them, and that, in Ra's terms, there's something of a "maelstrom" associated with "destruction" that some wanderers are here to help the world avoid the worst of - at the risk of being dragged into it.
So what happened?
I can't really tell what the ultimate big picture of Ark's role and spiritual significance is shaping up towards. To make one thing very clear, despite the seeming big contrasts between Ark and Laura, they obviously have been and remain deeply committed to working together, having made their causes one.
Was that always meant to be, or did it end up that way partway there? It can be interesting to speculate about what may have happened had history unfolded differently. For example, if Don Elkins had lived longer, and met with Ark at some point in the late 80's or early 90's, I think they would have had much to talk about, and may have found significant common ground.
But the present is the present. Ark's main role, in relation to the Cassiopaean Experiment, is as inspirer and main supporter of the quiet type at the core of what has developed since 1996. It's difficult to accurately distinguish between the nature of what comes from him and what comes from the whole, if the two differ in a more fundamental way.