In a series of lectures named the “Trialogues,” three acclaimed fringe thinkers shared views on a large variety of topics. In one of these discussions Ralph Abraham, chaos mathematician; Rupert Sheldrake, biologist and originator of the theory of morphogenetic fields; and Terrence McKenna, shamanologist and ethnopharmocologist joined in a engaging conversation on the subject of “Entities.” McKenna poses the questions: “What is the status of entities in this world?” and “What are the logical options open to us in examining this phenomenon of entity ontology?”
McKenna introduced the discussion by clarifying the topic as “the exotic theme of disincarnate intelligences and non-human entitites that seem to occupy an undefined ontological limbo.” In this he defines an entity as “disincarnate,” meaning literally “without flesh” which is to say that these beings do not occupy a physical body. He also uses the term “intellgences” implying that entities exhibit an agency in producing some intentionally directed effect upon the world. Lastly, McKenna specifies that these are “non-human” entities, removing the allure of the distracting conversation about a human possiblity of life-after-death, ghosts, and souls.
Of the first point, Terrence takes stock of entities by exploring their previous and current status in the world. Not much has differed throughout time as entities have demonstrated a persistence in human experience as evidence by their consistent appearance in folklore worldwide. They are widely known and in no way statistically rare. Terrence reiterates this point by offering examples of the social commerce with entities so often taken for granted, such as the milk pail left out for the pixies by the Celtic maids, similar to the current milk and cookies meal left for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve night. Not only do entities persist through time, but there is a tremendous variety through all cultures, including djinn, ifrits, fairies, gnomes, angels, sprites, elementals, aliens and ufo’s, etc. The vast array of peculiar creatures is an expression of the fundamental belief related to the human condition that there is something “other.”
What then are the logical options available for dealing with this phenomenon ontologically? Further examining their status, McKenna says the initial option is that these entities are rare but are physical in nature. They operate somewhere between the mythological estimation and the established zoological fact. The example given is the yeti. This elusive beast is either a rare member of an ordinary biological taxa or something far more significant. The second option pertaining to the ontological origin of entities is the Jungian position that these are “autonomous fragments of psychic energy which have temporarily escaped from the controlling power of the ego.” This is a mentalist, reductionist approach insinuating that the existence of entities is dependent upon being conceived of in the consciousness and imaginations of humans regardless of their pathological expression.
The third, and most interesting, option concerning the ontology of entities is plainly that they are non-physical and autonomous in their existence. They carry an independent being in a realm outside of human perception. This is the classical position held by those who have the most experience with the entities: shamans and sensitives. This elegant approach is most commiserative with the evidence but poses a large challenge and barrier to the western and scientific thinkers, which is the acceptance of communication with disincarnate agencies co-present with humanity on this planet. Scientists deal with this option by compartmentalizing the concern under an umbrella term called schizophrenia and deem it a concern of, sadly, the least-esteemed of their ranks, the psychologists. Anyone with ample study of the situation or actual contact with an entity stands by the assertion that this is not an adequate description of the phenomenon.
The humorous and depressing aspect of the scientific standpoint is that many of the premises of science were passed to mankind through a hidden realm of higher intelligence. This is suppressed in the tomes of the official scientific history. John Dee, an Elizabethan astronomer enjoyed commerce with angels for decades. Renee Descartes was set on his path of rational thought by an angel in a dream, saying that the conquest of nature is to be achieved through measure and number. As McKenna stated, this is the battle cry of modern science, and it first passed by the lips of an angel. Friedrich August Kekulé divulged that his important discovery in chemistry of the ring structure of the benzene molecule was revealed to him in a dream by a snake in the symbolic ouroboros configuration. These are only a few examples of a scientifically forbidden form of epistemology (interestingly, receiving information from entities is a valid form of obtaining knowledge in the Hindu Vedas). Rational and logical thought’s conquest of the dark world of superstition seeks to destroy the epistemological source of its own life.
In the Trialogues, McKenna explicates the exotic theme of entities in detail. The discussion opens to the audience the avenues of thoughts regarding disincarnate intelligences seemingly operating in this reality. The possibilities are that these entities are rare and real biological taxons; mythological, symbolic, and/or pathological expressions of the human psyche; or non-physical and non-human, intelligent agents. They certaintly persist in the cultural folklore of mankind throughout the ages in various forms. The final viewpoint strongly challenges the modern materialist ideology threateningly enough that it is regarded as pathological and ignored as unworthy of serious investigation. Perhaps both are correct and we will also one day find contact with intelligences in outer space as well.
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The Exotic Theme of Entities
Tags: Mythology, Philosophy, Psychedelia, Psychology, Theoretics