Episode 3 - Continuous cosmos and modern world grammar

Summarrium

In the last episode Vervaeke discussed Shamanism and the flow state and how this integrates altered states of consciousness and meaning making to enhance insight and intuition. This led to an enhanced capacity for metaphorical cognition which drove the upper paleolithic transition. Vervake also spoke briefly about the neolithic revolution and the bronze age collapse, which led to the Axial revolution in 300BC. This introduced of new psycho technologies such as alphabetic literacy. As literacy became more effective and efficient it became more accessible and more individuals internalised literacy to produce second order thought. This was further refined through the introduction of abstract symbolic thought in the form of coinage. Humans therefore generally became more aware of their capacity for self correction and transcendence but also our capacity for self-deception and illusion.

Myth and Continuous Cosmos

Vervake points out that the Axial revolution leads humans to recognise that transformation in the mind and heart is the way to alleviate suffering. This leads to the development of Myth as a mechanism by which we make insight communicable to other humans. Vervaeke argues that we assume myth to be a widely believed falsehood. Yet myths are actually symbolic stories about perennial patterns that are always with us. In myth, then, we attempt to take these patterns and make them shareable with others.

In the bronze age people experienced the world as the continuous cosmos¹. There was continuity between the natural, the cultural and the world of the Gods. The difference between each was not in 'kind' (be. the natural and man-made distinction) but in power. For this reason the Pharaoh is a 'god king'; because Pharaoh is more powerful. In the pre-axial world there was a recognition that the world moved in great cycles that move throughout eternity. Ritual behaviour seeks to tap this continuity; there is a nostalgia given by changing our future we undermine our past.

However when the axial revolution arrives this immutable cyclical world is replaced. Now we have increased awareness of our own capacity for self-deception and illusion we naturally move into the axial framing; (a) the every day world, and (b) the real world. The former being beset by chaos and illusion and the latter, how the trained wise mind perceives the world. We aspire to move towards the real and discard illusion given this is world in which there is reduced suffering and violence because it is not out of touch with reality.

Wisdom

Vervaeke points out that in the pre-axial world wisdom is power orientated. It is 'secret' knowledge of how to tap into the cyclical power of the Universe for the purpose of long life and prosperity. In the post axial world wisdom becomes knowing how to fit in to move from the illusory world to the real world. Vervaeke points out this desire to be deeply in touch with reality is powerful and fundamental; we want transformation out of (a) into (b). Wisdom is knowing how to make the leap.

Meaning is therefore no longer just about connectedness to the world but to the 'real' world. Our concept of self is changing where prior it is how we fit in to the grand cycle, whereas in the post axial age it is about personal growth. This also has the effect of leading us to feel as strangers in the world; pilgrims or sojourners. Vervaeke points out that much of what we consider a natural part of cognition is therefore internalised psycho technologies that are a product of culture. Indeed many have become second nature.

Mythology then enables us to articulate and train the psycho technologies of the axial revolution; self transcendence wisdom and enhanced meaning. But the challenge we have is that the scientific revolution undermines this bringing us back to a continuous cosmos; we are not so different from chimpanzee's Darwin tells us. Here part of the meaning crisis emerges; How do we salvage the ability to cultivate wisdom, transcend the self and overcome deception when we can no longer use the myth world view in which it was born.

Judeo-Christian Grammar

Vervaeke points out that much of the grammar we use is constructed from judeo-christian thought. We are still filled with the God grammar of the bible (e.g. Fall, redemption, judgment). Vervaeke highlights that pre-axial ancient Israel developed the psycho technology that views time as a story. Rather than the cyclical axial view the future is now open, we can participate and our actions matter.

This becomes manifest in the very nature of the God revealed within the Hebrew Bible. Most other deities at this point are God's of a particular place or function. Whereas the God of the Old Testament reveals himself to Moses as the God of possibility; the Lord of the open future in which we are invited to participate. This is now something we take for granted and have internalised. Are we 'making progress' or are we 'stuck?'. This idea that history is progressive over time.

Vervaeke points out that the ancient world had a form of knowing that was participatory da'ath. He explains that this is the same word used for how 'adam knew eve' and conceived a child. There is a sense in which this form of knowing is about being situated within, identifying, resonating, changing what you know as it changes you. Vervaeke also pointed out that Faith which has come to be understood as believing ridiculous things for which there is no evidence has progressed from a sense of da'ath; being immersed within the pattern; being on course.

Vervaeke introduces the concept of Kairos²; getting things at the right time and the right place to turn things back on course or to further develop them. We often enquire are our relationships 'on course?'. How are we changing and being changed? We want to avoid self deception and going off course (sin), and instead proceed into the promised land. The God of the bible has to wake up individuals to how they are off course. Christianity claims that the Kairos was located in an individual which will deeply personalise this.

This is fundamentally what purpose the prophetic tradition services. It is not about psychic prediction. It is a telling forth; to wake up the individual right now as to how they are off course. This function now is somewhat lost although there are some therapists who serve this function; providing insight into how our self deception and self-destructive behaviours had led us off course. In the prophetic literature there is an increasing emphasis on the morality of human decision making an exhortation to wake up to our moral responsibility and to turn back to towards the promised land. We get to participate in the shaping of the world; in progress. This is the grammar we inherit from the Hebrews.

Greek Grammar

Vervaeke discusses cognitive fluency; how when we increase the ease by which information can be processed we feel that this information is more real to us and have greater confidence in it. The reason this appears to us this was is because that the brain uses the fluency of it's own processing as a measure of how in touch we are with reality. So the introduction of vowels by the ancient Greeks and the standardisation of reading left to right increasing the fluency of processing. Furthermore the introduction of democracy places a premium on argumentation and debate further enhancing the effects of alphabetic literacy to enhance cognition.

Vervaeke points out that two key figures in ancient Greece will take this further. Firstly Pythagoras who discovers the octave and other mathematical proportions in the world that humans were not directly aware of. He takes this idea about abstract patterns and links this to the project of self transcendence. We are trapped in the world but we can learn to fly free; to be liberated changed and transformed. He introduces the term cosmos (similar to cosmetic which reveals the beauty and order of things). Secondly Socrates who optimises the Greek form of the axial revolution. Plato will then take Socrates and Pythagoras and bring them together. Exploring this will reveal just how much Greek thinking is a part of the grammar of how we think. Yet we no longer inhabit this world view; for do we really experience the universe as a cosmos?

Episode 2 - Flow, Metaphor and the Axial Revolution

Summarrium

Vervaeke recaps the prior episode noting that he had begun to unpack the historical examination of the origin of the capacity for meaning making in humans. Pointing out that this probably developed during the upper paleolithic transition probably driven by Shamanism as a set of psycho technologies and practices suited to cognitively exapt the enhanced abilities that trade, healing and initiation rituals had already created. Vervaeke points out that the Shaman engages in ASC to disrupt framing to improve hunting and healthcare. This led us to the conclusion that there are kinds of knowing distinct from our statements of belief.

Flow

Vervaeke explains that the concept of the flow state was popularised by Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is the experience of being in the zone. Csikszentmihalyi found that there are environmental factors that can induce the flow state. Firstly the demands of the task are required to slightly exceed your skill abilities. Secondly there needs to be a tight coupling between you and the environment, thirdly there must be clear information and finally failure has to matter. Vervaeke points out video games as the most reliable way to currently induce flow.

Interestingly the correlation between skills and demand are related such that if my skills exceed the demand I become bored, and if the demands exceed my skills I fall into anxiety. Given we exist in process and our knowledge and skills over time our environment needs to change alongside our skills.

Vervaeke points out that the flow state has been found to be deeply positive cross cultural experience. Individuals across cultures will offer similar descriptions including a sense of feeling deeply at one with things, 'effortless' engagement despite tremendous metabolic energy at play, distinctions in the experience of time, absence of 'self consciousness', super salience. It has also been found the be where individuals reliably undertake their best work. Training in mindfulness can increase chances of inducing the flow state.

Vervaeke then enquires why is the flow state so good? Why also would Shaman's seek to induce flow? Vervaeke points out that flow is an insight cascade. Meaning that much like the Jazz musician picks up a pattern plays with it and moves along, flow is a cascade of insights in which individuals frame and reframe.

Implicit / Tacit Learning

Vervaeke introduces the work of Arthur Reber on implicit learning offering examples of two experiments. One involving the generation of random strings by arbitrary rules and a set of entirely random strings mixing these up and showing these to individuals. Individuals reliably above chance can identify the strings that belong to the arbitrary rule group. Interestingly when asked how they achieved this most candidates suggested (a) they did not know, or (b) lied or deceived themselves by offering a rule that would not predict success.

A second experiment involved a sensory deprived individual stating if they were being watched. This again worked reliably above chance until researchers stopped providing feedback; suggesting that individuals were picking up on the complex pattern in which observers were introduced.

Making links to Hogarth work on Educating Intuition Vervaeke points out that human beings have a tremendous capacity to pick up on complex patterns in the environment. This is not a conscious activity but we know how far to stand from someone, what angle, how this can change contingent upon how the conversation evolves. We don't know how we know we just know. Intuition Vervaeke concludes is a result of implicit learning.

Verveake explained that Hogarth describes two different terms intuition when our implicit learning is going well and bias or prejudice when implicit learning has malfunctioned. The Bigot has intuitions about races that are wrong. Vervaeke describes the difference between causal and correlational patterns, pointing out that we want to train our implicit learning on the causal not correlatory patterns.

Unfortunately Hogarth also discovers that telling individuals what action to take does not enhance performance. The fact that this works effectively at all is because it is by nature unconscious. What is necessary then is to setup the right environmental factors to enhance the creation of intuitive and tacit knowledge. Vervaeke et al have argued that Hogarth suggestions for the relevant environmental factors than enhance tacit learning are aligned with that of flow.

Metaphor

So for the Shaman then they are seeking an insight cascade and at the same time obtaining enhanced implicit learning. But in addition to that they are creating meaning and new ways for individuals to make connections through Metaphor. Vervaeke explains that Metaphor (Lakoff and Johnson) means to literally bridge, to carry over, connect what is not usually connected. He explains that Metaphor is pervasive throughout language (e.g. Oversight, Supervision, seeing the bigger picture, reflecting).

The Shaman is therefore creating psycho technologies, to get into the flow state and to have areas of the brain talk together that don't usually do so. There is a deep connection between insight and our capacity for metaphorical thought. They are becoming generators of metaphor; forms of thought necessary to connect ideas. (Making inscriptions to track the moon, carving a figure that connects the individuals to ideas of fertility). The shaman is therefore enhancing cognition, ASC and improving our capacity for sense making.

Axial Revolution

Vervaeke points out that in addition to the upper paleolithic revolution there was also another revolution that took place in 10,000 BCE. We can see this given we tend to consider as relevant the Bible and Plato, but not the Egyptian book of the dead or other bronze age texts. There is a reason that post bronze age thinkers are more relevant to and formative of us.

Jaspers calls this the Axial age and this occurs following the collapse of the Bronze again between 800 BCE and 300 BCE. The end of the bronze age is a collapse greater than any other in recorded history. More cities go out of existence, greater loss of literacy. As such similar pressures to the mass extinction event suggesting that cognition was put under pressure and likely had to change. A new kind of literacy is invented; alphabetic literacy.

Alphabetic literacy is a powerful psycho technology given it is easier to learn and so the benefits of literacy are magnified. Human beings develop meta cognition and eventually second order thinking; the ability to store, correct and return to prior brain states. This leads to the development of coinage, numeracy and other abstract forms of thought. As such we become increasingly aware of just how much error is in our cognition; just how pervasive is our self deception.

Human beings start to realise a more personal sense of responsibility, previously having considered warfare as part of the natural order there is a recognition we are the source of violence. We begin to understand that undisciplined thought leads to violence through self-deception and illusion, discipline through self correction and self transcendence leading to wisdom and the possibility of reducing suffering.

Episode 1 - Introduction

The Problem

Vervaeke outlines a basic argument that we are in the midst of a 'meaning crisis'. He highlights that there is a growing hunger for mindfulness, the growing interest in psychedelics, the growing academic interest in utility and wisdom, and transformative experiences. Vervaeke highlights that in addition to these positive elements there are also negative factors at play here as well.

The CDC have published figures that indicate we are currently in a mental health crisis. More people are loosing touch with reality, experiencing nihilism, frustration and cynicism than ever before. There is the 'sense' that we are spending too much time in virtual environments with certain types of Social media leading to increased depression and anxiety. There is also a prevailing sense of bullshit ¹.

Vervaeke is of the belief that the confluence of these various factors indicate that our culture is presently undergoing a profound meaning crisis. The purpose of this series then is to answer:

1. What is this meaning?
2. Why do we hunger for it?
3. How do we cultivate the wisdom to realize it?

This series aims to challenge our preconceptions of knowledge, wisdom and belief. It aims to demonstrate deep connections between meaning, wisdom and consciousness. It aims to examine the question why does enlightenment alleviate suffering from a lack of meaning. It aims to do this by examining (a) the structural functional account of meaning, and (b) a historical account of the origins of this kind of meaning. Vervaeke aims to bring both into dialogue with each other to provide reasonable and plausible arguments to demonstrate how we awaken from the meaning crisis.

How and why did meaning become significant for humans?

Vervaeke begins by exploring why and how this meaning became significant for humans. He points out that although homo-sapiens have existed since around 200,000 BCE this change appeared to have occurred around 40,000 BCE. There is evidence of representational art in sculpture and cave paintings as well as the development of projectile weapons. Humans are also beginning to track time using primitive calendars which track the phases of the moon given numbers haven't been invented yet.

It is believed that this is likely in response to the explosion of a super volcano in 70,000 BCE and a mass extension event in 30,000 BCE. This placed significant pressure on humans reducing populations and requiring humans to diversify their diet. Interestingly humans did not have the capability for a technological response and as such a socio-cognitive response emerged. Specifically that humans expanded their trading networks to reduce the risks associated with environmental variations resulting from a changing climate that might otherwise lead to extinction.

This led to greater interactions with strangers; individuals that were not typically within our kinship groups, and forming relationships with them. This led to the necessity for rituals that inform. (e.g. Handshakes revealing no weapon, allowing physical touch and checking for clammy hands). So before the Internet networked together computers, culture essentially did the same thing for the purpose of addressing the problem of environmental instability.

Yet given our dependence upon the 'kindness of strangers', this presents another risk to group or tribal stability. Namely the 'temptation of the stranger'. Now our commitment to our kinship group is in question. This led to the rise of initiation rituals designed to show our commitment to the group. Each involving risk, threat and sacrifice for the group. The view being that if individuals are willing to pass through pain and fear they really are committed to you. This led to a greater need for mindsight; emotional regulation and decentring (willingness to be in the hands of others).

Vervaeke here introduces the concept of exaptation. How we use our existing machinery for something different (e.g. Tongue initially is a poison detector and used for the manipulation of bolus becomes something for speech and communication). Vervaeke points out that there is another set of adjacent social 'rituals' that are exapted from mindsight. A cultivated set of practice for altering consciousness that emerge at the time and this is Shamanism.

Vervaeke is curious as to how Shamanic rituals lead to greater group harmony, hunting success and healthcare for the tribe. The Shaman is such a significant figure that it has become somewhat an archetype; the wise old man. Vervaeke wants to explore Why are Shaman’s so effective? What is going on? He plans to argues it's not a hardware change it's a software change.

Vervake introduces the concept of a psycho-technology pointing out that as humans we are adapted to use tools and indeed our brain models tools employed as part of our body. Vervaeke notes that this ability can be exapted from a physical and onto a cognitive process. For example we are not born literate. We might be born linguistic but we 'acquire' literacy. This technology gives us the power to leave ideas and return to them later thereby enhancing my cognition. Psycho-technologies enhance the software of our cognitive machinery increasing our ability to engage with more complex social problems.

Shamanism is a psycho technology for altering your state of consciousness and enhancing your cognition. How does this work? Shamans will dance, chant imitate animals, solitude, psychedelics. The Shaman is trying to disrupt the normal ways of finding patterns in the world. Vervaeke highlights that the very thing that makes us adaptive also makes us susceptible to self-deception. The way we find patterns is profound. We project a pattern, activate the appropriate skills and then are "locked and blocked" because of how we have framed the problem. In order to obtain an insight then we need you need to break our framing. Shamanism are the set of practices designed to disrupt everyday framing.

For example by 'becoming the deer' it provides the perspectival knowledge that enhances the individuals ability to track and find the deer. Similarly in healthcare if the Shaman can trigger the individual’s placebo effect the individual might be 30-40% better off than if the Shaman was not present. Thereby enhancing the individual’s capacity for cognition. The Shaman is therefore manipulating meaning to influence states of consciousness, which is distinct from being a charlatan. Vervaeke intends to explore this manipulation of meaning further in the next episode.