What a stimulating post
"For if religions such as
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and others at least understood the
important role of desire and choice in personality formation (what I
perceive as an early interpretation of what we now call memetics), what
does
this say about the so-called superiority of an 'objective' science that
has
been so blissfully ignorant of this basic dimension of all living
consciousness? "
You tie it up nicely with a very virian stand--
"We need to unify science and religion, not divide them."
(To my mind, anyway. I'm sure there are others who would disagree.)
Someone who is very uncomfortable with religion (the word) might say
that science needs to engineer memes that slide into the belief space
that is currently held by religion.(a process of supplanting rather than
synthesis)
But I would buy this.
Also:
re: the tarot project.
I would buy that too.
What is the next step?
Should members of the list who are interested in working on such a
project start a seperate list? We can talk about the nuts and bolts--
the division of labour etc.
Not to be exclusive-- just efficient. We can post updates on the project
to the Virus list as things get done (??)
Every idea so far sounds great.
Re: the Magic the Gathering template.
Many of my frinds were involved in Magic to such a great extent that the
card collecting meme burned a hole right through their ability to even
*care* about other card systems.
"Oh god! Not ANOTHER card game!! I can barely handle this one."
The process of keeping up with your opponent and financing the arms race
has caused my friends to go through a miniature version of the
dissolution of the soviet union-- Give up the idea that you'll ever win
at this, sell your collection and use the money to buy vodka.:-)
My personal preference is to have a complete game that can be expanded
with supplimental games.
I like the idea of a game that is fun-- educational and enlightening.
It looks like it could sit on a number of different marketing platforms.
Reed: You are absolutely right when you say that people suspend
disbelief when playing a came-- or participating in any act of imagining
alone or with a group of people. It's an excellent method of
propagation.
I also really like the idea of having accompanying "bibles" that take
the ideas in the deck to the next level.
The list archives could serve as a source for themes.
This could really take off--- you know why?
Aside from the fact that it is a really excellent idea-- contemporary
popular culture has been swinging through some kind of ironic
victorianism, a neo- gothic. (These are only opinions, feel free to
object)
AIDS, the approach of the 21st C, the collapse of empires, drug
resistant diseases and the turning of a millennium has produced, what I
feel is, another "Fin de Siecle" culture incorporating many of the
elements of the late nineteenth century. There is a kind of collective
neurosis-- a sensual melancholy to the art of the turn of last century.
I see it returning in various guises to our age.
(I got my BIG broom out for those sweeping generalizations) Also my
observation is limited to western art.
Someone used the term Up-wing in a post. I have never seen it before but
I assume it is a counter meme to some of the above.
This idea is different enough that it might propogate very well.
On suppliments-- there could be three levels of the game, each one
dealing with more and more powerful memes. By the third level you are
dealing with memes that will change your life and the way you think.
Let's do it.
-- Regards +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ Ken Pantheists http://www.lucifer.com/~kenpan Virus Theatre http://www.lucifer.com/virus/theatre TooBa Physical Theatre Centre http://www.tooba.com +--------------------------------------------------------------------+