"In chaos magic, beliefs are not seen as ends in themselves, but as tools for creating desired effects." - Peter J Carroll
I think I've mentioned I'd talk a little bit about religion and spirituality stuff here... It's a very interesting topic. I've studied religious systems as old as Zoroastrianism, to new religions like Yoism, from spiritual paths left-hand and right, and a lot in between. I myself believe in nothing without proof; perhaps one day I'll share some of my deeper beliefs that I've been alluding to. Today, however, I'd like to talk about one of the most dubious of them all: Chaos Magick.
Some of you may've heard of it, some might practice it (and I'm sorry if I'm offending you!), some of you might not know what it is at all. It's a form of magick practice, much like Wiccan, Qabbalah, Hermeticism, and other related practices. What separates Chaos from other systems of practice is that there's not much of a doctrine to adhere to. It's strange, it's interesting, but most of all, it's a waste of time.
The entirety of this practice may be summed up in a short sentence: Belief is a tool. That's about the only thing you're supposed to adhere to. Belief is a tool. Now, what I mean by this is that, instead of reading up how to formulate your mind, how to perform ceremonies, cast spells, or even how to protect yourself from spiritual attacks or what have you - Chaos tells you that you're supposed to find your own beliefs, and use them as a tool to achieve your goals. It sounds interesting, doesn't it? A religious/spiritual practice where anything goes, use what works for you? Pretty cool. There's even a very good comic that focuses on beginning these practices here that anyone can access. So what makes me call it a waste of time?
Let's shut down my ego for a moment. Let's say that I'm a believer and practitioner of these... arts. There's just one thing I really can't sink my teeth into, and it's covered on the first page of the field manual:
Warning: Magic is the hacking of one's own mind. Irreversible hallucinations, damage to the nervous system.. are all very real dangers here.
Honestly, the fact that it's so dangerous would only draw someone like me closer and want to do it more. That is, until I realized how the main tenant of chaos plays into this supposed danger: Belief is a tool.
So what you're REALLY doing is trying really really hard to BELIEVE there's a causal relationship between these chants and symbols you're using, on top of the various beliefs and methods you've chosen to use, and any perceivable effects. There's another term for people who believe so hard that they can manipulate the real world through their minds and other various means, and it's not often by choice. Those are the schizophrenics.
What chaos magick is doing is coaxing the victim into a self-induced state of schizophrenia, and the effects can be downright devastating. In my opinion it might even be worse, because, unlike those with the severe mental state, the victim CHOSE to induce this state! Irreversible damage or not, it'll be MUCH harder for the victim to recover, if they want to recover from it at all.
Please, dear readers, if you're a magick practicioner, please stay away from this dubious system. It'll waste your time in the best-case scenario. Others like myself aren't nearly so lucky.
Again, I'm terribly sorry if I've offended you. If this is the path you've chosen, if it works, and if you're living a happy and healthy life, more power to you.
Also, I'm more than happy to do religion/cult "reviews" for my readers. Hopefully I've shown through past posts that I'm a very open-minded and well-rounded individual.
As always, thank you so much for reading! Feedback is always appreciated, and upvotes are super great news to see!
Stay safe!
Actually, beliefs ARE are tool, a very potent one to be precise.
The world you perceive is only a representation of the real world in your mind. By changing the way you perceive the world, you change "the world". Try that in a (lucid) dream and you see how much reality follows intent.
Thoughts are code, and thoughts are chemistry. Hacking one's own mind is, when done right, like updating old software, fixing bugs, adding features. Go read Wilson's Prometheus rising book, it's awesome!
Just about every time I read about Chaos magic, I get horrific and extremely lucid dreams. Shortly after writing this article and going to bed, I dreamt I found my dog completely paralyzed. As I was holding him and screaming/crying begging for his life back, he shook and rattled and slowly regained mobility again. It was horrific.
I don’t know what’s going on anymore, but this has caused mental disturbances I need to warn others about.
As a matter of fact, I’ll write a detailed follow up post of these dreams, along with an interpretation. You’re more than welcome to offer your input as well - I’ll even upvote your comments.
As far as Prometheus rising is concerned, I really enjoyed it. I especially love how Wilson expanded on Timothy Leary’s eight circuit model of consciousness - and I used similar methods to stimulate these mental constructs... haha. Plenty of trip reports I can share as well!
Cool, so you have the proper background and mindset to take profit from the tools.
If you follow the simple rule to not go faster than you are comfortable with, your mind will protect itself while being self-hacked. Fear is the enemy, the only enemy. It is just code. Do write good code and you won't get into too much trouble.
Looking forward to your posts!