The Topographic Philip K. Dick: It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

 

The Kennedy-King Transformer: A Three Volume Meta-Novel

 

“I think of time as a spherical constant, which means that everything is happening all the time. Human beings take a linear approach to it, slice it in segments, and then hop from segment to segment to segment until they die, and to me that is a pretty inefficient way of preparing a mechanical ground base for physics. That’s one of the reasons why I think physics doesn’t work. When you have contradictory things in physics, one of the reasons they became contradictory is because the formulas are tied to a concept of time that isn’t the proper model.”

Frank Zappa to Matt Groening

“What I do is:

I think up a novel in my head and take notes (in this case Valisystem A about Hawthorne Abendsen and how it went later on after the Nazis got him, based on my life after Nancy left me, and also based on my ideas about my March experience that were early ideas; my plot of say around April to November 1974).

Then I forget the whole thing, motivated by not being motivated.  Then I am bopping around, as in this case working on my Time Theory and lonosphere Theory and trying to combine them — with no idea about the book or any book— and a new plot idea comes (see enclosed pages, which are further on To Scare the Dead).

I combine Valisystem A and To Scare the Dead.

Every novel of mine is at least two novels superimposed. 

This is the origin; this is why they are full of loose ends, but also, it is impossible to predict the outcome, since there is no linear plot as such. It is two novels into a sort of 3-D novel.”

PKD, 1975

“Xenochrony means strange synchronizations. 

Am I satirizing editing? I don't know whether the technical process of editing is enough of a commonly understood phenomenon that you could satirize it. You can't make a joke about something that people don't know exists. So, I would say that's not part of it.”

FZ, 1988

The Typographic Philip K. Dick

 Albemuth 

Letter to Claudia Bush

July 22, 1974

Dear Claudia,

I think I've solved what's been in my head at night.

I'm seeing all the books and writing tablets, all the written materials night after night: the Qumran Scrolls. Gee. It finally fits together, all this stuff.

They're what people call the "Dead Sea Scrolls." I've been doing research. I'm positive. Hundreds have been unjarred, opened, and translated recently. In England and Israel. 

The Qumran community of Essenes. Here, before the scrolls were found, is Will Durant's description of the Essenes:

“possibly they were infuenced by Brahamic, Buddhist, Parsee (which is Zoroastrianism, Pythagorean and the Cynic search for the honest man, ideas that came to the crossroads of trade at Jerusalem... They dwelt in homes owned by their community ... i.e. communistic ideas of property: 

“A rich man is a thief"  

They hoped that by piety, abstinence and contemplation they might acquire magic powers and foresee the future. Like most people of their time they believed in angels and demons, thought of diseases as possession by evil spirits, and tried to exorcise these by magical formulas; from their "secret doctrine" came some parts of the Kabbala. They looked for the coming of a Messiah who would establish a communistic egalitarian Kingdom of Heaven on earth; they were ardent pacifists and refused to make implements of war."

The Romans wiped them out, so the contents of the Qumran Scrolls would contain all the elements I've been entertaining in my mind, and scrolls equal books.  The Essenes were into prophecy, or anyhow wanted to be. It's all there: 

The numbers (Pythagoreanism), the weird semi-words (Kabbala). This is exactly what Jim Pike was into.

All of the above. See, Claudia?

The Essenes sent teachers to the various cities; these teachers concealed their Essene background and training. Jesus Christ is the best known example. (The Qumran Scrolls indicate he was indeed a "secret Essene.) Another example would be Appolonius of Tyana (died 98 A.D.).

Look him up, Claudia; you'll see what I mean. These Essene secret teachers fanned out into the Roman Empire and so-to-speak subverted it with their doctrines . After the Essene Community was wiped out around 70 A.D. such secret teachers as Appolonius of Tyana continued to spread their doctrines . These underlie — covertly — our world.

Nobody knew the source of these teachings until the Qumran Scrolls were recently found; no wonder Jim Pike and other theologians went crazy with excitement — saw Christianity in an entirely new light. It isn't a Jewish heresy, it is based on the sources I quote from Will Durant above. They were also into cypher (Tensor) and prophecy (Transformer)— and lots and lots of what probably are prophetic books (Seals).

And since Jim's death many more have been dug up and translated (which also means deciphered). 

Query: If the Essenes were successful prophets not just trying and failing, did they anticipate their being wiped out, and anticipate leaving their entire doctrines and views and information as sort of time bombs which would remain hidden until today? Is it possible?

Very possible, I think. They hid all their stuff to be found later - much later.  Once more to be reintroduced into the world as it was fading out.

Reintroduced to revive it.

JFK

MLK

RFK

PKD

WKRP vs iABC vs FOXX: Minority Report

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🦊

"Herb Asher found in Linda Fox a kindred spirit, someone who understood the complexities of life under the rule of the false prophet, Rybys Rommey. Linda had her own secrets, her own struggles, but in Asher, she found someone who could share the burden, even if only for a moment."

If Elon buys 20th Century Fox, and merges FOX News with X, will the business be called Stanford and Son and will he change his name to Red FOXX

"When Elias Tate met Linda Fox, there was an immediate recognition, a sense that they were both players in a much larger game. Linda's cool exterior belied a deep well of knowledge and cunning, traits that Elias respected and knew he could use."

 

"TV was the morning star, the brightest star in the heavens. And now nothing remains of him but this."

"How he has fallen," Herb Asher said.

"And everything else with him," Linda said.

Together they went back downstairs to call the city. To have the machine come along to haul the remains away.

"Will TV ever be again as it once was?" Herb Asher said.

"Perhaps," she said. 

The Fox walked to the stereo and played a record by Swans for Herb Asher,  a record she often played while watching silent films and drinking red wine.

“Have I ever told you my theory about  synchronicity, how the female side of the male brain activates tachyon receptors?   That JFK’s head exploded from an inhuman bombardment of tachyons from mega-doses of Catholicism, Power, LSD, and Marilyn Monroe that triggered a quickening of epiphanies and synchronicities so intense-“

“The No-Bullet Theory” Herb said, “that there were no shooters that day in Dallas.  Yes, you’ve mentioned it, but please, keep going.”

Stranger On A Strange Landline: The pH5N1x In Daylight

 

GUI

The relationship between the Hermetic Art of Memory and Giordano Bruno's "30 Seals" can be metaphorically compared to the relationship between DOS (Disk Operating System) and Windows, albeit with significant abstraction given the vast differences in context and purpose between these systems.

Hermetic Art of Memory and Bruno’s 30 Seals:

• Hermetic Art of Memory: This is an ancient technique for organizing and recalling information, deeply rooted in philosophical, magical, and mnemonic practices. It involves creating visual or spatial constructs (like memory palaces) where information is stored in an orderly fashion, often linked to symbolic or natural imagery to aid in recall. The Hermetic tradition emphasizes the unity of the cosmos and the microcosmic reflection within the human mind, suggesting that memory training could lead to a deeper understanding of the universe and oneself.

• Giordano Bruno’s 30 Seals: Bruno's work on memory, particularly in "Thirty Seals," extends the Hermetic Art by introducing complex geometric and symbolic systems for memory enhancement. Each "seal" represents a unique method or structure for encoding information, combining visual, alphabetic, and logical elements. These seals serve as a kind of "memory software," where each seal could be seen as a module or operation within a larger mnemonic system. Bruno's seals aim to not just recall information but to structure thought and logic in a way that mirrors the structure of the cosmos, much like how Hermetic memory techniques see the mind as a microcosm of the universe.

Analogy to DOS and Windows:

• DOS (Disk Operating System): In this analogy, the Hermetic Art of Memory could be seen as akin to DOS, which is a basic, text-based operating system where users interact directly with commands to manage files, run programs, and execute operations. The Hermetic Art, in its essence, provides foundational techniques for memory management, where one "inputs" images or symbols into a mental architecture to recall data. It's raw, complex, and requires a deep understanding of the system's logic, much like understanding DOS commands.

• Windows: Bruno's 30 Seals can be likened to Windows, an operating system built on top of DOS that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) making computing more accessible and visually oriented. Each seal in Bruno's system adds layers of abstraction and symbolism, offering a structured, visually rich environment for memory work, similar to how Windows uses icons, folders, and windows to organize data. Just as Windows added layers of functionality and ease of use over DOS, Bruno's seals offer a sophisticated, visually symbolic approach to memory that goes beyond simple recall to encompass philosophical and mystical dimensions.

Isomorphic Model:

• Mapping: Both DOS and Windows serve the same end goal—managing and executing tasks on a computer—but through different layers of complexity and user interaction. Similarly, the Hermetic Art of Memory and Bruno's 30 Seals both aim at mastering memory but through different methodologies. The Hermetic Art provides the basic "commands" or techniques, while Bruno's seals introduce a more complex, visually symbolic "interface" for memory operations.

• Evolution: Just as Windows evolved from DOS by adding layers of abstraction and user-friendliness, Bruno's memory techniques evolved from traditional Hermetic practices by integrating more complex symbolic systems, thereby making the process of memory management both more accessible and profound in its implications.

• Philosophical Depth: While DOS and Windows are about practical computing, Bruno's seals add a philosophical depth to memory work, akin to how one might approach software with both practical and metaphysical considerations.