The Labyrinth Brenden's Labyrinth

Some highlights…
* "The most outspoken members of society shape opinions and shift the center significantly."
* "Twitter is often a cesspool of stupidity, yet it's also where the most opinionated gather to shape culture, art, politics, and philosophy."
* "Our current commentary culture encourages edgy takes supported by selective evidence, yet fails to challenge the deeper complexities of truth."
* "The alt-right's fixation on certain idols as a response to the perceived instability of the Symbolic order in our postmodern era is a clinging to these idols as a way to anchor their sense of self in a world where meaning seems increasingly fragmented and uncertain."
* "They've mistaken the inversion of values for their transcendence, and in doing so, have fallen prey to the very nihilism they claim to despise."



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There’s this clip of Sam Harris discussing consciousness and free will that went a bit viral on Twitter. I wanted to comment on it… so here it is. I hope you enjoy it.
Stay curious.


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The quote that motivated this episode….
“Central to Hermetic thought was the tenet: ‘As above, so below.’ Everything is connected, from the movement of the stars and the planets to the internal workings of an insect. Understanding these secret connections, and harnessing them, was the key to a successful magician’s art. Central, too, was the occult nature of the mage’s knowledge. The mage saw things, and connections, that ordinary or uninitiated people could not.
Whoever shapes the perception of others, in order to get what they desire, is practising magic.
As above, so below’, in this context, refers less to the relationship between, say, plants and planets, than to the relationship between the human psyche and human cultural life. Change one person’s mind – and you might change the world.
Like the old witches’ bargains of eras past, we agree to sell parts of ourselves – our eyeballs – in exchange for certain illusory fulfilments of desire packaged up by powerful corporate tech titans and memetically gifted shitposters capable of ‘going viral’ with a perfectly worded image or tweet. Memes, in this telling, become the modern interpretations of the magician’s sigil: a magical image empowered to convey the magician’s desired energy.” — Tara Isabella Burton

What better way to maintain the validity of your simulated world than to draw people into the hyperreality that you perceive?
Stay curious.



This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brendenslabyrinth.substack.com/subscribe

This is the audio version of my previous essay and I’ve also linked the Youtube version as well.
“But now I'm not so sure I believe in beginnings and endings. There are days that define your story beyond your life. Like the day they arrived.”
“And "purpose" requires an understanding of intent. We need to find out, do they make conscious choices or is their motivation so instinctive that they don't understand a "why" question at all. And-And biggest of all, we need to have enough vocabulary with them that we understand their answer.” — Arrival
One does not see an alternative cosmos, a cosmic folklore or exoticism, or a galactic prowess there - one is from the start in a total simulation, without origin, immanent, without a past, without a future, a diffusion of all coordinates (mental, temporal, spatial, signaletic) - it is not about a parallel universe, a double universe, or even a possible universe - neither possible, impossible, neither real nor unreal: hyperreal - it is a universe of simulation, which is something else altogether.
— Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation
"One has only to throw away the deterministic model of 'objective necessities' and obligatory 'stages' of development? One has thus to sustain a minimum of anti-determinism: nothing is ever written off, in an 'objective situation' which precludes any act, which condemns us fully to biopolitical vegetation. There is always a space to be created for an act—precisely because, to paraphrase Rosa Luxemburg’s critique of reformism, it is not enough to wait patiently for the 'right moment' of the revolution." — Slavoj Zizek
"The past does not cause one present to pass without calling forth another, but itself neither passes nor comes forth. For this reason, the past, far from being a dimension of time, is the synthesis of all time of which the present and the future are only dimensions." — Gilles Deleuze


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brendenslabyrinth.substack.com/subscribe

This has a few changes and rewording but this is an audio and podcast version for my recent essay.
Stanley Kubrick's cinematic masterpiece, 'A Clockwork Orange', paints a vivid picture of orchestrated aggression. But what's the real message behind the film? From the Korova Milkbar to the depths of psychological conditioning, 'A Clockwork Orange' is a journey into the human psyche.
Article it’s based on…
Stay curious.


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brendenslabyrinth.substack.com/subscribe

Some excerpts…
"We pull from the external world to formulate our own narratives, yet they're never truly our own."
"Narratives become our masks, and over time, we become consumed by them."
"In the vast digital landscape, we're both the authors and the characters of our stories, constantly shaping and being shaped."
"The uncertain interplay with the external world continuously evolves us, forcing us to navigate and find our place anew."
"Stories, myths, narratives—they act as symbols that drive us, resonating deeply within our core."
"Even the move towards authenticity online is still a curated image, a symbol of something else."
"Narratives are more than stories; they're the blueprints of our existence, shaping our perceptions and defining our identities."
"Despite our differences, narratives remind us we're all part of a larger story, intricately woven by shared experiences and aspirations."
"We imagine events in our lives as moments in a story, seeking meaning, repositioning ourselves within evolving narratives."
"In relationships, we see the interplay of influences, the pivot points in the web we build in tandem with another."

Longer Excerpts
Narratives shape our perception of information. Consider the conventional story we tell about Earth's history. We often frame it as a sequence of dominant species or dynasties taking their turns to rule the planet. This narrative suggests that Earth's history is marked by power shifts, with one dominant species succeeding another. It's why we're so captivated by extinction events. We see them as moments when an old ruler is dethroned and a new one rises.
For instance, we frequently discuss the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This event is often framed as paving the way for the age of mammals, which eventually led to our current era dominated by humans. Now, we've built skyscrapers and can instantly connect with someone on the other side of the world through our earbuds.
However, this narrative of power shifts and dominance oversimplifies the intricate details of Earth's history. It strips away the nuance and complexity of what truly transpired. Viewing historical events merely as power transitions between dominant species is a distortion. This perspective is likely influenced by our human-centric view, where we see ourselves as the reigning dominant species and draw parallels between past extinctions and potential threats to our own supremacy.
We're constantly crafting narratives, not just individually but in conjunction with everything around us. This includes our interactions with ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and even the media we consume. Your narrative isn't solely your own; it's an intricate webbed interaction with the world around you, an ongoing interplay that's inescapable.
This dynamic becomes especially evident in intimate relationships. Perhaps it's most palpable there, or maybe that's just my perception. When you're deeply connected with someone, you can clearly see how both of you influence and shape the story of your relationship.
Reflect on a time when you were, or perhaps still are, in love. We often view love not as a fleeting emotion, but as a profound force. When reminiscing about a current or past love, you might recall specific moments that held significant meaning within the broader narrative of your relationship. These moments can be turning points: realizing the depth of your love, recognizing a desire to spend your life with them, or understanding the uniqueness of your feelings for them. The list is endless.
Conversely, relationships also have their challenging moments. These pivotal instances, like intense disagreements or realizations that things might not work out, force us to reassess. They're turning points, moments that reshape the narrative web you're co-creating with another person.

A Hemmingway quote that I was reminded of thinking about this episode….
“You did