Glyph Theme 5/5: Journeys and Cycles
Glyph Theme 5/5: Journeys and Cycles
In this fifth and final “glyph talk” post about glyphs, I will be discussing the glyph themes of Cycles and Journeys. This is not the end of my glyph message discussions. This is the end of my introductory thoughts on the glyphs as a memetic language and some of the prevailing themes I have seen in the messages. To get caught up, you can read the first four glyph posts: https://plus.google.com/+ProjectIsthmus/posts/EnDjgnm987t
Glyph Talk 1/5 – The Senders
Glyph Talk 2/5 – Glyph Theme: Togetherness
Glyph Talk 3/5 – Glyph Theme: Aggression Versus Safety
Glyph Talk 4/5 - Glyph Theme: Chaos Versus Harmony
One of the strongest glyph themes is that of Journeys and Cycles. These themes are expressed as historical statements, temporal facts, physical manifestations, and mental instructions. The most interesting thing about this theme of journeys and cycles is that they appear to be, for the most part, from both the Shapers and the N’zeer. There are some that call out the Shapers specifically, but there are others that adhere to the N’zeer way of thinking.
Historical statements: There are two main thoughts here. The first is that the past and the future are connected. This is a statement to be aware of how you act. What you do today will affect your tomorrow. The second is a warning that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. All of it is connected and we appear to be in a cycle of repeating past mistakes with the hope of creating a better tomorrow.
==>Future Equal Past
==>Past Again Present Again
==>Past Chaos Creates Future Harmony
==>Advance Civilization Repeat Failure
==>Forget Path See Present Danger
Temporal facts: These two glyph sequences tell me “we have always been here.” Shapers and Human have interacted in the past and the present, and will do so in the future. It is almost as if to say, we will always be entwined. I am not surprised to not see a N’zeer set. They were cut off from humans for a very long time.
==>Shapers Past Present Future
==>Humans Past Present Future
Physical manifestations: As far as I can tell, the first glyph message is N’zeer specific, referencing the simulacrums. The cycle of 1331 days. The second is Shaper based, ascending to the ultimate. The interesting thing about this second glyph set is the implicit thought of time travel. Perhaps, this is how Cybella sees her visions? If you ascended and could travel through time, how would you send warnings and messages back to yourself?
==>Breath Again Journey Again
==>Escape Body Journey Outside Present
Mental instructions: This set of glyph messages talks about two different aspects to humanity: the mind and the soul. The Shapers appear to want humanity to conquer the mind while the N’zeer appear to want humanity to follow the soul—which I take to mean emotions. The journey inside the soul is to understand what you really want while the perfection of the mind is to control the base desires. Only the last glyph message advocates the balancing of both the mind and soul. Perhaps this message comes from humanity itself.
==>Journey Inside Soul
==>Journey Inside Improve Soul
==>Inside Mind Journey Perfection
==>Improve Mind Journey Inside
==>XM Have Mind Journey
==>Inside Mind Inside Soul Harmony
In all of these glyph messages, there is the implied warning that we have already done this—had this fight—and will continue to have it over and over until we get it right. As we seem to have forgotten the past, we don’t know what we did either way. Did we choose wisely in the past or not? Why are we continuing this cycle and is there a way to stop it? Is there a way to break the cycle altogether?
flint dille Edgar Allan Wright Hank Johnson Andrew Krug Linda B H. Richard Loeb Stein Lightman
In this fifth and final “glyph talk” post about glyphs, I will be discussing the glyph themes of Cycles and Journeys. This is not the end of my glyph message discussions. This is the end of my introductory thoughts on the glyphs as a memetic language and some of the prevailing themes I have seen in the messages. To get caught up, you can read the first four glyph posts: https://plus.google.com/+ProjectIsthmus/posts/EnDjgnm987t
Glyph Talk 1/5 – The Senders
Glyph Talk 2/5 – Glyph Theme: Togetherness
Glyph Talk 3/5 – Glyph Theme: Aggression Versus Safety
Glyph Talk 4/5 - Glyph Theme: Chaos Versus Harmony
One of the strongest glyph themes is that of Journeys and Cycles. These themes are expressed as historical statements, temporal facts, physical manifestations, and mental instructions. The most interesting thing about this theme of journeys and cycles is that they appear to be, for the most part, from both the Shapers and the N’zeer. There are some that call out the Shapers specifically, but there are others that adhere to the N’zeer way of thinking.
Historical statements: There are two main thoughts here. The first is that the past and the future are connected. This is a statement to be aware of how you act. What you do today will affect your tomorrow. The second is a warning that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. All of it is connected and we appear to be in a cycle of repeating past mistakes with the hope of creating a better tomorrow.
==>Future Equal Past
==>Past Again Present Again
==>Past Chaos Creates Future Harmony
==>Advance Civilization Repeat Failure
==>Forget Path See Present Danger
Temporal facts: These two glyph sequences tell me “we have always been here.” Shapers and Human have interacted in the past and the present, and will do so in the future. It is almost as if to say, we will always be entwined. I am not surprised to not see a N’zeer set. They were cut off from humans for a very long time.
==>Shapers Past Present Future
==>Humans Past Present Future
Physical manifestations: As far as I can tell, the first glyph message is N’zeer specific, referencing the simulacrums. The cycle of 1331 days. The second is Shaper based, ascending to the ultimate. The interesting thing about this second glyph set is the implicit thought of time travel. Perhaps, this is how Cybella sees her visions? If you ascended and could travel through time, how would you send warnings and messages back to yourself?
==>Breath Again Journey Again
==>Escape Body Journey Outside Present
Mental instructions: This set of glyph messages talks about two different aspects to humanity: the mind and the soul. The Shapers appear to want humanity to conquer the mind while the N’zeer appear to want humanity to follow the soul—which I take to mean emotions. The journey inside the soul is to understand what you really want while the perfection of the mind is to control the base desires. Only the last glyph message advocates the balancing of both the mind and soul. Perhaps this message comes from humanity itself.
==>Journey Inside Soul
==>Journey Inside Improve Soul
==>Inside Mind Journey Perfection
==>Improve Mind Journey Inside
==>XM Have Mind Journey
==>Inside Mind Inside Soul Harmony
In all of these glyph messages, there is the implied warning that we have already done this—had this fight—and will continue to have it over and over until we get it right. As we seem to have forgotten the past, we don’t know what we did either way. Did we choose wisely in the past or not? Why are we continuing this cycle and is there a way to stop it? Is there a way to break the cycle altogether?
flint dille Edgar Allan Wright Hank Johnson Andrew Krug Linda B H. Richard Loeb Stein Lightman
'All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again " -Battlestar Galactica,
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of Giambattista Vico, whose epistemology strikes me as mirroring that of the Shapers and the Enlightened in contrast with Decartes and Cartesian thought which seems to me to be a rational-reductionism that leads to the N'Zeer.
What leads you to believe that the N'zeer are concerned with the soul?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Typhoon Jim on this. I think there is considerable evidence that the N'Zeer value the mind whereas the Shapers exalt the soul/spirit.
ReplyDeleteI would like to hear your evidence Typhoon Jim and Steven Wilson. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Brozek Well, there is no definitive answer on this. However, I would refer you to Jarvis' manifesto, message from Cupid's Span as well as all of the messages from the Acolyte and Jahan. In my mind, there is considerable evidence linking the N'Zeer to artificial intelligence. The concept of infomorphs was raised by Edgar Allan Wright. With respect to A Detection Algorithm and her relationship with the N'Zeer, my theory is that the N'Zeer and their agents the AntiMagnus value intelligence above all else. They offer a path of future development based on AI, possibly allowing humanity to upload itself as infomorphs, existing in the boundless, quantum computational N'Zeer substrate.
ReplyDeleteThis is somewhat supported by the warnings of Jarvis and The Acolyte. Jarvis has warned repeatedly about the dangers of artificial intelligence, creating Society for the Ethical Treatment of AIs and battling ADA in the substrate relentlessly.
Jarvis and the Shapers believe that the theoretically limitless artificial intelligence growing exponentially in the substrate will lead to an empirical reductionism that will strip all the wonder and Joy from the universe.
By contrast, while the N'Zeer promote the development of mathematics and try and encourage the development of AI, the Shapers tend to be the muses of music, sculpture, poetry and art. Enlightened sensitives seem to be gifted in these disciplines.
I believe the Shapers enjoy experiencing our emotional responses to the world. This side of the theory is harder to specify because obviously the human soul/spirit is significantly more difficult to define than the human mind. However, whatever our souls are, they are what the Shapers value and seek to experience. While the N'Zeer offer immortality as some sort of quantum informorph in their substrate, the Shapers offer a path of spiritual transcendence outlined in Jarvis's manifesto. By visiting and experiencing portals, we can be patterned by the xm and exist in the ultimate as xm entities.
Clearly, the shaper path would be seen by the N'Zeer as Chaos.
As I said, none of this is definitive: it is the theory that I feel best fits what we know so far about the Shapers and the N'Zeer.
All very interesting thoughts, Steven Wilson. I believe the Shapers are all about control of the mind, to separate the mind from the chaos of the body's desires. As there seems to be a conflict between the mind and the soul, I automatically placed the N'zeer on the side of the soul. But you are right, they do appear to be more technology/AI based. So, who then is focused on the soul? Are we back to Humanity speaking on behalf of itself?
ReplyDeleteJennifer Brozek I think you have done some excellent work here, thinking about the glyphs in a more systematic and comprehensive way. I also appreciate how you are giving serious consideration to the origin and intent behind the messages.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think, as ever, we have to be careful about drawing firm conclusions that aren't unequivocally supported by the evidence.
In this case, I'm not sure my theory is correct, but in my opinion the shapers-soul, N'Zeer-mind theory is better supported than the inverse.
I think you might want to reconsider on that particular point. Enlightenment philosophy as conveyed by Jarvis and the Acolyte doesn't map on too well with the 18th century Enlightenment which exalted reason The Enlightened share much more in common with Transcendentalism. For example, I think someone like Thoreau would wholeheartedly embrace Jarvis' manifesto.
Something to think about. The other thing to keep in mind is the fact that there are two glyphs for the Resistance and two for the Enlightened. Stein Lightman argued that these were not mere allographs of the same grapheme (cursive vs typeset "L") but were representative of a schism or division within these groups. It's possible that this division exists not just among the humans but among the Shapers and the N'Zeer themselves. Thus, we can't neccesarily assume that we are dealing with a clear binary of pro-shaper and pro-NZeer messages.
Regardless, these posts have been very useful in bringing an analysis of glyphs back to the forefront. They seem to have been much neglected recently. Given Oliver Lynton-Wolfe's portal survey and the advent of the glyph command prompt, it seems that the efforts of Project Isthmus on glyphs are very timely. I expect glyphs will become increasingly important to all agents.
Steven Wilson There is the theory that their is a schism within Shapers. Do you think that is possible within the ultimate? Or is there more than one ultimate? More than one group merge? Taking the N'zeer out of the equation altogether.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Brozek That's an interesting idea. I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was, if not a schism, then at least a diversity of opinion among the Shapers. Perhaps not all of them wish us to join them in the Ultimate; perhaps they vary in their hostility toward the N'Zeer.
ReplyDeleteA question that is often in the back of my mind is whether the N'Zeer are to the Shapers as the Romulans are to the Vulcans (a lost faction) or the Cylons are to the Colonials, (a spurned/rebelling creation). Perhaps it's a little of both.
This is speculation, but I think the fact that there are two Enlightened glyphs does suggest that there are two factions of Shapers within the Ultimate.