It was the last week
of my brief stint at a major ad agency from which I had just resigned. I saw an
ad in the newspapers promoting a competition sponsored by Rolex with a 50,000
Swiss Franc cash prize (worth about M$250,000 perhaps) for the winning project proposal (I don’t remember what
the categories were, but there was one for ‘Exploration and Discovery’). I sat
down at my typewriter and wrote the following proposal. I never did hear back from
Rolex but this intriguing document just resurfaced from my rusty filing cabinet
after 40 years...
PROJECT XTC - OR “HOW I INTEND TO
SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE”
 |
| Antares in 1977 playing Snoopy |
What constitutes a satisfactory human life experience?
Does all life exist on an experimental basis – or do life processes simply
fulfil specific ontological programs (in accordance with an archetypal
metaprogram)? To what extent can we see foresee, accelerate, or escape
evolutionary trends? Is it possible to develop a true Group Mind? Do we really
qualify as gods?
Having found no ready answers to the above questions, I
am determined to devote a fair portion of my life to investigating basic issues
from as many angles as are available to a human individual – and to formulate
practical ways to assimilate and synthesize, as comprehensively as possible,
all the intelligence and wisdom humanity has inherited from philosophers,
sages, scientists, artists, and laymen and women past and present – so as to
ultimately realize a joyful continuity and conscious coherence on the earth
plane.
In an earlier era such an undertaking would have been considered
impossible, since it would be expected to go on forever. Today we have an
option to go on forever.
[Project XTC will, of necessity, include every
conceivable and inconceivable field of Enterprise including all three listed in
this competition. Exploration and
Discovery, nevertheless, seems to capture the underlying spirit of the
project most aptly.]
Reality is whatever one thinks it is
Thoughts are multidimensional wave emanations of Mind.
Some thoughts occur on single planes, others on multiple. All thoughts are
valid expressions of being. The scientist records the motion of thoughts and
observes their effects, in an attempt to intellectually grasp the meaning of
their manifestation. The mystic arrests the motion of thoughts by understanding
their causes, in order to know the source of their manifestation. The fine line
that distinguishes science from mysticism swiftly vanishes as each area of
investigation graduates into what is popularly classified as the esoteric. Only
on the more exoteric or fundamental levels do traditional divisions remain
apparent. The physical world and the metaphysical world are one – each differentiated from the other
only by function and relative position on the spectrum of manifestation. But
what has all this got to do with Project XTC?
The Third Man Theme
In a dualistic frame of reference, all debate becomes
destructive and ends in a deadlock. A third factor is obviously necessary to
the solution or resolution of problems in which two factors appear to be in
direct and irreconciliable conflict. The third factor, then, may be said to add
an extra dimension to the eternal quest for the right answers.
It is to this quest that Project XTC addresses its
primary thrust. Twenty years have gone into this project and an essential
working theory has been evolved. Subjectively, Project XTC has already been
successfully accomplished. Objectively, however, it has only just begun. The
final outcome of every research project is determined by its contribution to
civilization as a whole. Just as the scientist’s ultimate challenge lies in
coherently redistributing the wealth of his experimental results within and
beyond the defines of his discipline, so the mystic’s ultimate challenge is to
transmit faithfully the distillations of his supramundane experiences to those
well tuned to receive. The immediate objective of Project XTC would necessarily
be to design an operational structure for personal, as well as collective,
utilization in progressive stages of an ever-evolving reservoir of intelligence
and wisdom fed by tributaries from all fields of endeavor.
A Nuclear Interactor Mindpower Plant
Every individual has a unique mind potential. Genius is
unique mind potential developed to an optimally discernible degree. Madness is
unique mind potential accelerated to the spectral fringes of human thought.
Assuming that every mind is a discrete nucleus of existential being, it follows
that principles derived from a study of nuclear
physics apply, to a limited extent, in the case of vital relationships.
Entropic heat/hate may be said to be generated in
fission/division within, between or amongst mind nuclei. Katabolic
radioactivity results which, on a socio-political plane, invariably terminates
in lethal, internecine warfare. Envisage, however, the fusion or synthesis of
interacting mind nuclei (note subtle difference between “reacting” and “interacting”
– in terms of human relationships, reacting is more often than not an
involuntary thalamic response overriding cortical conditioning; whereas
interacting implies a combined “inner and outer” brain response qualified by
immediate circumstances) in which anabolic radioactivity, with its healing and
nurturing properties, may give rise to syntropic (anti-entropic), reciprocal
love/evolution.
It must be added that the metabolic processes of the
energy-matter universe invariably include both anabolic and katabolic phases –
hence the question arises, why bother about either entropy or syntropy? The
point is, civilization inherently favors the birth of Order out of Chaos –
insofar as we remain cognizant of the vital contribution of Chaos in every
formulation of Order we derive from our existence. This explains the romantic
appeal of Dr Jekyll-Mr Hyde and Tarzan-Lord Greystoke characterizations. One of
the most significant potential contributions of Project XTC, therefore, would
be the development of a prototype Nuclear Interactor Mindpower Plant with its
roots deeply embedded in the firm ground of common sense and its branches
freely dancing in the breeze of current discoveries. The need for such flexibly
organic intelligence-processing and wisdom-fruiting plants will become
increasingly obvious as present nationalistic self-interest matures into
planetary mutual-interest. (And this should make it very clear why Herman Kahn
and the Hudson Institute, the Rand Corporation, Club of Rome and similar
“thinktanks’ are inadequate to our planet’s purpose. They disqualify themselves
by their partisanship and their vested interest in maintaining the status quo.)
Apparatus Required:
1. Free Time, i.e., time that is not mortgaged to the
compulsions of artificially imposed necessity or siphoned into
limited-objective activities. And in this instance the prerequisite of Free Time may apply to the entire
Earth population – but for the time being, it is enough for a single individual
to experience unconditional use of a human lifetime.
2. Physical Space in which to establish a working base
for Project XTC. Equipped with efficient communication and comfortable living
facilities (such as a telephone that works and a bathroom that’s well
ventilated).
3. “We may take anything we want from our mother planet,
so long as we finally return everything in even more perfect condition.” –
House Rule #1
4. Money. 50,000 Swiss Francs to start with!
A tool for every technique, a technique for
every job
Positive thinking schools teach the successful use of the
autohypnotic mind. Vedantic schools preach the folly of dependence on intellect
alone; that to enjoy life in all its glory one must learn to utilize every
aspect of one’s being. The scientist has his extended sight in microscopes and telescopes.
The sage, his insight born of silence. Whether through scientific method or magical
ritual, every channel of investigation is justified. For any venture, great or
small, can only enhance – if not increase – the quality and scope of life as we
know it.
Of course, there are human activities which do ostensibly just
the reverse. But even in such instances, the payoff comes from realizing that
we can choose, of our own volition, from a seemingly endless range of options.
Ultimately the question arises: who evaluates and determines the merits or
demerits of any given system of belief or behavior? In the context of Project
XTC, the answer is obvious and simple – I
do! “I” being a representative individual member of the planetary populace
which, in fact, consists of human, animal, vegetable and mineral cultures
configured in symbiotic interdependency. The true “I” must attain and maintain
an inclusive universality of viewpoint which can only be realized in perpetual
attunement with reality’s flux and flow.
There are any number of known and unknown techniques to
achieve attunement vis-a-vis the individual and society, the part and the
whole, the one and the all. Pioneers of physical-metaphysical synthesis have
contributed immeasurably to the maturation of Mind in our energy-matter
universe; each idea, each ideal, has been a success unto itself, only awaiting
eventual realization.
Patanjali gave us our modern Yoga technique. Lao-tze gave
us a fluid, timeless philosophy of harmonious living. Men like Spinoza, Kant,
Hegel and Descartes gave Western civilization a logical framework upon which to
build. Einstein gave us a glimpse behind hitherto locked doors of physical laws.
And in recent days, scientist-philosophers like Buckminster Fuller have shown
us possibly wiser ways to utilize our limited resources. Then, again, there are
thinkers who have thought the unthinkable – and who wait in the shadowy wings
of fame, living enigmas in their time – L. Ron Hubbard, to name but one, who
offered us Dianetics (the science of mind) and “Scientology” (the religion of
knowing one’s mind) but who continues to be regarded by the academic mainstream
as a charlatan, crank, or worse. Are all these efforts, then, mere flashes in
the pan of primordial nescience? Or can we conceivably use them each and all in
various applications, experimentally directed towards a hypothetical,
supraconceptual point of convergence?
Carl Jung spoke of the Collective Unconscious – a
reservoir of archetypal images and of pure intelligence – which feeds the
aspirations and dreams of all sentient creatures. Can it ever become the
Collective Conscious? Attempts have
been made – and are being made – to test the potentiality of group-mind
harmonics and dynamics. It is easy to dismiss these attempts as
wishful-thinking and a lot of “occult mumbo-jumbo.” Open-ended experimentation,
however, will be a keynote of Project XTC. I want to find out firsthand. It is
not enough to say, “Others are already doing it, so why should I?” Can Project
XTC be considered “an original idea” since there is hardly anything new about
ontological, eschatological and epistemological research? I would describe any enterprise that may bring us closer
to knowing our unknown origins as “original.” QED.
Objectivizing Project XTC: Structure &/or Nonstructure
Ideas generally need a structure to hang on. Any plan of
action involves structural design. In the long run, however, structures tend to
obstruct further development of the abstract principles they contain. This is
the reason I am reluctant to delineate an organizational program for Project
XTC. Flexibility is essential to the unfoldment of true form. Nonetheless, for
the sake of elucidation, I shall attempt to briefly describe one likely
scenario of exploration.
It is important to bear in mind the premise that all
kinds of structuralization in Project XTC will be organic in nature and
therefore mutable and ephemeral. Let me state that I am not interested in
founding a new religion or saving humanity from certain extinction. I am
involved with the project only insofar as it gives me pleasure and delight – and what gives me the greatest pleasure
and delight is knowing that I am on the right track. If in the process of
implementing Project XTC I succeed in by-producing far-reaching and unforeseen
benefits for others, I would consider it a matter of serendipity or plain good
luck.
Community Scenario – Draft One
Act I: Focus 100% on developing effective interpersonal communication/communion channels and methods. Test various
group-dynamic models, e.g., gestalt, encounter
and transactional therapy, incorporating elements of neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and transcendental
meditation. Explore altered states of consciousness techniques, learning from
aboriginal or pentecostal trance-inducing
rituals – whatever can enhance conscious bonding among members of the community/tribe. Stress honesty and
openness in everyday interactions. Investigate and elaborate on pioneering
efforts by visionaries like G.I. Gurdjieff,
Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Baba Ram Dass). Monitor progress of related community projects at Findhorn, Lindisfarne, Esalen and the
Arica Institute. Establish energetic contact with research groups such as the Association for Research &
Enlightenment (ARE), Stanford Research Institute, the Fuller Research Foundation,
Masters & Houston’s Foundation for Mind Research, Human Software, Inc, and so on.
Act II: Attract seminal taskforce comprising individuals
from a comprehensive spectrum
of ethno-cultural affinities with cross-sectional innate abilities and skills.
Work towards “Castalia Foundation” concept of a creative seed-community
able to operate cooperatively and synergetically on all levels. Encourage
self-healing via non-invasive methodologies that include yoga, meditation, taichi, tantra, plant medicines,
deep massage, and so on.
ACT III: Assess feasibility of forming a semi-permanent
seed-community along autonomous lines (learning from the
experience, positive and negative, of predecessor
communities like Findhorn and Auroville). Being part of a seed-community will almost certainly be necessary
to ensure the continuance of Project
XTC during periods of prolonged global confusion and apocalyptic vicissitudes.
ACT IV: Encourage and reward inventiveness in all areas
of everyday living, striking a
comfortable balance between order and chaos so that innovative ideas can be grounded in technological expertise and
engineering knowhow. Beneficial breakthroughs can be
exported for the benefit of ever-increasing numbers of planetary inhabitants. It is crucial that the seed-community consciously breaks free of useless,
irrelevant, unnecessary or oppressive cultural
or ideological imprints inherited from the past. Whatever deemed of value
which can be salvaged from traditional institutions – probably not very
much – will need to be carefully reassessed and reformulated to avoid a repeat of the mind-control patterns our
ancestors fell victim to.
ACT V: Dissolve and disperse the seed-community at its
time of ripeness, facilitating cross-pollination with other compatible
seed-communities all over the renascent
planet. Practise retrospective re-evaluation and introspective reassessment
at every stage of the Project. Be willing to recognize and rectify defects
and errors in every plan of action or problem-solving approach, no matter how petty or gross, and be ever
grateful to the mysterious Wisdom and intuition that makes it all possible.
Keeping a Holistic Outlook and Allowing for
a Free Play of Insight
Of necessity, the foregoing notes and conceptual sketches
cannot be regarded as anything more than a crude structural outline of Project
XTC. I do not envisage the project as a guided tour of paradise complete with
glossy brochures and carefully planned itineraries. Just as no human entity is
born with an instruction manual on how to live, so no human culture group or
civilization can be expected to function and develop according to a great big
factory blueprint. I believe that the dignity of being human stems from the free
will factor, that the beauty of humanity lies in its capacity to be wise and
foolish at the same time. I do not accept B.F. Skinner’s behavioral engineering
theories simply because I feel they epitomize the sense of alienation, anomie
and depersonalization that began with the Industrial Revolution and surreptitiously
morphed into an overcentralized system of governance that has grown
increasingly Orwellian as the 21st century approaches. Even if would-be social
engineers like Skinner were to come up with a mandatory vaccination designed to
ensure that every newborn baby grows into a helpful, friendly, honest and
loving adult, it would only result in a pathetically plastic utopia – and our
collective dream of heaven on earth would turn into the ultimate sci-fi nightmare.
Project XTC is founded on the premise that every
individual is unique and worthy of autonomy and has the potential to evolve and
mature into a divine and sovereign entity, firmly rooted in an innate sense of
responsibility, which grants the greatest degree of freedom to the individual
without impinging negatively on the well-being of the collective.
A great many of the difficulties confronting our current
pseudo-civilization are potentially instructive to our onward evolution as a
supposedly sentient species. As we outgrow artificially imposed limitations
(such as cultural imprints of tribal, ideological or theological differences)
we will discover that the solution to any problem is most likely to be found
with only a minor shift of attitude - wherein we choose the gentlest and wisest
solution - and altitude - wherein we raise our atomic vibrations to a subtler
frequency, thereby enjoying vastly enhanced and expanded consciousness.
Most boundaries and limitations are actually imaginary -
and explorers have been called foolhardy because they figured this out ahead of
everyone else. But only the ones that make it back alive are given the badge of
courage. When a civilization approaches senility, explorations are discouraged
or ignored and orthodoxies enforced on pain of death. A culture in its busy,
ego-driven, ambitious youth often has no time to explore its own depths and the
amazing universe beyond its immediate concerns. Yet explorers and explorations will
endure and persist through all time: the quest for the grail of truth is an intrinsic
quality of consciousness itself, and we inhabit a sentient planet, indeed an
entire multiverse of as-yet-unknown possibilities. Just as a man seeks to know
himself, the universe too seeks to know itself. As within, so without – and there
will always be a complementary interrelation between inner and outer voyagings.
Project XTC is essentially an attempt by a single
individual, working in collaboration with others, to create a dynamic interface
and link between explorers of Inner and Outer Space.
Why XTC?
Ecstasy is a state of consciousness reported by mystics
and visionaries who have discovered a way to transcend their own boundaries and
limitations and reconnect with the supreme wisdom inherent in the natural
world. Cognitive ecstasy is the conduit through which mages and sages, seers
and shamans, oracles and visionaries derive their spontaneous knowing, or
Gnosis. We are beginning to realize that both the mystical and scientific approach
to unlocking the mysteries are guided by the same irresistible impulse – the only
difference lies in the choice of tools and terminology. The moment we lower our
defences and stop mocking one another, we stand a damn good chance of ecstatically
reaching the exact same conclusions – of finally, orgasmically, coming together.
Papers I have written
The Organization as
a Geometric Projectile for the Exploration and Mastery of Spatial Mundanity
(Private circulation, 1975)
A Letter to R.
Buckminster Fuller describing protoconcepts of Multiphase Space-Mastery
Techniques (August 1975)
Why We Must Say NO
to Nuclear Power (Private
circulation, 1977)
Books others have written
Passages About
Earth: An Exploration of the New
Planetary Culture by William Irwin Thompson, Harper & Row, 1973, 206
pp.
The Magic of
Findhorn by Paul Hawken, Harper & Row, 1975, 343 pp.
Last and First Men
by Olaf Stapledon, Methuen 1930 (reissued by Penguin Books in 1972 with Last Men in London, 605 pp.
Starmaker by
Olaf Stapledon, Methuen 1937 (reissued by Penguin in 1972), 284 pp.
Olaf Stapledon – an inspiration to Project
XTC
Olaf Stapledon beautifully expresses a vast-pattern
visionary perspective of human existence, against an awesome backdrop of
Cosmos. His superwide-angle overview of past and future history, with
clear-sighted nonpartisanship, greatly aids in our contemplation of the human
condition. Starmaker and Last and First Men offer valuable mental
exercises in advanced futurology.
Simulations of God
by John C. Lilly, Simon & Schuster, 1975, 284 pp.
Center of the
Cyclone: An Autobiography of Inner Space by John C. Lilly, Paladin 1972,
215 pp.
Programming and
Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer
by John C. Lilly, Bantam Books,1974, 174 pp.
Remarks on John C. Lilly’s work
John Lilly is a pioneering technician of the psyche who
has creditably and credibly translated the supra-rational symbology of mystical
experience into scientifically coherent and accessible terms. Familiarity with
this material would be vastly helpful in assessing Project XTC.
Tentative Schedule for Project XTC
Prephase - January 1957 through January 1970
Phase I – January 1977 through 1984
Phase II & III – 1984 through 1991
Phase IV – 1991 through 2005
Phase V – 2005 through 2018
Phase VI – 2018 through ?
(Revised & reposted 11 June 2017)
