I believe Hayle’s notion of “non-conscious cognizers” is reasonable, insofar as there are processes, performed by technical (or natural) “agents,” which manipulate information in ways that don’t involve conscious thought, yet act in the world (and thus could be considered networked-actors, in Latour’s sense) in a way that co-determines the experience of conscious beings such as ourselves. In that sense, we experience them, effectively, as agents.
The cognitive nonconscious is real—though I understand the semantic quibble. It just comes down to how we use the words “actor,” “agent,” “cognizer,” “subject,” “self,” etc. Word games.
I also like the idea that this nonconscious or ‘new unconscious’ is adjacent to and not necessarily (though still potentially) below or above or numinously dissociated from the conscious mind. This allows for communication, coordination, and commerce between domains.
I imagine the unthought involves all manner of non- and more-than human actors in reality—such as cosmic rays…geological forces…microbiotic processes…(epic-)genetic drift…the flux of dark energy—but these actors are not necessarily persons.
Must an agent be material to be an actor? That I don’t know, but I think there is a big difference between the concept of matter (scientifically or philosophically, as a position, entailing some form of material-ism) and the experience of materiality as embodied force. Isn’t the latter much more interesting? Doesn’t manifestation require embodied materiality? Is this what Gebser meant by the concretion of the spiritual?
I stated in our last Café that I would like to develop a working model of Cosmic time. By “working model,” I mean useful, functional, not necessarily just mental—a livable collective temporality.
We run on corrupted mental, post-industrial, hypermodern soul-killing time for the most part in the general operating system of our current civilization. How would an ecological civilization structure its relationship with time? How would we as (trans-)individuals be in cosmic time?
In a future Café, I would be very interested in talking about the relationship between money and time—and how actually would we get to a post-money society? To complete the drama triangle, I would add the phenomenon of debt—since in our current temporic regime, we experience time as a form of debt (in lieu of money, to which it is equated). They are interchangeable, ostensibly. Breaking out of this drama triangle of money, time, and debt is my own personal big research question. I suspect that developing a working model of cosmic time may hold some answers to my prayers.
I am going to miss the next Café, and probably the one after that (11/27 and 12/4), since on Tuesday of this week I am going to be into my second day of a 5-day fast and I am not sure I will have the energy to show up for a discussion. Then this weekend I am participating in a medicine ceremony, from which I’ll want a few days for reintegration. However, it’s possible I will show up on 12/4 with some new prophecy or wild vision from the Cthulhusphere. No expectations. My focus for this week is developing a prayer to bring with me into the nether realms.
By mid week, I should be mentally clearer and not too hungry; so I will be present for these events:
- Wednesday: Writers Underground - 6 pm Mountain
- Thursday: IC Community Convo - Aurobindo Review & What Happens Next - 10 am Mountain
If anyone joins the Café this week and/or next, I will at least get the recording(s) uploaded. I would also like to propose that we take some time in the next month to think about the Café in 2019. I like where our conversations go and are going, and despite a slowdown or exhale during the holiday season, it seems we have some momentum to go with, but I do heartily agree we need to play the crow and crack the nut to really make it work.
I have some ideas in this direction, but will save them for another post, or for what will probably be the last two Cafés of the year on 12/11 and 12/18.
I would like to hit the ground running on 1/9/2019 with a minimal format that we (and others) can follow on a rhythmic basis, as well as the beginning of a ‘menu’ of topics for the coming year.
At least, that’s what I want to have happen.
Now, what wants to happen? 