On Oct 26, 2011, at 11:53 PM, Demo Hassan wrote:
"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that
brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me
and through me.
And when it has gone past I will
turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will
be nothing......Only I will remain."
-=[[ 'Litany Against Fear'
Dune (1965)
by Frank Herbert ]]=-
0n 0ct 26, 2OII 6:31 PM, Jonathan Post <
Excerpt from transcript of "Science Fiction and Complex Systems"
session chaired by Jonathan Vos Post at 8th International Conference on
Complex Systems, Quincxy, MA, 2011; to appear in Springer USA book.
Audience: "In what Phil said about Dune, how did Frank Herbert do that?"
Phil: "Like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. My first degree
was in Music Composition. When I saw Julian Bream, as a virtuoso….
Frank Herbert did years of journalistic research first. Languages.
Arabic. Spent 6 years researching water, desertification, Gurney
Halleck and Duke Leto in the first draft of Dune."
Steve: "When you see one of the grandmasters juggling 5 chainsaws,
remember that they started with 3 scarves."
JVP tells story of argument between Robert Silverberg and Frank
Herbert about the latter's claim of a single word in Arabic among
sub-Saharan nomads meaning "a group of camels, mostly female, coming
down to the water hole at night fall." Silverberg said: "Oh really,
Frank. And what IS that word?"
Phil: "Frank Herbert stated correctly that in a knife fight, the edge
can also stab; the point can also slice. JVP has a great poem about
sharpening a knife until nothing is left but the edge. Larry Niven
understood that."
On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 6:16 PM, nick herbert <
I was at a virtual reality conference in San Jose
not so long ago walking down the street with a crowd of people and
a guy spotting my name tag began effusing about
how much he loved my work. I took it all in, thanked him.
He then admitted that he had read "Dune" three times.
Here was my dilemma: I would never see this guy again.
Should I burst his bubble or let him go on believing that
in broad daylight he had received shaktiput from Frank Herbert?
On Oct 26, 2011, at 5:37 PM, MT wrote:
NICK!
Confusing the world of
HERBERTs out there...
Make that NICK HERBERT.
Sorry about that
Mahatma Maestro NICK!
"Faster Than Light: Superluminal Loopholes in Physics"
by Nick Herbert
http://www.google.com/search?q=Nick+Herbert+superluminal+loopholes
Compared to FRANK HERBERT's
Shape-Shifting Attila the Hun
of physicists, authors, fathers,
and explorers of Multi-Dimensional
slimed Cosmological Snail Trails
through Superluminal Loopholes;
MT is merely a macro system
derived from a microcosmic
assemblage of collapsed quantum
wave functions exhibiting
physiological autonomous
actuators operated by a
self-referencing neurological
search engine with open ended
mutational mental/physical
architectural code mapping
characteristics and reproductive
learning facilities not
mattering what its given
individual manifestation
does within or without
the micro-macro burp.
http://tinyurl.com/mission8
[ Notwithstanding Jonathan Post's
clever use of 'the Pauli effect'
as literary background radiation... ]
AND WHO COULD EVER FORGET...
...that wonderful bit of Guerrilla Ontology
by "Hakim Bey" (aka Peter Lamborn Wilson);
"Jabir ibn Hayaan" (aka Nick Herbert), et al.
titled: I N C U N A B U L A
A Catalogue of Rare Books, Manuscripts & Curiosa
Conspiracy Theory, Frontier Science & Alternative Worlds
Emory Cranston, Prop. http://deoxy.org/inc1.htm
[We pre-join deprogramming already in regress...]
Journal entry
1/23/94
After interviewing Nick Herbert and being stuck
with the check for lunch, I discovered that
Mr. Herbert had scribbled a phone number on the
back of the receipt before leaving. It was a
New Jersey exchange, I recognized it almost
instantly,and underneath it the letters E.C.
were scrawled. Finally, a lead ! This had to be
the phone number for none other than Emory Cranston,
proprietor of INCUNABULA books. So, Cranston was
still on Earth Prime, and accessible by phone.
I went back to my motel room and dialed the number.
[ring]
[ring]
EC: Hello ?
JM: Hi, is this Emory Cranston ?
EC: Who wants to know ?
JM: My name is Joseph Matheny. I got your
phone number from Nick Herbert. I'm a reporter
investigating the Ong's Hat story, and I
thought you might give me some insight into
where you came across all the material in
INCUNABULA. I got the catalog from a group
of Culture Hackers in San Francisco.
(silence)
Is this Emory Cranston ?
EC: Who did you say you were again ?
JM: A freelance investigative reporter,
doing a story on the travel cults and
the Ong's Hat Institute.
EC: And who gave you this phone number ?
JM: Nick Herbert. I was trying to find out
where INCUNABULA is located now.
EC: (Audible sigh on other end of line)
Oh, well. At least he could have warned me.
But it doesn't really matter...after all,
there's no "here" here anyway, so I won't
be here tomorrow. Does that answer your
first question ?
JM: You mean INCUNABULA is located
in "virtual space" ?
EC: As far as you're concerned, yes.
JM: Well, in the introduction to the
INCUNABULA catalog, you stated that you
had uncovered "...a conspiracy so deep
that no other researcher has yet become
aware of it (outside of certain intelligence
circles, needless to say)..." Is that still
true? Why hasn't this become a more popular
conspiracy theory? How did you come across
this information?
EC: No, it's no longer true. Since I published
the catalog, everthing has changed. Everthing !
And look, this is no longer a "theory". I admit,
when I first published, I really didn't know
jack-shit about anything. Yes, I was a
"conspiracy theorist", how pathetic! Let me
ask you, what kind of epistemological
black hole...I mean, if the conspiratoligists
"know" anything it wouldn't be a "theory" anymore,
would it? It'd be "fact". Who killed Kennedy?
Where are the UFOs from? They don't "know", do they?
JM: You have answers to these questions ?
EC: Pal, I've got lots of answers!
Alternative answers. Get it? But that's
not important. You ask why "my theory"
isn't better known or more "popular" ?
Why aren't they discussing it at UFO
conferences, eh? Why isn't it on TV?
Well, there's an easy answer to that.
The truth is never popular, and it's
never seen on TV ! You know in your heart
I'm right about this don't you? If you
think about what's really important to you,
you'll realize it's not popular and it's
never been seen on TV (or if it has...well
then I'm sorry for you). It's true, when I
first came across the information...I was
living in Chatsworth, in the Pine Barrens,
near Ong's Hat...I was doing a catalogue...
Tesla, Reich, Bioshamanics, Hollow Earth,
crop circles, Mae Brussell...that sort of thing.
Strange stories were circulating about the
Institute out at Ong's Hat. They wouldn't
talk to me. Then they disappeared. That's when
I got "really" interested, and began collecting
the literature. A few years later I published
the catalog to see if they'd get in touch
with me. I wanted to flush them out.
I wanted to know.
JM: So what happened?
EC: Let's just say I succeeded in stiring the
shit beyond my wildest expectations. You know,
most conspiratologists would die of shock if
they suddenly received proof that their theories
were real. You'll notice that not one UFO "expert"
has ever been abducted. And not one
Kennedy-Conspiracy nut has ever been assassinated.
These things happen to other people, not to
Conspiracy Theorists, right? Well, let's just
say...that's what I mean when I say...this
isn't a "theory" anymore.
JM: Do you feel endangered in anyway, being
so outspoken about info that has obviously
gotten some people killed? How do you deal
with the danger, what precautions have you
taken? Why are you talking to me for example?
EC: Why am I talking to you? There are
reasons...reasons you don't really need to
know. Just go ahead and do what ever you
intend to do. Publish. But be careful.
At this point, the cat's out of the bag,
as Alice Schröedinger would say, (laughs).
I doubt they...I don't think anyone would
bother anymore...it's gone so far beyond
Now, as to my state of savvy when I published
the INCUNABULA catalog...you know how
conspiracy buffs like to pretend they're
running a great risk...that hidden forces
will try to silence them, blah blah. So buy
my stuff now, before it's too late, etc., etc.
Not one of them really believes it. I didn't
believe it. I was extremely fortunate.
The catalog fell into the right hands...just
about five minutes before it fell into the
wrong hands. I was contacted. I was protected.
Literally whisked away. In the nick of time.
Next question, please.
JM: But...
EC: No no no. Read the catalog. Think about it.
Chance are you'll figure it out. You were smart
enough to find this phone number, after all.
That's why I'm talking to you. Next question.
JM: Ok. How many books have you sold?
How many people do you think you've convinced?
EC: I'm not really running the catalog anymore.
It can't be suppressed - it's out there, it's
circulating. But I'm not selling the books now.
Those who need the books, get the books.
I don't need the money, after all. Those who
can really read the catalog and figure out
the next step...well, not everything in
INCUNABULA is accurate, of course. But the
clues are there. Follow the garden of forking
paths. Ah, how many, you ask? I can tell you
exactly. The answer is precisely 16 people
have followed the thread so far. We're aware
of another dozen or so who are working on it.
At a certain point in their researches they'll
be helped...if possible. One may blunder,
you see. Some tracks lead to the Minotaur,
know what I mean? And some of those dozen or
so are working for the wrong people.
They won't be helped.
JM: How did you obtain the more "esoteric" material,
like Alternate Dimensions by "Jabir ibn Hayaan"
aka Nick Herbert?
EC: Oh, Alternate Dimensions can hardly be called
one of the more "esoteric" titles in the list.
After all, Herbert was still a Theorist when he
wrote it. The book is actually wrong on a number
of points, though quite brilliant as an approach.
The fact is, I tracked down Dr. Herbert when I was
assembling the catalog. I'd read his other work,
and realized he must be heading in the right
direction. At first he wouldn't talk to me at all.
He suspected I was an agent of whatever
Shadowy Forces were trying to suppress
the book, and succeeding. From various
angry remarks he dropped I was able to
piece together the story. His manuscript
and files had been stolen right out of his
house, and the publishers refused to return
their copies, or any of the page proofs.
They were stonewalling him. So I...well, I stole it.
JM: What?
EC: I went to the publisher. I had a very strong
intuition as to which group was blocking publication.
I posed as an agent of that group. Apparently I was
correct, and it seems I knew enough to convince the
publisher of my bona fides, so to speak. He was so
glad to hand over the book you'd've thought it was
a bomb! Later he was fired. I suppose he's lucky to
be alive, the schmuck. I copied the proofs and
returned the originals to Dr. Herbert. He agreed
to let me list it. After all, it was the only way
his work was ever going to be distributed. Of course
it's a moot point now. I mean, the book is seriously
out-of-date and there's not going to be a
revised edition.
JM: Well, it's obvious that you've been in
contact with some of the travel cult members.
Can you tell me who?
EC: That would be telling.
JM: Aw, come on! This is not turning out
to be much of an interview.
EC: Nonsense, young man. What I'm giving you
is gold, pure gold. All right, then...would it
surprise you to hear that you've already met a
fair number of "cult members"? The heiress in
the Berkeley Hills who knows all about
Tarantula venom? That Irish humorist who
lives in James Joyce's Martello tower in
Howth, outside Dublin? The aging psychedelic guru...
the so called Persian Anarchist...the so called
Satanic rock-star...the Montana
cowboy-secret-agent-hacker...the
cyberpunk SciFi Surrealist...
JM: No! They would've told me...
EC: Guess again.
JM: I believe you're...you're
disinforming me here, Mr. Cranston.
EC: Check it out.
JM: I will.
EC: Do. Next question.
JM: Um, ok. Uh...what new information have you
come across since the catalog was published?
What new developments have there been in this
"science" of travel?
EC: I can't really tell you that. "Cult member"
means nothing now. All the players know who the
other players are. I'm not giving anything away.
But...new developments on the tech end? No.
Certain people could gain an edge just from a
vague description...well, I can tell you a few
things. A paper came out right after my catalog,
so it's not listed, but everyone knows about it
by now. It's by Suhrawardi, it's called Not the Egg,
the Joke, a bad pun on yoga. Eggless travel has
become S.O.P. for advanced travelers. Some permanent
doorways have been constructed which work even for
non-initiates, sort of like The Lion the Witch and
the Wardrobe. They're very nicely camouflaged -
Fu Manchu couldn't do better. And of course
they're guarded.
JM: Raiders of the Lost Ark...
EC: Eh? Oh yes...booby trapped. Definitely.
It's a zero-sum game I'm afraid. Either you're
on the bus or you're not on the bus.
The Gateways...that's what we call them,
the Gateways have to be there for those few who,
shall we say, solve the catalog without any
help from any group. People that smart do exist -
I have to admit I wasn't one of them! I compiled
the catalog and even I didn't "get it"!
But people who are capable of such...such quantum
jujitsu, are people we need. For them the Gateways
aren't guarded, but protected. As for the others
who might somehow locate the translational
nexi...well, you know who I mean...
JM: No, who?
EC: The Tri-Lateral Commission! Read the catalogue!
Figure it out! Who knows? Maybe you'll need to know,
one of these days.
JM: Is the secret goverment still active in this
area, and if so what do they hope to achieve?
EC: Are you implying that because a "liberal"
regime has taken over from a "conservative"
regime, that you people are free of "secret
goverment"? Haven't you heard of the present
leader's fascination with "virtual reality"?
Where do you suppose power comes from, an"
Invisible College" of "Illuminati"? (I use the
terms metaphorically , of course.) Nothing has
changed - only gotten hotter. In Baghdad...no,
forget I said that. Scratch that. Dump the whole
file. Next?
JM: Hmmmm, ok. Have you been to Earth2 or any
of the other "worlds" and is this where you've
been hiding?
EC: Well, no harm in telling you I suppose.
Yes, in fact I've been spending quite a lot
of time in Java2. It's not even a security
thing anymore, really. Or not always.
The truth is that, well, you can't possibly
imagine - a whole world for a utopia, complete
with flora, fauna, picturesque ruins, and maybe,
oh, ten people per square continent. Fresh air!
That alone is enough to...a universe next door,
let's go! (was it e.e.cummings who said that?)
JM: And if that one gets too crowded?
EC: Precisely. A number of Davy Crockett types
have already "moved on" where they can't see
the smoke of their neighbors fires, to put it
mildly. We have no idea of the extent of the
Series - it may be "infinite" for all practical
(or impractical) purposes.
JM: Why not just tell everbody, then?
EC: Would you want to be responsible for
infecting the halls of infinity with, say
the L.A. Police? Do you think the Pentagon
deserves infinity? (and what if it isn't
infinite?) Etcetera?
JM: Who were the occupants of Java2 ,
that left behind the ruins?
EC: Well, that's the biggest news of all really.
We found them - or rather they've found us.
They claim to be an alternative evolutionary
branch of Homo Sapiens through h.Javanesis and
h.Neanderthalensis. They look like they're
descended from lemurs rather tha chimps, like us.
A bit like the characters from Javanese shadow
puppet plays. They discovered how to travel long
ago, in a time we might think of as the time of
Atlantis or Mu (only we would be wrong...)
It's all rather Lovecraftian, inas much as they
claim to be responsible for certain aspects of
human culture, aspects which are uncanny, but
not maleficent. Not only in Java. The Tuartha
de Danaan of Ireland who vanished "underground ",
and other "faery" and "hollow earth" clues...
the whole idea of another physical world, not a
heaven or hell, but a Magickal universe next
door...anyway, we were wrong about them.
Traveling in time, either fast forward or
backward. They simply set out to explore the
Series. They think it may be endless, and some
decided to return "home" to Java2. They're a
completely non-hierarchic segmentary society,
like primitive hunter/gatherers, but with a
highly evolved culture. A lot of Terrans have
completely "converted" to their way of life,
even their language. You should hear their music!
The returnees brought back some of their artifacts
and...well, "furniture" I guess you'd call it.
Their ancestors built a city during a
"High Civilization" period in their history,
but they rejected hard technology for cognitive
sciences long ago. Our travel techniques are
crude by comparison and lacking their whole
mythopoetic value system. We're planning soon to
release certain archival material here in
Earth Prime, certain bits of art and music,
which we expect to act in a viral fashion to
produce profound paradigm shifts. The traveler's
culture is now, I believe, our most
effective "weapon".
JM: So what's your bottom line,
is this all co-creative or what?
EC: A smartass question.
JM: No, really.
EC: Who can say? What about our own cosmic locale,
our own provincial reality? You can't make it go
away by ceasing to believe in it. "Give me a place
to stand and I'll move the world" - but there is
no place, no "outside" vantage point, from which
to challenge consensus reality. "Magick" is
notoriously difficult and vague, and terribly
incremental - the utopian imagination seems
futile - reforms of consciousness appear to fail,
unless they implement the emergence of new ruling
classes or elites. "Religion" is a perfect case
in point. But was religion the cause of
"civilization" - or the effect? Now, however,
you see, it's a whole new game. There is an
"outside" now, maybe an infinite number of
outsides, places to stand with a lever in one
hand - and a magic mushroom in the other.
The disposessed have always believed in a
millenium, a magickal resistance, a heaven on
earth, a world turned upside down. This is it.
Well, time's up.
JM: I had a million more questions. In fact...
EC: This phone number and address will become
inoperative. Don't call us, we'll call you.
And don't worry. The Reality check is in the
mail. [click] (JM's note: the phone was indeed
disconnected the next day, and the premises it
was registered to vacated with no forwarding
address left)
--INCUNABULA
http://deoxy.org/inc1.htm
The Herberts Frank and Nick ;-)
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