Changing Matter the Multiple Earths on This Catalog’S Cover Were Envisioned by a Machi- Ne Asked to Imagine What the Earth Looks Like

Changing Matter The multiple Earths on this catalog’s cover were envisioned by a machine asked to imagine what the Earth looks like. No two are exactly alike. Every shifting cloud and continent depicts a different iteration of how the Earth could be.

The ways we build our world each day are similarly dynamic. Every decision made, no matter how trivial, branches into endless potential paths. More possibilities exist for our Earth’s future than any one person could come up with alone. Some paths will lead us to a world ruled by love and dignity, where life flourishes. Other worlds will differ still. Some will see us separate into opposing sides and destroy ourselves, while others will see us work together, ready to explore the cosmos. Many more future worlds remain dormant, until we bring them to life.

Which world will you choose to help create?

Trained on 14,142 images from https://epic.gsfc.nasa.gov/ using StyleGAN. With special thanks to Gene Kogan. Changing Matter

a catalog of ideas for whole-systems transformation

The roots of Changing Matter Life and lessons leading up to this catalog

2 The roots of Changing Matter Our studio, PCH Innovations, emerged from my belief in intersecting exploratory curiosity, rebel- We humans are all lious deviance, and creative invention with incumbent systems across industries, institutions, and ‘under construction’… disciplines. I pretty much wanted to turn everything around me upside down. This was an impulse that started for me at the age of five (sorry mum, sorry dad, sorry sisters). The Unknown is where Back in 1996, when I had the honor to participate in BMW’s iconic stealth project ‘Deep the magic is… Truth Blue’, some people in our crazy project team started to realize that, in the age of per- can be found in an manent disruption, it is not assets we need to leverage any more (sorry BMW), but rather very informal and highly disruptive, experimental networks of people, institu- indeterminate world with tions, collectives, and organizations. After months of researching, some emails (were still rare back in the time), letters, and phone calls, we started our travels into the infinite possibilities… unknown, where we had the privilege to meet, visit, live, learn, and dream with and about a lot of unique companies, institutions, phenomena, and people including:

— Seiji Tsutsumi, founder of Muji — Tatsuhiko, founder (and back then, creative director) of Medicom Toy — Honda’s robotic unit, which worked on the Asimo, which was shown to the public in 2000 — Some many-generations-old ceramic and metal craftsmen families in Japan — Larry Harvey and John Law, founders of Burning Man in San Francisco — Some former team members from the original Skunkworks crew in LA — Some former Mission Control members of Apollo 13 across the US — Paolo Soleri, the founder of Arcosanti in Arizona — Some astrologers and ‘Quantum Healers’ in Sedona — Cliff Haven, a uncompromising off-grid in-cave-living-community in Utah — Lockheed Martin’s advanced research group — 3M’s adhesive advanced research group — JPL’s research team, which focused on the search for life in and the nature and evolution of the universe — Tom & David Kelley, the founders of (back then, a freshly formed) Ideo — Barry Katz, one of the founders of the Stanford D-School — Alchemy, the first automotive digital design studio of its time — John Underkoffler, former MIT Media Lab professor and CEO of Oblong Industries — Syd Mead, an industrial designer who was the ‘visual futurist’ for Blade Runner (1982), and some of his set builders — Charles Pelly, a genius designer and professor at Pasadena Art Center and the founder of Designworks (now BMW Group) — The Automotive faculty at Pasadena Art Center — Various Material Science and Digital Labs at MIT — Several (mostly illegal and sometimes not so nice) street and drag racing groups in LA, Miami, and Atlanta — Theo Janson, the inventor of the famous ‘strandbeasts’ — My all time hero, Burt Rutan — Many museums and historical sites in the US and Japan — and many more

We also got to work on an oil drilling rig in the middle of the Pacific, to spend a week with the Munich Philharmonic orchestra, to visit California state prison San Quentin, and to learn from the tough patterns and drills of a Cedars-Sinai Hospital surgery team. We ideated under the star-sparkling skies of Southern California, or in a house-sized wine barrel in Sonoma, or in a hot-air balloon at 5am over the Northern Californian vineyards. We raced prototypes, concept and fantasy cars through Death Valley, on Willow Springs, Laguna Seca, and Atlanta Speedway. We visited Edwards Air Force Base, spent a profound week with Native Americans in the Appalachian Mountains. And yes, for over 18 months we worked out of a Malibu Beach House (where some of us slept in the bath tub) — thank you BMW and Deep Blue.

3 During this almost two-year-long project, search, quest, and pilgrimage, we started to recognize a pattern across all these brilliant minds, teams, and collectives, scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, alternative solution dreamers, and outlaws: A lot of them worked and lived in total stealth mode, and reset their lives along the same set of some extreme principles, which impressed and confused me/ us at the same time: Some of the people I mentioned above dropped everything they knew and had. They went off-grid and into almost ascetically sustainable modes — to broaden their viewpoints to understand the full scope of future possibilities and to dedicate themselves to finding and developing alternative solutions to fight the noticeable rising climate challenges, the obvious sufferings of capitalism, the societal gaps, the decreasing quality of life in growing cities, the downfall of values in cooperations and politics, etc. On the other hand, these people saw the impact of inventions like micro-processors, software, computers, and other technological leapfrogs. And they strived to repair and leverage up-and-coming phenomena without any compromise. These people and collectives also left behind the established comfort of a normal home, access to available energy, healthcare, and education (they had to pay for). Beyond going off-grid, they turned to home-schooling their kids, started tinkering and putting the first solar cells together, drilled wells, captured rain water, built their own hemp homes, herb gardens, grew vegetables and fruits, started soldering together their first networks following the footprints of Tim Berners-Lee, Ari Luotonen, and Henrik Frystyk Nielsen. They quietly connected with one another to discuss new futures, to explore new realms of consciousness, and experimented with psychedelics to open up new pathways of thought.

These mavericks switched their priorities because they could see that we might soon live in times of scarcity, apathy, and zero trust across all cultures and businesses. Out of this urge to change, they slowly founded a vulnerable web of parallel micro-societies to reinvent the ideals, principles, logics, and key mechanisms behind our political, economic, ecological, and societal systems. The main trigger for them was the micro-computing revolution in the 1970s, the following technological disruptions, the impact of “Reaganomics” in the 1980s, and the first signs of a poisoned capitalistic world where the point of no return had already been surpassed for a long time. And they obviously could already feel a significant societal impact of all these cumulating hype-cycles (the stages a technology goes through, from conception, to maturity, and widespread adoption; a branded tool by Gartner) in their personal lives.

They went on their very own hero-journeys and abandoned the old patriarchal power rules, which were already deeply embedded in global cultures and institutions. They started to transition from the existing hierarchical and conditioned governance to self-governed models; you could call those liquid and liberated democratic models—to turn everybody into a ‘leader’, a maker, a creator… which isn’t at all anarchy, it’s quite the opposite. Truly new orders, logics, and solutions are always and maybe only born in the shadows, in free-of-rules, informal, or even in parallel worlds (more on that later). And often, people who participate in counter-cultures are called renegades, eccentrics, or even outlaws, underdogs, or misfits.

I was called a misfit since I was six years old, by my family, my friends, my teachers— even people I’ve never really known called me that or gave me that look. It was true, I didn’t quite fit in any given institutional framework. I felt squeezed, tortured, not heard, not seen, and also not felt (beside the fact that I couldn’t feel myself until quite late in my life). And I suffered under it, big time. I got slowly traumatized without knowing (like many kids and adults do). But I slowly got out of this condition and view that I needed to be saved or rescued from what was around me. I started getting to know my own power and also how to access it. But I needed a lot of teachers to do so. One of my best and also toughest teachers (Chris Bangle, former Chief of Design at BMW and my boss) once said: “If you ask me to describe Stefan I simply do it with this sen- tence: “If you don’t redline once in a while you cannot win the race”… Redlighting means stepping out of the norm, running away from the cops, breaking the rules, etc.

4 The roots of Changing Matter And man, I redlighted the hell out of everything and everybody… and way more than anyone should… which hurts… badly… yourself and your loved ones. And you gradually spiral down your vibration into the lowest frequencies someone can imagine. This drives you into full isolation, even isolation with yourself, because you are entirely disconnected from yourself. You get abandoned at least by everyone who is healthy, and for a good reason.

My vibrations and frequencies back in the time were so damn low. And the universe is smart enough to respond to your frequency. It doesn’t care about your personal motivations, desires, wants, or needs. It only perceives and understands the frequency at which you are operating and vibrating. I was vibrating at frequencies of fear, guilt, and shame, and I was thereby attracting things at similar vibrations to support my frequency. I certainly didn’t get this whole frequency and vibration thing before I entered my forties, when I slowly started seeing and turning my traumas and sometimes very destructive self-pity around into endurance, into power, truly into super-powers (your super power is your existence), and therefore into my very personal value proposition. That was the only way for me to survive and for the people around me to accept me and work with me.

And I also thought (narcissistically) that society and especially companies need us misfits and renegades to push them out of their comfort zones (leaving comfort zones = level 1 of transformation, which I was a master at)…but soon enough I got that you can only do that when you swiftly turn your and their attention and energy to level 2: thinking eccentrically as well as passionately creating alternative methods, tools, and ultimately generating sustainable & balanced solutions (= level 3, which can hardly be reached by anyone).

So I basically discovered not only the need but especially the beauty of going against the grain of life… seeking the glitches in society and companies, ignoring the dogmatic morals of all governments, corporations/cooperations, even all religions, and on top of it all, the stubbornness of incomplete science. I decided to place imagination and the impossible as my focus.

Now, as I look back at my last 53 years, I realize that many of the experiences that made little sense to me at the time they occurred were simply prerequisites for what was to come later. Let me share some life-shaping parts of my internal and external journey that otherwise I would never get out of my head and write down. Over the next few lines of writing, I don’t want to focus so much on the career-related parts of my story (only some for context) — I’ll rather share a bit of what goes on inside a human being who is undergoing all these experiences and what finally led to this catalog you hopefully hold in your hand. So let me lay out first my own thinking as an (unfortunately still too busy to truly, meaningfully create) engineer & designer, an (always dissatisfied) innovation scientist, an entrepreneur (with the usual business-, client- and project-related fears) — before I turn to being a loving husband, father, passionate dreamer and idealist, dealing with slowing myself down, getting less dependent on reassurances from my environment, keeping more silent and private places in my head, gradually dropping all my labeled categories, and un-learning my very well adopted habits and patterns, un-conditioning my conditioned mind, dropping sugar as my favorite booster, and learning to say “no” more often.

I reached my most recent inflection point simply because I turned 50, my kids reached teenager and university age respectively, and I found the love of my life. I also reached a kind of peak and strictly positive exhaustion point as an innovation scientist and entrepreneur when I could feel something else coming. I didn’t know what it would be. But I could feel its presence, and I knew that I needed to make space to seek for it, to find it, and to develop it into something. I knew I needed to make space in all of its dimensions: in my mind, my heart, my job, my attitude…simply

5 in everything. That was my missing piece… The part needed for my own (hero’s) journey and in my life puzzle…to clearly see my patterns. This was also the connection point that led me to this book. So, with having my last 27 years of rich and challenging innovation work along with the many facets and practices of personal growth in my rearview, I faced my undeniable inflection point. At the same time, I was in total conflict with my usual anxieties over financial security, my existence, and also my responsibility for others—to not turning everything upside down and ending up with ‘nothing’. I knew I had to overcome these thoughts and fears, because this decisive moment was so clearly presented to me, it felt ‘big’. It felt important for my life, my marriage, for my fatherhood, for my last 10-15 business years—but especially for the need to explore who I am, who I wanna be and hereby maybe getting wayyyyy closer to myself!? I wanted to (re-)define my being, my life, and what I’m gonna do with my next (and also last 30+) years with my loved ones here on Earth.

As I wrote before, I was always a daring and sometimes an annoying rebel… and I wanted to trace and carefully understand this trait and its various incarnations: from off-slope skiing to racing cars and bikes and flying airplanes, solo rock climbing, summitting a couple of 4/5/6 thousand meter high mountains in Europe and the Himalayas, doing almost 2,000 bungee-jumps and hundreds of cliff dives, crossing the Alps on inline blades, practicing Karate up to the first brown belt, playing the trumpet in concert halls and churches with a couple of hundred people listening to it, etc., etc., etc. And hell yeah, with a lot of really bad consequences, which drove my parents and friends crazy because they were always so afraid and mad at me: I damaged a couple of my dad’s quite expensive and always brand-new company cars (and didn’t tell him, but he figured it out anyways). With my best school buddy Ingmar (‘Eschek’) I totaled our neighbor’s Audi 200 at the age of 15 and certainly without a drivers license. Also with Ingmar, during our epic Sahara bike desert tour back in 1987, I broke my spine three times and crushed all of my ribs when I jumped off the 42 meter (or 137 feet) high Cascades d’Ouzoud waterfall in Morocco. I broke all of my 10 toes while solo climbing a 16-meter rock in Switzer- land, and two weeks later crossed the Alps on inline blades with my friend Nikolaus (as the first people to have ever done so, and under the heavi- est pain you can imagine). I broke my right wrist because I wanted to prove that there is a genius off-piste track all the way down from Zugspitze. I broke my left wrist because I wanted to perform a one-handed moto- cross ramp-jump. There were a couple more of these fun but also devastating stories… and I don’t regret a single second of it.

School was another (totally useless) challenge for me, one that made for tough relationships with my teachers, my parents, and my classmates. Primary school was kind of ok, but in high-school I reached 27 suspensions in seven years, they made me repeat two classes, I got booted out two times; it took my father quite some effort to convince the principals to allow me back in. I turned myself in at the local police station because I thought I deserved better, before I thought to break into the local grocery store to get some money and run away… thanks God that didn’t really go as I was hoping, simply because I didn’t manage to break in… bummer. Then I thought I had a genius plan and signed myself out of school to become a pilot in the German army. But father was faster, and two days later I sat back on the school bench. So ok, I gave in and found (lucky me) two teachers (Latin and history) who somehow liked me and gave me all their support to successfully graduate, although with really mediocre grades (honestly, I never ever needed grades again, because even in my later high-profile job interviews nobody ever asked me about my grades). I

6 The roots of Changing Matter somehow always made a bit of money: at the age of 15 I started working at McDonald’s (and learned a lot), I went on and assembled computer circuit boards, washed our neighbors’ cars (and totaled them) and then my dream job came around the corner. Through my Karate-buddy Mikey, whose dad was the head of BMW’s prototype testing department, I had access to BMW’s test and prototype fleet of cars and motorbikes. I mean, I had been driving cars and riding bikes without any license since I was 12; so as soon as I had my drivers license, we took Mikey’s parents’ cars and bikes to the woods, to the gravel roads. Then we started taking professional driving training, and we learned fast. This made BMW’s chief instructor of the driver training aware of us, he took notice of our really wild but very precise driving skills. So we got the opportunity to take advanced classes on Europe’s finest race tracks and in BMW’s finest cars. And we were admitted to become instructors ourselves. We leveraged that to the max… the best cars, on the best tracks, and the wildest trips. And with that official ‘batch’ we had an easy entry into the world of being test drivers. That basically means the automotive company sends you to the loneliest mountains, deserts, and racetracks with their most capable vehicles. So for years we travelled the world, testing cool cars and bikes; it was exhausting sometimes, because it is not only about driving, you also have to test. And that means cycles, many cycles of driving, data analytics, documentation, fixing cars, tinkering when they break down. But this was a dream, and that is when I really felt in love with machines.

Reality kicked back in when, after my bike trip to Africa and my devastating waterfall accident, I returned to Munich, Germany, and had a hard time finding entry into the world of universities. But my father had it already planned out: while I was in Africa he had signed me on for mechanical engineering. After many discussions I finally did it, and it very soon became torture. We were 1,100 (mostly male) students in the first semester, I couldn’t find any interesting stuff in the lectures, it was crowded and bor- ing. So my focus shifted again toward sports. I basically skipped university and went skiing, I started to take fencing classes, I tested cars, and got lost without any career plans. Then I came across an interesting small group of people: extreme skiers, climb- ers, paragliders, and mountain lovers, who constantly tried out new adventures. And that’s how I became one of the first people in Europe to bungee jump. And to build my/ our own bungee cords. It was wild, because we started with huge rope jumps from bridges, then we bought hundreds of meters of expander rubber in sporting good stores and duct taped them together, put huge rocks on them and threw them off bridges.

After a few tests it was clear that somebody had to jump, which was me because I was the light- est one. This is how we, as a group of eight people, started to build a quite successful bungee and stunt company, which still exists today (I’m not part of it anymore). Within two years, we had more than 150,000 people jumping our system, we were technically and medically certified, we sold 24 franchise companies across Europe, built up a team of 250 people… and made really good money, had endless fun, and created something the world hadn’t seen before. This was my family, my school, my university, my bank, my life. I jumped from every high tower, building, bridge, and crane that we could find and rent (because most of these jumps were official). I bungee jumped with a bike, motor bike, car, with 12 people on one bungee cord, I did the first tandem bungee jump in the world, and we as a crew held even a dozen world records.

The good thing about this whole bungee and stunt enterprise was I learned so much for my life and I had enough money—to e.g. hire the best tutors, which prepped me for all my tests (after failing my first two exams). So I barely attended my mechanical engineering classes. The only university stuff I was really into were my industrial design classes.

The bad thing about that time was my lifestyle. We were literally consuming everything that was around us. At the age of 24 (back in 1991), I spent 12,000 Deutsch Mark for my first cellphone. I bought a BMW 530iX and a Jeep Wrangler and paid in cash. We flew to New York, Business Class,

7 no luggage, no tooth brush, nothing, because we bought what we needed wherever we flew or drove. The success turned us into assholes. And payback time certainly came around the corner. After five years of this life I had a fight with my partner (over a woman). Also, my partner was a gangster in the sense that he didn’t let us fairly participate in our joint success, he took all the credit of what we created together. So this all led to a painful but much needed end of this chapter. I lost everything, my team, my stunt family, my reputation, my perspectives (and my cars, my cell phone, my watches, my house… honestly, my parents had to bail me out at the bank). I had a breakdown, a hard one; I even moved back into my parents’ house (who by then lived back again in South Africa) and I started to go back to university to finish graduation. And for my master's thesis I reached out to BMW, and they gave me the great job to engineer gearboxes, then invent mathematical correlations to predict quality issues and warranty claims.

I slowly rebuilt a new life, I became a father of a beautiful son, which overwhelmed me. I got my pilot license, and I got a great job in the automotive industry, which would form my next 27 years. I also discovered my strength and applied it from that point (we are roughly in 1995 now) mostly in my job and when I was with my son. I gave everything I had, stepped up the ladder (still in a very unconventional way), became a member of BMW’s most elite R&D team at its time, with direct access to the best knowledge, daring scenarios, solid resources, newest skills and: the most radical innovation projects. One of those was Deep Blue (described above), the next one was Pave White. There were literally no limits (again) of what we wanted to explore, and what we decided to create, design, and engineer. We became the misfits with a clear purpose: the automotive world in the mid 1990s was exploding, every quarter brought new models, new vehicle segments, new digital tools, robots, fully automated manufacturing lines, access to exponential technologies, etc. We made concept cars, presented them at Auto Shows, we invented new body styles (check the BMW X- Coupe), we turned the usual market, product and manufacturing strategies upside down. And we were the ones who had to find all that new shit, the best suppliers, labs, partners, technologies, software… But when you get to do all that, you’ll also have to deal with the fact that 50% of your colleagues love that radical stuff (because they believe in the need for change), and 50% hate you and make you feel that whenever they can.

Even as a rebel in a big company, at a certain point you start smelling hierarchy and want it. So I reached for it and received a very clear instruction: if you wanna become a manager, you have to let the sexy projects go and do something ‘real’. Which I did: they sent me to South Carolina to clean up the usual mess that occurs when you ramp up a new manufacturing plant. And I did great. They promoted me to the quality manager of the plant. But did I conform? No. Because there were some weird things going on at the top management level, which I couldn’t oversee. I reported what I discovered back to headquarters, where they did not like what I made them see (but they should have, big time, in the sole interest of the company). This is how you make friends. Or not. And I learned that bringing the truth to the surface is a great feeling (still without knowing my own truth), but somehow also a career dead-end. So they offered me an educational & qualifying next step, and I entered the world of management & strategy consulting business. And quite swiftly I became a partner at one of the most renowned American consulting firms. One of those places where you wear suits, and ironed shirts, and ties. No tie for me. I again went the unconventional way, which was ok, and also developed my signature in the industry. And they even made me a partner, but I didn’t really dig their business model and habits, like every Monday morning at 6am taking the first flight to the client, being reachable 24 / 7, and brown-nosing your clients’ shitty strategies and ideas. But the money was much better than in the automotive industry. I bought a Land Rover Discovery, my first Porsche 911, started spending the weekends back on race tracks, and rented a beautiful house in the Austrian mountains. I met my second wife, and thanks to her I started exploring and embracing the world of ecstasy and meta-amphetamines, which gave me new insights about myself: I discovered my feelings, new levels of intensity, I connected with nature on a whole new level (we mostly took these substances in nature), I started to dance passionate-

8 The roots of Changing Matter ly, I started to laugh and to breathe deeply. And these very stimulating times made me also understand why I was always addicted to extreme experiences (nowadays it's out-of-body-experiences): in order to exit (my painful) reality. Because for a split moment while skiing, flying, climbing, bungee jumping, cliff diving, or racing, I don’t feel attached to any physics of space & time, to pain or any other human burden or worries. These experiences forced me into only the present. The painful accidents I had, especially equipped me to cope well with all sorts of set-backs. Without even realizing it, I became a master at parting the layers of stress and fear from the present moment. With age (maybe in my forties) I found you can even do this at any time with a higher understanding of self-awareness—easier said than done, of course.

I was stimulated by new beginnings, and had more & more courage to present myself in business meetings in a more ‘me’, truly authentic and audacious way, and it worked. My clients and colleagues found it a bit weird, but my beliefs and attitudes resonated well with them and this helped me to invent my very own way of industrial consulting. I developed my own methods, my own tools, processes, I started scribbling and sketch- ing them out, and soon I had built my own innovation framework.

Then I received an interesting call: the former CEO of BMW became the CEO of the Volkswagen Group — he reached out and wanted me to bring some fresh wind into this monster company. He offered me a perfect foundation for playing out my entire innovation arsenal and future-based knowledge. But under one condition: I’d have to take on a top-management job, with four quite substantial departments and 120 people under my leadership, with the usual reporting structures, running some high-level decision and strategic committees. My ego said yes. I moved back to Berlin (where I was born and had my primary home) and into my new offices in Wolfsburg (don’t google it, it’s not worth it, although it’s the headquarters of one of the biggest companies in the world). And they threw me in cold water; no mercy. I had to realign my departments, run these committees, come up with striking strategies for new vehicles, new markets, new market research methods, etc. I was busy, but used my nights and weekends to work on a big new innovation project, which would put all my previous innovation works under its shadow.

Project Moonraker was born. (Please excuse that I cannot share more details about any of my past and present projects, they are all under heavy disclosures. But go ahead and google Deep Blue, Moonraker, and you’ll find some hints and even one official TED-talk). And with Moonraker I had my second office, my second home and life back in LA. Moonraker was Deep Blue on ecstasy: bigger budgets, more freedom, tougher and a more tangible assignment, and a way more difficult team. A couple of hundreds of VW employees applied for this project. Basically all board members and divisional leads pitched in money for it. We travelled the world, we lived (again) in a Malibu mansion (this time on the bluffs), and we re-wrote Volkswagen’s strategy for the US market, redesigned two of their volume vehicles, and created a beautiful 3-wheeler show-car for the LA Autoshow, January 2006. Over the first six months nobody at the German and US headquarters really knew what to expect. Slowly, some people woke up and could smell the beginning of a mobility revolution (explosion of new vehicle segments, connectivity, digital services, etc.), because we questioned and rethought everything. And not only in America. We had Moonraker multiplied in Spain, in Russia, in India, and in China. This project was like a virus spreading across one of the most patriarchal and top-down ruled corporations in the world. We rode this wave to a point where some very powerful people got pissed off (remember the 50 / 50% lovers and haters?). We had good protection from the CEO-level, on a group-level as well as brand-level, but then things started to tumble. My two top-level protectionists got ‘killed’ (by the way: these two guys have been heroes in the automotive industry and were true champions), and with them the second line went down too. Thank God two very fair board members gave me early heads up, so I had enough time to come up with a plan B. And one of these guys said to me: ‘Why don’t you take all your unique

9 innovation knowledge and experience and turn it into a business?’ Boom, there is was: the idea for my company. And I knew I was safe for another four months and could also keep the Malibu house and infrastructure running. So it became obvious to leverage this time to lay out PCH Innovations. I got divorced, raced my last race at Willow Springs (and won it), and started writing the charter for PCH over veggie burgers and SOB Smoothies at John’s Garden (Malibu Cross Creek). By August 2006 I had the sweet-spot of my new adventure clearly in front of me. I documented it in a time cap- sule (including the original PCH About text, a key to the Moonraker house, and a Po- laroid sunset image taken that exact day) and buried it under the Moonraker Pool House (it’s still there—I revisited that site last year at the onset of constructing this catalog).

After 13 years as a corporate dude, three years as a consultant, five years as a bungee/ stunt man entrepreneur, having spent some time in Africa, ten years in the US (this is when LA became my second home), after two marriages, and with one gorgeous boy (I was always a more or less remote but I believe really good dad)—I converted all the great and painful lessons into my secret exponential innovation potion. With fresh energy and vision I moved back to Berlin for good (although I still spend about two months each year in LA) and got the company started with some small innovation projects: inventing a first truly digital interface adhesive label in LA, developing material innovations around ceramics in Germany, and creating vehicle interior concepts for VW and Audi, etc., and PCH Innovations started to grow. Beginning with three people during the first two years, we grew to ten after six years. My industry network opened doors, we got hired by BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Siemens, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., you name it. We quickly needed to specialize in fields like HMI-development, UI / UX, software development; we started developing our own holographic projection technologies, along with our own and patented surface treatment methodologies. The projects grew, companies gave us their full trust to run substantial innovation initiatives and programs. We entered the fields of AR/ VR, robotics, machine and deep learning, the world of AI /GANs (maybe the most complex field in AI), etc. We needed the best coders, designers, strategists, movie producers, eco-system modelers, engineers, hackers, and also writ- ers, scientists, philosophers, and dreamers (which are very hard to find). I needed to find the best partner out there, and 24-year-old Adrien from Marseille came around in 2012, and became my partner last year (he’s the best proof that age doesn’t matter).

At this point in the story, we are in 2018. And I’m very grateful for how my life’s journey had unfolded, the people I came across, the learnings I had integrated, and all that led up to this juncture. Also because I had reconnected with the city where I was born, and Berlin is also where I met Geza, who became my closest friend. And through Geza I met one of the lights in my life, my stepdaughter Carla (and her mum, Simone, her uncle, Philipp, and grandmother, Waltraud). That constellation allowed me to build my very own patchwork family in the typical Berlin way. I got settled and that was the only pathway to meet Magdalena, the love of my life and my wife (since fall 2019), the most beautiful Hathor (google it!) the world has ever seen, for real. All of this is why I am a happy and fulfilled person now.

But one who is never satisfied, obviously. I am still trying to answer persisting questions, like: Does it makes sense what I / we do? Do I serve my purpose? Do I and my company really work in the service of what the world needs right now? I don’t think so… And then: Who am I? What is my soul? What does ‘loving myself’ mean? Have I entirely healed my past wounds? Because if you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll still bleed on people who didn’t cut you. You can certainly look back at your life and see nothing. Or, you can see nothing to hold you back. I guess that’s my take. But whatever you want needs to be occupied mentally and vibrationally, almost like checking into a hotel room. Only after you check in do they bring your bags into the room so you can carry on fully prepared.

10 The roots of Changing Matter My check-in was back in 2009 in Tulum, where I met Bobby Klein, one of the four spiritual teachers I have trusted in my life. There, for the first time in my life, I experienced astral meditation, I travelled across my past beings, met past and future souls, and connected with higher dimensions of consciousness. I learned about individual and collective consciousness, and alchemy, which became my new passions. In 2010 I met Mari, my second teacher, who taught me how to connect with source. In 2016 I was introduced to astrology and the works of Kaypacha Tom Lecher, whose weekly Pele Reports unified in companionship with Bobby Klein’s weekly I Ching readings. Also in 2016, I was introduced to the world of ancient mantras and chantings, indigenous tools, and plant medicine. Ayahuasca (a brew made from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub along with the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine) allowed me to not only experience the quantum world (which I have studied in the last years, mostly to understand the science), but to momentarily exist in a world where all that is exists on a quantum level. Ibogaine (a perennial rainforest shrub native to West Africa) helped me to physically dis-integrate not so helpful habits and beliefs out of myself and to (re) integrate better knowledge and patterns into my body.

When you open Pandora’s box, you better be ready for some new chemistry and vibrations, to shift literally everything you are. And when you begin integrating (which is the hard part after experiencing, and where I am a beginner) these learnings, teachings, divine information, and ‘true source code’, you open a whole new chapter. And you can’t just keep going as you have been, neither in private nor business-related matters. Because you feel the urge and the ability to ‘change matter’; in this case meaning your attitudes, your habits, your beliefs, your expectations toward yourself, family, friends, and colleagues.

All was so good in this new beginning, but nevertheless I felt a wave coming again —this feeling for another new chapter, and this time a major shift across all my being. Why? Because I and maybe most of us, we cannot only see but feel the man-made and very problematic influence on our environment and other species. What you might sometimes even feel on an individual level is but a reflection of the world as a whole. Things in the world are greatly out of balance. The Hopi word Koyaanisqatsi means ‘world out of balance’; it is a state that requires change in our way of being and an opening to a new way of thinking. This requires radically new but robust man- (and maybe also machine-)made solutions. Because we as humankind, me as myself, and also my company as a business entity have created and contributed to societal and environmental problems, we need to fix those problems too.

I looked deeper and it immediately surfaced: the increasing frustration with the prevailing political, economic, and corporate mindsets and their priorities. I felt sick of mainly incremental and profit-driven innovation. I saw that most industry leaders are not willing to take the necessary risks, to go outside their comfort zones and to discover the totally new world we urgently need. And at the same time, I recognized that too many are only complaining and vanishing into apathy. So the importance of a positive outlook, perspective, worldview, and of finding and generating proofs for a positive future became obvious to me.

And what was the next logical step? I wanted to (carefully) bring some aspects of my personal journey into our studio, and back in 2017 initiated that we free up two people from project work, to first analyze and envision the world and humanity between now and approx. 2035, second to explore and develop entirely new and radical frameworks —to reinvent innovation or whatever this practice has to be in the future. We decoded our times, all the chaos around us, we analyzed how we got here, we started exploring new scientific fields (such as noetic science, panpsychism, epigentics, etc.), we even looked into the creation of tools for making higher realms of awareness and

11 consciousness accessible for ourselves, and even cooperations, and also applicable in the field of innovation—because we as a studio decided to slowly transition ourself toward repairing some of the damage continuing to occur throughout our Anthropo- cene era (that describes the disproportionate & disastrous influence of human activity on the planet).

Imagining our very own current future outlook became the central idea for Changing Matter— pursuing our path of advancing to a state of being in which all people can live on this planet with what we need and without exploitation or injustice. Expanding our capacity, reaching and accessing the ability to self-heal and to repair the fabric of life—at the highest level we can now imagine transcendent solutions like: activating higher consciousness, adjusting our frequencies and vibrations accordingly, changing matter with our minds, and even warping space-time at will. Our quest and obligation is to consider the tools, mechanisms, and mindset(s) that will provide the foundation for this type of transcendent change.

This was already baked into the notion of the original Whole Earth Catalog 50+ years ago in fall 1968, which served us as an honorable legacy and inspiration for our Chang- ing Matter: Whole Innovation Catalog. We humbly took inspiration from that original compendium of tools, thinking, architecture, products, services, experiences, and most of all a brand new view of our planet (it was the first time a composite color image of planet Earth taken from space was published for the public). Our catalog is a call to action, a motif of the end of something making way for the beginning of something else, and the importance of accessing innovative tools. We, as innovation practitioners, together need to raise the bar and the stakes, we need to grapple with the hard truths and big challenges in front of us. Or as Sean Carroll asked in his foreword to Origins of the Universe, “Why do our individual lives matter if we are such a small part of such a big universe, and exist in such a small time period amid the 14 billion years of our universe?” The answers you may find us searching for in this catalog may remain beyond us at the time of writing and reading, yet we can still pursue the rever- berations and implications of our questions, leverage the tools we have, and continue to build toward working out the right answers. Our past two years of work on Chang- ing Matter also confronted us every day with how little we know, and how greatly we are compelled to learn… Ever into the Unknown.

Now, in case you jumped some lines, (which I’d do too), here is what I would like to finally leave you with:

I truly believe in placing emphasis on and widening acceptance of the interaction and communication between established institutions and informal / shadow communities (where alternative and constructive action resides) to further the research into and development of new amalgamations of social, cultural, technological, and organizational structures. We have to foster the constant destruction and recreation of institutions and experimental cultures—cultures in which new forms of governance are tested and experimented with. Such new systems—in distributed and collective synthesis between humans, machines, creation as a whole and in full acknowledgment of our collective consciousness—will pave the way for another future, where our ‘superconscious & extended intelligence’ can produce collectives and individuals capable of freely and smoothly surfing between multi-dimensional cultural, material, and conceptual layers of existence. And this will be a collaborative process, a cybernetic, conscious, balanced, and loving fusion of diverse, universal misfits: part human, part machine, part program—only motivated by a love for each other that is deeply rooted in all our hearts. I mean, look, there are roughly 6,500 languages in the world. The heart you’ve had since birth speaks them all. Nothing else matters more than our hearts—and if we learn to really listen to our hearts, all our dream-worlds may come true.

12 The roots of Changing Matter My personal journey and the one of Changing Matter is to envision a new Earth where we all live in harmony and in connection of real and virtual communities—a world where ideas and solutions are shared and not put in the storehouse of greed to bring profit to an individual, a company, or a geographical location. Envision a world where love is not bartered, but given openly and freely with no conditions or expectations.

For me this is just the beginning. The next step is to de-attach and to re-connect to all there is. Because we all are what there will ever be in our universe(s). I want to become absolutely relentless and crazy in the pursuit of what makes my studio crew, my family, my friends and partners, my wonderful kids Jonas and Carla, my beloved wife Magdalena and myself conscious, truly happy, and feel alive. At this point I’m reminded of a quote by Aaravindha Himadra, “If you truly want freedom; enter the mainstream of truth-consciousness, not the mainstream of society.”

Don’t blame yourself for anything, detach from the bothers of life, and start floating on the universe. (I didn’t want to bluntly say: Live the moment). And take notice that there is no cosmic coincidence, synchronicity is more than coincidence; numerical patterns and synchronized events are important for (y)our soul journey. Pay attention to synchronicity—it totally exists. Keep looking for repeating numbers, letters or words in books, newspapers, on your phone, in your notes, license plates, billboards, screens, etc…certain ‘signs’ and deja vus will keep showing up in the strangest places and times. And at certain points in your journey you will see or experience something where all these sequences of signs, numbers, letters or words emerge into a new knowing, an insight you need, a teaching you may receive.

Thank you for receiving Changing Matter, for holding and opening it. My belief is that just the ‘having’ and ‘holding’ it will already convey the frequencies that are behind its initial impulse, its intense two year research and year of writing.

Here’s to Changing Matter! (& Cheers to Alchemy)

Stefan aka Shogunski Liske

13 This catalog is a work from and dedicated to the heart.

Gratitude to all my teachers and to those who inspired this catalog (and will never read it). Espe- cially without the people who gently guided me into consciousness, I wouldn’t have been able to find my soul and to access my heart. Blessings to Mari Nil, Bobby Klein, Kaypacha Lecher, Adam Gainsburg, and Chandra Devi. Gratitude to my Mom & Dad. Your support (as well the traumas & mental health issues you gave me) and the endless strength I obviously gained from your genetic materials made all of this possible. Gratitude to my former employers and colleagues at BMW, Volkswagen, and Arthur D. Little, who taught me my engineering, design, and strategy skills. They literally allowed me (and gave me 2-digit million euro budgets) to turn their cooperations into my playgrounds, dreamscapes, and into the fertile grounds I leveraged into my studio and my passion. Thank you Chris Bangle, Klaus Bücherl, Burkhard Göschel, Helmut Panke, Wolfgang Reitzle, Joachim Milberg, Bernd Pischetsried- er, Wolfgang Bernhard, Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler. Thank you Deep Blue, Pave White, Moonrak- er, Swanlake, Palomar 5, Apex, L’Oiseau Libéré, Moonriver, Blended Drive, Prism, Radiance, Resonance, Wind, M, 21 Grams, Baymax, Columbus, and all other crazy innovation projects I / my crew participated in.

All this would not be possible without our clients, all the project leaders, and project teams we have been and will be working with. Thank you Siemens, Cartier, Tiffany, MAN Truck & Bus, MAN+Hummel, Villeroy & Boch, VW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, DPDHL, StreetScooter, Ford, Richemont, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Zalando, Stylebop, Viessmann, Jaguar Land Rover, Hino, BMW, Mini, Nike, Telekom, T-Systems, Tegel Airport, DDB, McCann, City of Berlin, IAV, Denso, SAIC, Schaeffler, Jolie-Pitt Founda- tion, Envision Energy, Red Bull, Solarkiosk, and FC Barcelona (that was a special experience…). We are only as smart as our partners, who generously share their insights, views, technologies, code, and empathy with us. Thank you MIT Media Lab, MIT Self-Assem- bly Lab, Harvard Wyss Institute, Standford School of Design thinking, HPI, FEV, Roland Berger, Virgin Galactic, Apple, Google, Graft Architects & Brandlab, Onformative, Waltz Binaire, Double Standards, Konstruktiv, Trigger Happy, Ralf Schmerberg, Xcor, Scaled Composites, Fraunhofer IPK, Micro PSI, HRL Labs, NASA, DFKI, MIT CSAIL Lab, Berlin Institute of Technology, USCD BCI Lab, UCLA Mixed Reality Lab, EPFL Lausanne, Mil- lennium Seed Bank, Carbon War Room, Future Laboratory, art+com, and more… Gratitude to my team and partners at PCH (or Blank), who sometimes didn’t know how to deal with my ideas and mental excursions.

Especially thanks to my LA Brother and our Storyteller, Louis, and to our Philosopher, Conor, who both had the honor & torture to take fractions of my crazy thoughts to a whole different level and hereby made this catalog a brilliant and beautiful reality.

Thanks to the entire PCH crew for contributing with endless images, poems, articles, mantras, and mind snippets.

Peacock, you will always be in my heart for visually uplifting literally every dirty concept or thought that crossed my mind.

Thanks Vanny for orchestrating the layout process with Studio Bens (Jens & Louise), for reinstat- ing our essential oils, and for floating with me on consciousness and other scientifically unproven phenomena.

And a big thank you to Adrien, my dear friend and partner in crime, who has the unmet power to listen to me, to question and to then ground me in reality—but you always allow me and us to travel into the next dimension. Side note: you still owe me a joint 4-hydroxy DMT (also known as psilocybin) journey. And Adrien, please allow me to quote and amend Dr. Joe Dispenza at this point: We should never wait for science to give us permission to do the uncommon; if we do, then we are turning science into another religion or dogma.

My life as it is right now, my continuously widening horizons, my opening heart and growing love would not be possible without the love on my side, my wife, Magdalena. With you I have found my twin flame, you showed me how love should feel and what love should be; you help me maintain my inner & outer peace every day. And jointly we navigate in full synchronicity, endless love, mutual respect, and in true harmony. I cannot in words express my feelings and wonder for you and for your boundless integrity. Please let’s keep dancing, laughing, and singing every day.

14 The roots of Changing Matter 15 16 The roots of Changing Matter 17

Introduction 20

Recognize 36 Align 72 Unify 106 Depart 134 Rebuild 164

Conclusion 194 20 Introduction

21 Our mission and invitation to every reader

22 Introduction While the following sections will offer information about inspiring people, collectives, and events The focus of this we believe are positively shaping the future, this compendium is not complete or exhaustive. catalog is to showcase Everything is always changing, especially conduits of inspiration. The information in the catalog represents what we have the capacity to see and explain at this present moment. As always, and a vision for humanity, as with everything, this information is ever evolving... To help promote thinking along these lines and reclaim innovation as a fundamental human ability, and our world, to arrive this catalog contains system theories, regenerative principles, and insights from our collective at by the year 2050. experience and perspectives accrued over decades working in the innovation business sector. Beyond our professional backgrounds, we are gathered as concerned world citizens in conversa- To achieve this vision, tion around how to do better by one another and our planet. To this effect, we set out to describe what the roots of mass transformation look like in 2019, how these conditions mirror other epochs, and to break from many and how conditions for change might grow in detail, dimension and scale by 2050. of the harmful trends of As individuals with our own histories, proclivities, and energies, we are aware of the limitations in our perspectives. Yet as a group committed to address the effects of global issues we run up today, we believe our against every day, we feel well positioned to assemble our research around alternative practices we find inspiring, diverse ways of problem-solving, and what we believe are the key ingredients thinking needs to be- to a just, sustainable and creative future. come more imaginative, As the authors of this text, our intent is to share ideas on topics of interest within our studios and foster dialogue with our friends, family, colleagues, children, or anyone who wishes to communi- more daring, and more cate perspectives on life and our changing world. The subsections of these pages hope to enliven discussion around the loose definitions of innovation, and how this human faculty for imaginative, emboldened. radical change can drive us forward. We are writing this catalog as a response to dehumanization, deforestation, and degradation everywhere, as much as to add our voices to the call for de-commodification, de-enclosure, and de-growth. We believe that humanity already possesses many of the tools, knowhow and capabilities for choosing inclusive and regenerative solutions that can be used to tackle the systemic problems we face on this planet. We believe we need to recognize humanity’s amazing abilities, as well as understand where we’ve gone wrong, and the challenges we’re up against. By doing this, we can begin to restore relationships between people and planet by leveraging our ability to innovate and align our activities with universal laws of nature. We must acknowledge that solidarity and mass mobilization is the linchpin of change, and draw upon principles and patterns that have the power to unify. We must depart from a hostile status quo and move boldly into more uplifting societal agreements. At that point, we can apply our lessons, experiences, and collective knowledge to rebuild alternate systems that allow us to live lives of passion and authenticity. In this way, we will create ideal conditions to expansively explore our universe—from our most inner to our farthest outer spaces—together. Our intention is to tell a story about what we believe constitutes positive change. We want to explore a daring spectrum of possibilities that can start to chip away at a malignant system and —more importantly—strengthen systems that prioritize thriving life. The sections of this catalog evoke crisis and resolution, historical anecdotes about revolution, along with tools, principles, and patterns that have served people and planet well over different locations and various ages. Our goal is to acknowledge Earth’s sacred capacity for healing, repair, and renewal. We believe the best approach we can take is to maintain an open perspective and listen to insights from others who share wisdom of phenomena fundamental to inspiring systemic change. By integrating nature’s observable and mysterious principles, we can create a wildly positive future. We hope you find the same joy and inspiration in reading this catalog as we did in compiling it. Have a wonderful journey…

23 Choose how to read this catalog

24 Introduction Piece by piece, section by section, settle into a stream and ride the current, or jump around. No right or wrong. See where intuition takes you, dear reader.

“In this ideal text, the networks are many and interact, without any of them being able to surpass the rest; this text is a galaxy of signifiers, not a structure of signifieds; it has no beginning; it is reversible; we gain access to it by several entrances, none of which can be authoritatively declared to be the main one; the codes it mobilizes extend as far as the eye can reach, they are indeterminable…the system of meaning can take over this absolutely plural text, but their number is never closed, based as it is on the infinity of language.”— Roland Barthes, SZ, 1970

The act of reading can become an act of writing. As the reader draws meaning from passages, they can infer possibilities potentially unknown to the authors. When French theorist Roland Barthes differentiated between a readerly text and a writerly text, he was explaining how narratives can lend themselves to interpretation.

In that open space for exploration, we may find our words offering ideas beyond the scope of our own imagination. In writing this catalog, our desire is that each reader will help bring forth new discoveries and understandings to the topics under consideration.

25 Whole Innovation Catalog – access to ideas

26 Introduction Fifty years after the Whole Earth Catalog’s first publication, we wonder how its themes of ecology, In the fall of 1968, the self-sufficiency, and holism can be updated to account for the sweeping cultural and political first Whole Earth change that has occurred over the intervening years. Although some of the content within that book may appear quaint in retrospect, in our minds, much of it should remain relevant to contem- Catalog offered a first porary sensibilities. Some of the tools from the Whole Earth Catalog include: Geodesic domes for look at Earth seen pre-fab shelter, vegetarian cookbooks for healthy diets, and even early personal computers. from space. The Conversely, the avant-garde tools we’re dealing with in our current climate include: shape-shifting / 4D materials, automated robotics, and investigations into AI and quantum computing. Certain as catalog’s subtitle, caterpillars continue to change into butterflies through metamorphosis, so too do we believe innovation will transform dramatically in the coming decades. Yet, no matter how advanced our “access to tools”, capabilities become, basic tools should not be negated. Hammers, fire, wheels. Eye contact. suggested a wide- Breathwork. These are tools that will never go out of fashion. ranging scope of We believe practitioners of innovation will soon begin directing initiatives to replace the profit-driven model. After all, it doesn’t matter how much money you have when your city is submerged by counter-culture alter the rising oceans. So we need to see our way beyond the status quo and make our work as ac- natives to that era’s cessible as possible so others can join forces with us. Innovation must focus on whole systems, beginning with systemic issues most in need of revision. Our catalog acts as an inquiry into hu- status quo. man-made problems and the probable solutions we have found thus far. Changing Matter refers to shape-shifting priorities, subjects of focus, as well as material concerns. We are inspired by the proposed ability of the mind to direct matter and the potential for humans to respond to our ongoing creation of waste with innovative approaches for renewal.

We feel ourselves stepping into change. Our perspectives continue to open and synchronize around new scientific observations and spiritual insights which continue to confirm our reliance on the natural world. The more we look into this primary relationship, the clearer it is that we still have much further yet to go. PCH engraving robot PCH engraving

27 Above all, innovation makes us human

28 Introduction Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Self-actualization desire to become the most that one can be Esteem respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom Love and belonging friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection Safety needs personal security, employment, resources, health, property Physiological needs air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction

Everyone has value As a concept, innovation cuts to the core of what makes the human animal so distinctive. Innova- tion illustrates how we, as a species, can create and problem-solve on such massive scales. and is a creative force From the moment our earliest ancestors started fashioning basic tools from the materials around by virtue of one’s very them, we began to shape our environments in ways that allowed us to achieve increasingly com- existence. plex goals. This urge to improve appears to be hardwired. Biologically, it is thought that we’ve evolved relatively little since we began this journey, but our ability to innovate has managed to take us to the stars.

The more imaginative we continue to become, the more inventive and far-out our innovations might subsequently be. Future solutions to current challenges are sleeping within us. By asking pertinent questions, probing compelling notions, and persistently pressing the limits of knowledge, we can awaken the beast of innovation and harness its powers for our elevated purposes.

Everybody can innovate. All people have the ability to find new and better ways to solve problems and help one another live up to our fullest potential. Once all people have freedom to do so, we can prepare the groundwork for a world that encourages the pursuit of creativity across all layers of society.

Innovation is everywhere, it’s always present. Innovation thrives in open discourse. And yet, it’s long been cloistered off in secretive labs that demand confidentiality agreements in fear of companies losing their competitive edge.

This catalog is a response to siloed thinking and behavior. Innovation in the future has be “outward” instead of “inward”. Innovation for everyone requires implementing drivers to establish a universal baseline satisfying all layers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

The more we realize every person’s capacity for innovation, the more cooperation is possible between people. This is a crucial component for responding to the monumental challenges intensifying before us. We have to demand that this change happen. The more we refuse to change, the more we stick to our unsustainable models of industry, the better chance we have of leading ourselves somewhere dystopian. We need to strive for big, bold action that will happen fast. This is a pivotal time to shift course and self-actualize on an incredible scale.we look into this primary relationship, the clearer it is that we still have much further yet to go.

29 Open up diverse probabilities

30 Introduction We imagine a generation in which a critical mass of humans attain enlightenment, form a liberated Once we recognize civilization, and become self-empowered to help others join an accelerated path to justice. There that we are living only have always been many people who also share this vision. And there are many people who can teach us to practice this kind of self-actualization. As participation within this field of awareness one probability among increases, human innovation will dramatically evolve. countless probable First, much about civilization’s priorities and organizational structure will have to change. One of layers of existence, we the main obstacles to enlightenment is our busy schedules. Responsibilities, between work and personal lives, often prevent us from accessing the space and time needed for adequate reflection. begin to tap into a vision To really question the systems that require so much of our attention, we need to first be able to of reality as diverse know that we can transcend the limitations posed by the modern world. and multivalent as The lives we live in our three-dimensional plane of existence are only part of what is occurring at any given moment. We believe that the activation of five or more dimensional realms is one of the quantum mechanics major, influential areas of future existence. The fifth dimension transcends space and time. Access- ing this dimension will require a self-awareness informed by principles of quantum mechanics and proposes… an understanding that multiple probabilities can occur at once. We are experience itself, and therefore conduits of change. Occupying a perspective that accounts for more than four dimensions allows us to take the first essential step in moving beyond the physical and mental limitations we continue to perceive.

The fate of humanity is not to go extinct for lack of imagination. The fate of humanity is to open up our collective imagination to invent inspiring realities based on pioneering probabilities. An evolving understanding of quantum physics helps reveal the miracle of how connections through resonance are not dependent upon space and time. Other emerging fields of study, like epigenetics, show how we have a hand in creating our physical bodies. Our bodies rejuvenate along the conditions that our thoughts provide. A body stressed by negative thoughts moves in one direction, while one with a healthy, relaxed mind can move down an entirely different path. If you think joy then you feel joy. More and more people are beginning to understand this connection and that rising awareness is catalyzing a new realization of who we are as a species. There is so much more to the physical realm than what we see and the data we record. We would be wise to think more about what we do not see or understand.

The sanctity of our planet requires a quantum leap in collective consciousness. The majority of humans must acknowledge we are connected to life everywhere and immediately change our behavior to respect this universal truth. The future of our planet is not the only area that depends on this shift. It would be naive to presume humans are the only species that possess complex intelligence. Out of the billions of observable galaxies, it feels more than likely that other cosmic cultures have already advanced to incredible evolutionary states of existence. We find it inspiring to think about how those species are also ready for our participation in a greater evolutionary existence. And then, what future probabilities might emerge? PCH "Apollo in Delos" PCH "Apollo

31 32 Introduction 33

PCH Apollo Wall 34 Introduction PCH Apollo Map

35 Part 1 RECOGNIZE

36 Recognize Section at a glance RECOGNIZE

To recognize means to re-perceive, to know anew. Reflecting on what we think we know becomes the foundation for any subsequent change. This section aims to acknowledge universal truths and suggest proactive measures for curbing exploitative systems. The topics that follow are arranged around a central question: How can we, as humans, evolve in a sustainable manner within the evolving story of existence? Pursuing this question will yield insights that will help develop an understanding of the challenges that withhold our access to the truth. The following subsections express our fundamental hypotheses for what we believe will enable the next wave of innovation from now until 2050. By exploring topics including consciousness, inter-being, and the end of capitalism, we hope to rethink current conventions in order to shift human systems, making them more inclusive, empowering, and regenerative.

37 I. Perception Can INTER- Be Deceiving 48 40 CONNECTIVITY Time Is an Illusion 49

Everything Is Connected 41 Strengthening Relationships 49 Consciousness Is the Foundation The Path Toward for Everything 42 Light Appears Through Darkness 50 We Are Infants of Our Galaxy 43 III. Future Generations Have HEALTHY Us as Their Ancestors 44 HABITS 52

II. Every Form of Life Shares THE POWER OF Fundamental Qualities 53 HUMILITY 46 Set Ego Aside 53

We Know Nearly Nothing 47 Recognize Which Choices We Have 54

Think of Others & Pathways to Wise Cultivate Belonging 47 Decision-Making 54 38 Recognize The Convenience of IV. Consumption Blurs Life- ENVIRONMEN- Cycle Relationships 62 56 TAL ACTORS Scarcity Is a Fabrication 62

Climate Crisis is a Recognize the Roots Threat to Species-Wide of Systemic Change 63 Existence 57 All Aboard “The VI. Spaceship Earth” 57 LESSONS 64 Sustainability Guides Us AHEAD Forward 58 2035 - 2050 Will Reveal V. the Transition to a ECONOMIC Positive Meta-Paradigm 65 PRIORITIES 60 Positive & Negative Are Equal and Opposing Forces 65 Capitalism Causes Discord & Its Own End 61 The Answers Are Within 66 Costs of Production Should Incorporate Byproducts 61

Table of Contents 39 I. INTERCONNECTIVITY All creatures of existence share fundamental qualities through the virtue of existing. Each species occupies a fundamental place in what is described by Native American communities as the sacred hoop of life—a circle, without end, in which all of the Earth’s species live in balance. Humans are but one aspect of a greater inter-being and constitute a small section of a much larger, cosmic community. We exist within a thought that is constantly expanding. We are always changing, always in motion. To recognize the connections between the myriad forms of life is to revel in wonderment and to access the divine.

40 Recognize is greatly affected by its relation to sunlight and derstand how humanity is not the only species Everything Is the pull of the moon’s cycle. that feels. This recognition, in turn, can open up Connected Earth’s rainforests behave like lungs. a greater sense of awareness and appreciation Trees are integral parts of the planet’s respira- for life in whatever form it takes. “Walking on the moon will change the we- tory system. Deforestation and pollution are All actions have consequences, wheth- ather,” is a quote attributed to a shaman making it hard for our planet to breathe, which er intended or not. The health of our planet and in Africa in response to the lunar landing in turn makes it very difficult for us to breathe. our own bodies are well served to recognize in 1969. The resource depletion required We have to do better to take care of both our how our actions, and even our thoughts, mat- for space exploration offers one example individual bodies, as well as our collective lands, ter. Thinking about the various elements we of the need to recognize the relations bet- waters, and ecosystems. All biological systems incorporate into our lives, leads to a larger con- ween all matter and energy. are connected through an extraordinary set sideration of the ability of environmental factors of relationships. When one system is ill cared to influence how we feel, and even who we be- for, it affects every other system and its con- come. There have even been scientific studies stituent parts. The question that occurs to us exploring the influence of environmental factors then becomes: How can we address the inter- on a cellular level. related symptoms of our societal system—such as inequality, poverty, and contaminated water—as we would address any issue related to own physical health? When the working order of our bodies begins to fail, we seek to begin corrective measures immediately. So then why does Flint, Michigan still not have clean drinking water after five years? Because of massive systemic corruption and lack of accountability. These issues, in turn, lead to a failure of collective confidence in government institutions. The repair to this kind of distrust must first begin

with acknowledging how we are all connect- - origami techni by inspired prototype Solar array 2014 ques, BYU, ed as people and forms of life, and using that fundamental reason for respect as a jumping In the early 1980s, Dr. Bruce Lipton’s off point toward properly addressing what ails research on the biology of a cell’s outer layer us the most. revealed how a cellular membrane can behave like a computer chip in its capacity to store information. Continuing these studies into the

The New York Times front page, July 21 1969 page, July 21 Times front York The New early 1990s led Lipton to conclude that the cellular membrane also serves as a kind of mission control for responding to the environmental “Connection is everything. conditions experienced by an organism. In this Connect with others, and way, the membrane is able to change the cell’s behavior, and even physiology, by influencing with your spiritual self. Love the genetic activity of corresponding cells. This the truth you find in other concept was foundational to the emerging field hearts, and always listen to of epigenetics. This ability, for gene expression to be modified based on environmental chang- the voice of truth in your own es, has been instrumental in rethinking the na- heart. Be as fair, honest, ture of genomes. As Lipton explained to the positive and creative as you newspaper Irish Independent in 2014, “Genes don’t control anything, they’re just blueprints. can in all your thoughts, Whereas ‘epigenetic control’—control above speech and actions. The heart the genes—turns everything on its head. The of our human kind is tolerant, environment influences the selection and read-

Buzz Aldrin’s bootprint, NASA, 1969 NASA, bootprint, Buzz Aldrin’s ing of genes. A person’s health isn’t generally a cooperative, caring and reflection of genes, but how their environment 4 courageous.”— Gregory David Roberts There is a great deal of evidence to is influencing them.” The implications of envi- support the idea that our human design can be ronmental influence on gene expression have understood as an extension of other designs in led to widespread alterations in what people All life, everywhere, comprises a universal de- nature. In the early 1900s, Indian physicist, Jaga- eat, where they live, what they do for work, and sign. That overall design reveals complex con- dish Chandra Bose, studied the nervous system every other conceivable lifestyle choice. nections that account for infinite variation, as of plants and lectured about the ways in which well as repeating patterns. The largest objects, plants exhibit perception similar to how humans Continued discoveries of the in- like the sun and planets of our solar system, receive, and react to, information. Among the terconnections deep within our bodies and share similar characteristics with even the small- various devices Bose invented was a crescog- environments have the effect of expanding con- est elements, like atoms, the building blocks for raph, a device used to detect plant growth, sciousness on an individual and collective level. all ordinary matter. Electrons orbit the nucleus very small motions within plant tissues, and to We are not isolated, nor apart, from nature. The of an atom in the same way our planet orbits measure plants’ electrical responses to various more science has looked the more we see ev- around the sun.1 The structure of the human stimuli. Through his research, Bose came to un- idence of incredible synchronization between body also shares many qualities with the anat- derstand that plants respond not only to light, ourselves and nature. Quantum entanglement omy of our planet: each is made up of around but to sound and touch as well. Recognizing describes the phenomenon in which multiple 70% water,2 each has chakra points,3 and each this sensory capacity of plant-life helps us un- particles share the same state. According to

I. INTERCONNECTIVITY 41 Lead poisoned water in Flint, Michigan, 2015 in Flint, water poisoned Lead this theory, an action upon one particle effects the action of the others regardless of how little, or how much, space exists between them. Tarot Cards by Suzanne Treister Suzanne by Cards Tarot This phenomenon—which was also described by Einstein as “spooky action at a distance”5— Cobb, 1969 Ron most powerful means of communication and leads to the mystery of non-locality (meaning our consciousness to connect on more of the conveyance. Perhaps one way to begin to un- that transformational interactions can occur myriad frequencies channeling throughout the derstand how the mind might even learn to con- between objects even when those objects do web of life? trol matter in the future, is to first recognize not share the same physical space). Sometimes Around the world, researchers contin- how everything in the physical world is always this phenomena can seem to occur in daily life. ue to explore where consciousness comes from in motion. As with all matter, the various parts Like when a person receives a wave of emo- and how it evolves. For the last twenty years, of our bodies comprise channels of energy that tion at the same time as someone else they are at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute in Germany, vibrate at various frequencies. If we can learn closely connected with. Observations like these neurophysiologist Pascal Fries has been inves- how to synchronize the frequencies occurring reveal how despite any physical distance, we tigating how the electrical patterns of gamma, through our bodies and minds with the frequen- are inextricably connected through the nature theta, and beta waves work together in the brain cies of other matter, then perhaps we can actu- of existence. to produce different types of human conscious- ally learn to make that matter change its ness. The hypothesis of Fries’ research is that frequency and corresponding motion. rhythmic synchronization between networks of At UC Santa Barbara, Jonathan neurons is linked to how the human brain has Schooler (Professor of Psychological and Brain evolved over time to process information.5 In Sciences) and his colleague Tam Hunt (an Af- Consciousness Is the looking into his research, we wonder how the filiate Guest in Psychology in the university’s Foundation for Everything underlying mechanisms of neuronal synchroni- META Lab) developed a “resonance theory of zation might be understood and leveraged in the consciousness".7 Their theory posits that syn- Consciousness is intimately involved in all future to foster enhanced cognition and deeper chronized vibrations comprise not only human physical and metaphysical phenomena; a connections between individuals. consciousness, but all physical reality. As Hunt fundamental truth and organizing princi- explains, ple of the universe. “Even objects that appear to “Consciousness isn’t be stationary are in fact something we have; it’s vibrating, oscillating, something we, and the whole resonating, at various world, are.”— Jude Currivan frequencies. Resonance is a type of motion, characterized Does a dog know it’s a dog? How does a bird by oscillation between two know to sing in the morning? How do we come states. And ultimately all to ask ourselves: Why are we here and where are we going? Consciousness plays a primary matter is just vibrations of role in these questions. While no one has yet various underlying fields.” been able to prove what consciousness is or — Tam Hunt 8 where it comes from, we can all feel its effects. If we take the hypothesis that consciousness is not a product of the brain, but instead a facet of being alive, then the conversation begins to In light of everything in the universe open up… being in motion, the phenomenon of resonance What even has consciousness? A liv- offers a framework for how different elements ing system certainly has consciousness, a more are brought together through a shared vibra- specific question is: what kind? A plant is con- tional state of existence. We can feel when we

scious of where sunlight shines and it reaches Fludd Robert and occult philosopher physician century seventeenth by consciousness of Illustration resonate with another person by how we are in the direction of that light. This kind of plant drawn to that individual; how our conversation behavior is well understood on a bio-mechani- We are fascinated by how brain func- with them can feel instantly effortless and ex- cal level and through the lens of perceptive be- tion relates to the mind’s ability to move beyond pansive. Or, we might resonate with a certain havior. Perhaps a more appropriate question to the boundaries of physical space and time. With place, whether it’s a city pulsing with quick ask might be: How can we, as humans, adapt this capability, the mind can truly become our energy or a peaceful and idyllic countryside.

42 Recognize Resonance experienced through certain fre- Every end coincides with a new begin- quencies reveals how connections are formed ning. Death marks an end of a sort, but certain- and cultivated. If consciousness is a universal ly not the end. Life evolves through creativity constant between all that exists, and if all that —a potent force as expressed through diverse exists is always moving, then we can think of examples of procreation, self-realization, col- consciousness as the ever-changing conduit lective actualization, and innovation. Humanity through which everything is experienced by must continue to evolve at this current, critical everyone. worldwide inflection point, not only technologically, but also societally and ecologically. We believe in the power of responsibility and renewal to change course from disaster to the healing uplift of a wondrous rise.

We Are Infants of Carl Sagan, CBS, 1974 Our Galaxy initial spark.9 “We are evolution evolving Stars glow for billions of years, while we There are still many mysteries of our through us. We are the great burn out in about a century. If not in our existence to discover. The universe is an end- infancy, our species is still in a nascent lessly fascinating place, evidenced by the far- creative process, expressing form, not unlike rambunctious kindergar- thest reaches of what we have seen. The Hubble itself uniquely through each of teners or insecure teens. In what ways do telescope has allowed us to reveal about 100 bil- us. We are the universe in we want to grow up? lion galaxies in the universe. And, in each galaxy there are approximately 100 billion stars. Our person.”— Barbara Marx Hubbard own Milky Way galaxy is estimated to contain “One day while I was sipping more than 10 billion planets.10 Thanks to NASA’s To get ourselves onto a path of sustain- some groove juice I realized Kepler spacecraft, the number of exoplanets ability, the current status quo will have to ex- discovered outside our solar system continues perience a kind of death. And, in particular, we / That in the span of time to dramatically grow.11 will witness death to the oil industry—itself an we’re just babies / It’s all industry of death, drudging up deposits that’ve relative, time is unreal / We’re been dead for about 60 million years and burning that death in our engines and power plants. just babies, we’re just babies, man.” — Butterfly, Digable Planets, “Examination of What” “So we stand for life. Let’s power a new civilization We are made up of the same atoms that were once stars before they exploded eons ago. Life based on a living sun, based and death cycle throughout time and space. on the living wind, based on The birth of the cosmos was either the begin- the living imagination of our ning of life or the death of whatever void existed before. Regardless, life and death are just about children and based on the the only two things we can all count on. Neither cleanliness, and the purity, can exist without the other. and the sacredness of our What created the cosmos? We can’t say for sure, but we do know that unique set water.” of conditions marked a distinctive moment in — Van Jones, speaking at a Dakota Access Pipeline protest

the biography of life. Life ebbs and flows, finds Schumacher Mesa by Consciousness of Neuroscience expression in many forms, but goes into infinity, through an ongoing series of beginnings. And According to a calculation reported Regenerative change begins with to what end? in Forbes, the number of potentially habitable learning how to lessen our excesses and listen Earth-like planets in our universe is more than to the wisdom living and breathing all around 10 to the 22nd power.12 The implication here is us. We should go forth with reverence for life, “The cosmos is within us. We that there are exponential possibilities for all the the almighty force that continuously finds the are made of star-stuff. We are diverse types of life-forms with which we may most spectacular and beautiful ways to exist. share the universe. We believe that, as a species, we are a way for the universe to only just beginning to come into our conscious- know itself.”— Carl Sagan ness. And yet, we tend to be pretty proud of ourselves already, with some good enough reasons. In the space of a geological blink, we’ve In the book, Living With the Stars: How established ourselves as the pre-eminent life- the Human Body Is Connected to the Life Cycles forms on Earth. We even named ourselves of the Earth, the Planets, and the Stars, Profes- “homo sapiens”, Latin for “wise man”. Takes a sor of Pathology Iris Schrijver, and her husband, lot of confidence to call ourselves wise, espe- astrophysicist Karel Schrijver, help explain how cially when we quite often act like fools. What stardust finds its way into our bodies. Part of we desperately need is humility. Our lack of that dust is made up of hydrogen, the funda- humility is evidenced by how we scar natural mental element that was created with the birth landscapes to fit our outsized needs. Further of our universe. The hydrogen in our water and proof appears in a hazy night sky, where light in our bodies is the remnants of that mysterious Elin Stardust”, Are book “You children’s from Excerpt 2012 Kelsey, pollution from nocturnal human activity com- promises a view of the cosmos.

I. INTERCONNECTIVITY 43 strated a commitment to answering this ques- uum of time, the more we can recognize the tion in their pledge to achieve zero-emissions responsibility that living entails, the less selfish air travel by 2040.14 For the time being, hydrogen we can become, and the more we can accom- fuel cell power is providing inroads into dealing plish altogether. with this massive worldwide issue, but this ad- Thinking of future generations as actu- vancement amounts to a baby step in the jour- ally our little sisters and brothers, or sons and ney toward complete sustainability. Surely, we daughters, immediately expands one’s perspec- can all continue to exercise our imaginations tive. Across cultures it’s common to find forms more effectively toward tackling this existential of ceremonial communication with one’s ances- threat to our species and planet. tors, to summon insights and strength from family history and the connections between lives. The veneration of ancestors through ritual practice has been fundamental to Chinese folk religion for millennia and is complementary Future Generations to Confucian ideals of filial piety. In Indonesia, Have Us as Their Ancestors the dead are preserved and even displayed once a year in a kind of resurrection. There’s a con- How we act matters. What we say mat- nection being traced between those who came ters. What we think affects everything. before and those who live now. We should al-

Representation of the cosmos from “Oedipus Aegyptiacus”, Athanasius Kircher, 1652 Kircher, Athanasius Aegyptiacus”, “Oedipus the cosmos from of Representation We are responsible for passing along a ways be looking for a way to honor the experi- world in decent shape for the ones who ence of those who have passed. During this time of seemingly endless come after us. technological acceleration, we should remain mindful that we’re still struggling to grasp some As parents are responsible for caring basic fundamental truths. We still need to learn for their children, so too are the adults of every how to live peacefully and sustainably on this generation also responsible for caring for the planet. We should recognize the natural wisdom world that they leave to their grandchildren and we’re losing in our rapid expansion across land great-grandchildren. and through irresponsible use of resources. We must also show greater appreciation for the ancient wisdoms of indigenous communities being marginalized in the name of progress.

We feel obligated to acknowledge that the of construction Americans protest Native Pipeline Access Dakota our command of science is still nascent. We are still so far from anything that could truly be de- Communicating with our ancestors scribed as an advanced species. This recogni- places us in the past. We reach back to gain wis- tion of our relative infancy should be a further dom or strength to then take with us into our call for humility in the presence of nature. Our journey ahead. Although the knowledge of the technological ability is not in doubt, but how future might be less clear, we can also find ways we choose to use it is often questionable. How to speak to future generations. Perhaps the sim- else might we focus our technological efforts? plest place to start is to offer wishes and place As writer Anand Giridharadas said in response intentions to your future self. As we envision the to the development of a supersonic jet, “What outlines of a future state of existence, we must

would that kind of resource of treasure and also Britannica Encyclopedia Confucius, also create more awareness of our present con- of intellect do if it were deployed to think about dition and think about how best these present public transportation in America? What would We all only get one life. We get to make and future selves are connected. We can rather that do if it were deployed to think about the as many mistakes as we need. We also get this easily construct messages to our future de- climate change problem?”13 one shot to ensure we have contributed posi- scendants. Ask yourself, if you were to talk with Humans have moved from a predomi- tively to the conditions of our planet and soci- one of your great-great-grandchildren, what nantly agrarian global society, focused on grow- ety for the people who will inherit both when would be most important to communicate? ing an abundance of food and cash crops, into we pass on. How we treat ourselves, how we a largely commercial society, focused on grow- treat others, how we go about our various af- ing profit margins for anything that can be sold. fairs, the lives we choose to live out, all of these “We change so much that Commodification seeps into all avenues of life. decisions have an impact on the overall mood maybe the alien we go in This is hardly an ideal situation. We wonder more and reality surrounding each person. We have what humanity’s next global shift might entail. no clue what it’s like to inhabit someone else’s search of is ourselves.” Our inclination is that a misuse of resources body or mind. All we can do is practice empathy — Astronaut Yvonne Cagle15 could be curtailed by first recognizing the rela- and compassion for others, and do our best to tion between our resource use, and the overall maintain a baseline identity that is open enough health of our planet and its diverse species. to care for life. One of the most frequently related We do not believe a slick mobile app Life is teeming with value. This value is messages between family members is love for or iterative algorithm will offer the solutions to not able to be broken up into units of measure- one another. An extremely unconventional ex- our larger societal problems. Rather, we think ment. This value is total. Genomes and all. Each ample of a relative from the distant future shar- it’s crucial we look outside of our screens and of us is as a universe unto ourselves. Each of ing a message of love and collective uplift, can start imagining large-scale changes in how we us is a constellation of galaxies swirling around be witnessed in how an American man, named experience our place in the world. What will it other constellations of galaxies. Darryl Anka, channels an extra-terrestrial being take to stop relying on fossil fuels for our cars Mathematically speaking, the arrow named Bashar. The name Bashar has its roots and airplanes and to travel with zero emissions of time points in more than one direction. The in Arabic, in which it means “bringer of good instead? Countries, like Norway, have demon- more we recognize our place within a contin- news, or good tidings”. In connection with the

44 Recognize meaning of this name, Bashar delivers messages pertaining to the positive synchronicity of a cosmic civilization 300 years in our future. These transmissions elicit an idea about how today’s human species might play a role in helping to make way for a future state of extra-terrestrial harmonious, sustainable co-existence. While we, as observers of these transmissions, might disagree about the validity or details of Bashar’s communications, we are more than willing to embrace a future-oriented mindset. The idea of retro-forecasting thoughts and ideas from the future back to our present circumstances, is one applicable technique for the practice of innovation. By adopting a future-based perspective to consider the present moment, we are able to see ourselves in a new light. Ideally, we can learn to more effectively consider our current existence as an integral part of an infinite evolution. Max Grüter Space Colony, Rick Guidice, 1970 Space Colony,

I. INTERCONNECTIVITY 45 II. THE POWER OF HUMILITY Gandhi once said that the seeker after truth should be humbler than dust. Considering that we are made from cosmic dust, and that after our bodies are done living we return to dust, humans are well suited for humility. We believe that when we adopt a humble mindset, we become more open to receiving wisdom. When we are more compassionate toward that which we do not understand, we believe we also become better equipped at finding our way toward truth.

46 Recognize We Know Nearly Nothing son to be disheartened. There’s a great deal of value in the awareness of one’s own ignorance.

Even the composition of everything around us remains mostly a mystery. The universe is comprised of 5% observable energy + matter and 95% unknown dark energy + matter.

NASA explains that 95% of what’s in the universe is unknown.16 This whopping percentage is the sum of two-thirds dark energy and one- third dark matter. Bioneers the 2014 at john a. powell Professor conference plement xeno-design—or the concept of design with awareness of the other in mind. In this way, we can drastically improve the human-centered systems designed at the expense of workers’ wellbeing, and responsible for wasting untold resources. Through xeno-design practices, we “Utopic Space”, Paul Lafolley, 1992 Lafolley, Paul Space”, “Utopic can outline a means of making space for all that Plato recounted his teacher Socrates exists, thus coming into greater overall balance saying, “I neither know nor think that I know.” with the rest of life on Earth. In our modern era, this statement has been Professor john a. powell (who directs adapted to, “I know that I know nothing.” In UC Berkeley’s Haas Institute for a Fair and In- the interest of humility, we are well served to clusive Society, and who intentionally spells his remember how little is still known about areas name in all lower-case to emphasize that one Sketchnotes of talk by Dr. S. James Gates Dr. talk by of Sketchnotes of research like Earth's oceans, human brains, does not take power over another) explains No human knows where dark energy and the nature of matter itself. It’s no wonder how humans evolve along essential needs to comes from, or what it is exactly, yet scientists that we still have much to learn about the com- make meaning and belong. The main challenge recognize that this energy is responsible for the plexities and implications of consciousness. To to belonging occurs through four main areas of universe expanding. Dark matter is currently become aware of our own limitations and igno- separation: from the divine, from nature, from unexplainable. What scientists have observed, rance is to pause before the beautifully complex each other, and from oneself. In countering the however, is the gravity of dark matter. Whatever composition of life and to marvel at incompre- destructive effects that come from these areas this strange stuff is, the effect of its gravity is hensible wonders. of separation, powell describes how science and seen by how it pulls on light matter like stars and spirituality each strengthen a narrative about galaxies. The only reason we know dark matter bridging divides between people and with na- exists is because stars and galaxies move in re- ture. Pursuing practices that prioritize belong- lation to this gravitational influence. Yet, dark ing within communities big and small, will have matter is different than a black hole. In fact, it a tremendously positive impact on the systems defies any description beyond being dark. No that humans design in the future. Human-made one has come up with a clearer understanding systems, like government or economy, must of the phenomenon and so we’ll have to settle also respect, and account for, the many differ- for being a bit clueless as to dark matter’s exact ent experiences a diverse population of people properties for the time being. will have throughout life. In other words, the This state of puzzlement is completely more we acknowledge the commonality of how

okay because changing degrees of knowledge 2015 NASA, “Nebula”, each of us occupies a subjective reality, the bet- about our surroundings is a quality that is natu- ter we can become at creating opportunities for rally baked into our scientific principles. Funda- people to feel a sense of belonging in society’s mental to all scientific theories is the knowledge collective reality. that someday they will be supplanted. Current When people struggle to have their ba- theories allow us to make reasonably accurate Think of Others & sic needs met—like not having access to food, claims about the world and the future, but there Cultivate Belonging shelter, or hygiene—life takes on a dispropor- is always room for greater understanding. The tionate degree of suffering. Yet, when these chal- scientific method has granted us a peek into In confronting how little we know, we can lenges are overcome, and when no injustice is the true nature of reality. There are incalculable create greater space to learn. We gain inflicted, there is an abundance of joy to be expe- mysteries to uncover. Perhaps some mysteries knowledge when we get out of our own rienced. The vibrational frequency of bliss is ever are conceptually impossible for humans to ever way and work together. We also benefit present, and can be accessed when the appro- truly understand. Yet, this limitation is no rea- when we are more considerate of the priate conditions for thriving life are established. countless other species living on this pla- Inspiration and positive vibrations are continu- net. ously coursing through a vast array of matter. There, in that groove of goodness, is where we The recognition of how little we understand want to focus. There is where we want to grow. about the purpose of human existence high- There, where the heart, mind, and body synthe- lights how important it is to not create more size through love, is where we intend to work, impediments to understanding. improve, and innovate. Most of the designs made by humans place humans at the center of importance. This act of hubris can cause considerable harm. To

Astronomical chart by Galileo Galilei chart by Astronomical help correct this design flaw, we can learn to im-

II. THE POWER OF HUMILITY 47 Perception Can Be Our expectations come from the count Deceiving less complexities comprised by everything affecting our nature and nurturing throughout our individual, and multi-generational, spans of life. It Perception shapes experience as much as takes a great deal of energy to see beyond that experience shapes perception. Perception massive set of conditions. Yet, there are ways to is also subjective and prone to miscues. move beyond limitations. While we are limited by the lens through which we look, we can also expand our worldview from seeing ourselves in rela- “We don’t see things as they tion to all else that exists. are; we see them as we

are.”— Babylonian Talmud Strindberg August playwright by ‘Celestograph’ “In the end, we are self- down our response, by jettisoning expectation perceiving, self-inventing, Those who practice meditation often and by following our intuitive curiosity, we can speak of sensations transcending physical or make strides to clear the path toward gaining locked-in mirages that are little temporal boundaries. Heart rates and breath greater awareness about what we encounter. miracles of self-reference.” can be controlled to experience different electri- Think about the popular perception of

— cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter cal patterns and waves throughout our bodies’ how aliens might appear upon arrival, how hu- billions of brain neurons and trillions of cells. Or, man or animal they are made to look in sci-fi consider the experiences reported by mediums stories, we are most likely deceiving ourselves. The theory of “predictive processing” describes who describe the reception and channeling of What if, instead of individuated beings like our- how half of what we call reality is generated psychic information from a realm out of reach selves, an alien species is more akin to tiny par- from entirely within our own heads.17 Our expec- to most…there are possibly many layers of re- ticles? tations are based on what we’ve been taught, ality being expressed by countless individuals told, and trained. Because of this inherent bias, around the globe at every moment. What else we are going to misperceive and miscommu- might we be missing? “Suddenly the entire sky nicate with others. To improve as people, we seemed to be filled with need to figure out how to let go of our inherent biases and become less prone to self-deception. points of gold. Then it was We can start by acknowledging that coming down on us, like fine our brains hallucinate our perception of reality. pollen, like yellow dust. It lay We layer our realities and combine them into social agreements, forming a generalized con- on our roof slopes, it sifted sensus reality. down onto our sidewalks, covered our shirtsleeves and “If hallucination is a kind of the tops of our cars. We did uncontrolled perception, then not know what to make of perception right here and it.”— Steven Millhauser, The Invasion from Outer Space 18 right now is also a kind of hallucination, but a controlled By becoming more open to a wider array of possibilities for far-out scenarios, as well hallucination in which the as more simple day-to-day encounters, we can brain’s predictions are being subvert our own limited perception. Wires get reined in by sensory crossed and sometimes perceptions don’t align. Yet, as with any miscommunication, the pain of information from the world. disconnected perspectives can be remedied In fact, we’re all hallucinating by listening more carefully. In this way, we can all the time, including right learn much from our mistaken perceptions and move on with greater knowledge. now. It’s just that when we Martian language as written by early 19th century medium Helene Smith early 19th century by Martian language as written agree about our hallucina- tions, we call that reality.” It’s hard to keep track of how much confusion we encounter. There’s a great deal — Anil Seth of information we do not properly understand because of our own limits of perception. As Neuroscientist Anil Seth continues to well, there’s a constant onslaught of information explain, “We don’t just passively perceive the coming at us that is designed to intentionally world, we actively generate it. The world we deceive us. Whether it’s in the form of foods experience comes as much, if not more, from labeled to divert attention away from harmful the inside out as from the outside in.” That’s ingredients, or “pay-day loans” that disguise because our perceptual predictions (what our their predatory motives, often when we are told brain expects to see based on repetitive expe- one thing, we soon find that the reality we actu- riences) work in concert with the oncoming ally experience is quite different. There’s value input we receive to shape what we perceive in exploring that disconnect, in questioning the as reality. accuracy of what we’re being offered, or ask-

ing ourselves why we feel betrayed. By slowing Floue Tendance Olivier Culmina /

48 Recognize for time in giving shape and meaning to our lives, Time Is an Illusion the more that our lives become an expression of time itself. 22 In this sense, human perception and Time speeds, lags, drags, blends, and the measurement of time are bound to one an- blurs through impermanence. With so- other. phisticated mechanical measurements, If we can let go of time as a key refer- we might think we have a handle on time, ence for how we organize our days and how we but this sense of control is another com- catalog our memories, then time will cease to mon misconception. be such an important indicator of our identities. In the absence of an authoritative sense of time, we are able to experience ourselves nonlinearly, and with more expansiveness. We come to sense the varied flows of time. And, with this practice, our self-perception can become more of an evolving process in a constant state of redefinition. We can then begin to regard events and experiences in our lives as integrated, corresponding elements rather than fixed, static moments. With these new processes in play we can work toward a better understanding of more etherial phenomena, like how one singular smile can pass between strangers

Astrological Manuscript, Gutun Owain, 1498 Owain, Gutun Manuscript, Astrological or throughout generations of a family.

When we stop letting time explain who we are and where we are in our lives, we gain a different sense of self. If we count our age in days rather than years—as does author and teacher Peter Russell with his online day count- ing tool20—we might significantly shift our perception of personal experience. There are entire groups of people who relate to time much differently than the majority

Patch by DungeonApparel by Patch of global society does. In the Amazon, the language of the Amondawa tribe does not have a

We feel time’s elasticity in our most word for time. Because the Amondawa people the collision between by Ring, inspired PCH “Calla” black holes intense moments: the slow motion of a car do not speak of time, they also do not refer to crash, the sped-up fury of a panic attack, an their ages. Instead, they change their names action-packed sports play replayed down to to reflect different stages of their lives (as one the second, contrasted with the forgettable changes by becoming involved in a partnership, seconds spent staring at the ceiling from the or becoming a parent or grandparent) or as they couch. achieve a different status within their commu- Strengthening Relationships nity. Without the passage of time being the signature reference for where someone is in their Humans will not be the saviors of our pla- “Time keeps on slippin, life, one’s identity instead becomes a reflection net. That’s not our role, because that’s slippin, slippin…into the of the relationships they experience.21 Imagine not any one species’ task. Humans are not living just one day without being concerned by in charge of the planet, we are a part of future…” — Steve Miller Band, “Fly Like An Eagle” the time indicated on a clock but, instead, fol- the planet. lowing the natural rhythms of the sun in the sky to guide your own rhythm of waking, working, Our responsibility as a species is to return to Time can be measured in clear minutes eating, and sleeping. In contemporary society, our rightful place within our environment. While on our mechanical clocks. But our biological we most likely do not have the support system our role might not be to save the entire planet, clocks document time very differently. We can of an entire tribe to give shape to our schedules we can certainly save ourselves from the con- chart time a thousand ways and yet it still remains without the introduction of time. Yet, we can stant destruction that is waged through forces so slippery to perceive. Time seems to move fast- still gain insights by relying less on time to tell of greed and fear. Untold advantages will occur er as we age, as each moment becomes a smaller us when to perform certain acts, or even who as a result. Through our miraculous technolog- fraction of our overall experience. we are meant to be. ical capacity and compassionate care, humans In the 1988 American television series The influence of time can easily permeate can make a tremendously uplifting impact on Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, hosted our experience of life. In Felt Time: The Psychology the overall health of our world. by journalist Bill Moyers, mythologist Joseph of How We Perceive Time, German psychologist Campbell reminds us, “Everything in the field Marc Wittmann explores different dimensions of of time is dual” and if you “put your mind in the time and the concept of how our subjective ex- “Humans are legitimately the middle” of this duality, you gain access to the perience of time’s passage shapes our emotions measure of all ethical eternal. While dualities persist, Campbell relates and sense of self. Wittman’s book highlights how how, “I know that good and evil are simply tem- when we pay such close attention to time in order questions—these are our poral apparitions.”19 By this he means we do not to feel like we are in control of the different phas- issues, not nature’s.” need to choose between these polar opposites es of our days, then our days—through detailed — Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould if we can learn to let go of time. In that free schedules and calendars—become reflections of space, so many other possibilities emerge… time. In other words, the more that we account

II. THE POWER OF HUMILITY 49 Human ecology is a multidisciplinary period about 500 million years ago, we can wit- not complete replacement. We have to become field of study that examines the relationships ness a history of spectacular evolution. As life more open to alternative modes of operating in- between humans and our natural, social, and maintains the opportunity to thrive on this plan- dustrially, technologically, and societally. built environments. By considering the various, et, what might the capabilities of consciousness Innovation means creating with the multifaceted sociological, economic, and en- have in store for our collective future? combination of one’s mind, heart, and hands, vironmental circumstances we’ve created and Despite this miraculous chance that and recognizing how one’s work relates to the the relationships between them, we can gain a life has bestowed upon our species, human ac- greater fabric of life. Does that work bring about more dimensional awareness of the many ways tivity—and specifically the activity of the most help or harm? Innovation is at its best when it in which our thoughts and actions matter. affluent—still produces a great deal of pollution. follows the principles and patterns of life’s dy- It is a sad truth of the modern era. We are in an namic system through creative problem-solving. acute moment of disillusionment in our society. As industries focus on paths toward sustainabil- It has become all too common to lose the desire ity and planetary wellbeing, we can all borrow a for a deeper understanding of one’s purpose in page from Patagonia whose company motto is, this universe. Many people are feeling increas- “Build the best product. Cause no unnecessary ingly bereft of direction. This lack of meaning harm. Use business to inspire and implement manifests in all sorts of hazardous ways. Vulner- solutions to the environmental crisis.” We can, able people fall into extremist ideologies often and must, most certainly follow this example of out of a search for purpose. A certain darkness conscious creativity far into the future. has descended upon humanity courtesy of all the exploitive technologies and business models that keep markets humming. We need to

Zoological sketch of a bat, ca. 1809 a bat, of Zoological sketch strive harder to turn back toward the light of positive activism and optimistic belief. Our abil- A shift in human priorities toward ity to act upon positive ideas that connect us collective harmony will have beneficial conse- to each other and the natural world is what will quences for other species as well. Making hu- make the greatest difference in establishing a man relationships more robust will have huge positive future. implications for humanity’s overall relationship with the planet. If we can shift our spending habits and let go of our reliance on fossil fuels, we’ll also be helping Earth. Yet, we should not fool ourselves into thinking our actions are all The Path Toward Light too important, or even irreplaceable. Appears Through Darkness 1915 notation, song Anti-war As the release of carbon dioxide and methane gas from increased human activity Everywhere good people are working We must amplify the energy of those continues to raise the average temperatures hard to do good by others. Do not be di- working in the service of collective improve- around the globe, we will have to learn to cope scouraged by the bigotry that continues ment. We can all act as agents of change. The in ways that we never have before if we want to to surface. Our current economic and so- destinations ahead will be all the brighter in due protect against our extinction. Yet, even if we cial systems are showing us what is in course. fail, Earth will continue to live long after humans most need of change. become an after-thought, just as Earth’s existence extended long before humans ever arrived. Our primary system of social organization un- Even Earth itself has its own expiration der free-market capitalism is outdated and date. Our planet has the luxury of life-sustain- decomposing. The effects of this system are ing solar power for another six billion years, at becoming catastrophic, especially in relation which point the sun will run out of gas. Yet, six to climate change. The damage is dangerously billion years is a considerable amount of time close to becoming irreversible. According to the to enjoy life on Earth and see human evolution World Wildlife Fund, populations of vertebrate express its tremendous potential. Humans won animals—like mammals, birds and fish—have the evolutionary lottery with the complex net- declined by more than half over the last 50 work of neurons and cells that constitute the years.23 A recent UN report tells us that as many human form. as one million species risk extinction in just the next few years due to human activity.24 Our imperative is to confront this reality with honesty and creativity. We can still reverse this horrific trend. However, the impetus for solving this crisis must not be solely its affect on our species, but rather an understanding of how magnificent and necessary all species are to the fabric of life. Any system that demands perpetual growth by way of the extraction of limited resources is fundamentally flawed. The current technologies we take for granted—like our iP-

Robert L. Behnken self-portrait, NASA, 2008 NASA, self-portrait, L. Behnken Robert hones or Kindles—are built on the backs of peo- 25

ple subjugated to cruel working conditions, and 1971 the Whole Earth Catalog, to Supplement The Last Our planet contains an incredible re- are enmeshed in a cycle of debt and exploita- cord of evolutionary innovation. By looking tion. The symptoms of our current technological closely at the intense proliferation of multi-celled boom include anxiety, addiction, and oblivious- organisms that occurred during the Cambrian ness. This arrangement needs serious revision, if

50 Recognize II. THE POWER OF HUMILITY 51 III. HEALTHY HABITS Health is a quality we typically do not consider unless we feel ill. Yet, we believe that for humanity to begin shifting consciousness we will first need to recognize how we can be more pro-active in living healthy lives. Eating balanced meals made with unpro- cessed ingredients and getting the proper amount of sleep creates a solid baseline for wellbeing. Then we can advance even further by being mindful, sharing our thoughts and feelings, employing empathy, channeling compassion, and being kind in how we interact with each other and our environment.

52 Recognize Every Form of Life Shares or galaxy formations, are geometric figures in believe that we all belong to everything that has Fundamental Qualities which each of the pattern’s many parts shares ever existed, exists now, and will exist in the similar statistical characteristics with the future. whole. Sacred geometries describe mathemat- By virtue of existing, we share a story with ical shapes believed to have a sacred or divine everything else that has ever existed. meaning, as seen in Buddhist and Hindu manda- las, the architecture of cathedrals, the form of a Our thoughts, moods, and identities are as wild- nautilus, or the models of cosmological spacing ly diverse as can be imagined. And yet, in terms by the 17th century astronomer Johannes Ke- of our DNA, all humans are nearly identical. pler.27 Human Design is the name for a system of self-knowledge calculated with an individual’s birth date, time, and place, to form a Human Design Chart or BodyGraph, which can help individuals access consciousness for personal decision-making.28, 29 Each of these examples of an underlying design, to life and the universe, can be explored to discover an even greater

mystery: how everything has a structure which Prusa Carol “Budding Universe”, repeats, varies, and resonates with a signature vibration. Because we are beings of vibration, we exist within a field of vibrational intelligence. The term applied to this field is VQ, which stands for a Vibrational Intelligence Quotient, and was Early X-Ray of carved cameos, Josef Maria Eder, 1896 Maria Eder, cameos, Josef carved of Early X-Ray coined by leadership coach Eve Konstantin in As the Smithsonian states on its web- 2004.30 Our VQ allows us to recognize that we site for the National Museum of Natural History, are each connected to an intensely energetic “The DNA of all human beings living today is field spiraling with creativity. With this in mind, 99.9% alike.” Over 200,000 years since humans let us become open to our ability to receive, first emerged and then migrated out of Africa, experience, and transmit supernatural phenom- humans continue to add to the story of evolu- ena. Set Ego Aside tion. The generational chapters of that story are written on our genes and expressed through We sometimes get so caught up in our the cells in our bodies.26 “We are multidimensional small selves that we fail to recognize how Even nature’s most seemingly cha- beings. Consciousness is not truly immeasurable we are. otic compositions, such as an eroding coast- line, can reveal an intricate order of underlying localized simply within our Riding the hamster-wheel, going over conditions. Science and spirituality can easily body, but extends throughout and replaying everything we did, didn’t do, failed overlap in the interpretations of complex natural the universe. We are part of a or succeeded at, can be exhausting. We tucker phenomena. Fractal patterns, like snowflakes ourselves out with overthinking and overexer- universal mind.” — J.J. Hurtak tion and have to rest. Then we get up and do it all over again. Why? Because our ego is extremely occupied with telling us it needs our Think of the role humans play out, not attention and to busy ourselves in its service. only on our planet, but in the context of a much larger cosmic community. According to investigations into various dimensions of intelligence by the social scientist, linguist, and futurist, J.J. Hurtak, and his wife, social scientist and environmentalist, Desiree Hurtak (who co-founded the nonprofit Academy for Future Science), a fundamental human ability is to exist through multiple dimensions. This means that multiple levels and dimensions of intelligence are possible through evolution,31 which can be accessed and expressed through the interconnected capacity of consciousness. Through resonant states of vibration and existence, we can con-

nect to the supreme source of co-creation. 2019 Hombannavar, Nemichandra There is a tidiness to the fact that all humans are so similar in terms of DNA. There Yet, ego is a barrier to our true con- is also much to be understood and celebrated nected universal self. We get occasional glimps- about what makes us each unique variations es of this self when we distance ourselves from on a complex evolutionary track. As we learn our egos. Some fortunate individuals have even to recognize the patterns in our similarities and devoted their entire focus to this one self that is differences, we will begin to receive the kind greater than any individual can be. One can find of wisdom that is symbolically represented by great peace in practicing a life that honors such complex mathematical equations. No matter a resonant connection between oneself and the

“Nervous Structure”, Dr Alesha Sivartha, 1898 Dr Alesha Sivartha, Structure”, “Nervous how life is arranged or where it is going, we universe beyond.

III. HEALTHY HABITS 53 Connection to a spiritual self, and con- Being true to oneself is a matter of au- Your heart is like a crystal ball into every nection to our environment, can be one and the thentic self-expression. The options we are pre- situation. When you’re irritated, you can feel same. As Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh says, sented with can create artificial boundaries. the dissatisfaction compressing in your chest. “The solution is to learn how to touch eternity Rather, the choice to establish identity based on When you’re excited, your heart-rate amps up. in the present moment. We have been talking one’s intuition and knowledge-of-self is what We don’t have to be cardiologists to understand about the environment as if it is something dif- will resonate most strongly. this information. We only have to pause and pay ferent from us, but we are the environment.” attention. Yet, it helps to have knowledge of Indeed, by dealing with the most extreme mo- what’s going on within us because that insight ments of life: birth, death, love, tragedy, we can makes us generally more self-aware. better come to understand that we are all one We usually can’t control what our in being part of a continuously-evolving cycle. heart is doing. But sometimes, with practice, We all deserve space to access the in- we actually can. With our breath, we can slow sights and enlightenment found by channeling down our heart rate. Or even speed it up, if we the connection between one’s own existence so desire. Yogis have been practicing this kind and the existence of everything. of self mastery for millennia. Controlled rhythmic breathing leads to many benefits for our mind and our body. That’s because conscious breathing produces a sensation of calm within our central nervous systems. And, with that slowed-down rhythm, you can listen to the various other expressions of life (wind, birds, people, water, etc.) and center your place within the greater tapestry of existence.

“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world hence- forth will be run by synthesiz- ers, people able to put togeth- Sketch of Isiah Berlin, Arturo Espinosa, 2012 Isiah Berlin, Arturo of Sketch As a species, if we are to rise to the er the right information at the challenge of creating a world in which everyone right time, think critically feels their inherent value, it is mandatory for about it, and make important everyone to experience the freedom to develop choices wisely.” — Biologist E.O. Wilson “Kittens and Cats”, Eulalie Osgood Grover, 1911 Grover, Eulalie Osgood and Cats”, “Kittens the gifts of their true nature as inimitable members of a limitless community.

Facing an overwhelming amount of Recognize Which Choices We Have advertisements from corporate marketing, we can learn to reclaim our attention by resist- We are free by nature. Be free to assert ing the noise of those offerings. We have the your own identity. Be equally free to resist choice—and the right—to say “no” to self-in- the definitions others might make of you. terested companies seeing our engagement as a resource to be exploited, and say “yes” to The difference between what Isaiah Berlin authentic exchanges in which we can increase termed negative liberty (how others might lim- our own agency. Our identities result from who it your actions) and positive liberty (freedom to we feel we are inside, and how we wish to pres- exceed limits from within) helps to define what ent that externally. The more we recognize our

is meant by the term freedom. Heinrich Welz own ability to create meaning by pursuing what In all individual and collective instanc- makes us feel inspired or energized from within, es, it is vital that we declare our freedom to the more we will exercise the power of our intu- live according to the truths derived from our ition to lead in the creation of positive realities. intuition. Fear of reproach will bind us into situations of false freedom. This fear will fool us Pathways to Wise into thinking we have options that might not be Decision-Making viable at all. Instead, imagine a community built upon values of the courage to speak your mind. Feel free to ask questions, challenge as- Where no one controls the dialogue. Where the sumptions, and change your mind. Being dialogue is open. Where one is allowed to pres- considerate of different perspectives helps ent a version of oneself unencumbered by the us become better informed. Learn from expectations and biases of others. others, but make your own meaning. According to Mariam Thalos, Dean of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, “True Think long-term. Go after lasting knowledge and freedom is fundamentally about self-fashioning: wisdom. Distinguish between information, data,

you are free when you act out of your self-con- and knowledge. Seek to synchronize with what King, 2019 Rob ception, even (or especially) when doing so de- is good and just. Seek wisdom from both ancient fies what others think you are capable of.”32 and emerging sources.

54 Recognize III. HEALTHY HABITS III.

Render of a PCH Cosmonaut 55 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTORS

Environment influences everything. We are reflections, as well as representations, of our various environments. In this regard, how we perceive and treat our environment significantly impacts who we are and have the ability to become.

56 Recognize Climate Crisis is a cietal, and industrial standards. By collectively carbon. This social cost means that companies Threat to agreeing to work toward repairing our relation- would become more responsible for the harm- Species-Wide Existence ships with one another, and the Earth, we can ful effects to the health of people and planet stop causing harm and start relearning how to by paying taxes levied on activities that cause live in healthy, balanced relationships. pollution. This game-plan incentivizes compa- Humans are highly adaptable. We conti- nies to adopt cleaner methods of generating nue to exceed previous limitations. But if products. The most environmentally-damaging we want to stick around, we better learn activities would become the costliest, thereby to respect Earth’s boundaries. compelling corporations to avoid following the All Aboard destructive patterns of our industrial past. “The Spaceship “If you knew she could feel, Earth” you would stop.”— A message from the Kogi people of the Sierra Madre in Colombia to modern society (aka All life on our planet shares one celestial ‘little brother’)33 habitat: a magical marble orbiting the sun, spinning in space as the universe expands. Earth has nine planetary boundaries within which humans remain safe. According to an In 1966, economist Kenneth E. Bould- article in the journal Science, our species has ing wrote The Economics of the Coming Space- already transgressed four of those boundaries ship Earth, an essay explaining the shift from the through climate change, loss of biosphere in- idea of our planet as a limitless expanse like the tegrity, land-system change, and altered bioge- open West, to a way of living cognizant of the ochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen).34 fact that resources on Earth are finite and we must find a way to work together to respect planetary boundaries. Boulding predicted a

closed economy in which “man must find his deforestation Amazon place in a cyclical ecological system which is capable of continuous reproduction of material The current ill health of our planet can form even though it cannot escape having in- not only be seen in increased natural disasters puts of energy.”35 and rising average temperatures across the The Spaceship Earth worldview makes globe, but is evident even from space. In 2018, it clear that we all exist within finite boundaries. to begin the UN Climate Change Conference Our imaginations can exceed all kinds of limits in Katowice, Poland, astronaut Alexander Gerst though, and so we must imagine the oncoming relayed a message to conference goers while paradigm shift from a linear economy of “take, floating on board the International Space Sta- make, waste” to a circular economy of integrat- tion (ISS). Wishing them well in making deci- ed sustainable resource use and revitalization. sions to protect our planet from the effects of The design term employed for this idea of cir- climate change, Gerst said, “From my position cularity is “cradle to cradle”, which essentially aboard the ISS, I have a unique view of our plan-

- our transgres displaying Centre Resilience Stockholm Chart from boundaries planetary sion of means that the lifecycles of products regener- et. Up here, I see its beauty, its fragility, and ate rather than end. Conserving our resources, also the impact humans make. I was struck this We are rapidly depleting our earth’s and innovating ways to recycle waste, will be summer by many views of a brown and dried forests, animals, freshwater, and even the top- fundamental in repairing the torn fabric of life. out Earth. Climate change is having an impact, soil we need to grow our crops. We recognize we can see that even from space with our own the potentially irreversible and devastating eyes. And it’s crystal clear from up here, that consequences of our transgressions. We know everything is finite on this little blue marble in that the answers to these questions, about how the black space, and there is no Planet B.”36 to adequately develop human endeavors on a Indeed, the earth we’re on is the only changing planet, will require a new state of in- one we have. And we need to clean up our mess novation. by working together as one team to stop the We have the choice, right now, to begin harmful effects of status-quo business practices choosing approaches to industry that can shift that are continuing to throw our climate into course from unsustainable and wasteful prac- crisis. tices. The powerful slogan taught to elementary It is helpful to think of Earth in its en- school students, that can, and should, be adopt- tirety, the way that America thinks of its na- ed by everyone is: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. tional parks. We conserve the beauty of nature Beyond these three principles, we in certain places. Yet, why do we not extend can all rethink how we approach our individual that point of view to all of nature? The idea of wants. We can learn to better listen to the Earth. regarding our planet as “a conservation district

We can recognize that we are part of everything 2015 a porthole, NASA, Earth through in the universe” was first proposed in a 1969 we come into contact with. We can see that all advertising campaign for The Sierra Club un- of our actions have consequences. We can re- In the 1970s, economist William Nor- der the executive directorship of David Brower. member to place a more appropriate intention of dhaus conceived of a “spaceship economy” to This notion also resurfaced in a 1997 conversa- reconnection with our environment as we em- ease tensions over the massive costs of mining tion between David Brower and the Dalai Lama ploy natural resources to meet our needs. We and burning fossil fuels and instead invest in on The Whole Earth Catalog’s online portal. Per- believe that we can advance past the toxicity renewable energy. The set of conditions for the haps we can take this idea even further, and that our industrial waste has made of our planet spaceship economy to thrive relies upon gov- think of the entire universe as a conservation and remain safely within the protection of Earth’s ernments making sure companies offset the district unto itself. There is no place that de- boundaries through a revised set of personal, so- pollution they cause by paying a social cost of serves to be treated as if it is expendable. To

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTORS 57 emphasize that point, we can also continue to cussion around environmental conservation has think of our planet the way we think of our own begun to gain momentum and shift attitudes. biological bodies: as a self-regulating system, Around the world there’s a greater miraculous in its design, and capable of incred- and greater focus on sustainability in our busi- ible possibilities…but only when treated with ness initiatives and our lifestyle choices. But, respect. to achieve complete sustainability, we need to In total, these metaphors help us rethink our relationships within the vast array develop humility and awareness around our of life on Earth. In many ways, pursuing sus- limitations. We’re all part of a sacred, natural tainability has less to do with creating new pro- biosystem. It’s high time our economic behavior cesses than it does with learning from ancient reflect that sacredness. Ambitions of exo-plane- practices. tary habitation are certainly inspiring, but if we Indigenous communities have master- ever hope to reach that theoretical distance, fully showcased what it means to harmoniously we’ll first have to learn how to take care of what live in the same place for thousands of years. we already have. This capacity to be of a place is an incredibly meaningful expression of sustainability. There is much to learn about the wisdom of sustainability by speaking and strengthening relationships with indigenous communities throughout the world. Cavern carved in ice wall, State Library of NSW, 1912 NSW, of Library State in ice wall, carved Cavern

Sustainability Guides Us Forward

From boardrooms to living rooms, the topic of sustainability is drawing greater attention. We must continue to prioritize ways of living that enable life to thrive.

“Sustainability is the highest and most sought- after technology.” 2017 Carlos Breton,

— Pat McCabe, Woman Stands Shining Sustainability can be interpreted as learning to evolve in a way that allows for continued evolution. Sustainability means lev- It doesn’t make any sense to trash our eraging the power of the infinite. In this way, planet. Our planet is where we live. We don’t pursuing and practicing sustainability will also throw away plastic in our bathtubs, so why do bring us into a closer relationship with our so in our oceans? Humans have learned to cre- spiritual potential. There is unlimited value in ate amazing inventions, but at what cost? Just taking a sustainable path forward. because we are able to do something doesn’t mean it is truly in our best interest. The cost of extracting fossil fuels out of the Earth is only exacerbated by the cost of pollution that occurs from burning those materials. This is not smart technology. And yet, most supply chains have been doubling down on this approach to energy generation and its subsequent ecological damage. The legal contracts that allow companies to exploit and pollute the planet seem to assume we have a backup planet at our disposal. But we know this is not the case. There is one planet on which we’re living, and we need to act accordingly. Luckily, over the last ten years we have seen that the dis-

58 Recognize IV. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTORS 59 V. ECONOMIC PRIORITIES Our current economic system is the greatest driver of imbalance in our world. Defined by short-term thinking, this economic engine is designed solely for profit through continuous growth and consumption, with minimal consideration for the finite nature of resources. In order to create a fairer economy, we must employ new, long-term policies that champion social and environmental prosperity as well as more equitably-distributed wealth. We must build a regenerative economy that serves the needs of humanity while still respecting the boundaries of the planet. We must redefine our perspective in relation to our natural resources and begin to treat their maintenance as an essential part of a healthy economy. Any new economic system not only has to include the redistribution of income and wealth along fairer lines, but it must also meet the basic needs of all people on Earth. Companies must adopt new economic practices that explore more cooperative means of cultivating shared values with social and environmental cohesion.

60 Recognize Capitalism Causes Discord & Its Own End It’s a question of when, not if, capitalism will end. We need to redefine what we mean by growth, and become more responsible within all our relationships.

Capitalism is at the root of many of the Besieged City 2, from Report Sacks Pete the major issues we face today. This is because Companies have fought hard to pro- nature is an integrated system. So demanding tect themselves from being accountable to adherence to another system—the free-mar- ecosystems and marginalized communities. ket—that strains relationships with exploitative, Legal loopholes have allowed harmful business climate-altering practices, will only win us hard- practices to continue for generations. Through ship in the end. deceitful propaganda, the matter of accounta- Continuous capital growth based in bility has been obfuscated. Those who are most a world of finite resources is impossible. The vulnerable have paid most dearly. This behavior more we go against nature’s truth, the more we must be reconciled. endanger ourselves and others. The capitalist The escalating effects of pollution, system is designed for endless expansion and poverty, and climate change show us how in- profit. This is problematic. A body cannot grow terconnected we really are. In February 2018, unendingly. To grow in wealth will only result in Capital Institute founder John Fullerton and others growing in poverty. spiritual teacher Thomas Hübl sat down to discuss regenerative economics.38 Their conversation raised the question: Why is it that the

Magic show poster, Strobridge & Co. Lith, 1897 Strobridge poster, Magic show globalized capitalistic system isn’t really working for everyone? In many cases, tax loopholes allow giant companies to pay almost nothing in taxes while also successfully avoiding paying any financial price for any of their environ- Costs of Production Should mental crimes. The most obvious solution to Incorporate Byproducts this problem is for companies to pay taxes and become financially accountable for the effects There’s no such thing as fast and cheap. of their actions. Yet, that kind of quick remedy, The true costs of production materialize has to set the stage to make even more lasting eventually. It’s time to dismantle the faca- changes.

One of Hong Kong’s ‘coffin homes’, Benny Lam Benny homes’, ‘coffin Hong Kong’s One of des of materialism so we can see what’s Healing needs to occur between not really happening behind the curtain. only people and planet, but between groups of Look at the signs—the increasing in- people who have been exploited for the profits stances of: monocultures, climate change ca- of others. In much the same way that cancer is tastrophes, and even the inter-personal conflicts “We are living the final stages a lack of regenerative health, in its own way, so sewn from concerns over money—over time, of a very deceitful system that too is poverty. A regenerative economic system the matured ego-techno-economic system’s can play a vital role in reestablishing health to continuous grind has become the main cause has made everything that is communities, and especially those which have of global misalignment. Environmental degra- very costly for the planet, been underserved or over-policed. Working on dation underwritten by the capitalistic system costly for the producer, look healing relationships between communities of is a fat, urgent wake-up call. people will have a significant influence on the How might we learn to operate by us- cheap for the consumer. So overall health experienced around the world. ing renewable resources and replenishing what very high cost production, Recognizing that a theory of economic we have taken from the Earth? How might we with GMOs and patents and and social justice is not just a fringe topic but restore integrity to our relationships with one the main conversation that can take root in pol- another and the planet? As capitalism comes royalties and fossil fuel, is icy-making, will help shift consciousness on a to a close, how might we re-integrate values of made to look like cheap food. large scale. The effects will be substantial. At community, creativity, and renewal into what- Very costly production that the present moment, we’re having trouble see- ever system comes to replace capitalism? We ing ourselves out of the mess we’re in because believe that the answer might revolve around kills the girls in Bangladesh in we haven’t yet had mass access to a sustaina- the practice of remembering and revering the slave factories, is made to ble, regenerative model of societal organization. sacredness of life in all our activities. We believe look like cheap clothing. This Humans are great at creating abstract artifacts in the critical priority to work toward establish- like economic models. So let’s design a new ing conditions in which life can thrive. is a fake cheap.”— Vandana Shiva model, one that delivers sustainable outcomes in a way that’s intuitive, automatic, and regen- Leaders of industry need to be ac- erative. countable for the costs of climate change. Big oil companies have known about the correlation between fossil fuels and climate change since the late 1970s.37 Yet this knowledge was ignored, and even lobbied against, in a desper- ate corporate effort to maintain profits.

V. ECONOMIC PRIORITIES 61 The Convenience of In his essay for Aeon in November 2018 Consumption Blurs about the problem of not being involved in the Scarcity Is a Fabrication Life-Cycle Relationships creation of that which we consume, and especially our increasing reliance upon the efficien- There is enough time, money, and power cy of algorithms for our decision-making, to sustain life equitably on Earth. The idea We make choices based on efficiencies curator and writer Glenn Adamson points out, that there’s never enough comes from a for time management. But if time’s trap- “Such automated decision-making is extreme- cynical and greedy perspective. ping us into an artificial value-system ban- ly efficient, but it has contributed to a crisis of king on the premise that “time is money”, accountability. If no one understands what is we really ought to hop off the clock and really happening, how can anyone be held re- “The ideology of capitalism is move on to a more natural rhythm. sponsible?”39 If we adopt a more farseeing that it is a system that mindset, that we all share a stake in the out- There are many ways to become more come of every activity and unit of production, generates immense abun- informed about what we use. The simplest then perhaps we can begin to make wiser dance (so much stuff!). But in change we can make is to buy and use less stuff. choices about what we decide to bring into our reality it is a system that relies But, to go a step further, if we become more lives. In this way, we can create a closer rela- enmeshed in the process of creating what we tionship to that which we consume. And, once on the constant production of use, we will contribute more to a positive con- we’ve adopted this mindset, then the vision and scarcity.”— Dr. Jason Hickel servation of our planet’s resources. Even just by reality of what we collectively make and con- cutting down on fast fashion and fast food we sume will improve dramatically. We must strive will automatically share a greater stake in the to buy into the value of sharing in the creation There’s no such thing as a scarcity of outcome of how our planet feels. of the objects, materials, and tools we engage love, even if it feels in short supply. When fear with everyday. takes over our emotions, however, our sense of calm and security can easily feel threatened. “We are not atomized producers and consumers: We are part of the Earth family, we are part of a human family, we are part of a food community. Food connects us. Everything is food…”

— Vandana Shiva Still from “They Live”, 1988 Live”, “They from Still

Continuing to rely on refined oil for our Scarcity of time, money, or even atten- cars and other gas-powered machines is a pret- tion, can feel all too real. There is hardly enough ty direct road to planetary deterioration. But the time in the day to accomplish everything we majority of food we’re eating, the clothes we’re want to get done. But we feel it’s important to wearing, and the transportation we’re taking Cobb, 1969 Ron question our sense of how much we feel we’re all share a negative environmental connection supposed to accomplish within a single day. Af- as well: most likely, none of these products As Jungian analyst Dr. James Hollis ter all, so many of our expectations are social are things we ourselves created. If we did, we observes in his book, Living an Examined Life: constructions, which might defy our own intu- would probably place a much greater value on Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey,40 “It ition. And if we dig a little deeper, we begin to them. Instead, the majority of us rely on cheap, does matter whether we serve something re- realize that many of these constructions have foreign producers for a variety of tools, clothes, demptive or something demonic. And it mat- come about because of the prominence of ex- food, and supplies of all matter. And this reli- ters even more that we discern the origins of ploitive systems and practices. ance upon companies to control production and whatever we do and whether doing so serves Much harm is done within the rigid set the price for these items makes us more something healing in us or something that binds constraints of a capitalist society valuing mate- willing to seek savings. We also become blindly us in new ways to the disabling past.” In this rial wealth over the various sacrifices enabling incentivized to never question how those prices spirit, we can become more clear about what that wealth. As long as we are being sold goods, were set so low in the first place. serves us as an inextricably connected people our senses are bombarded by heat-seeking and planet. Once we gain that clarity, we can missiles of advertising and commerce aimed at begin to make more conscientious decisions our brain’s decision-making center. Buy, vote, about how we live and how we construe value choose this and not that, feels like the wrong in our lives. message to spend so much effort and resources propagating. Free-market capitalism makes a great dazzling spectacle out of all the choices on offer when, in fact, we’re often being sold the same large, fundamental mistruth: that we don’t have what we need. Scarcity, indeed, is created to support the myth that time, energy, and attention should be devoted to attaining increased amounts of monetary wealth. By following this pattern, Dr. Jason Hickel—an anthropologist,

The Great Barrier Reef photographed in 1893. Half of the Half of in 1893. photographed Barrier Reef The Great died. has now in the reef coral author, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts—points out that people easily adopt an

62 Recognize tensions between haves and have-nots. We know that struggle is constant in all corners of this planet, yet so is perseverance, determina- tion, and the desire to work as a team. In that spirit of teamwork and grit, we can see the roots of change growing strong beneath a cracked surface of systemic mal- feasance. From these roots, a more robust and integrative society will emerge. And this burgeoning society will ultimately mature into future generations elevating the baseline ex-

“Incwadi Yami”, British Library, 1887 British Library, Yami”, “Incwadi ponentially toward sustainable, equitable, and ideology of growth as an indicator of value rep- balanced living systems. resented by aspects like more jobs and more goods to make and acquire.41 Growth comes to be seen as an indicator of success. The ideology of growth is such that we come to believe in this myth of defining success through the manifestation of more stuff.

Within the ideology of growth, mechanisms for acquisition and retention become more important than mechanisms for establishing healthy moderation. Scarcity is constantly employed in the name of capitalistic expansion.

This system has come to more and more privat- 2019 Bewick, Karl

ize that which ought to be free for all to expe- or productivity along the lines of the current Umana, 2018 Andres rience and enjoy. status quo (whether through extended intel- Recently, however, a positive move- ligence, automation, or otherwise) we are, in ment has risen to combat this mentality as fact, helping to approach a breaking point at conversations around socialist initiatives (like which the surest corrective means will become universal health care and free access to pre- revolutionary revolt. The peasants pick up pitch- school and higher education) have begun to forks. The proletariat raise their hammers and gain momentum from increasing numbers of sickles. People demand change by any means economists and politicians. The idea of granting necessary. universal access to resources to those who typ- Right now we’re collectively placing ically cannot afford them provides an antidote risky bets on the people with the most wealth to the myth of scarcity. Humans benefit from recognizing the lessons learned from events increasing amounts of knowledge, wisdom, and like the French Revolution centuries ago. Leg- healthy relationships. These are the areas in islative regulation might be a far more effective which we want to see growth. Perhaps, in this approach to ensuring a more equitable future. context, the fabrication of scarcity and other Yet, for now, a positive sign of hope can be seen drivers of materialism won’t be so prominent in the statement issued by 181 American CEOs in our societal rubric in the years to come. And comprising The Business Roundtable on the or- with this contextual change, a redefinition of ganization’s website.42 These business leaders growth can be established to support an abun- wish to redefine the “purpose of a corporation” dance of true wealth in the form of individual as an organization that should prioritize mean- and collective wellbeing. ing and dignity in the lives of workers rather than shareholder value.43 While it remains to be seen how exactly this intention will play out in actuality, the statement itself signals a shift away from the predominant thinking of Ameri- Recognize the Roots of can business since the 1970s. Around that time, Systemic Change economist Milton Friedman wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times asserting that Understand how to effectively address companies do not have social responsibility, the symptoms of a failing system before it and instead are responsible only for sharehold- falls apart completely. er value. Friedman’s essay can be understood in backlash to the changing social attitudes of the late 1960s counter culture (which we feel is “The future is already here— surging through the collective consciousness it's just not very evenly once again). As always, the pendulum of social norms, attitudes, and prevailing economic ideas distributed.”— William Gibson shifts back and forth. What we feel is driving this new shift The current economic system keeps in thinking is, not only 2020 American presiden- widening disparities because that’s what the tial candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth system was designed to do. The more we make Warren rallying against corporate priorities for adjustments to increase economic efficiency profit, but also a resurfacing desire to ease the

V. ECONOMIC PRIORITIES 63 VI. LESSONS AHEAD We wish to acknowledge the laws of the physical and spiritual worlds that work together to propel explorations into unknown human potential. While we do not propose to have all the answers that will solve the challenges before us, we believe in the power of being open to receiving wisdom from every conceivable (and inconceivable) source. In this way, we hope to pay careful and deliberate attention to what we observe and to record our observations with joy and love for the opportunity to participate in the eternal narrative of life.

64 Recognize 2035 – 2050 Will Reveal account for a reshaping of societal organiza- Positive & the Transition to a Positive tion, mainly through a different distribution of Negative Are Equal and Meta-Paradigm wealth. Yet, perhaps the most significant shift Opposing Forces that will enable all ensuing change, will begin with a collective shift in consciousness. In the decades ahead, we can count on Newton’s Third Law of Motion states: for incredible highs and devastating lows. every action, there is an equal and oppo- Suffering occurs on the path to any inno- site reaction. Forces come in pairs: joy vation or positive outcome. An alternative and sadness, darkness and light, conflict meta-paradigm will come about by dea- and peace. With this recognition, we can ling with its corresponding stress—it’s more effectively embrace change. natural, and vital, for the next wave of innovation to improve upon. Effective and lasting change requires participation from every conceivable side of an We need to let go of many of the trappings issue. At the 18th International Conference of of success that we have come to think would the Institute of Noetic Sciences in July, 2019,44 provide improved living conditions everywhere. Reverend Deborah L. Johnson spoke about the Our current era of exponential indicators—like inherent messiness of democracy. She rhetori- Moore’s Law, the theory that the number of cally asked an audience, “You want to fly? You transistors on a microchip double almost every want to take off? The left wing isn’t taking off two years—are leading to exponential econom- without the right!” This message underscores ic success for those at the top, yet this kind of the necessity for all groups—even those that exponentially groundbreaking phenomena is seem diametrically opposed—to find common not what will create better conditions for all ground upon which to recognize our com- people and the entire planet. monalities. This need for convergence might very well be the only actual way to galvanize a change in societal conventions that supports a truly, uplifting future for all. Social change occurs when opposing “Compendium of Demonology and Magic”, 1775 and Magic”, Demonology of “Compendium forces are at play. The current cultural moment From now into 2030, we expect the is rife with conflict between those who hold distrust between people that continues to sur- power in the present status quo and those de- face will continue to express itself. Between manding change in the name of more fairly dis- 2035 and 2050, we expect that the fight for the tributed power. freedom to live through authentic expressions of working in harmony with one another and nature, will begin to flourish. With this momentum, the transition to a positive meta-paradigm of collaborative partnerships between individuals, communities, companies, and even other species, will help renew every imaginable relationship on our planet. Macrophotography of electrical component electrical of Macrophotography

On individual and collective levels, we can learn to let go of what no longer serves us. A blind faith that technology will be our salvation is one such belief we need to immediately abandon. Letting go of false assumptions and reestablishing the necessity of human values like respect, solidarity, and cooperation will allow humanity to reclaim authority to create a better future. By freeing up considerable energy toward this pursuit, we can better focus on what resonates with our intuitive impulses toward wellbeing. This means placing the intent of the forces within us toward contributing to a greater good for all to take part in upholding. But that begs an important question: How can

we activate this deep transformative potential? Chan, 2019 Joseph protester, Hong Kong We bear witness to a time of radical transformation through culturally, societally, In Hong Kong, people demanding de- and environmentally extreme conditions. With mocracy are currently fighting for recognition rising examples of authoritarian decision-mak- against a mainland regime ready to quell any ing, a call to action in support of equality and criticism. Whatever democratic rights Hong inclusivity must become more amplified. We Kong might gain in this opposition, they will believe the extreme tension currently being ex- not occur without needing to resolve the state’s

perienced will not result in a breaking point, so cosmology Buddhist of Representation powerful resistance. During the Civil Rights much as a massive global shift. This shift will Movement in America in the 1960s, widespread

VI. LESSONS AHEAD 65 abuse and suffering came to the men and wom- internal and external factors that push and pull The Answers en demanding justice. The cultural climate in us in directions that feel both good and bad, Are Within America in 2019 feels hauntingly similar with we learn to cultivate space to explore what de- oppression and the general racism and violence mands attention from within us. That very act of being levied against minority groups. And yet, creating—whether it’s a relationship, a painting, Nature reveals the most intuitive, dyna- this heightened rate of hatred actually reveals a business, an intention, or a life choice—will mic, and masterful designs. Mysteries how much change has been made over the last always come along with an equal and opposite hold truths. How might we come to un- decades. The more ground gained in the name force that can derail the entire enterprise. derstand that which is unknowable? For of togetherness, the more the institutions and During their conversation, Oprah ac- starters, look within at what’s always individuals promoting separation will work in knowledges, “You want to be an open vessel been present. opposing force to stop this positive transfor- and allow the spirit of whatever you want to call mation. that—the muse, call it god, call it inspiration— A calming effect comes from rec- to flow through you. You want to take the space “In this period of the end of ognizing that opposing forces are fundamen- of your ego, remove it, so that that can flow the world, how do we sow tal to the physical world. We do not need to through you…” The idea here is that the space fear these oppositions. The goal is to learn in between opposing forces is incredibly fertile. the seeds of a possible world? how to incorporate each opposing force into In that open space, inspiration takes hold. Press- The first: every young person the challenges we encounter. In order to man- field’s point about creativity and resistance is should recognize that working ifest massive transformational change we that they are companions. Doing one’s work need to find a way for each force opposed in and persevering over a natural tendency of with their hands and their duality to find common ground. Perhaps this resistance to oppose creativity means making hearts and their minds, and type of shared space is where society can best space for the muse to flourish. being interconnected, is the learn to bridge divides. In a PBS interview from 1988 with Bill highest evolution of our Moyers, Joseph Campbell describes a sculpture species.”— Vandana Shiva called “the mask of God”. Found in a cave on an island in the harbor of Bombay, and thought to have been constructed around the eighth We are fundamentally connected to century, this massive 19’ by 19’ stone sculpture the earth beneath our bodies as much as we sits at the end of the cave, where one must breathe in the air of our skies. Levels of purity walk in darkness to behold its three faces. The and pollution affect how we process and inter- head facing forward in the middle is called “the act with our environment. Reconnecting with mask of eternity”. The two heads on either side the natural world will guide the way toward facing away from each other represent human pure life. thought. During his description, Campbell invites us to… “… put your mind in the middle;

most of us put our minds on the side of the Buddha piece PCH Caustic good against what we think of as evil. It was Heraclitus, I think, who said, ‘For God all things In response to the notion of how crea- are good and right and just, but for man some tivity manifests, Pressfield defines art as “bring- things are right and others are not.’ You’re in ing into material existence that which exists only the field of time when you’re man, and one of in pure potentiality, and the artist is the agent of the problems of life is to live in the realization of that change. The gods can’t create the Golden both terms. That is to say, I know the center and Gate Bridge, it’s got to be you and me.” This I know that good and evil are simply temporal description of art offers a compelling addition apparitions.”45 to Oprah’s idea about letting the muse flow and Because everything in the universe is inspire one’s actions. The artist transforms the always in motion, the dualities we experience opposing forces of creativity and resistance into are constantly exchanging the energies of their the manifestation of matter that is as direct and power. Intense suffering exists in life, and so profound in the physical world as the initial flick- does the intensity of elation. And within these er of spirited inspiration from which it emerged. two extremes there lives a great deal of mod- Whatever it is we wish to bring into eration. There is as much destructive tenden- existence, we will be wise to first recognize the cy in humanity as there is creative ability. The essential nature of opposing forces. Any chal- goal is to get our mindsets and emotions under lenge we encounter and wish to overcome de- enough control to arrive at a net positive in or- mands that we find a way to incorporate the der to evolve ourselves toward a sustainable, nature of that challenge, rather than sidestep beautiful future. or try to clear the challenge out of our way. The Any creative impulse encounters an challenge, the very resistance we experience

equal and opposite force of resistance. This fun- against what we are trying to achieve, is actu- Tamani Luis “Tabaquero”, damental occurrence is explained in detail by ally a necessary part of the creative endeavor in author Steven Pressfield in his book, The War of which we are engaged. Opposing forces have a A big part of the future we envision Art. Interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2013 about place and purpose in our physical world. It is up involves a much more natural integration of his book, and topics including resistance, ego, to us to figure out how to effectively integrate technology into our lives. In the future, we will and the relation between prayer and perfor- opposing forces into our work, such that the better balance our use of technology only for mance through the arts, Pressfield encourages change we seek to make is comprehensive and when it serves us. Right now, the little comput- us all to, “Put your ass where your heart wants as powerful as possible. ers in our pockets can summon a phone call, to be.”46 By that act of showing up, of being video chat, or message, and they can even run present, of arriving ready to do battle with the an app to help us meditate. But we don’t need

66 Recognize Creator said: “I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realization that they create their own reality.”

The eagle said, “Give it to me. I will take it to the moon.” Sources

1 https://education.jlab.org/qa/atomicstructure_02.html 2 https://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/jamestown-wa - The Creator said, “No. ter-fs.html 3 https://bodhitree.com/harnessing-the-energy-of-the-earth-cha - One day they will go kras/ 4 https://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/gene-genie-the-struggle-of- there and find it.” cell-biologist-bruce-lipton-30293721.html 5 https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/04/einstein-s-spooky-ac - tion-distance-spotted-objects-almost-big-enough-see 6 https://www.esi-frankfurt.de/research/fries-lab/ The salmon said, “I will 7 https://www.authorea.com/users/61793/articles/346253-the-easy- part-of-the-hard-problem-a-resonance-theory-of-consciousness bury it on the bottom of 8 https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-hippies- were-right-its-all-about-vibrations-man/

Isabelle de Steiger illustration, printed in “The Unknown World”, 1895 World”, in “The Unknown printed illustration, Isabelle de Steiger the ocean.” 9 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150128-big- bang-universe-supernova-astrophysics-health-space-ngbooktalk/ 10 https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_fea - them to breathe. And to control one’s breath ture_2233.html The Creator said, “No. 11 https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-kepler-mission-an - is perhaps the best example of attaining con- nounces-largest-collection-of-planets-ever-discovered trol over something so automatic it might be They will go there, too.” 12 https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/12/28/are- human-beings-the-only-technologically-advanced-civilization-in- deemed uncontrollable. Yet, there it is, a sense the-universe/#395434385fe9 of calm and ease with the release of a deeply 13 https://shouldthisexist.com/boom/ The buffalo said, “I will 14 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&ob - drawn and held breath… jectid=12258839 We must be mindful to look away from bury it on the Great 15 http://newstechtrend.com/yvonne_cagle_i403#player the screens that captivate our attention, return 16 https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/dark-matter/en/ Plains.” 17 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2128725-a-guide-to-why- to the root functions of our own living systems, your-world-is-a-hallucination/ 18 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/02/09/the-invasion- and learn from what our own bodies tell us. from-outer-space This approach is no different from how ancient The Creator said, “They 19 https://billmoyers.com/content/ep-2-joseph-campbell-and-the-po - scientists looked to the planets to understand wer-of-myth-the-message-of-the-myth/ will cut into the skin of 20 https://www.peterrussell.com/age.php what they could not yet see on a microscopic 21 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-13452711 the Earth and find it even 22 https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/04/27/time-felt-marc-witt - level yet intuited to be true. mann/ In wondering from where the next there.” 23 https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/living-planet-report-2016 24 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/05/ great spark of innovation will emerge, we’d like ipbes-un-biodiversity-report-warns-one-million-species-at-risk/ to propose that we already possess the answer. 25 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/business/dealbook/fox - Grandmother, who lives conn-worker-conditions.html We need only to look within to activate humani- 26 http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/one-species-living- ty’s nascent power to innovate. This idea is well in the breast of Mother worldwide captured within a Hopi poem: 27 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137200.Harmonies_Of_ Earth, and who has no The_World 28 https://www.mybodygraph.com ; https://www.jovianarchive.com physical eyes but sees 29 https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/human-design-were-we- coded-at-birth/ with spiritual eyes, said, 30 https://www.kosmosjournal.org/reader-essay/vq-tapping-the-ulti - mate-commons/ “Put it inside of them.” 31 https://keysofenoch.org 32 https://aeon.co/essays/more-than-having-options-freedom-is- being-true-to-yourself… 33 https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/aluna-a-message-to-little- And the Creator said, “It brother/—consider including this essay in the catalog 34 https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/rese - is done.” arch-news/2015-01-15-planetary-boundaries---an-update.html 35 http://arachnid.biosci.utexas.edu/courses/THOC/Readings/Boul - ding_SpaceshipEarth.pdf 36 https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/12/No_planet_B 37 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about- climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/ In this spirit of revealing what is hidden, 38 https://thomashuebl.com/future-of-capitalism-regenerative-eco - in seeing the unseen, we can come back into nomics/ 39 https://aeon.co/essays/do-you-know-your-stuff-the-ethics-of-the- the knowledge of who we are as people. With material-world this recognition of ourselves as interconnect- 40 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-author-spe - aks/201802/living-examined-life ed beings integrated within nature’s principles 41 https://www.localfutures.org/degrowth-a-call-for-radical-abun - and patterns, we become free to experience dance/ 42 https://opportunity.businessroundtable.org/ourcommitment/ the many forms of evolutionary creativity, from 43 https://www.npr.org/2019/08/19/752529363/business-roundtable- bedrock cycles to wild fluctuations… and even issues-statement-on-the-need-to-help-deal-with-income-inequa 44 https://noetic.org/conference/dates-schedule/conference-schedule/ unrealized concepts ever farther into the un- 45 https://billmoyers.com/content/ep-2-joseph-campbell-and-the-po- known… wer-of-myth-the-message-of-the-myth/ 46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPbaRVtDTdU

VI. LESSONS AHEAD 67 Burning mirrors reveal the intensity of nature’s power

68 Convex reflective surfacesfocus “The rays of the sun seemed a more spiritual way light from the sun into a fixed point. of creating fire than human hands” At this apex, the power of the — John Perlin, Whole Earth Catalog, Winter 1999

concentrated sunlight can result in The ancient technology of harnessing and redirecting the sun’s power fire. was used millennia ago. Archimedes, the Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer, employed burning mirrors to set fire to invading Roman warships. The Romans then adopted the same technology for their own ends. The technology was also used in ancient Chi- nese and Incan cultures to light fires for the peaceful purposes of cooking and ceremony.

Burning mirrors reveal how the power of nature has been harnessed by humans for different purposes. This also shows how the intention behind a technology’s use is as significant as the technology itself. Archimedes’ burning mirrors channeled forces of nature for a process of destruction. Millennia later, scientists working on the Manhattan Project figured out how to assert further control over nature by splitting the atom in order to create a nuclear weapon. The manipulation of nature for the purposes of warfare has had world-changing consequences. We should be humbled by the powerful energies that nature stores and releases.

To protect the sacredness of life, we are reminded of the importance of living intentionally within the boundaries of nature and not attempting to assert control over it. To reconnect with the peaceful power of burning mirrors, we wonder what it will feel like to light a fire for cooking by focusing the sun’s rays, or make ceremonial offerings in this way. How might we be uplifted by displaying reverence to life-giving sources like the sun in our daily activities? How might we reintegrate an intuitive spirituality from channeling nature’s energy within our technologies?

We can begin by exploring various ways to live closer to nature. Arcolo- gy—a mashup of architecture and ecology—presents a mode of creating ecologically low-impact habitats for humans. In the American Southwest, Arcosanti stands as a living example of this concept.* There, in this desert location, about 80 residents live and work together in an architectur- al setting conscious of the natural landscape in which it’s integrated. In the United Arab Emirates, the experimental Masdar City ambitiously at- tempted to become a thriving city with buildings that could adapt to the weather throughout the day. While the large scale project of Masdar City is currently on hold, we can still continue to conjure up inspiration and search for more nuanced ways to incorporate nature into the architecture of our lives.

People and planet will all benefit from human endeavors becoming more environmentally conscious. Wherever there are healthy living soils, there’s a good chance of finding healthy living people. The notion of burning mirrors can serve to inspire a closer, and more respectful, relationship between technology and nature. Our hypothesis is that the more we learn to converge nature and technology, the more we will feel connected to the power and purpose of who we are meant to be in every conceivable way. * https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bj7jjd/arcosanti-city-future-paolo-soleri-arcology

69 Transcend the noise

70 Listen up. Turn off the TV. Turn down “The capacity to drive away a thought once and for the radio. Put down your phone. all is the door to eternity. The infinite in an instant.” Take a break from the news. — Simone Weil

Look around. Nature resonates with Where we place our attention directs our reality. Emerging from a period life in all dimensions. in which our attention has been confiscated, reclaiming our agency over our attention represents an important step toward liberation.

The moment we open our phones we are compressing our sphere of choice into the apps which all vie for our attention. When we set our phones aside, we get to opt out of the "attention economy”. In that less mediated space, we open ourselves to the world in a more receptive state. We receive the opportunity to explore and see what serendipity provides us.

As writer Dan Nixon points out in his article about how attention constitutes a way of being alive to the world, “there can be beauty and wonder in the unadorned act of ‘experiencing’.”* In this sense, pure experience offers a connection to the eternal, because there is no distraction placing our attention in a fixed place or time, Nixon posits that attention, as a form of unmediated experience, relates to what Simone Weil referred to as “the infinite in an instant”. We are inspired by this framework for attention, and feel that thinking of attention, as experience, and not a resource, is an impactful way to reclaim authority in our individual roles within an interconnected existence.

Along our way forward, we recognize the value of getting lost as it teaches us how to better deal with uncertainty. Free of overstimulation, we may well find ourselves more prone to boredom, which we must soften of all its negative connotations. Boredom leads to creativity and opens up space for pause and introspection. Stillness and solitude allow consciousness to rest. A healthy amount of idle time is not only good for us, but makes us more creative. It may even be critical to our happiness. With only wandering thoughts for entertainment, we tune into what our bodies might be telling us or what we have buried deep in our psyches. These inner secrets, unearthed from deep within ourselves, can deliver the in-

* https://aeon.co/ideas/attention-is-not-a-resource-but-a-way-of-being-alive-to-the-world sights that will help propel us on the path toward regenerative living. “Introspector”, developed by PCH for Cartier PCH for by developed “Introspector”,

71 Part 2

Align examines how parts of human systems ALIGNwork together toward specified goals. On an individual level, we believe in the importance of aligning our thoughts, words, and deeds. Strengthening the connection between what we think, what we say, and how we act will result in positive trans formational change. When our bodies feel stiff or experience pain, we seek alignment between our skeletal and muscular systems. When ALIGNwe feel disconnected 72 Align Section at a glance

ALIGN from others in terms of our conversation or ALIGNattitudes, we seek alignment in our mindsets. This section investigates A systems that are in harmony with nature’s restorative principles and patterns. Most of all, we want to draw L attention to how we can align human systems to help life thrive. We believe that ecology, health, education, and I economy can all be better realigned with respect to one another. In this way, we can begin to repair and G renew human capital in the service of a creative, just, and regenerative society. N 73 I. PERCEIVING 76ALIGNMENT Align with Intuition 77 Breathe, Stretch, Adjust II. INNOVATE 82 78 ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL LAWS Correct Our Physical & Digital Diets 79 Inspire Innovation with Principles of Nature Human Nature & The 83 Role of Machines 80 Laws of Nature Reveal the Power of Evolution Develop Relations 85 According to Respect, Trust, & Love The Convergence of Art, 81 Science, & Mysticism 86

Reintegrating Ancient Priorities 88 Exploring Psychic Abilities For Human Potential 90

74 Align III. EMPOWERING HUMANITY 92 Compose Conscious, Connected, & Inte grative Systems 93 Realign Points of Reference & Units of Measurement 94 Reassess How We Think of Tech 96 95 Dismantle Borders

Non-Violence is the Most Effective Force of Change 97

Treating Violence Like a Disease 98

Rectify the Mistakes of Our Past 99 Support the New Economy 100

Table of Contents 75 I. PERCEIVING

The sensationALIGNMENT of alignment (or misalignment) can be felt most deeply within our bodies and minds. We perceive alignment through our individual qualia programs. Qualia describes our internal subjective awareness produced by the sensory experiences of sight, sound, texture, taste, and smell in connection with external elements. This constantly changing collection of qualia significantly influences our comprehension of reality. We believe that with healthy alignment comes healthy experiences, healthy relationships, and healthy lives.

76 Align Align with Intuition

Our bodies are constantly telling us what works and what doesn’t. Conflict is important for driving action, but friction can wear down our best parts. Awareness of intuition can help experiences tran- spire more smoothly.

The comparison between instinct and intuition breaks down into a matter of rigidity versus fluidity. Whereas instinct is typically fixed, intuition can shift and turn. Our instincts might tell us that we should help if we see someone in need. Or to run if we sense danger. Yet, a strange thing about humans is that we’re the only species to have the capacity to go against 1 our own instinct. This capacity for wires getting crossed in the hardwired Excerpt from “Chirolgia, or the Natural application of instinct can cause a series of problems based on sec- Language of the Hand”, John Bulwer ond-guessing information we receive. As a result, instinct is often not the most reliable human companion. In comparison, intuition goes with the flow and can actually get better with more experience. Intuition is quick and subconscious, drawing on information we might not even know “Plan of the Brain”, Dr Alesha Sivartha, 1898 we’re perceiving to help us make automatic decisions in our favor.2 For these reasons, intuition is best suited to be our guiding principle. When faced with a big decision, we should ask ourselves: How does this feel? Our hearts can sometimes answer better than our brains. To that effect, our bodies often give us directions for how best to live and what patterns we should no longer repeat. It’s incredibly important we learn how to listen and respond to this built-in advice so we do not miss out on the lessons our bodies know to teach us. Most people agree that it doesn’t feel good to begin each day with a commute cramped in cars or shoved into packed trains. The gift of life is not to be squandered by being stuck in traffic. Throughout industrial life, the symptomatic aches and pains we feel from repeated, near-mechanical tasks are messages from our bodies telling us we were not meant to operate in this way. We do not need to continually compromise the bodies and minds we are blessed to have. Everybody deserves a better balance of physical and mental demands with physical and mental rest. We could all do with some more time to reconnect with ourselves. Interoception is the sense used to better understand your body’s We still have much to learn about our own internal systems. From a col- internal state.3 Most of us are surprisingly inept at describing what’s lective perspective, we’re just starting to get in touch with listening to going on inside our own bodies. It’s even harder to simply find a common our bodies. Mindfulness helps us connect with our intuition. In that language to explain discomfort. This predicament makes it difficult for a slowed down, more intentional space, we have more room to let our doctor to understand exactly what a patient’s body requires in the short emotions dissipate so we can more clearly see what feels like the best amount of time allotted between the two people. Nurses typically have way forward. From kindergartens to university research departments, a better sense of how to help patients because they interact with them mindfulness is becoming a new standard practice for influencing our be- to a greater degree and therefore get to know their patients better. If havioral patterns, creating further positive implications for society. the medical community on the whole were to develop a greater focus on the humanity of the patient, and if simultaneously all people were “Quinta Essentia”, Leanhart Thurneisser, 1574 more encouraged to speak about how they feel, then we could significantly help address challenges of communication going forward in healthcare practices. The more we can gain knowledge about our bodies—and what they might be telling us through sensations as polar as pleasure and pain—the more we’ll understand how to heal more efficiently. The more knowledge everyone has, the more we can learn from one another as well (rather than solely on text books and specialists). These ultra-sys- tematized modes of learning form just one part of the larger process of sharing knowledge about the mysteries of the body. We must continue to concentrate on supporting holistic approaches for our health. In America, one of the monetarily richest countries on Earth, the healthcare system is designed to create profit rather than care for the sick. This arrangement has a dismal effect for people in need of care. In the U.S. more money is spent per capita on healthcare than any other nation, and yet the country still has one of the worst health systems in the developed world. This inefficiency is alarming. How can we not afford to have healthcare for all? Similarly, how can we afford not to have proposed legislation like a Green New Deal, which is designed to confront climate change while at the same time ensuring programs like universal childcare, and dignified wages for healthcare workers?4 Legislative ideas like these are critical for a sustainable future. We have to direct our intentions, initiatives, and activities toward taking comprehensive care of ourselves and the planet that sustains us.

I. PERCEIVING ALIGNMENT 77 The path to a better future is inscribed within each one of us. As Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss.” Your heart knows that when energies are aligned an idea can better spark creative action. Our heads are not the only parts of our body with a brain, our hearts and guts each have a brain of their own. We have processing systems all throughout our physical forms. As a result, our internal sensations and intuitions can sometimes be our best advocates. The more we can get in touch with these sensations, the more we access intuition, the more we will place ourselves in beneficial situations. Breathe, Stretch, Adjust

When imbalance occurs, we feel it quickly. The impact of our repetitive tasks can take a toll. Resist confinement and allow solitary expansion…

Living away from truth is harmful for mind and body alike. A truth we are well served to keep in mind is that humans are collaborative creatures. And in order to work well with others, we first need to take care of ourselves. By giving ourselves appropriate time to be alone, to access our thoughts and feelings, we are able to expand our self-awareness and become better prepared to engage with others. Simple actions to support wellbeing can help heal wounds and experiences of disconnection. Isolation, lethargy, and negativity are well treated by exercise, eating well, and speaking with others. The cruel irony is that the worse one feels, the more one retreats away from others and into the depths of depression. Yet, this tendency can be more readily countered with increased awareness of one’s thoughts and emotions, combined with a focus on shared purpose and healing. There are myriad ways to feel centered. Every one of us gets to choose what feels right. There’s visualization, in which you imagine yourself like a tree, your trunk growing from the ground, roots spreading deep below the surface of groundwater, and every other nitrogen-rich nutrient “Physical Training for Businessmen”, Harrie Irving Hancock, 1917 sustaining creative growth. Playing sports or taking on athletic challenges is another way to become present in the moment and generate increased awareness. Surfing requires patience, balance, and oneness with the wave. There’s no shortage of activities that promote alignment. Right this moment, you might choose to take a break from reading and use that time to reflect silently. Or meditate. A deep inhale, accompanied by a mantra of love, kindness, and positivity, awakens the soul, followed by a slow exhale that releases all that you no longer need, whatever no longer serves. The next breath of oxygen you draw in will fill your lungs, heart, brain…and create a positive effect on the mind. There’s much to be gained in acknowledging gratitude for this life. When we feel ourselves suffering through the hamster wheel of repetitive computational chores, it helps to pause. Go outside, absorb some sunlight, breathe oxygen from trees, reach into the sky. Jump up and feel your body reconnect with the ground when you land, the earth beneath your feet. Take a couple deep breaths when things feel heavy. Take a moment for yourself, wherever that leads. At night, see if you can find the first star to appear in the sky. Or regard the glow of the moon. Sub- merge yourself in a body of water, a river, a lake, the ocean. Or simply take a sip of water. The elemental forces of nature can rejuvenate. They can help us understand the relation our bodies have to what the ancient Greek’s referred to as Gaia, or Mother Earth. Revel in the enduring and Hand painted images of Buddha evolving relationship between yourself and everything else in existence.

78 Align Correct Our (Physical & Digital) Diets

Replace poor dietary habits of processed “junk” foods and “junk” content with a di- gest of healthy fats to feed our brains along with positive narratives to feed our souls and imaginations.

“I do believe you are what you perceive. What comes is better than what came before.”

— The Velvet Underground, “I Found a Reason”, 1970

Diet colors our character and shapes our reality. Between the invisible lines that connect what we eat with how we feel, or between what we think and what we experience, there is the inextricable influence of our entire physical and digital diets on how we perceive ourselves. What we decide to put into our bodies and minds is a very intimate choice. Yet, we are easily overwhelmed by innutritious offerings. Global eating trends are in serious need of revision. Around Butcher Display, 1940 the world, unhealthy eating habits now cause more deaths than tobacco and high blood pressure. An estimated 11 million deaths were attributable to unhealthy diets in 2017. The causes of these deaths included 10 million deaths from heart disease, 913,000 deaths from obesity-related cancers, and nearly 339,000 deaths from type 2 diabetes.5 Over-consuming unwholesome foods compro- mises one’s life. The most important realignment we can make in our physical diets is to focus on eating healthier foods. Whole grains, seeds, legumes, fruits, and vegetables benefit cardiovascu- lar health as well as mental health. Addressing the correlation between food and mood, a New York Times article points out how the majority of Americans take in an abundance of calories while being malnourished when it comes to micronutrients.6 The micronutrients which are commonly found in plant- based foods, are vital, nourishing components required to energize and strengthen our brains. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and eating less processed foods is the most immediate way to better regulate our moods. A properly maintained, balanced physical diet has the ability to alleviate depression and anxiety. The digital space is another area that requires careful consideration when it comes to what we consume. Endlessly scrolling through content arranged by algorithms designed to keep you further addicted to screens will not help improve personal and social cohesion. “Digital sabbaths” are the quickest way to reclaim attention for oneself and one’s meaningful relationships. We don’t necessarily think that apps designed to monitor the use of other apps is as good of an answer to this problem as simply stepping away from our screens. And, when we return we return to our news and entertainment, we should strive to intentionally seek out uplifting stories and inspiring expressions of creativity to fuel positive mindsets and actions. We believe that the more mindful we are about nourishing ourselves, the healthier our bodies, brains, relationships, communities, and ultimately society will be.

I. PERCEIVING ALIGNMENT 79 Human Nature & The Role of Machines

Humans are good at being humans. Machines are good at being machines. Humans being made to perform tasks like machines erodes humanity. It’s essential that humanity be prioritized in all human activities.

The theory of scientific management, as advocated by mechanical engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor, gained great popularity around the tail end of the 19th century. According to the theory, through the application of scientific methods and empirical verification, productive efficiency can be achieved by breaking down processes into the most clinical and precise steps possible, thereby eliminating wasted motion.7 Labor was still largely performed manually at the time that this theory emerged so the movement of the body itself was often the subject of scrutiny. Every dip, step, grasp, and twist was analyzed, and the human capacity for work was reduced to that of a machine. The quantifiable implications of Taylor’s theory have exerted a great deal of influence on subsequent management theories and have become increasingly visible in labor practices of the present day. Today’s businesses, supplied with precise tracking and data mining technologies, can create Franck V., 2018 quantified metrics to assess employee performance based on their physical performance. Amazon is one of the most enthusiastic adopters of this practice. Their warehouse workers remain under the watchful eye of their analytic systems at all times. At Amazon, if an employee falls behind painstaking productivity targets, they can be warned, reprimanded, and ultimately even fired.8 All this occurs completely automatically, via algorithm, without the input of a supervisor. This system exacerbates the physical strain of maintaining continual optimized output combined with the mental stress of perpetual scrutiny. One-size-fits-all standardized metrics for employee performance have disastrous effects for the individuals who keep a company running. The resulting work conditions form a toxic concoction for these workers, and not one conducive to satisfaction or connection with one’s work.

Corporate productivity practices represent one area of standardization that can be improved for human benefit. Yet, there’s another more insidious sense of standardization that has creeped into the lifestyles of people in developed nations: an industrially-standardized daily cycle of work-eat-entertain-sleep. This artificial cycle of life pummels our biological clocks with endless computational work, processed foods, streams of television shows to watch, and social media barrages, all of which contribute to loss of sleep and related disor- 9 “Analog Communication”, Natalia Petri ders. Stepping away from industrialized standards of daily routines will do much to improve our connection to our own intuitive wisdom. While standardization can make for certain efficiencies, we also lose the integrity of variation and the potential to receive insights that can emerge by deviating from the norm. We believe in the importance of approaches that work for efficacy as much as we believe in the importance of enabling variation.

80 Align Develop Relations According to Respect, Trust, & Love

Respect for oneself and others creates trust. Trust enables love to flourish.

In our age of great uncertainty, the most important bonds are those we make and maintain between friends, family, and our intimate partners. These are the people to hold onto when nothing makes sense, people we respect because of our deeply meaningful relationships with one another. These are the people whose advice we trust because we know they have our best interest at heart. These are the people we love most. The bonds of love are as strong as any force in the universe. No matter the shape or structure of love, it has a transcendent quality. When conditions seem unbearable, contact with a loved one can make all the difference to improve one’s situation. Think of this path of transformational change on a personal level. Now imagine the role of love on a global level that restores relationships between people and planet along Tagtool Projection Mapping, Philipp Greindl, 2019 with essential ingredients of trust and respect. Self-respect is a pre-requisite condition for showing respect to others. Focusing on our wellbeing, and making healthy choices, is a fundamental personal expression of respect. The more we respect ourselves, the more that sense of respect permeates our interactions with others, as well as with our environment. Trust secures and supports healthy relationships, and is an empowering force. The more we learn to trust our own intuition, the more we will learn to trust the direction we travel and those who accompany us on our journey. Trust within oneself, and between individuals, is what can make the loftiest goals achievable. The role of trust, respect, and love is more than just a personal matter. These values can also transform public policy and governance. In an encouraging example of how trust can benefit communities, the California city of Stockton recently rolled out a pilot project to give residents with below average incomes, $500 a month for eighteen months to spend as they see fit. In covering this development, The Atlantic pointedly asked, “What if public policy were predicated on that kind of trust and lack of judgment?”10 The implications would surely mean increased social benefit throughout the lives of community members. Trust, respect, and love are not one-way forces. They are reciprocal. By showing respect for one’s position and responsibilities, trust grows. Whether our attention is on the actions of elected representatives, leaders of industry, or artists, endeavors that create a culture of respect, trust, and love have the most lasting, and positively influential, effect.

I. PERCEIVING ALIGNMENT 81 II. INNOVATE ACCORDING TO Realigning eco- UNIVERSAL nomic mechanisms toward a goal of purpose, rather LAWS than profit, will play a huge role in shifting how industrial research and development is conducted. Circularity, as a principle and pattern, will allow the future course of innovation to be aligned with infinite possibility. To this effect, innovation will move out of the shadows as a fringe and risk-oriented facet of conventional business, and become a primary factor in evolving human and (inter) planetary potential.

82 Align “ASSIGNMENT_13”, We believe that we should not limit our- Inspire Innovation with Javier Padilla Reyes, 2012 selves to acknowledging the variations on how love can be expressed. We also strongly feel Principles of Nature that no version of love is really complete until one learns to love oneself. And to love our- Think beyond physical and mental limits with respect to planetary selves, we must make no judgement about our boundaries. Forge optimized standards based on evolutionary pow- faults. Rather, we can improve a great deal from er through cycles of memory and change. accepting our faults as instrumental to how we become who we are. In order to access our capacity for unconditional love—that is, to love “You must be shapeless, formless, like water. without expectation of receiving anything in When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the return—it’s essential we first understand what conditions we have already set for ourselves. cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it What obstacles do we place in our own way becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a based on what we think we need from others? teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip To advance beyond our self-imposed limitations, we need to understand why we are the and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” way we are and what we are going to do to — Bruce Lee change for the better. Ultimately, we can learn to shape our experiences through a guiding When we are blessed with a view of the ocean, we feel a sense of calm. principle of love as a powerful and multi-dimen- This sensation occurs in relation to the inherent connection between the sional force. water in our bodies and the water of Earth’s own body. Suddenly, all that is constantly moving around inside seems to settle. Waves still crash on the shore, but out toward the horizon, the surface is calm, steady, and “What you seek is seeking continuous. you.” — Rumi Earth is in a state of dynamic non-equilibrium, a constant state of change. As human activity accelerates the changes on our planet, and as we increasingly incorporate machine learning and extended intelli- Rumi’s poems relate beautiful expressions of gence into human interactions, it’s critical we reenforce the primacy of foundational forces which are revealed through life. To do so, we are reminded to model our ideas and actions after na- mystic awareness. The law of attraction states ture. In this way, our vision for innovation from 2020 to 2050 centers on that thoughts or actions originating from within our capacities to realign society based on regenerative principles and each of us will attract mutual energy and action patterns sourced from nature’s evolving laws. from others. An example of this resonant quali- Aligning awareness of universal laws with the practice of our dis- ty might be that you meet someone who has cipline can serve to sharpen our understanding of the guiding forces that “Outer Space”, Michael Najjar, been working on a similar project, or struggling help us progress forward. There are several laws of nature which might 2012 with a similar challenge as you, and you natural- not be commonly known or referenced in everyday situations, yet can ly feel yourself drawn to certainly provide positive influence for the practice of innovation. them, looking to align One of the most felt, and also complicated, laws of nature is the with them along this law of love. Where does this powerful force come from and how does it shared course of interest. take us over? When we feel love’s effects, our emotional intelligence is This convergence with pulled unwaveringly in its desired direction. There are many forms of love others helps all involved that humans have sought to name, like platonic love, which describes a through collaborative ex- non-romantic love, such as experienced through shared wisdom. Greek change. There are count- language offers several more variations on love. Philia is the name for less ways in which the brotherly love. Philautia means love for oneself. Eros signifies erotic love. law of attraction can Agape expresses a love for God (or any concept of a higher being). Love manifest relevance in occurs in countless ways. one’s own personal jour-

II. INNOVATE ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL LAWS 83 ney. We believe in the benefit of being open to receiving guidance from wherever our intuition and attention leads. The law of correspondence tells us that our outer world is nothing more than a reflection of our inner world. In other words, what we think and how we feel influences what we say and what we do. And, this then in turn affects the reality we experience. Associative connections appear between different energies and matter because all things are inherently connected by virtue of existing.

“As above, so below.” — from The Emerald Tablet

The Emerald Tablet is an Egyptian-Greek wisdom text about the cosmos, mind, the divine, and nature. The origin of the text is unknown, while the text is attributed to a teacher named Hermes Tris- megistus. The essence of the philosophers’ stone is said to be held within the text’s esoteric lines. Having first appeared in a book written in Arabic between the 8th and International Cloud Atlas, World Meteorological Organization, 2013 6th centuries, the text of the Emerald Tablet gained wide reception during the 1200s in Europe. Sir Isaac Newton’s translation of the text ap- We tend to gravitate toward the people, places, and ideas that resonate peared in his work with alche- with our intuition. The law of gravity reveals the heavy influence that is my. He interpreted the exerted upon all matter. Gravity is also relative. The gravity on Earth is beginning of the text to say, greater than the gravity on the moon. Gravity shows us the importance “That which is below is like of context in respect to its relevance. In the middle of space, where grav- that which is above and that ity seemingly does not exist, the effects of gravity are still present on which is above is like that is account of dark matter. These effects also remind us how that which we below to do the miracles of cannot see is nonetheless incredibly significant and worth consideration. one only thing. And as all The universe operates by many mysterious properties. Imagine all things have been and arose the times you’ve thought of someone and then that person calls you on from one by the mediation of the phone. This phenomena is more than coincidence; it relates to laws one: so all things have their of manifestation. When we give our attention to something, we share the birth from this one thing by power of our intention and energy with that entity, and give it greater adaptation.” momentum to be summoned into our lives. “Everything in the field of time is dual: past and future, dead and alive, being and nonbeing.”

— Joseph Campbell

Laws of polarity or duality speak to Newton’s third law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What- ever state we’re in (such as joyous or sad, hot or cold), we are well served to remember it represents only one end of a spectrum. Awareness of polarity reminds us that beyond the realm of duality lives the eternal. We are interested in how this law can give greater insight into how our actions are involved in the push-and-pull “Wood Wide Web”, Michael Sedbon, 2018 nature of polarity. What role do we play in this process? All our actions, and even our observations, have consequences that are bound by polarity. In quantum mechanics, photon polari- zation describes how light can behave as a

84 Align wave function, which collapses into a particle as soon as that wave is observed at a certain point. Interestingly enough, the particle cannot turn back to a wave. This quandary is also expressed in the play Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, in which the character Thomasina wonders at the oddity that a swirl of jam can blend into pudding, but cannot return to the original shape of its initial swirl. In our physical reality, matter behaves according to Jack Goldstein, 1983 laws of polarity. Yet, we can place this phenomena in perspective, and wonder at what it might mean to transcend this state of duality as a means for accessing the supreme power of the eternal. Finally, the law of harmony offers a grand organizing principle for life. It states that all that exists will ultimately be brought into balance; that an underlying mechanism of the universe is to arrange relationships of all kind in harmony with one another. While moments of disharmony surely occur—such as a ripple in calm water—any disturbance to harmony is temporary. Eventually, through the law of harmony, balance will be restored. The law of harmony serves as a kind of baseline principle to keep in mind when undergoing any act of creativity. Think of music, and how songs are arranged according to the law of harmony. When in tune, the frequencies of different instruments align and we hear a harmonious sound that profoundly moves our emotional, physical, and spiritual states. Of course, any expression of disharmony—like instruments not in tune or playing dissonantly together—can be jarring. Yet, through continued effort, harmony comes back into existence. It’s as if the universe is an extraordinary orchestra of diverse elements playing at all times and our task is to find a way to join in its phenomenal melody and rhythm. Approaches to innovation can benefit immensely from the trans lation of these universal laws into positive principles for future-based initiatives. Innovation is a vital part of an evolutionary process, that can be understood in terms of imagination, technical ability, and ingenuity. The choice is ours to better infuse innovation with the laws of nature, love, harmony, attraction, and evolution through infinite cycles of renewal.

Giant cactus on the Apache Trail Laws of Nature Reveal the Power of Evolution

All effort is made less stressful when we remember that everything is always changing. Every cycle is a renewed opportunity to improve upon the conditions that came before. Our current generation stands on the shoulders of every generation that lived before us. We are responsible for what future generations will inherit. Each new generation receives the gift of an improved baseline, and each new generation has a unique opportunity to generate greater under- Optics: spectra of various substances, R.H Digeon, 1868 standing around life’s mysteries. Laws of nature are mysterious in why they exist as they do, and will most likely remain beyond human comprehension. Part of the challenge of understanding these laws better comes from the fact that humans represent only one species within a symphony of species conducted by nature. Human reality is different from the reality of a fish, which is far different from the reality of a butterfly, which differs again from the reality of a cactus. There is most likely no way to know the laws of nature in their totality given the limitations of human perception. Laws of evolution reveal the changing composi-

II. INNOVATE ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL LAWS 85 tion within the laws of nature. Biologist Rupert Sheldrake speaks of evolution through a notion of what he calls morphic resonance, a theory that posits laws of nature are not fixed, but more like habits which can change over time through a field of collective memory.11 On his website, Sheldrake explains that through morphic resonance, “each individual inherits a collective memory from past members of the species, and also contributes to the collective memory, affecting other members of the species in the future.”12 In other words, Sheldrake suggests that a species can strengthen certain abilities, not necessarily through the natural selection of genetic information, but through a kind of telepathic transference of information throughout the evolutionary field of existence. In any event, change is the guiding force of nature. Nothing occurs in perpetuity, no matter how much we might try to command circumstances to our will. Dogmatic thinking forces a false premise of control. Sheldrake noted this concept in his 2013 TED talk by saying, “Dogmatic assumptions inhib- it inquiry.” By channeling the law of evolution, and questioning dogmas wherever they appear, we become better equipped to discover a path beyond our limitations. When we maintain this mode of intellectual curiosity, there is no end to the insights that can emerge. Advances in science are proving what spiritual practitioners have been sharing for centuries. For example, quantum mechanics reveals a fundamental nature of existence based on the role of the observer and foundational inter-being. As areas of exploration—like science and spirituality—are brought closer together through evolutions of thought within society, the implications of ongoing discoveries will become greater than the sum of their parts. As quantum physics becomes more integrated into human consciousness, perspective will open to the vast scale of probability. The interplay PCH Project Omega, a 10-dimensional holographic visualization of string theory between invisible and observable phenomena will come into greater dialogue and drastically advance human potential in the process. The more that we align that which we don’t understand with that which we do, the greater our sense of possibility will become. And this open-mindedness will, in turn, only strengthen our sense of underlying connection to the world we inhabit and influence. The Convergence of Art, Science, & Mysticism

In many instances these three disciplines intersect. People of wide-ranging learning called polymaths have wielded all three in search of knowledge. Realigning initiatives based on the core connections within this Venn diagram of complementary forces, will help harmonize humanity’s understanding of our place in the story of life.

“Scientific education for the masses will do little good, and probably a lot of harm, if it simply boils down to more physics, more chemistry, more biology, etc to the detriment of literature and history. Its probable effect on the average human being would be to narrow the range of his thoughts and make him more than ever contemptuous of such knowledge as he did not possess.” — George Orwell

PCH Project Omega, a 10-dimensional holographic visualization of string theory Pursuing education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathe- matics) fields is often held up as the most sensible choice students can make in regards to their future careers. Conversely, the humanities are sometimes belittled—the new prevailing thought being that this area of educational focus is less likely to translate to good job opportunities. More and more, the world is run by the linearly, analytical “left brainers”. This mindset is typified by the Silicon Valley ideology, in which social problems are viewed as one algorithm away from being solved. However, ethical frameworks in the study of computer science are woefully underempha- sized, leaving many in the field lacking the appropriate toolkit to really come to grips with the potential consequences of their work. The arc of technology over the last few years has shown us that there are clearly

86 Align not enough voices asking, “should we even be doing this?” We believe we need to be asking more questions about why we have arranged societal priorities as we have. Also, that we should be more imaginative about how we envision our way of life. And we believe we can learn infinitely from the organizing principles scientific inquiry continues to draw from the physical world. The beauty of a mathematical equation can transcend the numbers and symbols used to write it when we see a real-world representation unfold by its design. Consider the Fibonac- ci sequence that shows up in the number of petals in flowers (most often 5, 8, 13, or 21), or the spiral construction of a snail’s shell.13 These examples are rather simple when it comes to mathematical possibilities, yet much more elaborate experimentation is currently underway. In PCH Caustic Buddha rendering theory and technology development, an array of physicists, computer-scientists, and spiritualists continue to decode and apply quantum physics in ongoing investigations and experimentation. While technologies stand to improve astronomically with the development of quantum computing, what if the primary impact of quantum mechanics on society is not so much of technological benefit, but instead an ability to understand our interconnectedness These kinds of questions should act as and to interact on a quantum level? The idea of guardrails to guide the streams of thought that quantum healing is that there is no intermediate transcend the edge of current knowledge and process, recovery is immediate. This instanta- cascade into the unknown. neous change of one’s state can be illustrated by how if you think you’ve lost your keys, and you begin to worry, and then find your keys in “The body itself is a screen / to an unexpected place, you immediately feel re- shield and partially reveal / the lief and considerably better. Imagine that, in the future, repairs within the body could be made light that’s blazing / inside your almost instantaneously, without lengthy proce- presence.” – Rumi, Story Water dures and periods for recovery. What would that implication mean for conventional healing? Science as well as the arts each flourish when Will we then become able to manually manipu- incorporating insights from other disciplines and late the cells in our bodies? What would that inspired by mystic revelations. In the first half of mean for immediate demands in the health sec- the 20th century, Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de tor? What would it mean across a vaster scale Chardin (1881-1955) developed an idea that the of evolution? universe—including all its physical matter and spiritual energy—is evolving toward increasing complexity and consciousness. And the point of absolute convergence Teilhard called the Ome- 14 “Singularity 5” VR game by Monochrome Studios, 2018 Illustration from “Gemma ga Point. While this notion of ultimate com- Sapientiae et Prudentiae” depicting symbology of plexity and consciousness converging in an transcendental alchemy, arrangement of divine elegance is rooted in 1735 spiritual investigation, Teilhard framed his idea of the Omega Point as grounds for scientific exploration. Whether or not the scientific community is eager to adopt Teilhard’s premise might impact just how far science can advance our understanding of the mysteries enfolded in the universe. Either way, Teilhard's idea of the Ome- ga Point continues to be an important topic for metaphysical exploration. Questioning how consciousness is configured throughout the universe, and whether or not we are all part of a complex evolution toward something like an Omega Point, can help create meaning on a personal and collective level. We feel it’s important to consider ideas that have the potential to influence how we think of our relation to cosmic history and future.

II. INNOVATE ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL LAWS 87 When we look to schools of thought outside our typical purview, we open our perspectives and we become more receptive to different probabilities. By realigning our inputs to include the observations of artists, scientists, and mystics, and the more that conversation between their disciplines can evolve, we will undoubtedly be more fulfilled, informed, and connected.

“Both for the physicists and the Sufis, the multidimensional experiences transcend the sensory world and are therefore almost impossible to express in ordinary language.”

— Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D. President of Islamic Research Foundation International

Awareness of the common ground between scientists and spiritualists creates more fertile territory to explore and expand consciousness. Artwork similarly inspires our imaginations and can directly influence consciousness. Further development of Xu Guangqi Memorial Hall, Liz Hingley, 2016 a common language around the areas of inquiry that account for metaphysical mystery, scientific specificity, and artistic expression could theoreti- cally benefit all of humanity. As well, in searching for balanced interplay between these areas, we might one day be able to envision a way of regarding and understanding phenomena that defy expla- of a partial Venus, featuring outlines of nation. exaggerated hips tracing the contours of the cave’s outcrop.15 The variety of images in the cave have been dated to two different periods of time. The cave paintings illustrate how two distinct Aurignacian cultural groups Reintegrating of people, who lived thousands of years Ancient apart from each other, each used this selected space for imprinting their visions of Priorities the world as they experienced it. The timeless story of fertility is told in the char- What did wisdom represent in ancient times? coal lines that shape the cave’s most What does wisdom mean today and how will prominent Venus and multiple others. it be dealt with tomorrow? These distant groups of human ancestors honored a sacred feminine source. In the It’s important to make sure we’re not losing vital cave paintings, these early groups of peo- wisdom from our past as we race for progress. ple left behind a message of the impor- Forgetting the wisdom from generations of expe- tance of living in reverence to where life is rience is the easiest means for the dark periods of made. Today, as in any stage of existence, our collective history to repeat themselves. Sup- we are well served to do the same. porting systems of shared knowledge, such as museums, libraries, and theaters, can help empower people to access vital stories and information. Continuous learning must be available to all people, and not reserved for privileged classes. For inspiration, we can look back at how humans have preserved ideas discovered to be worth recording “Discourse on Geomancy”, 1685 throughout the ages. The earliest forms of human writing can be We wonder whether there were the equivalent of ancient sketchbooks found in the form of artwork deep within France's as there’s only the finished products on the walls of Chauvet. No mo- Chauvet Cave where, over 30,000 years ago, peo- ckups, no mistakes. Just raw, intentional expression. What was that act ple painted hundreds of animals on the walls. In of painting like at that time? Was it a dangerous hobby with bears and addition to capturing the likeness of around thir- cave hyenas lurking just outside? The rituals and routines were of a group teen different species, handprints also exist, drawn nature, albeit much smaller in size and range of territory. In today’s world throughout the cave in red pigment. The depiction of exponentially increasing population, technologies, and innovation, how of human forms in this space also include several can we access wisdom from our ancient rituals to support alignment with vulvas, with the most prominent drawn in the form timeless priorities around the sanctity of life?

88 Align Throughout ancient human history, the sacred feminine has been expressed not only as a source of life, but also a source of wisdom. Around the 8th century BCE in Greece, Pythia was the high priest- ess Oracle at Delphi. One day each month, she sat on a cauldron atop a tripod, shrouded in ethylene vapors and uttering prophecies to prepared supplicants. According to archaeologist John Hale, as quoted in an interview from 2004 on the radio program, The Ark, “the Pythia was (on occasion) a noble of aristocratic family, sometimes a peasant, sometimes rich, sometimes poor, sometimes old, sometimes young, sometimes a very lettered and educated woman to whom somebody like the high priest and the philosopher Plutarch would dedicate essays, other times who could not write her own name. So it seems to have been aptitude rather than any ascribed status that made these women eligible to be Pythias and speak for the god.”16 This variance in who speaks for god is most fascinating, as the tradition allows for women of diverse backgrounds to occupy this sacred position. One of the better known landmarks of Delphi is the Delphic Maxim inscribed on the temple, “Know thyself.” The idea of self-knowledge through the guidance of women from different backgrounds makes us wonder what the modern day equivalent might be? How can we, in our current societal communities, create civic spaces devoted to wisdom in connection with the land and sacred feminine, and that honor women from all areas of society? And, in what ways might we also integrate the role of the sacred masculine, to protect and provide for others? How might we integrate oracles into our modern civiliza- CIA Stargate Project tion? Possibly in the creation of councils appointed specifically to respond to the most compelling concerns and questions of our times. In whichever ways we organize future communities inspired by ancient wisdom, society will benefit from this being a practice open to everyone. The power of the people rests in the capacity to connect across common bonds. Early written texts reveal the importance of solidarity and freedom, especially while living under the control of others’ self-interest. UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cul- tural Organization) “Memory of The World Reg- ister” contains a collection of documentary archives preserved from as far back in human history as we have the written word.17 Among the collection is the Magna Carta, signed in agreement by King John on June 15, 1215. The document was drafted as a means for keeping peace between the rebellious Barons and the unpopular king. Its contents secured certain protections and freedoms for the people as an alternative to subjugation by an authoritarian ruler. In the centuries that followed, the document continued to offer influence, most notably in the drafting of the United States Constitution. The idea that people’s rights and freedoms must be upheld, written onto parchment in England Cybernetic Seance at Macy Conference over 800 years ago, is worth continually keeping in our hearts, minds, and policies going forward. When we look back at the various forms of stories told throughout different periods of human civilization, we find reminders of the importance of working together while also honoring the mysteries and beauty of life. Ancient wisdom will guide future discovery.

II. INNOVATE ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL LAWS 89 Declassified sketches from Stargate Project, the CIA’s 20 year investigation of psychic phenomena

Exploring Psychic Abilities For “Telepathy is just information coming in; psychokinesis, Human Potential just information going out.”

— Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut Whatever percentage of our brains we’re using, it’s already enough to sense what’s otherwise out of reach. We are intrigued by the Science fiction often depicts enhanced versions prospect of seeing distant places and uncovering information to of paranormal abilities. In the comic book fran- help make more fully informed decisions by looking from the mind’s chise The X-Men, Dr. Charles Xavier hooks him- eye. self up to his own invention, an electrical headpiece that extends his already innate psychic ability, and allows him to connect to the “The day science begins to study non-physical collective consciousness of all humans through phenomena, it will make more progress in one his mind. And often, for this ability, he is celebrated by the public and the U.S. government. decade than in all the previous centuries of its Yet, the other side of the X-Men story is soaked existence.” — Nikola Tesla in pain and suffering. The kids of this institution, all of them mutants themselves, are often reviled Clairvoyance is the sensation of experiencing information about future by society despite their altruistic intentions. The events that goes beyond typical sensory capacity. Many different forms of point of this part of the story is: We need to help, extrasensory, paranormal, psychic phenomena have the potential to lead rather than fear, those who can assist us by way to important breakthroughs in the coming years. of their unique, hidden talents and better inte- Remote viewing is an extrasensory perception (ESP) tactic in which grate these individuals into society. Right now an individual views information pertaining to a place, person, or event with- marks a great moment to reexamine the whole out physically being in the same location as that vision. In the 1970s, instanc- spectrum of cognitive ranges in people and in- es of remote viewing were performed with enough success to get the US vite those who have extraordinary abilities to government to fund a $20 million project to study its effects and applica- share in the collective conversation. tions. Housed at a secret Army unit in Fort Meade, Maryland, Stargate It’s possible that many individuals have Project employed several full-time psychics and ran in conjunction with the psychic intelligence, and yet, the general popu- Menlo Park nonprofit SRI International to investigate potential applications lation wouldn’t know about these people's abil- for controlled psychic phenomena. The program was ultimately terminated ities due to their concern of adverse response. in 1995 due to doubts as to the veracity of the most compelling findings. Those who might exhibit an extra-sensory gift Despite yielding conclusive evidence that could have led to a new set of might very well seek to protect themselves from research, the program did not make further headway.18 The CIA’s declassi- others who would either fear, not understand, fied papers shed light on why the project was initiated, and explain the or single out that person for their ability. Yet, benefits of remote viewing as being “passive, inexpensive, no known de- there must be a rightful place for clairvoyance in fense”. The CIA’s overview document describes the term psychoenergetics our society. For human civilization to evolve to as “the mental process by which an individual perceives, communicates its next phase of ability and discovery, what if we with, and/or perturbs characteristics of a designated target, person, or could learn from those whose insights could lead event remote in space and/or time from that individual.”19 Other psychic us into the possibilities of enabling mind over abilities that were tested during the decades-long project involved telekine- matter? The ability to connect, through the sis: the ability to move physical objects with one’s mind. We believe the mind, to other people and places, is such an ex- possibilities of these extrasensory actions continue to be valuable areas to traordinary skill that it transcends any corporeal explore and entertain. experience to which most people relate. But what if collective conversation were to shift around the place of psychic abilities in society— how might that allow us to greater expand human innovation?

90 Align The kind of healing our planet needs might very well be informed by intelligence that is of yet beyond our access. SETI (Search for Extra Ter- restrial Intelligence) is looking for signs of intelligent life using radio signals. But this could be insufficient technology to explore a more diverse field of energy and frequency. What if psychic abilities were to play a greater role in channeling other life? There are already people who claim to be doing this. Perhaps we can find relevant approaches to see the unseen. How might we be able to take a look into the 95% dark energy and matter of our universe that might offer profound answers that have so far been out of view? If consciousness is everything, then we can’t exclude anything from offering us the possibility to evolve our consciousness. Empowerment and inclusivity are the ingredients to positive evolution. Greater exploration into psychic ability could offer insights beyond anything humanity has previously known. Innumerable people are working in Agent Cooper in the Black Lodge, Twin Peaks S03 E03 the interest of such exploration. Access to mind-enhancing agents continues to increase. A range of products called “nootropic in greater detail, and drove toward the impor- supplements" are already on the market boasting tance of democratizing investigations into psy- amplified neural powers. Nootropics denote ways chic phenomena and developing paranormal of enhancing cognitive function, and show up as abilities. The current paradigm of concentrated commercially-available, synthetic “smart drugs” power in modern civilization is a dangerous and “brain enhancers”. The coming years will see premise for how the potential for psychic abili- more and more of these products. But hopefully, ties might be manipulated. The possibility of an along with these advancements, we will also see elite group controlling resources, research, and more tolerance for people exhibiting certain sa- supernatural abilities also sounds a little like a vant-like abilities that do not fit within the current bad plot for a dystopian thriller. Yet, programs social standard of acceptability. Currently children of psychic espionage, like the CIA’s Stargate with Asperger’s, or those who are on the Autistic Project, have been developed within govern- spectrum, are mostly without adequate support in ment-sponsored activities in order to target our society. And often, a developmental disorder such information as the military programs of marked by difficulty with social interaction and nonverbal communication, “Celestial foreign governments. This is not the future of Phenomenon results in such individuals being ignored, when what they have to share over Nuremberg”, human potential we envision. We don’t want to may be of undeniable value. Some children with Asperger's might be able 1561 see psychic phenomena become the means of to help advance some of the more difficult problems facing society at large mind-control at the expense of others. We want if only these individuals were given a more fitting place with kindness, to see these supernatural abilities be used for compassion, and empowering support to pursue their interests. common good and co-creation. Whatever we In corresponding academic research, Allan Snyder, director of the pursue and however we pursue activities Centre for the Mind at the University of Sydney, hypothesizes that by around psychic abilities, there will always be temporarily de-activating the more conceptual and logical decision-mak- unintended consequences. Yet, we can surely ing apparatus of the brain, any human brain can approximate the gifts of mitigate some of the risk by creating a more autistic savants. Snyder researches how electro-magnetic stimulation to open space and avenues for societal integration the brain’s frontal lobes can prohibit that region of the brain’s activity in of psychic power. order to stimulate the ability to recall incredibly detailed information, or In the meantime, perspectives are open- perform quick, complex calculations. ing with greater interest in expanding con- With the costs of scientific inquiry drop- sciousness. So whether we engage in remote ping, there will be an increasingly open field for viewing, decide to take nootropics, or choose research into psychic phenomena. It's even pos- to escape our typical plane of cognition through sible that the human genome can point out the a traditional selection of psychedelics, many of genes associated with psychic abilities, and then us are looking for ways to open our minds to it’s only a matter of time and effort before genet- new dimensions of insight. Increased interest in ic editing results in real life X-Men walking among MDMA, ayahuasca, mescaline, peyote, and sal- us a few decades forward in the future. via divinorum (just some of the more than 100 psychedelics currently in rotation, with over half in synthesized form), highlights the general fas- “The whole problem with the cination with altered states of consciousness. world is that fools and fanatics are No matter which path we take toward greater insight into consciousness and the mys- always so certain of themselves, teries of the universe, it’s paramount that we and wiser people so full of think of alternatives to the current systems influencing the vanguard of research. We feel hu- doubts.” — Bertrand Russell manity will benefit immensely from adopting a whole new systems approach to expanding In 2015, parapsychology researcher Dean Radin consciousness and enhancing cognitive func- presented his work on the future of conscious- tion for everyone. Imagine what our level of ness to an audience gathered by the Institute Of communication, understanding, and co-crea- Noetic Sciences (IONS), where Radin holds the tion will be like then… position of Chief Scientist. His talk covered many of the topics described in this subsection

II. INNOVATE ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL LAWS 91 III. EMPOWERING

With the coming gener- HUMANITY ation, education will become more closely aligned with cultivating intuitive decision- making. By incorporating a wide range of sources of knowledge and perspectives, a more holistic approach to education will synthesize old traditions with new capabilities to instill a greater sense of integrity and possibility into public and private institutions.

92 Align Compose Conscious, Connected, & Integrative Systems

Over the past thirty years, consumer lifestyle has gradually become oversized and unsustainable. In the next thirty years, popular lifestyle will be less about ego and more aligned with nature’s cycles to establish balanced ecosystems.

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

— Arundhati Roy

Common everyday items, that quickly come in and out of our lives, can be realigned with more lasting principles. In many ways, some of the simplest changes are also the most widely effective. The question of “paper” or “plastic” for grocery bags is better replaced by the question of do you need to bring another bag into circulation at all, or can you simply reuse one? Same goes for straws. Paper has replaced plastic, but that still accounts for a lot of straws going to waste. Why are straws so important anyway? Many of the novel- ties of modern life have become unnecessary conveni- ences. In order to create more integrative systems of engagement, we “The Gardener”, Suzan- In another effort to diminish our collective can begin to make more conscious efforts to better use the abundance ne Treister trash, a recent joint venture between Italian of resources we already have at hand. healthcare group Angelini, and Procter & Gam- The idea of a closed loop of goods has been around for some time. ble, the world’s largest diaper supplier, set out One example of mainstream sustainability that doesn’t require a huge to investigate what to do with the end product shift in perspective is Patagonia’s Worn Wear. With this program for keep- of a $4 billion-a-year diaper market. These con- ing perfectly-wearable used clothing in rotation, the clothing manufac- glomerates have begun a potentially pivotal, turer is helping out the environment by stretching out the lifecycle of new program that looks to recycle absorbent products that would normally be turned to trash sooner. As the company hygiene products like diapers, incontinence reasons on their website, “the best thing we can do for the planet is get pads, and feminine hygiene products, with a more use out of stuff we already own, cutting down on consumption.” plan to roll out in ten cities by 2030. For 2035- 2050+, the company’s vision of products and packaging consists of 100% renewable or recy- “The more you know, the less you need.” cled materials. The products being developed

— Yvon Chouinard from these recycled materials range from school desks to playgrounds to bottle tops. In addition, recycled cellulose can be turned into The world doesn’t really need any more sneakers. There’s actually enough fabric or paper, while super-absorbent polymer of everything, if only the balance of distribution can reach greater align- has potential applications in gardening, or cre- ment between supply and demand. As public discussion focuses more ating flood barriers.20 and more around the topic of sustainability, humans will increasingly find The more that companies and individuals ways to redistribute and conserve resources to better integrate them- prioritize reusing, recycling, and repurposing selves within the natural world. objects, the more that potential applications will evolve. The most significant change we have in mind is recycling and reinventing materials that are already in existence and transforming them into imaginative new forms. We believe that pursuing this approach will lead to a larger, sustainable tradition of more conscious, connected, and integrative systems.

Textile spinner, ca. 1910

III. EMPOWERING HUMANITY 93 Cosmography Manuscript, 12th century

Eye Test Chart, George Mayerle, 1907

Realign Points of Reference & It’s said that time is money. This adage certainly holds true within Units of Measurement our current economic system. But where do we look for a more secure sense of measurement in the absence of centralized economic authorities? Let go of our determined fixation on mechanical time and other rig- How long will big banks continue to control the flow of money? Blockchain idly self-referential systems detached from nature’s cycles. Let go of showed the possibility for crypto-currencies to transform monetary ex- IQ. Let go of bias and prejudiced expectations. change. The promise of blockchain’s incorruptibility unfortunately cracked.22 In setting up society for a fairer future, it feels wise to prepare for the in- Our most common units of measurement—time, money, and intelligence evitability of an economic system aligned with principles of sharing, nur- —are all in need of revision. The way that time is arranged and manipulat- turing, and impermanence. ed is mostly in the interests of economic factors. Money is made up by The way we measure our intelligence is another part of society humans and disconnected from any principle of nature. Global markets are worthy of revision. Over the last decades, IQ has been used to validate based on feelings, predictions, and an ever-changing flux of information. Is racist, sexist, and otherwise biased classifications. A recent study by sci- confidence in a debt-based market really our best option for determining entists disproved IQ as a measure of intelligence.23 They showed that wealth? Many important parts of life cannot be calculated and scheduled. intellectual ability occurs along three distinctive nerve circuits in the brain The most significant moments in life often happen serendipitously. And, as guiding interactions between short-term memory, reasoning, and verbal has been said many times, the best things in life are free. So why are we agility. In other words, there’s no singular indicator like IQ that can really still measuring value in monetary terms? account for a person’s intellectual ability across various categories. Our Researchers at MIT have proposed a redesign of Gross Domestic self-identities do not need to be confined into singular assessments. In- Product (GDP) called GDP-B (the B is for benefit) to include consideration telligence is really a matter of one’s ability to interact with others in the of value made by free digital goods and services. As professor Erik Bryn- world with grace, care, and effectiveness. jolfsson explains, upgrading GDP provides a “realistic idea of what creates In his book, The Mismeasure of Man, paleontologist Stephen Jay value in society and what doesn’t. A lot of digital goods we’ll find are cre- Gould showed how intelligence is not based on genetic inheritance. In ating a ton of value…” The professor goes on to say, “It’s not that produc- taking stock of fairer measurements by which to assess how environmen- tion and spending aren’t important, but they aren’t everything. To measure tal conditions impact individuals, Gould gave focus to the idea of relative the economy you need a dashboard with different metrics. What we’re frequency. This concept describes how meaning in people’s lives increas- measuring are the benefits you get even when you spend nothing on the es the more that a particular action or exchange takes place. For exam- good.”21 ple, think about how the more that people smile at one another in passing, the more palpably uplifting the net effect of those fleeting interactions between strangers becomes. You can feel the different energy “BIY (Believe it Yourself)” kit, by automato.farm that exists in a room when people are being kind to one another and how, conversely, different that energy is when people are angry at each other. Gould wrote about the high relative frequency of human decency he noticed between people in NYC in the weeks after 9/11.24 With great humility, Gould re- marked in his book, Wonderful Life, an inspiring thought about humanity:

94 Align “Homo sapiens, I fear, is a ‘thing so small’ in a vast universe, a wildly improbable evolutionary “Things Come Apart”, Todd McLellan event well within the realm of contingency. Make of such a conclusion what you will. Some find it depressing; I have always regarded it as exhilarating, and a source of both freedom and consequent moral responsibility.” — Stephen Jay Gould

As Gould mentions, the chance at life that we all receive can be incredibly motivating. We are here for the purpose of living. While the interpretations of what it means to live are virtually endless, relationships that show respect for life will always contribute to an overall sense of meaningful participation.

Alexander Graham Bell in National Geographic Magazine, June 1903

into our lives. If the impetus is control, then power becomes abused. If the impetus is co-creation, then we can make anything we imagine. The digital ability to transcend borders and limitations makes tech an ideal force for change. Yet, the popular notion of technology as a disruptive force needs to be realigned as a creative force for good. So don’t yell at your digital assistant. Don’t yell at any assistant. If you want something, ask for it nicely. Offer gratitude in return. Contribute to a culture of kindness. We can think of the machines we involve in our lives as extensions of ourselves, and act accordingly. When it comes to the role of technology in our lives, we have to continually ask ourselves: Is the technology we’re using helpful or harmful? The more we come to rely on our phones to be our cameras, grocery delivery service, remote home thermostats, matchmakers, or sleep mon- itors, the more our attention is absorbed by these devices and the more we become exposed to the potential for influence and exploitation. We are not well served by technology becoming a synthetic replacement for natural systems like community. We have become painfully aware these last few years of how technology can exacerbate alienation and how that can lead to social networks becoming hotbeds for extremism.25 Reassess How We Radicalization notwithstanding, since the inception of smart phones, thir- Think of Tech teen years of hyper engagement has led to a public health crisis of screen- based addiction. The current generation of young adults raised with Be mindful of how we speak to objects as much as one another. phones in their faces since birth is also the generation featuring the most How we work together, share space, and even develop identity is pronounced rates of anxiety and burnout. The current generation of teens increasingly influenced by how we interact with mechanical tech- experiencing addiction to the dopamine kick of phone activity, has been nologies. compared to teenagers in the 1960s who suffered a public health crisis of smoking-related addictions and illnesses.26 We must ensure that if children are going to receive recommendations for what they should have “The digital revolution began when stored-pro- or utilize, that those products and services are helpful and healthy. gram computers broke the distinction between Technology is a tool, but when it controls us, then we become the tools. As users of technology, we must have agency to choose when and numbers that mean things and numbers where we decide to use the tools of our trades. We need to not have the that do things. Numbers that do things now rule conditions of involvement dictated by the companies which create those the world. But who rules over the machines?” technologies and profit from our use. A new set of standards must evolve in which technology is not — George Dyson encouraged to create co-dependency for its adopters. The technologies we incorporate in our lives must ascribe to better ethical considerations. As we connect more of our everyday objects to each other and the In- “The new system listens to you, observes you, ternet, we need to ensure that the flow of information streaming between understands you, and gives you what it knows us, the objects, and environment is in the best interests of humanity and the planet, and not the interests of one company or another. We believe you want.” — Adam Curtis that learning to better use certain technologies, like our phones, actually means using those technologies with more conscious intention. In their best versions, technologies help humans become more empow- The interactions we have with technologies that enable and em- ered. In their worst versions, technologies are coercive, addictive, and power us will continue to help us move toward a future of greater ability. oppressive. Our relationships with the machines we make are shaped by Along the way, we must continually remember that the values we hold how we intend to incorporate those machines and technological abilities will continue to guide the way we interact and the experiences we have.

III. EMPOWERING HUMANITY 95 Dismantle Borders

Ongoing climate crises continue to reaffirm how out of alignment we are with nature. A mix of human activities is making our habitats inhospitable.

As coastlines vanish, where will the 10% of the global population who live in these areas go?27 And how will we accommodate intensifying waves of displacement? On a collective level, we need to prepare with empathy and practicality for a new wave of mass migration by putting appropriate systems in place to help environmental refugees before this crisis hits fever pitch. An uptick in environmental refugees is all but guaranteed within the coming years, even if we begin to rein in our emissions. This does not need to be a humanitarian crisis, however. We need to change the pattern of how countries continue to The Sykes-Picot Agreement fail to install systems to aid the current flow of refugees from humanitarian crises of war and gen- map of 1916, in which representatives of France and ocide. The common refrain that makes receiving those in need so difficult has to do with securing the UK agreed upon how borders. In this sense, the problem has to do with placing a priority on borders to begin with. The to carve up the Middle East upon defeat of the Ottoman logical response to this conflict would suggest we de-emphasize the importance of borders in Empire order to emphasize the importance of humanity in need. Common decency would suggest that those fleeing from violence would be treated with humaneness and fairness. Unfortunately, these individuals are often criminalized rather than cared for, and deemed a threat to stability. Migrant “detention centers” are really not so Map depicting California as an island, Joan Vinckeboons, ca. 1650 distinct from concentration camps. In contrast, the open doors of sanctuary cities aim to soften this harsh and unwelcoming cultural climate. They vary, but sanctuary cities tend to practice some form of dissent against immigration en- forcement, aiming to shelter people from the most punitive practices. This current political moment of anti-migrant sentiment and xeno- phobia must be fought throughout the public sphere. We must defend, support, and care for human life, and replace fear of the other with love. National borders are undergoing a contradictory shift. Although hardened by national- ism, conceptually they have been made more permeable. Information and communication now flows freely and instantaneously without any consideration for country borders. This is especially true amongst the younger generation. Their identities are shaped by digital interactions as much as their physical surroundings. Many borders are largely arbitrary, drawn up long ago by colonial conquerors who had no regard for the social ties that connected the native inhabitants together. The en- forcement of national borders is entirely incompatible with a humane response to both current and future flows of people. A redefinition of borders can positively contribute to de-escalating hos- tilities. Borders can be eased to allow for common sense and decency. The way that kids who live on the Mexican side of the national border but go to school in Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona, have to wait hours in immigration line breathing the fumes from idling engines just to get home after class is an outrage to basic levels of respect. In making maps to demarcate owned territory, humans ended up emphasizing the lines drawn between one another, while the definition of borders has historically shifted through force and power. Yet, nature doesn’t adhere to these borders. A wildfire rips across state lines, and floods erode the distinction between districts. We should look at borders as more of natural boundaries and less as rigid and fallible, human-made limits. Hopefully, that acknowledgement can help serve to decrease fear and place the power of compassion at our borders, and everywhere in between.

96 Align Non-Violence is the Most Effective Force of Change

According to political scientist Erica Chenoweth at Harvard University, when just 3.5% of a population participates in cohesive non-violent activism, massive change occurs. The ability for relatively small groups to affect change through nonviolence reveals the true power of this approach.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead

The world is full of good, decent people doing what is right when no one is looking. And those are not the stories that typically get attention on local or national news. It’s the tragedies and disasters that grab attention. Yet those events are outliers. Most of the time, people are working together. And we mustn’t forget that it only takes a small percent of a population to generate impressive outcomes. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, examined hundreds of nonviolent campaigns for change from the last 100 years, and found that, overall, nonviolent campaigns were twice as likely to succeed in achieving their goals as violent campaigns. Analysis regarding the results of violent force showed violence to effect change about a quarter of the times it was applied.28 This is a crucial reminder that most of the time the softer touch is the most effective means of movement. One of the main advantages to nonviolence is its widespread accessibility. Nobody needs to take up arms, to be trained in combat, or get in physical shape for fighting. Nonviolence garners supporters and participants across all demographics, and can therefore also affect more sweeping change.

“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony

Chenoweth’s work honors the victories of peaceful protests. One of the most influential moments of nonviolence is the example of how Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi led India to independence in 1947. A trained lawyer turned activist, Gandhi’s guiding principle was what he called satyagraha, a word derived from Sanskrit (satya: “truth”, āgraha: “insistence” or “holding firmly to”), meaning a holding onto truth, or truth force. In this specified form of political resistance, Gandhi advocated for India defining its own destiny, rather than being subject to oppressive and dehumanizing British colonial rule. In his book, Indian Home Rule, Gandhi promoted a self-sufficient citizen, able to source one’s own food, shelter, clothing, and not be subject to the taxes and over-ruling of racist foreign interests. In 1930, Gandhi led a 24-day march over 240 miles to the coastal village of Dandi to pick up and eat the naturally occurring salt from their deposits in a show of political resistance to the British salt monopoly. Once Gandhi lifted a finger full of salt to his lips, he effectively broke the salt laws in bypassing any tax or payment to British control of the spice. This simple act set off a large-scale snowball effect of resistance as millions of Indians rallied against the British Raj salt laws, thus placing pressure on the ruling elite as never before experienced. At the front lines of political resistance and change, Gandhi met many victories and setbacks along his fight for Indian sovereignty. Ultimately, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 constituted an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that granted India independence, which arrived in part due to Gandhi and his demonstration of nonviolent resistance. On another continent, 8500 miles away and two decades later, Martin Luther King Jr. was interpreting satyagraha himself, this time for segregated America in his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement. Suffering beatings, imprison- ment, and ultimately assassination, Dr. King’s long, difficult nonviolent fight for black equality in white America resulted in the Civil Rights Act, signed in 1964, which ended the policy of segregation.

III. EMPOWERING HUMANITY 97 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” ... “History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”

— Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham City Jail, 1963

The nonviolent movements described above occurred with the tremendous sacrifice of the individuals associated with these decades-long acts of resistance. These different, yet connected, chapters of history also “The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings”, Ètienne Léopold Trouvelot, 1882 depict a blueprint for how change occurs in the face of centuries-old oppression. In the end, the force of love and truth prevailed, as we believe it always will. Communities, companies, countries, and all individuals are well served to remember that peace is more effective than violence. With this awareness, we are all more incentivized to be respectful and princi- pled when engaging conflict. We believe that the key to unlocking a greater capacity for change in our personal patterns, and in terms of policy, comes from better understanding the underlying mechanisms for peace. From our earliest ages, we benefit from learning conflict resolution through means of empathy, shared resources, and common responsibility. Interpersonal problem-solving and diplomacy can be significantly improved with a common commitment to teaching peace in educational settings as well as workplaces. We wonder: What might the underlying mechanisms for peace be and how might they differentiate across different communities and cultures? Placing more thought into this kind of question will lead to a more balanced state of inter-personal, as well as geo-political, relationships. Treating Violence Like a Disease

While violence spreads like a virus and has been institutionalized over generations, perspective can skew as oppressors keep redefining what it constitutes.

Violence is typically attributed to the oppressed, while the actions of the oppressors are deemed natural, or sanctioned. What a mistake and mis- appropriation of reality. Nonstate, and substate, actors are held to different standards than the states standing over them. Violence should not be a Early nuclear weapon test in subjective weapon. Violence is harmful wherever it occurs, and has the New Mexico, 1945 effect of spreading like a virus. In 2013, the National Academies of Science released a report, “The Contagion of Violence”, that shows how violence acts like a disease.29 The positive implication from this report is that diseases can be cured through prevention to exposure as well as interventions. We can explore new policies to heal from state-sponsored violence, like eroding the prison-industrial complex to make amends for generations of mass incarceration of disproportionate numbers of men and women from minority communities. In addition to these changes, a shift in focus from punishment to rehabilitation will be a necessary fresh start. In Philadelphia, District Attor- ney Larry Krasner has been campaigning to end mass incarceration through a multi-faceted approach to rethinking criminalization. With three decades of experience as a public defender, Krasner now prosecutes cases informed by his background of fighting against the lies and misconduct of police officers. In his new, more expansive position overseeing more than three hundred prosecutors, Krasner takes a whole-systems-wide perspective on the economic, education-based, and environmental conditions that exacerbate rates of incarceration. This view is inspired by Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, which provides analysis on the disproportionate numbers of people of color who are imprisoned. Krasner acknowledges that in his role as D.A. he serves the commonwealth, which means all the citizens of the city.30 Meanwhile, Marilyn Mosby, the State’s Attorney for Baltimore, has made a bold decision to not bring criminal charges against individuals ar-

98 Align rested for possession of marijuana. As she said in a statement in January 2019, "Prosecuting these cases have no public safety value, disproportion- ately impacts communities of color and erodes public trust, and is a costly and counterproductive use of limited resources.”31 Mosby’s approach hinges upon leveraging accountability, exposing injustice, and being much more open with her community in terms of trust. In an interview with NPR, Mosby explained that she doesn’t need to open the news to find out what’s going wrong in her community, she only needs to open the door. This is the kind of blunt honesty and direct connection with the realities of what’s happening all around us that can help us begin to work on resolutions to some of the widespread conflicts that affect our communities.

Rectify the Mistakes of Our Past

Leave behind imperialism and colonialism. Learn to love and respect that which we do not fully understand, from new cultures to life itself.

It’s not easy to leave behind patterns we’ve become so accustomed to repeating. According to biologist Bruce Lipton, about 95% of our automatic responses to everyday encounters, events, and inputs are shaped by what we experienced from birth to age seven.32 And all of that input emerged through generation after generation of family patterns along with even earlier evolutionary influences. Tracing the human family tree back to the time of our reptilian brains puts a little perspective on how far we’ve come. And yet, how readily we regress to our animal instincts. Fear is the oldest emotion, and it gets easily activated in the parts of our brains that connect back to our reptilian roots. When we communicate directly to our lizard brains, we can become trapped in mistaking each other for enemies and committing evils against one another. The evils of colonialism continue to play out through systems of enclosure. In this nasty trick, access to resources like water and land for growing food were confiscated by invading communities. This group of people then claimed ownership and taxed the original inhabitants of that land to use what was always previously free to all. Enclosure creates violence against nature and human rights. De-enclosure—or restoring the environment and revising policies to ensure access to common necessities, like clean water, healthy food, and adequate shelter, for all—is the response to a history of unfair and unjust behavior that we believe must receive greater attention. How might we align societal priorities such that everyone might benefit from the dignity of living with the necessary conditions to thrive? We might begin to improve ourselves simply by resolving the mistake of believing humans to be separate from the rest of life on Earth. We now live with the shadow of so many of our past failures. Who was the first man who decided that nature should be controlled? Who first cut holes into the Earth to extract its minerals? Who began throwing away products never bothering to contemplate recycling those materials to make something new? And how did we come to not even know how we got to this state? Because we’re not incentivized to pay attention. Instead, we’re incentivized to play “the game” of modern life. We might not ever know who the first man was that lead us down these ugly roads we now find ourselves too entrenched in to escape, but we do know that men and women are now standing up to demand accountability from the people who look to determine our future. And as authority for how our future is built becomes better shared between greater numbers of people, we will honor the lessons from past mistakes, and do what is right together.

III. EMPOWERING HUMANITY 99 T-38s producing shockwaves, NASA, 2019 Support the New Economy

We need an alternative to our current economic system that's based on self-interest and exploitation. Restructuring our econom- ISS composite star trail, NASA, 2012 ic interests and exchanges around wellbeing will guide us in an advantageous direction.

To weather uncertainty, we can become more agile by ditching the assumption that more is always better. We can learn to more deftly navigate our needs for each present moment by adopting a more context-specific decision-making process in place of dogmatically-rigid interests. Wise, economic decision-making ultimately has much to do with selecting various factors that contribute to wellbeing in real-time and for the long- term. Ergodicity Economics refers to a more evenly-distributed form of economic protocol. An ergodic process honors a whole-systems approach, in that any sample within a process, represents the process in its entirety. The significance of this dynamic form of economic framework is that it prioritizes how collective benefit increases over time when risk is mitigated by a greater engagement in shared resources and corresponding diminishment in self-interested priorities.33 The New Economy movement has grown largely out of various individuals and organizations in North America striving to prioritize human wellbeing over economic growth. This alternative to the current economy arose in response to the financial crisis and recession of 2008- 2010. The primary goal of this movement is to overcome the widening disparities between rich and poor within capitalistic societies. Food co- ops and state-owned banks are a couple of examples of how this movement looks to create more altruistic alternatives to the models we currently have. Collective ownership creates a greater sense of shared destiny and promotes greater responsibility among participants. The more that stakeholders are involved and prioritized instead of shareholders, the more that resource depletion is mitigated and wealth is shared. We believe in the importance of scaling this idea from small collectives to large corporate entities as a means of repositioning business as a proponent of positive change. Before humans created our current economy, they engaged in a gift economy. In a gift economy, goods, services, and experiences are exchanged without any money or expectation of return. Environmental- ist Charles Eisenstein has written extensively about the history of economics, citing early examples of the gift economy in his book Sacred Economics:

100 Align “While gifts can be reciprocal, just as often they Sources flow in circles. I give to you, you give to 1 https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human- brain/why-it-s-human-nature-to-ignore-instincts.htm someone else…and eventually someone gives 2 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/is-it-rational-to-trust- your-gut-feelings-a-neuroscientist-explains back to me. A famous example is the kula 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5985305/ 4 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate/green-new-deal-ques- system of the Trobriand Islanders, in which tions-answers.html 5 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/unhealthy-diet-now-kills-more- precious necklaces circulate in one direction people-than-tobacco-and-high-blood-pressure-study-finds/ 6 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/well/eat/food-mood-depre-ssi- from island to island, and bracelets in the on-anxiety-nutrition-psychiatry.html 7 https://www.business.com/articles/management-theory-of-frede- other direction.” — Charles Eisenstein, Sacred Economics, Chapter 1, The Gift World34 rick-taylor/ 8 https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/25/18516004/amazon-warehouse- fulfillment-centers-productivity-firing-terminations 9 https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/ Eisenstein himself practices the message he advocates in his writing. Understanding-Sleep When he’s invited to speaking engagements he receives a form of pay- 10 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/stockton-california-giving-people-money/590191/ ment for travel and expenses yet does not demand a specific monetary 11 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ruperts-resonance/ fee. Organizers are encouraged to pay him what they feel is fair, as a 12 https://www.sheldrake.org/research/morphic-resonance 13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7x3LBWn-Ao means of practicing generosity and what he calls “living in the gift”. 14 https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/big-history-project/ Every day presents opportunities to practice thinking about what early-humans/other-materials6/a/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin 15 http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/chauvet/venus_sorcerer.php you might want to give to someone else, or to your community. We can 16 https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/ark/the- reclaim what worked in our past for the purposes of community building delphic-oracle/3414022#transcript 17 https://en.unesco.org/programme/mow/register and collective wealth. Aided by this wisdom, we can remake economies 18 https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/ for a more generous future and an all-around more robust existence. project-star-gate-cia-central-intelligence-agency-a7534191.html 19 https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96- 00789R003300210001-2.pdf 20 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-diapers/waste-not-want- not-pg-venture-aims-to-squeeze-new-life-out-of-italys-dirty-diapers- idUSKCN1MR26E 21 https://qz.com/1582202/mits-erik-brynjolfsson-is-redesigning-gdp- for-the-21st-century/ 22 https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612974/once-hailed-as-unha- ckable-blockchains-are-now-getting-hacked/ 23 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/iq-tests-are-fundamentally-flawed-and-using-them-alone-to-measure-intelligence-is-a- fallacy-study-8425911.html 24 https://jacobinmag.com/2017/05/stephen-jay-gould-science-race- evolution-climate-change 25 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/extremism-social-media/ 26 https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/opinions/smartphone-addiction- opinion-spicer/index.html 27 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Ocean-fact-sheet-package.pdf 28 http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-theworld?ocid=global_future_rss 29 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207245/ 30 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/29/larry-krasners- campaign-to-end-mass-incarceration 31 https://www.npr.org/2019/02/03/690975390/baltimore-states-attorney-will-no-longer-prosecute-marijuana-possession-cases 32 https://www.brucelipton.com/blog/do-you-remember-your-life-age- seven 33 https://aeon.co/ideas/how-ergodicity-reimagines-economics-for- the-benefit-of-us-all 34 http://sacred-economics.com/sacred-economics-chapter-1-the-gift- world/

“Last Resort”, an imagined Hong Kong dystopia by Kelvin Ip

III. EMPOWERING HUMANITY 101 Infinity in an instant

Amidst the chaos of trade wars, military interventions, humanitarian crises, extreme weather, and injustice everywhere, peace also exists, and is attainable through the combined efforts of countless committed individuals.

It’s easy to get lost in a moment, lost in oneself, in thought, in action, but getting lost is not always so bad. Sometimes getting lost allows us to become present. Presence is a necessary condition for calm, thoughtful, and advantageous decisions to be made.

When we make decisions based on urgency, we are often stressed, and therefore do not make the best decisions. When we can plan, consider consequences, and think about what we’re going to do before we do it, we make more informed, and generally, wiser decisions. Our ability to model in our brains what we think might happen is a unique gift. And, if we use this gift in concert with a positive mindset, we can make even more capable decisions.

Thinking about architecture to support sustainable living systems helps us look into a positive future. These mindful activities also bring us into closer connection with the infinite. Similar to how distancing from ego enhances awareness from a selfless perspective, there is a great abundance of energy and power in the infinite for it contains all of life in countless forms. In thinking forward on a global and local scale, we feel all business activity should address: societal progress and wellbeing, interconnectivity, global equitability, and preserving authenticity in every relationship, experience, and environment.

With a rise in collective synchronicity, individual authority and responsibility for one’s own energy remains paramount. Integrity, empowerment, and the freedom to define one’s best self at the benefit, and not expense, of any other life will be the pillars of personal, societal, and environmental stewardship. It’s time to blend our abilities. It’s time to produce a balanced version of what physical and digital interaction can be.

At this point, looking forward, the single biggest contributor to arriving at the foundation for a positive future a generation from now will be mass adoption of circular principles and patterns in our economic and industrialized systems. Circularity, in this sense, means both deriving ways to keep resources in use as long as possible and also ensuring that all parts of a corresponding system benefit from those resources. This approach resembles the circulatory systems of our bodies, in which networks of blood, blood vessels, and the heart all work together to supply oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and remove unnecessary waste. * There’s no shortage of examples to borrow from nature when it comes to circularity. From the solar system itself with orbital arcs, shape of planets, to the structure of a simple food chain, to more personal matters like menstrual cycles, humans are surrounded by the cyclical nature of circularity, and benefit tremendously from incorporating its structure into our collective activities. “Implementing circular economy opportunities would result in a decrease in consumption of non-renewable resources, including fossil fuels, by 49% in 2030 and 71% in 2040.” — Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The Circular Economy Opportunity

for Urban and Industrial Innovation in China (2018) **

“The accident is an inverted miracle, a secular miracle, a revelation. When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck; when you invent the plane you also invent the plane crash; and when you invent electricity, you invent electrocution… Every technology carries its own negativity, which is invented at the same time as technical progress.”

— Paul Virilio, 1999

As we learn from the mistakes of technologies built around neuro-feedback loops designed to ma- nipulate people’s behavior and sensations, we become more aware of what we decide to integrate into our lives and how those micro-decisions play a major role in how we perceive reality. The more we incorporate a mindset of resilience, receptiveness, and adaptability into our practices, the more https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/Mobility_All_Mar19.pdf https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-human-body-systems/hs-the-circulatory-and-respiratory-systems/a/hs-the-circulatory-system-review

* ** that we can leverage innovation to help guide approaches to a global paradigm of morality.

102 Tap the source of “In the long term, it’s not a question of if things go wrong, but when. universal connected- The ethical concerns of innovation thus tend to focus on harm’s ness. Through a greater minimization and mitigation, not the absence of harm altogether.” ⁂ awareness of intercon- — Tom Chatfield nections, we can revise “History shows that every technical application from its beginnings our social and eco presents certain unforeseeable secondary effects which are more nomic systems with disastrous than the lack of the technique would have been.” – Jacques Ellul, 1954 healing and harmony in We need to be mindful of how we approach technology’s exponential effects. In the last decade, mind. the buzzword of “disruption” described how industries served by longstanding business models were upended by the applications of new technology. Disruption became a kind of synonym for innovation. Now, as we approach 2020, we can see that this model of disrupting the status quo through novel solutions to existing challenges, is insufficient to heal humanity on the whole. Heal- ing is a process, not a set of solutions. Thinking of disruption as a metric for success is problematic. We became so wrapped up in a quest for solutions that we forgot we’re not here to solve life. What we can solve, however, are the problems we’ve created that disrupt life. Problems like families not being fed or having adequate shelter or simply getting to spend enough time together. In this way, the focus of innovation can become more tied to holistically-revising systemic, economic standards. A sustainable, socially desirable, and ethically acceptable model for business will also have to be acceptable for the planet on the whole.

“The world is not a problem to be solved; it is a living being to which we belong. It is part of our own self and we are a part of its suffering wholeness. Until we go to the root of our image of separateness, there can be no healing. And the deepest part of our separateness from creation lies in our forgetfulness of its sacred nature, which is also our own sacred nature.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

As long as the impetus for innovation, within the business sector, remains engrained in the current economic system of capitalism, we don’t have much of a chance at affecting the kinds of change that we desperately need. This is why the value of slowing down and being more attentive to the true needs of life is so important.

Now’s the time to figuratively lift a flame to money. We can feel the flickering embers begin to catch fire beneath the sodden deadwood of an old, stagnant worldview in which profit defines value. By inserting more uplifting values, like integrity, in place of corrupting principles, like profit, the entire machinery of our economic system will shift its gears into much more fluid and empowering dynamics. As we learn to better incorporate economic stimulus packages to circulate capital to areas that have suffered from neglect and more of the population thrives, ideas will be able to cascade around ways to heal damaged relationships between people and planet.

Challenges don’t exist in vacuums. Each challenge we encounter has a relationship to another, most likely larger, problem. Economic injustice is connected to greed and a desire for domination. Economic justice will arise through relationships founded on solidarity and a desire for cooperation. In order to innovate our way beyond the conventions constraining our ability to live sustainably on this planet, we need to consider risks in terms of relationships. How might our own seemingly independent decisions affect others? By considering the connections between how we live and the conditions of our current economic system, we can better see where the problems emerge. With this knowledge we can begin to break open empowering definitions of wealth, aid, and exchange. http://tomchatfield.net/portfolio/automated-ethics/)

⁂

103 Searching for a theory of everything

The human species does not like a question left unanswered. The unexplained must be explained. From scientific co It feels important to us that we try to satisfy our various curiosities. Ever since the days of our nundrums to the drama earliest ancestors, we’ve been on a perpetual search to understand the universe. of daily life, how can Along the way toward this knowledge, we became storytellers. We began telling ourselves creation myths. These myths were attempts to derive some sense of meaning out of the mysteries of we make sense of nature. Why does everything we see around us appear as it does? Where did it all come from? everything being con- What is the cause that led to any person being present at a given moment? nected when we The earliest religious stories justified and shaped the society around them. Some crafted epic tales of a conflict between good and evil, and our role within this battle. Some helped to establish can feel so torn apart? social classes in their tellings of the differences between people. Regardless of the detail, they all share one general purpose: to create order from the apparent chaos of the world.

Despite an entirely different methodology, science seeks to answer these same questions. It just takes a more evidence-based approach toward determining the exact nature of the universe.

General relativity and quantum field theory are the two dominant theories of physics that have looked to shed light on these inquiries. Since their inception, they have both been proven almost entirely correct, and capable of being used to explain the mechanisms behind almost all facets of the observable universe. But there’s a problem between these two candidates for describing all nature. They cannot both be correct. They are ultimately incompatible with one another, and are only functional when used in their respective area of application. General relativity helps us understand the mechanics of large, high-mass objects, like galaxies, interacting gravitationally. Quan- tum field theory explains the mechanics of small, low-mass elements, like molecules, using the fundamental forces of weak, strong, and electromagnetic interactions. * The fundamental force of gravity sits apart from the other three fundamental forces of weak and strong nuclear forces, and electromagnetism. String theory emerged in the 1970s as a promising attempt to unify these forces into a theory of everything, but has suffered its own setbacks. At the time of writing, there is absolutely no scientific consensus on a grand theory of everything that accounts for all four of these forces in a single cohesive model. In fact, there is a distinct possibility that one comprehensive theory may never be possible.

104 In their 2010 book The Grand Design, physicists Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow proposed the idea of “model-dependent realism” to reconcile the possibility of co-existing theories. The concept states that the objective truth of a given model is not its most important element. Any model or theory of the world should be evaluated on the basis of its usefulness alone. Do the rules outlined within the model match up correctly with observations of the world? Does it allow us to make accurate predictions? If this is true, then the model can be considered valid. It may not tell us the whole truth, but it provides enough truth to broaden our knowledge and increase our capacities. Early humans didn’t need to understand thermodynamics to know that fire burns. Howe- ver they conceptualized it, they still learnt how to use fire to cook.

Model-dependent realism negotiates with our limitations. The concept accepts, as a possibility, that a framework that fully explains objective reality is forever beyond our reach. It puts forth the idea that the best we can do is to find approximations of reality that are nonetheless capable of generating understanding of the mechanics of our world. **

Our entire perception of the world we inhabit is already an abstraction, it is an interpretation of matter filtered through our individual senses. Our brains have evolved to process sensory data in a way that is most conducive to our survival, but this does not constitute an objective reality. However, it would be silly to denounce our mode of perceiving as “not being real”. Perception serves our needs quite well. We can function as humans and do all sorts of activities thanks to our particular interpretations of matter. Model-dependent realism applies a similar type of reasoning to scientific models of the world, allowing the co-existence of many theories. In this way, we are able to make sense of seemingly incompatible observations, like the contradictions observed by scientists between the laws of classical physics and those of quantum mechanics.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”

— Albert Einstein

An approach for trying to grasp anything that seems incomprehensible might take inspiration from model-dependent realism. This notion could be just as useful for understanding global society as it is for dealing with scientific mysteries. When we speak of unification, we do not mean the elimination of all difference. This is neither possible nor desirable. In fact, it is through the many nuances of difference that strength is found. Differences create resilience through flexibility to adapt to changing scenarios and conditions. The human urge is often to simplify and reduce our models to their most elegant possible forms in order to facilitate understanding. This urge works wonders sometimes, but this tendency has its limits. As humans with limited sensory perception, our entire understanding of existence is subjective. Even still, we can harness subjective truth by incorporating multiple perspectives to advance our understanding of the world. In order to see the bigger picture, we must learn to harmonize disparate elements. Diversity of worldview, evidence-based frameworks and belief systems can all be integrated to create a more comprehensive mode of understanding across the many cultures and theories that make up society.

http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2017262,00.html http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150409-can-science-ever-explain-everything ** *

105 Unify is a call to action. It indicates a desire Part 3 to bridge the divides that cause harmful separations between people and planet. We choose the word unify for this section, instead of unity, because we want to emphasize the importance of this action being a verb—a process of continual motion— Unirather than a static noun.

We want to summon the power of belonging. We want to underscore that notion of everything in existence having a place and purpose. We are interested in pursuing the action of unification as a way to honor and harmonize important differences. We endorse working toward a loving and sustainable strategy for enhancing every type of ecosystem for the betterment of life on our planet.

106 Unify Section at a glance

As a means for collective uplift, we are motivated by the unification of heart, mind, and soul in the individual. This pursuit reminds us of the Jungian archetypal notion of the self, the idea of a unification of consciousness and unconsciousness representing the psyche as a whole. This type of holistic conceptualization is what we seek to ex- Unifypand awareness around in these pages.

107 I. Cohesive INDIVIDUAL Specialization & 115 COLLECTIVE Consider How WELLBEING We Refer to 110 One Another 116 Conceptualizing Unified Cultures One’s Own Joy 111 Resonates With Collective Joy Difference 117 Enriches Interactions II. 112 PRANA POWER Individual & 118 Collective Ecosystems 113 Decommodify Humanity 119

108 Unify III. OVERCOMING CON STRAINTS 124

Discovering Decommodify Non-Duality the Planet 125 120 Unify Attention, Placing the Levers Intention,& Action of Control in the 126 Hands of the People 120 Mine the Depths of Inner Experience to Revitalizing Instill Presence Engagement in the 127 Public Sphere 121 Dissolve Mono-Cultures Find Commonality So Biodiversity Can to Bridge Divides Flourish 123 128

Table of Contents 109 I. INDIVIDUAL & COLLECTIVE WELLBEING The Sanskrit term, samadhi, describes the meditative revelation of oneness with all that exists. We are interested in how coming to this universal realization with greater frequency will contribute to expanded consciousness between individuals. Humans have a long tradition of being wary of the unknown and resistant to change. Yet, with change as the common denominator for our radically divergent period of technological, scientific, and spiritual development, individuals and collectives are becoming more accepting of difference. In this more open common space, we hope humans will also be able to better harmonize the interconnected bonds between all life.

110 Unify Conceptualizing “Hypnosis”, Iris Van Herpen Unified Cultures

Unification, in its true sense, does not dull or suppress, but rather honors the fullest expression of diversity. The ways in which we each unify the different parts of who we are—our aspirations, limitations, and realities—and weave them together defines who each of us are as individuals.

Though we might not always be aware, we are indeed all integrated within a state of inter-being. The more we fail to notice the ever-present interconnectedness of life, the more we mistake our place on this planet. One of the greatest errors we as humans make is to see ourselves as separate from nature. This sense of separation can have drastic consequences.

E pluribus unum / One from many

There are two different ways of regarding relationships: either through a lens of atomization or through the perspective of holistic integration. In sociology, atomism refers to a framework in which the individual is the primary unit of analysis by which everything else is understood. In contrast, holistic integration states that all the various parts of a system are interconnected. We believe in the importance of describing systems such that each piece of When we feel a sense of connection, we are more in touch the puzzle is acknowledged for its necessity. In this way, a with our true selves. The acknowledgement that every- sense of belonging corresponds to balanced integration body is going through some great journey, struggle, or and interrelation. even suffering can serve to alleviate the heavy tension that The collective requires the individual many times over. Conversely, the sometimes dominates the thoughts of our daily experi- individual vanishes without the collective to supply context. Among the ence. We can feel elation when we exercise our innate nearly infinite expressions of life, the web of human activity is distinctive drive to connect with others or with a place. Feelings of in its emissions of light and gas. We also significantly contribute to out- separation from one another and the environment also cut pourings of love, which occurs through resonant connections between us off from ourselves. When we feel deprived of supportive individuals. relationships, it becomes more difficult to find meaning, so we substitute meaning with sensation. We end up looking for solace in temporary distraction, living only for isolated “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all instances of sensory stimulation. With repetition of over-stimulation, our senses can become dulled, leaving us together” — John Lennon, “I am the Walrus”, 1967 perpetually dissatisfied. In this state, we are in great need of finding ways to come together. “Ultimatum”, Jake Amason x Zach Jackson, 2016 Still from “Spatial Bodies”, AUJIK, 2016

I. INDIVIDUAL & COLLECTIVE WELLBEING 111 Community plays a critical role in the development of unity—it’s built into “Electric Soul”, Serjan Burlak the word itself. How might we conceptualize and examine the idea of a completely unified civilization? Adopting different perspectives than our own may help. Even shifting between different points of view within our own outlook can help open our minds and modes of experience. In The Practice of Everyday Life, the writer Michel de Certeau describes two points of view within a city: that of the voyeur and that of the walker. The walker is always in the midst of experience. Vision is limited to what is nearby. She or he only experiences the sights and the sounds of what is immediately in front of each step taken. However, for the voyeur, experience is shaped by her or his vantage point high above. From this perspective, everything appears more expansive. The voyeur is able to see what’s around every corner, and over every hill. She or he can see the wider scope of our world with greater context, although perhaps less detail. Each perspective holds value. Whereas the walker experiences the immediacy and intimacy of life down on the gence of points of view that did not previously have a plat- street, the voyeur’s position allows for a view of how the form. The clash between differing points of view can come city is organized on the whole, and provides insight into to define culture and help us understand historical mo- the inner workings of governments and corporations. Yet, ments. We will likely never eliminate conflict. It might even isn’t the wisest option to find a way to experience both be occasionally necessary. But conflict can be dealt with perspectives? We believe that only by having first-hand productively if we accept that it is the means by which new experience as both a walker and a voyeur can one really modes of thinking and living can come to be. understand how best to maneuver the various intercon- The basic building blocks of human life are all the same, no matter who nected facets of contemporary life. you are or where you come from. We each need clean air and water, nutritious food, suitable shelter, and authentic human contact. And cru- cially, we all need the planet in a healthy state in order to continue to help provide us with these necessities. But beyond these base needs, we have more higher-level priorities like: the need to feel understood, to be loved, to be respected for who we are, and to live in alignment with our personal values. At our most fundamental levels, we share these unifying re- Difference Enriches quirements of our being. All diversity of viewpoints ultimately emerges Interactions as interpretations of these shared needs. Somewhat counter-intuitively, some uniformity is required to protect diversity. Intuitively, we understand that all peo- Unification need not imply uniformity. What are the principles that ple must have equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal will enable all people everywhere to be valued for their unique freedom from oppression to adequately thrive. Even more gifts? paradoxically, some forms of intolerance must be main- “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”— Margaret Mead

“Unity in diversity” is a millennia-old concept, although, it could be said that it has never been more important to understand it than today. Glo- balization, for better or worse, has shrunk the world, and the state of our Walthers Manuscript, intended as a scientific textbook for monks, c.a 1200 future depends on our ability to create a unified human response to the problems we face. Sufi scholar Ibn Arabi, born in the 12th century, wrote on the idea of a “unity of being”. This metaphysical worldview positions God as the one truth, the single entity that defines all reality. All other beings or beliefs emerge from this God as a singular source of life. All diversity is considered to be rooted in this essence, countless valid expressions spring from this one, single truth. At the risk of appropriating and diluting a rich corpus of philosophical thought, adopting this idea may prove helpful to overcome the challenges of widening disparities in modern globalized society. The bold vision of teamwork, we believe will empower all who participate, relies on a radical diversity of skills, perspectives, and identities. Humans have the capacity to overcome linguistic relativity by learning more languages and by becoming more familiar with other cultures. An old eastern European proverb imparts, “The more languages you speak, the more human you become.” The more we can each embrace and incorporate diversity into our own lives, the more we will contribute to a more diverse, and wholesome, network of interactions. We are always in flux. Change is still our most reliable constant. And with change will come conflict. But conflict is not to be feared. Conflict creates opportunity for the emer-

112 Unify tained in order to maintain tolerance. The need to be intol- “Living Photographs”, featuring 18,000 people, Mole & Thomas, 1915 erant of those who advance intolerant ideas was explained by philosopher Karl Popper in his 1945 work, The Open Society and its Enemies. Within its pages, Popper wrote: “If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. ” — Karl Popper

While supporting the use of rational argument as the first line of defense against intolerant ideas, Popper concedes that responding with force can become necessary if the intolerant group in question have themselves denounced the practice of rational argument and begun to use violence. Despite all the variance in our experiences and perceptions, we can still generally find a way to connect to each other on a human level. We all have to figure out how to make our individuated, and ever-changing, thoughts and intentions work in harmony with one another, so we’re not in a constant battle zone of conflicting patterns. Various ways of constructing and interpreting reality show us the incredible variance of the human condition. To be a human is to be a tiny dot Individual & Collective on an immensely, vast spectrum of experience. The entire human species itself represents another dot on an even larger spectrum of being that Ecosystems stretches through time and space. To hold that truth in your brain is one step toward a greater tolerance for others. This acknowledgement of Rugged individualism might be a romantic notion, but ultimately a unification through difference might help ease the tensions that arise lonely one. At a time in which the global population is climbing when our unique differences come into conflict with one another. toward nine billion, there’s not a lot of room to be alone. All the more reason to learn how to live together and honor unity within multiplicity. “You are not just a drop in the ocean, you are the mighty ocean in the drop.” — Rumi

The ancient African concept of ubuntu can be translated to, “I am because we are”.1 This concept acknowledges the oneness of all that exists in various states of relationships. We are also well served to remember that we, as individuals, are actually many people at once. We can vary according to the state we’re in at any given moment. And that, like a crystal, each facet of a multi-dimensional person is vital to the overall integrity of the individual. In the novel, A Wrinkle in Time, the book’s villain is IT, the hive mind that corrects all behavior that deviates from the established norm. This abandonment of self, and total submission to another authority, is a perennial threat to each of our rightful claims of authority over our own lives. Any coercive means of subjugating individuals to the controls Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing”, Zakariya al-Qazwini 17th century illustrated version of “Marvels of Things Created and of an external force—whether religious, governmental, or otherwise—is, without exception, wrong. Individuality is beautiful and biologically necessary. Our lives can, and should, have many parallels to the lives of others but, at the end of the day, we must ultimately continue along our individuated journeys as distinct waves of energy. We feel it’s important to discern the significance of the individual in a rightful context of the collective. Free-market capitalism is quite contradictory in its treatment of the individual. As a theory, it conceptualizes us all as little autonomous units, making rational choices in our own self-interest. However, this is illusory. Consumer choice is not individuality. We are granted a paralyzingly vast range of choices within a suffocatingly small range of experience. Often, our mode of living is largely dictated from above by the institutional forces that control the flow of capital. The “sovereign consumer” was a term initially proposed in 1936, by economist William Harold Hutt, suggesting that the ultimate source of authority over the market should be the individual choices of consumers. In this framework, the

I. INDIVIDUAL & COLLECTIVE WELLBEING 113 “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia”, William Saville-Kent, 1893 consumers are the “bosses” and they shape society by voting with their money, thereby participating in a permanent election. Historian Niklas Olsen deems the idea of the sovereign consumer as the key actor of neoliberalism. But the problems with this idea are fairly evident. First of all, any system that equates an unequally distributed resource (money) with voting, is inherently undemocratic. Second- ly, nobody is born a natural participator in a market. They are taught the rules and the restrictions according to a certain order established long before they came into the world. Maintenance of a market order implies a type of coercion, most often perpetrated by those who benefit most from it. Organizing ourselves around the principles of mutual aid is a way to reconcile individuality with collectivity. Mutual aid describes a form of voluntary exchange between parties in which all involved reap the benefits. Basically, mutual aid means cooperation. We can consider it the polar opposite of competition, the defining feature of today’s economy. There are several prerequisites to allow this type of unmediated cooperation to function well throughout society. There must be no institutionalized power imbalance. There must be no profit motive, in which one party accumulates more resources to the detriment of the other. It must occur in a context in which basic needs and civil rights are guaranteed to all. And finally, all participants must be free to represent themselves in the democratic process, as well as be given equal footing to do so. People would be free to live as they pleased, provided they do not infringe upon the rights of others. “Do no harm” is especially applicable as a mode of conduct in a society organized by mutual aid. Freed from coercion, all human activity would be truly voluntary. The rights of the individual could be fully expressed within this collective context. Working hours would be based upon need, not inflated to trigger growth. And all people would have real autonomy lover—Rick and Morty S02 E03 Rick reads a breakup letter from Unity, his hivemind over how they choose to spend their valuable time. Cooperation is by far humanity’s greatest strength. There is no aspect of capitalist competition that could not be achieved just as well through cooperation. Russian scientist and revolutionary, Peter Kropotkin, interpreted the evolutionary concept of “survival of the fittest” from a perspective that takes “fittest” to mean “most skilled at cooperation”. He argued that this skill amongst communities of animal species has historically been the greatest indication of successful survival and development. We have an innate talent for cooperation, but have organized our economy in a way that makes it difficult to practice. Relationships based on mutual aid have been integral to our ethical evolution and have the greatest potential to propel us ever further. We can elevate the importance of individuals by situating them within strong and supportive collectives. Ron Cobb, Los Angeles Free Press, 1969

114 Unify Cohesive Holi festival, Jennifer Latuperisa-Andresen, 2016 Specialization

Specialization allows us to better understand nuances and specificities, but when it comes to areas of study, we can become en- snared in that level of detail. Working across disciplines is necessary to achieve a holistic outlook. Make sure to share what we find inspiring, learn from others, and learn more about ourselves.

Contemporary society is shaped by hyper-segmentation. Sharp lines are drawn between roles, work is compartmentalized into distinct silos. In the search for efficiency and order, tasks are broken into small divisions and addressed individually while human activity is divided into parts, with each person responsible only for a narrowly defined task. The unbeliev- able complexity of our global organization necessitates some form of division and specialization of labor, but this comes with drawbacks. Com- munication between disciplines is often limited, and a holistic understanding of the greater whole sometimes becomes difficult to see. The story of the blind men and the elephant tells the tale of the different responses that several blind men have when they’re forced to touch this unseeable animal for the first time. Without the sense of sight, the men instead explore the animal primarily through their touch, each one in turn declaring their conceptualization of an elephant based on the small part of the larger whole that they’re touching. One, as he holds the creature’s trunk. declares it to be similar in nature to a snake. Another runs his hands over the elephant’s broad flank and deduces that it must be akin to a wall. This continues, until all have delivered their conflicting statements based on their corresponding interactions with various body parts of the elephant. The disagreements between the men escalate, in some tellings rising even into physical violence, as each of the men find This story can be taken to illustrate a range of insights into human nature. themselves unable to reconcile the others’ conclusions At its most basic, the message is: it is impossible to understand the whole with their own experience. of a thing by looking at only one of its parts. None of the men are strictly wrong, but their subjective interpretations are incomplete. Through interchange and the direct sharing of their respective experiences, they would all be able to enrich their own knowledge. And yet, mere descrip- tions are not enough, they have to invite the others over to feel it for themselves. We must all recognize the limited range of what our observation allows. In order to better grasp the mysteries of life and the tremendous amount we do not know, we need to work together and be open to what others are experiencing. Satyam Bhuyan, 2019 We must all look to transition across illusory divisions of craft versus industry, of art versus science versus spirituality, or any other false separation of human endeavor. None of these divisions are serving us as people. In fact, they’re often causing us harm. Issues with over-specialization can be seen in hotbeds of technological innovation, as evidenced by cultural fallout from companies in Silicon Valley. The influential businesses headquartered there tend to lack workers with backgrounds in the humanities, and are instead saturated with employees arriving there from STEM fields. The technical brilliance of their workforce is undeniable, but scandal after scandal has shown us that including those more familiar with ethics and humanities would help to avoid these public relations disasters and reinstate public trust in these institutions. But, at present, seemingly nobody at these companies is voicing these concerns. Or nobody is listening. This problem is down to the myopia of the workforce’s relative specializations. We need to listen much more and to more different views. By committing to being receptive to the experiences of others, we will become more informed and insightful.

I. INDIVIDUAL & COLLECTIVE WELLBEING 115 Consider How We Refer to One Another

Brother, sister, friend… Re-contextualizing the language we use to describe relationships between people can help repair the damage of distrust that leads to separation and isolation.

The way we refer to strangers shapes how we think about these people we don’t know. If we use negative terms, we hold negative thoughts, and “Sigil”, Sean Mundy, 2014 we create negative associations. If we give people the benefit of the doubt, and say to ourselves, for instance, “I would like to know more about that person who I’m connected to through the commonality of existence,” then we can create kinder conditions in which to interact. In Nepal, one addresses any other man or woman who is not a family-member as brother or sister. Bai or dai, the words for a boy or man not related by blood or marriage, translates to either “little brother” or “big brother”. Simi- larly, bahini or didi, the respective words for girl or woman, existing outside of familial relations, translates to “little sister” or “big sister”. Especially for non-native-Nepali speakers, using these terms makes us consider their meaning and significantly shapes how one thinks of the relationships between apparent strangers. The effect is one of bridging gaps between people by revealing the human bond that exists between all of us. In various progressives preschools across America, the teachers refer to all the children as friends. In this way, there’s no formal separation between children. And not only are they all equally respected as children, they are more than that, they symbolize a community based on friendship. These simple adjustments help us to see those new or strange to us not as someone to reflexively draw away from, but as someone to engage, another member of the human family we all belong to who we have yet to meet. By choosing names for one another that speak to relationships that resemble family structures, or acknowledging that any stranger can become a friend, we change our mindset and attitude to become more receptive toward others. Language shapes our reality, and greatly influences the stories we tell about ourselves and the world. In Eng- lish, we have a problem in which we emphasize nouns and adjectives too much. This leads to a misconceptions, like, for example, we are what our age is or that we are whatever condition we’re experiencing (I am a forty-year-old. I am hungry. I am tired. And so forth).

Spanish language offers a more fluid notion of impermanence. In Spanish, one says: I have forty years. I have hunger. I have tiredness. The implication is that whatever you have now will not necessarily be what you have later. Nothing about us is beyond change, we are ever in motion. We can learn to share responsibility and privilege by paying greater attention to “Kreuzigung: Spielgang Werk VII”, Lothar Schreyer, 1920 how we speak of one another and ourselves. Rather than divide one another into categories based on often temporary conditions, we can make more concerted efforts to share and celebrate our enduring com- monalities. By integrating some of these traditions into our own everyday thoughts when we encounter or interact with strangers, we can become more compassionate toward one another. We can all benefit from taking more careful consideration of how we refer to one another. When we feel agitated and ready to insult someone we feel has slighted us, we are well served to remember that the perceived slight does not define who that person is. Even if we only interact with a stranger for a fleeting instant, we are still creating a connection in that shared moment. The more we can honor that connection and subvert a tendency to put up a barrier between ourselves from others, the richer our experiences will become.

116 Unify One’s Own Joy Resonates With “Skating with Bror Myer”, 1921 Collective Joy

The change we want society to benefit from cannot be achieved in isolation. Large-scale transformation requires the integrated efforts of individuals unifying in demand for dignity everywhere.

“We forward in this generation / Triumphantly / Won’t you help to sing / These songs of freedom?”

— Bob Marley, “Redemption Song”, 1980

The more that people contribute to a given cause, the more attention it receives, and the more momentum that cause gets to push for change. Within any community committed to its cause, working well with others requires self-reflection. To understand someone else, we have to already have made space for ourselves to access and process our emotions. The “Status Update”, Haris Nukem very personal feelings we experience are also available en masse. As each of us strives along the moral arc of the universe, we participate—whether we’re aware or not—in a greater group effort. The sensation of being connected to a bigger purpose can often come about during intense moments of personal transition. Our own independent journeys are actually all interconnected. To acknowledge how the changes we encounter personally, reflect the changes that society can engender, leads to a process for developing and maintaining healthy relationships. Along a unified and universal path of personal and species-wide evolution, we come to understand how we all share our collective failures as well as our collective successes. The feelings we experience are not strictly contained inside of our own bodies. These feelings reverberate outward. The joy we experience in our own lives fuels a greater sense of joy in the world. Creating connections with others who might hold different interests or value systems can help further contribute to this profound sense of shared experience. The more we can find common ground among one another, the more meaning we can mine, and the more cooperative civiliza- Ballet in Centennial Park, Sydney, Max Dupain, 1939

tion can become. In past centuries, and in many places still, the term “civilization” has been wielded like a sword against indigenous cultures by those attempting to wipe out ancient traditions. Yet, this destructiveness in the form of imperialism, goes against everything meant by the definition of civilization. If we wish to advance as a species through means of diversity, equality, and inclusion, we must reclaim the term civilization as a collective set of empowering conditions that accounts for, and supports, everyone. In this effort, we have to be careful how we define unification. It can’t go how it went in the past, when rulers campaigned through violence to force people to live under their rule. In the coming years, we want to position nonviolence as the most effective tactic for large-scale change. Converging our energies around just causes will represent the new form of unification. In this way, positivity will take shape as a new meta-paradigm. Through acknowledging a collective calling for positive change and becoming better collaborators, we believe that humanity will learn to adopt a more far-seeing perspective that accesses the wisdom of ancient cultures while simultaneously looking into our future potential.

I. INDIVIDUAL & COLLECTIVE WELLBEING 117 II. PRANA POWER Prana is a Sanskrit word referring to the breath, life force, or vital principle that applies to all matter, animate or otherwise. This ancient concept has been applied not only within Hindu philosophy, but also in practices of medicine, martial arts, and classical yoga. The idea of prana, the breath of life—connecting our breathing and bodies to essential matter like the sun and life’s elements—represents a powerful unifying force for sharing an eternal exchange.

People naturally share when sharing is an integral part of their culture or tradition. Economies based on giving and sharing rather than taking, will become the new standard for communities of all kinds. Control of the economy has been in the hands of a select few for far too long. We are past due for a radical redistribution of power and widespread circulation of wealth.

118 Unify Decommodify Humanity Franck V., 2018

Commodification dehumanizes. We are more than the profit we generate. Control drive, but not one another. “We are not objects, you and I. We are not apps, we are not code, we are not commodities. Nothing that we are can truly be bought or sold, and we are more important than things.” — Caveat Magister

Capitalism is a crafty, greedy system. Its need for growth compels it to take up as much space as possible. It is such a vast, hungry force that it often spills over into arenas of social interaction. Capitalism’s flexibility allows it to adapt to radically changing circumstances, quickly finding ways to sustain itself, no different than a virus or a parasite. Capitalism is a mindset and philosophy, increasingly influencing all streams of human experience. Economic conditions become ever-present mediators in daily interactions, influencing our most primal moments. Even access to basic amenities, like public toilets, is often restricted on the basis of ones’ ability to pay. The entire human existence is becoming The commodification of human work is a reduction of a swamped with the language of commodities. core facet of being. The performance of work can create a For many, the option of “opting out” of this ever-present sense of meaning and authenticity. It can imbue an individ- economic system is not available. The realities of human ual with a feeling of purpose. However, under the vices of organization in the first quarter of the 21st century dictate capitalism, these elements of work are so often lost. that our most basic protective need for shelter must be Often, the work most integral to the maintenance of the paid for. This alone thrusts us headfirst into the machinery well-being of a society is terminally under appreciated. of the free-market economy if we wish to survive. Teachers, nurses, and others on the front lines of social care This arrangement throws us into a permanent state of conflict with one are usually underpaid. In contrast, bankers and oil execu- another. On one level, there’s our competition against one another for a tives are richly rewarded for their ability to extract wealth finite number of paid positions. In lean times, scarcity rears its ugly head from an increasingly fragile planet. The apparent contradic- and the stakes for winning or losing intensify. Another form of conflict tion here is, in reality, not a contradiction at all. It reveals a occurs between us and our own instincts. Enormous numbers of people basic truth of the predominant economic system. Highly-ex- are currently employed in positions of great tedium. Any satisfaction they tractive behavior is permitted and rewarded, while contrib- might derive from the work itself is fleeting. Many workers may even be utive action for the common good is largely undervalued. subject to draconian punishments, or arbitrary and dehumanizing rules. Through this unspoken policy, the relative importance of Only the most extreme of circumstances of poverty could possibly com- different types of work is muddled and we attribute high pel them to remain committed to such an endeavor. But it is precisely status to types of work that do not deserve such reverence. these extreme circumstances that drive these disadvantaged workers to The anxiety that permeates the commodification of self is felt by all. Rath- give up so much of their own self just to be able to maintain the very base er than performing self-directed work for the simple value of self-expres- level of their existence. Disunity can occur within us as individuals, as sion, we instead exchange labor for cash. For most people, not very much much as between groups. cash either. This creates mass unfulfillment and an overall societal malaise. Over thousands of years, philosophers have examined the routes by which the best human life can be lived. We may not yet know the answer, but there are certainly better alternatives than our current paradigm. For a start, there’s no need for all of us to be working so “Angel for Primer”, George Jasper Stone + Crosslucid, 2019 much. We can incorporate more natural, exchange-based arrangements in our interpersonal relationships and gradually experiment with enabling that kind of mutualism in more areas of life. Basic needs, like housing, should be guaranteed to all people to protect them from desperation, and thereby exploitation. The need to perform some kind of work will always be necessary. We should look beyond the current sad state of affairs we have accepted as the new norm and look to demand more meaningful development from our workplaces. Jan Kolar, 2019

II. PRANA POWER 119 Decommodify Evi Kalemi, 2018 the Planet

Food, water, energy, and even the air we breathe must be democratized. Equitable access to life-sustaining resources can no longer wait. “There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me; Sign was painted, it said private property; But on We cannot trust the profiteers to take good care of the natural resources the back side it didn’t say nothing; This land was of our planet. Natural resource is the greatest wealth there is and must made for you and me.” — Woody Guthrie, “This Land Is Your Land”, 1940 be democratized. The tragedy of the commons is a hypothesis that claims that shared use of natural resources makes those resources prone to Decommodification of the human spirit is just one step toward creating damage due to overuse by non-corporate individuals abusing the resource the conditions under which we can leverage the power of cooperation for their benefit. Though an obvious myth, it has played a useful propa- over competition. Liberation of oneself is powerful, but ultimately mean- gandistic role in justifying the privatization of land. The corporations con- ingless unless it also coincides with collective responsibility for all the trolling the land then claiming that only through clearly-defined ownership basic elements of a healthy life. can a resource be adequately maintained. But the current condition of How could it be possible for one group to have exclusive own- the environment has proven this theory false. Even now, free-market fun- ership of anything organic on the planet? Life was all here long damentalists call for the private ownership of the very air we breathe as before us and it will remain long after we die. Humans are a solution to the rising levels of CO₂ within its makeup. We deserve far merely borrowing the world for a little while and we should more faith in our own collective actions than that. behave accordingly. Each new generation must assume the We envision a society run on the principles of mutual aid, role of stewards of the Earth. It’s a catastrophic mistake to one of unmediated and voluntary cooperation. We are assume we are its master. more than capable of self-regulation. In this new, proposed Yet, there are many who continue this pursuit of ecological mastery. Com- system that did not reward violations of morality, self-reg- panies like Monsanto and Syngenta tweak the genetic material of seeds ulation would become even easier. In a mutual aid society, and use this as justification for intellectual ownership. Aggressive business anyone who sought to exploit a shared resource for per- practices and successful lobbying help these companies become monop- sonal enrichment would face serious sanctions. olies. They become like imperialist states, sweeping across the world and De-commodifying the planet will take time. And it will require enacting bending agricultural practices to their will. And in their wake we’re left mass participatory democracy. But if we can configure society in a way with drinking water that’s tainted and air that's polluted. Illogically, it is that engages the populace, invites everyone in, and ensures that we all those who face no direct consequences from the abuse of natural re- feel like members, then we might very well find ourselves on a path to- sources who are the ones who get to decide their use. ward the type of utopian future we’ve always imagined. And yet, water unifies all people with Earth. Water connects us to the original source of life. Half the water in our bodies, oceans, and streams contains hydrogen from the origins of the universe. Water unifies the story of all that is, ever was, and will be. Water reveals the necessity of a decommodified planet. Everyone must be able to drink from this powerful medicine. Placing the Levers of Control in the

Observation of rainbow trout Hands of the People

Democracy works when all people are included. Concentrated power too often leads to oppression. Only the checks and balances offered by a civically-engaged populace can create effective safeguards for the integrity of democracy.

The basic idea of “rule by people” has often come with troubling caveats in its application. The problem tends to arise from decisions about who we count as “people” in this equation. It’s often been the case that women, ethnic minorities, or the poor have found themselves excluded from the official political processes of state. It has only been through radical “Suprachromacy”, FIELD political activism and immense self-sacrifice that these groups have claimed their rights. But even today, the battle is still far from over. Even in nations with supposed equal rights under law, dis- enfranchisement seems to find a way. People want to have a say in their own governance. Robbed of this right, it is inevitable that those who are marginalized will eventually fight for their right to be included. Free and fair elections are the bedrock for any sound society. Coercion, manipulation, and corruption will always threaten to undermine the ability for people to legislate their own power. Deci- sion-making should not be controlled by those with access to the influence of special interests groups. Decisions that

120 Unify have widespread effects need to include widespread par- “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace ticipation. Representative democracy requires deep public trust in institutions. De- is not just mere absence of violence.Peace is, I think, mocracy, like any relationship between multiple parties, can only function the manifestation of human compassion.” — Dalai Lama effectively with trust. The relationship we have with our elected leaders must be genuinely trustworthy as well. Why are people in political office Criminology, the scientific study of crimes and criminals, so often guilty of the very same vices they admonish? What’s more, the often looks at the individual circumstances that helped talking points of candidates so often feel rehearsed and oversimplified. cause or prevent a specific crime, not at the problem of Yes, people want a message, but more importantly, people want their crime on a systemic level. In an 1997 article from the Journal water to be clean and drinkable and their schools to be safe and inspiring. of Criminal Justice, Explaining the absence of violent crime The continual failure of government to act in the interests of the people among the Semai of Malaysia: Is criminological theory up to has now eroded public trust. The resulting backlash has led to wide-rang- the task?, the author, Geoffrey Moss, looked at how the ing attempts to dismantle such seats of authority. Semai “appear to have universally socialized their members This response is not necessarily a bad thing. The wholesale to react to potentially violent situations (i.e., frustrating change we need to optimize our civilizations may very well stimuli) with a fear response that inhibits them from com- require rebuilding from the foundations up. The framework mitting violent criminal acts.”2 In addition, the paper ac- we use in this process of deconstruction will heavily influ- knowledged that criminology has yet to even address this ence the vision for what comes next. ability to prevent violence.

Gilets Jaunes, Norbu Gyachung, 2019 “There is no authority here but embarrassment.”

— Semai Tribe

To collectively socialize a self-imposed prohibition of committing wrongdoing would help not just with crime, but also with creating meaningful connections between individuals. Economic motives for committing crime are also largely non-existent among the Semai as what is needed can simply be asked for. The actions that emerge from this societal setup are inherently more egalitarian as the ability to share equal opportunities and rights becomes the defining attribute of their societal composition. A new unifying societal framework will be strengthened by acknowledging the inherent capability of people to share resources. Moreover, leveraging the positive power of trust—as much as the negative energy associated with wrongdoing—will serve to give communities greater authority for taking care of the group and one another. Mechanisms of Hong Kong protest graffiti, Joseph Chan, 2019 self-control translate to a more advantageously self-regulated society. The more involved we become in our communities, the more responsible we feel for what we contribute and, subsequently, the more good we can accomplish.

Revitalizing Engagement in the Public Sphere

Each voice contributes to a mighty chorus. To activate a more participatory democracy, everyday civic life has to connect to collective decision-making. Georg Bartisch, 1583 From “Ophthalmodouleia”, a manuscript on eye disorders,

As we envision models for communities with greater participatory power, we can learn much from how power is shared within peaceful societies. Many peaceful societies feature non-stratified relations between individuals. In the Semai tribe of Malaysia, when one person has more than the others, that individual is compelled to share amongst the settle- ment. People also learn to not ask for more than someone can give. Anthropology calls a society with no formal leadership “acephalous”, which comes from the Greek word for “headless”. A more egalitarian society can expand in a model based on that foundation.

II. PRANA POWER 121 The representative democracies common to modern government leave Claudio Schwarz, 2019 plenty of room for improvement. And with this acknowledgement, we, the citizens of our respective governments, are given an awesome opportunity to be involved in that process of improvement. The main challenge comes in figuring out how exactly we should each get involved. With decades of governmental stagnation, and the broken promises of our elected officials forever locked in our collective memories, it’s no wonder that so many feel entirely disillusioned by the electoral process. Betrayal by elected representatives has become entirely normalized. As a result, many feel as though none of the given options for candidates ever succeed in representing their interests. Decision-making itself is increasingly influenced by hidden algorithms in society’s digital space that predict and tailor the content each viewer sees. Voter turnout in general elections in many major democracies has “The smart way to keep people passive and been in decline for several decades. Non-voters are sometimes chastised obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of for their inaction and told that their right to criticize or demand alternatives is lost upon their choice to abstain from voting. This issue reflects a acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate widespread belief that political engagement begins and ends with the trip within that spectrum.” — Noam Chomsky to the ballot box once every few years. Governance can, and must, be so much more than this. The status quo thrives off the politically disengaged. Disengagement Democracy demands participation and personal invest- should be not be understood to refer only to the apathetic, but instead to ment. Policy decisions affect life for all citizens. So why the vast majority of us. Regardless of how well informed we may be, or leave those decisions to others when they ultimately affect how thoughtfully we’ve constructed our opinions, these factors do not us? Especially when we already possess the fundamental constitute political action. Without direct participation in some political means for greater involvement through our own perspec- organization or goal-driven endeavor, casting our vote represents the sum tives and voices. total of our input in the government. This is not a moral or personal failure, We all have a stake in the decisions being made around how but simply the result of structural circumstances. In the course of daily we organize resources and attention. Are we going to life, it is incredibly difficult for most people to find time for something like choose to arm ourselves, or educate ourselves? What is direct political action. Juggling life, family, work, and other responsibilities the most effective approach to liberation? Democracy is the takes enough time and energy without adding on political action. Becom- means by which autonomy can be asserted. Power can be ing involved in the machinations of policy-making and political maneuver- more evenly distributed and freedom can be claimed by all. ing is mostly messy and overwhelming. Vibrant participatory democracies, propelled by informed The media doesn’t help encourage engagement either. citizens exercising authority over their own lives, can be- Through much of mainstream media, the mechanisms of come conduits for a more reasonable and responsible civ- power have become highly adept at muddying realities and ilization. Every grassroots movement working for spreading a message that fails to challenge the status quo empowering change takes us a step closer to this ideal. or the roots of injustice. It’s crucial we all understand that there is no conspiracy or shadowy cabal of figures who meet to determine the chosen narrative to be disseminated by the media giants. Instead, the very, wealthy owners of Women’s strike, Claudio Schwarz, 2019 enormous corporate media entities tend to share the same base political interests founded on material concerns. It doesn’t pay to question the profit-driven status quo when the goal is to reap profits. That is the reason why we so often get caught up in repetitive cycles of the same old stories. Or, at the very least, media activities are led by a desire for high ratings, so sensationalist twists try to lure viewership or readership. It is seldom a case of news outlets outright lying. Rather, the current information landscape strays from the truth through a game of prioritiza- tion, omission, dismissal, and decontextualization. Events can be described, but without the sufficient information required to fully understand their cause. Alternative ideas are occasionally presented but are often either deemed radical, or appropriated into a gentler, less challenging form. The aim is to disguise the dominant ideology and reinvent it as common sense. Eid celebration in Delhi, Shivam Garg, 2019

122 Unify The Overton window is the term used to describe the “ac- Marshall’s electrostatic levitator, NASA, 2010 ceptable" range of ideas and ideologies that can be used in public discourse. Although fuzzy and intangible, it roughly dictates the flavor of national conversation. Control of this window is a primary function of popular media. The illusion of virile debate must be maintained, but within a carefully positioned and shrunken Overton window. Each time the Overton window skews in a direction of greater sensation- alization, we are cheated by our intelligence being under- estimated. It’s critical that we as an audience reject this pandering of oversimplifications and we get our hands dirty by digging further into what’s actually going on in matters of policy. As citizens, it’s time to focus our attention on the decisions that have the largest impact on how our priorities are constructed. It’s essential we find ways to create more meaningful connections with our elected representatives. We cannot settle for simple tactics for deciding our approval of them like how they look or speak. It’s time we feel engaged in our communities at every level and really work together. In particular, we should focus on the decisions that shape the future of our healthcare, the education of our children, and our opportunities for lasting peace. The best means of revitalizing this sense of engagement will come down to, not only feeling that our own future is at stake but also, finding the motivation to participate because we know it will make for a fulfilling life.

Find Commonality in Order to Bridge Divides

Some points of contention are too pronounced to be ignored. Nor should we shy away from conflict. Much can be gained by engaging conflict with a shared intention of resolution.

The foundational question driving much of modern political debate is this: Why is our current societal arrangement not working for everyone and what should replace it? The answer to this question forms the major point of contention between the polarities of the political spectrum. At the root of a modern leftist worldview is the belief that the right works to ensure that they, and their allies, remain longstanding power structures must be challenged becau- in the group of winners at the expense of everybody else. se they have been unjustly established. The right, in con- Solutions that emerge from a leftist critique of the world trast, seek to harden existing hierarchies. Rather than are the most likely to effect real change as their opposition’s rewrite a system designed to produce winners and losers, goals do not actually include systemic change of any kind. A positive future depends on our ability to create policy based on inclusivity and openness. We must strive to create laws that fight for the emp-

From the journal of Alexander Graham Bell, 1904 owerment of the disenfranchised. Any system that entrenches separation of people must be rejected in favor of systems that are designed to bridge divides that harmfully keep people apart. In this battle, optimism is our greatest motivator. We choose to believe in the wisdom of an informed, empowered, and liberated collective. Power is most effectively wielded when widely distributed. We can rein in our worst traits—like greed, hubris, and control of others—to drastically curtail the exploitation of people and planet. We don’t need to be embroiled in endless wars over power and resources. We can live in peace through mutual aid. We can help all people to live healthy, supported lives. These conditions allow us to break down the barriers to unification and organize along lines conducive to cooperation.

II. PRANA POWER 123 III. OVERCOMING CONSTRAINTS A recalibration of the status quo requires a critical mass of people understanding the common bonds of life and demanding dignity across all layers of social and environmental interaction. This shift in consciousness will be facilitated by making decisions aimed at providing a joyful existence to everyone. To climb out of the mental ruts of thinking that all matters of life can be reduced to survival of the fittest for limited resources, we can reshape our mindsets by accessing the universal insights stored within us all.

124 Unify Discovering Non-Duality “Hand with Reflecting Sphere”, M. C. Escher, 1935

Binary thinking only looks at part of a more complete picture. To expand our scope of awareness, we must look beyond our opposing views and focus on what unifies us throughout life.

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and test of our civilization.” — Mahatma Gandhi

We feel that wedge issues with strict opposing positions confiscate too much attention in popular discourse. We can appreciate the simplicity of how categories like liberal and conservative can easily create sides for people to choose between. Yet, this divisiveness fails to address the nuances and complexities that exist within each individual. Rigid rules and boundaries dictate expectations and control conditions, but they also put up big barriers. When it comes to complex, multi-faceted problems, single-use solutions won’t be sufficient. To work with intricately connected, and often invisible, issues, the best approaches involve agility and adaptability (a portmanteau of these two strengths could be called adapt-agility). “If you identify with the ego plane, you’ll find you’re in time, you’re in space, you’re a little body. But go to This notion of variety gives rise to a unifying principle inherent in transcendental awareness that we can apply to the spiritual heart, and there will be a doorway to the our search for global systemic transformation. Variation next plane of consciousness: soul land.” — Ram Dass and repetition are key ingredients to achieving whole-systems integration of diverse elements arranged seamlessly Non-duality refers to a spiritual awareness that transcends dichotomies like a knitted fabric. such as “me” and “you”, or “us” and “them”. In non-physical, formless Our inclination is to give attention to the differentiated space between terms, a spiritual connection to supreme complexity emerges through dualities, binaries, and even double-entendres. Because these inter-zones non-duality. Rooted in Vedic, Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and Judeo-Chris- function like waves between fixed points, they can offer fertile territories tian traditions, the notion of non-duality speaks to an evolved, and perfor positive transformation. Of course, contradictions will inevitably oc- haps primary, state of consciousness that many spiritual practices have cur. Oppositions will pop up. What can we do? Certainly not just drop sought to describe. There are, by necessity, countless ways to arrive at our convictions. Yet, we can also learn to see that our convictions only non-duality. There is not even one universally accepted definition of tell a small piece of a story. Without complete context, there’s only so non-duality. This lack of definitiveness also feels appropriate. There’s much that can be understood. Oh, and how much more there always is room for everything. to experience…

“I’ve walked the future, I’ve looked at a record, I’ve You are at the centre of everything.” — Adam Curtis seen a place, I have all the data.” — Paul Atreides/ Muad’Dib, Dune, p. 321 The notion of non-duality symbolizes the eternal: where everything exists at once. The akashic record and quantum “The Principles of Light and Color”, Edwin D. Babbit, 1878 hologram are two names for the idea that everything in existence—past, present, future—is integrated within a whole system in which all information and metaphysical phenomena are stored. Josh Applegate, 2019

III. OVERCOMING CONSTRAINTS 125 Philosopher and systems theorist Ervin László discusses the “Akashic Tyler Lastovich, 2018 field” in his book, Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything, published in 2004. László’s work provides an understanding of the “Akashic field” as a “constant and enduring memory of the universe”. 3 This field represents a way of seeing past, present, and future all bound within the same story. The acknowledgement that everything we ever encounter—whether in a current moment, after the fact, or even in the future—is available in this field has the effect of opening our minds and vision to a profound field of experience. Imagine looking around. In each direction, you see multiple versions of yourself extend outward in the field: younger versions, older versions, alternate versions. Each version silently acknowledges the limitlessness of expression of who you feel you are or might wish to become. Each stage of life is irreplaceable and integral to the narrative we each create and live out. How might we learn to access a field of experience that accounts for the elegant complexity of who we are or might become? Rather than live with the belief that chance encounters shape the contours of our lives, might there be a way for us to intentionally experience non-duality as a means for leveraging the power of serendipity? Do coinci- dences really occur by chance and contingency? Or do they reveal a larger, potentially unknowable, field of coherence? We believe that by pursuing these questions, we might discover far-reaching answers that guide our journey into unknown futures with grace and the wisdom of immense experience. The seemingly unstoppable march of digitization is exacerbating the problem of uniformity. A far cry from the earlier, Wild West days of the Inter- net, the monolithic tech corporations now act as gatekeepers to vast repositories of information. The way these companies see fit to distribute information through algorithms is unavoidably linked with what is beneficial for their bottom line: user retention, eyeballs on screens, and the accumulation of profit. Unify Attention, The ad-driven monetization structure of the Internet cre- Intention, & Action ates a simple cause and effect: the more clicks you get, the more money you make. Hence the rise of clickbait. Click- bait is nothing more than a digital version of a practice The current digital space has been built around the assumptions that’s existed within human society for centuries: distort- that attention is a resource to be mined, that there are only so many ing the truth to attract attention. But this organization of potential users, and that those users have a finite amount of time online content is especially susceptible to manipulation. to spend on a particular service. It’s time to reclaim how our atten- Shrewd creators recognize what content receives the most tion is defined and solicited. attention and configure their aesthetics to appeal to these baser instincts. Predictably, it is, time and time again, the most shocking and provocative content that draws in the most views. Evgeni Savchenko, 2019 There is much talk of the attention economy. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings identified his company’s users’ need for sleep as his greatest source of competition. But attention is much more than a resource to be leveraged against us. And it does not always need to be a means to an end. How can we redesign digital systems to try to reverse this detrimental trend and reestablish attention as a shared human value? Punch Magazine’s portrayal of isolating technology, 1906

126 Unify Ajeet Mestry, 2017 Mine the Depths of Inner Experience to Instill Presence

Generate authentic action rather than reactive responses based on distracted experience. Restructure the fractured informational landscape into a contextually relevant unified whole.

“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation, and a foundation for inner security.”

— Albert Einstein, 1950

We think of the screen as something that reveals. But screens can just as well be understood by what they obfuscate. There is much information that is concealed for the sake of coherence, ease of use, accessibility, or for more insidious purposes. Those of us who use data-tracking platforms could certainly be put off if we were fully informed as to exactly what was being done with our data. But we often don’t look beyond whatever information first meets our attention. Some research suggests that the very first page of search engine results captures 95% of the traffic for online search- es.4 Is that a sign that the first page contains the best possible answers to what people are looking for? It seems unlikely. Rather, the first page of a search engine has taken One answer may lie in exploring the concept of presence. on an air of authority. It feels infallible, as though it can To be present, mentally and physically, means to feel deep serve as an arbiter of truth and relevance. roots within your current moment of consciousness. Pres- ence means being aware of your bodily sensations, being connected to what surrounds you, and having the ability to perceive the world with focus. Athletes speak of being “in the zone”, a state of existence wherein time seems to slow down and every complex movement comes naturally. Many types of meditation are essentially concentrated efforts to feel this heightened level of mindfulness. Yet, our Image through stretched glass, Dasha Yukhymyuk 2018 digital systems seem to be manufactured to achieve the very opposite of presence. They often seem designed to leave us in a state of perpetual distraction. The stream of experience passing through our perception, second by second, is our window to the very nature of being itself. It is all we are and all we will ever know. If we allow ourselves to just be, we can feel time ebb and flow. And this feeling can take us down untrodden paths. Perhaps even exciting ones. The concept of presence can also allow us to grasp the intangible and unquantifiable. It can become a mode not just for analysis or consumption, but for exploration. As well, presence is a helpful way to detach from the unrelenting urge to accomplish and progress. And it is a strategy to allow ourselves to have a moment of peace from stress-inducing forces. This is absolutely vital for our wellbeing. When we are calm, we are able to access a more pure mode of existence, feeling the enthralling blend of all our senses as they come together within the fullness of a moment.

III. OVERCOMING CONSTRAINTS 127 Ernst Chladni, 1787 “Entdeckungen über die Theorie des Klanges (Discoveries in the Theory of Sound)”, Depth adds complication, but User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design has spent the last years trying to erase complication. Depth doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the most seamless user experience. To process depth takes energy and time, resources that we don’t always have in the appropriate proportion. However, this doesn’t mean we should avoid complication. On the contrary. Complication is good. It adds nuance, it creates opportunities for new ideas. Without it, all we can do is continue down established grooves. We cannot really learn from lists of bite-sized insights. Ours is a frantic, life-hacking culture in which we labor under the misapprehension that optimization always means doing something quicker than before. But when is fast ever fast enough? Going slow can root us to a feeling of presence. Rather than adapt all interactions to a scarcity of time, we must be afforded more time to experience interactions at their fullest. Hyper digital connectivity is, for better or worse, here to stay. The trend is even accelerating, as the Internet of Things extends ever further. Rather than a full-blooded rebellion against these tools in search of a return to a myth- ical “purer” time, we must address the digital world on its own terms. It must be built in a way that it serves us, not uses us or sees us only as users. The digital domain must not play on our fears and exploit our weaknesses. It must not have gatekeepers. It must not become a way to reduce our complexities into a single, algorithmic state. It must not interfere with our ability to feel present within ourselves and our environments. It must reflect the ambiguity of the real world. All these things will help to prevent us becoming a writhing mass of sameness caught in an illusion of choice. Dissolve Restoring our digital autonomy will serve to give us access to a wider spectrum of possibilities as generated not ex- Mono-Cultures ternally, but from within. So Biodiversity Can Flourish “Aesthetics of Unreality”, Designed Realities Studio

The unique and priceless qualities of humanity require space to exist at the full potential of expression. Monocultures are vulnerable. Diversity creates strength.

We live in a time of unprecedented cultural similarity. The creep of globalization has disseminated an increasingly uniform set of cultural mark- ers and values across our planet to such a degree that a visit to almost any corner of the world will yield some air of the familiar. The ubiquitousness of McDonald’s golden arches is almost a clichéd representation of this very phenomenon. Both the years of sustained contact between countries, and the easy movement of digital information, has led to the adoption of many shared patterns of behavior and consumerism across all continents. That said, it is still largely Western hegemony that has dictated the global shifts of recent decades. It could be suggested that homogenization of the human brings us closer together as points of commonality become more numerous. Ideally, this would reduce the potential for conflict across borders and help us to unify along shared goals. But it doesn’t work that way. Facebook is a prime example of how people group together with those of similar interests and endlessly repeat whatever soundbites are most popular within their particular echo-chamber. The nature of the cultural system that is being spread via globalization is, at its core, adversarial. The accompanying institutions of capitalism do not serve the purpose of collective uplift or equality, they demand winners and losers. Adversarialism bleeds into the collective consciousness and, subsequently, social ties atrophy, and mass cooperation becomes more difficult. The imposition of uniformity robs us of a quality we instinctively recognize as central to our being: the expression of our differences. Authori- tarian regimes commonly enforce practices designed to restrict any potential deviation from an established mean. Far too many people continue to suffer under these oppressive conditions. Nearly a third of the global population lives under authoritarian regimes.5

128 Unify “Vielecke und Vielflache: Theorie und Geschichte”, Max Brückner, 1900

In a dramatized interpretation of this issue, in the 2002 film Sze Siang Chong, 2019 Equilibrium, a theocratic government has sought to stamp out conflict through the chemical elimination of emotions themselves. In addition to the eradication of emotions, they’ve also banned all works of art out of fear of it kindling any form of passion in the human soul. The internal life of humans is determined to pose a threat to societal stability and is thus snuffed out. Now consider how our prisoners are treated in today’s society. They are each assigned a number instead of a name and given uniform jumpsuits to wear, all in an attempt to dehumanize them and destroy their individual will. This is a form of collectivity, as en- forced from above. And this policy is a very different, and much more harmful, paradigm than that of collectivity formed through bonds of shared purpose and respect. If our freedom to express our differences is suppressed, then our capacity for heretical thought is reduced and, in this process, a valuable foundation for insight is lost to us. The rejection of dominant ideas and the freedom to pursue alternatives, has the potential to transform our entire conception of our place in the universe. If we want to contribute to empowering societal change, then everyone should have the justifiable right to self-expression. It’s imperative we all be able to raise our various concerns and work toward our dreams for our shared state of existence.

Sources

1 https://medium.com/thrive-global/ubuntu-i-am-because-you-are-66efa03f2682 2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235297000032 3 https://eduardolbm.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/science-and-the-akashic-field-ervin-laszlo.pdf 4 https://www.brafton.com/news/95-percent-of-web-traffic-goes-to-sites-on-page-1-of-google-serps-study/ 5 https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/01/31/democracy-continues-its-disturbing-retreat

III. OVERCOMING CONSTRAINTS 129 The challenge for innovation

130 The term “innovation” “As an intangible, individualistic, yet strictly white-collar trait, innovation has stalled out and been reframes the cruel fortunes of an unequal global economy as the logical products of a creative, visionary brilliance. In this new guise, the appropriated by ped- innovator retains both a touch of the prophet and a hint of the confi- dlers of fleeting novelty dence man.” — John Patrick Henry or worse. We can do Throughout industrialization, innovation has become increasingly a matter of technological ad- better. vancement. Economic narrow-mindedness has corralled innovation for commercial ends. Innova- tion was co-opted as a tool for the infinite-growth machine. The last century of economic growth has been fueled by industrial activities that pollute the air we breathe and poison the water we drink. More protective policies can stop this terrible trend.

Technological innovation does not have to run counter to the challenge of climate change, it can serve as an important platform for solutions instead. As long as innovation follows an imperative of economic growth, however, it will have a hand in environmental degradation and the impover- ishment of people. This is the scenario we must most ardently fight against while still upholding a vision of innovation that can help get us out of the knotted mess we’re in.

The unending cascade of technologies, products, and services sold as innovative are so often little more than incremental changes to something that already exists. This type of innovation reinforces dominant paradigms and is incapable of fundamentally altering the most meaningful conditions of society in a positive way. If we lived in a post-scarcity egalitarian society, this would not be a problem. But we do not as of yet have that luxury.

The fruits of the contemporary age seem plentiful. The shiny toys in our pockets, on our desks, or in the corners of our living rooms, are all gateways to all kinds of indulgence. Feeling hungry and lazy? A few taps is all you need to propel a pizza right to your door. Bored? Binge yourself into a state of catatonia on the latest season of a TV show. Need to get across town in a hurry? Summon a stranger from the Internet and climb into their car.

Innovation should be helping us to leap outside convention, not streamlining access to instant gratification. Human economic activity is essentially an attempt to make organizational order out of the chaos of material resources. This is performed almost uniformly across the globe in line with the tenets of capitalism, which has created an order of systemic exploitation, violence, and corruption. Innovation, as a means for radical change, therefore carries a responsibility to help undo this damaging setup.

The process of innovation is itself ethically neutral. Intent has a great deal to do with achieving innovation’s proper application. When applied to areas like war, surveillance, and interrogation, innovation can be terrifying in its destructive capacity. Human history is scarred with moments in which vast amounts of human ingenuity were placed in the service of wreaking havoc on life and planet.

Today, the word innovation is used in campaign slogans to sell new products. Tomorrow, innovation could be considered the means by which the established order is overturned and replaced by a system supporting creativity, inclusivity, and evolving technologies that help humanity transcend every limitation.

“The time is always right to do right.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Innovation, as a specialized field within the business sector, will take on much greater relation to a diverse range of activities within creative-based ecosystems in the coming decades. The source of this reverberation stems from the underlying need to address repair and sustainable growth in all areas of life. The primary tools to enable this transition will be more invisible than the blunt, physical tools of our past. Instead, ingenuity, inclusivity, and creativity will come into greater prominence as tools for positive transformation. The primary ingredients influencing how innovation is practiced as a discipline until 2025 will continue to be information and emotions. The better these visible and invisible qualities can be synchronized to complement one another, the better we will learn how to balance our intellects and feelings in the pursuit of harmonious initiatives. As an innovation studio, our faculty for imagining scenes from a positive future entail placing a premium on uplifting narratives. We don’t see apocalypse in our future. We have enough history of violence in movies and video games to give us a sense of the apocalypse. Instead, with the extinc- tions of other species on this planet beginning to enter the millions, we know enough to stop going down this course of action that tears at the fabric of life. With awareness to all in need of repair, we want to figure out how to channel our energies into actively creating a world in excellent

PCH innovation process tool process PCH innovation health, condition, and consciousness.

131 Script for “New Reverence”, a PCH movie (2018)

Current Condition

We live in strange times. Our world continues to be in a state of transition, yet the scale and effect of change is rapidly accelerating. What once seemed routine now stands out as peculiar. Perspec- tives are shifting. Awareness is blossoming into awakening.

We’re seeing multiple global shifts in attitude, ideology, and power structures. Traditional institutions have reached the limits of their abilities. As outdated models stagnate, they lose people’s trust and ultimately collapse. Disruption unfolds on every level. Ecologically. Societally. Personally. We feel it in our core. Crises abound.

Inequality continues to rise everywhere. The 8 richest people now own as much collective wealth as the poorest half of the global population. Endless conflicts fuel ongoing humanitarian crises. Suicide rates in the US went up 25% in the last 20 years. Total environmental catastrophe is now an all too real possibility, yet we’re still failing to properly commit to the changes we desperately need.

Our technical capacities are improving faster than ever. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the health of our planet and societies. We have been led to believe that the development of technology is the greatest marker of human progress, but this narrative doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, and must be rejected.

Technology in itself does not offer salvation, it has to be motivated by a higher purpose. The practice of innovation has been diluted into a form of wasteful incrementalism, in which minor alterations are used to justify incessant consumption. What a terrible waste of such immeasurable potential!

Much technological development has vastly improved life for those of us lucky enough to have access to it. Yet it’s still built on the backs of others. Renewable energy is paving a path toward a future without fossil fuels, potentially avoiding the cataclysm of man-made climate change. We can renew ourselves as well.

We have the physical tools we need to build a world in which we can all have our basic needs met. We have the methods to create better standards of living. We even have huge numbers of people who want to work toward this paradigm. So what’s stopping us?

The tools of innovation have become centralized and monopolized. The trappings of ego, endless growth, and a demand for short term profits has left us burdened with a constant deluge of products and services that do far more unseen harm than good. Our bodies, minds and planet are cracking under the strain.

132 Rerouting

The process and intention of innovation must be redefined and diverted from egocentric pursuits to efforts conscious of entire eco-systems. This means rerouting from a system based on constant growth and personal accumulation toward one that seeks balance, holistic wellbeing and regenerative fortitude.

We need a mass shift in our collective values, and to enact radical new policies that benefit the majority. We must carve out a strong, optimistic vision for how to live healthy, meaningful, con- tributive lives, and determine the way to realize this purposeful future. Individuals, collectives, governments, and companies must enter into a new social contract using strict legislation to curtail the abuse of corporate influence, until a drastic shift in consciousness makes this unnecessary.

Full transparency of value chains must be made a rigid requirement for corporate operation. Ad- vertising should be phased out of public space, allowing us to reclaim our attention within our own neighborhoods, and decondition us from brand obsession.

We must refuse to sacrifice the well-being of others for the sake of convenience. Work and life must be forced back into balance, giving workers more time to spend with friends, family, and to pursue personal passions. Experiments with universal basic income must be accelerated to spread the continuing gains of global productivity, and to help us escape the hamster wheel of the daily grind.

Science and technology must primarily be used to advance the social good. New collective ownership logics should replace private ownership as we transition out of capitalism. Accessibility, inclusivity, and responsibility need to become the new rallying cries of innovation. Drawing inspiration from ancient conceptions of our symbiotic relationship to nature, resources and ourselves, we must develop new metrics by which we judge our successes or failures. We must embrace the current moment of chaos as an opportunity to reset, and push forward together toward a new global logic.

Innovation should not disrupt for the sake of novelty or commercial opportunity, but look only to replace that which creates no benefit, brings harm, or demands too high a cost. Thorough risk assessments need to be performed before taking action, to ensure we understand the potential impact of our creations. Innovation should seek to address the deepest root of the systemic issues and biases we face, in order to rebuild from the ground up. In this sense, innovation speaks to a new way of thinking, feeling, and acting, rather than simply giving us more powerful tools to inflate the issues we’ve developed over the course of human history.

Momentum

We at PCH Innovations seek social, cultural, and environmental harmony with technology by creating humanistic, empathic and highly adaptive systems. We see ourselves as stewards of our planet, rather than its masters. We organize through the spirit of cooperation, not competition, safe in the knowledge that our success does not depend on another’s failure. In the new global logic, exploitation will finally be seen as a blight, not a feature of social evolution. Spiritual reflection will begin to erode the mass obsession and identification with status and power. Those who cling to outdated, damaging ways of being will be challenged at every turn, and their worldview exposed as dangerous, harmful, and inhumane.

This overarching change will not happen overnight, nor will it happen by accident. It needs optimists to stand up and be counted; anyone who dreams of a better, fairer, healthier world, and who wants to play a role in building it. Communities need to be re-established, and bonds of solidarity must be strengthened through empathy, compassion, trust, honesty and integrity. Innovative solutions will emerge through collectives of active dreamers practicing locally – united in vision, strengthened by diverse perspectives, and supported by progressive policies.

Intellectual property will become truly open-source, facilitating free access to methods, tools, and design and engineering blueprints. This is how we move forward. The power of the collective generates momentum; the task is too great for any one individual, no matter how resourceful they may be.

Radical creatives and heretical thinkers have always held the key to ushering in the next era of global society. Now is no different. PCH Innovations strives to aim higher, take responsibility, and manifest the potential of innovation to repair the fabric of life.

133 Part 4 Section at a glance

Depart refers to the deliberate the deliberate to Depart refers behind patterns, leaving of act no that and systems behaviors, our species. longer serve the by is inspired This section the hero’s of myth archetypal humanity is In our case, journey. departing the story, of the hero by polluted an environment from power. and misguided injustice humanity must In our telling, past for be accountable learn to: of be cognizant transgressions, choices, and making sustainable an interrelated of be respectful our restore to in order nature place global home as a healthy live. to follow that The subsections of de- kinds erent diff speak to from: Departures partures. to approaches conventional of notions antiquated innovation, a restrictive economy, a healthy a failed system, educational and a industry, healthcare of notion poorly-constructed our environment. treat to how of the llment fulfi believe We will occur when we quest hero’s the relationships repair rightfully de- the slow led to have that and the ourselves of struction of In taking this course planet. supportive will create we action, the next genera- conditions for civilization. rebuild tion to

134 Depart Part 4 Section at a glance

135 136

II. Depart I. R E E VA LUAT- KNOWLEDGE ING OF SELF138 ECONOMICS 142

Depart on a Journey to Transition to Regenerative

Discover Our Inner Economies 143

Universes 139 Mystic Insights for

the Marketplace 144 Embark into Greater

Awareness 140

Depart from Reductivism 144

Trace the Hero's

Journey for Humanity 142 The End of Manipulation 145

Invest in Baseline

Empowerment 146

III. I V. INNOVATING ENVIRON- EDUCATION148 MENTAL HEA LING 154 Depart into a Different Kind

of Classroom 149

Depart From Pedagogies to Support the Whole Deforestation 155 Student 149

Practice Replenishment Teach Peace & 155

Planetary Stewardship 151 Healing Begins From Within New Educational 156

Outlets & Inroads 152 Return Home, Make Amends,

Restore Relationships 157 II. I. R E E VA LUAT- KNOWLEDGE ING OF SELF138 ECONOMICS 142

Depart on a Journey to Transition to Regenerative

Discover Our Inner Economies 143

Universes 139 Mystic Insights for

the Marketplace 144 Embark into Greater

Awareness 140

Depart from Reductivism 144

Trace the Hero's

Journey for Humanity 142 The End of Manipulation 145

Invest in Baseline

Empowerment 146

III. I V.

Table of Contents of Table INNOVATING ENVIRON- EDUCATION148 MENTAL HEA LING 154 Depart into a Different Kind

of Classroom 149

Depart From Pedagogies to Support the Whole Deforestation 155 Student 149

Practice Replenishment Teach Peace & 155

Planetary Stewardship 151 Healing Begins From Within New Educational 156

Outlets & Inroads 152 Return Home, Make Amends,

Restore Relationships 157 137 138 I. KNOWLEDGE Depart OF SELF

The next wave of innovation evolved collective conscious- will leverage intuition and the ness. The more knowledge we power of positive intentions to gain about our origins, the help safeguard new abilities better equipped we are to against corruption. In this create our future. sense, forging an uplifting path ahead requires upholding values of trust, common decency, and dignity. Develop- ing a greater understanding of humanity’s place, and purpose, in life will contribute to a more

The idea behind the term unity of consciousness is that New pieces of technology are currently being created to help Depart on a Journey to when we experience sensations like sound and feeling, or access and explore the mysteries of consciousness. One of Discover Our Inner smell and taste, we do so all at once.2 Consciousness has the the people in the spotlight of this pursuit is an engineer named capacity to integrate complex parts and patterns into a seam- Mikey Siegel who has been working on integrating technology Uni verses less whole. Consciousness plays a crucial role in supporting with consciousness through a series of global events he’s titled individual and collective transformation, and engaging a global the Consciousness Hacking MeetUp. These community-based Go deep within to a refl ective awareness of the connec- community in the realization of human potential. gatherings off er the opportunity for attendees to try out a de- tions between nodes of life. Gain insight from emptiness, Consciousness is not a fi xed quality we possess, but vice Siegel created called Heartsync which can connect up to and fi nd yourself within that clear, open space. rather an evolving experience of who we are. We can develop 24 people wearing EEG headsets to a computer, visualize their our awareness of consciousness when we quiet our inner heart-rates, and emit corresponding sounds through speakers. dialogue and calm the frantic pace of our daily lives. Deeper This device enables a group of people to synchronize their insights of consciousness occur when we tune into the reso- breathing and heart-rates into a collective rhythm. Through nant frequency we share with all other observant beings. To Siegel’s network of MeetUp events called Project Nights, other create conditions for our bodies to live in a healthy, relaxed, individuals and startups are able to share potentially infl uential and liberated state, enables the mind to gain greater awareness prototypes.3 For instance, a group called Luciding Inc. has in- of the sensations the body receives. This collection of sensory vented a specialized headband that can send electrical pulses input and extrasensory insight can then be reconfi gured by to you while you sleep, which they claim allows for the ability the mind, through complex pattern recognition and resolu- to control one’s dreams and enjoy lucidly-navigated desires.4 tion, to infl uence matter. At this precise moment, the unity of Technologies that sense and transmit heart rhythms, consciousness expands to allow for a state of total harmony. or that allow us to choose our own adventures through our Perhaps this is what is meant by the title of the Radiohead dreams, reveal the powerful interworking of our own biolog- song “Everything in its right place”. ical machinery. We are learning to harmonize the energies of our external technologies with the energies of our internal technologies. Along the way, we are deriving an ever greater meaning of what technology can be. Most of all, technology

“Bizzarie di Varie Figure”, Giovanni Battista Bracelli, 1624 Bracelli, Battista Giovanni Figure”, “Bizzarie di Varie can be interpreted as a manifestation of human imagination. “Our own individual inner universe, our way of being conscious, is just one possible way of being conscious. And even human consciousness generally, it’s just a tiny region in a vast space of possible conscious- nesses… With a greater sense of understanding comes a greater sense of wonder, and a greater realization that we are part of and not apart from the rest of nature.” — Anil Seth “Allegorical-symbolic Work”, Uncredited, 1922 Uncredited, Work”, “Allegorical-symbolic If we wish to gain insight on our true nature, it is necessary to delve into the fi eld of consciousness. “Technology is a manifestation of mind. It’s One growing approach to this investigation concerns a our thoughts and imagination brought into branch of metaphysical philosophy dealing with the study of the mind called noetics. In Greek, noēsis / noētikos describes physical form. If you look around this room, (BCI) Interfaces Computer with Brain PCH experiments inner wisdom, direct knowing, intuition, or implicit under- every object, even the room itself, started as Altered states of consciousness are a built-in feature standing. The Petaluma, California based IONS (Institute Of a thought. And like thoughts, technology can to human experience. Popularized modes for quickly altering Noetic Sciences) describes Noetic Sciences as: “A multidis- consciousness—like entertainment, caff eine, alcohol, hallucino- ciplinary fi eld of study that brings objective scientifi c tools run wild, and cause immense devastation gens, sensory deprivation, or electrical brainwave stimulation and techniques together with subjective inner knowing to and suff ering, or it can be our ally, to help us —are ripe for reinterpretation. Like with chemical substances, study the nature of reality.”1 In this multidisciplinary fi eld, the realize that which we all see: Peace, truth, the potential for dependency to develop presents risk to certain study of subjective experience is seen through a scientifi c avenues for altering consciousness. Yet ancient practices will lens to examine ways in which consciousness pertains to the love, enlightenment, whatever name you continue to be our most accessible means for experiencing physical world. want to give to that.” — Mikey Siegel internal transformation. The most sustainable means for gain- I. KNOWLEDGE OF SELF

The idea behind the term unity of consciousness is that New pieces of technology are currently being created to help Depart on a Journey to when we experience sensations like sound and feeling, or access and explore the mysteries of consciousness. One of Discover Our Inner smell and taste, we do so all at once.2 Consciousness has the the people in the spotlight of this pursuit is an engineer named capacity to integrate complex parts and patterns into a seam- Mikey Siegel who has been working on integrating technology Uni verses less whole. Consciousness plays a crucial role in supporting with consciousness through a series of global events he’s titled individual and collective transformation, and engaging a global the Consciousness Hacking MeetUp. These community-based Go deep within to a refl ective awareness of the connec- community in the realization of human potential. gatherings off er the opportunity for attendees to try out a de- tions between nodes of life. Gain insight from emptiness, Consciousness is not a fi xed quality we possess, but vice Siegel created called Heartsync which can connect up to and fi nd yourself within that clear, open space. rather an evolving experience of who we are. We can develop 24 people wearing EEG headsets to a computer, visualize their I. KNOWLEDGE SELFI. OF our awareness of consciousness when we quiet our inner heart-rates, and emit corresponding sounds through speakers. dialogue and calm the frantic pace of our daily lives. Deeper This device enables a group of people to synchronize their insights of consciousness occur when we tune into the reso- breathing and heart-rates into a collective rhythm. Through nant frequency we share with all other observant beings. To Siegel’s network of MeetUp events called Project Nights, other create conditions for our bodies to live in a healthy, relaxed, individuals and startups are able to share potentially infl uential and liberated state, enables the mind to gain greater awareness prototypes.3 For instance, a group called Luciding Inc. has in- of the sensations the body receives. This collection of sensory vented a specialized headband that can send electrical pulses input and extrasensory insight can then be reconfi gured by to you while you sleep, which they claim allows for the ability the mind, through complex pattern recognition and resolu- to control one’s dreams and enjoy lucidly-navigated desires.4 tion, to infl uence matter. At this precise moment, the unity of Technologies that sense and transmit heart rhythms, consciousness expands to allow for a state of total harmony. or that allow us to choose our own adventures through our Perhaps this is what is meant by the title of the Radiohead dreams, reveal the powerful interworking of our own biolog- song “Everything in its right place”. ical machinery. We are learning to harmonize the energies of our external technologies with the energies of our internal technologies. Along the way, we are deriving an ever greater meaning of what technology can be. Most of all, technology

“Bizzarie di Varie Figure”, Giovanni Battista Bracelli, 1624 Bracelli, Battista Giovanni Figure”, “Bizzarie di Varie can be interpreted as a manifestation of human imagination. “Our own individual inner universe, our way of being conscious, is just one possible way of being conscious. And even human consciousness generally, it’s just a tiny region in a vast space of possible conscious- nesses… With a greater sense of understanding comes a greater sense of wonder, and a greater realization that we are part of and not apart from the rest of nature.” — Anil Seth “Allegorical-symbolic Work”, Uncredited, 1922 Uncredited, Work”, “Allegorical-symbolic If we wish to gain insight on our true nature, it is necessary to delve into the fi eld of consciousness. “Technology is a manifestation of mind. It’s One growing approach to this investigation concerns a our thoughts and imagination brought into branch of metaphysical philosophy dealing with the study of the mind called noetics. In Greek, noēsis / noētikos describes physical form. If you look around this room, (BCI) Interfaces Computer with Brain PCH experiments inner wisdom, direct knowing, intuition, or implicit under- every object, even the room itself, started as Altered states of consciousness are a built-in feature standing. The Petaluma, California based IONS (Institute Of a thought. And like thoughts, technology can to human experience. Popularized modes for quickly altering Noetic Sciences) describes Noetic Sciences as: “A multidis- consciousness—like entertainment, caff eine, alcohol, hallucino- ciplinary fi eld of study that brings objective scientifi c tools run wild, and cause immense devastation gens, sensory deprivation, or electrical brainwave stimulation and techniques together with subjective inner knowing to and suff ering, or it can be our ally, to help us —are ripe for reinterpretation. Like with chemical substances, study the nature of reality.”1 In this multidisciplinary fi eld, the the potential for dependency to develop presents risk to certain

139 realize that which we all see: Peace, truth, study of subjective experience is seen through a scientifi c avenues for altering consciousness. Yet ancient practices will lens to examine ways in which consciousness pertains to the love, enlightenment, whatever name you continue to be our most accessible means for experiencing physical world. want to give to that.” — Mikey Siegel internal transformation. The most sustainable means for gain- 140 ing insights from diff erent states of consciousness might very We believe that once we begin to distance ourselves from well continue to include the shamanic method of rhythmic the demands of our ego-techno-centric economic system, we percussion, or the yogic methods of breath-work, movement, will free up space to pursue a more mystical relationship to and meditation. the natural world. In small ways we can uncover the connec- We believe that in the future, ecosystems for exploring tions between people in order to arrive at a more spiritually and expanding consciousness will continue to grow. So too awakened existence. will the number of possible paths toward the discovery of the truths hidden within each of our inner universes. Opportunities

Depart to access enlightened experiences from within will continue to unfold. All the while, humans will gradually develop a more cohesive connection with the outer universe.

Embark into Greater Awareness

Lucid dreams, meditation, and hallucinogens serve as bridges between states of consciousness and reveal the power of mind over matter.

“As a lump of salt thrown into water melts away…even so, 0 Maitreyi, the individual soul, dissolved, is the Eternal—pure US Public Health Service Poster, 1942 US Public Health Service Poster, consciousness, infi nite, transcendent.”

— The Brihadaranayaka Upanishad

Mystic wisdom reveals universal truths that exist outside the in the PCH studio Figurine with joint intellect, and can be obtained only in the spirit realm. Mystic awareness becomes available with distance from the intellect When we sleep we enter an entirely diff erent space in and corresponding sense of self. The amount of processing reality. Dream Yoga describes a tantric process, in the realm simply to navigate one’s everyday individual experience re- of lucid dreaming, typically taught as a transfer of enlightened quires powerful calculations and energy. As such, living in a experience from a teacher to a student. One of the fi rst sensa- constant state of mystic awareness is unfortunately not prac- tions practitioners of this type of dreaming often report is the tical for navigating the physical world. Yet, we can certainly The Upanishads are ancient Sanskrit writings that challenge of learning to fl y during their dream. Perhaps this become more aware of the truth about our inter-connections comprise part of a larger body of religious texts known common, initial experience of Dream Yoga refl ects humanity’s by giving greater attention to insights shared by mystics. We as the Vedas, text that informs core elements of Hin- fascination with fl ight. Maybe it’s a feature of a shared desire can also prioritize some time each day to take a break from duism as well as Buddhism and Jainism. These writings to exceed our species’ physical limitations. In any case, dream all our processing and, in a calm, appropriate space, learn to are considered “authorless”. The date of their origins fl ight reminds us that we’ve entered an enhanced plane of develop mystic awareness. remains in question, although some scholars have placed existence, in which the otherwise impossible becomes achiev- No matter what we come across in that time and space, the earliest writings as far back as 800 BCE. As early able. In a lucid dream, the dreamer deliberately arranges the we will at least benefi t from accessing a more selfl ess realm philosophical texts, the Upanishads are extremely pre- environment and their actions by their own active choice. In and stop burning so much energy on judging ourselves. We cise in describing a connection between the physical Buddhist traditions, the dream state is taught to be just another should, instead, learn to embrace all of who we are, appreciate world and the spirit world. passing state of consciousness, or illusion of the phenomenal our various fl aws and mistakes, and see how our imperfec- world. Similar to how a rainbow reveals the colors within the tions connect us to the perfectly chaotic composition of life. visible spectrum of light, so too can dreams reveal what we might not yet be able to explain.

How might we transfer the wisdom of Dream Yoga’s the central theme of the battle between good and evil, light mystical state into practical applications to societal challeng- and dark. In fact, so strong was the correlation between Lu- es? How might we take proactive control of our environment cas’ story and Campbell’s original text, that the third printing through enlightened experience? There are various pathways of Campbell’s book featured a photo of Mark Hamill as Luke to unfold the layered projections that comprise reality. How- Skywalker on its cover. This only helped to further insert the ever we access that unfolding of self and sensory perception, idea of the hero’s journey into the collective consciousness. we discover that we are all connected to a mystical cosmic We feel it’s time to explore how the hero’s journey can force. The sooner we collectively come to that realization, the be applied as a way of looking at humanity’s evolution. How sooner we will be able to begin creating the next chapter of we too are currently on a collective journey, and how it is now human achievement. our time to step up to the demand for change. It’s our time to respond to the greater call for action across our species.

Trace the Hero's Journey for Humanity

The phrase “the hero’s journey” was popularized by Joseph Campbell who employed it to describe a narrative motif he repeatedly found throughout various mythologies. The journey has three parts: Departure (on the journey / call to action), Fulfi llment(of the quest / acquiring knowledge), and Return (home or back to one’s people, with a renewed sense of how to improve life). “The Story of Buddha” of “The Story “Every story is a travel story – a spatial practice.” — Michel de Certeau, The Practice of Everyday Life

In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell looks to myths from around the world, and early written history, in order to trace a common structure to better understand the human drive. His work revealed how the majority of stories that are passed down through generations contain a central character who can be seen as the story’s archetypal hero. Campbell found that each of these archetypal heroes go through a transformative journey. Whether its Odysseus’ return home from war, or the story of Jesus, Buddha, or Mohammed being forever changed by the wisdom they received from a spiritual source, the journey itself refl ects a departure from all previous standards, and signals entry into the unknown. In his book, Campbell explains the nature of the mon- omyth, in which, “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” 1977’s mega-hit, Star Wars, helped popularize the notion of the hero’s journey. Filmmaker George Lucas has acknowledged the importance of Campbell’s work in interviews, citing Campbell as a constant inspiration in realizing the fi lm’s characters, its universe, and ing insights from diff erent states of consciousness might very We believe that once we begin to distance ourselves from well continue to include the shamanic method of rhythmic the demands of our ego-techno-centric economic system, we percussion, or the yogic methods of breath-work, movement, will free up space to pursue a more mystical relationship to and meditation. the natural world. In small ways we can uncover the connec- We believe that in the future, ecosystems for exploring tions between people in order to arrive at a more spiritually and expanding consciousness will continue to grow. So too awakened existence. will the number of possible paths toward the discovery of the truths hidden within each of our inner universes. Opportunities to access enlightened experiences from within will continue to unfold. All the while, humans will gradually develop a more cohesive connection with the outer universe.

Embark into Greater Awareness

Lucid dreams, meditation, and hallucinogens serve as bridges between states of consciousness and reveal the power of mind over matter.

— The Brihadaranayaka Upanishad

How might we transfer the wisdom of Dream Yoga’s the central theme of the battle between good and evil, light mystical state into practical applications to societal challeng- and dark. In fact, so strong was the correlation between Lu- es? How might we take proactive control of our environment cas’ story and Campbell’s original text, that the third printing through enlightened experience? There are various pathways of Campbell’s book featured a photo of Mark Hamill as Luke to unfold the layered projections that comprise reality. How- Skywalker on its cover. This only helped to further insert the ever we access that unfolding of self and sensory perception, idea of the hero’s journey into the collective consciousness. we discover that we are all connected to a mystical cosmic We feel it’s time to explore how the hero’s journey can force. The sooner we collectively come to that realization, the be applied as a way of looking at humanity’s evolution. How sooner we will be able to begin creating the next chapter of we too are currently on a collective journey, and how it is now I. KNOWLEDGE SELFI. OF human achievement. our time to step up to the demand for change. It’s our time to respond to the greater call for action across our species.

Trace the Hero's Journey for Humanity

Money is an infl uential instru- Economics do not need to refl ect a desire for everyone to ment for change. The economy perpetuate fi erce competition have their basic needs met and is an incredibly infl uential and dishonesty, but can in- collective funds are used to human-made system. If eco- stead be a force for good. support everyone’s path to nomic priorities shift, if profi t Units of exchange will persist, self-realization. no longer drives industrial and yet we envision a future in personal decision-making, then which the levers of economic wholesale changes can occur pressure will ease for more for other human-made systems fl uid distribution, and sustaina- like professional disciplines, ble management, of resources. education, healthcare, and Most of all, we see a future in even the justice system. which economic priorities

Berry’s work has been brought into economic discussion Alternative economic priorities guiding future investment Transition to Regenerative by John Fullerton, founder and president of Capital Institute. can be found in B Corporations, the certifi cation title for com- Economies Fullerton’s organization is self-described as “a collaborative panies that keep ethical considerations in mind—in terms of working to illuminate how our economy and fi nancial system quality of life for workers, impact on local communities, and A regenerative economy constitutes a bold move in the can operate to promote a more just, regenerative, and thus the protection of the environment—while still maintaining direction of establishing a healthier society. sustainable way of living on this earth.”5 Companies that make their business. This community of companies observes strict investments in models of cooperation and collective uplift can guidelines that ensure fair and just business practices, and help to do their part to close the gaps in wealth disparity. This that strive to balance social responsibility and transparency “It’s all a question of story. We are in trouble kind of corrective measure will then generate further benefi ts with the demands of their shareholders. The core message now because we don’t have a good story. for improved economic dynamics. of the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence is: A regenerative economy honors its place among people We are in between stories. The old story, the and environment. It operates to nurture healthy, stable com- account of how the world came to be and munities, and bioregions. Sharing his ideas in Fast Company, “That we must be the change we seek in the Fullerton explains the eight elements to what he calls Regen- how we fi t into it, is no longer eff ective.” world. That all business ought to be erative Capitalism.6 — Thomas Berry conducted as if people and place mattered. That, through their products, practices, and profi ts, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefi t all. To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.”8

According to John Fullerton, other opportunities to imbue capital with ethical decision-making appear through social fi nance, impact investing, local-living economies, and

Light installation in a garage, Marius Masalar, 2016 Marius Masalar, in a garage, installation Light crowd-funding, as well as a number of initiatives like B Team and Breakthrough Capitalism. To paraphrase: Right Relationship speaks to respecting The reason for drawing attention to the principles of how the economy is embedded in human culture and the eco- these companies is to illustrate how the departure from our sphere, and that each of these relationships must be nurtured. current economic system is already underway. The emphasis Entrepreneurialism, as a principle for regenerative economics, on change reminds us that the diffi culty with embracing change draws on the innate ability of human beings to innovate and has to do with how deeply rooted systemic issues become “create anew” across all sectors of society. Wealth Viewed over time. The more time and repetition our species spends Holistically defi nes true wealth in terms of the well-being of on continuing patterns of production that have catastrophic the “whole” which can be achieved through harmonizing the consequences, the more intransigent people contributing to multiple forms of capital—social, ecological, manufactured, these problems can feel, despite whatever evidence suggests and fi nancial.Shared Prosperity refers to how wealth can be the need to shift course. Change doesn’t necessarily ever get equitably distributed in the context of an expanded view of easier, though. It remains its own unique and evolving chal- true wealth. Real Economy Circularity promotes a version of lenge. Yet, as the people exchanging what we value within

Berry’s work has been brought into economic discussion Alternative economic priorities guiding future investment Transition to Regenerative by John Fullerton, founder and president of Capital Institute. can be found in B Corporations, the certifi cation title for com- Economies Fullerton’s organization is self-described as “a collaborative panies that keep ethical considerations in mind—in terms of working to illuminate how our economy and fi nancial system quality of life for workers, impact on local communities, and A regenerative economy constitutes a bold move in the can operate to promote a more just, regenerative, and thus the protection of the environment—while still maintaining direction of establishing a healthier society. sustainable way of living on this earth.”5 Companies that make their business. This community of companies observes strict investments in models of cooperation and collective uplift can guidelines that ensure fair and just business practices, and help to do their part to close the gaps in wealth disparity. This that strive to balance social responsibility and transparency “It’s all a question of story. We are in trouble kind of corrective measure will then generate further benefi ts with the demands of their shareholders. The core message II. REEVALUATING ECONOMICS REEVALUATING II. now because we don’t have a good story. for improved economic dynamics. of the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence is: A regenerative economy honors its place among people We are in between stories. The old story, the and environment. It operates to nurture healthy, stable com- account of how the world came to be and munities, and bioregions. Sharing his ideas in Fast Company, “That we must be the change we seek in the Fullerton explains the eight elements to what he calls Regen- how we fi t into it, is no longer eff ective.” world. That all business ought to be erative Capitalism.6 — Thomas Berry conducted as if people and place mattered. That, through their products, practices, and profi ts, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefi t all. To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.”8

According to John Fullerton, other opportunities to imbue capital with ethical decision-making appear through social fi nance, impact investing, local-living economies, and

Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere, Benjamin Suter, 2018 Benjamin Suter, Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere, the economy that continually strives to radically minimize the economic systems, we can certainly voice our priorities to a amount of energy, material, and resources used throughout much more meaningful eff ect. Eco-theologian Thomas Berry developed a worldview that all phases of the production cycle. “Edge Eﬀ ect” Abundance sees humans integrated within a cosmic celebration of the explains how creative and diverse collaborations increase the universe. With a departure from an old worldview that places possibility for value-adding wealth to emerge through relation- humans as separate from nature, we can begin to realize how ships and exchanges. Resiliency refers to how a whole system’s the universal principles the cosmos employs to build stable, adaptability to change develops over long-term learning and is healthy, and sustainable systems can, and must, be used as a valued more highly than our current brittle concentrations of 143 model for economic-system design. The idea that an economic power. And lastly, a regenerative economy Honors Place in its system can work in harmony with our solar system is as far ability to nurture healthy, stable communities and bioregions out as it is close to home. in physical and virtual space.7 144 those infl uential systems by way of bad decisions, aff ecting The Capital Institute calls this crucial aspect of a regenerative Mystic Insights for large numbers of communities and environments. economy Robust Circulation. According to this notion, when the Marketplace In response, Hübl proposes that each one of us establish con- all the basic needs of humanity are met, then everyone is tact to one’s body. He believes it is our body that often holds empowered to participate in the global economy. The more The way our current economic system is designed does many of the answers we seek. Healthy self-regulation occurs that capital becomes consciously redistributed, the more that not attract the healthiest people. Ego-driven competition when we are relaxed enough to recognize what’s happening all people can contribute to the ongoing health of that entire is ready to be replaced. Systemic cooperation will reaf- within us and why we’re feeling what we feel. That contact species-wide system. fi rm connections between people, ecology, and economy. with our inner being brings us closer to balance and better

Depart equips us to break patterns that do not serve us. The basis for life is a healthy family system. If that family is dysfunctional, then it’ll aff ect how we act in groups as well as companies. If we don’t know who we are and don’t feel right in relation to ourselves, that will aff ect everything else. Negative corporate cultures are rife with infi ghting, distrust, and misinformation. These qualities do not lead to wise decision-making. For the symptoms of greedy self-interest to yield to the good of the true majority of a company or a collective, more people need to be involved in fi nancial decisions. When

only a small number of elite individuals control a dispropor- 2014 Eliasson, Olafur Particle”, “Stardust tionate amount of capital, they are naturally more prone to engaging in risky decision-making. A surefi re path for less By designing economic principles with respect to princi- knowledgable decisions is one built upon limited perspectives. ples of biological health, we gain the opportunity to reshape We believe that people who possess intuitive, caring interests our economic relationships in a benefi cial manner. This shift in in the environment and their fellow human, will work well economic attitude can occur if we distance ourselves from ego together to redirect capital toward our future economy. and redirect our focus toward a more holistic, future-oriented

“Thai Buddhist Shrine, Super Brand Mall”, Liz Hingley, 2016 Liz Hingley, Mall”, Shrine, Super Brand “Thai Buddhist The more we foster caring and embrace change, the perspective. To bring about more transformative economic better we can maintain our capital markets. But care must potential, the idea of mysticism must continue to gain ground In February 2019, John Fullerton spoke in recorded conversa- come from a place of personal investment. Think of commu- in the marketplace. tions with Thomas Hübl about economic principles that can nity trash pickup events at the beach. Think how eff ective it systemically change how capital is managed and distributed. is when everyone participates to restore a space toward its Hübl describes himself as a “mystic in the marketplace”, whose true beauty. “teachings aim to guide practitioners toward a deeper level The opportunity for widespread participation in a trans- of self-awareness—from an ego-centered worldview to a life formation of the global economy is currently undermined by of authentic expression, service, and alignment.”9 Responsi- wealth disparity. According to a report by Oxfam (a global Depart from Reductivism bility, as Hüble says, can be described in terms of an ability to organization aimed at ending poverty), the total of all wealth respond where attention is needed most. owned by the poorest 3.6 billion people is equivalent to what Humans are so much more than the data we generate. Hübl points out how the super-intelligence of the hu- the richest 8 people control.10 This disparity is such a clear Claim freedom from being reduced to mere products man system evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. example of economic misalignment. The wealth is clogging of data-collecting corporations. He explains how the future is calling us while the past has up at the top. Clogs do not end well. Shit spills over. To ease a gravity that can hold us down. The path forward is paved this unpleasant eff ect of any clog, capital of all kind needs to The rich trail of data behind every digital interaction and page with excitement, innovation, and eros. The fi re of change is be redistributed. Wealth needs to be circulated evenly, much impression is exploited at every conceivable corporate turn. In currently looking for oxygen to fl ourish. We want to aspire to like oxygen and nutrients need to circulate evenly for a healthy The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, author and Harvard Business a future built to exceed the limitations before us now. But if body to be at its best. School professor Shoshana Zuboff explains what’s at stake for we fail to recognize how deeply engrained the past is within the future of human autonomy. Companies eff ectively misdirect us, we may encounter an invisible breaking point and we will people’s use of their products and services to look as though not be able to progress onward. However, if we can gain the “The circulation of money and information they increase options and freedoms. Yet, the reality is that skills to understand the trauma within us as a lesson from and the effi cient use and reuse of materials our interactions serve to supply those same companies with the past, then we have all the necessary elements to move the raw materials for them to exploit in order to sell products forward unencumbered. are particularly critical to individuals, and services back to us in a vicious cycle. Working on one’s consciousness off ers a pathway into businesses, and economies reaching their So where are the protections against this predatory dealing with the problems that affl ict humanity. Humans run practice? It’s not that people weren’t warned. Instead, the regenerative potential.” — From the Capital Institute White Paper 11 the systems like economy that we have invented. And, when problem is nothing was done with that information about how humans in leadership positions feel stressed, that stress enters attention was being manipulated.

Zuboff references a United States Senate committee hearing We must remain vigilant in defending our right to exist Additional personal data—including biometrics harvested in 1977 on the eff ects of behavioral modifi cation (a term that without the control of self-interested corporations claiming from wearables—will make this process even easier. Our psy- describes the ability for one’s internal decision-making to be to be making the world a better place. We must continually chological profi les will be built out with predicted emotional controlled via selected behavioral patterns), studied under claim authority of our own attention. The integrity of all our responses to certain stimuli, allowing the right combination concealment, by the CIA in the 1950s and ‘60s. One of the experiences depends on this vital condition. of words or images to be introduced to us to compel us into big takeaways from this hearing was the fact that behavioral a purchase. And, sadly, we will be complicit in this exchange. modifi cation posed a serious threat to democracy and human After all, shopping releases dopamine, a “reward” chemical in autonomy.12 However, despite this knowledge no policy was our brains, and these new algorithms will become ever more made to prevent behavioral modifi cation against unsuspecting adept at triggering this physiological reaction. So what’s the citizens. And so, when we arrive at the onslaught of behavioral problem here? If our desires are being met more regularly and modifi cation that now occurs online, most of us are caught The End of Manipulation accurately, isn’t that a good thing? The issue lies in the manip- unaware. This sets the stage for, not only election interference, ulative aspect. This is not just a passively responsive process. but a whole host of smaller, targeted eff orts to infl uence our Pause the psychological tricks. Consumers should not Technological companies aren’t just fulfi lling our current needs individual choices. be hackable. and demands, more nefariously, they’re manufacturing new desires. Companies then profi t off the feedback loop of telling As machine learning and Artifi cial Intelligence become more potential customers what they should want and then supplying sophisticated, these complex technologies will largely be those fabricated demands right back to them. turned toward the generation of personal profi les for each individual. The aim of such an application of technology to the nuances and demands of everyday life, is to create entirely personalized, tailor-made consumer experiences. This essentially means reducing people to market segments of a massive, aggregated user experience. “Occupy the Amendment”, Jeff Hemsley, 2014 Hemsley, Jeff the Amendment”, “Occupy

Technology continues to provide avenues for manipulation. As long as entities like GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon), maintain their iron grip on consumer information, this data will be used to further shape our routines and infl uence our decisions. It’s imperative we fi nd ways to preserve unmedi-

ated spaces in which we can interact without hidden infl uence. Baldock, 2019 Jonathan I”, “Maske Zuboff explains how “every service that has ‘personalized’ in front of it is nothing but supply chain interfaces for the fl ow In 2018, hundreds of billions of dollars was spent globally of raw material to be translated into data, to be fashioned into on advertising across television and internet platforms.14 The prediction products, to be sold in behavioral futures markets fact that so much money is required to sell a range of consumer so that we end up funding our own domination. If we’re gonna products shows that demand for consumer goods is largely fi x this, no matter how much we feel like we need this stuff , manufactured. As the trove of our personal and intimate data we’ve got to get to a place where we are willing to say no.”13 becomes more plentiful and our emotional responses become Resistance and rejection are our best course of action in order more predictable, it will become easier for companies to make to reshape the marketplace into one that is more supportive it look like they’re off ering increasingly intimate experiences

of human autonomy and democratic values. 2019 Samuel Zeller, when, in fact, buying into that market will eff ectively mean those infl uential systems by way of bad decisions, aff ecting The Capital Institute calls this crucial aspect of a regenerative Mystic Insights for large numbers of communities and environments. economy Robust Circulation. According to this notion, when the Marketplace In response, Hübl proposes that each one of us establish con- all the basic needs of humanity are met, then everyone is tact to one’s body. He believes it is our body that often holds empowered to participate in the global economy. The more The way our current economic system is designed does many of the answers we seek. Healthy self-regulation occurs that capital becomes consciously redistributed, the more that not attract the healthiest people. Ego-driven competition when we are relaxed enough to recognize what’s happening all people can contribute to the ongoing health of that entire is ready to be replaced. Systemic cooperation will reaf- within us and why we’re feeling what we feel. That contact species-wide system. fi rm connections between people, ecology, and economy. with our inner being brings us closer to balance and better equips us to break patterns that do not serve us. The basis for life is a healthy family system. If that family is dysfunctional, then it’ll aff ect how we act in groups as well as companies. If we don’t know who we are and don’t feel right in relation to ourselves, that will aff ect everything else. Negative corporate cultures are rife with infi ghting, distrust, and misinformation. These qualities do not lead to wise decision-making. For the symptoms of greedy self-interest to yield to the good of the true majority of a company or a collective, more people need to be involved in fi nancial decisions. When

Zuboff references a United States Senate committee hearing We must remain vigilant in defending our right to exist Additional personal data—including biometrics harvested in 1977 on the eff ects of behavioral modifi cation (a term that without the control of self-interested corporations claiming from wearables—will make this process even easier. Our psy- describes the ability for one’s internal decision-making to be to be making the world a better place. We must continually chological profi les will be built out with predicted emotional controlled via selected behavioral patterns), studied under claim authority of our own attention. The integrity of all our responses to certain stimuli, allowing the right combination concealment, by the CIA in the 1950s and ‘60s. One of the experiences depends on this vital condition. of words or images to be introduced to us to compel us into big takeaways from this hearing was the fact that behavioral a purchase. And, sadly, we will be complicit in this exchange. modifi cation posed a serious threat to democracy and human After all, shopping releases dopamine, a “reward” chemical in autonomy.12 However, despite this knowledge no policy was our brains, and these new algorithms will become ever more made to prevent behavioral modifi cation against unsuspecting adept at triggering this physiological reaction. So what’s the II. REEVALUATING ECONOMICS REEVALUATING II. citizens. And so, when we arrive at the onslaught of behavioral problem here? If our desires are being met more regularly and modifi cation that now occurs online, most of us are caught The End of Manipulation accurately, isn’t that a good thing? The issue lies in the manip- unaware. This sets the stage for, not only election interference, ulative aspect. This is not just a passively responsive process. but a whole host of smaller, targeted eff orts to infl uence our Pause the psychological tricks. Consumers should not Technological companies aren’t just fulfi lling our current needs individual choices. be hackable. and demands, more nefariously, they’re manufacturing new desires. Companies then profi t off the feedback loop of telling As machine learning and Artifi cial Intelligence become more potential customers what they should want and then supplying sophisticated, these complex technologies will largely be those fabricated demands right back to them. turned toward the generation of personal profi les for each individual. The aim of such an application of technology to the nuances and demands of everyday life, is to create entirely personalized, tailor-made consumer experiences. This essentially means reducing people to market segments of a massive, aggregated user experience. “Occupy the Amendment”, Jeff Hemsley, 2014 Hemsley, Jeff the Amendment”, “Occupy

ated spaces in which we can interact without hidden infl uence. Baldock, 2019 Jonathan I”, “Maske Zuboff explains how “every service that has ‘personalized’ in front of it is nothing but supply chain interfaces for the fl ow In 2018, hundreds of billions of dollars was spent globally of raw material to be translated into data, to be fashioned into on advertising across television and internet platforms.14 The prediction products, to be sold in behavioral futures markets fact that so much money is required to sell a range of consumer so that we end up funding our own domination. If we’re gonna products shows that demand for consumer goods is largely fi x this, no matter how much we feel like we need this stuff , manufactured. As the trove of our personal and intimate data we’ve got to get to a place where we are willing to say no.”13 becomes more plentiful and our emotional responses become 145 Resistance and rejection are our best course of action in order more predictable, it will become easier for companies to make to reshape the marketplace into one that is more supportive it look like they’re off ering increasingly intimate experiences

of human autonomy and democratic values. 2019 Samuel Zeller, when, in fact, buying into that market will eff ectively mean 146 that we’re giving up our autonomy. Meanwhile, the creeping predictable and unchanging, each class of people made com- monopolization of online services only means that a scant four fortable in their own station through conditioning in infancy. or fi ve companies will soon own all the latest psychological This vision of the future is dystopian because of its reduction manipulation tricks. If this comes to fruition, soon our urges of the whole human. We believe that it is only through access and mental states may end up existing at the various whims to the full texture of our emotions that we manage to learn, of a small selection of businesses. We vehemently oppose this grow, create, and evolve. scenario and encourage steadfast resistance against giving into such blatant monopolization over human agency.

Depart Ultimately, we all have a choice to make. Surely, some would make the argument that as long as our desires are being met, then it hardly matters what the process is that led to such satiation. This argument forwards a reductive view of the human: our sole purpose being to experience the indulgence of passing impulses. But we think otherwise. We think this is only one part of us. We are more than just our pleasure centers and our credit cards. We are complex, often contradictory, creative creatures. There's much to be learned from the tension we experience within ourselves, within our relationships, and within our society. Popular science fi ction off ers an especially creative space for exploring how certain tensions might play out, and has consistently guided thought around what the future might off er. Two major dystopian works of the 20th century, George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, presented two almost diametric opposite views of our future. “System Aesthetics”, FIELD, 2017 Aesthetics”, “System

The streets of Incheon, South Korea, Steven Roe, 2018 Roe, Steven Korea, Incheon, South of The streets Invest in Baseline Considering the mounting evidence to support the idea Empowerment that we are more in control of our evolution than we might have previously believed, it’s incumbent upon each of us to choose

“Dear Steve”, Herman Asselberghs, 2011 Herman Asselberghs, “Dear Steve”, the ways in which we want to evolve. The question of what Depart from wealth amassing wealth. Degrowth is the future we wish to inhabit hinges upon, not only how we regard way to go, especially in overdeveloped countries. We The novel 1984 is set in an extravagantly oppressive, and events transpiring around us, but more importantly, what we can reroute wealth in a similar way to how plants grow, relentlessly miserable, authoritarian regime. The antagonist of believe we can be a part of creating… To this end, innovation from the very bottom upward. the book summarizes the mood, “If you want a picture of the must not be about fi nding more effi cient ways to control and future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” In predict human behavior. Innovation is better turned toward the In 2010, about 500 people representing 40 countries convened this scenario, the human spirit is crushed into a state of sub- empowerment of people, allowing each of us to choose the in Barcelona for the Second Conference on Economic Degrowth servience and submission, with no space for individual desires. ways we intuit will enhance life. We do not want to be treated for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity. The focal point In contrast, Brave New World envisions a society awash like organic machines with fully-decoded inputs and outputs. of this gathering concerned how to intentionally “degrow” with sensual indulgences. All dissatisfaction is rooted out by the As we become more capable of aff ecting our sensations and the global economy—in other words, reduce the deleterious presence of high-tech recreational activities, sexual freedom, moods at will, we must be cautious that we do not become eff ects of a misaligned economic system—through overhauls and the regular use of “soma”, a drug that imparts total bliss. marionettes to an algorithmic puppet master. Rather, it is in sectors like food, housing, and transportation.15 Here, the complexity of the human being is rejected. All neg- critical we construct narratives in which life is supported to The degrowth movement proposes that downsizing the ative emotions are discarded in favor of continual stimulation grow organically, without manipulative interference, and to role and impact of the economy will off er a sound response of our base-reward mechanisms. Society is made completely the full potential of our innate gifts. to curb climate change. The argument goes: the less material

wealth we feel we need to have, the better off our well-being funds are still being spent to expand and maintain roadways will be.16 This shift in our priorities will require greater attention rather than replace power plants with micro-grids. Yet, as the directed toward public services. With an increase of access to conversation around sustainability spreads throughout the public wealth, collective co-creativity will have a signifi cantly world, we will begin to fi nd more proposed ideas which, we better shot at success. We also believe this investment in hope, will translate into corresponding initiatives, legislation, baseline empowerment will open up a wide new range of and ultimately regenerative results. innovations. One current example that can push society toward sustainability is investing in clean energies. The clean energy sector, with all the new jobs that it will create, off ers inspiration “We can be whatever we have the courage for a larger trend of producing value while limiting negative byproducts. We need more concrete strategies to limit the to see.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez & Avi Lewis excesses of our current capitalist systems. The way to create greater support for these strategies is to continue to appeal In the short fi lm, A Message From the Future With Alexandria to the positive impact on all who participate. Ocasio-Cortez, the audience is told to imagine a future after Grassroots movements work because they galvanize the American government enacts the Green New Deal.17 For people to participate in activism to protect collective, human right now, the Green New Deal is still just proposed legislation interests. These movements mobilize the power of common- designed to address climate change and economic inequality ality. Bottom-up creativity works because there’s a strong through systemic transformations of transportation, manufac- motivation coming from the core of where an initiative begins. turing, and social contracts in America. Inspired by President These are the principles that we believe will underpin the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal—that created public works successful move toward degrowth and fossil fuel decoupling. projects as well as social and economic reforms in response We must continue to look toward innovations that provide to the Great Depression—the Green New Deal looks to, for the greatest benefi t to the participants involved in each cor- example, create new union jobs to restore wetlands, to install responding movement. a universal childcare initiative, and to institute increased wages

for teachers and healthcare workers. Proponents of the pro- 2018 Silbiger, sit-in, Sarah joins an environmental Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posed legislation feel this will help ensure a more sustainable, and dignifi ed, future society. One of the big aims of the Green we can bring this pooling of resources into existence, society New Deal is to overcome fear-based decision-making with the will benefi t from a much larger group of informed, inspired, and powerful force of shared purpose. skilled citizens. Universal income might also become a means of subsidizing costs of living and, simultaneously, shortening the hours in the work week. Automation and Extended Intelligence will also continue to help increase productivity along industrial lines. Once these innovations are fi rmly in place, workers will

be able to invest more time into activities that elevate quality Adver- a 3D Generative “Blank Compose”, PCH and Waltz by (GAN) sarial Network Binaire of life, like time spent pursuing passions, furthering education, or enjoying time with loved ones. A recent study concluded that the average worker derives psychological benefi ts from about two hours of work a day. After that threshold, there’s a diminishment of returns. It’s obvious that working too much results in more stress, burnout, and other harmful eff ects.18 There are more benefi cial ways to arrange our schedules.

“Hampden Boat” The case for working less hours in the week feels relatively easy to make. The bigger challenge is fi guring out how to We can already see other optimistic innovations on the share the importance of living in congruence, with degrowth horizon. Effi cient and varied mobility choices, ranging from principles in all areas of daily life. That change requires asking autonomous pods for short distance, to high speed frictionless some big questions like: do we really need to be driving in rail lines for long distance travel, will off er people the ability to cars and fl ying in airplanes that burn gas? How else will we no longer own cars the way most of us are forced to now. In get to work, or school, or visit family when we don’t all live addition, ideas are being discussed to shift economic levers and work in the same place? While there are defi nitely com- from common, predatory practices into uplifting mechanisms. pelling answers to these questions (ranging from emerging Some of these proposals include concepts like a robust public experiments with hydrogen power all the way to the more fund that would make college education free and rid the work far-out notion of fi fth-dimensional transit) today’s public in- demands required to pay back cumbersome student loans. If frastructure doesn’t yet support a diff erent lifestyle. Public that we’re giving up our autonomy. Meanwhile, the creeping predictable and unchanging, each class of people made com- monopolization of online services only means that a scant four fortable in their own station through conditioning in infancy. or fi ve companies will soon own all the latest psychological This vision of the future is dystopian because of its reduction manipulation tricks. If this comes to fruition, soon our urges of the whole human. We believe that it is only through access and mental states may end up existing at the various whims to the full texture of our emotions that we manage to learn, of a small selection of businesses. We vehemently oppose this grow, create, and evolve. scenario and encourage steadfast resistance against giving into such blatant monopolization over human agency. Ultimately, we all have a choice to make. Surely, some would make the argument that as long as our desires are being met, then it hardly matters what the process is that led to such satiation. This argument forwards a reductive view of the human: our sole purpose being to experience the indulgence of passing impulses. But we think otherwise. We think this is only one part of us. We are more than just our pleasure centers and our credit cards. We are complex, often contradictory, creative creatures. There's much to be learned from the tension we experience within ourselves, within our relationships, and within our society. Popular science fi ction off ers an especially creative space for exploring how certain tensions might play out, and has consistently guided thought around what the future might off er. Two major dystopian works of the 20th century, George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, presented two almost diametric opposite views of our future. “System Aesthetics”, FIELD, 2017 Aesthetics”, “System

wealth we feel we need to have, the better off our well-being funds are still being spent to expand and maintain roadways will be.16 This shift in our priorities will require greater attention rather than replace power plants with micro-grids. Yet, as the directed toward public services. With an increase of access to conversation around sustainability spreads throughout the public wealth, collective co-creativity will have a signifi cantly world, we will begin to fi nd more proposed ideas which, we better shot at success. We also believe this investment in hope, will translate into corresponding initiatives, legislation, baseline empowerment will open up a wide new range of and ultimately regenerative results. innovations. One current example that can push society toward sustainability is investing in clean energies. The clean energy sector, with all the new jobs that it will create, off ers inspiration II. REEVALUATING ECONOMICS REEVALUATING II. “We can be whatever we have the courage for a larger trend of producing value while limiting negative byproducts. We need more concrete strategies to limit the to see.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez & Avi Lewis excesses of our current capitalist systems. The way to create greater support for these strategies is to continue to appeal In the short fi lm, A Message From the Future With Alexandria to the positive impact on all who participate. Ocasio-Cortez, the audience is told to imagine a future after Grassroots movements work because they galvanize the American government enacts the Green New Deal.17 For people to participate in activism to protect collective, human right now, the Green New Deal is still just proposed legislation interests. These movements mobilize the power of common- designed to address climate change and economic inequality ality. Bottom-up creativity works because there’s a strong through systemic transformations of transportation, manufac- motivation coming from the core of where an initiative begins. turing, and social contracts in America. Inspired by President These are the principles that we believe will underpin the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal—that created public works successful move toward degrowth and fossil fuel decoupling. projects as well as social and economic reforms in response We must continue to look toward innovations that provide to the Great Depression—the Green New Deal looks to, for the greatest benefi t to the participants involved in each cor- example, create new union jobs to restore wetlands, to install responding movement. a universal childcare initiative, and to institute increased wages

147 Some of these proposals include concepts like a robust public experiments with hydrogen power all the way to the more fund that would make college education free and rid the work far-out notion of fi fth-dimensional transit) today’s public in- demands required to pay back cumbersome student loans. If frastructure doesn’t yet support a diff erent lifestyle. Public 148 III. INNOVATING Depart EDUCATION

Teaching and learning are continuing to apply age-old tra- works for everyone. As such, timeless. Many rites of passage ditions of sharing wisdom, like the more that education can impart lessons and wisdom in storytelling, into standards for increasingly refl ect the diff erent synchronicity with the phases lesson-plans, schools can help learning styles and interests of of a person’s development. maintain connections of cultur- its students and teachers, the Schools can be designed to do al signifi cance. By encouraging more eff ective the experience the same. Trust, respect, and students to infuse their pas- of education will become. integrity are the pillars of any sions into learning, schools can Educational approaches that institution. Education itself can create stronger bonds between foster solidarity between learn to become less fearful students and teachers. students and teachers can help and prescriptive, and much There will never be a one-size- shape the future of continuous more inviting and inspiring. By fi ts-all model for education that learning.

Today’s educational standards are improving to better Depart into a Different cater to the fullness of what it means to be human. The mind, Kind of Classroom body, spirit, and environment in which we live and learn are all connected. Through this lens, science, technology, engi- Sometimes it’s not a room at all. Classrooms of the future neering, math, language, arts, music, and physical education look a lot less like people getting lectured, and much can all be integrated through awareness of the correlations more like people in conversation. between each discipline. By taking a holistic perspective to learning, we can develop greater depth of knowledge. In the city of Baltimore, the Holistic Life Foundation is working to address the entirety of students’ needs.19 Instruc- tors within this organization provide techniques for: peaceful confl ict resolution, improved focus and concentration, greater control and awareness of thoughts and emotions, improved self-regulation, better stress reduction, and practiced relax- ation. In 60-90 minute classes, the Mindful Moment program teaches students emotional tools and life skills based on yoga, meditation, breathing, tai-chi, centering, and other mindfulness techniques.20 The program was introduced to Patterson Park High School, a public school in Baltimore, where a diverse student body includes undocumented students, students from confl ict areas, and students from refugee sites. After the Holis- tic Life Foundation introduced its program at the high school,

Jack Delano, 1941 suspensions for fi ghting dropped by more than half, from 49 to 23. At the same time, the number of 9th graders moving Over the past two centuries, education was tailored to refl ect up to 10th grade increased from 45% in to 64%, along with a and accommodate the effi ciencies of industry. But while facto- general increase in the average GPA of those students involved ry precision is great for machines, it is much less suitable for in the program.21 humans. To improve on the rigidity of that type of curriculum, An educational model accounting for the benefits of classrooms have begun changing to refl ect new developments mindfulness, meditation, and yoga as a daily practice helps in educational methodology. While students used to line up foster social and emotional growth. Educators and students in rows of desks in their classrooms, that desk organization from all backgrounds have the opportunity to leverage holistic Sierra Elena Agudo School”, the Deaf-Mute of and Extension the Rehabilitation for Project the 5 Senses. of “Ashram has changed into groups of learners at tables. Beyond this approaches to improve educational environments. Children kind of musical chairs approach how can we, as a species, who are raised with the support of mindfulness techniques develop more eff ective ways to learn altogether? What kind become better equipped to navigate the various challenges of contribution might integrating metaphysical studies into they encounter with focus and clarity. curriculums be? For children—or rather anyone—to be prepared for un- Pedagogies to Support the There’s a move underway for unschooling, that is, for certainty, they need ways to actively: connect to their surround- undoing the rigid structures of what it looks like to be a school- ings, to fi nd calm within themselves, to learn to embrace failure, Whole Student age kid in a learning environment. Families looking to give their and to practice empathy. Collaborative learning experiences children an alternative education might: follow a world-school encourage inquiry and creative problem solving to foster mean- The methods of teaching are often organized around curriculum, choose to homeschool, or pursue an education- ingful interaction between students. Education—based on the core values shared by communities. How can those al system that allows for learning to be driven by the child. values of respect, responsibility, and solidarity—can be further values help children navigate the unprecedented pace Families from all socioeconomic and racial backgrounds are improved with practices devoted to conscious awareness. of change under which they are being raised? now looking for a structure that accommodates their own journey instead of merely choosing to follow a road previously dictated from above. “We want to show not what is individual, Despite deep problems arising with a widening gap in what is singular, what is truly experienced as resources between private and public education, we must maintain a steadfast resolve to give children everywhere every human, but a kind of glittering surface on chance imaginable to learn. As education is a central pillar of top of large formal systems, and thought any functioning society, there is no excuse for underfunding must now reconstruct those formal systems our schools. Our educational system must be able to provide all aspects of a core curriculum based on values of humanity on which fl oat from time to time the foam and solidarity. and image of human existence.” — Michel Foucault III. INNOVATING EDUCATION

Today’s educational standards are improving to better Depart into a Different cater to the fullness of what it means to be human. The mind, Kind of Classroom body, spirit, and environment in which we live and learn are all connected. Through this lens, science, technology, engi- Sometimes it’s not a room at all. Classrooms of the future neering, math, language, arts, music, and physical education look a lot less like people getting lectured, and much can all be integrated through awareness of the correlations more like people in conversation. between each discipline. By taking a holistic perspective to learning, we can develop greater depth of knowledge. In the city of Baltimore, the Holistic Life Foundation is I. NOAIG DCTION EDUCAT INNOVATING III. working to address the entirety of students’ needs.19 Instruc- tors within this organization provide techniques for: peaceful confl ict resolution, improved focus and concentration, greater control and awareness of thoughts and emotions, improved self-regulation, better stress reduction, and practiced relax- ation. In 60-90 minute classes, the Mindful Moment program teaches students emotional tools and life skills based on yoga, meditation, breathing, tai-chi, centering, and other mindfulness techniques.20 The program was introduced to Patterson Park High School, a public school in Baltimore, where a diverse student body includes undocumented students, students from confl ict areas, and students from refugee sites. After the Holis- tic Life Foundation introduced its program at the high school,

149 must now reconstruct those formal systems our schools. Our educational system must be able to provide all aspects of a core curriculum based on values of humanity on which fl oat from time to time the foam and solidarity. and image of human existence.” — Michel Foucault 150 Education has been conceptualized and implemented in a variety of ways over the last century. The small, modest, one-room schoolhouse has morphed into large school com- plexes fi lled with overpopulated classrooms. Where is the moderate class size? Where is the unwavering support for educators, administrators, and specialists? Where are the schools that help the children most susceptible to posing fatal risks to themselves and others? Why is there not an absolute

Depart premium being placed on the education of the children who will grow up to be responsible for the state of the world? “Quips and Cranks”, 1918 and Cranks”, “Quips

momentum from within in their approach to new challenges, serves as a useful tool with universal applications. The private school, opened in 2007 with 16 students, now enrolls 500. ESBC is full of unusual, inventive rules for educating their student body. For example, at the school: the students decide the subjects they want to study for each lesson, grades don’t exist until age 15, and there are never any scheduled lectures. Given the freedom to follow one’s own sense of motivation (or lack thereof), students who are not engaged during class-time are required to attend Saturday mornings in a tradition called “silentium”. The school’s headteacher, Margret Rasfeld, explains how, “The more freedom you have, the more structure you need.” 22 To that eff ect, the school’s own four-person innovation team prepares a trove of teaching materials that other schools are in the process of adopting. Rasfeld’s school is reinventing the traditional approach of students being told what, and how, to study into a method that students have a greater role in shaping. Through this transition, not only will

diff erent learning styles gain greater opportunities, but the very 1887 Tsunajima, Kamekichi English Words”, Fashionable of Collection “A notion of what a classroom looks and feels like will ultimately have more opportunity to diversify. environment was proposed even earlier, in Japan, at the start “The Fourth Dimension”, C. Howard Hinton, 1904 Hinton, C. Howard Dimension”, “The Fourth Germany has a rich tradition of alternative and environ- of the 1900s by educator Tsunesaburō Makiguchi. In his 1903 mentally-minded education. Rudolf Steiner, who developed book, titled Jinsei Chirigaku (A Geography of Human Life), A number of alternative models for education outside biodynamic farming principles based on the ideas of closed Makiguchi posited that the learning of geography must ac- national standards exist, yet they each come with their own list loop systems, developed a “whole child” approach to education count for the relationship between the individual and human of pros and cons preventing any clear consensus on the right at the end of the fi rst World War. In 1919, looking for a way industry with nature. In this way, geography becomes less path forward. There’s unfortunately no magic wand to wave to rethink educational standards, children of workers at the abstract and more personally relevant. Informed by his practice at the issue of how best to arrange education for all. There’s Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart, Germany became of Nichiren Buddhism, Makiguchi went on to found the Sōka only the long, slow path toward discovering and implementing the fi rst class of this new educational system. The approach Kyōiku Gakkai (Value-Creating Education Society) in Japan in more open, honest, and respectful ways of teaching. Steiner advocated focused on learning along diff erent phases the 1920s, which paved the way for the Soka Schools of today. of a child’s development. It also strongly focused on integrating These schools have a goal that easily translates anywhere: the strengths between the head, heart, and hands. The aim of his purpose of education is to allow students to achieve happiness “In education, you can only create change program was to address the physical, emotional, intellectual, as the means for creating value in their lives. from the bottom—if the orders come from cultural, and spiritual needs of each student equally.23 These Alternative approaches for helping students feel more values speak to the human in the child, and the child in the engaged in their eduction continue to gain traction through a the top, schools will resist.” — Margret Rasfeld student, in pursuit of a holistic approach to learning. Today, Dr. prism of recently-opened schools. In Minnesota, the Jane Goo- Steiner’s pedagogy is widely adopted throughout the world dall Environmental Science Academy supports learning to occur In Berlin, Germany, The Evangelical School Berlin Centre (ESBC) as a great number of schools incorporate the name Waldorf “out of the classroom, into the world”. This mission statement is focuses on preparing students for the world outside the class- in honor of where this pedagogy was fi rst practiced. aimed at transforming the educational experience for students room by fostering self-motivation. This emphasis, on generating The idea of connecting formal learning directly to the who have not felt motivated in their previous school settings.

By replacing lecture-based learning with hands-on applications, “Mothers, children, grown-ups and elderly must the school is expanding incentives for students to design their dream very strongly and highly, taking the point own learning based on their distinct interests and passions. This shift has given students a space in which they can develop of view of the heavens, of the stars, of the sun, their own discipline and love of learning.24 Through this infusion of the moon, of the clouds and of the birds. of passion and personalization, more students gain capacity And our dreams of a peaceful, weaponless, as self-motivated, independent critical thinkers, and become better prepared for problem solving throughout everyday life. beautiful and good world for all those admitted Greater opportunities for personalized learning might very to live on it will come true.” — Robert Muller well become the primary enabler toward expanding learning beyond previously standardized spaces and schedules. Learning A cosmic perspective will continually reveal that all people is a common journey throughout every stage of life. Continuous occupy one shared environment for which we are all respon- learning refl ects the notion that we are never fi nished growing sible. To keep in mind of this often forgotten truth, education as people. With more attention being given to this constant path off ers the path to knowledge, knowhow, and enlightenment. to self-improvement, the educational system itself will become The process of learning serves to ignite ideas and strengthen more refl ective of a boundless area of exploration and discovery. communities. In this respect, educational models constructed around peace will help establish positive relationships on local and global scales. Portrait of Wounded Soldier, Reed Bontecou, 1865 Bontecou, Reed Soldier, Wounded of Portrait Teach Peace & Planetary “The deepest service that almost any of us can do in peace-building is to really listen.” based on the idea of students achieving happiness through Stewardship their education in order to create value.26 Soka schools range — Scilla Elworthy from kindergartens through post-graduate programs. They put increased emphasis on peace, human rights, sustainable Peace is not passive; it is an extremely proactive force A lesson-plan built around learning from survivors of violence development, and ecology. We believe that this integration of that must be taught and learned. Peace can serve as is an integral component to revitalize communities suff ering environmentalism, with empathy and the pursuit of happiness, a paradigm for personal and collective organization. from trauma and neglect. Dr. Scilla Elworthy, a three-time off ers a compelling approach for global educational standards. Learning to take better care of ourselves and our planet Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with Oxford Research will further instill the principles of peace into everyday Group, is working on tools for creating and keeping peace practices. in geopolitical confl ict zones through dialogue and media- “In the fi nal analysis…the main function of tion. Notably, she has worked to develop eff ective dialogue education is to make children happy, fulfi lled, strategies for communication between international nuclear weapons policy-makers and their opponents. Elworthy’s 2017 universal human beings.” — Robert Muller book, The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War, off ered twenty-fi ve strategies for preventing war that The World Core Curriculum envisions principles for education have worked in the past, and can continue to be employed, that can be adapted to any environment on Earth. Developed to prevent armed violence worldwide.25 Peace is attainable, by Robert Muller, known as the “father of global education”, the as long as those involved in conflict understand that their four strands of the World Core Curriculum include: "Oneness confl ict is temporary. To locate common ground and work with the planet”, "Unity with people”, "Harmony with self”, and toward agreements, people in confl ict must be able to voice “Evolution through time”.27 In 1989, Muller was the Laureate their opposition, listen, learn from each other’s perspectives, of the Unesco Prize for peace education. In his acceptance and fi nd their way through constructive conversation. speech, he spoke of numerous dreams for peace education. For peace to flourish, the foundational relationships Muller’s third dream states, “all schools and universities of between diverse people within, and between, societies must this Earth will teach peace and non-violence and will become be solid. Culture and education off er two all-encompassing schools and universities of peace.”28 We feel that this is the areas in which public engagement consistently requires sta- kind of integrity of ideas that needs to be immediately incor- bility to function. People are most equipped to build stable porated into educational practices to encourage worldwide relationships when they’re feeling well and generally happy social and environmental responsibility. with the conditions in which they live. Education off ers an To ensure a sustainable future, teaching peace and plane- arena in which to create conditions for happiness. In Japan, tary stewardship must be an integral component to education. the Soka Schools system — developed in the 1970s by Daisaku Values of respect, empathy, fl exibility, and a love of learning Ikeda, a Buddhist philosopher, educator, and author — con- will be crucial to the support of confl ict resolution, from child-

Apollo - Project LOLA, NASA, 1961 NASA, LOLA, Apollo - Project tinues the educational philosophy of Tsunesaburō Makiguchi hood to more complex adult situations. Finding ways to acti- Education has been conceptualized and implemented in a variety of ways over the last century. The small, modest, one-room schoolhouse has morphed into large school com- plexes fi lled with overpopulated classrooms. Where is the moderate class size? Where is the unwavering support for educators, administrators, and specialists? Where are the schools that help the children most susceptible to posing fatal risks to themselves and others? Why is there not an absolute premium being placed on the education of the children who will grow up to be responsible for the state of the world? “Quips and Cranks”, 1918 and Cranks”, “Quips

By replacing lecture-based learning with hands-on applications, “Mothers, children, grown-ups and elderly must the school is expanding incentives for students to design their dream very strongly and highly, taking the point own learning based on their distinct interests and passions. This shift has given students a space in which they can develop of view of the heavens, of the stars, of the sun, their own discipline and love of learning.24 Through this infusion of the moon, of the clouds and of the birds. of passion and personalization, more students gain capacity And our dreams of a peaceful, weaponless, as self-motivated, independent critical thinkers, and become better prepared for problem solving throughout everyday life. beautiful and good world for all those admitted Greater opportunities for personalized learning might very to live on it will come true.” — Robert Muller I. NOAIG DCTION EDUCAT INNOVATING III. well become the primary enabler toward expanding learning beyond previously standardized spaces and schedules. Learning A cosmic perspective will continually reveal that all people is a common journey throughout every stage of life. Continuous occupy one shared environment for which we are all respon- learning refl ects the notion that we are never fi nished growing sible. To keep in mind of this often forgotten truth, education as people. With more attention being given to this constant path off ers the path to knowledge, knowhow, and enlightenment. to self-improvement, the educational system itself will become The process of learning serves to ignite ideas and strengthen more refl ective of a boundless area of exploration and discovery. communities. In this respect, educational models constructed around peace will help establish positive relationships on local and global scales. Portrait of Wounded Soldier, Reed Bontecou, 1865 Bontecou, Reed Soldier, Wounded of Portrait Teach Peace & Planetary “The deepest service that almost any of us can do in peace-building is to really listen.” based on the idea of students achieving happiness through Stewardship their education in order to create value.26 Soka schools range — Scilla Elworthy from kindergartens through post-graduate programs. They put increased emphasis on peace, human rights, sustainable Peace is not passive; it is an extremely proactive force A lesson-plan built around learning from survivors of violence development, and ecology. We believe that this integration of that must be taught and learned. Peace can serve as is an integral component to revitalize communities suff ering environmentalism, with empathy and the pursuit of happiness, a paradigm for personal and collective organization. from trauma and neglect. Dr. Scilla Elworthy, a three-time off ers a compelling approach for global educational standards. Learning to take better care of ourselves and our planet Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with Oxford Research will further instill the principles of peace into everyday Group, is working on tools for creating and keeping peace practices. in geopolitical confl ict zones through dialogue and media- “In the fi nal analysis…the main function of tion. Notably, she has worked to develop eff ective dialogue education is to make children happy, fulfi lled, strategies for communication between international nuclear weapons policy-makers and their opponents. Elworthy’s 2017 universal human beings.” — Robert Muller book, The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War, off ered twenty-fi ve strategies for preventing war that The World Core Curriculum envisions principles for education have worked in the past, and can continue to be employed, that can be adapted to any environment on Earth. Developed to prevent armed violence worldwide.25 Peace is attainable, by Robert Muller, known as the “father of global education”, the as long as those involved in conflict understand that their four strands of the World Core Curriculum include: "Oneness confl ict is temporary. To locate common ground and work with the planet”, "Unity with people”, "Harmony with self”, and toward agreements, people in confl ict must be able to voice “Evolution through time”.27 In 1989, Muller was the Laureate their opposition, listen, learn from each other’s perspectives, of the Unesco Prize for peace education. In his acceptance and fi nd their way through constructive conversation. speech, he spoke of numerous dreams for peace education. For peace to flourish, the foundational relationships Muller’s third dream states, “all schools and universities of between diverse people within, and between, societies must this Earth will teach peace and non-violence and will become be solid. Culture and education off er two all-encompassing schools and universities of peace.”28 We feel that this is the areas in which public engagement consistently requires sta- kind of integrity of ideas that needs to be immediately incor- bility to function. People are most equipped to build stable porated into educational practices to encourage worldwide relationships when they’re feeling well and generally happy social and environmental responsibility. with the conditions in which they live. Education off ers an To ensure a sustainable future, teaching peace and plane- arena in which to create conditions for happiness. In Japan, tary stewardship must be an integral component to education.

151 the Soka Schools system — developed in the 1970s by Daisaku Values of respect, empathy, fl exibility, and a love of learning Ikeda, a Buddhist philosopher, educator, and author — con- will be crucial to the support of confl ict resolution, from child-

Apollo - Project LOLA, NASA, 1961 NASA, LOLA, Apollo - Project tinues the educational philosophy of Tsunesaburō Makiguchi hood to more complex adult situations. Finding ways to acti- 152 vate the joy in learning will continually facilitate pathways to and governments.”29 The University’s “100 Years of Education “We move from data to information to peace. In that spirit, follow your passion. Go where curiosity Campaign” commits to long-term critical thinking and social knowledge to wisdom. And separating one leads. Commit to making sense of what might seem either dreaming toward a more sustainable and diverse course of too complicated or impossible to conceive. For too long, the leadership. We believe in the ability of these types of initia- from the other... knowing the limitations and idea of “world peace" has seemed out of reach. Yet, if we can tives to bring about lasting change. If the people in leadership the danger of exercising one without the maintain peaceful relationships within our homes, schools, positions represent a more diverse range of backgrounds and others, while respecting each category of workplaces, and communities, surely we can also extend perspectives, and if those same leaders wield their infl uence our personalized programs of peace-building to larger areas to help others — much like the role of a teacher — then we intelligence, is generally what serious

Depart of human civilization. will soon create bold new research agendas for empowering education is about.” — Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard discoveries.

In every phase of practice, education must account for social and emotional growth. The aim of all education is to create experiences that expand perspectives. We believe that New Educational Outlets the conversation around innovating education can benefi t & Inroads from looking for ways to further develop dynamic teaching, and support various learning styles with a long-term perspective. We feel it’s essential for education to combine ancient Diff erent learners learn diff erently. Standardization is wisdom with emerging fi elds of study. In this way, a greater being replaced by personalization. One place we can all balance can be struck between traditional methods for sharing fi nd common ground is in wanting to learn about what knowledge and an exploration into a new vanguard of human makes us curious and excited. experience. To this eff ect, the inclusion of psychospiritual and metaphysical studies, as well as indigenous storytelling, can In the U.S., history classes are only just now beginning to play a signifi cant role in creating new lesson-plans. discuss the genocide of the Native Americans at the hands Most people learn best when their education is dynam- of European colonizers. They’ve also only recently started ically tailored to their specifi c needs and background rather using history lessons about slavery to show the connection SGI, 2018 Ikeda”, “Daisuke than adhering to a strict and static model. The educational between that treatment and the institutionalized racism in approach of “investigative learning” posits that students are contemporary American society. For too long, classrooms A new age for education means access to formative ‘not receivers of information, but shapers of knowledge’.31 have mostly been hiding ugly truths. They must now correct and transformative teachings for all stages of life. But learning The process of learning everywhere must enable students that pattern with honesty and responsibility. The past must can come with serious challenges to overcome. For people to develop stronger self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to be confronted in order to begin a conversation about how to suff ering from chemical imbalances or addiction, they can manage complex challenges. From this perspective, a teacher repair social relations along socio-economic and racial lines. turn to Linda Star Wolf at Venus Rising Institute. Wolf teaches is best positioned as a guide rather than an authority fi gure. Education covers our basic need to acquire knowledge. people how to “awaken to the bigger picture, embody their We feel that this perspective can enable students to lead their But what are the costs of allowing it be directed by insidious own inner Visionary Shaman, and step into a life of passionate own learning and lives following their intuition toward their forces interested in things beyond the pure pursuit of knowl- purpose.”30 In addition to breath-work and channels of healing own educational betterment. edge? How can we exchange knowledge as a less privileged arts, the Venus Rising Institute also ordains a global association manner than the current higher educational system? How can of ministers among The Shamanic Ministers’ Global Network. education become more inclusive? At the center of these studies is a central shamanic concept Located in various basements of Amsterdam's nightclubs, about the endless cycle of death and re-birth. According to Nelly Ben Hayoun has created a tuition-free University of the this center’s belief, the ability to become consciously aware Underground, a new institution that off ers an accredited Mas- of this fact is what allows one to see their own life from a ter of the Arts (MA Design of Experiences) to anyone curious broader perspective. enough to pursue such an off -the-road degree. The program “exists at the nexus between critical design, experiential, theatrical, fi lmic, semiotics, political and musical practices” and “aims to teach students how to engineer situations, to design experiences and events to best support social dreaming, social actions and power shifts within institutions, companies vate the joy in learning will continually facilitate pathways to and governments.”29 The University’s “100 Years of Education “We move from data to information to peace. In that spirit, follow your passion. Go where curiosity Campaign” commits to long-term critical thinking and social knowledge to wisdom. And separating one leads. Commit to making sense of what might seem either dreaming toward a more sustainable and diverse course of too complicated or impossible to conceive. For too long, the leadership. We believe in the ability of these types of initia- from the other... knowing the limitations and idea of “world peace" has seemed out of reach. Yet, if we can tives to bring about lasting change. If the people in leadership the danger of exercising one without the maintain peaceful relationships within our homes, schools, positions represent a more diverse range of backgrounds and others, while respecting each category of workplaces, and communities, surely we can also extend perspectives, and if those same leaders wield their infl uence our personalized programs of peace-building to larger areas to help others — much like the role of a teacher — then we intelligence, is generally what serious of human civilization. will soon create bold new research agendas for empowering education is about.” — Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard discoveries.

In every phase of practice, education must account for social and emotional growth. The aim of all education is to create experiences that expand perspectives. We believe that New Educational Outlets the conversation around innovating education can benefi t & Inroads from looking for ways to further develop dynamic teaching, and support various learning styles with a long-term perspective. We feel it’s essential for education to combine ancient Diff erent learners learn diff erently. Standardization is wisdom with emerging fi elds of study. In this way, a greater being replaced by personalization. One place we can all balance can be struck between traditional methods for sharing fi nd common ground is in wanting to learn about what knowledge and an exploration into a new vanguard of human makes us curious and excited. experience. To this eff ect, the inclusion of psychospiritual and metaphysical studies, as well as indigenous storytelling, can In the U.S., history classes are only just now beginning to play a signifi cant role in creating new lesson-plans. discuss the genocide of the Native Americans at the hands Most people learn best when their education is dynam- of European colonizers. They’ve also only recently started ically tailored to their specifi c needs and background rather using history lessons about slavery to show the connection SGI, 2018 Ikeda”, “Daisuke than adhering to a strict and static model. The educational between that treatment and the institutionalized racism in approach of “investigative learning” posits that students are contemporary American society. For too long, classrooms A new age for education means access to formative ‘not receivers of information, but shapers of knowledge’.31 have mostly been hiding ugly truths. They must now correct and transformative teachings for all stages of life. But learning The process of learning everywhere must enable students that pattern with honesty and responsibility. The past must can come with serious challenges to overcome. For people to develop stronger self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to be confronted in order to begin a conversation about how to suff ering from chemical imbalances or addiction, they can manage complex challenges. From this perspective, a teacher repair social relations along socio-economic and racial lines. turn to Linda Star Wolf at Venus Rising Institute. Wolf teaches is best positioned as a guide rather than an authority fi gure. Education covers our basic need to acquire knowledge. people how to “awaken to the bigger picture, embody their We feel that this perspective can enable students to lead their But what are the costs of allowing it be directed by insidious own inner Visionary Shaman, and step into a life of passionate own learning and lives following their intuition toward their forces interested in things beyond the pure pursuit of knowl- purpose.”30 In addition to breath-work and channels of healing own educational betterment. edge? How can we exchange knowledge as a less privileged arts, the Venus Rising Institute also ordains a global association manner than the current higher educational system? How can of ministers among The Shamanic Ministers’ Global Network. education become more inclusive? At the center of these studies is a central shamanic concept Located in various basements of Amsterdam's nightclubs, about the endless cycle of death and re-birth. According to Nelly Ben Hayoun has created a tuition-free University of the this center’s belief, the ability to become consciously aware Underground, a new institution that off ers an accredited Mas- of this fact is what allows one to see their own life from a ter of the Arts (MA Design of Experiences) to anyone curious broader perspective. enough to pursue such an off -the-road degree. The program “exists at the nexus between critical design, experiential, theatrical, fi lmic, semiotics, political and musical practices” and “aims to teach students how to engineer situations, to design experiences and events to best support social dreaming, social actions and power shifts within institutions, companies I. NOAIG DCTION EDUCAT INNOVATING III. 153 154 I V. ENVIRONMENTAL Depart HEA LING

Healing is a process that takes the connections between one place on the inside but is another and the environment. refl ected on the outside. A By restoring our species’ place healthy environment creates and purpose as a creative and healthy conditions for healthy collaborative force for positive people to live within. In our change, humanity and the current global society, we are Earth can begin to heal. experiencing an interconnected series of environmental and geo-political crises. To heal from these harmful complica- tions we must fi rst embrace

Depart From Deforestation agroforestry, people have been able to “regenerate sandy Practice Replenishment dirt into rich loam, create in-farm fertility without the use of compost or manure, and greatly increase water retention.”33 Where trees grow, breath is balanced, abundant species This regenerative capacity reaffi rms how working with nature’s Cultivate circularity in farming, manufacturing, and mo- live, and we can access healthy states. Embark on a principles—in this instance, following the natural anatomy of a bility. Leverage the benefi ts of closed systems wher- more forest-friendly existence. forest—can serve to replenish land that has been mistreated. ever possible. Embrace the inputs from open systems. Self-regulate for balance, vitality, and sustainability.

“Flying mother nature’s silver seed to a new home in the sun” — Neil Young, “After the Gold Rush”, 1970

How can we turn waste into new resources for creative use? How can our value chains and end products be so circular they don’t even leave a footprint? While plastic takes over more and more of our planet and we confront greater and greater examples of manmade pollution and climate change, we feel that the only viable choice for the future of our species is to see our way out the vicious cycle of extraction and exploitation. The idea of materials that leave no mark follows the old backpacker’s adage of “take only photos and leave only footprints”. In 2019, we remain curious how the next wave of material innovation will develop. Carbon capture is part of the “Urformen der Kunst”, Karl Blossfeldt, 1928 Blossfeldt, Karl der Kunst”, “Urformen solution toward environmental replenishment, but a great deal

“The Entire Planet Devoid of Water, Seen on Two Sides”, Thomas Burnet, ca. ca. Thomas Burnet, Sides”, Two Seen on Water, of Devoid Planet “The Entire 1700 more solution fi nding enterprises will have to be employed to Forests are valuable not only for their beautiful verdant tackle these pressing, large-scale concerns. “I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its aesthetics, but for their irreplaceable contribution to the health calming and organizing eff ects on our brains, of humanity. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the ability of trees to give us such an abundance of oxygen. When we but I have seen in my patients the restorative exhale and emit our co2, the trees take that gas in and, through and healing powers of nature and gardens, the process of photosynthesis, push back out that gas, now in even for those who are deeply disabled the form of breathable oxygen. Yet, the benefi ts of reforestation and conservation go beyond carbon capture and greater neurologically. In many cases, gardens and production of oxygen. For humans, greenery provides untold nature are more powerful than any medica- psychological advantages as well. As neurologist Oliver Sacks 32 acknowledged, the various proven, and celebrated, benefi ts tion.” — Oliver Sacks of being around greenery—of which forests are prime, fully expressed examples—are still somewhat scientifi cally myste- 71% of deforestation results from agriculture. Why are we rious. Our best guess is that being around living systems that space, from US corn belt photosynthesis 2013 NASA, cutting down precious plants, scarring the lungs of our earth, demonstrate healthy regulation and longstanding stability, The mess we’re in as a species comes from flawed to grow crops that can be grown and harvested within the actually nourishes aspects of our own biological systems to thinking, fl awed theories, and fl awed systems that pit people canopies of diverse vegetation? The concept of agroforestry restore, rejuvenate, and renew them. against one another. For a positive response to this problem, combines agriculture and forestry by growing trees and shrubs To secure a sustainable future, we have to start caring we envision communities being built upon talents distributed around crops. This method of land-use management balances for the world’s forests. By departing from deforestation, and throughout citizens of every commonwealth. We believe a the benefi ts of agriculture while still looking to not only pre- embarking on reforestation, we will lead ourselves onto a path circular society will emerge through models for participative serve (and sometimes even increase) biodiversity, but to also of healthier ecology as much as healthier psychology. democratic self-representation across all layers of societal reduce erosion. The land is healthier with a greater diversity living. of species growing together. To replenish the Earth, we must first depart from an Multistrata Agroforestry makes use of layered trees and industrial paradigm of extraction. Ceasing the conventional crops to maximize space across horizontal and vertical planes. extraction of fossil fuels for energy generation will require This agricultural system mimics the natural composition of greater attention to restorative processes. Investing greater forests. As described by Project Drawdown (a global resource research into industrial restoration eff orts will also move society for climate solutions), when agricultural practices shift into closer to the necessary goal of achieving net zero emissions. I V. ENVIRONMENTAL HEA LING

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALING IV. ENVIRONMENTAL “Flying mother nature’s silver seed to a new home in the sun” — Neil Young, “After the Gold Rush”, 1970

“The Entire Planet Devoid of Water, Seen on Two Sides”, Thomas Burnet, ca. ca. Thomas Burnet, Sides”, Two Seen on Water, of Devoid Planet “The Entire 1700 more solution fi nding enterprises will have to be employed to Forests are valuable not only for their beautiful verdant tackle these pressing, large-scale concerns. “I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its aesthetics, but for their irreplaceable contribution to the health calming and organizing eff ects on our brains, of humanity. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the ability of trees to give us such an abundance of oxygen. When we but I have seen in my patients the restorative exhale and emit our co2, the trees take that gas in and, through and healing powers of nature and gardens, the process of photosynthesis, push back out that gas, now in even for those who are deeply disabled the form of breathable oxygen. Yet, the benefi ts of reforestation and conservation go beyond carbon capture and greater neurologically. In many cases, gardens and production of oxygen. For humans, greenery provides untold nature are more powerful than any medica- psychological advantages as well. As neurologist Oliver Sacks 32 acknowledged, the various proven, and celebrated, benefi ts tion.” — Oliver Sacks of being around greenery—of which forests are prime, fully expressed examples—are still somewhat scientifi cally myste- 71% of deforestation results from agriculture. Why are we rious. Our best guess is that being around living systems that space, from US corn belt photosynthesis 2013 NASA, cutting down precious plants, scarring the lungs of our earth, demonstrate healthy regulation and longstanding stability, The mess we’re in as a species comes from flawed to grow crops that can be grown and harvested within the actually nourishes aspects of our own biological systems to thinking, fl awed theories, and fl awed systems that pit people canopies of diverse vegetation? The concept of agroforestry restore, rejuvenate, and renew them. against one another. For a positive response to this problem, combines agriculture and forestry by growing trees and shrubs To secure a sustainable future, we have to start caring we envision communities being built upon talents distributed around crops. This method of land-use management balances for the world’s forests. By departing from deforestation, and throughout citizens of every commonwealth. We believe a the benefi ts of agriculture while still looking to not only pre- embarking on reforestation, we will lead ourselves onto a path circular society will emerge through models for participative serve (and sometimes even increase) biodiversity, but to also of healthier ecology as much as healthier psychology. democratic self-representation across all layers of societal reduce erosion. The land is healthier with a greater diversity living. of species growing together. To replenish the Earth, we must first depart from an Multistrata Agroforestry makes use of layered trees and industrial paradigm of extraction. Ceasing the conventional crops to maximize space across horizontal and vertical planes. extraction of fossil fuels for energy generation will require 155 This agricultural system mimics the natural composition of greater attention to restorative processes. Investing greater forests. As described by Project Drawdown (a global resource research into industrial restoration eff orts will also move society for climate solutions), when agricultural practices shift into closer to the necessary goal of achieving net zero emissions. 156 Along less conventional lines, we fi nd the concept of From another perspective, scientifi c inquiry into biophotons fi fth-dimensional travel—warping space and time to move —which are light particles in the ultraviolet range generated eff ortlessly across vast distances—to be a compelling dream by biological systems like our bodies—offers a glimpse of for achieving pure, sustainable mobility. In any case, we be- humanity as a phenomenon of light. German biophysicist, lieve that developing abilities of mind over matter will play Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp, has been conducting research into this a crucial role for innovating the pathways of our collective branch of quantum biology for decades. In 1984, Popp co-pub- human journey. lished a study describing the phenomenon of ultraweak photon emission from living systems.34 In 1988, another co-publication

Depart by Popp took his research further, claiming that biophotons are consistently stored and emitted through biological systems, and might be foundational in regulating an organism’s biological processes.35 The resounding implications of Popp’s research Healing Begins From on “biophotonic emissions” might provide crucial insights Within into helping prevent illnesses and accelerating recovery by learning to leverage these emissions. In one remarkable study, Professor Popp found that when looking at two molecules, one From epigenetic health kits, to holistic healing approach- cancerous and one safe for humans, the cancerous molecule es that account for the interconnected nature of our did not allow light to pass through unaltered as it did in the anatomy, new forms of advanced healing continue to “safe” molecule. Instead, the cancerous molecule re-emitted emerge. a scrambled form of the light that it encountered at a diff erent

“Knowing the way to tomorrow”, Aida Muluneh, 2018 Aida Muluneh, tomorrow”, to the way “Knowing frequency. This discovery implies that if we can generate a Self-healing mechanisms describe ways that biological bodies deeper understanding of how certain compounds process know how to heal without the need of external interventions. ronment as the root cause for generating desirable conditions light, then we will have a much better baseline understanding Human capacity for self-healing does not always save us from for health, epigenetics has the potential to advance more of which materials are safe, and which might be harmful, for disease or danger. Medicine plays a huge role in revitalizing progressive, liberal, and inclusive social policy. human interaction. Another potentially broader implication of a compromised system. Yet, conventional medicine rarely biophotonics might be that neurons in the brain produce pho- includes a holistic approach that addresses the entirety of a tons that are capable of forming the infrastructure for cellular, person’s being. And so important connections between cause “We can now say emphatically, that the light-based communication. This research leads to exciting and eff ect of pain are often missed. Fortunately, conventions function of our entire metabolism is possibilities, like the idea of such light-based communication are constantly changing along with new understandings of happening between individuals in the future (much like how how our bodies actually work. Opportunities for improved dependent on light.” — Dr. Fritz Albert Popp fi ber optics quickly transmit information today).36 standards of care are taking form in due course. Nations with poorly-structured healthcare services suff er greatly from problems of misplaced priorities. In the U.S., the healthcare system is designed to make profi ts for the insurers by making coverage more costly for those in greatest need. The clear answer to this issue is to enact universal healthcare. Along the pursuit of sweeping structural changes in which everyone has access to appropriate care, we believe in having a public conversation around how lifestyle and medicine can be seen as diff erent components of the same healing process. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression. If genetics is the hardware, then epigenetics is the software. Specifi c genes in the body are turned on or off by a whole range of environmental lifestyle factors including: diet, one’s psychological state, exercise, fi nancial conditions, and so forth. Epigenetic inheritance posits that patterns of gene expression can be passed from parents to children, from child

to grandchild and even further. Genes are not separated from R.H Digeon, ca. 1883 gases, various of Spectra individual instances of subjective experience—they respond to the environment around them, which includes all incoming How we communicate and interact with one another information. Environmental factors interact with a person’s depends greatly on our emotional states. The ways in which

genome to eff ect epigenetic change. By focusing on the envi- R.H Digeon, ca. 1883 colours, exhibiting interference Crystals our emotions aff ect our health correspond to the varied fre-

quencies experienced as deeply as within our individual DNA. tive-Behavioral Therapy have a signifi cant impact on healing The more that interdisciplinary approaches are developed Human DNA vibrates at a frequency ranging from 52 to 78GHz, and disease prevention. Harvard, Columbia University, and to look at healing from a holistic perspective, the more that varying according to our emotional state.37 In relation to our UCLA are among a growing number of institutions that have individuals and communities will experience the benefi ts of DNA, our bodies change frequencies according to our states of created departments to study mind-body treatments. The idea healthy living. Wherever healing is required, we must prior- health. The human brain and our bodily systems—including our that healing happens through all layers of human existence itize supportive environmental and interpersonal conditions. hormones, nervous system, and immune system—work closely continues to gain greater acceptance.40 Today, we know that A supportive community is a central pillar to uphold a healthy together to process and regulate emotions. The frequency of how we feel influences how we think and vice versa. This culture. When encouraging conditions are established, then our DNA refl ects this recipe of varied qualia, or sensorial units knowledge profoundly impacts our health. Along with nutri- we are able to galvanize our internal powers of body and mind of experience, working in concert with many environmental tion, exercise, and sleep, emotions also play a major role in toward revitalization. factors to comprise our individual realities. By making conscious overall health. Stress has been found to be a primary cause eff ort to create environments that are peaceful and nourish for “dis-ease”. When the parasympathetic nervous system is one’s inner state, we can become more adept at regulating active and the individual is in a relaxed state, the body has an the frequencies of our DNA toward positive eff ect. innate ability to self-repair. Healthy relationships create positive conditions in which to learn, grow, and fl ourish. Stress poses a serious threat to Return Home, these positive conditions, and interferes with one’s ability to Make Amends, be healthy in body and mind. A child’s experience with stress can begin as early as in the womb. Through prenatal exposure Restore Relationships to the mother’s stress, which becomes internalized in utero, this stress is introduced and can then become reinforced Apply receptiveness, care, and commitment to any and throughout one’s lifespan.38 The Hungarian-born Canadian every endeavor. Expand inclusivity, creativity, and in- physician Gabor Maté has worked to reveal the link between terconnection to catalyze the next wave of innovation. emotional stress and physical illness, including cancer, auto- immune conditions, and other chronic diseases, by studying the links between the body’s various systems and their connection to resulting emotional states. Maté’s work takes a holistic look at how stress and trauma experienced early on in one’s development carries potential lifelong impact. As Dr. Maté explains, our brains are especially influenced by our psychological environments, which are a refl ection of society at large.39 To eff ectively deal with the widespread culture of stress that aff ects so many people in modern civilization, it’s vital that we look for ways to connect with one another and support our individual, and collective, social and emotional growth. For conditions within society, within families, and within individuals to improve, it's imperative we work to heal and nourish the inner child within us all. “The essence of trauma is disconnection from ourselves. Trauma is not terrible things that happen from the other side—those are traumatic. But the trauma is that very separation from the body and emotions. So, the real question is, “How did we get a Human Be-in, 1967 for Poster 2016 adrift, NASA, Astronaut separated and how do we reconnect?” The notion of Quantum Healing is based on the mind- We humans might have a far way to go before we live within a

— Dr. Gabore Maté body connection. From the premise that all cells are conscious, truly sustainable society. Yet, we can already work to restore Quantum Healing proposes the ability of humans to conduct the infl uential systems we’ve created with circular principles conscious repair of their own bodies at a cellular, or subatomic, and creative patterns that will ultimately heal broken relation- The term “mind-body monism” refers to the oneness of physi- level. This burgeoning form of healing may come to combine ships. One of the correlative results of this healing involves the cal and mental states. Since the 1980s, there’s been mounting with traditional and alternative methods of curative, preven- improvement of overall physical and mental capability. When evidence from researchers in the medical community to show tive, and integrative medicine to arrive at a promising future we feel good, we can do good. And fortunately, so many of the that supportive techniques like group therapy and Cogni- for the health of all individuals. tools necessary to bring that positive reality home are already Along less conventional lines, we fi nd the concept of From another perspective, scientifi c inquiry into biophotons fi fth-dimensional travel—warping space and time to move —which are light particles in the ultraviolet range generated eff ortlessly across vast distances—to be a compelling dream by biological systems like our bodies—offers a glimpse of for achieving pure, sustainable mobility. In any case, we be- humanity as a phenomenon of light. German biophysicist, lieve that developing abilities of mind over matter will play Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp, has been conducting research into this a crucial role for innovating the pathways of our collective branch of quantum biology for decades. In 1984, Popp co-pub- human journey. lished a study describing the phenomenon of ultraweak photon emission from living systems.34 In 1988, another co-publication by Popp took his research further, claiming that biophotons are consistently stored and emitted through biological systems, and might be foundational in regulating an organism’s biological processes.35 The resounding implications of Popp’s research Healing Begins From on “biophotonic emissions” might provide crucial insights Within into helping prevent illnesses and accelerating recovery by learning to leverage these emissions. In one remarkable study, Professor Popp found that when looking at two molecules, one From epigenetic health kits, to holistic healing approach- cancerous and one safe for humans, the cancerous molecule es that account for the interconnected nature of our did not allow light to pass through unaltered as it did in the anatomy, new forms of advanced healing continue to “safe” molecule. Instead, the cancerous molecule re-emitted emerge. a scrambled form of the light that it encountered at a diff erent

genome to eff ect epigenetic change. By focusing on the envi- R.H Digeon, ca. 1883 colours, exhibiting interference Crystals our emotions aff ect our health correspond to the varied fre-

quencies experienced as deeply as within our individual DNA. tive-Behavioral Therapy have a signifi cant impact on healing The more that interdisciplinary approaches are developed Human DNA vibrates at a frequency ranging from 52 to 78GHz, and disease prevention. Harvard, Columbia University, and to look at healing from a holistic perspective, the more that varying according to our emotional state.37 In relation to our UCLA are among a growing number of institutions that have individuals and communities will experience the benefi ts of DNA, our bodies change frequencies according to our states of created departments to study mind-body treatments. The idea healthy living. Wherever healing is required, we must prior- health. The human brain and our bodily systems—including our that healing happens through all layers of human existence itize supportive environmental and interpersonal conditions. hormones, nervous system, and immune system—work closely continues to gain greater acceptance.40 Today, we know that A supportive community is a central pillar to uphold a healthy together to process and regulate emotions. The frequency of how we feel influences how we think and vice versa. This culture. When encouraging conditions are established, then our DNA refl ects this recipe of varied qualia, or sensorial units knowledge profoundly impacts our health. Along with nutri- we are able to galvanize our internal powers of body and mind of experience, working in concert with many environmental tion, exercise, and sleep, emotions also play a major role in toward revitalization. IV. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALING IV. ENVIRONMENTAL factors to comprise our individual realities. By making conscious overall health. Stress has been found to be a primary cause eff ort to create environments that are peaceful and nourish for “dis-ease”. When the parasympathetic nervous system is one’s inner state, we can become more adept at regulating active and the individual is in a relaxed state, the body has an the frequencies of our DNA toward positive eff ect. innate ability to self-repair. Healthy relationships create positive conditions in which to learn, grow, and fl ourish. Stress poses a serious threat to Return Home, these positive conditions, and interferes with one’s ability to Make Amends, be healthy in body and mind. A child’s experience with stress can begin as early as in the womb. Through prenatal exposure Restore Relationships to the mother’s stress, which becomes internalized in utero, this stress is introduced and can then become reinforced Apply receptiveness, care, and commitment to any and throughout one’s lifespan.38 The Hungarian-born Canadian every endeavor. Expand inclusivity, creativity, and in- physician Gabor Maté has worked to reveal the link between terconnection to catalyze the next wave of innovation. emotional stress and physical illness, including cancer, auto- immune conditions, and other chronic diseases, by studying the links between the body’s various systems and their connection to resulting emotional states. Maté’s work takes a holistic look at how stress and trauma experienced early on in one’s development carries potential lifelong impact. As Dr. Maté explains, our brains are especially influenced by our psychological environments, which are a refl ection of society at large.39 To eff ectively deal with the widespread culture of stress that aff ects so many people in modern civilization, it’s vital that we look for ways to connect with one another and support our individual, and collective, social and emotional growth. For conditions within society, within families, and within individuals to improve, it's imperative we work to heal and nourish the inner child within us all. “The essence of trauma is disconnection from ourselves. Trauma is not terrible things that happen from the other side—those are traumatic. But the trauma is that very separation from the body and emotions. So, Astronaut adrift, NASA, 2016 adrift, NASA, Astronaut the real question is, “How did we get a Human Be-in, 1967 for Poster separated and how do we reconnect?” The notion of Quantum Healing is based on the mind- We humans might have a far way to go before we live within a

157 cal and mental states. Since the 1980s, there’s been mounting with traditional and alternative methods of curative, preven- improvement of overall physical and mental capability. When evidence from researchers in the medical community to show tive, and integrative medicine to arrive at a promising future we feel good, we can do good. And fortunately, so many of the that supportive techniques like group therapy and Cogni- for the health of all individuals. tools necessary to bring that positive reality home are already 158 at hand. Now it’s time we connect our hearts and heads with our technical skills to manifest the vision of our positive future. With human-made systems more appropriately integrated toward circularity, we can continually come back to that which ignites the human spirit: the quest for adventure, the search for meaning, the enduring force of love… “Tell me, when we grow up do we ever go

Depart home? And you said home becomes the highway.” — Big Thief, “Vegas”, 2016

As humanity collectively grows up on economic, social, and emotional levels, we will also be further expanding our consciousness. If we are learning to part with what no longer serves, then we are most likely moving more freely about whatever space we enter. In this sense, returning home (or to where we started) can become more comfortable and fulfi lling. In a calm, observational state, we become better at identifying the root causes of our excitement, joy, or pain, and will develop more sensible responses to challenges as a result. We believe that the qualities necessary for the next wave of leadership will not be seduction and persuasion as much as “The Afronauts”, Cristina de Middel, de Middel, Cristina “The Afronauts”, empathy and compassion. We will succeed when we fi nally learn to truly embrace failure as a moment of death in a timeless cycle. This will provide the groundwork for rebirth on a more highly evolved level. Renewal has infi nite forms. As we re-approach the ways we think about our home planet, we can also learn to think of one another as family. If we forget, all we have to remember is we’re all distant relatives of each other far enough back on the evolutionary timeline. It helps to keep these connections in mind. Our needs are always growing in demand, dimension, and expression. Yet, we can continue to learn how to make our vision of the future more inspired by the best parts of our ancient past. We believe that we can leverage our innate capacity for humility, innovation, and intuitive interconnection as we prepare to rebuild society in the image of the universe.

Sources

1 https://noetic.org/about/noetic-sciences/ 2 https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness-unity/ 3 https://www.wired.co.uk/article/consciousness-hacking-silicon-valley-enlightenment-brain 4 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/luciding/lucidcatcher-real-benefi ts-from-dreams 5 http://capitalinstitute.org/john-fullerton/ 6 https://www.fastcompany.com/3020653/creating-a-regenerative-economy-to

SpaceX launch, 2016 -transform-global-fi nance-into-a-force-for-good 7 https://capitalinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/8-principles-of-a-RC-1.pdf // Capital Institute’s alternate explanation of the 8 Key Principles of Regenerative Capitalism 8 https://bcorporation.net/about-b-corps 9 https://thomashuebl.com/about/ 10 https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2017-01-16/just-8-men-own -same-wealth-half-world 11 http://fi eldguide.capitalinstitute.org/robust-circulatory-fl ow.html 12 https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rp3h/lansberry/mkultra.pdf 13 https://theintercept.com/2019/02/02/shoshana-zuboff -age-of-surveillance-capitalism/ 14 https://www.vox.com/2018/3/26/17163852/online-internet-advertisers-outspend-tv -ads-advertisers-social-video-mobile-40-billion-2018 15 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283415624_The_Path_to_Degrowth_in_ Overdeveloped_Countries 16 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bj9yjq/the-radical-plan-to-save-the-planet-by -working-less 17 https://theintercept.com/2019/04/17/green-new-deal-short-fi lm-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/ 18 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5wnzb/the-case-for-an-8-hour-work-week 19 https://hlfi nc.org 20 https://hlfi nc.org/programs-services/mindful-moment-program/ 21 https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/26/baltimore-schools-replace-detenti on-with-meditation/ 22 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/01/no-grades-no-timetable-berlin- school-turns-teaching-upside-down 23 https://www.steinerwaldorf.org/steiner-education/what-is-steiner-education/ 24 https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2016/03/06/environmental-charter-draws -kids-attention-1st-year/80939210/ 25 https://thebusinessplanforpeace.org 26 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15348458.2013.748431 27 http://robertmuller.org/rm/R1/About_WCC.html 28 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000122735 29 http://universityoftheunderground.org/ma-design-experiences-programme 30 http://shamanicbreathwork.org/home/founders/ 31 https://designthinkingforeducators.com/design-examples/ 32 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/sunday/oliver-sacks-gardens.html 33 https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/food/multistrata-agroforestry 34 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02788579 35 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01953305 36 https://www.infoceuticals.co/posts/dr-fritz-albert-popp-biophotons 37 Erica Francesca Poli, The Anatomy of Healing: The Seven Principles of the New Integrated Medicine, p. 79 38 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052760/ 39 https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_are_so_many_adults_today_ haunted_by_trauma 40 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1456909/ at hand. Now it’s time we connect our hearts and heads with our technical skills to manifest the vision of our positive future. With human-made systems more appropriately integrated toward circularity, we can continually come back to that which ignites the human spirit: the quest for adventure, the search for meaning, the enduring force of love… “Tell me, when we grow up do we ever go home? And you said home becomes the highway.” — Big Thief, “Vegas”, 2016

Sources

SpaceX launch, 2016 -transform-global-fi nance-into-a-force-for-good 7 https://capitalinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/8-principles-of-a-RC-1.pdf // Capital Institute’s alternate explanation of the 8 Key Principles of Regenerative Capitalism 8 https://bcorporation.net/about-b-corps 9 https://thomashuebl.com/about/ 10 https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2017-01-16/just-8-men-own -same-wealth-half-world 11 http://fi eldguide.capitalinstitute.org/robust-circulatory-fl ow.html 12 https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rp3h/lansberry/mkultra.pdf 13 https://theintercept.com/2019/02/02/shoshana-zuboff -age-of-surveillance-capitalism/ 14 https://www.vox.com/2018/3/26/17163852/online-internet-advertisers-outspend-tv -ads-advertisers-social-video-mobile-40-billion-2018 15 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283415624_The_Path_to_Degrowth_in_ Overdeveloped_Countries 16 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bj9yjq/the-radical-plan-to-save-the-planet-by -working-less 17 https://theintercept.com/2019/04/17/green-new-deal-short-fi lm-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/ 18 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5wnzb/the-case-for-an-8-hour-work-week 19 https://hlfi nc.org 20 https://hlfi nc.org/programs-services/mindful-moment-program/ 21 https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/26/baltimore-schools-replace-detenti on-with-meditation/ 22 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/01/no-grades-no-timetable-berlin- school-turns-teaching-upside-down 23 https://www.steinerwaldorf.org/steiner-education/what-is-steiner-education/ 24 https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2016/03/06/environmental-charter-draws -kids-attention-1st-year/80939210/ 25 https://thebusinessplanforpeace.org 26 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15348458.2013.748431 27 http://robertmuller.org/rm/R1/About_WCC.html 28 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000122735 29 http://universityoftheunderground.org/ma-design-experiences-programme 30 http://shamanicbreathwork.org/home/founders/ 31 https://designthinkingforeducators.com/design-examples/ 32 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/sunday/oliver-sacks-gardens.html 33 https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/food/multistrata-agroforestry 34 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02788579 35 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01953305 36 https://www.infoceuticals.co/posts/dr-fritz-albert-popp-biophotons 37 Erica Francesca Poli, The Anatomy of Healing: The Seven Principles of the New Integrated Medicine, p. 79 159 38 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052760/ 39 https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_are_so_many_adults_today_ haunted_by_trauma 40 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1456909/ Integrate lessons from our past

160 We find ourselves entering a fourth industrial revolution. We also find ourselves in the midst of Capitalism is at the root perpetual societal conflict. We are moved to explore the relationship between these interconnect- of many of the most ed phenomena. pressing issues of the The last two decades have served as a sweeping refutation of political theorist Francis Fukuyama’s proclamation of the “end of history”, the concept that all of global society will come to organize in day. Our climate crisis one ultimate model of free-market capitalist democracy. Year after year, this claim looks ever more and widespread injus- preposterous. Meanwhile, the chorus of voices calling for dramatic change grows ever louder. tice compel us to make As we move into the 2020s, the form of highly-deregulated capitalism we’ve known for around half a century appears to be on its last legs. It still grips the world, but its legitimacy is beginning significant change. to crumble. As inequality reaches shocking levels and the 0.1% capture an increasingly greater portion of the world’s wealth, the number of people left behind is becoming too great to pacify.

Our political and economic system is driven by ego, technology, and exploitation of people and planet. In the context of intensifying climate change and globalized monocultures, this system ensures an unfair fight for survival. To create a responsible, sustainable, and equitable system, it is crucial to distance ourselves from the unchecked elevation of ego. Similarly, our technologies have become too tightly fixed to our routines, rituals, and bodies. Ubiquitous connectivity has invaded our spirits and commodified our gaze. Humanity has become addicted to unhealthy habits.

We should spend more time in the present moment. We should relax, take deep breaths, and return to nature. If we learn to distance ourselves from the technologies we’ve come to cling to, we can also learn to reinvent our economic logics to close the continually growing disparities between people.

We can do so much better by one another. Throughout the ages, people have been advocating for a fair and just society. We say yes to that endeavor. Our eyes, hearts, and minds are open. We’re ready to listen. We want to see. We feel a sense of connection between creative disciplines, a collective sense of responsibility to address the challenges we all face, and a great sense of curiosity around the possibility of a civilization build around lasting peace and prosperity.

161 Utopian dreams reveal future mindsets

Examples from the past A shortcoming of some utopian fiction is an occasional tendency to present a world that is far too perfect. Such work can still prove valuable as a way to reflect upon our own faults, but the ideal can only take us so far. human societies these stories feature fail to reckon with the inevitable nature of conflict. Utopian fiction is at its best when presenting a society with all the human flaws and conflicts (like avarice To create something and corruption) that are ripe for transformational resolutions. new, it may help to look Efforts to make improvements to our societies in the real world, should not be motivated by the to worlds conjured from fruitless desire to change human nature itself, but by the desire to change the organizational principles and patterns that largely dictate how we manifest our human nature through social inter- imagination action. There will always be arguments, disagreement, sadness, and hardship, but we should aim to organize society to mitigate the worst and encourage the best of it as much as we can.

Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1974 novel, The Dispossessed, presents a fictionalized utopia with the kind of nuance that allows us to imagine how such a political experiment may actually feel in reality. Le Guin was heavily inspired by the political writing of anarchists Peter Kropotkin and Paul Goodman, and she sought to explore their theories through her storytelling. The 200-year-old society she describes began after revolutionaries on a planet named Urras fought to establish their own society on a neighboring planet called Annares. In this new society populated by the descendants of rebels, all property is shared. Goods are contained in public warehouses and anybody who needs them may take them. Their language of Pravic was purposely constructed to work in tandem with their political philosophy, and this language reflects their culture by containing limited options to express the possessive case. Work is technically voluntary and distributed according to the pref- erences of the workers. However, economic necessities and social pressures tend to make out- casts of those who do not pitch in when able to contribute. In this context, life on the near-barren planet can be hard and austere, and utopian ideals of shared resources become more and more complicated. The protagonist, a physicist named Shevek, becomes frustrated with creeping bureaucracy and perceived limitations of freedom, and he chooses to break convention by visiting the capitalist nation of A-Io on the planet his people left 200 years prior. He becomes further disillusioned during his time there, disgusted by the preventable poverty and baffled by the market mode of exchange. Faced with his own society’s opposite, Shevek’s experience on A-Io clarifies for him the importance of the political project on Annares. He flees from the university in which he had been effectively sequestered and finds himself embroiled in an uprising. In his speech to revolutionaries in the working class districts of A-Io, he explains:

162 “We have nothing but our freedom. We have nothing to give you but your own freedom. We have no law but the single principle of mutual aid between individuals. We have no government but the single principle of free association. We have no states, no nations, no presidents, no premiers, no chiefs, no generals, no bosses, no bankers, no landlords, no wages, no charity, no police, no sol- diers, no wars. Nor do we have much else. We are sharers, not owners. We are not prosperous. None of us is rich. None of us is powerful. If it is Anarres you want, if it is the future you seek, then I tell you that you must come to it with empty hands. You must come to it alone, and naked, as the child comes into the world, into his future, without any past, without any property, wholly dependent on other people for his life.”

Shevek is speaking about the need for renouncement of material concerns. One must break completely from the conventions of the past in order to be free.

“You cannot buy the Revolution. You cannot make the Revolution. You can only be the Revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere.”

Le Guin does not present utopia as a final state of perfection. She imagines utopia as a process, not a place. She sees it in struggle, in fighting for change, and in embodying the daily search for the liberation and flourishing of all people. Reading stories like hers encourages us to better define exactly what we mean when we call for change. What is it we really want? Is it more prosperity? More freedom? What does freedom even look or feel like? What might we have to surrender to achieve these things and are we willing to do so? In our search for the next organizing principles that will define the upcoming iteration of the human journey, we must avoid past pitfalls. Utopian speculative fiction is like a testing ground to expand upon otherwise untested theories, and serve as an exploratory tool to help us grasp alternative states of living.

An emerging sub-genre of science fiction, solarpunk, explores a future built on renewable energy, sustainable living, and green spaces. The mindset of a solarpunk citizen is centered around harmony. In these fictional works, humans are no longer sequestered from the wild, vegetation has entered the cities and their homes. The cities are still tall and sprawling, but are now engulfed in plants and wildlife of all kinds. It is still a high-tech society, but all artificiality is softened by the ubiquitous presence of diverse organic life. Humanity functions as a self-organizing organism within these spaces. People work together to maintain the conditions of their existence and do not seek to expand without limits. As a genre, solarpunk helps show us that we need not choose between a false dichotomy of nature and technology, we can discover sophisticated ways to weave them together.

As readers of these genres, we’re ready to see the implications of these utopian ideas live off the page, and add color to our everyday realities.

163 Part 5 RE BU

164 Rebuild Section at a glance

Rebuild refers to a series of systemic reconstructions designed to forward a Dregenerative society founded on ecological and spiritual alignment. We believe that the basis for a better tomorrow exists within timeless foundational principles such as healthy circulation. The toolkit to rebuild society through circular and “Spaceship LEarth” approaches requires delicate application of intentional adjustments, multifaceted intelligence, and an exploration of self-motivated consciousness. This field of awareness, along with solar, wind, water, and biodegradable batteries will power the next generation. Innovation will leap into new dimensions of healing and performance, replenishment and restoration, revision and renewal. The ensuing subsections aim at identifying the components I of a systemic rebuild of our socio-economic, technological, U and creative ecosystems. 165 I. SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES 168 The Need for New Stories 169 Creativity Comes Best at Rest 169 Craft a Positive Meta-Paradigm 170

II. TIMELESS TOOLS 172 Reintegrating Ancient Techniques 173 Biomimicry III. BODIES OF as a Powerful Tool KNOWLEDGE 178 for Systems The Architecture 173 Sustainabi Utilizing the Veil of lity of Ignorance for Social Being 179 Fairness 174 Choose Reestablish- Extended Intelligence ing the Role Over Artificial of the Intelligence 174 Shaman 179 The The Future’s as Bright Importance of Rituals & as We Make It 175 Ceremonies 180 Decoding the Textures of Our Emotions 181 The Value of Solitary Expansion 182

166 Rebuild IV. ECONOMICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 184 Building a Regenera tive Economy 185 Lines Can Bend into Circles 185 Degrowth & De-enclosure to Foster Economic Justice 186 Regenerative Materials for Regenerative Structures 187 Restoring Atmospheric Equilibrium 188 Replenishment with a Gentle Touch 189

V. ETHICAL INNOVATION 190 Ensuring Inclusivity 191 Preparing for Friction 191 Upholding the Common Good 192

Table of Contents 167 I. We can establish a healthy relationship between us and the rest of the planet. Human ingenuity is practically limitless. SHIFTING We have incredible means of altering the world around us. With PERSPECTIVES accountability, we can begin to make responsible changes to how we live as a society. We must always be working toward creating the future we wish to pass along to the next generation.

168 Rebuild When you turn on today’s news you see new technology to this equation— The Need for catastrophe after catastrophe. Rather than ampli- like haptic features or scent and New Stories fy that bad news, we believe in the transformational climate inputs—can further create power of stories that galvanize the energetic force of entirely new sensorial experienc- positive narratives. Stories can convey healing prop- es. As we set out to find our way We understand the world through stories. The erties. through these new fields of crea- ones we tell influence how we perceive our In the Far North area of Kalaallit Nunaat, tive expression, we should contin- place in the world. Societal gaze has long been Greenland, Inuit Elder Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq inte- ually return to our roots of story- fixated on our destructive impulses and we are grates storytelling with the traditional healing practic- telling to guide our intentions. in dire need of an alternative narrative. es his family has shared across generations by way of oral traditions. This act of transferring “Every generation throws a hero up the story is deeply rooted in the pop charts. Medicine is magical and bonds and wisdom of a community that has been able to magical is art.” — Paul Simon, “The Boy in the Bubble” survive one of the harshest environments on Earth for thou- Ever since The Sopranos ran on HBO in sands of years. The spiritual the 1990s, the anti-hero has become the default ar- task his mother imparted was chetype in popular entertaiment. Yet, as the collective to “Melt the ice in the heart consciousness evolves beyond this negative trope, de- of man”.1 Through seminars, pictions of positive heroics can offer new, compelling talks, gatherings, traditional visions of uplifting social and emotional arcs. sweat lodge ceremonies, and shamanic healing, Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq’s teachings in- struct young and old alike. An- gaangaq Angakkorsuaq reveals how story can transcend generational and geographic boundaries, as well as bridge a sense of separation we may feel from our own family of origin. “A House to Die in”, Snøhetta Die in”, to House “A

“The greatest distance in the existence The stories we need in of Man is not from here to there nor greater circulation concern timeless tropes of love and adventure from there to here. Nay, the greatest along with global social justice, en- distance in the existence of Man is vironmental sustainability, and in- from his mind to his heart. Unless he novation through quantum ingenuity. Storytelling continues to be conquers that distance he can never our primary vehicle for envisioning

Illustrations for Jules Verne’s “Around the Moon”, Emil-Antoine Bayard, 1870 Bayard, Emil-Antoine the Moon”, “Around Jules Verne’s for Illustrations learn to soar like an eagle and realize futuristic and probabilistic dimen- his own immensity within.” sions of our ever-changing reality. All forms of storytelling can help shape our understanding of the nature of reality. The stories — Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq we tell one another encapsulate our values and beliefs. Stories help us make sense of life and steer de- The stories we tell in the future will no cision-making. Cultural narratives create bonds be- doubt be linked to the stories from our past. Everything tween those who grow up with them, like a silent that happens becomes part of the great story of our Creativity Comes agreement of how the world functions. universe. Stories embody the imagination, memory, Best at Rest and dreams of all life. But stories can also be path- Storytelling offers a way of connecting ways to new modes of thinking. Stories can create one’s own journey to the experiences of others who models of behavior to be emulated at a massive scale Great things happen when have come before and will come after. The closer one and they can push the envelope of our individual and given due time to properly lives to the natural world, the more connected that in- collective expectations. develop. Go slow as neces- dividual’s narrative will be to the timeless rhythms of sary. Positive change takes the cosmos. We believe that living in greater harmo- Immersive media that tell interactive sto- time. ny with our environments and sharing stories within ries in three-dimensional space like mixed reality, vir- our communities, can help to strengthen one’s feel- tual reality, or projection-mapping, can help an audi- ing of purpose in life. While telling stories is necessary ence feel more involved in the story being told. Reac- “In life there are no for shaping our own perspectives around the mean- tions to these immersive media can become incredibly solutions, there are ing of our own lives, listening to the stories of others visceral, and help unlock emotions that might other- is vital for gaining a deeper understanding of our rela- wise be more difficult to access. Immersive media can forces in motion; create tionships with the outside world. Reconnecting with also replicate synesthesia—the condition of associat- them and the solutions the wealth of ancient wisdom and rituals allows us to ing different senses, such as a color with a sound— will follow.” better access the essential truths that modern society and, in doing so, this form of media can simulate the may have forgotten. experience of an altered state of perception. Adding — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I. SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES 169 Healing is a slow, delicate process. So rest the body. Rest the mind. Rest from is required in order to develop an analytical frame- It can be nourished, but not forced. stress. Focus on what’s most important, and for the work that can seek to actually address these issues. Same goes for building muscle. Ex- moment, take a rest from all the rest. Each phase of history has its own unique ercise helps existing muscle tissues context and specificities. Comparisons can often con- break down so they can then refuse facts. For instance, we don’t need to fool our- build more robustly. Just as de- selves into believing a blanket statement about how veloping new muscle requires global economic conditions are all around better than pain and struggle, so too does ex- they once were. As anthropologist Dr. Jason Hickel panding collective consciousness Craft a Positive pointed out during his discussion with Nima Shirazi throughout society. Meta-Paradigm and Adam Johnson titled, “The Neoliberal Optimism Change is difficult and Industry”, in November of 2018, “the per capita in- uncomfortable. A slow process come gap between the Global North and the Glob- mitigates that pain. Humans have Times may be tough, but optimism will win the al South has tripled since 1960.”5 While it’s important two cognitive functions: fast and day. Cultivating optimism will help see us to be optimistic that unjust conditions can improve slow. Our fast system is automat- through cynicism and the threats of a looming with the right mix of activism and policy, it’s crucial ic. Intuition and impulse kick into dark age. we all work to gain a clearer understanding of why gear to help us avoid situations certain conditions exist as they do. Most of all, we that feel dangerous or to identi- Cynicism is easy. Spend five minutes checking the must not be satisfied with oversimplified conjectures fy situations that feel beneficial to day’s news and you may well conclude that cynicism from people at the top of the economic totem that al- engage in. Yet, we need a slow- is the most appropriate response to global instances low self-congratulations for philanthropic efforts. Phi- er, analytical process to figure out of corruption, pollution, and cruelty. Anyone who ar- lanthropy is important, but what’s even more impor- the nuances of our next steps. The gues that human nature is innately nasty has a pleth- tant is rebuilding a global economic system that sup- slow system employs reason. It’s ora of evidence to use in their favor. A defeatist plies a fair distribution of wealth throughout all stra- also fact-based and compulsively attitude might be tempting, especially when the alter- ta of society. thoughtful. Going slow takes work. native, optimism, can be frankly exhausting to uphold. Rather than debate whether or not con- But the benefit of slow thinking is ditions are better than they once that it checks and balances our of- were, we must examine whether ten biased and incorrect thinking.2 conditions are as good as we can When we slow down possibly make them. That ques- our thinking, we not only keep our- tion can form a guiding mantra selves safer from error, but we also for any project seeking collective create ideal conditions for creativi- improvement: “Are things as good ty. And when we are still enough to as they could be? And, more sig- sleep we activate our fundamental nificantly, what do we need to do mechanism for homeostasis (sta- to ensure that conditions are as ble equilibrium). Many traditions beneficial as possible?” These are incorporate rest. From the siesta to the questions we believe are es- the sabbath, entire value systems sential for crafting a positive me- are devoted to honoring the impor- ta-paradigm for systemic change. tance of stopping work to rest. We envision a future in which are- Restful practices, like as like healthcare and education, mindfulness and meditation, are are not matters of industry with useful for a variety of health ben- winners and losers, but rather

efits. Intentionally slowing down 2011 performance, Orchestra Tesla birthrights in which everyone can physical activity and enabling im- participate. mersion into the mind, allows the It is extremely tiring to hold high expectations that are brain’s waves to go slow as well. repeatedly beaten down. The act of striving for some- Brain waves are the result of syn- thing makes us vulnerable to the possibility of defeat. chronized electrical activity caused Yet, there is strength in vulnerability. by billions of neurons in our brains Despite the strenuous path required by communicating en masse. Our optimism, only through difficult exertion can worth- brain waves control our state of while gains be made. The cynic might appreciate the consciousness and mood. Alpha comfort of often being proven right, but this kind of brainwaves occur in the frequen- victory leaves no lasting meaning. Instead, we believe cy range of 8 to 13 Hz and become in building a constructive legacy. To this effect, opti- more abundant during mindfulness mism remains the only viable attitude for building a or meditative states. In more prag- better future. matic terms, alpha waves are also To do better in life, it is necessary to first associated with reducing depres- believe that improvement is possible. We must have sion and increasing creativity.3 the desire to create the conditions in which joy may We even learn when flourish, and this circumstance must be driven by an we sleep. In our deeper states of unconditional love for humanity. We may criticize our Delta and Theta-wave sleep, our current states of modern society, but only as a means mental activity is actually best set for challenging ourselves to do better. A misanthrope for memory.4 We can look to en- might make some astute observations, but has no real hance our self-learning by setting chance of making actual improvements in the world. oneself up to continue the lessons Optimists must first accept reality, and then demand of the day over lengthy hours of more from what is possible. In fact, a rigorous under- sleep. standing of the more unpleasant realities of the world

170 Rebuild I. SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES 171 Many of the tools that will help us build a regenerative future are not only currently available now, but have been for centuries. II. Emerging capabilities like: Extended Intelligence, generative design, programmable materials, shape-shifting TIMELESS structures, clean energy, and bio degradable components, will further augment our ancient abilities. A combination of traditional TOOLS and experimental tools will guide humanity in assembling sustainable, adaptive, and re generative systems to take care of our growing population.

172 Rebuild ter see how species learn to evolve Reintegrating Biomimicry as a with their environment. One area Ancient Powerful Tool for in which nature especially excels is in its efficient use of energy. In the Techniques Systems Architecture often harsh conditions of the wild, it is a necessity to conserve energy Math and mechanics haven’t changed as much We can learn to emulate the master crafts- whenever possible. Mathematician as their applications have. There is much to be mans-hip of all living systems. The regenerative Karen Uhlenbeck, in her studies of gained from rediscovering the dexterity of nature of cells offers an ideal reference point for the structure and behavior of bub- long-established craft traditions that reveal the renewal. bles, revealed how “nature opti- beauty of math and mechanics. We believe mizes its every structure for gain at these traditions can offer an example of how to minimal cost.”7 design patterns of connection through timeless “Sensitized to such guidance from the Rapidly worsening cli- techniques. very structure and functioning of the mate change conditions, caused by rising levels of CO₂ in our at- Like textiles, humanity’s societal fabric is a complex universe, we can have confidence in mosphere, means that it has never arrangement of interconnected patterns. To improve the future that awaits the human been more a pressing issue for us connections between strangers, much can be learned to find new ways to capture, store, venture.” — Thomas Berry from studying how complex patterns in physical mate- and use energy efficiently. Already rials can be decoded, understood, and reworked into there are examples of new practical applications. this thought process in The National Science Foundation recent- action. Zimbabwean ar- ly funded a new five-year project called “What a Tan- chitect Mick Pearce ana- gled Web We Weave” to investigate the mathematics lyzed the air flow and and mechanics of knitting. This deft manipulation of thermal properties of yarn is an ancient technology with futuristic potential, termite mounds and de- and the lead researcher, Dr. Matsumoto, is compiling signed an entire building a knowledge base of different stitches and the ways capable of self-cooling to describe a knit’s qualities, like “emergent elasticity”. without air conditioning The stitch patterns Dr. Matsumoto’s team are inves- based on these insects’ tigating constitute a code that is more complex than design model. On the binary, and results in much more malleable matter. other side of the world, Through an intersection of applied mathematics, non- scientists from MIT have linear elasticity, materials engineering, and “soft con- been researching how densed matter physics”, Dr. Matsumoto’s project is ad- the structure of sunflow- vancing understanding around “topological program- er petals can be used to mable materials”.6 The timeless techniques shown in configure high-density

this work reveal beauty not only in their assembling Cox Kym Bubble Structures”, “Soap arrangements of solar process but also in the resulting products. We feel in- panels. They’ve found spired by the timeless tradition of knitting as an ad- We are proud of human ingenuity, but it pales in com- that by copying the pattern and aptable process that can integrate nearly endless va- parison to the inventive genius of nature. There’s no spacing of their pedals in their so- rieties of materials. We sense a connection between need to be too downtrodden by this; rather, we should lar technology design, that land learning to strengthen our skills at weaving together be elated by this fact. After all, it means that much of use can be reduced by 20% with textiles and our human need for weaving together sto- the hard work has already been done for us. We just no loss in energy capture. Similar- ries within our communities and relationships. have to copy what nature has already figured out. ly, researchers at Caltech applied Scientific inquiries into ancient practices, The idea of biomimicry was popularized the same thinking in their studies allow for innovative interpretations of those practices. by Janine Benyus in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Inno- of the vortices generated by the In terms of new practical applications for how topolog- vation Inspired by Nature. In her book, she proposes movements of schools of fish, in ical programmable materials can be developed, per- that models found in nature should be drawn upon order to arrange wind turbines haps the fusion of ancient stitch-work with emerging as a rich source of inspiration for industrial design. more effectively. These examples materials might enable clothing that’s wirelessly con- She believes that we can look to the intricate struc- show us the tangible benefits of nected, with the wires stitched directly into the fabric. tures, and biological processes, found in organic enti- imitating the elegance of nature by Taking a broader perspective, the ways in which we ties, and apply the concepts already learned by plants leveraging forces that do not con- integrate digital layers of information into our physical and animals, in order to solve human problems. It’s tribute to further planetary devas- reality, can benefit from increasingly seamless integra- certainly not a new idea, people have been taking les- tation. tions. We are curious how low-tech skills like knitting sons from the natural world as long as people have At the MIT Media Lab, might show us a wise way forward. existed. And we’ve made strides over the last centu- Neri Oxman has been working at ries. Observations of flying creatures offered the ear- the intersection of computational liest inspirations for mechanical flying machines. The design, digital fabrication, materi- Chipewyan people, indigenous to what we now call als science, and synthetic biology. Western Canada, learned more effective hunting tech- Her group concentrates on the niques through observing how packs of wolves stalk search for “materials and chemical their prey. substances that can sustain and Through millennia of trial and error, natu- enhance biodiversity across living ral processes have innovated a staggeringly, diverse systems, and that have so far en- collection of life-forms. There are countless genetic dured the perils of climate change.” adaptations that have been made for every living sit- One particularly enchanting pro- uation on planet Earth. These mutations offer a huge ject called Totems explored the wealth of potential knowledge, to be attained to bet- properties of melanin.8

II. TIMELESS TOOLS 173 Melanin, known as the ideologies may not have the requisite tools to navi- “universal pigment”, shows up in Utilizing the Veil of gate. But we can adhere to simple principles in our skin, hair, eyes, feathers, wings, and Ignorance for journey to this future: don’t hurt people, be kind, and even ink sacs of squid. Evidence of don’t seek to control others. These guidelines can melanin’s evolution dates back to Social Fairness create a general field for us to play in, but they are not giant squid fossils from around 160 a system in and of themselves. The world is messy million years ago.9 Oxman’s group, and unclear, and that certainly isn’t going to change. Mediated Matter, describes mela- Questions of morality are often deeply subjec- We should not look for a prepackaged solution to nin as an expression of “unity in the tive. And yet, the vast majority of people would moral decision-making. Rather, we must learn to be diversity of life”. The group has cre- probably consider themselves to be generally able to decide for ourselves what is fair and just. By ated a series of spherical orbs fea- moral by their own standards. We believe every- employing guiding principles—like the veil of igno- turing the dynamic compositions, one can benefit from tools to help impart moral rance and the Golden Rule—we will have a much bet- and diverse colors, of liquid mel- clarity. ter chance at ensuring that the decisions we make anin, grown into fixed channels. will not cause harm. It is never too late to start being These beautiful structures speak Let’s assume that we want to build a fair and moral empathic and compassionate. Within interpersonal to the ever-evolving expressions of society that does not favor certain groups at the ex- relationships, as much as in policy-making, we are color and distinctiveness through- pense of others. How can this be done when our un- well served when we consider the ramifications of out various forms of life. By inter- derstanding of fairness may vary so drastically? The our actions beyond our own self-interests. preting a feature of evolution, like “veil of ignorance” as a concept has been discussed melanin, into fabricated physical for centuries, and more recently revisited by objects, those who come into con- philosopher John Rawls. The idea is laid out tact with these structures are able in a thought experiment, examining the de- to sense a connection to an excep- liberation of political decisions from behind tional force of creativity. This ex- a mental veil. Imagine a decision-maker who ample of biomimicry brings the viv- operates in complete ignorance of their own id quality of a timeless evolutionary relative status within a prospective future. occurrence to the forefront of our The decision-maker’s own attributes—such imagination. as ethnicity, gender, economic class, health But biomimicry can also —are complete unknowns to him or her. In go deeper. After all, we do not want this way, the decision-maker could well find to simply appropriate natural phe- themselves on either side of any relation- nomena for singular ends. Rath- ship with an ingrained imbalance of power, we want to fully internalize and er. Unless this particular individual is a gam- manifest nature's most profound bler, the theory upholds the expectation that teachings. The harmony of biolog- this decision-maker would take great care ical ecosystems can be our frame- to craft a truly fair society, expunged of ex- work for rearranging ourselves on ploitation of any kind for fear of potentially

a mass scale. being the victim of their own design. 1882 Trouvelot, Léopold Ètienne Drawings”, Astronomical Trouvelot “The We are manifestations The veil of ignorance shares of nature just like any living being, a certain element at its core with the Golden Rule. but we must begin to compromise Found in some form in countless religions throughout in our negotiations with the rest the centuries, the Golden Rule can be expressed: “do of the natural world. Rather than unto others as you would have them do unto you” or, force our demands through coer- in the negative, “do not do unto others as you would Choose Extended cion, we should begin to show na- not have them do unto you”. Both ideas rely upon the Intelligence Over ture the same flexibility we ask of sense of self as the most effective arbiter of moral ac- everything else. Other living sys- tion. If something feels intuitively desirable or unde- Artificial Intelligence tems have their own needs and sirable to us, we can assume that this is true for oth- rights themselves. Co-existence is ers as well. With this barometer to gauge right from a matter of give and take. As we wrongdoing in place, we can become less suscepti- AI evokes a tool. EI evokes a partnership. We begin to build relationships be- ble to potentially ruinous risk-taking. believe in the importance of setting a collabora- tween ourselves based on mutual As a thought experiment, the veil of ig- tive intention for how we integrate the super aid, so too must we extend this al- norance reveals the role of bias in decision-making. intelligence of machines into our lives. truistic notion to the various living In the real world, those with the power to make ma- organisms on this planet. And if we jor structural decisions are likely the beneficiaries of treat our planet well, it will treat us certain structural favorability. Those who conscious- “The crucial role of humans in an EI kindly in return. ly practice moral action are already geared toward system is to understand and group the pursuit of fairness. The veil of ignorance would be most effective as a way of redirecting the intuition of information to inform analyses in new one who is normally inclined to act exclusively in their ways. Intuition and invention allow for own self-interest toward decision-making that would the combination of data in different be more equitable for all who are impacted by the effects of that individual’s decisions. ways to tease out new understanding.” Ultimately, there is no shortcut to morali- — Satya Basu ty. There is no set of hard and fast rules we can use to determine what are the right things to do. Building a The ways in which we deploy machine learning to new vision for the future requires that we venture into enhance human endeavor must also respect the unknown spaces. What we find there will necessitate fundamental inter-relationships between people and entirely new kinds of thinking for which established all living systems. For this reason, we find value in

174 Rebuild distinguishing EI from AI.10 Extended Intelligence can autonomous driving technology serve as an integral component to the complex The Future’s as Bright as would completely usurp if it be- systems that comprise the world we inhabit. We Make It comes as ubiquitous as many pre- As human-made systems—including the dict. But if a social safety net helps machines and algorithms that accomplish many of our create new industries, like ecolog- tasks—become increasingly capable of taking over We have the opportunity to use our knowledge ical restoration, or opens up new work, it is essential we see those systems as an ex- and technologies for collective uplift. Whether job opportunities within newly-extension of ourselves, and not as something separate. the results of innovation become dangerous, or panded systems of education and We don’t want our most powerful technologies to re- beneficial, is dependent upon how those inno- healthcare, then the people affect- place us. We want them to work with us. vations are applied within our social programs ed by automation might have more When it comes to how we think about and policies. meaningful work awaiting them to technology working on our behalf, there are massive ease that period of transition. All economic and social implications at play. Pursuit of Requiring less stuff to accommodate contemporary things left unchanged, ownership capital markets has facilitated major progress. Mas- lifestyles is critical but difficult to achieve. The world’s of the automated machines will al- sive enterprises have succeeded through the sourc- richer nations have lived so long in states of material most certainly be in the hands of a ing of capital. In many ways, humans have already en- abundance that the thought of shifting to a truly aus- very small number of people. This trusted our ownership of these capital markets over tere lifestyle makes most of us at least slightly uncom- privileged group would reap all the to the machines, because bots trade stocks in nano- fortable. People may be willing to make small new profits and the replaced work- sacrifices to ease carbon emissions, but ers will be left jobless. For this rea- our cultural experience is so deeply son, systemic change regarding grounded in having “things” that abruptly how work and basic needs are syn- switching to a lifestyle of pure necessity chronized is absolutely necessary. would potentially leave us adrift. While our current wel- Obviously, “things” require la- fare systems are entirely unpre- bor to make. Much of production has al- pared to deal with the possibility of ready been automated and it is looking such huge numbers of people be- increasingly likely that soon all fabricated coming unemployed due to auto- objects we use will be made by a robot- mation, the call for implementation ic workforce. This idea makes some peo- of a universal basic income (UBI) of ple uncomfortable. It certainly sounds a some kind is one of beginning steps little scary given the various robot-cen- toward addressing this potential tric apocalyptic narratives we’ve been economic crisis. This unconditional exposed to through film over the years. stipend would allow people to ful- However, If we can set automation in fill their basic needs—and ideally balance with considerations for climate encourage people to pursue interchange and environmental concerns ests that would further enrich their (along with social and emotional intelli- lives—as well as maintain a class

Alex Knight, 2017 Alex Knight, gence), we could potentially harness the of people who can actually afford power of automation to liberate humans the goods and services created by seconds. This might be efficient, but in the quest for to lead more self-directed lives. As with so many of our machine counterparts. From efficiency, we seem to be giving up agency over our our present day challenges, how automation ends up a policy perspective, it’s impera- own humanity. empowering people will be closely tied to how the ad- tive that UBI not become a means We need to secure the integrity of these vantages of this industrial-grade technology are dis- to entrench class relations beyond relationships between influential human enterprises tributed. the sharp divisions of today. This and of new machine technologies. To this end, we also That we speak about automation with requires imagination on the part need to claim the right to experience innovation in our trepidation is a symptom of our mindset toward robots of governments to create further own lives without the necessity of a new gadget. We being one of ownership and subjugation. A more ap- public programs that help take want to keep our focus on the importance of building propriate perspective with which innovations in connection to our minds. In this way, to approach the idea of automa- we can honor the complexity of one of nature’s most tion is that of a partnership. In this mysterious systems. sense, the power of collabora- In a recent move to further propel the idea tion can effectively confront anxi- of Extended Intelligence, the MIT Media Lab has part- eties. Fears of “the threat of auto- nered with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) mation” are indeed well founded; to create a global Council on Extended Intelligence. people are deeply worried about The heart of this partnership rests on the importance the possible impending job loss- of social and ethical progress through responsible de- es as a result of full implementa- sign. The council emphasizes a “holistic evolution of tion. Especially when you think our species in positive alignment with the environmen- that the word “machines” does tal and other systems comprising the modern algorith- not even quite capture the scale mic world”.11 In pursuing this theoretical framework, of the looming automation shift, the relationship between humans and machines can as it will also likely comprise AI (or evolve along more thoughtful and responsible guide- machine learning algorithms) ca- lines. This is a vision of the future of new technology pable of medical diagnoses, legal in which we choose to participate. work, and all manner of tasks previously considered the sole remit of human input. 3% of all working Americans are employed as driv-

ers of some kind, an industry that Reverence”. “New the PCH movie, for Initial experiments

II. TIMELESS TOOLS 175 pressure off the demand for pri- is only through the maintenance of society by vate income. One thing is certain, all participants that anybody has the oppor- the workforce of the next gener- tunity to innovate in the first place. UBI must ation will look nothing like what it also not be used to sweep away other wel- does today. fare programs. It must be leveraged to reduce Machines can do much the influence of market forces on our lives, to take over rote labor. The poten- not strengthen them by allowing the contin- tial of eliminating unwanted work ued march of commodification of basic servic- was discussed by economist John es. The more that automation advances, the Maynard Keynes, whose theories more we have the collective opportunity to re- dominated the post-war boom era imagine what our days look like and how we of the 20th century. In the 1930s, choose to move through the world. he observed the increasing rates of production and predicted that, within the century, the normal working week would be drastically 12 reduced to around fifteen hours. Dominic Wilcox the future, sleeper car of Driverless He reasoned that we would reach a stage of improved living stand- only had to work for two years of their lives? Imagine ards that would cause us to how people would plan and account for the rest of choose to have more leisure time their time. To be with their families more. To contin- over working more. This did not ue to work according to their passions. To pursue en- come to pass. Most people sim- tirely new fields of discovery and self-actualization… ply do not have this choice availa- The fact is, automation could herald an ble to them. Wages did not contin- age of abundance and freedom from drudgery, en- ue to rise with productivity, a trend abling each individual to live a life driven by one’s that really kicked into gear around own intuition. UBI is a good idea, with serious poten- the 1980s.13 Wealth was increas- tial, but the details of its implementation are key to ingly captured by the top 1%, and how transformative it can be. There is a danger that concentrated even further by the it would be used merely as a crutch to prop up an il- top 0.1%.14 Moreover, an econom- logical system and relying on it would fail to tackle the ic system that gauges its health by fundamental set of relationships of class and owner- assessing GDP growth could nev- ship throughout society. More radical redistributive er permit the kind of slowdown in- policies are required, such as national profit sharing volved in a mass scaling back of of publicly-owned utilities. If the large majority of in- working hours. There came no dustrial processes that keep society running become point at which we defined a cer- completely automated, then these will have to enter tain level of “living standards” to the commons to protect against inequality. All profit which all people had a right. Now is collectively produced—as even private enterprise is as important a time as ever to benefits from public works like the infrastructure of discuss what our standards ought public waste management or roadways for trans- to be. One burning question we portation—and all industries must acknowledge this have is: how much work should truth. Hugely profitable companies would grind to a the average human have to do in a halt if the lower paid workers around them ceased to lifetime anyway? What if, like com- perform their roles. Their streets and offices would fill pulsory military service in certain with garbage, their food stores would run empty, their countries, all people in the world packages would pile atop one another, undelivered. It PCH robotic manufacturing PCH robotic

176 Rebuild II. TIMELESS TOOLS 177 III. In the human body, immunity is built up typically by exposure to BODIES OF certain toxins or diseases. In the social body, we hope that once people are KNOWLEDGE well aware of the consequences of certain decisions with adverse effects, that a similar kind of immunity will emerge. In this more aware state, society will offer people the right resources to build up strength, resilience, and adaptive ingenuity to achieve a flourishing period of integrative, holistic, and inclusive creativity.

178 Rebuild ourselves science fiction, or actually science-based? The Sustainability What would the world look like if we were truly awak- Reestablishing of Being ened to the depths of our healing potential?” Explora- the Role of the tion toward these answers takes place through Jain’s foundation, the Consciousness and Healing Initiative Shaman Each individual's subjective existence provides (CHI).16 According to her foundation, investigations the framework for a sustainable life-cycle in into how humanity might come to exhibit the capaci- We believe in the importance connection with everything else in existence. ty for self-healing emerges through what’s known as of expanding shamanic wis- When one cycle comes to completion, another biofield science. This branch of study considers how dom and practice through- cycle begins again in renewed form. Every cycle molecules, cells, and organs of living systems com- out everyday life in order to is an expression of creativity. municate through fields of energy to maintain health. become more responsible Launched from a hypothesis that the biofield activity and adaptable in matters of “Well, I wonder if we won’t notice that of organisms can be altered to self-regulate the pro- our own health. thought can do something other than cesses of a healthy living system, the implication is that our energies influence various facets of our phys- While there is no definitive etymol- prescribe to people what they have to ical, psychological, and spiritual integrity. But biofield ogy for the word shaman, accord- do. It would be quite nice if thought science is just one of many emerging fields of study ing to the book Shamans: Siberian could come to entirely think itself, if blending science and spirituality. What we are most Spirituality and the Western Imagi- fascinated by is how this area of investigation offers a nation by Ronald Hutton, the word thinking could unearth what is holistic approach toward strengthening the relation- “shaman” most likely originated in unconscious in the very depth of what ships within our bodies, within our communities, and the Eastern Siberian Tungusic lan- between our species and every other life-form on our guage in which the word šaman we think.” — Michel Foucault planet. means “one who knows”. This early There is no reason why science and spirit- description of shamanism is locally Our bodies and our environment share the same ma- uality should not work in harmony. Science can back specific to the Siberian and Mongo- terial components. Oxygen not only appears all up spiritual insights with data. Spiritual traditions can lian region, although shamans have throughout our atmosphere but it also moves help guide scientific inquiry into the unknown. To existed throughout the world and throughout our bloodstream. Atoms and molecules in achieve sustainability as a mindset, we believe in the across various traditions. In today’s just the right configuration provide the necessary importance of being open to receiving wisdom from popular understanding, shamans conditions for our air, food, water, and shelter, and many sources, from not only the elements of wind, describe anyone knowledgable and these atoms comprise the fundamental building water, fire, and air, but also from the plants, animals, responsible for natural healing blocks necessary for new life to emerge. and people who inhabit this world. methods that bridge the physical We can train our own environmental con- and spiritual worlds. sciousness and help others to do the same. To live sustainably, we must envision ways to act in balance with nature. Consciousness provides the foundation for this essential work. Holistic, integrative systems, incorporating sustainable practices in ecology—as well as in education, health, culture, and economy— all hinge upon the power of the mind to reshape our interactions in relation to inter-being. Oubilez le passè et vous perdez les deux yuex, Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, Ilunga, les deux yuex, Eddy Kamuanga perdez vous et le passè Oubilez 2016

The mysteries of consciousness are be-

ing mined to uncover potential healing properties. 1983 Laffoley, Paul Psychologist, scientist, and social entrepreneur, Dr. Shamini Jain explores systems-based healing processes from the perspective of personal and societal empowerment.15 As an introduction to her work on her website, Jain asks, “What if there really is no divide between science and spirituality? Is the ability to heal

III. BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE 179 Shamanic Studies, an institution learned something of value about themselves and the that offers a plethora of insights for world. 62% claimed that the experience changed their anyone to access otherwise hid- lives for the better.19 Given the powerful implications den spiritual resources for person- of these substances, it’s important that we as a socie- al transformation.17 ty establish legal contexts for the uses of psychedelics Shamanism deals with to aid mental health disorders and improve wellbe- the direct experience of receiving ing. As hallucinogens gain greater integration into the healing power from helpful, com- medical field, it’s important that we continue to learn passionate spirits in the upper and from the healers who have traditionally used these lower worlds. While we do most compounds in their ceremonies. The role of the sha- of our living in the physical reali- man is incredibly important for the proper integration ty of the middle world, not all the of powerful plant-based medicines that can have a tre- spirits in this realm are helpful. In mendously positive impact if applied wisely. shamanism, there is no concept of Plants sustain us, from the oxygen we good and evil. Rather, there is a no- breathe, to the food we eat, from the elixirs we drink, tion of elements either being in har- to the medicines we use to heal. A trained anthropol- mony or dissonance. Core Shaman- ogist, Wolf Dieter Storl has traveled the world learn- ism teaches that through personal ing from different cultures about their local traditions experience one can access anoth- associated with plants. His writings emphasize the er reality in which compassionate importance of lore and myth in human relationships spirits (in the form of animals or hu- with nature. mans) help bring about spiritual bal- Storl’s concentration on shamanic prac- ance. This, then in turn, has a direct tices in traditional societies explores a wide, global 20 “Dounia” Tamani “Dounia” Luis impact on bringing about balance in array of sacred symbolism, medicine, and magic. our own physical reality. Shamans Plants play a pivotal role in all aspects of life every- “After having personally are often referred to as those who know or see that where on Earth. Some cultures have held on to the practiced shamanism, which is otherwise invisible. Through direct experi- healing abilities of plants more than others. ence, shamans move between two realities—physi- For communities that have been most shamanic healing, and cal and spiritual worlds—in order to cultivate harmo- aversely affected by a shift in focus to pharmaceutical shamanic journeying for ny and, ultimately, healing through profound insight. interventions, perhaps the wisdom offered by plants more than half a century, Rhythmic percussion is the most consist- will become a new, potent healing agent to finally re- ently-used vehicle for shamanic practice. In Siberi- place the pill bottles in our cabinets. Human relation- I can say that there is an and Mongolian shamanic cultures, the drum is re- ships with plants come down to a matter of sustain- nothing I have en ferred to as “the horse” for it is through this instru- ing, and inspiring, life throughout its various embod- countered in reports of ment that one rides into the shamanic journey. iments. Another powerful means of altering con- We live among shamans every-where, the spiritual experiences sciousness is through plant-based medicine like aya- whether we are aware of it or not. But as awareness of of saints, prophets, huasca, which can be used for a transformative ex- shamanic practice expands, we hope that more peo- psychedelic drug perience. Awareness around this entheogenic brew is ple will understand that the role of the shaman in so- growing far beyond its native homes in places like Bra- ciety can be seen as fulfilling a need for society itself experimenters, near zil, Ecuador, and Peru. In the last ten or fifteen years, to heal. By focusing on our relationship to the spirit death survivors, avatars it has begun to travel with shamans to a number of world, we will not only gain greater insights into our and other mystics that far-flung communities, from Europe to Asia and into relationship with Earth as a sacred being, but also our North America. Traditionally, to prepare this decoc- connection to the even more expansive cosmos. is not commonly tion, the shaman communes with the forest, picks the experienced when plant, prepares the brew, makes up songs translating following classic journey between the forest and oneself, and then gives out the ayahuasca to those seeking healing while singing methods using a drum.” songs that connect these people to the forest. The — Michael Harner process of taking ayahuasca is said to transfer mes- The Importance of sages and realizations to help people come into great- Rituals & Ceremonies In the Western world, er knowledge and profound feeling. In this way, aya- common aspects of various sha- huasca has been described as a “teacher” and known manic traditions, such as the use of to help individuals attain deep insights relating to a Rituals connect our daily routines to patterns of rhythmic percussion to alter con- sense of connection and belonging in the world. tradition. Ceremony supplies meaning in cele- sciousness, have been channeled Another more common consciousness-al- brating the natural peaks and valleys of life. into a contemporary practice and tering compound is psilocybin, which can produce training. Core Shamanism is a term mystical experiences that lead to meaningful personal Rituals and ceremonies are commonplace within in- coined by anthropologist Michael transformations.18 Even synthetic hallucinogens have digenous cultures. Religions also centralize rituals and Harner (1929 – 2018), who experi- been demonstrated to have healing properties. Re- ceremonies. However, contemporary secular society enced and wrote about the sha- search into non-ordinary states of consciousness has hasn’t traditionally had many rituals and ceremonies manism of the indigenous Shuar begun to reveal the therapeutic potential of LSD and that connect to nature or to a source of divinity. How culture in Ecuador in the 1960s. other psychedelic substances. One of the earliest ex- can we find a balance between connections with Over the following decades, Harn- periments with LSD was the Concord Prison Experi- long-established sources of wisdom without feeling er formalized the practice of Core ment, conducted from 1961 to 1963 by Harvard Univer- constrained by dogma? Shamanism as a way of incorpo- sity researchers, under the direction of Timothy Leary. First of all, we must access sources rating the shamanic journey into This trial involved the administration of psilocybin-as- of wisdom and understand the meaning of ritual areas of contemporary life. Harn- sisted group psychotherapy to 32 prisoners in an ef- and ceremony. The challenge in connecting to er established the Foundation for fort to reduce recidivism rates. 88% reported that they sources of wisdom that have guided humans

180 Rebuild dy speaks of the Himba tribe of northern Namibia, in of heightened stress or emotion, which dancing with each other elevates the group en- our reactions become even more ergy. The erotic receives a kind of release not sealed unthinking. Once a particular re- off behind walls, but open, in public, in the collec- sponse becomes a habit, this es- tive consciousness. This sublimation of sexual drive tablished pattern can be incredibly through spiritual expression offers a healthy way to difficult to break. A certain person process and release this powerful energy. may regularly respond to criticism Rituals and ceremonies increase intuitive by becoming withdrawn, or they understanding of oneself and relationships with oth- may become hostile and aggres- ers. Mandy explains how, within Himba society, al- sive. With their response to this though a woman might have different sexual partners, stimulus likely engrained within she can still intuit which man will be the father of her them since childhood, they play child. And, within that relationship, the child matters out the same scene over and over more than the two individuals who comprise its par- again without conscious under- ents. In Himba culture, bringing a child into the world standing. There is comfort in famil- is not about making a tiny version of oneself. The ego iarity, no matter how destructive it has been removed from the procreation equation. It’s may be. time we all distance ourselves from this Western no- A number of practic- tion of having a child to fulfill our egos. Our children es are intended to help analyze should grow up without the subconscious idea of in- and disrupt negative emotional herited “unfinished business” influencing their growth. responses. Cognitive-Behavioral The focus of parenting should remain on the child, on Therapy (CBT) seeks to root out

Raissa Lara Lütolf, 2019 Lütolf, Raissa Lara being reared with meaning and purpose in one’s life. maladaptive behavior by identify- Prioritizing this focus reaffirms the capacity for care ing it as such, developing a gran- throughout generations, is that a great deal of wis- that courses through everyone. ular understanding of triggers and dom is going extinct (along with the cultures and lan- Mandy offers the reminder to be com- processes, and ultimately altering guages in which that wisdom has lived). Society is in passionate to yourself, or else there’s no chance at these cognitive habits through a need of a welcoming space in which tribal ancient rit- being compassionate toward others. Throw away the variety of interventions. uals can be reintroduced and live on within globalized things that don’t go well for you at end of day and, In a similar vein, the culture. the next day, start from a new beginning. A relatively Dalai Lama, in his capacity as a Wendy Mandy, a healer practicing sha- easy ritual we can all engage in is to make up a list of spiritual leader, commissioned manistic traditions, speaks to the importance of col- things to be grateful for. This practice sets us on a bet- psychologist Paul Ekman to cre- lecting and practicing longstanding traditions of ter resonance and can be incredibly motivating. This ate an interactive tool entitled At- knowledge from her personal experience, having kind of list-making can also create a structure within las of Emotions.22 The Dalai Lama re- grown up with indigenous communities in both Ni- the day, and eventually, throughout the architecture ferred to this digital atlas as a “map geria and South America. Russell Brand interviewed of our lives. of the mind”. Similarly to CBT, it in- Mandy for his podcast in April, 2019.21 During their Ceremony and ritual bring meaning and volves close examination of emo- conversation, Mandy explained where routines drift- beauty into the fold of everyday activities. Under- tional responses. Using a baseline ed apart from rituals and the important, meaningful, standing one’s meaningfulness connects the physical of five core emotions (anger, sad- and grounding purpose of ceremony in life’s cycles. and mental self and expands consciousness. Our bod- ness, fear, disgust, and enjoyment), Ceremony predates organized religion. ies hold a great deal of wisdom, yet we have to learn the tool outlines timelines of reac- Ceremonies, such as the naming of a child or tradi- how to access that wisdom. Ceremony offers a po- tions to a variety of stimuli or trig- tional rites of passage, connect us to nature, family, tent pathway to get in touch with ourselves and con- gers. For example, you may find community, as well as serve to give an individual in- nect to that powerful constellation of energy and vi- sights into one’s own being. Rituals, like lighting can- bration within us. Everything is available, so long as dles or saying prayers of gratitude, can imbue every- we understand how to get to that place of abundance. day moments with greater meaning. Most of the rou- Nothing ever disappears completely… Even when the tines of daily life in globalized society are like rituals heart stops beating, where does the frequency go? devoid of meaning. The constant barrage of informa- How might we learn to incorporate ritual and ceremo- tion and demands of daily routines, occur like a con- ny into our lives such that we become able to uncover stant push-and-pull in opposite directions between and connect with the endless powerful energies that what feels relevant to giving life meaning, and what are constantly present all around us? feels like a distraction away from what’s truly important. Ceremony helps provide structure and rhythm to daily life and it can have the effect of bringing greater purpose to our actions. Purposeful connections are made within ceremony, such as the link between the sexual and Decoding the Textures the spiritual. In secular society, we experience seg- of Our Emotions mented, and often conflicting, expressions of sexual- 1898 Dr Alesha Sivartha, Man”, “Solar ity: chaste social interactions and then the private invitation of pornography. Because there is not space It’s tough to navigate any territory without a yourself at odds with a friend. In made for the conversation around how sexuality is map. To navigate the complex range of our own response to this sudden release of at the core of humanity (the ability to procreate and emotions and become better at self-regulation, strong emotion from your friend, evolve), sexual impulses have been repressed within first we have to understand our own internal to- you may be reminded of some pre- society, resurfacing in places like pornography rath- pography. vious figure in your life who treated er than finding more wholesome outlets. In many so- you poorly in their own outbursts. cial groups in the past, dancing provided a strong con- Much of our behavior occurs automatically, with no As a result, you may begin to feel nection between sexual and spiritual domains. Man- apparent agency or conscious purpose. In moments angry yourself, accompanied by

III. BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE 181 your body tensing up and a sense particular skill set is categorized as their Unique Selling that you are under attack. From Point (USP). How can anyone relax in this scenario? here, there are choices. For one, Every recreational moment not spent on self-improve- you could opt to fire back and ar- ment is a moment in which the competitors pull ever gue on the same heightened level further forward. This process has no space for reflec- as your friend. This is considered tion. Information must be digested and reapplied in- an unhelpful response. A better op- stantly, whether it was understood fully or not. We are tion might be to take a timeout, al- being pulled into thoughtless, uncritical states of minds, low yourself to calm down, then mental modes that are capable only of repetition and approach your friend from a place regurgitation. of emotional balance. To not question our own organizing prin- The Atlas of Emotions ciples can be dangerous. We must always remember is intended to help people con- not to take our situations for granted. We must re- ceptualize their own feelings. It’s a member to ask questions in order to continue evolv- guide designed to help individuals ing as intellectual beings. Solitude is a deeply under- remember to practice awareness rated state of being that is particularly conducive to of their feelings and to use this sys- these activities. To begin a conversation with oneself, tem to gain greater control of their it is best to be physically by oneself. But it is becom- inner lives. Having the right word ing increasingly difficult to find a place of both physical to describe a particular feeling and mental solitude these days, bombarded as we are greatly affects how we experience with information. It’s hard to feel real solitude while and process that feeling. Once la- scrolling through a phone. Our devices only inundate beled, the emotion is demystified, us with a continual stream of external thoughts. This no longer just a chemical storm is more likely to transmute solitude into loneliness. that takes over us, but a described The indiscriminate sharing of our private phenomenon we can observe and lives has been entirely normalized and, as a result, our step back from. Emotional regula- interior lives have been devalued. For heavier users of tion should be considered part of these sharing services, moments are essentially de- any set of basic tools needed in or- void of meaning until they have been submitted for der to comfortably move around in public review. Losing our ability to inscribe meaning, our human bodies. We want to feel robs us of the ability to successfully rely on ourselves calm, and we want to be at peace. for judgments of any kind. It becomes difficult to de- Learning to be aware of the mercu- termine personal truths. We have to wait until we are rial sensations within us is an im- told what to believe. Spending time away from the portant step toward this goal. noise—in true solitude, in conversation with ourselves—can often illuminate something buried deep within our intuition. And, if we can resurrect this information, then we can use this insight to become more human, more vital, and more prepared to navigate the The Value of uncertainty of the world. Solitary Expansion

Recalibrate our capacities through a combination of physical, occupational, and cognitive solo practices.

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

— Blaise Pascal, 1654

The cult of productivity has made the world a very noisy place. In our

modern world, there is an expecta- Doug Aitken Pavilions”, “Underwater tion that all things must be done quickly. The next task must be finished the second the last is com- pleted lest the wheels of capitalism stop turning. In such a frantic landscape of activity, the individual becomes a product and their

182 Rebuild III. BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE 183 A game-changing economic moment will happen when we collectively decide to globally regulate and redistribute wealth. Humani- IV. ty is not evolving in a productive ECONOMICS OF manner when only a select number of its ENVIRONMENTAL billions of people control the overwhelming majority STEWARDSHIP of capital. But any attempt to change society means going against powerful forces determined to uphold the status quo. Such is the challenge we must all be willing to undertake.

The rewards will be plentiful. Our social and natural environments will come to reflect this positive redistribution of wealth through improved relationships between people and communities. After all, the environment is one of the most influential factors affecting our thoughts, our mood, and ultimately who we are. “Envi- ronment” relates to so many dynamic features that sometimes it’s difficult to determine where it begins or ends. Given that we are part of our environment, we are well served to pro-actively care for the ecosystems involved in the evolution of who we become.

184 Rebuild Building a “Real change means putting purpose at We act as though the resources of the centre of how value is defined by our planet are without end. We Regenerative simply extract raw materials, use firms, governments, and the economic them to manufacture goods, and Economy theory that informs policy-makers.” then use these goods for a relatively short time before throwing — Mariana Mazzucato them away. Once we’re done with A new economic system must be designed to them, the only purpose of our dis- serve the timeless needs of humanity while still carded products is to take up making sure to respect the environmental limi- space in landfills and pollute the tations of the planet. oceans. Trash is everywhere. As Ziya Tong explains in The Reality Competition does not need to be baked into our econ- Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths, omy. The global economy can instead incentivize co- and the Dangerous Illusions That operation on a massive scale. Our current economy, Shape Our World, that entrenches rigid class separation, could soon “…for every 150 kilo- enough vanish into the records of history. grams of product we see on the According to the regenerative econom- shelves, behind the scenes there’s ic thinking shared by impact investor John Fullerton another 3,000 kilograms of waste and spiritual teacher Thomas Hüble, a new econom- that we don’t see. In total, the world ic system can do much more than react to factors like produces approximately three mil- rising or declining GDP figures. Instead, a new eco- lion metric tons of garbage every nomic system can become the organizational mod- twenty-four hours. That number is el by which wealth is redistributed more equitably to expected to double by 2025. And if meet the basic needs of all people. By pursuing long- business continues as usual, by the

term thinking, rather than being solely focused on 2018 Amason, 1-9)” Jake “RIPPLE (cymatics end of the century it will be an un- fathomable ten million metric tons A Professor of Eco- of solid waste a day.”25 nomics of Innovation and Public This process that leads Value at University College Lon- to rampant pollution is neatly don (UCL), Mariana Mazzucato summed up by the Ellen Macarthur proposes a kind of symbiotic cap- Foundation—a charity that espous- italism in which all participants es the values of a circular econo- thrive.24 We believe in the need to my—by the phrase “take, make, change how public value is eval- dispose”.26 Rather than simply “dis- uated in order to tackle societal pose” of materials no longer in use, challenges. Public institutions and we see this series of steps that de- collective enterprises yield bene- scribes our current linear econo- fits that ought not to be exploited my as a process of “take, make, for privatized profit. waste”. The issue of unrestrained As taxpayers, we citi- waste desperately needs to be re- zens get to be shareholders in the solved. The preservation of our en- public services that enable untold vironment may depend on our abil- opportunities to develop. It’s es- ity to transition this linear process

Algae bioplastics culturing, Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros culturing, Eric Klarenbeek Algae bioplastics sential we stand up for common into a closed loop and start living access to the very securities that circularly in terms of our produced short-term quarterly profits, investments have a bet- make innovation possible. materials. ter chance at being more closely affiliated with eco- The economy can shift to empower local- One clear alternative logical conservation and restoration. ized solutions to endemic problems. In this way, the to pursue is using waste to our ad- In many ways, a regenerative economy very act of problem-solving becomes a means for go- vantage. That’s how the old world corresponds to a circular economy in that both re- ing straight to the root cause of unfair economic agen- did it. Feces has been one of the quire value chains to make use of recycled materi- das. In the future we imagine, governments, compa- most important resources for ag- als and both encourage production of longer-lasting nies, and institutions will enact measures to set an ricultural growth as long as peo- goods. These changes will go hand in hand with more agenda of basic decency, dignity, and opportunity to ple have been growing their own responsible management of natural resources. And pursue meaning and purpose in one’s life. food. In China, centuries back, more lasting effects will include the creation of social human waste from denser pop- and environmental capital to ensure more democrat- ulations was transported to the ic access to vital resources. countryside, where it was consid- In overdeveloped countries, principles ered “brown gold” for its benefit to of degrowth will need to be pursued to mitigate the farming. It’s only in recent history risks of over-production and over-consumption. In her Lines Can Bend that China has distanced from its book, Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, Ju- into Circles tradition of sustainable agriculture. liet B. Schor (Professor of Sociology at Boston College) What’s brewing with- makes the case for an economy that prioritizes eco- in our guts and turned into “night logical and social flourishing through cultivation of the We can replicate the elegance of balanced and soil” is maybe a more visceral ex- wealth inherent in human relationships.23 The idea of self-sustaining ecosystems by creating a model ample of circular thinking. Yet, ob- plenitude offers an ideal framework for the process of of renewal, remaking, and recycling to resolve viously there’s entire supply chains shifting values away from material concerns to more crises from extraction to extinction. of everything imaginable to consid- far-reaching dynamics between people and planet. er. All the industrial materials sup-

IV. ECONOMICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 185 porting our lives right now got here not belong there, from corpses of fallen trekkers to The circular economy may not be exact- through some basic process of ex- the assorted detritus of disposable containers, all of it ly the solution to all our economic problems though. traction, manufacturing, and deliv- having accumulated from previous expeditions. If we For one, the framework does not really challenge the ery. Yet, out of the materials in our can learn to stop defiling our most significant and dis- malicious role of market forces. We must keep at the immediate purview, so many more tinctive terrain, then maybe we can learn to preserve forefront of our minds that, as of right now, waste were required for the creation and any stretch of sacred earth. is good for conventional business. We should under- release of these items. We have The circular economy is partially a collec- stand that manufacturing infrastructure is all set up tion of many strategies for sus- with huge amounts of waste as a natural byproduct tainability formulated over the and that to change this will be very costly. Business- previous decades. The Ellen es are unlikely to voluntarily make these shifts if it in Macarthur Foundation identi- any way affects their bottom line. And so, while the fies three key principles upon fundamental solutions engrained in the circular econ- which the entire circular sys- omy are surely of great value, we must always think tem can be built.28 how best to pair these transformational notions with The first, “design a strategy for the generation of collective regulatory out waste and pollution”, con- power from below. cerns the idea that waste is not a natural byproduct of the util- ity of the objects we use, but is mainly a result of the way we choose to configure all those materials. By switching Degrowth & our perspective on the source De-enclosure to Foster of waste, we can hope to find different approaches that min- Economic Justice imize its generation. The second principle is a call Establish more meaningful equity through alter- to “keep products and materi- native economic principles. Huge global dispar- als in use”. This principle chal- ities in socio-economic development resulting lenges all single-use items and from generations of resource extraction and is a direct confrontation to the exploitation must be addressed through repara- practice of planned obsoles- tions. With less massive individual fortunes cence that is such a hallmark there will be more collective fortune to spare on of many modern companies. repair efforts. To quicken the pace of our cycles of consumption, and to Degrowth is an economic theory defined similar to ensure a steadier flow of prof- how it sounds: a proposal to move toward de-escala- it, products are intentionally tion and de-inflation, and to move away from capital-

“Floating Rubber”, Arch Mcleish, 2018 Mcleish, Arch Rubber”, “Floating designed for short lifecycles. ist notions of continual growth. Degrowth refers to This is an especially difficult finding an alternate path of greater abundance for all stacked up tremendous amounts policy to change though. We cannot rely on the per- to share. To create greater equality of resources, the of resources, which we must find petrating corporations to suddenly have a moral policy would necessitate rerouting resources across ways to repurpose so that when change of heart. The practice must be either regulat- not only individuals who live within nations, but also we are finished using them in one ed out of existence or have the incentive to continue across the countries of the world. form, it’s not all just stinking up our the practice removed. The foundation’s idea of “keep- The astronomical wealth inequality in our planet and space beyond. ing products in use“ envisions a world of life-long re- world is a natural feature of capitalism. But we can Natural wonders like pair, maintenance, and remanufacturing of products begin to shift these scales with programs that distrib- the moon and Mt. Everest are each in order to stop this unnecessary process of destruc- ute wealth where it’s actually needed, toward: edu- littered with crap. In Zia Tong’s ex- tion and repurchase. It is telling how far removed we cation, equipping the populace with improved diets, tensive chapter on “The Curious currently are from sustainability that the circular paths away from fossil-fuel dependence, and improve- History of Crap—From Space Junk economy framework designates recycling as a last ments in the overall safety net for those who have to Actual Poop” from her book The resort, considering how it seems to be one of our best been most affected by the negative offshoots of capi- Reality Bubble, she recounts how options today. talist excesses. Rather than tightening spending on soon the moon there are, “…96 bags The third of their principles is the process cial programs at this crucial juncture in human histo- of urine and vomit, there are old of “regenerating natural systems”. This elevates our ry, we believe we should re-engineer spending to fo- boots, towels, backpacks, and wet goals beyond mere reduction of harm to the environ- cus on areas in need of revitalization like education, wipes. With no garbage cans at ment, and up to the actual realization of positive im- healthcare, infrastructure, and energy. hand, the astronauts also littered pact. It requires us to seek symbiosis with surrounding the landing site with magazines, ecosystems. Our human activities should slot neatly cameras, blankets, and shovels. into local arrangements of flora and fauna, using the “The point of austerity is to create And after several international mis- kinds of technologies and agricultural practices that scarcity. Suffering—indeed, poverty— sions, there are now 70 spacecraft complement the presence of life. Make no mistake, on the surface, including crashed aiming to actually regenerate natural systems is in- must be induced for the sake of more orbiters and rovers.”27 We can clean credibly ambitious. It comprises not just a scaling back growth. It doesn’t have to be this up much better than we have, and and softening of our impact, but a 180-degree reversal way. We can call a halt to the madness we’re starting to make this a prior- of a global trend through the application of an entire- ity. For the first time, a mission has ly new paradigm. But this optimism is necessary. We —throw a wrench in the juggernaut.” been established to go to Everest need a target that actually inspires us and a goal that — Dr. Jason Hickel, Degrowth: A Call for Radical Abundance and retrieve everything that does might even speak to our incredible potential.

186 Rebuild Restoration of the com- In the future, we believe we can mons—meaning the abolishment use regenerative materials as sus- of private ownership of natural re- tainable alternatives to car- sources—also has the important bon-positive and non-degradable advantage of restricting state-spon- materials. In this way, we can aim sored violence. Safeguarding peo- to better nourish and support the ple against human-rights violations planet, local ecologies, and our and unjust policies, must become civilization’s various economies. a global priority. Industrial leaders need to take a firm stand on this Why Materials Mat- issue as well. Over the last centu- ter: Responsible Design for a Better ries, the creation of material goods World by Seetal Solanki examines has led to so many resources hav- what it means to live in a material ing been extracted and exploited world, how the materials we use from communities unable to pro- affect our future, and how we can tect against ravages carried out by responsibly reshape our world by colonialists, that we are long over- changing the ways we consume, due for a restoration of balance. manufacture, and design. Early 20th century British colonialist Early 20th century

Dr. Jason Hickel illuminates how scarcity catalyzes capitalism by creating artificial conditions for private wealth to be amassed. Enclosure is the process by which resources that were once free—like access to clean water—came to be walled off and controlled by managerial authorities. This transition caused a diminishment in public wealth which, in turn, resulted in conditions that led to increased private wealth. A gruesome example of this was how colonialists would burn down trees that bore nuts and fruit so that native communities could no longer rely on this once abundant source of food. This violent force of generating scarcity then allowed those same colonialists to coerce the people whose habitat they had just damaged, to work in order to earn money that could then buy the food now controlled by the colonialists.29 As Hickel further explains in his article, “Degrowth: A Call for Radical Abundance,” Algae bioplastics printing, Eric Klarenbeek & Maartje Dros Eric Klarenbeek printing, Algae bioplastics

“Ellen Wood argues that the origins of Dr. Hickel writes that, “Degrowth, at its Beyond her writing, capitalism lay in the enclosure core, is a demand for radical abundance.” While it Solanki is a founder and director might appear paradoxical, the logic is quite sound. As of a materials research design stu- movement in England, during which private wealth contracts and public wealth expands, dio and a school called Ma-tt-er. wealthy elites walled off the commons more people will experience abundance. Solanki’s organization offers public and systematically forced peasants off By pursuing this redistribution of access to resources, talks, demonstrations, and cours- we can restore the union of communities with the es to generate wider awareness as the land in a violent, centuries-long natural world and its abundance of nourishment. to how materials function as exten- campaign of dispossession. This period Turning away from unsustainable growth based on sions of ourselves and our environ- saw the abolition of the ancient “right limited resources and coercive tactics, is one step to ment. enable economic justice across the global population. Ma-tt-er draws our at- to habitation”, once enshrined in the The primary change we need to consider is how to tention to the types of materials Charter of the Forest, which guaran- collectively conserve precious resources, like forests that can be repurposed for more teed that ordinary people should have and rivers, protect these resources against exploitive responsible products. For instance, practices, and build open access to these resources gold can be scavenged from dis- access to the resources necessary for within the infrastructure of communities. posed electronic circuit boards and survival.” transformed to create new surface finishes. To cut down on exorbi- We feel that de-enclosure (freeing up re- tant water use in various produc- sources that were unfairly seized and consolidated) is tion dyeing processes, a strain of a a necessary response to remedy the adverse effects Regenerative Materials for soil-based organism called Strepto- of enclosure. De-enclosure will require releasing the Regenerative Structures myces coelicolor can act as a living grip of all that’s owned by the exploitative controllers pigment of pinks, blues, greens, and of capital. The underlying foundation for consolidated yellows that can be applied to dye private ownership is rooted in a tradition in which cru- Nature itself presents an ideal model for integra- textiles like silk with little to no wa- sading invaders take over native lands by violent force. tive design efficiency. When we learn to trans- ter required. For a sustainable alter- The uneven global distribution of wealth still reflects form what remains of our waste into productive native to fiber-board, we can turn this history; a history that many nations have yet to inputs, we can rearrange the fundamental prob- toward the completely self-binding truly confront and rectify. lem of pollution. plant source of lupin. This decision

IV. ECONOMICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 187 and replacing the forests and jungles we’ve leveled with new greenery. Al- ternatively, ocean surfaces could be fertilized with iron, resulting in algal blooms that can absorb carbon dioxide and ultimately store it at the bottom of the ocean. However, this particular suggestion is not without a great deal of controversy, and there is fear as to the potential unknown harms such as the growth of potentially toxic algae. This is why we must proceed with caution and not allow our overconfidence in our own spirit of invention to win out. How can we best support natural ecosystems to perform their awe-inspiring self-cor- rections without trying to override them completely? The conservational practice of rewilding is based on a very hands-off mentality. Identified by environmentalist Dave Foreman, its own name summarizes it quite well: to return wildness to the places we have

Volvo Living Seawall tiles Living Seawall Volvo subjugated and destroyed. It emerges from a recognition of the power of would have the added value of in- natural processes to restore and recover without too creasing nitrogen in soil as the lupin much human intervention. One of our small roles in grows, providing fertilizer for other this practice is to ensure that there is sufficient flora plants. Meanwhile, coconut water Restoring to serve as food sources for the local species. Anoth- can even replace leather as a biode- Atmospheric er way we may help rewilding efforts is to reintroduce gradable, water resistant, and ve- relevant keystone species—those that have the most gan alternative to an otherwise un- Equilibrium fundamental impact on the entire ecosystem—back to sustainable material through a pro- their specified areas. The measure of a fully success- cess of fermentation and thicken- ful rewilding project is one that eventually requires ab- ing of its naturally-occurring bacte- We can facilitate the planet’s natural aptitude solutely no human input to maintain its effect. This is ria into cellulose.30 for renewal and move forward with an attitude part of rewilding’s genius. It serves a dual purpose: not Many materials that of repair. only is it a method to restore our biodiversity, but it will provide regenerative qualities have also help to insulate us from climate change. Restoring long been touted by environmen- Confronting the extraordinary quantities of CO₂ in our large areas to their wild states will create more of the talists for their sustainable poten- atmosphere will be somewhat of a dual process. Ac- biomass we need to absorb much of the excess car- tial. Located in Cambridgeshire, cording to NASA, it will ultimately comprise both mit- bon from the air. England, Margent Farm has con- igation and adaptation. Mitigation refers to the ways structed open spaces on its prop- in which we must reduce our current output of green- erty for the demonstration of the house gases and potentially remove some of what has power of its main crop, hemp. already been pumped into the atmosphere. But some Along with the dynamic features amount of adaptation will also be necessary. Even if of hemp as a multifaceted mate- we changed our ways overnight, we’ve already en- rial, the farm focuses on relation- sured that the climate is guaranteed to change to ships with designers, wellness ex- some extent. This means that we must take steps to perts, and scientists, who all share reduce our vulnerability to the climate changes ahead, a desire to investigate the expand- especially in the most highly threatened areas of the ed potential of the plant. Hemp of- world (like coastal communities). fers an example of a resource with It’s common knowledge that our carbon circular, closed-loop potential with output can be limited through the elimination of fossil how its growth can sequester car- fuels. But, in tandem with this known strategy, we will bon while simultaneously releas- have to find ways to capture and store the carbon ing oxygen to replenish the at- that’s already been released into the atmosphere. mosphere. Collectives, like Mar- There are a number of proposals to accomplish this gent Farm, that are committed to goal, and some eventual combination of them will growing organic, sustainable, and likely be necessary. Large air-scrubbing devices, es- environmentally friendly crops will sentially enormous filters to suck the gas the from the act as leaders in a burgeoning in- air, are already in development. There’s also the pos- dustry of regenerative materials. sibility that we could capture carbon in our soil by The larger task before overhauling our agricultural practices, eliminating the us is to develop systems of pro- heavy tilling of land, and planting cover crops and ro- duction and exchange that abide tating them to avoid depleting all the nutrients in the

by similar regenerative properties. soil. Another solution suggests a stop to over-logging, 1893 Kent, William Saville Australia”, of Barrier Reef “The Great

188 Rebuild Nicolas Hulot, environmentalist and former French minister for Ecology, proposes three key principles to serve as a framework for planning future intervention in service of sustainable transformation. The first is pre-visibility. This means setting ambitious targets for our environmental transformation as well as performing thorough risk assessments into the potential long-term holistic impacts of the changes we propose to make. The second is progressivity. This principle entails setting clear step-by-step mile- stones and routes for evolution and development. Irre- versibility is the final point. This principle sets out the goal to reach a tipping point at which effected positive

change becomes stable and self-maintaining. Martin, 1827 John Lost, Paradise for Illustration We believe that if we adopt these basic principles as a baseline to guide our efforts toward thing we can do is just to stand back. The elegance of planetary repair, then we can greatly aid our efforts holism will serve us well. Using a whole-system per- to stave off drastic climate-change-based catastro- spective, we can locate the key pressure points that, phes. Restoring atmospheric equilibrium means allow- when activated, can erupt into outpourings of posi- ing nature to heal the way it already knows how. And tive change. Recording and tracking the system of rein the process, integrating that wisdom into human lationships that determine the interconnectedness of endeavor. all things is a momentous task, but one that is fundamental to our continued efforts at regeneration.

Replenishment with a Gentle Touch

If we are to secure a sustainable future, innovation must turn itself to the project of regeneration.

The environmental damage we have done over the last 200 years must be reversed as soon as possible. Some especially critical areas of repair include the restoration of biodiversity, refertilization of the soil, and the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Natural ecosystems are delicate and incredibly complex. Because of these features, minor alterations can snowball into sweeping transformations. In 1995, grey wolves were reintroduced to re- balance the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park after they were killed or driven off the land back in the 1930s. The resulting impact on the entire ecosystem was even more profound than expected. Before the return of the wolves, the elk population of the park had swelled precariously. Lacking one of their main predators, the elk had decimated much of the vegetation from over-grazing, thereby reducing the biodiversity of neighboring species. With the reintroduction of wolves back to the area, the mere presence of these predators changed the behavioral patterns of the elk forcing them to avoid certain areas. These avoided areas began to explode with biodiversity as the vegetation repaired and could begin to support other species once again. Each new, emerging species itself trig- gered another cascade of changes. Notably, the re- surgence of the beaver, brought on by the abundance of willow, did wonders in creating suitable habitats for other creatures. This story can teach us the value of a light touch. Humans intervened to bring back the wolf and then nature did the rest of the work. We did not seek to wrest control of every aspect of the ecosystem and micro-manage it to our will. Sometimes, the best

IV. ECONOMICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 189 Cloistered innovation does not serve humanity. Innovation deserves to be nurtured in every individual who dares to exercise it. Our current astrological age of Aquarius represents sociality, in contrast to the strong need for seclusion expressed by our previous age of Pisces. As astrologist Susan Miller explains, “Aquarius puts emphasis on group activities and community, thus we have the Internet and V. the eye of the global village which we call television.” Supported by prolific forms of technology that have the power to connect ETHICAL individuals across any distance, we believe that innovation’s integral, future INNOVATION mission will be to bring people together to solve large-scale challenges and honor life as a whole system.

In tending to the roots of transformative potential, we must be aware of the likelihood for unintended consequences and understand that we cannot predict every outcome. Yet, when we prioritize regenerative principles, we mitigate harmful effects in our practices. When we focus on integrative approaches, we harmonize strengths to overcome challenges. To this effect, innovation exists as a discipline ideally positioned to lead individuals and industries into ecosystems of greater inclusion, balance, and empowerment.

190 Rebuild Ensuring 1. design that addresses the unique- Equitable Use (Accessible to all ness of our sensory abilities and in Inclusivity which the fundamental goal is to regardless of ability) allow “access” to all people. Access is the key word To truly unlock human potential, everyone has here. To the best of our abilities the to be included. The more society evolves to in- 2. world should be built in a way that corporate values of tolerance, solidarity, and Flexibility in Use (Accommodates invites and does not exclude. To humility, the more people will feel free to be multiple variances of styles or methods open up the world to all is the main who they are. prerogative of inclusive design and of use) this policy forms a notable differ- Innovation, as a term, has deep associations with en- ence between it and universal de- tirely market-oriented endeavors, particularly those 3. sign. Inclusive design is less con- that are occurring on a large, high-growth scale. In- cerned with being attractive. As novation is often discussed as being the domain of the Simple and Intuitive Use Leahy writes, “Access is central to tech-savvy, white-collar world or the wealthy, young (Easy to use regardless of prior inclusive design; aesthetics and di- entrepreneur. The way we use language shapes our experience or skill level) versity—beauty and the ‘everyone’ perception and, as a result, this class of person be- —are not.” It is the practice of me- comes seen as the primary driver of “progress”. The diating imbalances between indi- language of innovation should be claimed by non-prof- 4. viduals and the environment these it-seeking parties to better wrest our understanding Perceptible Information individuals must navigate. of improvement away from purely capitalist projects. There is, of course, no (Required information is presented reason why inclusive design cannot clearly) also be beautiful. Indeed, breaking free from conceptions of standardized aesthetics, and a dominant 5. concept of what constitutes “beau- Tolerance for Error ty”, is also conducive to inclusivity. (Minimization of potential for incorrect input, and reduction of harmful eventuality) Preparing for Friction 6. Low Physical Effort (Minimal The pursuit of the fully seam- exertion or movement less experience makes it required) harder to engage thoughtfully with our surrounding envi- 7. ronment. Size and Space for Approach Innovation has been prosecuting and Use (All components laid a war on friction. By friction, we out to accommodate mean any amount of surplus effort Izzy Wheels wheelchair cover needed to accomplish a given task. 31 variance in reach) To understand the ramifications of The processes of design and innovation this, we can look to a depiction of must also hold the pursuit of inclusivity as a prima- The intentions of universal design are noble, and have a world of zero friction, as seen in ry objective. Design has come a long way in develop- contributed to more widely-useable objects and ac- the 2008 film WALL-E. After aban- ing methodologies that create single objects useable cessible spaces. However, writer Anna Leahy points doning Earth following an envi- by broad swaths of the population, but there will al- out that universal design, as it was originally ex- ronmental collapse, human civi- ways be those who do not fit within this general seg- pressed, deals with issues of access by concealing lization goes on to inhabit gigan- ment of the consumer population. The concept of uni- disability, rather than directly addressing it.32 The fo- tic, fully-automated spaceships. versal design emerged as a way to create more ele- cus is placed on designing beautiful things that em- We quickly see that inactivity has gant and functional qualities of a final product. It was phasize our sameness. There is something pleasing made everybody morbidly obese. made doubly necessary as a practice by the replace- about highlighting our similarities, but this entrenches The surviving humans spend their ment of bespoke craftsmen with mass production fa- the assumption that visible differences are inherently days being whisked from place to cilities. Universal design is an approach that seeks to undesirable and something to be eliminated. We need place on hovering chairs, being at- make things useable by all people, regardless of abil- a different process for design, one that ensures inclu- tended to by machines, while a ity. Its seven principles were initially outlined in 1997 sivity. personal projection screen perpet- by architect Robert Mace and a committee of 10 peo- In their book, The Senses: Design Beyond ually absorbs their attention. Al- ple at the Centre for Universal Design. The principles Vision, Andrea Lipps and Ellen Lupton seek to broaden though these inhabitants are pre- are as follows: the spectrum of considerations in the design process sented as being in good spirits, in by exploring what they call “sensory design”. These reality, a lack of physical activity authors argue in favor of accounting for all five human is well known to be damaging to senses, as they all serve as a gateway for our experi- both physical and mental wellbe- ence of materiality. They present a version of universal ing. There is an issue at the heart

V. ETHICAL INNOVATION 191 meal may even be made collectively, and adopted by all, we believe corporate cultures will be- it is certainly better enjoyed together. This gin to dramatically change. primal ritual of communal preparation and One of the main ethical considerations eating strengthens social bonds and rela- from the point of view of technology development, is tionships. how to create safeguards for the technologies of to- Innovation must make sure to morrow. As AI and Extended Intelligence evolve and preserve the right amount of friction for integrate with more aspects of our daily lives, the the right reasons. In fields like healthcare most important measures we can take will be to en- or the automotive/mobility sector, friction sure ethical values are embedded into these systems’ must be eliminated as much as possible. In very reason for being. places where friction belongs for the purpose of rigor, a balance must be struck between excessive difficulty, and so much “Highly autonomous AI systems should ease as to render an action entirely be designed so that their goals and thoughtless. Friction must be reinstalled where it has been pushed out by sleek behaviors can be assured to align with technology. It should act as a necessary human values throughout their buffer on social media, in online shopping, operation… Value alignment is a big and consumption in general, to help us avoid sliding into a hypnotic state of auto- one. Robots aren’t going to try to revolt mated behavior. Respect must be given to against humanity, but they’ll just try to the need for self-directed activity and ex- optimize whatever we tell them to do. ploration. So we need to make sure to tell them

David von Diemar, 2018 Diemar, von David to optimize for the world we actually want.” — Anca Dragan, co-PI for the Center for Human Compatible AI of the war on friction, revealed by the realities of the idea taken to its extreme. Sometimes we need fric- Upholding the The values that underpin technological tion. Common Good progress can benefit immensely from following the The importance of fric- biological principle of mutualism. This form of symbi- tion can be easily seen in digital osis, in which two or more different organisms live or services and marketplaces. The The past few years have provided painful evi- work together to mutual benefit, provides a founda- fewer inputs required of a user to dence that faster or newer is not always better. tion for positive interactions. By looking at technolo- perform a certain task, the more Innovation, for its own sake, can easily run afoul. gy, like AI, holistically, we begin to see how humans likely they are to perform that task. Innovative weapons or surveillance systems do and machines can work together to create positive In the context of online shopping, not improve the world. However, innovative impacts for ecological and societal ecosystems. To something like “one click ordering” means for leveraging powerful forces like love this end, a comprehensive set of AI principles was de- speeds them on their way to mak- will create the next set of breakthroughs for hu- veloped by The Future of Life Institute (FLI) in conjunc- ing a purchase without an addition- manity. tion with the 2017 Asimolar Conference on Beneficial al moment for consideration. On AI. These principles were based around the responsi- social media, design features like Innovation will always require calculation of risks. The bility for superintelligence to benefit not only just indi- infinite scrolling and autoplaying simple tenet in the medical community of “do no vidual interests, but to also work for the common videos, ensure a steady stream of harm” is the easiest to apply to innovation. In the ear- good.33 FLI operates as a charity and outreach organ- content to maintain user engage- ly days of Google, they adopted the corporate motto ization. The aim of FLI’s work is to make sure that the ment. In these examples, the lack “don’t be evil”. We leave it up to the reader to decide most powerful technologies developed by, and avail- of friction is good for the produc- how well that company has adhered to this guideline. able to, humanity are employed to the advantage of er, but not necessarily in the best But if this notion can become more than a catchy slo- humanity as a whole. interests of the consumer. gan, and evolve to become a foundational mindset There are other aspects of life in which the total ab- “With less powerful sence of friction may not be ap- technologies such as fire, propriate. Take the act of cooking. Busy lifestyles have led to the cre- we learned to minimize ation of many labor and time-sav- risks largely by learning ing gadgets. On a purely mechanis- from mistakes. With more tic level, the act of consuming nutrients can be accomplished with powerful technologies like practically no effort at all. One sim- artificial intelligence, ply needs to ingest one of the many planning ahead is a better marketed pre-packaged meal solutions. But, despite the ease of such strategy than learning from a product, people still choose to mistakes.” commit their time and attention to — Future of Life Institute34 preparing labor-intensive meals. There is a satisfaction derived from the act, and the value of the meal itself becomes greater as a result

of the work that went into it. The 2015 the ISS, NASA, below borealis Aurora

192 Rebuild Collectives like FLI are essential for calling attention to the powers and potential pitfalls of emerging technologies. These groups of thinkers help us to create safe and positive scenarios of how to integrate new technologies. We must choose not to pursue activities like building autonomous weapons that would tear humanity down. Instead, we should choose to use the extended intelligence of our technologies to help humanity flourish.

Mars 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, SEArch+/Apis Cor, Cor, Challenge, SEArch+/Apis Habitat 3D-Printed Mars 2019 Sources In the face of globally foundational chang- 1 https://icewisdom.com/angaangaq-angakkorsu - es, we feel it’s more than likely that corporate leaders aq/ will shift the priorities of their companies such that 2 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archi - ve/2019/08/twitter-pause-button/592762/ they contribute to the common good. In this way, the 3 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the- corporate world will become more closely aligned athletes-way/201504/alpha-brain-waves-boost- creativity-and-reduce-depression with the grassroots movements that have been con- 4 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-na - tinually calling for new standards of success. Rather ture/experiments-show-we-really-can-learn-while-we-sleep-141518869/ than GDP defining the value of people (in a nation or 5 https://medium.com/@CitationsPodcst/epi - city) through the goods and services produced over a sode-58-the-neoliberal-optimism-industry- and-development-shaming-the-global-south- specific period of time, the relevance of any group’s cf399e88510e collective effort can be better reflected by the quality 6 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/ math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html of life enjoyed. A meaningful life does not require the 7 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/science/ creation of material wealth. Meaningful experiences uhlenbeck-bubbles-math-physics.html 8 https://mediatedmattergroup.com/totems arise more often from sharing quality time with 9 https://www.sciencedaily.com/re - friends and family than from manufacturing and buy- leases/2012/05/120521163753.htm 10 https://www.wired.co.uk/article/artificial-intelli - ing products. To this effect, the future success of a gence-extended-intelligence company will correlate with that company’s ability to 11 https://globalcxi.org/wp-content/up - loads/2018/06/CXI_Vision.pdf contribute to the health of its corresponding commu- 12 http://www.econ.yale.edu/smith/econ116a/ nity and environment. Enduring desires to improve keynes1.pdf 13 https://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/ quality of life and expand pathways to wellbeing, we 14 https://wir2018.wid.world/executive-summary. believe will be the primary drivers for innovation. The html 15 http://www.shaminijain.com/professional-bio bold, daring, and imaginative outcomes of this ap- 16 https://www.chi.is/what-we-do/#Technology proach will guide humanity into incredible, unknown 17 https://shamanism.org/workshops/faq.php#faq 18 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ dimensions. PMC5772431/ 19 http://www.maps.org/news-letters/ v09n4/09410con.bk.html 20 https://www.goodreads.com/book/ show/13154249-the-herbal-lore-of-wise-women -and-wortcunners 21 https://www.russellbrand.com/podcast/74-ce - remony-relationships-and-communal-living-with- shaman-wendy-mandy/ 22 http://atlasofemotions.org 23 https://www.humansandnature.org/the-princi - ples-of-plenitude 24 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/ purposeful-capitalism-economics-mariana-mazzucato/ 25 https://www.wired.com/story/curious-history- crap-human-animal-chemical/ 26 https://web.archive.org/web/20130110100128/ http://www.thecirculareconomy.org/ 27 https://www.wired.com/story/curious-history- crap-human-animal-chemical/ 28 https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/ circular-economy/concept 29 https://www.jasonhickel.org/blog/2018/10/27/ degrowth-a-call-for-radical-abundance 30 https://www.dezeen.com/2018/10/12/why-materials-matter-innovation-seetal-solanki-matter/ 31 https://www.udinstitute.org/principles 32 https://aeon.co/essays/an-environment-desig - ned-to-suit-every-body-is-better-for-all 33 https://futureoflife.org/ai-principles/ 34 https://futureoflife.org/team/

V. ETHICAL INNOVATION 193 194 Conclusion

195 Retrace the steps of this catalog

196 Conclusion Our intention with this catalog is: to recognize universal truths as a motivating force for doing Let’s recall how we got good on this Earth, to drum up endless ways to practice gratitude for the opportunity to exist… to where we now are, to align our intentions, words, and actions with compassionate, helpful allies in the natural and spiritual worlds…to unify insights by journeying deeper within ourselves and farther into the uni- how we can look at the verse than we’ve ever gone…to depart from entrenched, wasteful paradigms and embrace a new meta-paradigm of positive, probabilistic innovation…and, ultimately, to rebuild society around journey in its entirety, sustainable, regenerative, and creatively-cyclical principles and patterns. and how we can One of the major implications of exploring a whole-systems approach to innovation is the realiza- establish a launch pad tion that ethical considerations must be a core component of all of civilization’s activity. To avoid falling away from our core humanity, innovation for industry, economy, education, and healthcare for what comes next… must be approached from a perspective of empathy and kindness. The better we treat ourselves, the better we treat the world around us.

In the next decades, innovation will be about: combining probabilistic analytics with altered cognitive patterns, using anthropological and evolutionary theories to create probabilistic narratives, and employing dynamic solutions to encourage the creation of a post-growth world in which collective consciousness leads the charge. We believe that the shift to this altered state is already coming into existence. We are energized to be a part of this early phase of evolutionary transition, but we are not satisfied with our current rate of progress. We should ask more of ourselves, and become better at giving. After all, there’s always more to do.

By moving beyond the mentality of “faster, stronger, cheaper” and adopting slow-moving, slow-thinking principles and practices, human ingenuity can thrive once we find a less cluttered path to joyous living. In this enlightened future, fruits of labor will reflect an integration of elaborate, unquantifiable properties. Human endeavor will channel our collective unrest into councils for change. From now into the next generation, we will co-create innovative artifacts that nourish the soul.

We can begin to re-approach the idea of growth, redesigning how we define the terms to incorporate the wellbeing of the planet into this economic philosophy. Humanity can then begin to mature from our current state of infancy, into a more fearless mode where we confront challenges without becoming stuck by old, worn-out mental and emotional patterns.

We will overcome ugly outbursts of bigotry and violence that have become so prevalent in the Western world. The response will hinge upon summoning internal love and compassion to drive our decisions. Embracing a rising awareness and overall awakening, humanity will begin to grasp the connectedness that exists between all. We will begin to better identify our individual tasks for life at the soul level and we will better see how to uplift the members of our communities.

Ultimately, we will discover the paths necessary to achieve bold changes. First, coming to terms with our inherent, and inherited, pasts, and finally arriving at a place of self-empowerment through the discovery of our innate truth in relation to all else.

The journey of living through continuous self-examination will open channels to greater reflection and transformation. This will also work as a means of remedying errors and healing generational traumas. Humans will learn to apply the power of forgiveness to evolve with everyone’s best interest at heart.

We will pro-actively locate wellsprings for future solutions by activating our own individual poten- tials. And, to propel the journey beyond space and time, we will learn to access previously invisible states of reality with a renewed openness of sight that the previous industrial age had slowly whittled away. The new industrial age will be one of innovative industriousness with reverence for life.

And what if all this is totally off? That’s a risk we are more than willing to embrace. It’s entirely possible everything we’ve written here is wrong, or at least partially incorrect. But we believe in the humility of not claiming to have all the answers for how individuals should carry forth. Rather, what we’ve done in the previous sections is to focus our attention on the topics and questions we believe are shaping our future in a positive manner.

And, in conducting our research, we are humbled beyond measure. The greatest experience of humility arises in the context of Almighty Nature. We can feel this when we think of the “overview effect”, the sensation experienced by astronauts when they’ve observed our planet from space. Some day we hope that we all can summon this feeling of awe and epiphany in our own lives without ever having to leave the planet.

There is still much to relearn, to honor, to look back on for the knowledge of how best to address

197 the trials and tribulations of today. It would be nearly impossible to survive without the knowledge of the ancient traditions and wisdom of people who walked this Earth thousands of years ago. We need to better support and celebrate the natural world. We need to learn from every living thing, past and present, we can in order to see the proper way forward.

And yet, the very communities that have been most marginalized by industrialization are the communities this world needs to learn from most. While humans have learned how to travel across this enormous globe with ease, we still have yet to collectively understand the importance of knowing how to exist within a place over the span of generations.

As a final note to take with you wherever you go, we want to think not only about humanity’s daring moonshots to come, but also about what possible Earthshots we can give greater consideration to today.

We believe that the more we explore our inner-spaces, the more we will come to understand, and connect, with the furthest reaches of outer-space.

Let’s begin all over again wherever we are in this very moment. Acknowledge that all matter is a matter of energy and that every being exists at various states of vibration. And see that all matter is also unique in its own space. Atoms themselves never actually touch because there is always space in between. Yet, we can feel the energy that draws matter together. We feel resonance with all that shares a similar frequency. Think of voices in harmony, a symphony of sound resonating at the frequency of pure creation…

Our physical bodies have layers of energy, in addition to our emotional layers. We have layers of wisdom and we have a vibrational frequency that corresponds to coherence of place and purpose. The Earth has these layers as well, places in which states of energy are increased. In our own bodies we call these areas chakras. The Earth has chakras too. And, as we learn to navigate throughout our own energy fields, as well as around those of the Earth and the cosmos beyond, we will learn to reveal important insights which are otherwise invisible. We will develop greater balance within ourselves and with others. And, most vital of all, we will come into greater connection with the essential environments we depend on for life.

Our wish for humanity and the world(s) in which we live is that one day all people will be able to live sustainably in a global community that honors and supports all inter-connected species through regenerative healing and creative cooperation. As a means for fostering this kind of uplifting future, we believe in the capacity for innovation to be an integrative practice for sourcing and alchemizing inter-dimensional elements of the quantum hologram (a complete account of everything that has ever been, is, or will be across any distance of space or time).

While human ignorance prevents us from accessing this comprehensive domain, the shift in human consciousness that is currently underway will result in our ability to engage this insightful well of wisdom in due time. We just have to stay patient and continue doing the necessary work.

We wish to build a virtuous, elegant, and integrative system for agile transformation that rever- berates with unconditional love for life. By exploring tools and ideas that can guide us toward this goal, we will synchronously open up the timeless tradition of innovation and evolve as a species toward a place where we can truly honor our dynamic place within the universe.

198 Conclusion 199 PCH is the road that represents our perspective

200 The idea for PCH Innovations sparked in Malibu, California, 1994—in the process of designing and From Los Angeles to engineering new phases in automotive ability and identity. Borne of optimism and rebellion, we Berlin, PCH extends operate at the intersection of art, science, and spirituality, and on the line between the rational and the irrational. from seaside stretches We are a multi-disciplinary, innovation strategy, and technology development studio. Our collec- of asphalt to an idea tive enterprise is a melting pot of perspectives sourced from Marseille to Porto, London to Torino, about innovation as an and, most concentratedly, the transatlantic cultural connection of our sites in Berlin and Los An- geles. The talents of our team fuel us to create unusual and inspiring insights into in-depth research, infinite journey. uniquely designed and engineered concepts, as well as to construct high-fidelity digital and physical prototypes. Our curiosity drives us to uncover new principles by which we can change how we live and work.

Our current focus is related to generating integrative solutions through 2025. Some of these concepts include: participative digi-physical installations, brain-computer-interfaces, pneumatic and automated retail systems, driverless eco-systems, non-static and shape-shifting structures, collaborative robotic workstations, as well as virtual and augmented reality applications to rethink retail, design, and development processes.

We concern ourselves with the immaterial as much as the material. Our ongoing investigation into the elegance and complexity of consciousness underpins much of our foundational worldview. We believe that further research into this unknown field will ultimately yield transformative knowledge on a scale as yet unseen. As a company touching various industries, we’re constantly questioning and rethinking how to derive sustainable and scalable solutions to withstand an uncertain world.

This catalog was compiled between two cities: here near the coast of Los Angeles, California, and in Berlin, in a former East German kindergarten. Our studios explore awareness, accountability, healing, and renewal in a world marred by conflict. In our work between Berlin and Los Angeles, discussion constantly stems from inspiring examples of pioneering ingenuity and the desire to reconcile the dissonance of modern life.

201 202 203

PCH partner network Creating social prototypes

204 Billionaires don’t make the world a better place. Restorative visions, community, and collective effort do.

We think the time is right to prepare for an impending economic overhaul. What if all companies decided to limit their growth and use all of their profits for social and environmental repair? Assu- ming companies don’t do this voluntarily, how might regulatory systems apply this kind of change? What if we rearrange the economy entirely so that profit is not baked into the system? What if the economy ensured that we manage wealth as fairly and sustainably as possible? Regardless of what precipitates it, change is coming.

There are countless unexplored possibilities for how individuals and collectives can live and work. Some of those frameworks are surely better than what we have today. Our instinct is that incen- tivizing social prototypes—meaning versions of social organization that resolve the issues of conventional societal fragmentation—will help us discover alternative living patterns with incredible advantages for health and harmony. Planning and executing these prototypes will require cross- disciplinary teams and specialists from non-traditional, and even unestablished, fields.

The priorities outlined in our PCH crew letter occur within the context of our positioning of ourselves as a studio for innovation. This is our social prototype: a microcosm of people collaborating through imagination and invention. Those in other industries have an entirely different collection of factors to consider and their wishlist for new ways to live or work might ultimately look very different than ours. We encourage everyone to imagine their own radical alternatives to their own lives that could coalesce into society-wide transformation.

205 Crew-letter on the purpose of our future mission

Studio Berlin Studio Los Angeles

Swinemuender Strasse 121 6475 E Paciﬁc Coast Hwy #747 10435 Berlin, Germany Long Beach, CA 90803, USA Phone +49 30 2848 9725 Phone +1 310 634 0900

[email protected] [email protected] www.pch-innovations.com www.pch-innovations.com

CREW-LETTER ON THE PURPOSE OF OUR FUTURE MISSION

February 22nd 2019

Dear Team,

Today we are sharing our initial thoughts on our ITU / APOLLO / ARCHETYPE activities toward the careful re-positioning of PCH beyond 2020:

We really feel blessed & happy that we, back in May 2017, jointly took the opportunity to more deeply analyze the unrest roiling and boiling in the world around us. With Into the Unknown, we started to slowly decipher, communicate, educate, advocate and even innovate our attitude and response toward global developments and their impact on innovation. Banding together with few resources, we started to ﬁgure out how to navigate the unprecedented economic, social, ecological, cultural and systemic challenges of our times.

We had this feeling building up in our bellies over the last one to two years that we also need to look differently beyond 2025, as well as reflect on and evolve from most of what we’ve learned & accumulated along the way. This means taking the courage to investigate existing, unknown and probabilistic fields for insight, inspiration and innovation. Some sources include system theories, economics, physiology, philosophy, ancient wisdom, noetics (the branch of metaphysical philosophy studying the mind and intellect), the science of consciousness, epigenetics, alchemic principles, regenerative economic logics (to replace some of the poisoned principles of capitalism) and also to explore what’s behind premonitions of global awakening into the next wave of innovation.

This attention & intention also has the eﬀect of resetting our hearts & brains, rebooting our own internal systems based on a whole integrated set of lessons, experiences & insights that culminated in the birth of Project Apollo last October 2018.

In the meantime, almost every day, we receive news that reﬂects and fully conﬁrms our intuitions, bold but still business-driven visions and messages we’ve developed along the lines of XY (2015/16, PSE) and its subsequent works with BMW, Siemens, the new click- dummy ‘Atlas’ and the re-vamped City Archetype Framework.

206

Crew, it is all coming together, the connection between how we feel and what we With all that will change, we still believe that certain base skill layers (our core strengths create is starting to make clearer sense. With this letter, let us lay out our first today) such as design, engineering, coding, or the ability to be a team player and thoughts how this might impact the discussions & works around our future positioning, collaborate with compassion, instinct and grit, will all still be as important as ever. and the ever-evolving character & nature of our company, projects, clients, skills and finally our future endeavors & purpose – true to the motto: ‘Define or be defined’. All the above implies that PCH by 2020+ will also have to collaborate with a different set of partners, following realigned participation logics. This means we’ll find ourselves After one and a half years of low-resource yet solid, dedicated work, we believe that our distancing a bit from the Apples, Googles, MITs & exponential tech players of this world, Archetype, ITU and (to a certain extent) Apollo activities will very soon merge, integrate and extending our network & collaborative logics toward small & micro businesses, NGOs, and propel us to carefully adjust our company’s position. What we mean by this foundations, social firms, city administrations, government players, community councils, repositioning is that we can feel the rumblings of how we will begin to shift our system designers, socio-economic experts, philosophers, spiritual leaders and other innovation attitudes, tools & methods, and gradually, with time and momentum, change communal actors & multipliers. the character of our business, our projects, our client base, our processes & tools, and ultimately the impact we make on the whole. If we as a company make this transition, we can build up the strengths, skills, processes, methods and power to convince all of our clients together to boldly develop concrete We also believe that our ongoing work will and must lead us to a point where we will solutions to enable the rise of new networks, coalitions and movements – all with a approach new clients, as well as reset our methods of how we approach our old & new shared agenda and greater capacity to repair the fabric of life. This work will happen in clients: Moving beyond today’s debt-based, shareholder-profit-driven linear economy (and full acknowledgment of the climate crisis threats; of our degraded & threatened eco- past the last breaths of increasingly irrelevant and dying institutions & attitudes), to systems & biodiversity, of the destructive challenges brought on by our ongoing what are currently considered alternative institutions aware of and accountable for industrial and exponential-tech revolution; of the worldwide casino of speculative finance, socio-economic impact through planned-economy principles, along with existing non- of the fact that governments have given up their sovereignty to create debt-free money, trading organizations including NGOs, foundations & charities, social firms, city and with a willingness to combat stagnant wages, cost of living increases, tax revenue administrations, government players (EU, UN) and community councils. decreases, soaring debt, elites hiding out in tax havens, and all the other vicious phenomena we see repeated across the world contributing to a stagnant status quo. We are also convinced that our ITU / Apollo / Archetypes work will get us to a point (2020+) where we rethink our typical project approach, steps, logics, tools and methods We can and will raise our capital as a company and as a collective to speak for issues of – advancing from our current tech & trend research/forensics and ideation, market & vital importance. We will leverage our innate drive to rally the causes we identify all sales sweet spot resonance, strategy re-alignment and tech prototyping, eco-system around harmonizing a call for collective healing and uplift. Above all, we are committed to design logic – and gravitating more toward local & regional (micro) level relevance along pursuing the path toward a more just society. Here in this moment, we are setting an with macro-level policies & system research, impact strategy & sweet spot activity intent to participate across concentrations with clear purpose and in the service of within particular neighborhoods, public sectors, or enterprises in order to make expanding our capacities for understanding, creativity and (comm)unity. interconnected positive effects. This shift to improve life for more people will require that we prototype scenarios and eco-systems that reroute income streams, reclaim the The time ahead is full of uncertainty, excitement and wonder. It's an honor to be on this commons, and localize & democratize ownership; that we become less prospective, and journey as a team inspired to make a positive difference in the everyday. We are attain more perspective. embarking on a path that opens up innovation for everyone. This fundamental transformation won’t be without obstacles and anti-forces, but it will be the beginning of This expansion of activity will also force us to expand our skills from eco-system design, a renewed chapter for humanity and life on this planet, including wherever that leads… AI, robotics, VR / MR / AR, etc. to even more divergent skills & competencies. We’ll have to build up & acquire articulated skills in various fields, such as system designers, And let’s not forget: solidarity designers, circular & steady-state economists, open-source / stack specialists, public service & policy experts, participatory & inclusiveness facilitators, socially sourced ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ creative commons experts, fair-trade and ethics certifiers, philosophers, anthropologists, (Peter Drucker) ethnographers and positions for situations we cannot yet predict. Ultimately, our goal is to create more direct impact on a human level and transcend our collective level.

207 These types of projects have been absolutely invaluable, have served us well, and made A. We tried to illustrate this expected shift by scripting out how our clients / Company x us the company we are today. However, observing the rapid global changes of the / Manager x / CEX X typically approach us today: present era has led to our belief that the time has come for a gradual pivot away from this paradigm of incremental linear innovation. “Please help us innovate to maintain our growth / stay competitive / outpace competition / conquer a new market / address new markets or customer segments… mostly based on exponential technologies, materials and economic mechanisms. And in case you have B. With the following write-up we tried to illustrate how clients (who are no longer in new tools or methods, we are interested, but please do not scare our teams and denial) / Company x / Manager x / CEX might approach us tomorrow when they start to organization too much with the introduction of or focus on radical solutions.” feel that our key systems and world logics are actually undergoing foundational changes: “Oh yes, and in case you have insights on how the world may change by 2025, please share these insights with us too… but just to manage expectations: we are not going to CEX 1: introduce major changes. And please don’t bother us with transparent footprints, “I acknowledge the destructive nature of our current mainstream culture – our supply sustainable product & supply chain strategies and more meaningful and purposeful chain, like our civilization, is running at 40% above its sustainable capacity. In my own strategies, products and services, because we believe pretty much everything will just business, I am forced to delocalize the factory of the coming product line to eastern Asia continue as it is… and our clients are not really interested in alternative solutions…” for a product exclusively selling in Western Europe. If I relocalize, I lose too much margin to stay competitive.’’

A.1 And here are our typical innovation projects today, mostly driven by a techno- CEX 2: optimistic and change-resistant attitude: ‘‘I see the rising gap of living conditions between urban areas, fully immersed in globalization, and rural areas, left behind and afraid of an ever increasing cultural gap …we need to replace tech X with tech Y (e.g. Client XYZ: Replace high-strength steels in between cities and countryside. As a B2B business with strong markets in rural area, I turbines with CMC) want to completely rethink my offer to reduce that gap instead of continuously widening it. ’’ …we need to re-invent our core product categories with new functional logics and advanced materials (e.g. Client XYZ: A novel way of wearing a ring, kinetic jewelry) CEX 3: 'We're rapidly depleting the earth's forests, animals, insects, fish, freshwater and even …we need to acquire new R&D skills, methods & tools (e.g. Client XYZ: Integrate real-time the topsoil we require to grow our crops. We’ve already transgressed 3 of the 9 AI-based R&D tools, generative design, VR into our development processes) planetary boundaries that define humanity's safe operating space, and yet our shareholders expect our revenues to grow by more than 20% by 2025, and thereafter in …we need to complement our great products with new services and embed both within perpetuity. We recognize the potentially irreversible and devastating consequences of a comprehensive eco-system (e.g. Client XYZ: Add a digital service-layer on top of our this. I have the feeling that it will soon be too late to shift course away from our failing hardware products) trajectory. Please help us to re-think our foundational corporate logics, e.g. through innovative concepts answering the need for de-growth or sustainable economic logics, …we need to ‘uberize’ our product supply, to increase sales in our flagship store by at re-setting customer-corporate and employee-employer relationships, and developing least 30% until 2025 (e.g. Client XYZ: Introduce a fully automated & robotic storage & innovative supply chain logics, plus product & service solutions that help us repair the delivery system) fabric of life on our planet.”

…we need to enhance our client experience and leverage the latest tech (e.g. Client XYZ: CEX 4: develop an AR-Retail platform with layers for in-store micro-navigation, product & brand “I have the feeling that things are changing fundamentally, and we cannot continue to storytelling and camera-/ML-based product detection) push for 10% growth each year and relentlessly pursue greater shareholder returns by ransacking the earth. We cannot deny that our key economic system logics are corrupt and have to change. We cannot continue to ﬂood the world with more sneakers / cars /

208 jewelry every year. Our company is playing a huge role in depleting the earth's natural resources at a faster rate than they can be replenished – and that’s why we have to …we need to re-design our value chain to emphasize local production & sourcing, take responsibility to repair our planet’s eco-systems, our biodiversity, rising inequalities, using hands-on practices & technologies instead of fossil fuel based technological provide more local solutions and care for the surrounding community; I also believe that evolutions, while our future manufacturing will prioritize circular flows and community the monster our organization has become (number of employees, insane revenues, DIY production, open-source building blocks, digital fabrication and optimized biomimicry – horrible footprint, complete detachment from shareholders, etc.) needs to be tamed, where self-sufficiency and efficient re-use of waste products is built into the process of needs to be downsized, needs to really innovate. The intrinsic framework of our social & creation and the use from the outset… economic organization needs to be transformed. My vision for our company in the next 5 years is to embrace values that emphasize growth in the quality of life rather than in the …we need to redesign our core eco-systems & services that build on the local consumption of goods & services. And that’s why we’d like to begin a conversation with community as the basic building block of society, where face-to-face interaction regains PCH…” ascendance as a crucial part of human flourishing, and each community's relationship with others is based on principles of mutual respect, learning and reciprocity…

B.1 And here is an initial potential set of our typical innovation projects for our clients of …we still need a certain degree of technological innovation, but we want to focus on the tomorrow: development of innovations that will be prized for their effectiveness in enhancing the vitality of living systems rather than minting billionaires / funds / etc. The driving principle …we want to provide integral energy, mobility, infrastructural and communal products of innovation has to be that we are all interconnected in the web of life – and long-term and services to cities, city clusters and regions that deeply respect the area's human prosperity is therefore founded on a healthy Earth… environmental, societal and individual needs, narratives and logics of exchange… …we want PCH to help in developing a fully sustainable product, taking its full lifecycle …we need to develop a new (or re-design our existing) scaling logic, in which our and footprint into account, realizing tier 5 sustainability to lead a larger (r)evolution of company, products, business fields and services scale at fractal levels, and function as industry-wide innovation; we are not afraid of the foundational changes this might imply micro-systems (or integral parts) of the larger (economic, ecologic, social) system to form across our entire value chain and our core processes, skills and culture… a coherent and healthy whole. That mandate requires we re-design our products, business fields and services in such way that they form a network of systemic …and maybe – independently from our client works – we (PCH) need to think about relationships with adjacent products & services that enhance the common good. building up a B2C product / service portfolio, which sends meaningful, loving and positive messages to the multiverse… …we need to develop products & services that emphasize quality of life, and improve the concept of societal progress, which e.g. including environmental & carbon footprints, costs of resource & ozone depletion, crime, family breakdown, air / water / noise We feel very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to begin this conversation pollution, loss of farmland & wetlands and all other disastrous even if unintended with you all. We hope this triggers lively discussion, ideas, inspirations, joy and renewed consequences… paths forward for us to boldly explore together as PCH!

…we need to develop new business logics that address the respect for individual dignity Ever into the unknown. and equitably reward each person’s / entity’s contribution to the greater good, while ensuring that nutrition, housing, healthcare, and educational needs are fully met for Stefan, Adrien, André, Conor & Louis everyone… Berlin, February 22nd 2019

…we need to fundamentally rethink & reorganize our company, be accountable to the communities we intend to serve, optimize human and environmental wellbeing over shareholder proﬁts, and explore the possibility that locally owned cooperatives would generate our next default organizational structure…

209 210 Our crew

211 Our crew

212 213 Goodbye to the reader

214 Farewell, dear reader. Thank you for sharing this experience with us.

We are grateful for the opportunity to make this connection with you. We look forward to future chances to extend this conversation further into the unknown.

What probabilities for our respective fates might emerge in the future? We believe if we hold that question in our hearts and minds, our imaginations will propel us across immeasurable distances toward profound discoveries and a brighter existence.

215 Image credits

CAPTIONS AND SOURCES LIST

References pictures as positioned TOP to BOTTOM, LEFT to RIGHT, from the readers perspective.

p.41: The New York Times front page, July 21 1969 p.53: Early X-Ray of carved cameos, Josef Maria Eder, 1896 p.78: “Physical Training for Businessmen”, Harrie Irving Hancock, http://movies2.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/ https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/early-experiments- 1917 big/0720.html with-x-rays-1896/ https://archive.org/details/physicaltraining01hanc Buzz Aldrin’s bootprint, NASA, 1969 “Nervous Structure”, Dr Alesha Sivartha, 1898 Hand painted images of Buddha https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-you https://archive.org/details/bookoflifeorspir00sivarich (No link) -didnt-know-about-apollo-11-mission-fifty-years “Budding Universe”, Carol Prusa p.79: Butcher Display, 1940 -ago-180972165/ https://www.salonvert.ch/artistes/carol-prusa/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/osucommons/5857913315/ Solar array prototype inspired by origami techniques, BYU, Nemichandra Hombannavar, 2019 p.80: Franck V., 2018 2014 https://unsplash.com/photos/InpqHnLSW_M https://unsplash.com/photos/U3sOwViXhkY https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/news/origami-style-solar- p.54: “Kittens and Cats”, Eulalie Osgood Grover, 1911 “Analog Communication”, Natalia Petri power-20140814/ https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/kittens-and-cats-a- https://www.behance.net/gallery/33560509/Analog p.42: Lead poisoned water in Flint, Michigan, 2015 first-reader-1911-cats-and-captions-before-the-internet-age/ -Communication https://www.michiganradio.org/post/expert-says-michigan Sketch of Isiah Berlin, Arturo Espinosa, 2012 p.81: Tagtool Projection Mapping, Philipp Greindl, 2019 -officials-changed-flint-lead-report-avoid-federal-action https://www.flickr.com/photos/espinosa_rosique/8284855889/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/48705750512/ Ron Cobb, 1969 sizes/k/in/photolist-dC741V-7ZrRb4-7ZrRmV-8bhiY2 p.83: “ASSIGNMENT_13”, Javier Padilla Reyes, 2012 http://ullagegroup.com/2013/07/19/ron-cobbs-philosophical -9v2Man-cxreMb/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/25deep/7297458544/ -mandala/ Heinrich Welz “Outer Space”, Michael Najjar, 2012 Illustration of consciousness by seventeenth century https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/prinzhorn1922 https://www.gosee.us/image/michael-najjar-outer-space physician and occult philosopher Robert Fludd Rob King, 2019 -benrubi-gallery-nyc-839123/news/34088/0/0 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/ https://unsplash.com/photos/RFDYnRbUILs/ p.84: International Cloud Atlas, World Meteorological RobertFuddBewusstsein17Jh.png p.55: Render of a PCH Cosmonaut Organization, 2013 Tarot Cards by Suzanne Treister (no link) https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/reports/2013/ https://www.suzannetreister.net/HEXEN2/TAROT_COL/ p.57: Chart from Stockholm Resilience Centre displaying our CIMO-TT-ICA_FinalRep.pdf HEXEN_2_TAROT.html transgression of planetary boundaries “Wood Wide Web”, Michael Sedbon, 2018 p.43: Carl Sagan, CBS, 1974 https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary- https://michaelsedbon.com/Wood-Wide-Web-1-0 https://www.wired.com/story/sagan-old-interview/ boundaries.html p.85: Jack Goldstein, 1983 Render of a PCH Cosmonaut Earth through a porthole, NASA, 2015 https://harmony-blog.com/2012/07/jack-goldstein-x-10000/ (no link) https://unsplash.com/photos/CpHNKNRwXps Optics: spectra of various substances, R.H Digeon, 1868 Excerpt from children’s book “You Are Stardust”, Elin Amazon deforestation https://wellcomecollection.org/works/g62v5g5r Kelsey, 2012 https://medium.com/@ahsraharp/the-burning-lungs-of-earth- Giant cactus on the Apache Trail https://www.behance.net/gallery/59482281/Art-Illustration 3b4b193b0af7 https://www.flickr.com/photos/osucommons/3655744144/ p.44: Representation of the cosmos from “Oedipus Aegyptiacus”, p.58: Cavern carved in ice wall, State Library of NSW, 1912 p.86: PCH Project Omega, a 10-dimensional holographic Athanasius Kircher, 1652 https://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw/2866522209/ visualization of string theory. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kircher_oedipus_ Carlos Breton, 2017 (No link) aegyptiacus_1_cosmos.png https://unsplash.com/photos/c2WnkX7-1K4 p.87: “Singularity 5” VR game by Monochrome Studios, 2018 Confucius, Encyclopedia Britannica p.61: One of Hong Kong’s ‘coffin homes’, Benny Lam https://www.monochrome.paris/monochrome-3d-studio-paris/ https://cdn.britannica.com/10/184710-050-D6503292/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/ PCH Caustic Buddha piece Confucius-Shanghai-China.jpg proof/2017/07/hong-kong-living-trapped-lam-photos/ (No link) Native Americans protest construction of the Dakota Magic show poster, Strobridge & Co. Lith, 1897 Illustration from “Gemma Sapientiae et Prudentiae” Access Pipeline https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3g12759/ depicting symbology of transcendental alchemy, 1735 https://www.highlandernews.org/26355/ucr-students-march- Report from the Besieged City 2, Pete Sacks https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gemma_Sapientiae_ streets-protest-trump-dakota-access-pipeline/ https://www.petersacks.com/migrations et_Prudentiae_Wellcome_L0066943.jpg p.45: Space Colony, Rick Guidice, 1970 p.62: The Great Barrier Reef photographed in 1893. Half of the p.88: Xu Guangqi Memorial Hall, Liz Hingley, 2016 https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/drop-everything-and-watch- coral in the reef has now died. https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/photographs-by- this-new-documentary-series-a-1834669524 https://www.rawpixel.com/board/414407/great-barrier-reef- liz-hingley-explore-the-spaces-rituals-and-communities-of Max Grüter australia?sort=curated&rating_filter=all&mode=shop&page=1 -spiritual-shanghai/ (no link) Ron Cobb, 1969 “Discourse on Geomancy”, 1685 p.47: Sketchnotes of talk by Dr. S. James Gates http://roncobb.net/cartoons.html https://resobscura.blogspot.com/2010/07/images-from-british- https://facultycommons.citytech.cuny.edu/event/birth-sono- Still from “They Live”, 1988 library-illuminated.html astronomy-cosmos-wave/ https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/they-live/ p.89: CIA Stargate Project Astronomical chart by Galileo Galilei p.63: “Incwadi Yami”, British Library, 1887 https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chart_by_Galileo_ https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/11288342523/in/ 00789R003800150004-1.pdf purchased_in_florence_Wellcome_M0010012.jpg album-72157659990533249/ Cybernetic Seance at Macy Conference “Utopic Space”, Paul Lafolley, 1992 Karl Bewick, 2019 https://www.suzannetreister.net/HEXEN2/Seance/ https://paullaffoley.net/wp-content/uploads/1992_Laffoley_ https://unsplash.com/photos/GCEtuR_jQC8 cyberneticseance1.html Utopian-Space-copy.pdf Andres Umana, 2018 p.90: Declassified sketches from Stargate Project, the CIA’s 20 “Nebula”, NASA, 2015 https://unsplash.com/photos/YVuWpmiIWJo year investigation of psychic phenomena https://unsplash.com/photos/vltMzn0jqsA p.65: Macrophotography of electrical component https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96- Professor john a. powell at the 2014 Bioneers conference (No link) 00789R003800150004-1.pdf https://bioneers.org/john-powell-celebrating-diversity- “Compendium of Demonology and Magic”, 1775 p.89: “Celestial Phenomenon over Nuremberg”, 1561 create-inclusive-society-ztvz1801/ https://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b1968583x#?m=0&cv=4&z=- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Himmelserschei- p.48: Martian language as written by early 19th century medium 0.0741%2C1.1764%2C0.1482%2C0.0989&c=0&s=0 nung_%C3%BCber_N%C3%BCrnberg_vom_14._April_1561.jpg Helene Smith Representation of Buddhist cosmology Agent Cooper in the Black Lodge, Twin Peaks S03 E03 https://archive.org/details/fromindiatoplane00flou/page/n4 (No link) (No Link) ‘Celestograph’ by playwright August Strindberg Hong Kong protester, Joseph Chan, 2019 p.93: “The Gardener”, Suzanne Treister https://www.flickr.com/photos/25300312@N08/albums/ https://unsplash.com/photos/1z2rtP3XGf8 https://www.suzannetreister.net/HFT_TheGardener/HFT_ 72157629314727875 p.66: PCH Caustic Buddha piece Charts.html Olivier Culmina / Tendance Floue (No link) Textile spinner, ca. 1910 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/02/09/the “Tabaquero”, Luis Tamani https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-a986-a3d9- -invasion-from-outer-space https://www.luis-tamani.com/gallery e040-e00a18064a99 p.49: Patch by DungeonApparel p.67: Isabelle de Steiger illustration, printed in “The Unknown p.94: Eye Test Chart, George Mayerle, 1907 https://www.etsy.com/listing/675597505/perceptiondeception World”, 1895 https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid- -patch https://embassyofthefreemind.com/en/library/online 101573841-img Astrological Manuscript, Gutun Owain, 1498 -catalogue/detail/d16cd095-9963-dc70-9c7b-40f0d79e7d77/ “BIY (Believe it Yourself)” kit, by automato.farm https://www.library.wales/discover/digital-gallery/manuscripts/ media/e9d03b9d-4133-3812-3e88-eb31fefe6910?mode http://automato.farm/portfolio/believe_it_yourself/ the-middle-ages/a-gutun-owain-manuscript/ =detail&view=table&q=alchemy&rows=1&page=5&fq Cosmography Manuscript, 12th century PCH “Calla” Ring, inspired by the collision between black %5B%5D=search_s_digitized_publication:%22Ja%22 http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/ holes p.77: “Quinta Essentia”, Leanhart Thurneisser, 1574 html/W73/ (No link) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/ p.95: Alexander Graham Bell in National Geographic Magazine, p.50: Zoological sketch of a bat, ca. 1809 Quinta_Essentia_%28Thurneisse%29_illustration_Alchemic_ June 1903 https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-bd9e-a3d9- approach_to_four_humors_in_relation_to_the_four_elements_ https://archive.org/stream/nationalgeograp141903nati#page/ e040-e00a18064a99 and_zodiacal_signs.jpg n353/mode/2up Robert L. Behnken self-portrait, NASA, 2008 “Plan of the Brain”, Dr Alesha Sivartha, 1898 “Things Come Apart”, Todd McLellan https://archive.org/details/219425main_iss016e033024_ https://archive.org/details/bookoflifeorspir00sivarich https://www.ignant.com/2017/07/10/todd-mclellans hires_full Excerpt from “Chirolgia, or the Natural Language of the -photographs-take-objects-apart/ Anti-war song notation, 1915 Hand”, John Bulwer https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-4f63-a3d9- https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/detail/FOLGERCM e040-e00a18064a99#/?uuid=510d47da-4f63-a3d9-e040- 1~6~6~500293~135795:Chirologia--or-The-naturall- e00a18064a99 languag?qvq=q:Chirologia&mi=1&trs=6 The Last Supplement to the Whole Earth Catalog, 1971 https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/ AccesstoTools/

216 p.96: The Sykes-Picot Agreement map of 1916, in which represen- p.125: “The Principles of Light and Color”, Edwin D. Babbit, 1878 p.155: “The Entire Planet Devoid of Water, Seen on Two Sides”, tatives of France and the UK agreed upon how to carve up https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/principlesoflig00babb Thomas Burnet, ca. 1700 the Middle East upon defeat of the Ottoman Empire. “Hand with Reflecting Sphere”, M. C. Escher, 1935 https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/xm693kn7188 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPK1-426_Sykes_Picot https://imgur.com/gallery/n5AeseA “Urformen der Kunst”, Karl Blossfeldt, 1928 _Agreement_Map_signed_8_May_1916.jpg Josh Applegate, 2019 https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/search/objects?q=Karl+ Map depicting California as an island, Joan Vinckeboons, https://unsplash.com/photos/TyHwljKFYIk Blossfeldt&p=2&ps=12&st=Objects&ii=11#/RP-F-2008-51-2170- ca. 1650 p.126: Evgeni Savchenko, 2019 38,23 https://www.loc.gov/item/99443375/ https://unsplash.com/photos/E2ZuBbBtrVk US corn belt photosynthesis from space, NASA, 2013 p.98: Early nuclear weapon test in New Mexico, 1945 Tyler Lastovich, 2018 https://www.nasa.gov/press/goddard/2014/march/satellite- https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/familie/wie-erklaere https://unsplash.com/photos/lmpuKSf2uQE shows-high-productivity-from-us-corn-belt/ -ich-s-meinem-kind/was-atombomben-so-gefaehrlich- Punch Magazine’s portrayal of isolating technology, 1906 p.156: “Knowing the way to tomorrow”, Aida Muluneh, 2018 macht-13519385.html https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/a-vision-of https://www.bjp-online.com/2019/09/aida-muluneh-water-life/ “The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings”, Ètienne Léopold -isolating-technology-from-1906/ Crystals exhibiting interference colours, R.H Digeon, Trouvelot, 1882 p.127: Ajeet Mestry, 2017 ca. 1883 https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e6cd-a3d9- https://unsplash.com/photos/UBhpOIHnazM https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dejekyyb e040-e00a18064a99 Image through stretched glass, Dasha Yukhymyuk 2018 Spectra of various gases, R.H Digeon, ca. 1883 p.100: T-38s producing shockwaves, NASA, 2019 https://unsplash.com/photos/x5MPo4MeIrA https://wellcomecollection.org/works/brqc98tm https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons/33433414158/ p.128: “Aesthetics of Unreality”, Designed Realities Studio p.157: Poster for a Human Be-in, 1967 ISS composite star trail, NASA, 2012 https://www.designedrealities.org/projects/aesthetics-of https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/fd142720-64c8-0135- https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons/40446827153/in/ -unreality f7c1-49b64ef3509a album-72157625514008231/ “Entdeckungen über die Theorie des Klanges (Discoveries Astronaut adrift, NASA, 2016 p.101: “Last Resort”, an imagined Hong Kong dystopia by Kelvin Ip in the Theory of Sound)”, Ernst Chladni, 1787 https://unsplash.com/photos/Yj1M5riCKk4 https://www.designboom.com/architecture/kelvin-ip-hong- https://monoskop.org/Ernst_Chladni p.158: “The Afronauts”, Cristina de Middel kong-last-resort-concept-07-16-2015/ p.129: “Vielecke und Vielflache: Theorie und Geschichte”, Max http://www.pulpcollectors.com/cristina-de-middel-the p.111: Still from “Spatial Bodies”, AUJIK, 2016 Brückner, 1900 -afronauts/ https://vimeo.com/174312351 https://boingboing.net/2017/12/21/max-bruckners-polyhedral- p.159: SpaceX launch, 2016 “Hypnosis”, Iris Van Herpen mo.html https://unsplash.com/photos/PIOgkhaF3WA https://www.irisvanherpen.com/haute-couture/hypnosis Sze Siang Chong, 2019 p.169: Illustrations for Jules Verne’s “Around the Moon”, “Ultimatum”, Jake Amason x Zach Jackson, 2016 https://unsplash.com/photos/_EC-2_pEW7s Emil-Antoine Bayard, 1870 https://www.jakeamason.com/gallery#collaboration p.139: “Bizzarie di Varie Figure”, Giovanni Battista Bracelli, 1624 https://archive.org/details/delaterrelalu00vern p.112: “Electric Soul”, Serjan Burlak https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_ “A House to Die in”, Snøhetta https://biogenic.design/project/intelligence-2 online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1444170& https://www.designboom.com/architecture/snohetta-a-house- Walthers Manuscript, intended as a scientific textbook for page=1&partId=1&peoA=131320-2-60&people=131320 to-die-in-norway-02-05-2018/ monks, c.a 1200 “Allegorical-symbolic Work”, Uncredited p.170: Tesla Orchestra performance, 2011 http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/ https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/prinzhorn1922 https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/5997508173/in/ html/W73/ “The Astrologer of the Nineteenth Century”, Raphel, 1825 photostream/ p.113: 17th century illustrated version of “Marvels of Things https://archive.org/details/astrologerofnine00raph/page/n30 p.173: “Soap Bubble Structures”, Kym Cox Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing”, p.140: US Public Health Service Poster, 1942 https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/stunning Zakariya al-Qazwini https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlmhmd/46627087572/ -showcase-of-photographs-celebrate-the-wonders-of-the- https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/arabic/natural_hist4.html Figurine with joint in the PCH studio scientific-world/ “Living Photographs”, featuring 18,000 people, Mole & (No link) p.174: “The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings”, Ètienne Léopold Thomas, 1915 p.141: “The Story of Buddha”, Bhutanese artwork Trouvelot, 1882 https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002699754/resource/ (No link) https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e81f-a3d9- p.114: “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia”, William Saville-Kent, p.143: Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere, Benjamin Suter, 2018 e040-e00a18064a99 1893 https://unsplash.com/photos/vXHFjQyWuMo p.175: Alex Knight, 2017 https://www.rawpixel.com/image/414412/free-illustration Light installation in a garage, Marius Masalar, 2016 https://unsplash.com/photos/2EJCSULRwC8 -image-fish-alligator-pipe-fish-amphiprion-clarkin-juv https://unsplash.com/photos/CyFBmFEsytU Initial experiments for the PCH movie, ‘New Reverence’. Rick reads a breakup letter from Unity, his hivemind lover – p.144: “Thai Buddhist Shrine, Super Brand Mall”, Liz Hingley, 2016 (No Link) Rick and Morty S02 E03 https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/photographs-by- p.176: Driverless sleeper car of the future, Dominic Wilcox (No Link) liz-hingley-explore-the-spaces-rituals-and-communities-of http://dominicwilcox.com/portfolio/stained-glass-driverless- Ron Cobb, Los Angeles Free Press, 1969 -spiritual-shanghai/ sleeper-car-of-the-future/ https://wearethemutants.com/2018/01/08/cartoons-by-ron- “Stardust Particle”, Olafur Eliasson, 2014 p.179: Oubilez le passè et vous perdez les deux yuex, Eddy cobb-for-the-los-angeles-free-press-1965-1970/ https://www.dezeen.com/2019/07/10/olafur-eliasson-in-real Kamuanga Ilunga, 2016 p.115: Holi festival, Jennifer Latuperisa-Andresen, 2016 -life-tate-modern-exhibition/ https://www.artsy.net/artwork/eddy-kamuanga-ilunga-oubliez- https://unsplash.com/photos/Pg6dgmTaqtM p.145: “Occupy the Amendment”, Jeff Hemsley, 2014 le-passe-et-vous-perdez-les-deux-yeux-ed-25 Satyam Bhuyan, 2019 https://www.artstation.com/artwork/YbgW6 Paul Laffoley, 1983 https://unsplash.com/photos/1O-Vbu2sK4A Samuel Zeller, 2019 http://sciartmag.blogspot.com/2011/03/paul-laffoley-artwork. p.116: “Kreuzigung: Spielgang Werk VII”, Lothar Schreyer, 1920 https://unsplash.com/photos/VK284NKoAVU html https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/147345c0-959a-0130- “Maske I”, Jonathan Baldock, 2019 p.180: “Dounia” Luis Tamani bccc-58d385a7b928 https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/ceramic-masks-by- https://www.luis-tamani.com/gallery “Sigil”, Sean Mundy, 2014 jonathan-baldock/ p.181: Raissa Lara Lütolf, 2019 http://www.seanmundyphotography.com/sigil p.146: “Dear Steve”, Herman Asselberghs, 2011 https://unsplash.com/photos/S0wWAJunvX4 p.117: Ballet in Centennial Park, Sydney, Max Dupain, 1939 https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/5998487600/in/ “Solar Man”, Dr Alesha Sivartha, 1898 https://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw/3527966424/ photostream/ https://archive.org/details/bookoflifeorspir00sivarich “Skating with Bror Myer”, 1921 The streets of Incheon, South Korea, Steven Roe, 2018 p.182: “Underwater Pavilions”, Doug Aitken https://archive.org/details/skatingwithbrorm01meye/page/n8 https://unsplash.com/photos/jMBuCecUK0E https://www.wallpaper.com/art/doug-aitken-and-parley-for- “Status Update”, Haris Nukem “System Aesthetics”, visualization of facial recognition the-oceans-take-art-under-the-sea http://www.harisnukem.com/faith#13 algorithms, FIELD, 2017 p.185: Algae bioplastics culturing, Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje p.119: “Angel for Primer”, George Jasper Stone + Crosslucid, 2019 https://www.field.io/project/system-aesthetics/ Dros https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/the-power-of-the- p.147: Hampton Boat design https://www.dezeen.com/2017/12/04/dutch-designers-eric collective-is-showcased-in-new-art-exhibition/ http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/ships/ -klarenbeek-maartje-dros-convert-algae-biopolymer-3d Franck V., 2018 hamptonboat/large/HamptonBoat1938_Fig8.jpg -printing-good-design-bad-world/ https://unsplash.com/photos/YKW0JjP7rlU Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins an environmental sit-in, “RIPPLE (cymatics 1-9)” Jake Amason, 2018 Jan Kolar, 2019 Sarah Silbiger, 2018 https://www.jakeamason.com/gallery https://unsplash.com/photos/ikmnMipkzLA https://theintercept.com/2018/11/13/alexandria-ocasio-cortez- p.186: “Floating Rubber”, Arch Mcleish, 2018 p.120: Observation of rainbow trout sunrise-activists-nancy-pelosi/ https://www.archiemcleish.com/photography https://www.flickr.com/photos/osucommons/5436179749/ p.149: American Legion carnival, Jack Delano, 1941 p.187: Early 20th century British colonialist “Suprachromacy”, FIELD https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/83a69300-2289-0132- https://www.vox.com/2014/5/8/5691954/colonialism-collapse- https://www.field.io/project/suprachromacy/ 220d-58d385a7bbd0 gif-imperialism Evi Kalemi, 2018 “Ashram of the 5 Senses. Project for the Rehabilitation and Algae bioplastics printing, Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros https://unsplash.com/photos/AheV9wB6kjE Extension of the Deaf-Mute School”, Elena Agudo Sierra https://www.dezeen.com/2017/12/04/dutch-designers-eric p.121: Gilets Jaunes, Norbu Gyachung, 2019 http://futurearchitectureplatform.org/projects/dc20c07c-f752- -klarenbeek-maartje-dros-convert-algae-biopolymer-3d https://unsplash.com/photos/gNtzFGFachs 467b-9c24-57966198eccb/ -printing-good-design-bad-world/ Hong Kong protest graffiti, Joseph Chan, 2019 p.150: “The Fourth Dimension”, C. Howard Hinton, 1904 p.188: Volvo Living Seawall tiles https://unsplash.com/photos/UU-FIwRlBK4 https://archive.org/stream/fourthdimension00hint#page/n7/ https://www.dezeen.com/2019/01/31/volvo-living-seawall From “Ophthalmodouleia”, a manuscript on eye disorders, mode/2up -pollution-biodiversity-design/ Georg Bartisch, 1583 “Quips and Cranks”, 1918 “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia”, William Saville Kent, https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/georg-bartischs- https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/ 1893 ophthalmodouleia-1583/ 14780432181/ https://www.rawpixel.com/board/414407/great-barrier-reef- p.122: Women’s strike, Claudio Schwarz, 2019 “A Collection of Fashionable English Words”, Kamekichi australia?sort=curated&rating_filter=all&mode=shop&page=1 https://unsplash.com/photos/x2PhIZuKqTI Tsunajima, 1887 p.189: Illustration for Paradise Lost, John Martin, 1827 Claudio Schwarz, 2019 https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/a-collection-of https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/john-martins-illustrations- https://unsplash.com/photos/1tArUzIaGgY -fashionable-english-words-1887/ for-paradise-lost-1827 Eid celebration in Delhi, Shivam Garg, 2019 p.151: Apollo - Project LOLA, NASA, 1961 p.191: Izzy Wheels wheelchair cover https://unsplash.com/photos/RW3xyBuQ6_w https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons/5278071544/in/ https://www.izzywheels.com/ p.123: From the journal of Alexander Graham Bell, 1904 album-72157625514008231/ p.192: David von Diemar, 2018 https://www.loc.gov/resource/magbell.21700201/ Portrait of Wounded Soldier, Reed Bontecou, 1865 https://unsplash.com/photos/xoyHw4P0gyA ?sp=1&st=grid https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid- Aurora borealis below the ISS, NASA, 2015 Marshall’s electrostatic levitator, NASA, 2010 101583722-img https://unsplash.com/photos/NuE8Nu3otjo https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons/5278072088/in/ p.152: “Daisuke Ikeda”, SGI, 2018 p.193: Mars 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, SEArch+/Apis Cor, 2019 album-72157625514008231/ https://religionnews.com/2018/01/26/buddhist-leader-ikeda https://hypebeast.com/2019/4/nasa-printed-habitat-challenge- -urges-human-rights-focus-as-key-to-resolution-of-global finalists-news -issues-and-nuclear-weapons-abolition/

217 Imprint

CHANGING MATTER IMAGE RESEARCH BY PCH Innovations Vanessa Weiss Conor Hegarty & IDEA BY the PCH Crew LA/Berlin Stefan Liske Louis Gropman FRONT COVER PCH Innovations PRODUCED BY Idea by Stefan Liske Stefan Liske Artwork by Lucas Teixeira Adrien Hobt AI work by Christian Kokott (with special thanks WRITTEN BY to Gene Kogan) Louis Gropman CREATIVE DIRECTION CO-WRITTEN BY Lucas Teixeira Conor Hegarty Stefan Liske

EDITED BY ART DIRECTION Toph Eggers STUDIO BENS

CONTENT RESEARCH BY TYPEFACES Vanessa Weiss Agipo / Giselle / Parabole / Nirvana Sandra Schaede Bold / Scotch Genovese / Minerale Magdalena von Saleski Stefan Liske ORCHESTRATION LAYOUT Adrien Hobt Vanessa Weiss Louis Gropman Conor Hegarty ORCHESTRATION DISTRIBUTION Julia Käufler

218 PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT STUDIO BENS

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219

What does Changing Matter mean? fascinated folks, in the hope that this may inspire Impermanence is intrinsic to the universe. others in turn. Containing scientific insights, From thoughts to molecular structures, matter of all implications of quantum mechanics, theories on kind changes all the time. If we integrate ancient healing the harm inflicted by human manipulation, wisdom and emerging fields of study into our the ongoing collective shift in consciousness, awareness, we might even learn what it takes to vibration & frequency, the impact of epigenetics, change matter with our minds… citing global examples of how to ‘unschool’ and An unbroken line connects us to our de-condition ourselves, and how to redesign ancestors, the history of billions of souls telling their society’s core systems with principles of regenera- stories in the world. The urge to create change tive circularity, we sense the human journey to around us is ever-present. The stories we tell reflect revitalize our personal and species-wide place in the scope of our imagination. And as human the world. ambitions have grown, so too have their impact. In The process of individual and collective the year 2020, we find ourselves facing the transformation is not easy, but our goals are consequences. The long-term viability of our own achievable. After all, it is in our own interest, not to species and planet is in question, and nothing short mention our species’ very nature to change when of a complete transformation of human civilization change is due… To adapt to our present moment, to will adequately address this need for change. innovate our way into the unknown, and to diverge To bring an end to the relentless growth from a stagnant status quo. To that end, here’s that capitalism demands, countless facets of daily to changing matter, be it the way we live, how life must transition. Between today and 2050, we power is shared, the design of our societal systems, must find new ways to live, work, travel, and create. or simply the topics of conversation steering our In doing so, all the elements of our co-existence attention; most certainly in terms of consciousness, upon Earth will be reshaped into a dynamic human whatever it may be, and the potential for all people system inclusive of economics, healthcare, to enter a whole new field of experience. education, and ecology that helps all life flourish. This catalog is our contribution to the conversation around how this positive future is being built. In the tradition of the Whole Earth Catalog first published over fifty years ago (1968), here now is a compendium of ideas for whole systems transformation, drawn from the people and events across place and time that have inspired us, a few

PCH Innovations 2020