The Library of Consciousness
The Library
of Consciousness
of Consciousness
There has been a tremendous upheaval in our understanding of what constitutes our universe and, to a certain extent, our place as embodied beings within it.
Memetics is the study of how ideas, behaviors, and cultural phenomena spread and evolve, much like genes in biological evolution. Coined by Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene, the term “meme” refers to a unit of cultural transmission—anything from a phrase, fashion trend, or melody to a religious belief or scientific theory. Memes propagate through communication, imitation, and social networks, competing for attention and survival in human minds. Just as natural selection favors genes that enhance an organism’s survival, successful memes spread by being memorable, emotionally resonant, or socially advantageous. In modern times, the rapid transmission of memes through digital media has accelerated cultural evolution, allowing ideas to spread globally in seconds.
The process of memetic transmission is influenced by psychological, technological, and social factors. Some memes persist for centuries, embedding themselves in traditions and institutions, while others fade quickly, unable to compete in the vast ecosystem of human attention. Digital platforms, such as social media, function as high-speed environments where memes mutate and spread rapidly, leading to trends, misinformation, and ideological shifts. Memetics provides a framework for understanding not only internet culture but also the broader mechanisms of social change, propaganda, and innovation. By examining how and why certain ideas gain traction, memetics offers insights into the forces that shape human culture and thought.
A Calendar for the Goddess
(Ecology of Souls)
Beginning with a comparison of reason and logic to intuition, Terence works his way towards exploring the idea of a purposeful goal in the universe which evolution is progressing towards, and humanity's role in this journey. Next, in a nod to the solstice which occurred at the time of the lecture, he plays with the idea of a precessional calendar and argues that it would remind us of the one constant in life, which is flux. Q&A topics include future social myths, morphogenesis, globalization, and psychedelic encounters with the dead.
A Weekend with Terence McKenna
“Healing the inner elf through trance, dance, and diet”—the session for true McKenna enthusiasts: twelve hours with the bard himself, in which he touches upon practically all of his trademark topics.
An Ocean of Ideas
Terence traces the force of novelty through cosmic evolution, from the birth of the universe to the emergence of life, culture and technology. He speculates wildly about humanity's fate, musing on virtual worlds, interstellar travel, and miniaturization into fairy folk. These phantasmagoric visions reflect the inspirational power of psychedelics to unlock imagination. McKenna emphasizes open-ended thinking to envision new futures, warning against rigid ideology and fundamentalism. Ultimately he explores how psychedelic experiences can catalyze novel perspectives on existence itself.
Countdown Into Complexity
Briefing for a Descent Into Novelty
At his weekend workshop Terence led attendees on an intellectual odyssey traversing psychedelics, virtual reality, technology, culture, spirituality, and the evolution of novelty over time. Blending philosophy, futurology, and mysticism, he explored humanity's relationship with nature and machines, challenging participants to think critically, create freely, and keep an open mind. The goal was to expand consciousness and uncover deeper truths about existence.
Homo Deus
A Brief History of Tomorrow
Yuval Noah Harari envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. He examines our future with his trademark blend of science, history, philosophy, and every discipline in between. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution.
Man Thinks God Knows, God Knows Man Thinks
What if language could be seen instead of heard? McKenna fancies a linguistic lark where lexicon becomes a dance of light. Words incarnate as rainbow octopi, their very skin shimmering significance. In the verbosity vortex we spin, until, lo, meaning and matter tango into one, with word becoming flesh and flesh becoming word in the ultimate semantic samba.
Opening the Doors of Creativity
This far-out lecture held at the Carnegie Art Museum riffs on art, shamanism, psychedelics, and saving the planet. Terence sees artists as modern shamans who can reconnect us to the Gaian mind. He thinks we're an infant species held in nature's arms, but we've got to get our act together fast and let the irrational muse guide us, or we'll trash the place. Heavy stuff, but optimistically visionary.
The Co-Evolution of the Extended Mind and the Internet
We don’t need brain implants to become cyborgs—we already are. Halpin argues that technology and humans have co-evolved, extending our minds beyond biology. Using the Extended Mind Hypothesis, he shows how everyday tools like smartphones integrate with cognition, shaping thought and memory. Rather than a futuristic AI takeover, we’re already merging with machines in a subtler, more profound way.
The Evolution of a Psychedelic Thinker
Terence recounts his lifelong fascination with the transcendent, psychedelic realm, arguing that these mind-expanding experiences are central to the human condition and hold the key to understanding and transforming our troubled world. Drawing on personal anecdotes and a deep dive into the history and science of psychedelics, he makes a compelling case for embracing this forbidden, yet vital, aspect of our shared reality. If allowed to blossom, it could inspire a cultural renaissance and guide humanity's transition to an ecological partnership society.
The Symbolic and the Real
Though symbols empower us, they veil our oneness with the Infinite. Disconnection brings madness. Let us instead affirm our individuality while tasting universality, knowing we are the cosmos branching out to behold itself. We wave as the cosmos waves, seeding selves yet sprouted from the Source. Not apart but of the Whole, we wander home.
The World and its Double
This workshop, held at the Nature Friends Lodge, revolves around how psychedelics dissolve boundaries, connect us to the transcendental, and reveal the novel realities underlying our perceived mundane existence. Terence explores how shamanic techniques give access to higher dimensions of consciousness, and describes history as an ever-accelerating process approaching an eschatological transformation or singularity.
