ARTICLE: The Four Classes of Subjective Truth

[Bholanath]

Whether objective truth can possibly exist is a matter upon
which we can only speculate. The only truths which can ever be perceived
and examined are subjective truths which are inherantly connected to the
perspective(s) of the observer(s).



In fact, ever observer has four different truths (which may or may not
overlap):


There is the _CORE TRUTH_. This is the truth that the observer knows deep down in his or her heart. However, either pragmatic or emotional thinking may force the observer to partially or completely repress this truth from his/her thoughts and expressing.


There is the _UTOPIAN TRUTH_. This is the emotional truth that the observer wishes to believe (even if it seems to victimize the observer) and given any semblence of choice may insist upon and try to hold on to in his/her thoughts regardless of any evidence he/she may be given to the contrary. Deeping upon how self aware a person is, he/she may realize that this layer of truth is very shallow and that when he/she applies this truth, he/she is deceiving his/herself perhaps significantly more than he or she is deceiving anyone else -- but some people are indeed extremely good at this [self-deceipt]. While it is very easy to reject this as "false" from a rational perspective, humans are not machines nor purely rational creatures and this true can be very important (in fact, the most important) in magickal workings.


There is the _WORKING TRUTH_. This is the intellectual truth that the
observer utilizes when making decisions about what he/she shall do and how he/she will do it. These truths are often based on rationalizations and
expediency. While the observer may have doubts about how true these ideas are fundamentally (perhaps owing to a sense of spirituality or ethics that is seemingly incompatible with the modern secular world), he/she knows these truths have merit because he/she can see/feel them working.


There is the _EXPRESSED TRUTH_. This is the truth that the observer would have other observers believe about his own truths. This is not to say every statement that anyone ever utters is true (at least from any non-mystical perspective). For a statement to be at expressed truth, it must somehow relate to one or more of the three other forms of truth and there must be an intention of honesty behind the expression. However, this truth may not exactly match any of the other three forms of truth because the expressor may have ambiguous sense(s) of what is true (many have trouble reconciling or accepting the sometimes extreme and nearly incompatible differences between thoughts and feelings) and because human languages are limited in both their potential to express and to communicate.



Expressed truths from different observers may contain incompatibilities. One should tread carefully when expressing utopian truths. This is not because the practice is deceitful or evil. The problem with utopian truths is that not everyone shares your idea(s) of what should be true or even agreeing that it should be true is willing to accept the idea that it is already true and maintaining any expression of such truths makes one very untrustworthy.

[jamie]

The article on Subjective vs Objective reality have you? Im sure they are connected as Ive read this before.

[Bholanath]

[Guest]

[Bholanath]

[Bholanath]

I've done yet more work on this article, incorporating some of the ideas we discussed above and at VA, giving a bit more detail, and also incorporating some discussion of "knowledge":



More Truth than Poetry
by Bholanath of the Dreaming
(first draft: 11 May 2004; current draft: 17 June 2004)


All the unknowns – whether known or unknown unknowns -- contain actualities which may dispel our current delusions of knowledge. What we call knowledge is really nothing than glorified beliefs. The strigoi vii should not obsess over what may be “ultimately provable” because, true knowledge being impossible, there would be nothing to be certain of.

However, this perspective is both absolutist and even modern. In actuality, knowledge has three degrees: opinion (determined by the senses), science (determined by rational arguments), and illumination (determined by intuition). While none of these may offer certainty, they each offer insight for the strigoi vii to learn from and utilize.

To reject *any* type of knowledge is to cripple oneself. To proceed in life, the strigoi vii must find his own truth about every situation (if the situation is of any concern to the strigoi vii). This does not need to resemble anything provable (the flip of a coin to divine its truth, can be perfectly valid) -- just a truth that is real to the strigoi vii. And then the strigoi vii works with that truth, whether in a mundane or magickal fashion.

* * *

Ideas are considered truth if they conform to reality or existence (reality being that which is realized [i.e., perceived]; existence being that which exists [i.e., actually is]). Ideas are considered subjective if related to the perspective of the observer. Ideas are considered objective if you can remove the observer and the truth remains. Whether objective truth can possibly exist is a matter upon which we can only speculate. By definition, the only truths which can ever be examined have been perceived and are therefore subjective truths, being inherently and intimately connected to the perspective(s) of the observer(s).

For simplicity's sake, usually opinions are considered subjective and facts are considered objective. For example: "Blood tastes good" is subjective (believe it or not, some observers might disagree!). "Blood is crimson" would be usually be considered objective because any two observers who see the blood at the same time and place are assumed to perceive the blood in the same way.

However, objectivity is a myth. "Crimson" isn't a fact. It is an opinion. The idea of crimson is a cultural phenomenia. Someone doesn't have much artistic training may not recognize "crimson" as a colour. Someone who doesn't speak modern English may or may not have a linguistic equivalent to crimson (our modern culture recognizes many more colours than would have been distinctly identified a hundred years ago). Someone who is standing a little to the left may see the blood a little brighter because of the way that light is reflected and someone to the right might see it a little darker for the same reason.
When one starts tearing away at "facts" we discover that the observer is always a part of the equation, even in choosing to be there to observe and which details to observe rather than which details to ignore. Even modern scientists are learning that they can not escape the equation when the design experiments: the experiments they create affect the results. Thus, any and all attempts are "objectivity" are doomed to failure and any claims are misleading.

Of course, even this essay is not objective. For someone with a more simple and singular perspective of reality, when he/she sits down to read a reputable newspaper facts still exist and there isn't a bias in sight.

* * *

Every observer has four types of subjective truth (the contents of which may or may not overlap). The strigoi vii should seek to recognize each truth and each type of truth both within themselves, within their donors or prey, and within anyone else they might encounter. Perceiving these truths can be an integral step towards manipulating these truths, regardless of whether by mundane or magickal methods.


The most elusive and enigmatic truth is the “core truth”. This is the truth that every observer knows deep down in his or her heart. However, either pragmatic or emotional thinking may force the observer to partially or completely repress this truth from his/her thoughts and feelings. Often the limitations of language leave core truths impossible to express. This is truth as understood by the most accomplished mystics. Learning and accepting one’s core truth is necessary to the strigoi vii’s attainment of self actualization.


The most potent and dangerous truth is the “utopian truth”: truths that come from “nowhere”. This is the emotional truth that the observer wishes to believe (even if it seems to victimize the observer [who often {sometimes unwittingly} chooses to be a victim]). Given any semblance of choice, the observer may insist upon this truth and try to hold on to this truth in his thoughts regardless of any evidence he may be given to the contrary. Depending upon how self aware a person is, he/she may realize that this layer of truth is very shallow and that when he/she applies this truth, he/she is deceiving his/herself perhaps significantly more than he or she is deceiving anyone else -- but some people are indeed extremely good at this [self-deceit]. While it is very easy to reject this as "false" from a rational perspective, humans are not machines nor purely rational creatures and this true can be very important (in fact, the most important) in magickal workings. This is truth as filtered through the Will, and this truth changes reality. This is the truth as exploited by the most powerful of chaos magickians and is related to the strigoi vii’s night-side.

The strigoi vii should note: magickal workings don't necessarily require ritual nor ceremony. Our will and our beliefs are constantly shaping our reality, whether we happen to like it or not. Some utopian truths are less than ideal, but rather are based on doubts and fears. The utopian truths of a human who defines himself as a victim or a failure, or is otherwise passive-aggressive can trigger inadvertant and self-destructive magick. The strigoi vii will do well to train his mind to avoid thoughts and not allowing himself to dwell on negative feelings.


There is the “operational truth”. This is the intellectual truth that the observer utilizes when making decisions about what he/she shall do and how he/she will do it. These truths are often based on rationalizations and expediency. While the observer may have doubts about how true these ideas are fundamentally (perhaps owing to a sense of spirituality or ethics that is seemingly incompatible with the modern secular world), he/she knows these truths have merit because he/she can see/feel them operating on the world around him. This is the truth as understood by the skeptic, as exploited by the most prosperous entrepreneurs, and is related to the strigoi vii’s day-side.


The most superficial truth is the “expressed truth”. This is the truth that one observer would have other observers believe about his own truths. This is not to say every statement that anyone ever utters is true (at least from any non-mystical perspective). For a statement to be at expressed truth, it must somehow relate to one or more of the three other forms of truth (discussed above) and there must be an intention of honesty behind the expression. However, this truth may not exactly match any of the other three forms of truth because the expresser may have ambiguous sense(s) of what is true: Many humans have trouble reconciling or accepting the sometimes extreme and nearly incompatible differences between thoughts and feelings; also, human languages are limited in both their potential to express and to communicate.

Expressed truths from different observers may contain incompatibilities. The strigoi vii should tread carefully when attempting to express utopian truths. This is not because the practice is deceitful or evil. The problem with utopian truths is that not everyone shares your idea(s) of what should be true or even agreeing that it should be true is willing to accept the idea that it is already true and maintaining any expression of such truths makes one very untrustworthy.

* * *

When one discusses subjective realities and mystical truths, thoughts of the audience often turn towards drugs. I'm not going to moralize about drugs. As a matter of general course, I refrain from doing them, but that's my personal decision: I don't impose it upon others nor think too harshly of those who don't share my discretion. However, I admit that I have indulged in a few experiments (among people I felt comfortable with and in environments where I felt secure). Drugs can open new doorways for perception that don't necessarily close when the drugs wear off. By taking you outside of your usual box, you can learn to appreciate other perspectives than your normal waking consciousness; while a deep appreciation isn't requisite, a belief that other perspectives are possible is necessary before one can begin to manipulate one's own perceptions. (It is very difficult, if not impossible, to do something that we either don’t believe is possible or worse believe to be impossible. For many who exist in a small and isolated box [relatively speaking], they can not believe any other perspective is at all possible).

Drugs may foster both utopian or operational truths; it may even (indirectly) therefore, inspire expressed truths. Drugs may even help us to understand and appreciate core truths. Depending upon the particulars of both the drug and the individuals, these truths may remain in effect even after the drugs have worn-off. For examples, I have learned lessons about the flow of time, about focusing on the present, about the relationship between dreams and maya. I would not disparage these truths (nor other truths which may be learned) as being delusional. However, one potential conflict this generates is that induced truths (similiar to utopian truths) may be incompatible with the truths of those who don't share your perspective. When these truths become your operational truths, you make yourself incompatible with those who live in the modern world of mankind.

It is also worth noting that some theories of the mind suggest that the mind isn't a processing device but a filtering device. By shutting down the mind (with drugs), information that might otherwise be filtered out gets in. There is a danger here: Not that the information is wrong, but that the information can seem to take on an importance far beyond its due -- it can become a distraction. And of course, while the information might be correct in nature, the actual interpretation can be wrong if the individual is not prepared to deal with it correctly (which is likely the case if one has inhibited one's ability to think clearly). So, to take an extreme example, a negligible truth about how lovely a particular shade of green is, may become more fascinating than the rather more tangible truth of the rhinoceros (which happens to be a Mazaradi) speeding towards the green light -- while you just so happen to be standing in its way!

I'm not going to tell you not to do drugs: if your inclined to do them, you’re not about to listen to me. I will just say, if you are going to experiment with them, be smart about it: have someone with you who can help to keep at least one foot on the ground and will make sure you don't do anything you'll live to regret.

Realize: (1) Drugs won't solve your problems. They won't even help you escape your problems. They may alter your perspective of your problems (or, more dangerously, remove your perspective), but unless your problems are merely related to creativity, your new perspective probably will do more harm then good towards the handling of your problems. (2) Drugs are not a healthy replacement for your television set: it's one thing to allow yourself to be entertained, disturbed, or hyponotized by flickering images from the cathode tube, but ultimately, you can walk away. The use of drugs can alter the very way your mind / brain is wired, and the damage may be irreparable. Know what you are doing, what you should expect from it and why you are doing it. If the answer is "my friends are doing it" or "I have nothing better to do", then you probably aren't going to have some experience that will outweigh the risks you are taking.

Of course, that's just my opinion and it's your mind and body.



* * *


There is one more “truth”, the “un-truth”. The un-truth is a truth that is not an ordinary truth. This should not be mistaken for falsehood. Falsehood is intentional deceit. The un-truth is “truth without realization”, “truth” that has not been perceived. Often this lack of perception is related to the unperceived limitations of perceived truths. Just as truth is subject to time, space, and observer, if any portion of this equation is varied, the truth may cease to be. For example, consider the person who thinks “I am an artist”, “I am a scholar”, “I am a doctor”, etc. At the very moment this person is thinking it, he isn’t actually creating, studying, nor healing; at that very moment, he is not the thing which he defines and proclaims himself to be. In fact, it would even be false for him to think “I am a thinker”, because the thought isn’t even a real thought, just an axiomatic stock phrase that is devoid of real depth. But realize that this example, having been observed and expressed can no longer be classed as an un-truth.

So, if this un-truth can never be realized and remain un-truth, of what use is it? Just as truth is subjective, un-truth is subjective. While the strigoi-vii may perceive a former un-truth, this un-truth may remain unrealized by general humanity. This allows one to anticipate and prepare for what may in the future manifest. However, being unrealized, it receives neither shielding nor reinforcements through the conscious will or beliefs of others. Acting upon such “weak realities”, allows the strigoi vii to either exploit or reshape these truths -- even to resolve a potential crisis before it erupts -- free from defenses and reactions.


* * *



The strigoi vii realizes that he is both more than a beast and more than a machine: Neither his thoughts nor his feelings can nor should encompass his entire reality. The strigoi vii realizes that human logic and human perceptions each have limitations: a perception of paradox does not imply impossibility. The strigoi vii realizes that he is in control of his own instruments of perception: It is for him to choose the microscope, the telescope, or the rose-coloured glasses. Being in control of his perceptions, the strigoi vii is in control of his Truth. The strigoi vii is the master, not the servant of his truth: The strigoi vii chooses truth from his arsenal as best needed to expand his influence and master his reality in accordance with his Will.

[The Madame X]

I find myself reading this article over and over. I find it inspires me. I hope it does the same to you.