Revision as of 15:58, 15 November 2010

Introduction

Over time, we are becoming less and less interested in established symbolism, classical revivalism, or other ancient reconstructions. Science, religion, and philosophy have been racing for a good description of the world we live in. We live in a dynamic world of changes and complexity; few symbols are able to capture that.

To that end we propose the Fractal. It is a relatively new concept, coined by Benoît Mandelbrot in 1975: "Many important ... patterns of Nature are either irregular or fragmented to such an extreme degree that ... classical geometry ... is hardly of any help in describing their form. ... I hope to show that it is possible in many cases to remedy this absence of geometric representation by using a family of shapes I propose to call fractals..." (Mandelbrot, 1977)

At a glance, an image of a fractal set is very complex. One can see a general shape with rough edges. If we zoom in to examine these mysterious borders, we discover new shapes within them, new truths and nuances that were hidden to us at the lower levels of magnification. And these truths, upon inspection, are similarly muddy and complex. But they are familiar to us! They carry a structural-similarity to their parent shape.

The Fractal is one of the only symbols which does not seek to reduce the universe's complexity. Though complexity, many things are hidden from us. But the universe is ultimately knowable because it is recursive, self-descriptive, it features recurring patterns through which we can know both the large and the small.

This is the first teaching of the Fractal Cult.

The universe is infinitely complex, but recursive.

This is why your biological systems are a pretty good description of our society. (Your circulatory system, for example, has a lot in common with both the transportation system and the economy.)

You, Einstein, and Jeffery Dahmer have basically the same problems.

This is why it makes sense to talk about organizations with the same language we use to describe individuals.

The trials you face in day to day life are a synechdoche of the greater spiritual trials you will face during your life.

This is why you can see the truth in clouds.

Imagery

Image:

You are the cult leader, your fingers and toes are your followers. They must do rituals every day to support the Leader.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7051/cram.gif

http://i.imgur.com/UtRpR.png

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/6817/fractalcultasabovesobel.png

http://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20101101.gif

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=27138.msg961818#msg961818

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4332275232_4bc74dd4b0_o.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/The_Face_of_War.jpg "When visiting the Museu de la Ciència de Barcelona in 1988, he told its director that the painting The Face of War had given him "the intuition about the transcendence of the fractal geometry when making intelligible the omnipresent similitude in the forms of nature""

The Five Points

These are the five teachings of the Fractal Cult. Meditate upon each one.

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=27138.msg958175#msg958175

First Teaching

• "The universe is a fractal."
• Image: the Mandelbrot set.
• The universe is infinitely complex, but graspable because it contains recurring patterns.

Second Teaching

• "As above, so below."
• Image: the tree of life, the Sierpinski triangle, the golden spiral.
• Structural similarities appear regardless of scale. The big picture can be observed in small things and vice versa.

Third Teaching

• Image: the fern, the leaf.
• Patterns occur multiple times at a the same scale. But each iteration is unique.

Fourth Teaching

• Image: the coastline, the Koch curve.
• The closer your observe something, the more complex it becomes. There are no simple answers.

Fifth Teaching

• Recursion
• Image: the dragon curve.
• Patterns repeat over time because they are reiterations of existing patterns.

Methodology

Exploration

Initiates in the Fractal Cult should download software through which they can explore fractal images. We recommend Chaos Pro for the novice and Apophysis for the advanced fractalnaut.

We find that the sublime beauty of fractal imagery is the perfect backdrop for contemplation of many of life's problems.

There is a relationship of structural similarity between the big and the small, the internal and the external, the past, the present, and the future. The small, mundane problems one faces on a day to day basis are not isolated from life's greater spiritual trials. They are one and the same.

Fractals remind us that everything we've done or not done, everything we desire or avoid, everything we've been or will one day be, are all equally important parts of the big picture.

Transference

If you already know how to play the saxophone, it's a lot easier to learn to play the trumpet. If you already speak Spanish, it's easier to learn French. This is called transference, the ability to use your knowledge of one skill when learning another.

There is a high degree of transference if you're learning similar skills. If you already know one programming language, it's way easier to learn others. But your ability to bake a pie does not play a role in that learning.

Psychologists have wondered what if there is a way to amplify the amount of transference that takes place. Priming techniques have been somewhat successful - that is, telling people explicitly that they should draw on existing knowledge draws their attention to the ways that the thing they are learning is similar to the thing they already know.

Our thinking is that if ALL IS ONE and AS ABOVE, SO BELOW, we may be able to transfer knowledge from very unlikely places.

To cope with the loneliness and homesickness of being on a long voyage, I like to visualizing Odysseus standing at the prow of his boat and looking towards the horizon. Improvisation skills learned in Drama also apply for living an interesting and engaging life. There is a link between picking up a girl in a club and trying to sell somebody a mobile phone.

Going back to our fractal universe metaphor, transference is possible because we are looking at different parts of basically the same shape. Even though throwing a party and painting a picture are two entirely different activities, one may still teach you a little bit about the other. They both require a certain aesthetic sensitivity.

The patience and discipline we learned in school is a source we can tap into when cleaning the house or cooking dinner. A good cook has developed an attention to detail that will be useful anywhere else in his life, if only he can tap into it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/4/4b/20060516105854!Fractal_fern_explained.png

So to that end I propose that the Fern Leaf symbol represents the idea of relevant structural similarity. ("relevant" being the key word) Each leaf of the fern resembles every other leaf on the fern, even though they are all unique.

When you are facing a challenge, learning a skill, or confused about something, visualize the fern. Focus all your attention on that image. The first thing that pops into your head is something you can learn from, something which holds the key to the issue at hand.

Time and Magnification

There are two axises involved in understanding the world as a fractal. The first is the relationship between the large and the small, the recurring patterns which occur in all parts of nature. The second is the relationship between past and future, the recurring patterns which occur as something is reiterated over time.

The hierarchy:

a) the world

b) global politics

c) local politics

d) individuals

e) the self

relationships exist between higher and lower levels or organization:

Vocab terms: Iteration. Tessellation. Homology.

homomorphism: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=27138.msg958710#msg958710

Quotes

The dance along the artery,
the circulation of the lymph,
are figured in the drift of stars.
--T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Auguries_of_Innocence

redwood trees: http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_preston_on_the_giant_trees.html