Adventures in Consciousness: The Path of the Dead

“‘Twas thereupon the boneyard’s gate, that stumbled I unto my fate. For ever thusly had I tread... upon the dark path of the dead.”

~(It is recommended that The Hero’s Path be read before continuing)~

In our previous adventure, we were presented with a fork in the road; a choice to be made between the path of the hero, and the path of the dead.

But why should these two extremes represent the totality of our options? Shouldn’t there be some road that lies between? Some option for the merchant, the pilgrim, the travelling messenger? Unfortunately, there is not. You see, it comes down to the very nature of truth itself…

We’ve seen that the hero’s path is that of the truth-seeker. And since all denials of truth are falsehoods, and all non-falsehoods are truths, there are only two categories - two paths by which to proceed. In this way, to not choose the hero's path is to choose the path of the dead; and choosing this darkened road necessarily implies a willingness to embrace deception.

Make no mistake, if one does not take up the mantle of the hero, they are choosing deception. This is because every individual will develop a worldview – whether they do so on purpose or not – and so to not seek truth is to willingly permit unverified information into your perspective.

Perhaps if this world was one of ubiquitous truth, we could get away with it... but alas, it is clearly not. Manipulative deceptions are rampant. We're bombarded on all sides, at all times. It requires a deliberate effort to shield ourselves from the illusions spun by spell-crafting sorcerers like the mass media, politicians, advertisers, and false religionists. We must put on the “full armor of God” (the knowledge and understanding of truth) in order to remain protected from this immoral influence.

To not actively seek truth is to leave yourself vulnerable to mind-control. False beliefs, deliberately put forth by others, can worm their way into the mind (the causal realm which inspires action). If the mind is manipulated, behavior can be modified to the controller’s will. And all the while, the victim has the illusion of free will; though this innate function has actually been hijacked. For all intents and purposes, the person becomes a puppet, a husk, a thing without true conscious awareness – a thing that is dead.

The mind runs according to its programming, and free will is the act of choosing which programs to run. If truth is not deliberately sought in order to determine which programs deserve continued attention and which do not, then free will is not being applied with wisdom. As such, one is incapable of discerning for themselves which ideas to accept, and is left helpless before those who have mastered the art of persuasion.

If another is permitted to effectually choose your programs for you, you are no longer in control. Consciousness is relegated to the dungeon; still residing within the castle, but unable to exercise its will. It is made a slave - shackled and bound within a cage of the master’s making.

It all seems quite melodramatic (as per our tack in these articles) but truly, it is a matter of grave concern. It can hardly be deemed hyperbole when a majority of the population has been trained to view philosophical insight as taboo in casual conversation, and thus do not proliferate or receive such truths with due enthusiasm.

There is nothing impractical about truth such that it should be relegated to the armchair, or to late-night fireside ponderings. The quest for wisdom is the only endeavor that keeps our course true, and far afield of the grim, desperate, grotesque and hopelessly ill-fated path of the dead.

The Previous Chapter:
Adventures in Consciousness: The Hero's Path

Further explorations:
Philosophy – What It Means, and Why It Matters