Alchemically Braindamaged is a blog and podcast created by Zacharius, "a Buddhist monk, an aspiring ninja, a magican, occult scholar, medical massage therapist, sometime writer, and oft times podcaster." His work is a very real, personal, and tangible practice. The podcast serves as a direct, albeit one-way, communication with Zac as the magi, shaman, occultist, or sometimes simply a voice in your ear. It is quite interesting to have a window into his trasmutational process and inner thoughts on a continued regular basis. Not only does it serve as a record of this process, but can be used in a guide-like manner. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?
In an age of widespread disconnection, Zac, with Alchemically Braindamaged, uses the internet to connect to his listeners. If you have curiosity about the occult, alchemy, transmutation, transcendence, shamanism, yogic practices, insight meditation, etc. - this is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Research only takes one so far. Practice, and understanding what that involves, is truly where these concepts make it... or break it.
Zac was kind enough to address some rather wide-ranging questions that arose after listening to him for some time. His answers are presented here in a familiar format, so as not to put any interpretation (read: spin) on his words. I hope you appreciate his work, ideas, and generosity in letting us all into his world, in an age when so many are prone to only to concealment and misdirection.
What is your response to those who claim that apotheosis and all related endeavours are a Luciferian practice, whether the seeker is fully aware of this doctrine, or totally unwitting?
It depends what is meant when the term 'Luciferianism' is used. These days it tends to be used by the likes of Alex Jones and hysterical Christians to condemn the New World Order and whatnot, which seems a bit of a sloppy blanket heading to me.
When I use it, and the way I like to see it used, is closer to the way Rudolph Steiner would talk about it. A 'Luciferian' in this sense is one who is concerned with an ascent into a 'false heaven' of sorts. This false heaven is a product of mastery of various kinds of energy rather than true spiritual realisation.
The idea that there is an escape into some other kind of created reality full of accentuated delights is considered fairly degenerate by most legitimate spiritual traditions. The goal is to realise the spirit in this world, this moment, in your current circumstances, not to flee into your head, or virtual reality or the psychic realm of the ascended masters or whatever.
From that perspective the idea of apotheosis can be a distraction or a wrong turn surely, but only if you treat it as a means to remake the world into your image, or flee into a false heaven of your own making, rather than understand it as an actualisation of one's capacities for love, and service to others. I think those two goals are what everyone truly desires anyway and have every confidence they will discover that for themselves if given enough time.
My feeling is that in our current historical predicament, the main obstacle to a lot of people realising themselves spiritually is a sense of powerless victimhood. In that state there will be all kinds of unhealthy projections of how to aquire and use ones skills and power. My hope is to first help people take back a sense of agency in their own lives, and then to use their growing powers to open out into the world, rather than take the wrong turn into egotistic flights of fantasy.
What is the relationship between the ideas of western occultism and eastern philosophy (particularly Taoism and Buddhism)?
That's a vast question. At this point in history you could find just about anything that used to be characteristic to the east in the west and vice versa.
If anything , I think western occultism has a more developed sense of how to use symbolism than much of what exists in the east. Much of it purely concealment from Church prosecution,
but it also forms a kind depth psychology system that the east seems to lack in large part. The symbolic languages of persons such as Jung or Freud, or Crowley, and the hypnotic technologies that spring out of western psychology are probably our best 'magick'. I've recent become more cognisant of the intellectual 'yoga' of the original Platonists, and how it feeds into the western occult tradition, and am looking farther into that as we speak.
In the east you have the yogic paths for meditation and inner alchemy developed to an exquisite level, with the Taoist traditions alongside embodying a kind of folk magic, shamanic tradition with a huge, unbroken legacy. You could look farther than yoga or Buddhism for clear meditation technology, but why bother?
In the ultimate sense east and west both spring out of archaic shamanism, and are concerned with the same things, the same human spiritual and survival imperitives. Someone like Ken Wilber elucidates this in many ways with great clarity.
What do you recommend as a way to retain the concept of universal unity while seeking enlightenment? Although not exclusive, for many it seems these things are hard to keep in balance. What are your thoughts?I see them as one and the same. In the history of Buddhism there is a bit of sectarian strife that arose when certain factions said that questing exclusively for enlightenment was selfish, and ignored the needs of the people around you, which in part was true at the time, as the monks had become very insular and their practice rather state and neutered. This led to the great reform of the Mahayanna which most people think of as Buddhism.
But what gets overlooked is that the old methods did work, and the old ways as the Buddha taught them were not isolationist, but outward looking and involved in the community. What is usually needed in cases like that is not a reaction, but a revival. But alas, human psychology tends not to work that way.
The bottom line is, if you want to give, you need to have achieved something to share. Seeking enlightenment for 'yourself' is probably slightly misdirected and contradictory.
Do you recommend study of alchemy as part of a hierarchical group? It seems that many view this as the most likely route to what they seek. Would you care to comment?If someone wanted my recommendations, then I'd say yeah, concentrate on your own inner cultivation first and foremost (keeping in mind that when I say 'alchemy' I mean any form of spiritual culitvation of one's inner self).
But I'm well aware that doesn't always get people excited, so I'm perfectly willing to let people play around with exotic rituals, siddha powers, sigil magick or whatever, until they get bored, frustrated or burnt out. The path isn't going anywhere. I think that point of exhaustion is coming in many parts of the online occult world. I'm happy to be able to help steer people in a useful direction.
Do you conceptualize the transmutations you are attempting to achieve before you begin the process (i.e. your recent Augoeides series)?
To an extent, sure, but you have to be willing to let go of it when the time comes. I have all kinds of fanciful notions, just like anyone else, and it's good to exercise the imagination. You need a clear picture to have a clear intent, at least at first.
But as I've said in other places; The world isn't made out of pictures and words... it's better to build a relationship with reality.
As you've read, Zac is quite thoughtful and well-versed in these spiritual concepts, their pitfalls, and how they might apply to everyday life. I find it rare to encounter someone who is not only learned about the occult and spirituality from many different perspectives, but puts this knowledge into practice on a daily basis. Now, perhaps there are people like this all around me and I don't know it, but Zac goes out of his way to share his thoughts and experiences, and that is rather refreshing.
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