The term ‘Neuromancy’ was coined by William Gibson in 1984 in his novel – Neuromancer. Since then the title Nueromancer, one would assume that that is one who practices neuromancy, has been applied to science and IT blogs as well as to characters or skills in role playing games and even a rock music band.
I was revisiting some of my more ‘mystical ‘ diaries over the last few weeks – those which relate directly to my interest in transpersonal psychologies, and re-discovered some terms that I had been exploring several years ago. The terms Techno-Mage, Cyber-Mage, Psychomancer and Neuromancer…
Like very word we utter is a construct representing some element of what we seek to understand, the words that appear in public domain can be used for personal reflection and exploration. The more abstract or even ‘woolly’ the word the more fun our conscious and unconscious selves can have with it.
Techno-Mage was a term I heard used to describe a particular group of hi-tech sorcerors, who used Magic and technology, in the superb Babylon 5 science fiction series.
As Arthur C Clarke has been quoted as saying: – “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (“Profiles of The Future”, 1961) –and the idea of a Techno-Mage seems to me to be an extension of this idea.
Cyber-Mages, by the same token, can be considered in those who have mastered ‘cyber-space’ in order to manipulate it in accordance with their desires and will… and that is the definition of magic. The ability to bring about change in accordance with will.
Psycho-mancers and Neuro-Mancers, following the same logic then, would be those individuals who are acquiring skills, knowledge and understandings about the nature of the mind. Hence we are firmly in the realm of Mind Magic, and hence the domain of transpersonal, interpersonal and intrapersonal psychology.
Mentalism, is not simply a branch of the conjurors art, but a philosophy which espouses the notion that the mind exists as inner personal states (in a way not fully explained or defined by substance dualism) and a psychological approach which focuses on mental perception and thinking.
If you have read any article on my mind alignment website; attended any of my more esoteric workshops or engaged in discussions of NLP or Transpersonal Psychology you have been engaged in neuromancy.
Affirmations and Positive Thinking become magical acts and behavioural modelling can be thought of as aspects of ritual.
Now if you find yourself reacting strongly to what I have just suggested ask yourself if your Emotional response is a product of your beliefs and attitudes surrounding words like ‘magic’ and ‘ritual’ rather than your understanding of the words in the context they are being used. More to the point, if you are reacting to what I have written, then you are responding to a ‘spell’ I have cast upon you – my intention, my will, to provoke an emotional response.
A Starting Point…
As human beings we are isolated within our skin. Our senses allow us to receive information from the outside world.
Our minds (conscious and unconscious selves) process external information seeking to identify, relate to and understand what we perceive.
Our inner perception and understandings are driven by our cultural references (which include beliefs) and these processes may well effect the way our senses respond to external stimuli.
If this were all there was then perhaps there would be no desire to explore our individual connections to each other… since whilst we may be ‘alone in our skin’, our physical selves interact with others in the world. These others are ‘attracted’ to us by our attitudes and behaviours… and some we enter into intense emotional and physical relationships with. We feel, we touch, we respond…
If this were all there was then perhaps there would be no desire to explore our individual connections with the cosmos… many feel that there is ‘more to life’ and so have a sense of the ‘spiritual’ dimension. For some this is reflected in their sense of awe and w0nder in the natural world. For others there is the need to postulate a creative ‘Parent’ figure – for others there is simply the recognition that there are others ‘aspects’ of self which may be internal (unconscious) representation of internal desires (dreams, aspirations, fears) as well as a something (sometimes called soul, or spirit, or avatar) which has a closer connection to the Cosmos and is beyond the ‘self’ – it is transpersonal.
In this Clumsy Description we can find, perhaps, a metaphysical framework which could include religious symbols like angels and spirits but does not require them.
In this clumsy description there is a starting point for modern day neuromancers to consider the logical connections between ‘magic’ and ‘personal development’; ‘ritual’ and ‘therapeutic intervention’.
In this clumsy description there is the hope that we can explore the limits that our spiritual labels place upon our shared understandings.
