The Paranormal Complex, or Don't Feed the Archons

I posted a version of this at Rigorous Intuition's board, but thought it deserved repeating. My comments were in reference to the experiences chronicled by Palyne here. Her account of her smorgasbord of strange experiences is riveting reading.

My thoughts:

Although Palyne's smorgasbord of experiences may sound outlandish, it fits what I've termed the paranormal complex. There's not a DSM-IV listing for it yet, though ;-)

The age-old caution about opening one's self up to paranormal experiences is a wise one. Yogic teachings warn against become fascinated by siddhis (paranormal phenomena such as precognition, clairvoyance, spirit communication, and so forth). And Palyne's experiences -- all of them -- are readily recognizable to someone who is familiar with Kundalini activation/arousal, which is known to cause the eruption siddhis (along with other physical effects noted by Palyne). The Kundalini arousal model is just one template with which to analyze her story.

My working theory (always subject to revision) is that the barriers between consensus reality and the liminal realm (Vallee's Magonia) can become thin for a variety of reasons -- a deep inhalation of DMT, a UFO sighting on a dark road, a psychotic episode, exhaustion, trauma, or the mindset of someone attempting an occult working.

Once the veils part, and paranormal phenomena manifests, further energy feeds into the complex. Once someone becomes "open," and lets down his or her guard, the energies behind the paranormal experiences find a willing host. Jim DeKorne's Gnostic or "Archon" hypothesis makes perfect sense to me (see his excellent book Psychedelic Shamanism). Keel's thinking is also similar.

So someone like Palyne begins to have paranormal experiences. She is frightened (a highly energetic state) by those experiences, but also intrigued and drawn to the mystery. That interest -- that excitable state of openness -- facilitates more paranormal activity. The door opens wider the more you try to see what's on the other side.

And an open door, especially if there is light streaming through, attracts all sorts of cold, hungry wanderers.

Palyne's story should serve as a cautionary tale, particularly for those of us who are inclined to delve into the borderlands. It pays to be cautious when feeding the Archons -- even if you believe that's just a fancy word for a psychological complex.

Dion Fortune's Psychic Self Defense should be on everyone's bookshelf. At the very least, if you find things are weird and getting weirder, take a break. Socialize as much as possible. Work hard at immersing yourself in mundane tasks, especially physical activity. When it comes to this subject, balance is not only important -- it can save your life.