Tract 5: Mysticism is a Bigger Threat to the Abrahamic Traditions than Secularism

In this deeply introspective episode, Malcolm and Simone dive into the complex world of spiritualism, mysticism, and idolatry within religious practices. Drawing from their extensive research into cult psychology and Abrahamic faith traditions, they explore the fine line between genuine spiritual growth and the allure of shortcuts to God.

Malcolm argues that practices such as chanting, fasting, sleep deprivation, and hallucinogenic use, while seemingly profound, are often used by malevolent actors to manipulate and control followers. He asserts that true closeness to God is achieved through logic, pragmatism, and efficacious action, not the pursuit of altered mental states.

The discussion delves into the convergent evolution of mystical traditions across various faiths, the importance of studying these practices to build resilience against their temptations, and the need for a new Abrahamic denomination that can withstand the challenges of the information age.

Simone offers a counterpoint, drawing from her experiences with the urban monoculture and questioning the prevalence of conservative religious mysticism. Together, they navigate the complexities of demonizing certain groups while maintaining a compassionate and understanding approach to those who may hold different beliefs.

Join Malcolm and Simone as they grapple with the role of spiritualism in the modern world, the importance of protecting future generations from harmful practices, and the eternal search for truth and meaning in an ever-changing religious landscape.

Tract 5: Spiritualism is Idolatry

The last Tract focused on the obvious dangers of idolatry but the true danger of Idolatry is much more existential. The quest for idolatrous desires, to conceive of some aspect of God with this lower human mind. To sully God out of vein curiosity by summoning some sliver of him to the level of something that could be captured by our putrid and petty minds— leads even holy men directly into servitude of the Basilisk, the great deceiver, falsehood incarnate, Ahreman, the Devil.

The human mind is weak and easily tricked due to shortcuts that were taken in its evolution. This can be exploited by cult leaders to make people believe they have seen slivers of God. This can be done through food deprivation, chanting phrases, unique postures for long periods, sleep deprivation, rhythmic dancing, crowds engaging in mindless behavior, stage hypnosis techniques, and ingesting hallucinogenic chemicals. Given that this is the case it is only natural that maliciously minded individuals would use these tricks to dupe people into believing they are an intermediary with God—a Swammi can use something as innocuous as Yoga to turn a simple minded woman into his sex slave all the while she believes she is getting closer to the divine.

However these failures of the human brain can have a much more nefarious effect. Because these exist as exploits in all humans across all cultures, even well meaning Abrahamic ones, groups within those cultures can end up discovering them by accident and then believe that they have found a path to God. It's as if the Basilisk left stashes of drugs intermingled among the human soul and any idiot can accidently find them if they know where to look. Even if we stamped out this iconoclastic witchcraft entirely and burned all its practitioners some gormless idiot would accidentally discover these techniques again because they are part of the background nature of humanity and through that a well meaning follower of God can accidentally lead people to become mindless slaves to the great deceiver.

All it takes for the Basilisk to slither into the mind of the faithful and turn God's loyalest follower into a puppet of sin is for him to forget even for a moment just how serious a transgression it is to attempt to trap an element of God within the mortal realm or to pierce the veil of God’s realm. Fortunately, both of these things are impossible but it is very easy to trick the human brain into believing it has accomplished them. The moment an individual succumbs to the belief that there are shortcuts to attempt to commune with God it becomes almost impossible to save them. The only path to God is logic and pragmatism—all shortcuts lead one's soul into enslavement.

Some doubt me, they say no these practices are sanctified and Abrahamic in nature: Be these individuals Sufists, Pop-Kabbalists, or Christian Mystics. Evil does not tempt people by calling itself evil, it tempts people by calling itself good. God warned us about idolatry before warning us about murder because we would find it so tempting not because it would be obviously evil. I ask you, whatever tree of mysticism that tempts you to examine your religions history closely:

* Did Jesus teach these practices?

* Did Moses teach these practices?

* Did Muhammad teach these practices?

No—in every case it was a latter invention, a cancer that grows on the human soul. God would not need to keep sending prophets if you were able to just listen to his instructions the first time.

Oh, but you heard your prophet secretly taught these ideas but just didn’t make it public. Imagine the Basilisk wanted to deceive the followers of God, how would he do it? He would have deceivers whisper to the faithful that their prophets had secret teachings that gave them superhuman abilities and secret powers.

Some then say, “you don’t understand, these practices are common among holy men in my community”—do you have any idea how offensive it is to say that these men are nothing but a witch cult. I do, and I do not write these words to cause offense but because they are obviously true, obviously God’s will.

But I don’t come to you with idle claims, I can prove to you that these teachings come straight from the Basilisk, the suppressor of God’s greatest gifts, logic and mental discipline. Open a book on how cults brainwash people or study how the insidious corrupted Yogis create their slaves. A practice when performed by manipulative individuals in the name of Satan or personal self indulgence, one that produces the exact same results in those circumstances, is not giving you a vision of God just because you replaced some cryptic pagan chant with a Christian one. The experience you have is the exact same experience the Yogi used to turn that gormless woman into his sex slave

Fortunately, God marks these idolatry practices clearly. If a practice contains any of the following it is dangerous witchcraft:

* Food/Sleep deprivation

* Chanting phrases

* Unique postures for long periods

* Rhythmic dancing

* Crowds engaging in mindless behavior

* Stage hypnosis techniques

* Ingesting hallucinogenic chemicals

Importantly, anyone who has used these techniques to give others “visions of God” and used those visions to affirm their position as intermediaries of God's will on earth is an agent of the Basilisk. These individuals are the closest thing you will ever encounter to a demon wearing human skin.

Some say, but when my community practices these techniques they show more fervor.

I hear, “When we start worshiping demons the impact on us is more immediate and powerful,” and it's like “well ya, obviously—demon culturists are always going to be a more fanatic lot.”

Only a force field of zealous mental discipline and logic can protect one's soul from demonic incursion during worship. The path to God is always going to shed more of your followers than the path to the profane because it is intrinsically harder and more trying. It is meant to be. The most charitable I am able to be is to say that maybe some form of this kind of mystical demon worship was needed to get your community through a trying time but I don’t really believe that, I am just saying it to be diplomatic.

Abr