The 8-Circuit Model of Consciousness
Though useful, as any model will be, the Eight-Circuit Model is incomplete.
Though useful, as any model will be, the Eight-Circuit Model is incomplete. In the interests of establishing some common ground and agreeing on useful terminology, I'd like to describe some additional models and maybe develop some terminology.
Metaprogramming, as Dr. John Lilly defined it, involves altering or reprogramming the underlying processes of the human mind. It's a concept often associated with expanding consciousness and exploring different states of awareness.
The concept of "metaprogramming" takes on a fascinating twist, suggesting that the human mind, often referred to as the biocomputer, can be consciously programmed in ways far beyond our current understanding. In this futuristic world, the human mind operates as an intricate, ever-running system of programs, each controlling and regulating various aspects of an individual's existence.
These programs extend far beyond the basic physiological functions. They encompass the very essence of human life. Some programs maintain the continuous operation of vital organs, while others meticulously manage oxygen levels and consumption. There are programs dedicated to monitoring and maintaining energy reserves, manifesting as hunger when more sustenance is required. Yet more programs govern the complex choreography of muscular and skeletal movements, orchestrating the intricate dance of walking and performing countless other physical tasks.
A significant portion of these programs can be considered "hardwired" into the human system, meaning they are inherently embedded and operational from the very start, requiring no additional learning. These programs come preloaded with the basic equipment, much like a software package installed on a computer. They seamlessly oversee crucial functions, acting as the core operating system of human existence.
However, not all programs are innate. Some of these require a substantial amount of learning and adaptation before they can be fully utilized, even though the underlying hardware is prepared to run them. Take, for instance, the complex art of walking or mastering spatial-temporal location reflexes. If you were to observe a young, burgeoning individual exploring their surroundings, you would witness the gradual development of these fundamental motion and location reflexes. Learning to walk, in particular, serves as a compelling illustration of this intricate process.
In this futuristic narrative, the interplay between pre-existing, hardwired programs and learned behaviors underscores the potential for humans to harness and even modify these core functionalities, opening up a realm of possibilities in the enhancement and evolution of the human experience.
Humans are inherently built to walk on two legs. However, mastering this requires approximately two years of training to refine the intricate calculations that harmonize location and balance inputs with muscular-skeletal coordination. Additionally, there are more complex programs that demand learning, including language, symbol manipulation, social interactions, and various disciplines like science, business, and art. Eventually, the organism must acquire the ability to learn itself.
This is metaprogramming: the program which enables the organism to orchestrate the vast numbers of subordinate programs, develop new programs, and coordinate the interactions between them. There are likely many metaprograms as well. Different styles of learning, for example.
Somewhere in this sea of metaprograms arises a particular set of metaprograms which represent the self. These are usually refered to as 'I' when acting on other metaprograms, and 'me' when being acted upon by other metaprograms. Lilly calls this the 'self-metaprogrammer'. Beyond these metaprograms, there may be other controls and controllers in the hierarchy, which Lilly labels 'supraself-metaprograms'.
To quote Lilly:
These may be many or one, depending on current states of consciousness in the single self-metaprogrammer. These may be personified as if entities, treated as if a network for information transfer, or realized as if self traveling in the Universe to strange lands or dimensions or spaces. If one does a further unification operation on these supraself metaprograms, one may arrive at a concept labeled God, the Creator, the Starmaker, or whatever. ...
Certain states of consciousness result from and cause operations of this apparent unification phenomenon. We are still general purpose computers who can program any conceivable model of the universe inside our own structure, reduce the single self-metaprogrammer to a micro size, and program him to travel through his own model as if real. ... Once one has control over modelling the universe inside one's self, and is able to vary the parameters satisfactorily, one's self may reflect this ability by changing appropriately to match the new property.
This hierarchy of programs and metaprograms is summarized in the following diagram of levels of functional organization:
LEVELS
XI Unknown Above and in biocomputer
X Supra-species-metaprograms Beyond metaprogramming
IX Supra-self-metaprograms To be metaprogrammed
VIII Self-metaprogram (awareness) To metaprogram
VII Metaprograms/metaprogram storage To program sets of programs
VI Programs/program storage Detailed instructions
V Subroutines/subroutine storage Details of instructions
IV Biochemical/neural/glial/vascular Signs of activity
III Biochemical/neural/glial/vascular Brain
II Biochemical/sensory/motor/vascular Body
I Biochemical/chemical/physical External reality
A quick glance at this table reveals a few intriguing aspects. Firstly, it's apparent that this model is open-ended, symbolizing things it cannot inherently represent, such as level XI. This suggests the possibility of uncharted experiential data beyond level XI. Secondly, there's a semblance to Leary's 8-circuit model, although it doesn't precisely align with the same claims regarding specific functioning. Nevertheless, with some analysis, one could potentially identify how the various 8 circuits might interplay within this model.
The following list summarizes Dr. Lilly’s conception of the levels of functional hierarchy of programs and metaprograms.
I Biochemical/Chemical/Physical External Reality
II Biochemical/Sensory/Motor/Vascular Body
III Biochemical/Neural/Glial/Vascular Brain
IV Biochemical/Neural/Glial/Vascular Signs of Activity
V Subroutines/Subroutine Storage Details of Instructions
VI Programs/Program Storage Detailed Instructions
VII Metaprograms/Metaprogram Storage To Program Sets of Programs
VIII Self-Metaprogram (Awareness) To Metaprogram
IX Supra-Self-Metaprograms To Be Metaprogrammed
X Supra-Species-Metaprograms Beyond Metaprogramming
XI Unknown Above and in Biocomputer
Dr. Lilly’s complete scheme is complex, but for our purposes, we need mainly be concerned with a simplified version.
1. The Biosurvival Circuit – Physical Intelligence (“Consciousness”)
The Biosurvival Circuit is concerned with sucking, nourishment, cuddling, and security. Imprinted in very early infancy, this circuit sets up the basic attitude of trust or suspicion, dividing the world into nurturing-helpful and noxious-dangerous phenomena, and establishes our tendencies to approach and accept versus fight or flee. According to Leary, this circuit can be observed in the effect of opiates. (This is why Freudians identify opiate addiction with the desire to return to infancy.)
2. The Emotional-Territorial Circuit – Emotional Intelligence (“Ego”)
Imprinted in the toddling stage, this circuit is concerned with territorial demands, emotional power tactics, and political domination/submission strategies. The manner in which this circuit is imprinted determines the stimuli that will automatically trigger dominant, aggressive behavior or submissive, cooperative behavior. When we say that a person is behaving ‘like a two-year-old,’ we mean that he or she is blindly following one of the tunnel-realities imprinted on this circuit. Leary believed this circuit could be observed in the effect of large amounts of alcohol. The more alcohol is consumed, the more vertebrate territorial patterns and mammalian emotional politics become apparent.
3. The Semantic Circuit – Conceptual Intelligence (“Mind”)
This is the time-binding, semantic circuit, also called the Dexterity-Symbolism circuit. Imprinted by human artifacts and symbol systems, it is concerned with handling the environment, invention, calculation, prediction, and creating a “map” of the universe. Depending on how stimulating the environment may be, a child may take a “bright” imprint, becoming dexterous and articulate. If the necessary stimuli are lacking, a child may take a “dumb” imprint and remain more or less at a 5-year-old stage of artifact clumsiness and symbol-blindness. Leary believed this circuit could be observed in the effects of caffeine, cocaine, and other stimulants.
4. The Socio-Sexual Circuit – Social Intelligence (“Adult Personality”)
Imprinted by the first orgasm-mating experiences and tribal “morals”, this circuit is concerned with sexual pleasure, local definitions of morality, reproduction, and the nurture of the young.
Social Intelligence
5. The Neurosomatic Circuit – Sensory Intelligence
This circuit is concerned with neurological-somatic feedbacks, feeling high, and somatic reprogramming. Activating this circuit shifts focus from linear visual space to all-encompassing sensory space, resulting in a degree of detachment from the previously compulsive mechanism of the first four circuits. According to Leary, this circuit is activated by ecstatic states such as those produced by cannibis, the practice of sexual yoga, sensory deprivation, or the experience of zero gravity. (Something like 85% of those who have experienced zero gravity describes “mystic experiences” or rapture states typical of the neurosomatic circuit.). Historically, this circuit has traditionally been reserved to the educated aristocracy of leisure societies who have solved the four survival problems embodied in the first four circuits.
6. The Neuroelectric Circuit – Psychic Intelligence
Imprinted by advanced yogas, this circuit is concerned with reimprinting and reprogramming all earlier circuits, and realization of the relativity of “realities” perceived. (Compare this with the “Self-Metaprogramming” level of Dr. John Lilly’s model.) According to Leary and Wilson, this circuit could be activated by advanced practices of Raja Yoga, Aleister Crowley’s approach to western magical practices, and the experience of indole-based psychedelics such as psilocybin and mescaline.
7. The Neurogenetic Circuit – Mythic Intelligence
Imprinted by advanced yogas, this circuit is concerned with evolutionary consciousness (both past and future), DNA-RNA-Brain feedbacks, and Jung’s “Collective Unconscious.” (Compare to levels IX and X of Dr. John Lilly’s model.) Activating this circuit produces experience of “past lives” and perceptions of immortality. The “akashic records” of Theosophy and the “collective unconscious” of Jung are examples of seventh circuit experience. According to Leary, this circuit can be activated by LSD. While there are no specific exercises in yogic traditions that activate this circuit, seventh circuit experiences occur spontaneously to some, and regular practice of advanced Raja Yoga techniques can eventually be followed by seventh circuit experiences. …
8. The Neuroatomic Circuit – Spiritual Intelligence
Imprinted by shock or near-death experience, Leary believed that this circuit is concerned with quantum consciousness and non-local awareness, resulting in so-called psychic or magical powers and perceptions. Activating this circuit typically results in “Out-of-body” experiences, and experiences of contact with alien or spiritual “entities”. Activation of this circuit obliterates space-time as we normally perceive it. Again, sometimes spontaneously experienced by some people on rare occasions.
The various levels neural circuitry can be viewed as stages in the evolution of the nervous system. Each imprint creates a bigger tunnel-reality. As we become aware of our programming and metaprogramming, we become more capable of creating our own programs and metaprograms, taking an active part in the assemblage of our world and in our role in evolution.
As with Dr. Lilly’s model of neuro-circuitry, Dr. Leary’s model may be most useful as a descriptive scheme and a methodology for categorizing and evaluating different practices.
"Take a moment to examine your biocomputer's operation through the lens of these models and explore its relevance."