IDEAS

THE WORLD'S OUT OF MAGICK

Dungeons and Dragons can save us, philosophically

By Cameron Lindquist


Magick is a way of describing energy and everything in contemporary 21st century culture runs on energy. Machines, people, all run on energy and it’s interesting to note that many anti-urban philosophers of the 20th century foresaw the connection between the burning of fossil fuels, our technology, and a lack of concern for human lives.With the proliferation of electronic machinery and artificial intelligence we are living in a new paradigm, one that is louder and faster and also less inquisitive and humane. This condition finds its clarity in the logic of the algorithm. What makes the algorithm dangerous is that it is not magick; it is an intelligence based on the accumulation of the information we feed it. However, it is still able to take over experiences that have been traditionally and previously occupied by spiritual and emotional connections. This creates a void in our lives. Contemporary technology gives power to those who believe that technological advancement is the key to humanity's salvation. And that puts them in conflict with those who still believe that natural energy (magick) is the truer and more just course.

The 21st century is encrusted with the grime of decaying and rising capitalist systems. The American political system is increasingly corporate and global in its misguided aspirations. The same goes for the developed European nations. Even countries that proclaim Marxist systems are obviously tyrannical and oppressive governments (China, Russia, North Korea). This has catapulted us into a spiritual dark age. Magick is ignored and information is clung to with such intense extremism that even common radicals hold the algorithm in deep esteem to the point of fascism. Technology sits at the core of this horrid system. Computers and the internet have been utilized by larger power structures to twist and distort our world: leaving us in a landscape that is almost unrecognizable to those who have experienced the world before digitization. However, technology changes how we do things and not who we are. If we forget that we will find ourselves capable of the deepest atrocities.

All atrocities are not or are equal?

I believe that the first step in fixing this predicament is to rediscover the magick of the self. We exist as individuals, but allow ourselves to be absorbed by the Internet. This causes us to forget who we are. What we need is active self reflection: accepting the past; and finding a balance between technology and our connection with nature. This will give us the ability to use the computer in new and revolutionary ways. When we lose ourselves to the Cloud our reality distorts itself to match the overwhelming amount of information presented by the algorithm. Through self reflection we are able to rediscover our intuition. Through reconnection to nature we are able to rediscover ourselves. However the computer has given us so many distractions that it is almost impossible to break this cycle without new strategies for how we develop ourselves and our systems.

In a World that is separated from its spirit, it is imperative to understand the subliminal truths that exist in art. Therefore to set up a framework for this conversation we will utilize Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) as a metaphysical speculation for talking about the ways to further our understanding of ourselves and our societal structures. Despite the fact that this is a tabletop game, the metaphors are absolutely powerful specifically because of the Character sheet (link below). This is the tool used to define the attributes, class, and alignment of a given character. Taking this tool out of the context of the Tabletop RPG (role playing game) turns it into a powerful model of self reflection. One that I will be using during this essay to speak on the underlying truths I have discovered in our relations to society, technology and magick.

Fill it out and free your mind

In D&D, as well as in the real world, our skills are governed by attributes. For the purpose of this essay we are only going to talk about the attributes that govern the use of magick. Intelligence is the ability to relate to others, Wisdom is the ability to relate to the self, and Charisma is the ability to use what we understand to influence energy and perspective. These constructs show the ways people find their positions in society. The intelligentsia, let’s say, scientists engineer and design technology. The wise can access intuitions that give them a more well-rounded perspective (spiritualists). The charismatic give off energies that infatuate the world around them (artists). None of these characters can operate fully without the others. However if a person chooses to develop all three, they put themselves in a position where they have access to the highest levels of magick.

In society, class is used to describe a person's social standing. This definition is based entirely on material wealth and power. In D&D, however, a person's class is based on the skills that they’ve developed. This version of class allows for a more healthy way of developing both individually and collectively. Hierarchy corrupts the mind and causes it to maintain pretension and elitism. It also restricts opportunity for those who are not part of the privileged class. This privilege is merely a lingering construct of colonialism (It is manifested in sexism, racism, and xenophobia) which is often reinforced by technology and bureaucratic systems. Privilege should not be connected to a social class, but rather to personal honor.

I have or hate privilege?

The reason I hate privilege in the 21st century is because it is not consensual. Underneath its veneer of respectability is violence, from the rich to the poor to the powerful to the weak. By denying access to honor, violence becomes an overwhelming presence. When you force someone away from their right to power and ability to interact with the world around them they are easier to oppress and control. However violence also occurs when you put someone into a position where they have power that they did not earn. This puts the children of the upper classes in a position where they cannot properly interact with themselves or those around them. They have too much control. By acknowledging the D&D class system we give ourselves a system where privilege can be earned equally by all peoples, removing any question of being good enough from our minds.

Much of the self-doubt in our world comes from curiosity about alignment. The D&D alignment model creates a matrix with three rows and three columns. The elements combined in this matrix are contrasting terms:



Good is often used to refer to a righteous act while Evil is deemed to be a selfish act. Law creates order and justice and Chaos drips with uncertainty. Neutrality is the closest thing to objectivity that exists on earth, because it is the way of nature. Our Black & White model for morality paints a picture where the goal is to be lawful good. Work hard and abide by the laws of your area and everything will come out your way. The chaotic evil in our society believes the opposite and chooses embellishment over understanding and caring for reality. Both sides of this spectrum are removed from the self-realization of morality. To be neutral gives an individual the highest moral standing, because it gives one the most room to move to react to each situation appropriately as it happens. Acceptance and release of control are the keys to becoming a neutrally minded person.

By finding new ways to describe reality we can break the cycles of old world problems. Once we understand ourselves, we have the ability to operate more holistically and see reality from multiple perspectives. Self acceptance is the first step in becoming more comfortable with eliminating the fear and deprivation that supposedly comes from the presence of other people.

Fear creates lines of hurt

All fear stems from an overemphasis on survival. This is what causes stockpiling of food and weapons in extremist groups. Once we accept ourselves and others we must accept death. This is the hardest truth to come to terms with and many will spend their whole life miserable because they deny the ever-present reality of death. This is why we are so attracted to the distraction of technology as it seemingly creates the possibility of immortality.

However, this is the most dangerous lie of the algorithm and it is only when we allow ourselves to be close to death that that we truly learn what it means to live. In D&D the character you embody is mortal. One unfortunate mishap and you must retire your character sheet and will lose all of the time put into it. The magick in this is that the stakes of death in the game are more meaningful. This is also true of our real lives. Bravery and caution allows for safety in the face of death while also feeling the rush of life that it offers.

Technology has caused many problems but also offers many solutions. To interact with technology in a healthy way we must accept magick, ourselves, others, and our mortality. Then we will be able to utilize the new structures offered by technology for the benefit of humanity rather than seeing it only as an obstacle that could easily cause our demise. Dungeons and dragons offer many metaphors through its character sheet and structure that allow for us to interact with these constructs emotionally giving us freedom from the cold mechanical existence celebrated by those it gives power to. Play games, live with love, don’t be afraid and the next generation might see a life worth living, but change has to start now with us.

©Cameron Lindquist and the CCA Arts Review


No comments:

Post a Comment