Techno Shamanism

Even though this blog covers some pretty esoteric topics, it's meant to work toward a solution to a concrete problem. It's a search for a better way of life, which of course is a perennial quest for people all over the planet.

The quest currently takes place against the backdrop of technologies like high speed networks and low cost ubiquitous computers that enable decentralization of the economy. Applications of those technologies like home built CNC machines or low-cost 3D printing puts advanced manufacturing techniques into the hands of anybody who wants to use them. YouTube provides graduate level courses on a variety of subjects for free. The corresponding societal changes spurred by these technologies are yet to be seen.

There is a lot of experimentation going toward creating new modes and orders. Since much of this experimentation is taking place within the confines of settled and well established nations, like western European countries, or Canada or the US, it looks more like individual, or maybe small scale cultural secession rather than political secession. (except for some interesting an isolated cases: see Liberland as one example.)

Amish buggy in Middlefield, Ohio

The Amish are one familiar case of cultural secession. Here in Geauga County, Ohio, there is a large (about 12,000 out of the 93,000+ people in the county) , prosperous Amish community and there's a lot of interaction between the "English" and the Amish.

The Amish show it's possible to set up a parallel economy and culture with a relatively small group of people. The Amish community, for example, seems to include a high number of businesses relative to the rest of the county. My guess is this is possible because the Amish self finance enterprises rather than rely exclusively on the banking system. The culture of the Amish enables the to make choices that align to advance their own self interest as well as what they deem to be morally good.

It seems plausible to build other parallel cultures within the Western countries by following the Amish as a basic template and synthesizing it with other, maybe older models.

The idea I have in mind is a techno shamanic culture, a culture of people who know how to do things and how to make things; a culture of people who do not depend on systems to supply their needs.