"Prisoner of Infinity; UFO's, Social Engineering and the Psychology of Fragmentation," by Jasun Horsley.

Heather

Dagobah Resident
My first mention of Jasun Horsley's book, "Prisoner of Infinity, UFO's, Social Engineering, and the Psychology of Fragmentation" is on the "Coronavirus Pandemic" thread, and so I'll paste in those relevant posts here:

Nucifera said:

Good points. A body is important as a tool of spirit in order to inhabit the material world and do work. It makes sense to treat it well and develop understanding of how it works. But I wouldn't put a car on the same footing as the driver. OTOH, a broken car may delay ones arrival.

To me, this body/soul dichotomy seems a significant area to pursue more. Perhaps a thread could be started if there were some interest in this. For me what it brings to mind is Jasun Horsley, specifically his book "Prisoner of Infinity; UFO's, Social Engineering and the Psychology of Fragmentation," which speaks to this issue in an in depth and eloquent way.

Horsely used to heavily identify with Whitley Strieber until that time that he started to pick up on cracks in what Strieber was purporting. And, especially given Strieber has received some serious attention for this latest book, Horsley felt it incumbent upon himself to re-visit his problems with Strieber, with this book being the result.

I, myself, have never read Strieber, and yet the issues addressed in Horsley's book implicate a great deal more than Strieber (Horsley is in a sense using Strieber to get at these larger ideas), and this has me wanting to give the book another read through. Horsley does have an interest in psychology -- he isn't adverse to citing Freud or Lacan (as many here would be) -- and yet I never found him to be limited, or in some way misguided in that respect. Perhaps it's that (as per many of his podcasts) he has a subtle and penetrating mind, one which never loses track of its focus, which really comes down to dismantling the mind's carefully crafted (especially from a social engineering perspective) illusions, so to hone in on the real trouble: that associated with trauma -- childhood trauma most especially.

Since we as a culture have entered the newest installment of "the space age," Horsley's book seems particularly relevant, especially since, as is already underway, a new socially engineered UFO "disclosure" operation is upon us. Horsley, in viewing the current space agenda through the lens of traumatic dissociation, comes up with some serious ideas to sit with and mull over.

Here's a sample (from Horsley's book) of what I mean:

[Transhumanist, Ray] Kurtzweil and Strieber share a common preoccupation with extending their existence beyond the physical, even to the point of completely detaching themselves (their ego-minds) from their bodies. There may be a psychological explanation for this preoccupation, besides simply fear of death [something I believe Strieber talks about].
During the first years of the infant's life, there is a fundamental need to fully separate from the mother's body, to "disenmesh" from her psyche and develop an autonomous, authentic sense of self. For this to happen a strong paternal presence is required to "fish" the child out of the mother's psyche and provide an environment for the child to gradually shift his focus away from the mother and onto the world at large. The father's task is to preside over this transition from mother-dependency to autonomy, to help the child to develop his awareness as a separate body and a correspondingly healthy ego. When--as is so often the case in the Western world--the father is absent and /or indifferent (or, possibly worse, abusive), there is no way for this process to happen. As a result, the child remains hopelessly lost in what Margaret Mahler called "symbiotic psychosis," a "delirious state of undifferentiation between the ego and the object" (Thomson, 2005).[2]
The mother-bonded adult experiences himself as somehow trapped, confined, restricted. He feels prevented (often by some hidden, sinister force) from experiencing reality and himself as they truly are. Without awareness of the underlying cause of this "bondage," there is a natural tendency to place the focus outside of the self, onto the universe at large. At the same time, the feeling of imprisonment is projected onto the the body itself. A very real, deeply felt need to complete the separation from the mother's body is experienced as a need to escape from the body. Such a "complex" could give rise to a preoccupation with "exteriorization" from the body, whether by converting consciousness into digital data and sending it across space-time, or (as in alleged "remote viewing" programs of the US military) accessing a "subtle," "astral," or energy body and projecting it outward, through space and time, to become, like Strieber with his implant, a major Mental Traveler.
The creation of a "mental body"--an image of the body which can be used as a vehicle for self-consciousness to leave the body--is a common feature of occult writing about psychism and "sorcery," and something I've been familiar with at least since my early twenties, when I first read Carlos Casteneda...
... [Horsley continues] I have had my share of "astral projection" experiences, including "transhuman" (and/or alien) states of perception and being. One thing I eventually came to notice was how often I returned from such excursions to an unusually poor state of health, so much so that it would sometimes take an hour or more to feel strong enough to get out of bed. Eventually a Jungian therapist I was seeing informally (the one who recommended [Donald] Kalsched) suggested that all of my out-of-body journeys and dreams of space flight were, at base, an attempt to escape the reality of my body. She advised me to turn my focus around, to the inside of my body and ordinary, mundane aspects of life. I have been following this advice ever since, and my astral journeys and/or visionary dreams have mostly tapered off. Do I miss them? Yes. Am I more grounded in (and accepting of) my everyday self and reality? Yes. Ironically, or perhaps not, the less I experience what I was perpetually striving to experience, the less perpetual my striving has become. I also find it a lot easier to get out of bed in the morning.
Trauma leads to dissociation; dissociation is when a part of the individual's psyche withdraws from an intolerable situation because it is impossible to withdraw physically. Strieber, and countless others in the fields of religion, psychism and ufology, are arguing that dissociation and/or out-of-body experiences that result from trauma are ways to access realms of experience otherwise unavailable to us. While (based on my own experiences) trauma can and does lead to authentic "soul journeys," what is not being discussed, so far as I can tell, is the assumption that, because they are genuine--or to the degree which they are genuine--these visionary states are desirable and beneficent to us.
My own position is that these non-corporeal excursions not only depend on a disconnection from the body but exacerbate it. I would even suggest (again based on direct experience) that this is the sole imagined "benefit" of such experiences, namely, that they allow for a surrogate form of individuation and a "pseudo-enlightenment," one which I suspect is not only no substitute for the real thing but which may severely reduce the chances of it ever happening. If we find a convincing counterfeit for what, at the very deepest level, we are striving for, we may suppress our knowing that something isn't right, in order to settle for the more easily available substitute. Yet the substitute cannot ever satisfy. And meanwhile, there is also nothing quite as addictive as the cure that almost works.
The attempt to escape psychological bondage to the mother by leaving the body (or the planet) behind is the attempt to extend the infantile into the infinite. [end excerpt, "Prisoner of Infinity," Jasun Horsley]

Significant to note, re: the passage I highlighted, wouldn't THAT be an excellent way for the "control network" to keep us all imprisoned? (and to keep "real" enlightenment, however we may choose to discuss what that is, from ever happening?).

The relationship between body and mind is also discussed in this book... let me look and see if I can end here with a relevant excerpt..

... here's something, although it has more to do with the psyche or soul, as opposed to 'mind' (I haven't found the 'mind' passage I was looking for):


It may be that "galactic consciousness"-- far from being the deranged brainchild of religious engineers... is an inevitable aspect of the fact that the universe is conscious, to some degree at least. It may be that, if all its parts are demonstrably interconnected, such an awakening is inevitable. In which case, the hidden powers-that-be may be compulsively driven (by their own trauma-based patterns) to make the necessary preparations--not to meet and embrace this awakening but to coopt it: to prepare forms, structures, and channels--memes, systems of worship or quasi worship, and sociopolitical agendas--[from] which to redirect it, in order to ensure the survival of the dominant paradigm.
We don't have to posit some malevolent, age-long conspiracy here (not on the part of human beings, at least). We only have to imagine what happens when an organism (if culture is an organism) senses its livelihood is under threat: It finds a way to survive. For a collective human psyche on the run from its own demons, split off from the ground of the body by repeated traumas, "hyperspace" may seem like the only possible way to go. The "Rapture" of a mass reenactment of the original trauma may be as foreordained as a killer's irrational return to the scene of the crime. Global catastrophe (whether by asteroid, ice age, or alien invasion), the decimation of the populace, and the ensuing (or concurrent) attempt at dissociative flight (space travel) by the remnants into hyper-dimensional/archetypal/daimonic realms, all would be a case of history repeating itself, en masse, ad nauseum.
If the end of such a grand visionary agenda were the healing of the original split, it would be essential that the Rapture-enactment fail. This would be the only way for humanity in toto to reexperience the very thing it could not allow itself to experience the first time around: a full body-psyche integration and the corresponding awakening, not merely from but through the nightmare of history, into "cosmic" time. The soul's full descent into the body is the bringing of Heaven down to Earth, not by force or supplication but by intelligent, tender compliance, by the simple willingness (and desire ) to receive it.


[end excerpt, "Prisoner of Infinity," Jasun Horsley]


seeker2seer said:

Heather,

Could you perhaps start a thread on this book you mentioned? I just read a description of it and a looked at the table of contents. Considering the subject matter and topics covered it looks very interesting but also, somewhat disturbing. What was the effect on you after reading it?

Well, what first drew me to Horsley was his interest in trauma, especially childhood trauma, which is a subject I've learned more and more about as I've matured, and with the help of a therapist, who actually recommended to me one of the books by Donald Kalsched that Horsley references. Kalsched is Jungian (my therapist was not), and his "archetypal" references maintain that "Jungian flavor," let's call it, which really doesn't resonate with my own psyche's conjurings. Still, the idea of working through one's personal trauma (ranging from subtle to overt) in order to make way for the "soul to land in the body" seems to me to be a useful way of thinking about healing, and wholeness.

@seeker2seer, I'm not sure what you find disturbing. That would be an interesting, even important conversation to have, maybe. I think if we are dependent, even addicted to "escape" strategies -- without necessarily realizing we are even doing that -- then it might be unpleasant, even a bit scary to start to take all that apart. And yet ultimately it could be very freeing. Actually, you might want to dig around in Horsley's podcast archive.. go back as far as you can... you'll find conversations he's had with ordinary listeners that might touch on some of your own concerns. He looks to have a "real" connection with people. And I was always impressed with how articulate he could be in addressing issues "on the fly," as it were, as they came up in conversation.

But back to Horsley's book, in one of the excerpts I quoted... let me paste in what I mean here:

... [Horsley continues] I have had my share of "astral projection" experiences, including "transhuman" (and/or alien) states of perception and being. One thing I eventually came to notice was how often I returned from such excursions to an unusually poor state of health, so much so that it would sometimes take an hour or more to feel strong enough to get out of bed. Eventually a Jungian therapist I was seeing informally (the one who recommended [Donald] Kalsched) suggested that all of my out-of-body journeys and dreams of space flight were, at base, an attempt to escape the reality of my body. She advised me to turn my focus around, to the inside of my body and ordinary, mundane aspects of life. I have been following this advice ever since, and my astral journeys and/or visionary dreams have mostly tapered off. Do I miss them? Yes. Am I more grounded in (and accepting of) my everyday self and reality? Yes. Ironically, or perhaps not, the less I experience what I was perpetually striving to experience, the less perpetual my striving has become. I also find it a lot easier to get out of bed in the morning.

I think this "coming down to earth" that Horsley is describing brings up something very important. Again, as I've listened to a lot of his podcasts for the last several years or so, I have in a sense witnessed his having arrived more and more at "the mundane," let's call it. Similarly, speaking for myself, I know I've largely left "living in my head" -- even if I'm speaking of creative outlets like writing -- but, whether it's a creative outlet or something else, you know when you're somehow "disconnected." Maybe there's always a slight "disconnect" when entering the world of writing, but I guess I'm talking about degrees. In any case, I find it's true, the more I leave this "living in my head" behind, the closer I've been feeling to wholeness. I didn't set out to do this, either. I think consistently going to this chiropractor/energy healer person for years now has been a part of this process. As to my coming upon Horsley, it's funny how you can be drawn to someone useful to you when you are already in sync with that person in some significant way.

But I wanted to get back to arriving at this more "mundane" way of being.


Definition of mundane (Merriam Webster)

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the world

2 : characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : commonplace, the mundane concerns of day-to-day life

Also: earthly, worldly, mundane mean belonging to or characteristic of the earth... earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual... abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent... worldly and mundane both imply a relation to the immediate concerns and activities of human beings, worldly suggesting tangible personal gain or gratification -- worldly goods -- and mundane suggesting reference to the immediate and practical... a mundane discussion of finances.

'Transitory' is interesting in this context, since sometimes you hit a kind of "void" before something new comes in. And so the mundane might be a "waiting room" kind of place. I think it's also to allow yourself to be where you are; to not try and "force" something to happen. Not that I can't go for a bike ride and feel connected to nature, to the trees all around me, to the lake, the wonderful breeze, the birds. And yet that too is "mundane" in the sense that it's actually "in the world"; it's not "escaping" to have such an experience. Maybe it's to say that the "wonders" are indeed "in the world," and we more fully partake of them the more we heal the traumas and the drive to dissociate as a result of them. It seems it's a process of stripping away the mind's unnecessary, even deleterious escape routes.

In a spiritual sense, having arrived at the "mundane," this would then allow for something "real" to take place. As per what I excerpted earlier:


[Horsley] If the end of such a grand visionary agenda were the healing of the original split, it would be essential that the Rapture-enactment fail. This would be the only way for humanity in toto to reexperience the very thing it could not allow itself to experience the first time around: a full body-psyche integration and the corresponding awakening, not merely from but through the nightmare of history, into "cosmic" time. The soul's full descent into the body is the bringing of Heaven down to Earth, not by force or supplication but by intelligent, tender compliance, by the simple willingness (and desire ) to receive it.

Speaking of healers, Horsley has been drawn not only to people like Strieber (whose personality I have yet to get a clear picture of), but charismatic "healer" type people, or at least one such person who turned out to be quite a fraud. In other words, after myriad let downs (though instructive let downs, to be sure) Horsley did come upon someone whom he still considers (after several years now) to be "authentic." I've listened to him converse with him on his podcast, which is probably the best way to get a feel for him, as opposed to his website, or Youtube. He's from a British, lower class background, but what's interesting is that from a very young age -- as a child, I mean -- he was determined to do whatever it took to become "enlightened." And it had nothing to do with his family, either. No, it seems he had come into the world with this mission. Finally, at the age of thirty-three (interestingly enough), he had the experience of leaving behind the old self -- the constructed self, as it were -- and becoming.. how do I say this.. "truly" himself? He says he can still "use" the old Dave (his name is Dave Oshana, should you care to look him up). But it's been years now, and even if he "tries" to somehow turn back the clock, to become this person he was before, he finds it impossible to do.

So, what Oshana's life has become about, then, is sharing this "enlightenment" -- not so much through what he says (he's very "regular guy" seeming, certainly not articulate in the way that Horsley is), but instead through sharing this energy that he embodies. He calls it the "Enlightenment Transmission." Now, Horsley has gone to Oshana's group sessions numerous times (initially, he was put off that he charged money for these workshops, but he seems to have come to a place of more acceptance for that "mundane" fact, or should I say "worldly?"). Any case, Horsley talks about how, at least at the beginning, just being in Oshana's presence caused him to detox, and get sick due to that. As with other healing modalities, this can happen. (Maybe if Horsley had used binders to absorb the toxins he could have avoided the "getting sick" part.) Nevertheless, these healing sessions seem to be having a very positive impact on him and others he speaks to on his podcast who have also attended these workshops.

So, perhaps, in Horsley's "coming down to earth," in working through all the negative influences, such as Strieber (and Aleister Crowley, at one point, and others), Horsley has prepared himself to finally meet the "authentic" healer and teacher he was hoping to find -- a healer who, perhaps ironically, turned out to be this rather "ordinary" guy from his native England. Oshana's workshops and retreats usually take place in Finland, but he does sometimes come to the United States, and I assume other countries as well. I've never been to a workshop myself, although I am curious as to what such an experience might be like. I assume it's as varied as the people who attend them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@seeker2seer, I'm not sure what you find disturbing. That would be an interesting, even important conversation to have, maybe. I think if we are dependent, even addicted to "escape" strategies -- without necessarily realizing we are even doing that -- then it might be unpleasant, even a bit scary to start to take all that apart. And yet ultimately it could be very freeing. Actually, you might want to dig around in Horsley's podcast archive.. go back as far as you can... you'll find conversations he's had with ordinary listeners that might touch on some of your own concerns.
Thanks for starting this thread and I think you are picking up on why I might be feeling disturbed by this book. Being a victim of childhood trauma (physically, emotionally, and perhaps sexually) I know the power of escape strategies which lead to dissociation. The subject of this book really hits close to home for me and other family members because of our history and experiences so I feel there is something there to be discovered or uncovered and possibly dealt with. I will look around his podcast site and probably read the book too and report back with any insights relating to my family's experiences and issues involving what Laura calls High Strangeness.
 
Thanks for starting this thread and I think you are picking up on why I might be feeling disturbed by this book. Being a victim of childhood trauma (physically, emotionally, and perhaps sexually) I know the power of escape strategies which lead to dissociation. The subject of this book really hits close to home for me and other family members because of our history and experiences so I feel there is something there to be discovered or uncovered and possibly dealt with. I will look around his podcast site and probably read the book too and report back with any insights relating to my family's experiences and issues involving what Laura calls High Strangeness.

Hi @seeker2seer. I'm glad if this material can be of help to you. It might represent a place to start, at least. What's interesting about Horsley's position on "High Strangeness" is not that he thinks such phenomena doesn't exist. He's certainly very open to that likelihood. However, in the mix with alien phenomena is, just as you say, childhood trauma. Add to that, those like Strieber who from the time of his childhood was involved in government related programs. In other words, it's important to really investigate and work through those other factors first before coming to any firm conclusions about alien abduction scenarios, etc.

I think most of us here understand this, although Horsley's book really explores this idea in great depth using his own experiences, and those of Strieber, to keep referring back to.

I'll start to re-read the book, and see what new insights I can add here as well.

Best to you, @seeker2seer. These things are never easy. But Horsley has a very honest yet gentle way about him, so perhaps certain of his podcasts could be of help to you.

Only problem is.. now that I'm looking at Horsley's site I see that most of his past podcasts have been taken down (!!) Perhaps this was a practical choice, I don't know. I'm disappointed to see this. There were podcasts I can still remember that I would have liked to have listened to again. And there were conversations with listeners having to do with childhood trauma that I was thinking you could benefit from.

I can give you this pointer: under "Home" at Horsley's Auticulture website, the selections labeled "the Liminalist" are the podcasts (he's up to #284 now), the other selections are his writings. They look very similar, that's why I'm pointing this out. Also, I find I like listening to him in conversation a lot more than the podcasts where he's speaking on his own.

I guess he's decided to keep the podcast very current, without keeping any archive. The Archive that you can link to is for a different website he used to have, and none of those links work.

I'm actually rather shocked things are so pared down now, when in the past there was this whole rich history to explore.
 
@seeker2seer: at Horsley's Auticulture website under "Conact," I see he's offering consultations at a reasonable price (compared with professional psychotherapists). Given his exceptional insight into trauma, and his compassionate nature it might be something to consider trying.
 
Back
Top Bottom